Solid Advice On Filing For Personal Bankruptcy | Siben & Siben ...

TIP! A great tip to implement before filing a bankruptcy claim is to seriously take some personal inventory. What you?re looking for are the bad decisions that led to this particular point in time.

Sadly, bankruptcy is now a household word. You can thank the dismal economy for that. If you decide to file, it?s crucial that you are well educated on the subject of personal bankruptcy, so you are able to make proper choices. Read this article to learn more about bankruptcy.

TIP! Although the entire process can be stressful, do not allow the stress to take over. The filing process is extremely stressful for a lot of the people who go through it.

It?s important to exercise discretion with any new credit you apply for after a bankruptcy filing. It is quite normal for those making a fresh financial start to be targeted by credit card lenders. Often, these offers have hight interest rates. It can continue a vicious cycle of debt that only sound financial thinking can prevent.

TIP! Remember to understand the differences between Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your debts are all eliminated.

File when the time is right. When it comes to filing for bankruptcy, your timing is important. Sometimes you may want to wait to file and in other situations you may find it better to do it as soon as you can. Find out when the correct time is for you to file for bankruptcy from a bankruptcy legal professional.

TIP! Once you file for bankruptcy, you will have a hard time getting loans or credits. If you do, then try applying for a coupe of secured cards.

Make sure you understand which debt obligations are likely to be discharged. Debt like student loans will stay on your credit report whether or not you file. If you have debts that can not be removed with bankruptcy, arrange payments with them as soon as possible to improve your credit.

TIP! Normally, you will not lose your assets when filing bankruptcy. Personal property can be kept.

When you are filing for bankruptcy, make sure you list all of the financial information you may have. Failing to disclose all of your financial information can cause your bankruptcy petition to be dismissed, or, at the very least, delayed. No sum is too small to be included; err on the side of caution and include everything. This might take the form of odd jobs, extra cars and outstanding personal loans.

TIP! Think about other options before you file for bankruptcy. Consider credit counseling.

Most people that file for bankruptcy try not to use credit cards again. This is not a smart move, since using credit wisely allows you to build a solid credit history. Avoiding credit altogether prevents you from rebuilding your credit standing, and will therefore serve as an obstacle when you wish to finance a house or a vehicle. You just have to realize that proper planning is going to have to take place and that you are going to have to start back up one step at a time.

TIP! Even though many of your debts are eliminated through Chapter 7 bankruptcy, not all debts go away. You might need to reaffirm some secured debts in order to avoid having the collateral repossessed, and some debts can?t be discharged in bankruptcy at all.

Before you file, make the choice to be fiscally reliable. Don?t start racking up debt and don?t start up more dept before bankruptcy. Both creditors and judges take a look at what you are doing now, as well as what you have done in the past. You should demonstrate through your current behavior that you are actively changing your personal financial habits.

TIP! Don?t file for bankruptcy on a whim; do your due diligence first. Review your situation and see how many of your debts you can have discharged.

Consider filing using chapter 13 bankruptcy. If you currently have some income and don?t have more than $250k in debt, you can declare bankruptcy. This allows you to keep possession of your real estate and property and repay your debt through a debt plan. Lasting anywhere from three to five years, this plan will allow you to be discharged from unsecured debt. However, if you are unable to properly commit to the plan you agree to, your case can be dismissed.

TIP! If you are considering using credit cards to pay your taxes and then file for bankruptcy, you may want to rethink that. In a lot of places, the debt cannot be discharged, and you may still owe money to the IRS.

As you can see, bankruptcy is quickly becoming more popular due to the poor state of our economy. With the advice you have learned from this article, you will be better prepared to deal with bankruptcy, should you have to do so.

Source: http://www.sibensiben.com/long-island-injury-lawyer-blog/long-island-bankruptcy-lawyer/solid-advice-on-filing-for-personal-bankruptcy-2

Columbus Day 2012 carlina white Sam Champion Engaged Infield fly rule Taken 2 Venezuela Elections Skyfall

Long term results with natural allergy remedies | health and fitness ...

Allergies can strike at any moment if you do not have a good immune system. You may easily have an allergy attack if you are on a vacation and try out new food that may contain substances that you are allergic to. Pharmaceutical medicines are preferred by people usually but it may not offer the complete solution as allergy remedies. You may require taking more than one pill to fight off different symptoms that an allergy brings about. One drug may decrease the nasal congestion but then you will have to take another for taking care of the sneezing. So, you must think about the natural options available for getting rid of allergies on the whole.

