PFT: Ravens, Rice not near long-term deal

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Individual NFL owners haven?t said much about the ever-growing list of former players who have sued the league for concussions.? If the talking points on this topic are ?don?t talk about it,? Giants co-owner John Mara deviated from the script on Tuesday.

Visiting the editorial board of the Newark Star-Ledger to discuss the team?s position on a retail location that encroaches on the MetLife Stadium parking lot, Mara also talked about the issue of brain injuries in football.

?I?m on the health and safety committee, we have more medical committees looking into it,? Mara said, per Dave D?Alessandro of the Star-Ledger.? ?We?re just starting to gather more information about it.? And I?m very confident we?re doing everything we can do right now to find out more about it.

?But the notion in these lawsuits that we knew there were long-term effects and we withheld that information is ridiculous.? Is there some kind of cause and effect?? I don?t know, I?ll let the medical experts tell you that; common sense would tell you that there is.? But to say we knew it and withheld it, I really find that objectionable.?

Mara realizes that former players nevertheless are flooding the court system with this ?ridiculous? contention because it provides a path to compensation they believe they deserve.

?[O]ne of the reasons why we have a lot of people joining these lawsuits is that we haven?t done a good enough job of taking care of retired players,? Mara said.? ?That?s an issue we need to come to grips with.? We made a good start in this last CBA, and by allocating all this money to the Legacy Fund.?

Mara admitted that the league hasn?t done enough for retired players, not from a legal standpoint but from a moral one.

?[T]o me, the league as a whole hasn?t done as good a job as we could have,? Mara said.? ?And I see significant improvements in the future.? But we still have to agree with the union on how to do this.?

Mara?s willingness to break ranks and talk about head injuries in a way more substantive and sensitive than, say, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones flippantly claiming he would have been the president if he hadn?t suffered 50 concussions while playing football, comes from Mara?s background as a member of a family that has owned a team for decades.

?For me, it?s a personal thing, because I grew up with these guys,? Mara said.? ?It?s shocking to me to see guys who, when they were players, you?d say, ?This guy is going to have a good post-football career ? very smart, has his degree. . . .? And then it?s 10 years later,? and he?s broke and out of work.? It kills you to see that.? It absolutely kills you.?

Plenty of former players are saying that it has killed them, too, in some cases literally.? Regardless of whether it comes from litigation or bargaining or simple charity, the league needs to realize that something needs to be done to help the men on whose shoulders today?s players, coaches, and owners currently are standing.

Regardless of what the NFL previously has done, one of the league?s most influential owners believes the league hasn?t done enough.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/10/no-deal-imminent-between-ravens-and-ray-rice/related

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Banker sends confession, vanishes near Key West

ATLANTA?? After penning a rambling letter to financial regulators and writing notes to his family, a south Georgia bank director boarded a ferry in Key West, Fla., and disappeared.

Now local and federal investigators are trying to determine whether Aubrey Lee Price killed himself, as his lengthy letter ? which they've described as a confession ? would have them believe, or whether he slipped away with $17 million of investors' money. His family has told authorities they believe he's dead, but federal investigators aren't so sure and have offered $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

"My depression and discouragement have driven me to deep anxiety, fear and shame. I am emotionally overwhelmed and incapable of continuing in this life," says the confession letter investigators believe was written by Price.

"I created false statements, covered up my losses and deceived and hurt the very people I was trying to help," the letter says.

Price apologizes at the beginning of the confession for its "lack of structure, grammar and harmony of thought." Indeed, it wanders from one subject to the next and back again and is sprinkled with grammatical errors and Bible verses. It includes claims that Price is solely responsible for the banking losses; apologies to his clients, associates and partners; claims that banking was never his area of expertise and that he got bad advice; some blame for regulators and other outside forces; repeated mentions of the stress and anxiety he says he has felt for months; and many allusions to his apparent intent to kill himself. The confession also denies that any money was stolen, saying it was all lost through bad investments.

