cash call: Kasım 2012

30 Kasım 2012 Cuma

Giveaway: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

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From Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges comes a highly imaginativestory about a happily married couple who can’t wait to start a family but can only dreamabout what their child would be like. Then one stormy night young Timothy shows up on theirdoorstep. Soon they and the small town in which they live learn that sometimes theunexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.

“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” Blu-ray Combo Pack provides viewers with the chance todelve deeper into this captivating movie experience through never-before-seen bonusfeatures, including the documentary “Family Roots: Bringing ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’to the Screen,” which looks at this unique family story and the creative team that brought it tolife; “Glen Hansard: Behind ‘This Gift” - the Academy Award® winning songwriter tells how heand Marketa Irglova crafted the moving end-credits song; “This Gift” Music Video by GlenHansard; Five all-new deleted scenes; and a director audio-commentary.

My husband and I saw this with our girls. It is a family-friendly movie, with some humor that appealed to our little girls and us. The plot and lessons, though, are much deeper than young kids can pick up - it's a story written more for adults, in a way.

I have the opportunity to give away a prize pack for The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which will contain socks, a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, notepad, wild flower seed packets, and a poster. To enter, leave a comment with the biggest lesson your children have taught you. Deadline is December 4th.

Gulfstream Park's Wide Open Spectacular Bid Stakes May See Price Repeat

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The $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park has never produced a Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands winner but Groovy still ranks third on the list of all-time fastest quarter and half-mile fractions in the Run for the Roses. After winning the inaugural Spectacular Bid Stakes in 1986, the Texas-bred Groovy lead for just about six furlongs before faltering and finishing last in that Derby.

The last Spectacular Bid Stakes starter to make it to Kentucky was Discreetly Mine, a fourth-place finisher behind A Little Warm in the Spectacular Bid two years ago and 13th in the subsequent Kentucky Derby.

So don’t look for the winter future book favorite to come out of Saturday’s featured Spectacular Bid Stakes for opening day at Gulfstream Park. The Specatular Bid, named for the 1979 Kentucky Derby (photo right) winner and 1980 Horse of the Year, the Spectacular Bid has traditionally been the first 3-year-old stake of the prestigious Gulfstream Park meeting. This year, the seven furlong Spectacular Bid will be run for 2-year-olds for the first time due to the early opening day for Gulfstream Park. At first glance, no Kentucky Derby winner jumps out of the Daily Racing Form, but it appears there are some colts with potential.

Morning line favorite Luke of York makes his first start on dirt after narrowly winning his first two races on Polytrack. The humbly-bred son of Put It Back broke his maiden by a nose at Arlington Park in late September then came back to win the $125,000 Keeneland 75th Anniversary Stakes Oct. 15, again by a nose. Rajiv Marach rides Luke of York for trainer James P DiVito and is 5-to-2 in the morning line.

Vexor, the second choice among the field of eight at 3-to-1 morning line odds, backs down in class after finishing ninth behind Secret Circle in the $454,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. Vexor is the only Bid runner with graded stakes experience adding a grade 2 victory in the Nashua Stakes at Belmont October 2 to his past performances. Also of budgetary friendly bloodlines as a son of Wildcat Heir, Vexor was eighth in the grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, some 42 lengths behind winner Currency Swap. A close look at the John Kimmel trainee before the race may indicate which Vexor will be breaking from the starting gate in Saturday’s Spectacular Bid. He runs as if he has handicapped the race running well against grade 1 or less, but flopping when in the grade 1 Hopeful or on the national stage of the Juvey Sprint.

Town Prize, 8-1 in the morning line, and Ancient Rome, (4-1), have a little more blue running in their blood being by Speightstown and Roman Ruler respectively. Ancient Rome moves out of maiden company for the first time in the Spectacular Bid after winning his second start by more than seven lengths. Town Prize has won two of three races including a maiden and an allowance, but finished third in the $150,000 Colin Stakes at Woodbine in July. Town Prize is another making his natural dirt debut after all of his previous starts were on Polytrack.

Town Prize, Ancient Rome and Vexor are the only three starters to have a wire-to-wire victory under their belts and should provide an honest pace. Vexor will have a slight advantage, breaking from post three while Ancient Rome is number seven and Town Prize eight. Most of the other Spectacular Bid entrants are true stalkers with a fondness to run within two-to-four lengths off the leaders early. Longshot Rex’s Last Tour is the only Bid foe with a win coming from as far back as five lengths. Number one Jordon’s Image (8-to-1 morning line), rallied from ten lengths back four starts back, but only managed a third and it was against maiden claimers.

For Oby may be the choice for some as he is the only starter to have won at seven furlongs, having done so in his last out in the J. Price Juvenile over fellow Spectacular Bid runner Jordon’s Image. At 6-to-1, For Oby is at an attractive price and gets Alan Gacia in the saddle for trainer Pedro Maestre.

Selections
7 - Ancient Rome
2- Rex's Last Tour
3 - Vexor

CashCall Stars Can Emerge From Long Shadows Cast by Breeders' Cup Juvenile

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Our last look into the 2011 chrystal ball that is next year’s road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands presents itself Saturday in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. Run in the shadow of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the CashCall Futurity has neither the $1 million purse nor history of producing divisional champions like the more prestigious Juvenile, but they are both grade 1 and their winners have donned an equal number of rose blankets – one each. Street Sense is the only horse to win both Juvenile (2006) and Kentucky Derby (’07) while Real Quiet won the 1997 CashCall and the Derby the following year.

Both races are also run at distance of 1-1/16 miles.