It is good to know how the allergies are formed so that you can act against it from the start. Allergies may start off as soon as a baby is switching to eating solid food which is quite an early stage. Babies may easily be affected by an allergy on account of food intolerance if they fail to adapt to a particular solid food at an early stage. Again, seasonal allergies may occur which has nothing to do with the food that you eat. The positive thing is that you can ward off any form of allergy with the help of natural allergy remedies.

Natural remedy allergies are seen in different types of food groups which should be consumed more through the daily diet. The main component that is seen in these food items is omega 3 fatty acid. Various items such as walnuts, fish and flax seed oil are considered to be rich in omega 3 fatty acid. Eggs and some forms of meat also provide a good dose of omega 3 fatty acid which is crucial to ward off allergies. Make sure to get these food products in your regular diet so that you have the means to fight seasonal allergies.

Nettle is equally effective as the drugs that are sold in the market for fighting off various allergies. The added advantage is that you do not have to worry about any side effects since it is a natural substance. Side effects such as dry mouth and sleepiness may occur while undertaking drugs but you are free from this issue completely. Nettle offers the allergic patients a respite for a few hours and hence it is also said to be a temporary cure. It aids in decreasing the capacity of the body to develop histamine.

The most popular form of allergy remedies is seen as bee pollen as it has many advantages. It has a lot of qualities such as improving the body immunity, aiding digestion, increasing the mental fitness, enabling weight loss, keeping stress at and bay and taking care of the heart.. People also believe that bee pollen is good for preserving the youth as it delays the ageing process. Nature certainly provides a lot of alternatives when it comes to natural remedies. Even medical authorities have endorse the use of bee pollen as it is the best natural substance that fights off allergies.

Source: http://healthandfitnessupdates.blogspot.com/2013/01/long-term-results-with-natural-allergy.html

Iron Man 3 Trailer minecraft Pretty Little Liars Ben Wilson Latest Presidential Polls trump debate

PFT: Dr. Andrews says he didn't clear RG3 return

Washington Redskins starting quarterback Griffin III is helped off field by team trainers late in fourth quarter against Baltimore in LandoverReuters

Renowned sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews serves as one of the Redskins? game-day physicians.? That relationship could now be in danger, grave or otherwise.

Andrews admits to USA Today that he never cleared quarterback Robert Griffin III to re-enter a Week 15 game against the Ravens, after Griffin suffered a knee injury that looked much worse than it ended up being.? Griffin skipped one play, re-entered the game, and then exited for good several snaps later.

?He didn?t even let us look at him,? Andrews tells Robert Klemko of USA Today.? ?He came off the field, walked through the sidelines, circled back through the players, and took off back to the field.? It wasn?t our opinion.

?We didn?t even get to touch him or talk to him.? Scared the hell out of me.?

Andrews? comments may scare the hell out of coach Mike Shanahan, who specifically said the day after the game that Andrews had cleared Griffin to return.

?He?s on the sidelines with Dr. Andrews,? Shanahan said at the time, via Klemko.? ?He had a chance to look at him and he said he could go back in.? [I said] ?Hey, Dr. Andrews, can Robert go back in??

?Yeah, he can go back in.?

?Robert, go back in.?

?That was it.?

But that wasn?t it.? And now, as the Redskins prepare to host the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, Shanahan and Andrews may be having an awkward conversation at some point this morning.? Especially since Andrews is still concerned about Griffin?s status.

?I?m the one that shut him down that day, finally,? Andrews said.? ?I?ve been a nervous wreck letting him come back as quick as he has.? He?s doing a lot better this week, but he?s still recovering and I?m holding my breath because of it.

?He passed all the tests and all the functional things we do, but it?s been a trying moment for me, to be honest with you.?

This back-and-forth highlights the tension between doctors and the teams that pay those doctors to provide care and evaluation to players.? And it suggests that Andrews, who doesn?t need his relationship with the Redskins in order to remain the go-to orthropedic specialist for NFL players, has opted to jeopardize that role with the team in order to keep his conscience clear.

Other team-hired doctors don?t have that luxury.? Routinely, those doctors tell coaches what the coaches want to hear about player availability, knowing that if the coaches aren?t told what they want to hear they?ll find another doctor who will.That?s why the NFL and NFLPA should work toward the use of a truly independent staff of game-day physicians, who can work with only one concern in mind ? the health and well-being of their patients.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/06/dr-andrews-says-rg3-was-never-cleared-to-re-enter-game/related/

Aurora victims usher James Holmes Minka Kelly sex tape Colorado shooting Colorado shooting victims aurora

Best Way To Make Money Online ? Paid Survey | Easy Money Point

Your Ad Here

Number of View: 19

Everywhere you look these days, it seems that everyone is seeking the best way to make money online. Most online businesses can make money. How much you want to make? How much time you want to set aside for your home business? Making money online is not new and everyone seems to be doing just that. Why? This is because it?s easy to make money through Internet Marketing.