Members of Price's family and several of his associates mentioned in court documents did not return calls seeking comment. A manager at the bank he directed, which has been purchased by another bank and reopened this week under a different name, said he couldn't comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Price left his home in south Georgia on June 16, telling his family he was headed to Guatemala for business, said Sgt. Aaron Pritchett of the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating his disappearance. Two days later, Price's family received letters saying he was going to Key West to board a ferry headed to Fort Myers and planned to jump off somewhere along the way to end his life.

Credit card records show he purchased dive weights and a ferry ticket. The ferry ticket was scanned at the boarding point, but that's where the trail runs cold, Pritchett said.

The Coast Guard searched for him, and investigators talked to the ferry crew and rental car agencies in the Fort Myers area, to no avail.

Price has said he owns real estate in Venezuela and frequently went there and to Guatemala. Airline records show he had returned to the U.S. from a trip to Venezuela on June 2, according to a statement from an FBI investigator. Price may also own a boat that's big enough to travel from Florida to Venezuela, the investigator said.

Price became director of Montgomery Bank & Trust in Ailey, Ga., in December 2010, when a company he controlled bought a controlling portion of the bank's stock, according to a complaint filed late last month in federal court in New York. Price then opened brokerage accounts through a securities clearing and custodial firm in New York and told bank managers he would invest in U.S. Treasury securities.

Instead of investing the bank's money, authorities say Price wired the funds into accounts he controlled at other financial institutions and provided bank managers with fraudulent documents.

The FBI and federal prosecutors say Price embezzled $17 million in bank funds. The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a complaint in federal court in Atlanta saying he defrauded investors. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday said it seized Montgomery Bank & Trust.

An associate told an SEC lawyer that since 2009, Price had raised roughly $40 million from about 115 investors, mostly in Georgia and Florida, through the sale of membership interests in his investment firm. He routinely sent investors messages saying the firm, for which he made the investment decisions, consistently had positive returns, the SEC lawsuit says. Price provided monthly account statements to investors that were falsified to hide the fact that millions of dollars were missing, his associate told the SEC.

Wendy Cross moved about $300,000 to Price's firm after a trusted financial adviser told her it would be a good investment. She met Price in person once. She described a very religious, soft-spoken man with a gentle demeanor and an air of kindness.

"He should have won an Oscar for his performance that day," she said. "He has left a path of financial carnage."

The 46-year-old from Atlanta said she discovered something was wrong late last month when she wanted to withdraw some money from the firm to invest in another business. She tried multiple times to contact the firm to withdraw money. When she texted her financial adviser, he responded that he had had no idea what was going on at the company and said he thought Price was still alive despite rumors of his suicide.

Cross said she is shocked and devastated by the loss of her savings. She owns a food truck that sells arepas, stuffed cornmeal patties popular in some South American countries, but said she will have to sell the truck because she needs the money to live. She can't afford to hire a lawyer and said she doesn't know what she's going to do next.

Price lived with his wife and children in Bradenton, Fla., but bought a home in Valdosta earlier this year, according to authorities. Price had moved his family to the south Georgia city, where his wife's parents live, just a few weeks before he disappeared. There were financial reasons behind the move, but it also appears Price may have been trying to make things easier on his family once he disappeared, Pritchett said.

Pritchett calls the case interesting and peculiar but wouldn't speculate on whether Price is still alive.

"Until we have a body, it's kind of hard to say," Pritchett said. "It's almost like a novel."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48145710/ns/business-us_business/

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England set 138 to win against Australia

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/england-win-toss-field-against-australia-164351862.html

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Investing in Plano Real Estate ? Real Estate ? Property Investment ...