Championship voters don’t seem to emphasized the similarities between the two races however, and have given the Juvenile significantly more weight in determining their selections. For disclosure, I agree the Juvenile should have greater importance than other grade 1 races in determining the year-end champion. If the industry is going to call the Breeders’ Cup a World Championship, they (we) need to treat it like one. The Eclipse Award voters have that well since the Breedeer Cup first ran some 27 years ago.

Since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was first won by Chief’s Crown in 1984, 20 winners have been named Champion Two-Year-Old Colt or Gelding for that year. Since Roving Boy won the CashCall (then Hollywood Futurity) in 1982 and the corresponding divisional championship, only CashCall winners Declan’s Moon and Looking at Lucky have been honored with Eclipse Awards. The four others named divisional champions during that 27-year span without winning either the CashCall nor the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile were Forty Niner (1987), Easy Goer (1988), Dehere (1993) and Maria’s Mon (1995). All four were named 2-year-old male champions after winning their respective Champagne Stakes in New York but losing or not running in the Juvenile.

Forty Niner, Maria Mon’s and Declan’s Moon were champions that did not start in the Breeders’ Cup while Looking at Lucky, Dehere and Easy Goer won the divisional honor after losing in the Breeders’ Cup. Looking at Lucky and Easy Goer were second to long shot Vale of York and Is It True in 1988 and 2009 Juveniles respectively. Dehere was eighth as the odds-on favorite in the 1987 Juvenile won by Success Express before winning his 2-year-old male championship.

What makes the CashCall of more interest is the annual participation and sometimes domination by three-time Derby winning trainer and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Baffert has won two of the last three CashCall Futurities and a record five total. Known as the other silver-haired fox from

Arizona (former University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olsen being the first white-haired legend from the Grand Canyon State), Baffert has won the CashCall with Real Quiet, Captain Steve (1999), Point Given (2000) (photo left), Poineerof the Nile (‘08) and Looking at Lucky.

Also adding to the uniqueness of the CashCall is the artificial Cushion Track material that makes up the main track at Hollywood Park. Last year, Comma to the Top made the CashCall his fifth-straight win, but all were on artificial main tracks or grass. In his first race on natural dirt, Comma to the Top came back to run second in the Santa Anita Derby and then last in the Kentucky Derby, also on dirt. Looking at Lucky would eventually win the Preakness and then repeat as the division champion and show he could run on natural dir and Pioneerof the Nile was second on natural dirt in the Kentucky Derby.

Now, Santa Anita will have their natural dirt for the second time for their winter prep races leading up to the Derby, so any natural dirt-challenged winner of the CashCall will now likely be exposed sooner or prepare the Kentucky Derby over the PolyTrack surfaces at Turfway Park and/ or Keeneland. (see 2010 Derby winner Animal Kingdom.) Any plans to take the Southern California, New York, Arkansas, Florida or Louisiana roads to Kentucky, mean running on natural dirt.

According to Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen, Baffert will again be loaded for the CashCall with three 2-year-olds set for the 1-1/16-mile race. Del Mar Futurity winner Drill will try to return to the winners’ circle after graded stakes loses in the Norfolk, Juvenile and Delta Jackpot. Maiden winner Sky Kingdom and Real Quiet Stakes winner Liason will also be saddled by Baffert in this CashCall Futurity.

Not sure other CashCall contenders Basmati and Longview Drive, the place and show horses in the Delta Jackpot in their last start, don’t appear to have enough credentials for the championship, even with a big performance in the CashCall.

No matter, the CashCall winner is sure to move up near the top of many Kentucky Derby 2012 lists of contenders. Winter Future Books will be adjusted and for some, rosy dreams will begin to bloom for others. Regardless of who gets honored with the 2-year-old male title, it will be the Derby that holds all the glamour and history and the CashCall Futurity is more than a month closer than its Breeders’ Cup brother-race. The CashCall Futurity now crawls from beneath the long shadow cast by the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and at least one shining star will emerge and walk into the Hollywood Park winners’ circle Saturday.

Then on to the road that may lead to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

'Twas The Night Before Racing

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‘Twas the night before Christmas
Inside the barn area fence
Not a creature was stirring
Not track maintenance.

The hay nets were hung
From the stall doors with care
Hoping the guy with the sweet feed
Soon would be there.

The horses were all standing
Asleep in their bedding
While the grooms played the tunes
Of the Spanish Helen Redding
(Soy mujer, me oigo rugir!)

With mama closing the tack room
And I shutting light
We took a look down the shed row
Before calling it a night

When suddenly we heard
A bang and clang
It sounded as if
The starting gate rang

But the race track was closed
And the gate crew was drinking
So I turned to mama while wonderin’
What she was thinking?

Then a sudden red light
And with little alarm
I saw something land
Atop the test barn

It was the thoroughbred season!
There were no sulkies around!
So certainly this was
A sleigh that we found

I recognized the harness
And the reins were no mystery
But those were sure reindeer
“Track security is history!”

Then out from the sleigh
Jumped the driver dressed in red
He looks at me smiling
And says “Can you watch my sled?”

“I have peppermints here
Maidens and Claimers by name
Then suddenly he vanished
And I’m holding Rudolph’s reins

In less than a second
He was back and set to go
“How fast is this sleigh?”
He said, “You’ll never know!

“I use Christmas Spirit
To power this thing
For this team of reindeer
The world’s a bullring

“This is a very fast group
And this is a magical little bag
But don’t get ideas
They don’t run for a tag!”

Then a little toy trumpet
He brought to his lips
And he played Boots and Saddles
With his hands on his hips

I laughed then looked up
And he was gone in a sec
Then I looked down
And saw the win pic

As I looked at it closer
What a wonderful sight
It was Santa on the left
And me on the right

Donner was center
The rest were in back
And I don’t know who they were
But there were elves in the sack

He sprang to his sleigh
to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew
to Los Al then to Thistle.

