Friday, March 22, 2013

Andrew Simpson: Three for the 'ville, number 1, the Sports Pavilion ...


I am in picture mood and over the next few days I want to return to Chorltonville and feature three more pictures of the place.

This was the Sports Pavilion in the Recreation Area not long after the ?ville had been built.

?Like many projects of its kind the designers were keen to provide places of leisure and the sports pavilion offered both tennis and bowls.

I doubt now that we will ever discover the identity of the people in the picture. ?Given that it was taken around 1914 even the young girl will now be dead.

And because this was a commercial photograph it is unlikely that it forms part of a treasured family album which might just offer up a name.

Still the young girl in the dark dress appears on a number in the collection and each case holding a tennis racket.

You have to admire the tenacity of our six 'ville residents, because judging by the leaves on the trees and bushes it must still be sometime in the spring.

But then we do get some nice weather in April and May, so perhaps they have taken advantage of just such a day.

Picture; from the Lloyd collection

Source: http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2013/03/three-for-ville-number-1-sports.html

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Fla. lawyer accused of heading charity scam talks

Jacksonville, Fl. attorney Kelly Mathis, left, walks a hallway with his attorney Mitch Stone before an interview at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

Jacksonville, Fl. attorney Kelly Mathis, left, walks a hallway with his attorney Mitch Stone before an interview at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

Jacksonville, Fla. attorney Kelly Mathis, left, reviews documents with his attorney Mitch Stone during an interview at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

Jacksonville, Fl. attorney Kelly Mathis, left, talks with his attorney Mitch Stone during an interview at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

Jacksonville, Fla. attorney Kelly Mathis, right, greets his attorney Mitch Stone before an interview at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

Jacksonville, Fla. attorney Kelly Mathis, left, listens as his attorney Mitch Stone explains their position at Stone's office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Mathis is accused by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of the Allied Veterans of the World internet gambling operation. (AP Photo/Rick Wilson)

(AP) ? A prominent Jacksonville attorney accused of masterminding a $300 million gambling ring disguised as a veterans charity says he simply advised his clients on legal matters and that prosecutors are trying to "force a connection" between him and the operation of the business.

During an hour-long interview with The Associated Press at his lawyer's office on Wednesday, Kelly Mathis said that his arrest last week has ruined his life and damaged his law career.

Mathis's eyes became red when he talked about how his family has stood by him since his arrest and release from jail on bond. He's been charged in state court with racketeering, money laundering and gambling-related charges.

"Lots of prayer," he said, when asked about the past several days.

Mathis, who is 49 and a former president of the Jacksonville Bar Association, is one of about 60 people charged in Seminole County, Fla., with running the now-shuttered Allied Veterans of the World, which operated 49 Internet parlors with computerized slot machine-style games.

Adding to the probe's notoriety, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned a day after she was questioned by investigators ? though she isn't among those charged.

Those who knew Mathis say he's a well-respected, down-to-earth and hard-working lawyer who's not prone to wearing the silk shirts and shiny suits favored by some of his colleagues.

"I would have thought of him more as milquetoast more than mastermind," said Jim Bailey, the editor of a legal and business newspaper called the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Mathis said Johnny Duncan and Jerry Bass, the two men who once owned Allied Veterans of the World, sought his legal advice about seven years ago and he took the men and their company on as clients. He eventually became the registered agent for several Internet cafes owned by the organization.

Under Florida law, a company must have a registered agent to be responsible for receiving important legal and tax documents; many companies use lawyers.

"There is no connection. They're trying to force a connection," Mathis said of prosecutors. "And that's all they've got, is to say that I was the registered agent, that I had some relationship to all of these companies. And the relationship they've got is that I was the registered agent. But what they fail to realize is that's no relationship at all."

Mathis, who went to high school in Brooksville, Fla., and law school at Vanderbilt University, opened his own practice about nine years ago in Jacksonville after working at larger firms.