You have seen all of the articles that say this is this best time, probably in our lifetime, to buy a home. If it is the best time to buy a home for yourself then is it a good time to invest in the Plano market? If you?re financially able to spend time doing research, and you have cash to burn, then investing is likely to be a good financial decision for you. There are a number of excellent reasons for a part-time real estate investing business.Can you can do property investing part-time: Yes. Before the Internet, this wasn?t as easy thing to do. Now you can do your own due diligence which used to be the biggest time consumers in real estate investing. The Internet has opened the door to anyone with limited time to spend on the process. What used to take a full day of tramping through courthouse offices in any DFW real estate city and looking through several dozen records can now us ually be accomplished in an hour or so on the Internet at any time of day or night.Costs have nothing to do with income: Doing everything right in the real estate investment process and getting tenants into the property will not guarantee success. An unexpected vacancy or two for longer than anticipated has ruined many new real estate investors. The mortgage, property taxes, utilities and upkeep costs continue, even when the rental income stops. At those times of stress, regular income from the property is nonexistent and you will be paying these costs out of your own pocket. Even when buying Dallas foreclosures where many times your initial investment is less you can still find yourself in a negative cash flow situation. Don?t make investment decisions under stress: Getting into a negative cash flow situation creates much stress. Too many real estate investors have lost money selling properties at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. Keep your whits anytime you have to mak e a decision about your real estate investment.Is Starting Part-time easier? Taking on your real estate investments slowly and carefully at first may save you financially when you find it?s not as you expected. Real estate investing part-time is definitely the way to go for most investors. Keep that steady income for stress reduction and backup funding. As you learn the business and grow your rental property portfolio you may find yourself someday where you can simply walk away from that job that you detest. Below is some great information about rental properties: Property improvement for increased equity ? Many investors purchase properties at a discount because they could use some improvements in condition or amenities. They have calculated that the value of the improvements will exceed the cost, resulting in an immediate increase in equity. Rental yield ? This is the percentage yield from direct rental income, and can be calculated as either gross or net. To calculate the Net Rental Yield, take the expenses, taxes and other costs into account, and divide by the property cost/value. It could turn out to be a negative cash flow, as it doesn?t take mortgage payments into account. Many investors prefer to look at the cash-on-cash yields. Though the investor can purchase and manage for a yield on this single component that exceeds average stock or bond dividend yields, it is only one of the ways in which real estate returns on your investment. Appreciation ? Properties normally appreciate in value as inflation increases. Increased value can mean sale and reinvestment in higher valued properties. This is the second, and a historically proven value component of real estate investment return. Inflation ? Rent Friendly ? Rents generally increase with inflation, while mortgage payments on the property remain stable. This increases cash flow, with more rent income without increased expense for holding the property. When inflation is up, it can also mea n more renters, as the affordability of homes can be negatively impacted by inflation. More renters increases demand, so rents will generally increase. Leverage ? Using leverage provides much greater returns. Using $200,000 to purchase three properties with down payments, instead of one for $200,000 cash, can greatly increase your returns. Keep in mind that all leverage involves risk, so the successful investor must understand how this leverage will impact their real estate investments. Paying down the mortgage ? Amortization, or paying down the mortgage, frees up more investment resources to increase leverage. Some investors use increased equity in one property to free up funds to invest in others. One of the best things about owning rental property is that your tenants are the ones paying down your mortgage.

You have seen all of the articles that say this is this best time, probably in our lifetime, to buy a home. If it is the best time to buy a home for yourself then is it a good time to invest in Plano Real estate? If you?re financially able to spend time doing research, and you have cash to burn, then investing in real estate is likely to be a good financial decision for you. There are a number of excellent reasons for a part-time real estate investing business.Can you can do real estate investing part-time: Yes. Before the Internet, this wasn?t as easy thing to do. Now you can do your own due diligence which used to be the biggest time consumers in real estate investing. The Internet has opened the door to anyone with limited time to spend on the process. What used to take a full day of tramping through courthouse offices in any DFW real estate city and looking through several dozen records can now usually be accomplished in an hour or so on the Internet at any time of day or night.Costs have nothing to do with income: Doing everything right in the real estate investment process and getting tenants into the property will not guarantee success. An unexpected vacancy or two for longer than anticipated has ruined many new real estate investors. The mortgage, property taxes, utilities and upkeep costs continue, even when the rental income stops. At those times of stress, regular income from the property is nonexistent and you will be paying these costs out of your own pocket. Even when buying Dallas foreclosures where many times your initial investment is less you can still find yourself in a negative cash flow situation.

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Source: http://rawbusinesslaw.com/2012/07/10/investing-in-plano-real-estate-real-estate-property-investment/

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How to be a wedding guest on a budget

Wedding season is upon us, and if you?re gearing up to toast the nuptials of a friend or relative, chances are you?ll be dreading the considerable expense that being a guest brings.