But then I heard him say
with a laugh and a roar,
"Happy Christmas to all
And hit a pick-four!”

Gary Coleman's catchy call for cash campaign

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I was just checking out the Gary Coleman CashCall Advertisements. I have to say it is a very clever campaign. Notice when he says "No one would lend me money, not even my relatives". Brilliant line - having an audience relate to a person in an ad (not to mention a celebrity) is Marketing 101. Unfortunately with the down economy, many Americans are in the same situation. Call for Cash!

29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe

Consumer Critique: The Best Advice I Ever Got....

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I recently had a chance to review two inspiring and helpful books, The Best Advice I Ever Got on Marriage and The Best Advice I Ever Got on Parenting. The books are compiled by Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family.

Given the editor, one would expect that the books promote traditional Christian values - and they do. The books are made of of smaller, individual chapters, each one written by a different person or couple. What I like about the books is that each chapter has a different viewpoint, and takes a different approach or touches on a different part of parenting and marriage. Although the books are Christian, they don't really come across as preachy (provided the reader is someone who also expects to read about traditional Christian values).

As a relatively new parent, and relatively early in my marriage (compared to the authors of the chapters), I found their insights helpful. I can't say I'll follow all of the advice in these books, but I certainly found enough great nuggets of wisdeom that I am happy to recommend them and pass them along to friends and family members of mine.

Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of this book to facilitate this review.

Fun Freetime: Put Me in the Story

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Sourcebooks launched an app called Put Me In The Story™ for iPad. The app allows parents to create personalized books for children by adding a child's name and picture throughout books that kids and parents already know. Put Me In The Story™ has recently been featured in The New York Times, Chicago Sun Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle.
They're running a contest to help celebrate the launch. Anyone who pins their dedication photo from the app to Pinterest, with the hashtag #putmeinthestory, will be entered to win a personalized, autographed printed book collection. Contestants will also have their dedication page featured on the Put Me In The Story Pinterest board.
Put Me In The Story™ app is free, as is the first book – The Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond. At launch, there will be two other books available as in-app purchases ($4.99) – If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond, and Dream Big, Little Pig by Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, with more books to be released monthly. Features to come include sharing and printing the personalized books.

Tipping Building Staff (for Apartment Dwellers)

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The holiday season is upon us! And that means stores are already packed with festive shoppers, eager to find that “perfect gift” for everyone on their list. However, there may be a certain someone you may be forgetting when it comes to holiday gift giving. The generosity of tipping the people you interact with on a daily basis is oftentimes an afterthought or entirely overlooked. Rent.com conducted a survey and found that sixty-one percent of renters who live in an apartment building don’t tip their superintendent, doorman or building staff during this time of year. Luckily this year, Rent.com has a few tips for tipping etiquette this holiday season: 1) Budget Your Finances: Maybe the reason you don’t tip is because you don’t think you have enough holiday cash left for the staff. Make a budget sheet that includes the doorman and super in order to be sure you have enough cash for them as well. You don’t have to break the bank over their gifts. 2) Standardize the Amount: After you have worked out your budget, figure out the allotted amount of money you would like to give to your doorman and super and divide this equally among them. People talk and the last thing you want is for your doorman or super to be unhappy with the generous tip that you chose to give them. Likewise, if you did give your doorman or super a gift last year, make sure you maintain the giving amount this year. 3) Show You Care: Make sure you thank them for all that they have done for you. Add a card with their tip to show that you truly appreciate all of their hard work throughout the year and that it doesn’t go unnoticed. 4) Make it Personal: Spark up a conversation with your doorman or super and ask for recommendations of their favorite restaurants or their favorite places to shop. Instead of, or possibly along with, a tip, add a gift card for a place they love. It adds a great personal touch to the gift. 5) Get the Neighbors to Hop on the Bandwagon: Talk with your neighbors and see if they’d be interested in a group gift. If you get more people to give a little, you are able to get a nicer gift, while simultaneously getting others in the habit of tipping. So start spreading all of the knowledge you’ve gained on tipping to others in your building.

Contest: Share the Love, Love the Comfort

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This holiday season, BEARPAW is back with its second annual‘Share the Love, Love the Comfort’ Campaign. BEARPAW will give those who wantto nominate an inspirational and uplifting family in need the opportunity to unwrap a present and make the holidays extra special this season. “The goal is to reward and shine the spot light on thosefamilies who won’t let hard times wound their holiday spirit,” explains BEARPAWCEO Tom Romeo. “The vision behind thecampaign is BEARPAW’s way of saying, ‘Thank you’ to those who should be acknowledged for all of the compassion and hope theyspread throughout the year,” Romeo continues. Last year’s campaign saw an outpouring of nominations for deservingfamilies nationwide. “The common thread among all of the nominees was theirunwavering resilience through hard times. They were all very involved in theircommunity either through volunteering, taking someone into their home orfeeding other families in need,” explains Romeo. Starting the first week of December, BEARPAW Style, the footwearbrand’s online magazine, willannounce the three winning families each Friday until Christmas. Nine selectedfamilies will receive 2 pairs of boots and one pair of flip flops along withother holiday goodies for each member of the family wrapped and ready for theholidays. Those who wish to nominate a familywithin their community can submit their nomination via email to nominations@bearpawstyle.com, starting on December 3^rd. Three selected individualsand/or families will be announced each Friday thereafter until Christmas Day. TomRomeo founded the BEARPAW brand in 2001 with the intention of redefining casualfootwear by creating comfortable, stylish and fashion forward footwear. BEARPAW has carved out a niche area by providing customers with comfortand sensibility to set itself apart. From slippers to boots to casual footwear,only the finest materials are used to produce BEARPAW Footwear. By using thehighest standards of craftsmanship BEARPAW can deliver the most stylishfootwear while ensuring complete comfort. BEARPAW is available atNordstrom, Macy’s, Famous Footwear and Lady’s Footlocker.