Everything you do has a starting point. Begin with making a list of what you are good at. Let us say you are good in writing. Then you would want to become a freelance writer and cash in big money.

Every work you want to do, some effort from your part is absolutely vital. You are in a world where competition is in every corner. So, you want to prove that you are the best. How? You need to do some research. See what people in similar job of your interest are doing. It really is a huge time saver. Like anything else, there is trial and error. You must not give up when you fail the first time. Find ways to improve yourself.

Many different types of niches are available sometimes it can be tough to narrow down your interest. When you get in the world of internet marketing, business opportunities will come to you. You will be looking at maybe ten or fifteen ways to make money online. You need to make a short list. Try to select four or five jobs that you think you can master. Pick the one that you have more experience on and start working on it.

From that point you want to look into means to develop how to make money on your chosen niche. You need to find the resources available. Let?s say you want to make quick cash with little effort. You might want to take survey job. This could be a good start for the best home business. It?s easy and you can do it in the comfort of your home.

Have you heard of ?Paid Surveys Authority??

If you are interested in making serious money while working at home just by taking surveys, then you found what you been looking for.

Did you know?

Big companies spend billions of dollars on market research by paying people like you to give your opinion on online paid surveys, but surprisingly these companies actually struggle to find people to fill the tens of thousand vacant surveys positions available each year. In fact they are still desperate of what you have to say. Not only will they pay you for answering some simple questions but a lot of the time the will send you free product to review in the comfort of your own home.

Did you know that every day there are over 100,000 new job opportunities to make money online with simple tasks that anyone can do?

How Much Can You Make?

That will depend entirely on your own dedication, motivation and willingness.

You may have searched for different opportunities online but are still unsure who to trust, I know the feeling and you have come to the right place. I have been in your shoes too and have spent time and money on useless resources. Now I have made a small selection of niches to work with and willing to share with you.

You are starting something new and as such, you will face stumbling block. Like meeting people online who seem totally honest and look like they really want to help you but they are not. They are opportunist and only after one thing, making themselves rich. So, you end up wasting your time and money and even worse you self-esteem. Like anything else you need to be confident on what you are doing. Yet, you must never give up.

Best way to make money online?can be easy as long you get a good and trust worthy helping hand. I like to think to hold the torch and lead the way out of the darkness. There are many Internet Marketing products out there and will try to show you ways to make money online. I have unfortunately tried many of them the good and the bad. I have basically gone through the rough path and now in a position to only recommend the ones that i think will work for you. I want you to be successful online and build a great business and make your dreams come true

Click Here!

from your own site.

Source: http://www.easymoneypoint.com/2013/01/05/best-way-to-make-money-online-paid-survey/

kelis dick clark dies ibogaine jamie moyer bone cancer hossa the cell

Cat used in Brazil prison smuggling try

In this photo taken with a cell phone early Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, and released by Brazil's General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas (SGAP), guards hold a cat that has items taped to its body at a medium-security prison in Arapiraca, in Alagoas state, Brazil. A prison official says they caught the cat slipping through a prison gate with a cell phone, drills, small saws and other contraband taped to its body. (AP Photo/SGAP)

In this photo taken with a cell phone early Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, and released by Brazil's General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas (SGAP), guards hold a cat that has items taped to its body at a medium-security prison in Arapiraca, in Alagoas state, Brazil. A prison official says they caught the cat slipping through a prison gate with a cell phone, drills, small saws and other contraband taped to its body. (AP Photo/SGAP)

In this photo taken with a cell phone early Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 and released by Brazil's General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas (SGAP), items retrieved from a cat are displayed by authorities at a medium-security prison in Arapiraca, in Alagoas state, Brazil. Guards thought there was something suspicious about a little white cat slipping through a prison gate in northeastern Brazil. A prison official says that when they caught the animal, they found a cell phone, drills, small saws and other contraband taped to its body. (AP Photo/SGAP)

(AP) ? Guards thought there was something suspicious about a little white cat slipping through a prison gate in northeastern Brazil. A prison official says that when they caught the animal, they found a cellphone, drills, small saws and other contraband taped to its body.

Alagoas state prisons spokeswoman Cinthya Moreno says that the cat was caught New Year's Eve at the medium-security prison in the city of Arapiraca.