Mathis said he researched whether Internet sweepstakes cafes were legal in Florida.

"I spent months researching this in-depth, of sweepstakes law, gambling law, to make sure they didn't violate any of the gambling laws," he said. "Reading cases, reading statutes. Reading legislative history. Gathering all of that information before I ever issued them an opinion. That this is what they could do and needed to do in order to comply with Florida law."

At issue is the legality of the games. To play, customers get prepaid cards and then go to a computer to play "sweepstakes." The games, with spinning wheels similar to slot machines, have names such as "Captain Cash," ''Lucky Shamrocks" and "Money Bunny." Winners go back to a cashier with their cards and cash out. Lawmakers in Florida and other states are now considering whether to ban them.

The game makers argue they are legal sweepstakes because there's a predetermined number of winners, similar to a McDonald's Monopoly game or Coca-Cola's cap contest.

"The law is filled with ambiguities. The lawyer's job is to come up with a legal opinion to advocate for that position," Mathis said. "Even right now in the state of Florida, there is no appellate court opinion. There is no definitive black and white answer. I and my clients were complying with the law."

Mathis is a registered lobbyist and said he met with Jennifer Carroll several years ago while she was a member of the Florida House of Representatives.

Mathis said he had lunch "a couple of times" with Carroll and was asked to explain to her how the cafes operated under the law.

He said he didn't know anything about the public relations firm she co-owned or work that it did for Allied.

He said that he knows nothing about the charity angle of the business ? prosecutors say that only 2 percent of the nearly $300 million earned by Allied went to charity ? and that he merely advised the company about laws regarding philanthropy.

Mathis said he has only been paid his hourly fee for his work with Allied.

Mitch Stone, Mathis's attorney, said that at one point, Allied wanted to reduce the amount they were paying in legal fees and have Mathis work for a flat rate. Stone said that if Mathis was the "ringleader" of the operation, it made no sense that he would want to reduce his salary.

Mathis said he is being targeted by Seminole County officials because he sued the county over its stance on Internet cafes.

"I think the law permitted the activities that my clients were doing," he said. "Some people call it a loophole. To me, it's either allowed by the law or not allowed by the law."

Anthony Alfieri, a professor at the University of Miami's School of Law, said Mathis has a difficult task ahead.

"He's going to have to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt, with hard evidence that his belief was reasonable at that time," said Alfieri. "The key analysis is not what he thought was criminal or fraudulent. The key for both the state attorney and for ultimately, the Florida Bar, is whether an objectively reasonable and prudent lawyer should have known better and that's the case he's going to have to make."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this report from Jacksonville, Fla.

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamaralush

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-20-US-Charity-Gambling-Scandal-Lawyer/id-cf91542ac3a343c3bcdd24529e4c2a10

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Step-By-Step Tips You Can Use For Home Improvement ? Yahoodiary

Your home maintenance will involve home improvements which can be tackled by effectively determining the time and money you'll need for a project. You need to know about tools, materials, techniques, safety procedures and regulations before you get started. Here's some tips to be sure your home improvement project is done safely and correctly.

If you are doing any home improvements in your kitchen, ensure you shut off the gas in your home before you begin. You must be very careful with these types of projects. A fire could damage you and your efforts in any project.

Put down an asphalt sealer if you see any damages or cracks in your driveway. Sunny and wet weather conditions can damage your driveway, particularly when water gets into cracks, freezes, and then thaws. Sealants provide a protective layer that extends the life of your driveway by preventing damage from the elements.

One of the most basic ways to update or freshen up your house is with a few coats of new paint, especially in a new color. Exterior paint can greatly improve the look and value of your home. Select a new and unique color, and it will look like an entirely new house!

You don't have to spend lots of money to brighten up your kitchen and bath. Just invest a few dollars in good light fixtures. Tired track lighting can be replaced with modern lights for less than a thousand bucks. Think about putting in pendant lights; these are very modern and appealing.