Gary Coleman's catchy call for cash campaign

28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba

Parenting Pointers: TV and Kids - Making Smart Choices

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The issue of children and television viewing has been debated for manyyears, including whether they should be allowed to watch at all. As the mother of two young girls myself, Iunderstand the challenge of determining at what age they can be first exposedto TV, as well as what types of programming can provide the most benefit tothem.
While some may regard television simply as an electronic babysitter, Ithink it’s important to understand that as with many other activities,television can actually be used as an important tool to enhance the developmentof our kids. It starts with parentsdoing research on what is available, and seeking out the kinds of shows thatare designed by developmental experts.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 95% of American babies watchtelevision, so from my practical perspective, the question isn’t “shouldchildren watch TV,” but rather, “what are they watching, how much and underwhat conditions?” Content is absolutelykey. If it’s appropriate, educationaland non-violent, children can learn and have a very positive experience.
It’s also important to vary the types of programs your kids watch. The younger the child (especially babies),the greater will be their natural tendency to gravitate toward theirfavorites. Be sure to continuallyrefresh the content you select, offering your child exposure to new andexciting things. In the long-term, thiswill help keep their interest, while nurturing their development.
Of course, just because a TV show is educational, it is essential thatlimits be set on the amount of time that children are allowed to watch. As with all aspects of parenting, a healthybalance should be maintained, with plenty of time allocated for reading,creative play and spending time outdoors.
Ideally, parents should watch television together with theirchildren. Not only does this fosterbonding, it also allows you to become an interactive part of the viewingexperience. Concepts that are introducedduring viewing can be reinforced and built upon by moms and dads. An easy way to do this is by exercising theirmemory skills after a program has concluded. Ask your child about what they saw and heard, such as the names offavorite characters, noises the animals made and songs they enjoyed the most.
Moreover, watching together provides an excellent opportunity foremotional bonding. Providing immediatepositive reinforcement to a child, especially when they may be too young tocommunicate verbally, can be critically important to their emotional growth.
Ultimately, each child and family’s experience with television will bedifferent. In my own experience, I’vefound that my daughters have learned a great deal from age-appropriateeducational TV. They even learned signlanguage!
The company I co-founded, BabyFirst, decided to produce a televisionseries called, I Can Sign, that helpsparents communicate with their very young children before they’re able tospeak. I found it to be an amazing wayto interact and connect with my girls, and it really fostered a bond with themlong before they had learned to talk. That was a few years ago, but we still use it as a “secret language” betweenus.
There is constant debate as to the “right way” to raise a child, andmost parents ask a lot of questions and experiment quite a bit before they findwhat works best. Because televisionviewing is a reality in today’s homes, parents can take advantage of it as veryversatile tool that can introduce their children to a wide variety of newideas, while helping to reinforce early education.
About Sharon RechterCo-Founder, BabyFirst
Sharon Rechter, along withbusiness partner, Guy Oranim, conceptualized and co-founded BabyFirst (www.babyfirsttv.com), which is a global TV channel for tots. Inher role as executive vice president, she leads the business development andmarketing activities for the company – with a clear passion to bring quality, neweducational programming to families of babies and toddlers.
Rechter has a broad background intelevision programming and recently served as the vice president and head ofoperations for The Israeli Network (the Israeli television channel in theU.S.). She was responsible for the general management of the network, andfocused on areas including business development, advertising and subscriptions.Before entering the television broadcast industry, Rechter headed the strategicplanning department at GNS Advertising in Israel where she was responsible fordeveloping strategic plans for a variety of lifestyle brands.

Freebies!

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Eucerin Professional Repair
Jelly-Kidz vitamins
Nexxus Youth Elixir
Nescafe Memento (Facebook)
Picture Frame at Home Depot Kids' Workshop December 1st
Sandman's Plane (from Rise of the Guardians) at Lowe's Build and Grow December 1st

Free Kindle ebooks (readable on any device):
101 Best Kindle Fire Apps
Homemade Christmas Gifts
Organic Food: Eating Organic on a Budget
The Playful Family

Fun Freetime: BBC Worldwide Kids' Apps

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BBC Worldwide has two preschool apps that are perfect to load on a newly purchased iPad, iPhone or iPod this holiday season – all from the comfort of your own home! Based on the well known children’s TV programs “Teletubbies” and “In the Night Garden,” the apps are appropriate for young children and enjoyable for parents too! Both are now available on iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch).

Teletubbies: My First App ($1.99) - Young children can take an interactive journey with the Teletubbies and become immersed in fun experiences from the TV show. Children can choose to interact with the game as much as they’d like, whether they want to make Tubby Custard, chase the Teletubbies up and down hills, or find funny noises; this is a great way for kids to interact with their Teletubbie friends.
In the Night Garden ($1.99) – Children of all ages can meet up with their favorites from the famous TV show such as Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka to explore the enchanting world of “In the Night Garden.” Kids can dance with their favorite characters in and around many of the locations from the show including the Stepping Stone Path, the Daisy Patch, Makka Pakka’s Cave and the Tombliboo Bush.

Thrifty Thinking: Investment Discipline

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I don't know much about investing, but I recently had a chance to interview Reto Gallati, author of Investment Discipline: Making Errors is OK, Repeating Errors is Not OK, to get his input on investing.