Of course everyone wants to give the newly-weds a gift, but then there?s accommodation to think about, a new outfit, transport and often a costly hen or stag do.

The expense can quickly mount up, but fortunately there are ways to cut costs and still enjoy the day. Here we take a look.

Save save save!

With many currently finding their household purse strings stretched to the limit, saving isn?t a top priority. But thinking ahead and putting away even a small amount will mean you are more prepared when the wedding approaches.

Considering an easy access account such as the Santander e-Saver issue? will allow you to earn a generous interest rate of 3.20% and can be opened with as little as ?1. You can choose to receive monthly or annual interest and the account can be managed online or by telephone.

If you have invitations to weddings next year and want to be really organised, then regular savings accounts give more competitive rates of interest. However, these accounts require regular deposits and restrict how many withdrawals you can make. They are also often fixed for a set term, usually of around a year.

The West Bromwich BS Fixed Rate Regular Saver account, for example, offers a substantial interest rate of 4.10%. The term is fixed for one year and you are allowed to miss up to two monthly payments. If you?re confident you can be strict with yourself and are able to lock your money away, than regular savings accounts are definitely worth considering.

If you need to put it on the plastic?

However, those of us not quite as organised might be in need of more of a short-term finance fix for wedding expenses.

If this is the case, applying for a 0% purchase credit card could be an option. This will allow you to borrow what you need, then pay back what you owe over a number of months without having to pay a penny of interest.

The M&S Credit Card, for example, offers a generous 15 months interest-free. However, once the 0% period ends you will be charged the representative APR of 15.9% (variable), so make sure you have cleared your balance before the 15 months is up.

Alternatively, the Halifax All In One credit card offers 15 months interest free on both purchases and balance transfers.? Therefore, if you have a debt that is steadily increasing with mounting interest, this could be one way to get it under control, as well as having the freedom to make purchases interest-free. The representative APR on this card, however, is steep at 17.9% so make sure you take advantage of the 0% period and clear your balance.

?

Inspiration for your wardrobe

What to wear for a wedding can cause considerable panic but there are ways to keep costs down. If you are going to more than one wedding with different sets of people, then there is no need to buy a new outfit for each one, just vary your accessories and shoes.

Keep your eyes peeled for mid-season sales and plan ahead. If the wedding is later in the year, just make sure the outfit will be suitable for the season.

For a real ?wow? dress, there are a number of websites where you can hire designer dresses at a fraction of the price they would be to buy. For example, Girlmeetsdress.com and Wishwantwear.com are just two of the many out there.

And don?t forget to raid your friends? wardrobes! If you are lucky enough to be a similar size, see if there is anything you can borrow. It will feel like a new outfit and can repay the favour when they go to a wedding.

Present ideas

Many couples now request cash for their wedding present and while this is convenient, it can also be expensive. And some of the most impressive gifts are those which have had thought and time put into them.

Although it?s likely the couple will have a photographer on the day, often the best photos are non-professional ones that really capture the moment. Putting them together in a lovely album could be one option. Or you could see if you could get a framed picture or photo of the venue for the couple to remember their big day or even order the music score of the tune the bride walked down the aisle too as an unusual gift.

You could also consider organising a treat for the couple when they get back from their honeymoon such as restaurant vouchers or an experience day. Have a look at MoneySupermarket?s deals and vouchers channel for inspiration.

Accommodation and travel

Accommodation and travel expenses can be one of the most expensive aspects of being a wedding guest.

If you are travelling by train, the earlier you book, the more likely you are to find discounts, and tickets tend to be released around 12 weeks in advance. TravelSupermarket?s train tickets channel will allow you to compare deals and offers and get the best price for your journey.

Make sure you shop around for hotels and don?t forget to consider B&B?s and even camp sites if you?re really trying to cut costs. Chances are you?ll be spending most of the evening at the wedding and won?t mind where you rest your head at the end of the night.