A bathroom can be redecorated easily and cheaply. Just replacing the towels and shower curtain can quickly improve how your bathroom looks. An instant lift can be achieved using this method. Your bathroom can be a great place to incorporate plants; however, be judicious in your choice of plants to make sure they thrive.

Ready For Upgrading Your Home? Read This First! You should receive copies of everything as part of a file containing inspection reports and permit applications, as well as the permits themselves. This should be a question you ask before you hire a contractor.

Give the bubble in your old vinyl floor covering a shot! You can easily slice into the vinyl floor and let out the air. Cutting it will make the bubble go down. In order to permanently repair this part of the floor though, you are going to need to put an amount of fresh glue in. Use glue that comes in syringes to get the job done.

You can easily make a window screen, if you cannot locate one that goes into your window. Frame kits can be cut to any window size, and then it's just a matter of attaching the screen with the cording and an inexpensive tool. Some windows may require a particular screen, but an external screen can be added to nearly any window with the use of adapters.

If you want to change the look of your home for cheap, try painting it. Paint can give your home a new look without a high cost. A fresh color of paint can change a room's entire look. And the best part about a paint job is that it's very easy to change if you don't like the results after a while.

Source: http://yahoodiary.com/blog/64323/step-by-step-tips-you-can-use-for-home-improvement/

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Missed Details Can Spell DOOM For Your Business. | CAR MEN CAB

The new generation IP telephone system is different from standard systems. VOIP ( voice over net protocol ) or IP telephone is a speedy net based fone communication service offering highly favourable options for small company companies. PBX Business Communications Systems PBX or Non-public Branch Exchange telephone system incorporates a few features that help in methodical external and internal small company communication. The IP telephone service is also referred to as digital fone service or broadband phone service. The calls are moved to the right person over a dedicated telephone line or a high bandwidth web connection. One can programme an inventory of telephone numbers where he will be able to be available in the PBX telephone list. Auto attendant, caller ID, call screening, call forwarding, call transfer, voicemail, fax to e-mail, web administration and music on hold are some examples of the features that feature a small enterprise PBX system. Loosen your work force : You now do not have to keep your work force near to the vest for them to be ultra productive. The find me follow me call forwarding feature in the hosted PBX telephone system utilises this list of telephone numbers supplied by the individual to track him. The result's no lost connections and a better overall productiveness. Now employees can have a call routed to their home telephone, cell-phone, hotel room telephone, or any other telephone they wish.

As you can bring folks together that are in multiple locations online you'll scale back the need of your staff to go seriously and therefore you can tell your shopper you are becoming green. Go green : By doing video conferencing you are turning green. Advanced Features at a Tiny part of the exact Cost With a virtual office small enterprise telephone service you can take advantage of all of the advancements of a traditional telephone service at cheap rates. While making calls, the callers can hear pro sounding greetings integrated in the auto attendants of the system. If the user is not available or busy, the callers can select options like voice mail, fax mail, or e-mail to convey their messages. Therefore , before going for an office telephone system you need to ensure that the service supplier can effectively meet all of your business communication needs.

One or two suppliers even offer virtual telephone numbers and toll free numbers for the amenity of the shoppers. You must understand the costs, features and functionality around your new telefone system. Additionally, bundling is a standard technique to get more services for less, but use caution because bundling could also increase the cost. Underestimating deployment : It can occur fast getting the new telephone system installed. Consider doing the installation on a Fri. evening and have it go into Sat. and if required even into Sun. Nevertheless understanding what you are up against will save you some heart ache and possibly unrequired down-time.

This entry was posted in business and tagged business, telephone on by blogging.

Source: http://www.carmencab.com/?p=89

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92% Silver Linings Playbook

All Critics (228) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (202) | Rotten (17)

It's a rom-com that succeeds in revitalizing that discredited genre where so many others have failed, injecting it with the grit and emotion of realist drama rather than with amped-up whimsy or social satire or montages of people walking on the beach.