1)     What are some common mistakes investors make when they don't show discipline?
Investors rush into a decision without fully understanding what they do. They don’t spend enough time on research trying to understand what the investment actually is. Many investors don’t spend enough time on research. They buy positions that look great on a website or in an investment letter, but it does not fit into the investors portfolio because it doesn’t match their investment objectives, the time horizon etc. Another common error is to hold on to position too long. Rather than selling a position when it reached a certain profit or limit the loss when it exceeds a certain loss. In the end such an investor is ending up with collecting “losers”.

2)     One of your rules is "become a contrarian." Can you expand on that a little bit?
We are living in a fast-paced world. Headlines over headlines run across the tv screen, newspapers bring daily snapshots of what you are supposed to buy. We are tempted to follow such leads and effectively become short-term oriented traders. However, such recommendations generate a behavior, which I call “chasing success”, which is very difficult. Only a tiny fraction of the market participants is effectively able to predict the right investment at the current moment and make a lot of money.
You can be conservative and long-term oriented by behaving contrarian and for example establish low cost basis in gold when gold is out of favor and Treasury bills are cheap. Gold exceeded $1,000 in mid-March 2008 when the economic outlook was dismal and gloomy. Establishing a position at $450 in Q2 2005 would have generated a net return of 257%. As a contrarian you make decision that are not synced up at the moment (short-term) with the general market. What is needed to do so is, the willingness to accept a long time-horizon, establish low-cost investment by doing serious research and the nerves to accept temporary setback. As a consequence your portfolio is no longer dependent on short-term events and becomes more shock-resistant. A good example is for this approach is Warren Buffet or Peter Lynch.

3) What are a few ways investors can overcome common mistakes?
     Write down what you want to achieve (objectives) and compare your effective portfolio with your objectives. You will see that over time you loose the focus and start buying/selling position you actually don’t want to have.
      Establish a target price for each position when you buy the securities. By establishing a target price you will do the research, monitor your positions regularly and you will not be surprise either on the up- or downside. You keep the oversight over your holdings.
Always invest with a margin of safety. Whatever you do, assume a safety margin by buying positions through limits.Define your target price when you are willing to sell, but don’t be too greedy. You can always reset the target limit higher if your investment fundamentally improves. When you go into an economic uncertainty only go for high quality investments and don’t buy a company just because the price dropped a lot.

3)     How can investors "get their feet wet" if they have no experience with investing?
Establish a paper-portfolio on a website like cnnfn.com and monitor the success of your positions as if they are real.
Start with mutual funds and etf’s first. These financial instruments have a diversification in itself and will help reducing the risk. Don’t buy leveraged instruments at the beginning, they are volatile.
Do you have a special knowledge, which might help you collecting experience faster? Some novice investors actually work in an industry where they have good insight what is happening. Or they have a family business in a specific industry and therefore already know certain things that happen in this industry.
Once you established a certain comfort you might want to do research on individual companies or themes in the same investment universe as some of your mutual funds and etf’s. Always compare research from different sources!
Increase stepwise the complexity of what you do, starting with smaller amounts and well diversified.
Talk to your parents, friends etc. how they do it and what was good and negative for them.

Gary Coleman's catchy call for cash campaign

27 Kasım 2012 Salı

Giveaway: Thunderstruck

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NBA superstar Kevin Durant plays himself in Thunderstruck, an action-packed family film about a basketball star who switches talent with a klutzy 16-year-old fan. When Brian (Taylor Gray) magically switches basketball skills with his hero, Kevin Durant, he becomes the star of his high school team... while Kevin Durant suddenly can’t make a shot to save his life! But with the playoffs approaching, Brian learns that being a true winner means working hard at your own game, and he tries to make things right in time to prevent a catastrophic end to his hero’s season.

I have a chance to give away a Blu-ray of the movie to one lucky winner. Check out the Blog App posted below. As you make baskets in the free throw challenge, you'll unlock special clips. Plus, there are some great tips for kids, including this quote from Kevin Durant: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." To enter, leave a comment with your favorite tip from the 7 tips. Deadline is December 1st.

Disclosure: assets included within this post were delivered to me in promotion of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release of the film THUNDERSTRUCK. Any actions (including contest and competitions) that I complete with the provided assets are my liability, and should comply with both local and international laws.

Contest: Giving the Gift of Recharge

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Beautyrest is committed to helping its fans rechargetheir “human battery” with a five-week Facebook contest, “Giving the Gift ofRecharge.” The contest will give winners prizes of wholesome food, massages,fitness items, charitable donations, and a ComforPedic® from Beautyrest®mattress, all aimed at helping recharge during what can often be anenergy-draining time of year.