The O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper reported Saturday that all of the prison's 263 inmates are suspects in the smuggling attempt, though it says a prison spokesman said "It will be hard to discover who is responsible since the cat does not speak."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-05-LT-Brazil-Contraband-Cat/id-7e5235dcaa924e3897822c7be47513a3

metro north Breezy Point Seaside Heights taco bell taco bell nj transit PSEG

Wall Street cheers "cliff" deal, but only for now

NEW YORK (AP) ? When lawmakers delivered a long-delayed, last-minute agreement on the budget, Wall Street celebrated. And it would be easy to think that the surge in the Dow the following day meant that investors had put their concerns about Washington's political gridlock behind them.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged on the news, but that doesn't mean the volatility is over. In fact, there could be more turmoil in the market soon because decisions on cutting the federal budget deficit have been put off until March, when the government will reach its borrowing limit. Republicans have already said they will demand cuts to spending as a condition for extending the limit.

"The uncertainty is still there, the key issues are spending cuts and entitlement reforms and, for the most part, those were not addressed," says Terry Sandven, chief equities strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "This sets the stage for sharper rhetoric and increased market volatility as these discussions evolve."

The last time lawmakers tussled over the debt limit, the stock market plunged and the U.S. government lost its AAA debt rating. The Dow fell almost 7 percent in the two weeks before an agreement was reached Aug. 3, 2011.

Many business leaders objected to the agreement lawmakers reached late Tuesday. The Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, said that although it addressed some of the immediate negative consequences that the economy would have faced going over the "fiscal cliff," it failed to address the "serious and fundamental" reforms the economy needs. The National Retail Federation said that the deal was welcome, though it was only the first step in necessary tax reform.

Companies are likely to remain wary of investing until they get more clarity from Washington, says Joe Heider, a principal at Rehmann Financial in Cleveland, Ohio. He likens the current U.S. business climate to a sporting event where the referees tell the players to take the field before telling them that the rules of the game will only be decided on once the final whistle has been blown.

"Washington needs to get out of the way of the financial markets and American business," said Heider. "They need to create some certainty over how businesses should best deploy all the cash that they're sitting on."

And corporations are sitting on a lot of cash. Companies have been steadily building up their reserves over the last five years and are now sitting on record cash piles. By the end of the third quarter of last year, S&P 500 companies had accumulated more than $1 trillion in cash, according to data from S&P Dow Jones Indices.

At least for now, companies are unlikely to invest much of that money back into their businesses simply because demand just isn't strong enough, says U.S. Bank's Sandven. Instead they will spend it on acquisitions, stock buy-backs and pay higher dividends. Those are all actions that should boost stock prices in the near term, despite the ongoing uncertainty and increased volatility that will be caused by political wrangling.

Investors should take advantage of any volatility in the market created by the political wrangling to seek out stocks that have a history of growing their dividends, says Sandven. He estimates that half of the stocks in the S&P 500 have a dividend yield that is higher than the current 10-year U.S. Treasury note. The 10-year Treasury note was at 1.90 percent Friday.

He also recommends that investors buy the stocks of companies that have exposure to emerging markets that have a growing middle class and don't have the same debt issues as the U.S.

Joseph Tanious, a global markets strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds, says investors would be wise to remain calm when the negotiations in Washington around the debt ceiling start to heat up this spring.

The stock market dropped sharply in the weeks after the election Nov. 6 as investors worried that a divided government wouldn't get a deal done in time to meet a budget deadline by the end of the year, but it has rebounded since then. The S&P 500 is now 2 percent higher than it was on election day, even after falling by as much as 5 percent in the two weeks following the vote. On Friday it closed at 1,466, the highest since December 2007.

"When push came to shove, Congress did come together to reach an agreement," says Tanious. "Many people were saying you should be out of the market ... (that) markets are going to capitulate, and that didn't happen."

Stocks have rallied over the last three years as investors remain optimistic that the economy will maintain a slow, but steady, recovery from recession, as the housing market improves and as the outlook for jobs gets better.

And while investors also see the wisdom in addressing the nation's long-term debt problems, they also point out that businesses and consumers have been aggressively paying down their own debts in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. That leaves more flexibility for people and companies to shop, invest, and spend money, helping to lift the economy ? and the stock market ? even if Washington's political dysfunction worsens.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-cheers-cliff-deal-only-now-225045798--finance.html

enquirer national inquirer knicks vs heat ash wednesday kate walsh cnn debate equatorial guinea

The Binding

The Binding

During the festival of Saint Celice, six teenagers are given orbs and sent to use them to keep the Old Gods bound within their prisons. But one year, not all goes as planned.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Binding?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

online roleplay roleplay online -->

HTML, for websites and MySpace:

BBcode, for forum posts and signatures:

--> Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "The Binding"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

User avatar
Flexar
Member for 1 years



This roleplay sounds brilliant.