Source: http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk:80/news/113843/how-to-be-a-wedding-guest-on-a-budget.aspx

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Stuxnet Is Dead, Long Live Stuxnet

Those who follow the exploits of Stuxnet will remember June 24, 2012, as Big Sleep day for the infamous malware. On that day, it stopped replicating. "It's more like neutered, rather than dead," said Eric Byres, CTO and vice president for engineering at Tofino Security Products.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2129447a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C755730Bhtml/story01.htm

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Cuba scrambles to fight rare cholera outbreak

HAVANA (AP) ? Authorities in eastern Cuba are in full prevention mode to contain a rare cholera outbreak amid fears that it may have spread to the capital, distributing chlorine and water purification drops and quarantining hospital patients with diarrhea until they are checked for the disease.

In the eastern city of Manzanillo, in Granma province, cars crawl through the streets with loudspeakers reminding people of the importance of good hygiene, and the sale of oysters at private kiosks has been suspended, according to several residents interviewed by The Associated Press. But there has been no travel quarantine on the city, and the streets are calm even if some people are jittery.

"I haven't seen any panic or anything like that," David Chavez, a 40-year-old computer worker, said by phone from Manzanillo, 430 miles (700 kilometers) east of Havana. "But what's certain is that there are some who are scared. And when somebody gets diarrhea, they immediately go to the hospital."

The precautions follow last week's announcement of three deaths and 53 diagnosed cases of the waterborne disease, which hadn't been seen in Cuba for many years. Cholera can kill quickly through dehydration but is easily treatable if caught in time. A Health Ministry bulletin said the outbreak was under control.

The government has not responded to requests for comment on reports that several cases have been found in Havana, nor has it followed up last week's announcement with more information, fueling rumors and contradictory stories.

Residents of the capital's El Cerro neighborhood told the AP that a father and daughter had been diagnosed with cholera and were being treated at a local hospital, but it was not clear where they had contracted the disease. The residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear they would get into trouble for talking to international journalists.

The BBC reported over the weekend that at least one case of cholera had been detected in Havana, without naming its sources. The Miami Herald, quoting an apparent dissident who lives in Granma province, said more than 1,000 people had been sickened. And exile blogs such as Cafe Fuerte have reported additional deaths, citing residents and unnamed officials.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a staunch anti-Castro congresswoman from Florida, accused the Cuban government of withholding information to avoid scaring away tourists.

Amid the uncertainty, there were also reports that airports in southeastern Mexico had issued a medical alert and were screening passengers from Cuba. But Mexican officials denied that.

"There has not been even a single passenger suspected" of carrying cholera, said Luis Vazquez, spokesman for the Yucatan state health agency. "Cuba is a country with a very good epidemiological system. They don't even let (sick) passengers leave."

Cuba has a well-organized civil defense system capable of rapidly mobilizing government agencies and citizens' groups, as it does for tropical storms and hurricanes. Brigades of workers routinely scrutinize every dwelling and other property to eliminate standing water where mosquitos bearing another tropical disease, dengue, could breed.

The country also has battalions of well-trained doctors and nurses, many of whom played a key role in fighting a much deadlier cholera outbreak in nearby Haiti after that country's devastating earthquake.

The Manzanillo outbreak happened in poor outlying neighborhoods that rely on wells for their water. Cuba's Health Ministry said in its announcement last week that it was collecting samples from the wells, sealing off tainted water supplies and disinfecting hydraulic systems.

Doctors were going door to door to look for people running a fever and to advise residents about preventive measures such as using chlorine drops to disinfect drinking water.

Hotels in Manzanillo were accepting guests as usual, but have ramped up hygienic measures. At the Guacanayabo Hotel everyone was washing their hands and feet in buckets with chlorinated water and the pool was being treated daily.

"There are meetings every day at noon to go over how everything's going, and so far there are no problems here," hotel worker Luleima Ortiz said by phone.

Some people in Havana were also taking precautions.

One man, a barber, said he was washing his hands more often, avoiding touching his mouth at work and boiling his drinking water.

Another, a street vendor, got rid of the cardboard box he had used to hold his sweet pastries, replacing it with a plastic one that's easier to keep clean and does a better job keeping the flies away.

"I, as a vendor, must protect and take care of others," Alfredo Bruceta said.

___

Associated Press journalists Franklin Reyes and Peter Orsi in Havana, and E. Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-07-09-Cuba-Cholera/id-dec4c894abdd4eec882e24f6f30afdec

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