The “Giving the Gift of Recharge”contest is live on the Beautyrest Facebook page today. Participants can visit the page now and duringeach of the five themed weeks to submit short answers in response to a prompt, witha respondent each week winning a prize ideal for staying recharged. The weeklythemes and prizes are: ·      Week ofNovember 26: Healthy Dieto  To enter, participantsare invited to submit an original healthy recipe. The winning participant will receive a $500 Whole Foods Market gift certificateto help them eat well all season. Additionally, entrants can create a healthyeating-inspired Pinterest board to receive an extra submission with each recipe.
·      Week ofDecember 3: Mental Wellnesso  This week,Beautyrest fans can share – in one word – what they can accomplish when wellrested. The winner will receive a $500gift certificate to Massage Envy Spa to help them stay mellow. Participantscan also create a motivation-inspired Pinterest board to receive an extra submission with each word submitted.
·      Week ofDecember 10: Fitnesso  For thisweek’s challenge, entrants can share their best personal fitness tip. The winner’stip will earn them a power fitness prize package that includes a
Nike+ Fuelband ($149 value), a $100 gift certificateto Dick’s Sporting Goods®, and a Beautyrest® yoga mat.
·      Week ofDecember 17: Soulo  Beautyrestfans are invited to post about what they are doing to contribute to othersduring the holiday season. Beautyrest will share the winner’s giving spirit bymaking a $500 donation in thewinner’s name to a non-profit charity of his or her choice. ·      Week ofDecember 24: Sleep o  In thespirit of helping fans stay fully charged, this week’s challenge is the easiestof all —participants can simply use the online form to enter to win. Beautyrestwill help the winner stay fully charged through 2013 and beyond with a new ComforPedic from Beautyrest mattressfeaturing the Recharge® Sleep System, whichcombines three cutting-edge technologies – AirCool®Memory Foam, IndependentSupport™ Technology and AirCool®Design. Beautyrest mattresses are craftedto deliver comfort and support so users can wake up Living Life Fully Charged®.
Winners will be announced at the beginningof each week starting December 3, and the contest concludes on December 30.
The holiday season can drain manypeoples’ human batteries, but with prizes like these, Beautyrest fans will havean easier time kicking off the New Year fully charged. Enter now by visiting Beautyrest onFacebook.
AboutSimmons Bedding Company
Atlanta-based Simmons Bedding Company (“Simmons”) is one of theworld's largest mattress producers and the maker of Beautyrest^®.Simmons manufactures and markets a broad range of products including Beautyrest^®,Beautyrest TruEnergy®, Beautyrest Black^®, ComforPedic^® fromBeautyrest^®, Natural Care^®and BeautySleep^®.Simmons operates 17 conventional bedding manufacturing facilities across theUnited States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Simmons also serves as a key supplier ofbeds to many of the world's leading hotel groups and resort properties. Simmonsis committed to developing superior mattresses and promoting a higher-qualitysleep, helping ensure consumers around the world are LIVING LIFE FULLYCHARGED®. For more information,visit www.Simmons.com or follow Simmons on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.

Fun Freetime: BBC Worldwide Kids' Apps

Shopping Savings: Image Bedding

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ImageBedding has a fun promotion going on right now - scratch and save. You click on the product, and they'll reveal the code, from five to ten percent off the price. They have a variety of nfl bedding sets that you can choose from, including Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys....it looks like pretty much every team is here (although I'm not a major NFL fan, so I don't know for sure. There are 32 teams there - is that all of them?)

My husband would be much more interested in the NHL bedding sets also available - he's a fairly serious Minnesota Wild fan. He's kind of in withdrawal from the lockout, though, and has resorted to college hockey. Unfortunately, the University of Minnesota isn't available, but many other colleges are, including my mom's favorite, Michigan State.

Looking for NBA or MLB sets? Those are also available. As are camouflage sets, perfect for the hunters in your life. You can even get home decor in camouflage, so you can really deck out the cabin. NASCAR sets are sold on the site.

Not a sports fan, but still want to find something for a hard-to-get person? They have many other themes available: safari, Western, rustic, and more. They have a lot for kids too - guys or girls, with pink camo, airplanes, sailing, dinosaurs, and much more. You can buy matching kids furniture on the site as well.

To match your bedding set, you can get area rugs, too, for professional football, baseball, hockey, or basketball, as well as many colleges and some wildlife rugs. There's also wallpaper for kids' rooms, or in rustic or camouflage patterns.

The prices seem to be comparable to what you'd spend anywhere - and not very many places will have this kind of selection. You may not want to completely deck out your room in a single theme, unless you have a large room - too much matching in a small room makes it seem even smaller to me. But in a big room you could have the same pattern all over (just not too much of it, especially if the pattern is busy).

My girls would love a lot of the kids' bedding sets. The hard thing would be finding something that works for both my girly-girl and my tomboy. My older one would want nothing more than the ballerina set, while my younger one would rather have the monkeys. I think the Olivia set, with its combination of green and pink, would be perfect for them.

You can pay with PayPal or any major credit card, The site is built on e-commerce by Yahoo! so you can rest assured knowing it's a secure site.

If you're looking for a unique present for someone that you don't have any ideas for, consider a bedding set. It's practical and fun, and you can tailor it right to their personality. I'd love new sheets and blankets in our bedroom to update the look!

Gary Coleman's catchy call for cash campaign

26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi

Thrify Thinking: Cyber Monday Tips

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CouponCabin.com's annual Cyber Monday survey reveals that nearly 1/2 of Cyber Monday shoppers plan to spend more money online that day than in-store during the holiday season. They'll also "showroom" items on Black Friday, with plans to buy them online just a few days later.

“Cyber Monday’s popularity has grown year after year,” said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. “For some people, it’s even eclipsed Black Friday as the top day for saving, likely due to its convenience. Plus, Cyber Monday shoppers can access deals from anywhere, whether they’re on the go, at home or at work.”

More employed workers will be hitting the sales from their desks this year. In fact, 37 percent of employed shoppers report they plan to browse the Cyber Monday deals while they’re at work, up from 24 percent last year.

No matter where you’ll do your Cyber Monday shopping, Warrick offers the following tips to maximize the busiest online shopping day of the year:

- Bookmark, subscribe to and follow your favorites: In the week leading up to Cyber Monday, take some time to bookmark web pages, subscribe to email alerts and follow your favorite stores on various channels so you’re in the know about their savings specials. It will save you precious shopping time when Cyber Monday rolls around!

- Read reviews. Nobody likes to return items or get stuck with something that’s low quality. Figure out which items are good fits for your needs ahead of time by reading reviews online. Don’t be swayed to buy lesser quality items or ones that don’t have what you want just because they’re cheap.