Silver Linings Playbook tells us that happily-ever-after may depend on finding people who coexist with our lunacy, not ones who can lead us out of it. In any case, it's crazy good.

A crazy beaut of a comedy that brims with generosity and manages to circumvent predictability at every turn.

An edgy romantic dramedy that suits our anxious times.

This meaningful film keeps the laughs, giddy anxiousness and warm butterflies from the trailer and sustains it all through two full hours of a love story.

Silver Linings Playbook is defined by the positive decisions that are made in the face of imperfection, desperation, and the desolate wasteland of your world in pieces.

Director David O. Russell forms a unique and incredible romance dramedy...

There is some charm to the story, but the final act is very neat, predictable, contrived, and not up to originality of the first two.

Director David O. Russell is a little too chipper at times - breaking a restraining order is really no joke - but he brings a breeziness to this likeable tale of two misfits trying to make it work.

It may be a Hollywood comedy, but it's one that feels beautifully alive.

On the surface Silver Linings Playbook is a raucous romantic comedy, but its real interests are superstition and delusion.

A volatile mix of familial drama and madcap comedy, infectious optimism and razor-wire wit, it's one of the most purely enjoyable films released in the past twelve months.

Parece desistir de qualquer tra?o de originalidade em seu cl?max, quando se entrega a todos os clich?s do g?nero: mal-entendidos, mocinhos obrigados a correr atr?s da mocinha pela rua e, claro, o insuport?vel travelling circular do beijo rom?ntico.

I suppose the phrase 'serious romantic comedy' sounds like a paradox. But that's exactly what 'Silver Linings Playbook' is: an intelligent, edgy dark comedy with romance at its core.

This is a rom-com dressed up as an Oscar-baiting "dramedy". It's a good rom-com thanks to it's edge... but occasionally has the bad traits of a bad rom-com.

Silver Linings Playbook puts the "fun" in "dysfunction." And sure, that sounds glib, but actually, it's a rather extraordinary achievement. Especially when you're skirting on the edges of sanity.

A bittersweet pill that's a mixture of an endearing family drama and modern romance that's an absolute delight.

tows the line of conventional, feel-good Hollywood rom-com, albeit dressed up in just enough art-house quirk to make it feel like something slightly radical

A reminder that 'sanity' doesn't make your flaws any more orderly.

Silver Linings Playbook is a fine, funny film, and one that should charm viewers who haven't been tricked by all those Oscar nominations into anticipating it as some kind of world-changing work of art for the ages.

David O. Russell's latest buzz film straddles a fine line between farce and kitchen-sink drama before settling into a groove that gets under one's skin.

It starts to fray about halfway through as it shifts into a more conventional mode, taking on the usual trappings of the genre and making its way to a predictable resolution

Both charming and gritty... Cooper is edgy, while Lawrence is dynamite

If there's one reason why you should see this film, it's to admire the wonderful performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Cooper and Lawrence Shine in Linings.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Electric Power - Brazil - Brazil schedules May energy auction from existing plants

Brazil's next electric power auction from existing power plants will be held in May, according to the mining and energy ministry (MME).

The bid round, dubbed auction A, will offer contracts for power supply beginning on June 1 this year and ending on June 30, 2015.

MME did not disclose the date of the auction but said all energy sources would be free to participate.

"Distributors can contract electric energy which corresponds to their replacement needs [of sold energy]," MME said in a statement published on the website of federal gazette Di?rio Oficial da Uni?o.

MME added that utilities had until April 12 to declare their energy needs for the remainder of the year.

Interested bidders must provide proof of their plants' physical guarantees or those of outsourced generators, MME said.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BusinessNewsAmericas-TopStoriesEN/~3/PFVZd1Z_pbI/brazils-mme-schedules-may-energy-auction-from-existing-plants1

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