- Start your shopping on a coupon site. The sheer volume of deals on Cyber Monday can be overwhelming, so start your shopping on a coupon site like CouponCabin. They do all the homework for you and you can easily search for your favorite stores and brands. Also, CouponCabin.com’s constantly updated Newsflash (www.couponcabin.com/newsflash) feature will ensure you won’t miss a single Cyber Monday savings opportunity.

CouponCabin.com offers the broadest selection of high-quality, guaranteed-to-work coupons on the web. Consumers can also be the first to know about the best coupon deals available with CouponCabin’s Newsflash, a constantly updated and innovative new feature with dozens of breaking offers each and every day. The average user saves $19 in just 80 seconds. With Newsflash, customized email newsletters, mobile apps for iPhone, Android and iPad, downloadable browser savings alerts and exclusive coupons, shoppers will never miss out on a great deal with CouponCabin.com.

Giveaway: Hershey's Baking Tips

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Just in time for holiday baking,Hershey’s is launching Cookie Headquarters, a virtual helpline to provide expert baking advice where consumers need it most - right in their own kitchens. Atwww.HersheysKitchens.com and at the@HersheysKisses Twitter handle, consumers will have exclusive access to a team of baking experts ready to answer the toughest baking questions, from troubleshooting cookie consistency to perfecting flaky pie crust. Led by Linda Stahl, head ofHershey’s Kitchens, baking and entertaining experts will be available every day (weekdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST and weekends 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST) to answer questions and offer how-to videos and gift ideas for “The Sweetest Thing to Bring” everyone on your gift list.
Hershey Cookie Headquarters also offers:
· Holiday themed recipes – seven exclusive recipes, with videos and tips· Bake, Share & Win! - a Pinterest competition where you pin a picture of one of your most delectableHershey’s baked treats and email the pin to bakeandshare@young-america.com for a chance to win a baking products giveaway!
I also have the opportunity to give away a fun Hershey's kit to one lucky reader, who will receive:
· Cookie Headquarters Apron· Hershey’s Kiss Cookie Cutters· Recipe Cards · Hershey’s Baking Products
To enter, leave a comment with your best baking tip by November 26th.

Sweepstakes: Dunkin' Donuts Black Friday

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Dunkin’ Donuts is helping people kick off the holiday shopping season by putting the “K” in Black Friday. Dunkin’ Donuts is introducing new Hot Cocoa K-Cup^® packs, offering guests the opportunity to brew Dunkin’ Donuts’ rich and delicious hot cocoa at home with Keurig^® single cup brewing systems for the very first time. To keep the busiest shopping day of the year running, Dunkin’ Donuts has brewed up a special morning Black Friday Twitter Sweepstakes that gives fans the chance to win an early holiday gift – a Keurig^® brewer and two boxes of its newest Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup^® packs varieties, Peppermint Mocha and Hot Cocoa.

Beginning at 6 a.m. ET on Friday, November 23, tweet @DunkinDonuts with hashtag #DDKCUPS and share how Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup^® packs keep you running throughout the busiest time of year, the holiday season. Dunkin’ Donuts will randomly select one winner per hour until 12 p.m. ET (six winners total). For additional terms and conditions related to the “Dunkin’ Donuts Puts the K in Black Friday” Twitter sweeps, please visit: http://dun.kn/BlackFriDDay
Even if you aren’t a winner on Twitter, you can bring home a Keurig^® K-Cup brewer and Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup^® packs from Dunkin' Donuts this holiday season. The Keurig^® Elite Brewing System is available for purchase at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants, making it easy for guests to buy a Keurig^® K-Cup brewer as a gift for themselves or anyone on their holiday list. The Keurig^® Elite Brewing System, featuring Keurig’s Quiet Brew^® Technology^®, brews a perfect cup of coffee in under one minute at the touch of a button, with convenient, easy clean up. Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup^® packs are available at participating U.S. restaurants in five popular flavors, including Original Blend, Dunkin’ Decaf^®, French Vanilla, Hazelnut and Dunkin’ Dark^® Roast. For a limited time during the holiday season, guests can also enjoy Peppermint Mocha K-Cup^® packs, which are available at participating U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants. The suggested retail price for a 14-count box is $11.99.
For anyone planning to join the crowds on Black Friday, more than 2,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the country are open 24 hours a day and many others will be open as early as 4 a.m., some as early as 12 a.m. The majority of Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants now also offer free Wi-Fi for all guests. To find a participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant near you, visit the Dunkin’ Donuts Restaurant Locator. For anyone searching for the perfect present on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or anytime throughout the holiday season, Dunkin’ Donuts Cards are an affordable gift that can keep friends, family and co-workers running with America’s favorite coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts Cards can be purchased at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants or online at www.DunkinDonuts.com in any amount between $2 and $100. Dunkin' Donuts Cards don't have any additional fees or expiration dates once purchased. If cards are registered online, Dunkin' Donuts will also replace the balance free of charge if they are lost or stolen. For even greater convenience, the card can be registered for auto-recharge, which automatically adds money to the card on a specific day or when the balance on the card drops below a certain level.
During the holiday season, the Dunkin’ Donuts Card is available in several fun holiday designs including festive donut lights and a wintery landscape featuring a coffee cup bundled up in a scarf. To make this holiday gift even more special, the Dunkin' Donuts Card can also be personalized online with your favorite photo or a customized message, accompanied by a custom greeting for $2.99 plus the Dunkin' Donuts Card value and shipping charge through the end of December.
For a great gift that doesn't need wrapping, virtual Dunkin’ Donuts Cards can now be sent via email, text or Facebook through the mGift feature on the Dunkin’ App. During the holiday season, guests can also select from a variety of festive mGift designs to spread seasonal cheer to everyone on their list.
Dunkin’ Donuts also has a host of other holiday presents that won’t blow the lid off your budget. Available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants or at www.DunkinDonuts.com are Dunkin' Donuts limited-edition holiday ornaments in three designs, including a Dunkin’ Donuts Snow Globe which has the Dunkin' Donuts restaurant inside, a Chocolate Frosted Donut and a Classic Dunkin’ Donuts Hot Cup. The ornaments have a suggested retail price of $3.99 each. With Dunkin’ Donuts’ premium Stainless Steel Tumblers (SRP $12.99 each) and Stainless Steel Iconic Cups (SRP $6.99 each), guests can enjoy fresh brewed coffee at home or on the go.
Finally, with the busiest travel days of the year upon us, the Dunkin’ App helps keep travelers running. Guests can use the Dunkin’ App’s detailed restaurant locator, which leverages GPS technology to pinpoint nearby Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants and offers easy to find directions. The Dunkin’ App also includes Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant hours, in-store Wi-Fi, drive-thru availability and more.
For more information about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com, like DunkinDonuts or follow @dunkindonuts.
###About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for six years running. The company has more than 10,000 restaurants in 32 countries worldwide. For the full-year 2011, Dunkin' Donuts' restaurants had global franchisee-reported sales of approximately $6.4 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

Shopping Savings: Yoyo.com, AfterSchool.com, Bookworm.com

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Looking for a great deal on kids’ gifts this Cyber Monday and beyond? Turn toYoyo.com, featuring mass and specialty toys, AfterSchool.com for sports and activity gear, andBookworm.com an online bookshop for kids. Take advantage of savings from 15-30%. And, all new shoppers to the sitesreceive 30 percent off one item on each site throughout the holiday season! In addition, Yoyo.com will have abundant deals especially for Cyber Monday shoppers: o VTech: 15% off Nov 19 - Dec 2o Skip Hop: 15% off Nov 19 - Dec 2o Melissa & Doug: 20% off Trunki Nov 19 - Dec 2o Diggin: 20% off Skootcase Nov 19 - Dec 2o Creativity for Kids: Buy one item, get one 30% off Nov 19-Dec 2o Wowopolis Colorgami: 25% off Nov 19-Dec 2o Tents and Tunnels: 15% off select products Nov 19-Dec 2o Stuffed Animals: 25% off select products Nov 26-Dec 9 And the deals continue after Cyber Monday: o LeapFrog: 15% off select products Dec 3-Dec 16o KidKraft: 15% off select products Dec 3 – Dec 16o Crayola: Buy 2, get 3rd free Dec 3 – Dec 16o BLOCO Toys: 15% off Dec 3 – Dec 16o Green Toys: Buy 1, get 1 25% off Dec 3 – Dec 23o Baby Einstein: 20% off Dec 3 – Dec 16o LEGO City: Buy 2, get 15% off Dec 3 – Dec 16o Ravensburger: Buy 1, get 1 50% offo Little Pim: 25% off Dec 3 – Dec 16o Plan Toys: 10% off Dec 3 – Dec 23o Video Games: 10% off select games Dec 3 – Dec 23o Alex: Buy 1, get 1 30% off Dec 17-Dec 31o Plan Toys: 20% off pretend play Dec 17-Dec 31

Gary Coleman's catchy call for cash campaign

25 Kasım 2012 Pazar

Fun Freetime: The Wiggles Radio Show

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Sirius XM Radio will launchThe Wiggles Radio Show, an exclusive daily show for preschoolers, featuring the group’s kid-friendly tunes and brand new adventures beginning Monday, November 26, 2012 on Kids Place Live, channel 78.

The Wiggles Radio Show will air every weekday, Monday through Friday, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Kids Place Live channel 78 starting Monday, November 26, 2012.

The Wiggles Radio Show will be available on SiriusXM On Demand after it airs on for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices, or online at SiriusXM.com. Visitsiriusxm.com/ondemand for more information.SiriusXM Kids Place Live is a 24/7 interactive talk and music channel featuring music and talk shows for kids! With live in-house “Rumpus Room” concert events from the biggest names in kids’ music, live hosts standing by to take your song requests, and fun, on-air games, Kids Place Live allows young listeners to play along and celebrate what it means to be a kid.For more information, visitwww.siriusxm.com/kidsplaceliveand http://www.thewiggles.com.au/.

Giveaway: Nutcracker (AMC Eden Prairie)

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The Russian Imperial Mariinsky Theatre was the original home to Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in 1892, when it made its worldwide debut. Movie theater audiences will experience the marvelous talents of two of the Mariinsky Theatre's rising stars - Alina Somova as Clara (Masha in the original Russian ballet) and Vladimir Shklyarov as the Nutcracker. Conducted by Valery Gergiev, this timeless production of The Nutcracker opens with a Christmas Eve party and a young girl, Clara, being given a nutcracker doll by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. Later in the evening when Clara sleeps, she finds herself in the midst of the Nutcracker's battle against the Mouse King and his army of mice. Coming to Clara's aid, the Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince and journeys with her to an enchanted island where spectacular celebrations are held in their honor.
Don't miss your chance to share this holiday tradition with your family in movie theaters for one day only on December 3! Find out more and get tickets here!

I have the chance to give away a pair of tickets to the showing at 2 pm on December 3rd at AMC Eden Prairie (it will also be showing at 2 and 7:30 in theaters nationwide). To enter, leave a comment with your favorite scene from The Nutcracker. Deadline is November 22nd.