I'd like to reserve a spot. I'll start making my character now.

User avatar
itookaChance
Member for 1 years


Thanks for your interest, that leaves everyone else with another 3 free spots.

User avatar
Flexar
Member for 1 years



Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: *Reckless, 0neTailedf0x*, AdmireAtStuff*, Akantha, Alexa [Bot], alexkirby12, AmyGotScared*, Anastasia's Arrow, Annalee2010*, Arcayne*, Arch_Demon666, Areomancer, Artsydaze, Aryutsuki, Asher MstrImmortalis*, Ashes-6695*, AsuraDeWinters, AthaNielsen*, BaileyTheBeauty22, bandgeek*, Banshee*, Basta*, BeautifulDisaster*, birthstone_spirits, Blackbird26*, BlueWind_22, BOO!*, Buddywazzizname*, Celaira, ChaosxChild13*, ChaoticMarin*, CharlotteV*, CherryRed, Chuckles*, Chynacat32*, cirrus_sd*, claw*, Cloasse, Colonel_Masters, CptxMorgan, CreativityIsPower, Crooked Thoughts*, Curtsive*, DA_SHADOW_PHOENIX*, Dark Star*, DarKnight36, darkune*, Data3*, dealing with it, deathrisesagain*, desire99600*, Disarmhxc*, DocBlargle*, Draruto, Dude, DustAndEchoes*, Ellipsis of Gothique*, emotionless*, EmperorCaesar*, enjoyable, Epicnukeguy*, Evangeline_Taylor, Exabot [Bot], Fabricator*, fallenangel831*, FamishedPants, FizzGig*, Flexar*, Floorgan*, Forevveru, Forget~Me~Not*, Forsaken Heart, FreeRunner*, Frozen Soul*, fullmetal642*, Gamer_Templar*, gezzygezzy*, Ghost_Scar, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, graphicromantics*, Haas33, Half-Dragon*, HansenetteHeart*, Hazezon*, HereMeNow, HitoriRaven*, Hoga*, HolyEssence*, Horseygirl*, IAmAlien*, ichiro [Crawler], Imagine That!*, Imehal, Insomniatic*, itookaChance*, Izzyvamp*, Jadebud98*, JGamer502*, jukuma*, Jusan Kikan*, KatanaK*, keikodor, Kestrel, kexia, KiraArsenic, kissmekillme, Lady Inali, Leafia133*, LexieTheWarrior, Liberator600*, Lifecharacter*, lilyboo12*, Lingeringrepose*, Linnea*, listentothetimpani*, Little Fox, LittleMissGeorgia, LittlexVamp, lostamongtrees*, LuckyNumber24*, Lucy Knox, Lucy100, Lufia*, LunaSpirit*, Luxe*, Majestic-12 [Bot], Malan, Malfunction*, MaliceInWonderland, masato22*, Mat_z6*, Mathew Littlepaw*, MegaKooala12*, Midnight_Kitten3*, Miss_Dreamer, MissBrightside_*, Mistress of Disguise, mistsong99*, miz_reichul, Modesty, Monroe, MoonlightWraith, Morgan, Mr_Doomed, MSNbot Media, mummydove, NasiaWords, Nemo*, Nevan*, Nevermore90*, Niddhogg87*, Nightmaric_Angel*, Nightshade2012*, nightwolf*, Oborosen, OurStars*, ParanoiaLoser, pieluver*, PinkPeppercorn*, PirateofPie*, Polarisbear12, Protoman X, PulseTrick*, Purpl3_Flam3s*, Pyramids*, qbsuperstar03*, RacoonMoon()*, RaichuFTW*, Raidose*, RawkFist*, rdaydreamer, Rem?us*, Romaneck, Rougeshadow*, Rulke*, Ruzuki Nakamora*, S1mon*, Saika, Script*, Seirei, SeraphimLullaby*, Shadetree76, Shadow44499*, Shane01, Shaodow*, Shattered233*, Shpleem*, silver0lilly*, SkullsandSlippers, Skwidge, Skyeblueme3*, Sokka25*, Solo Wing Pixy*, Sonata*, Sorella*, Starlight77, Stella11, SugarPlum2*, SuperNinjaRoo*, supertoastgirl*, SylphofSpace*, Sylwyn, Synvius, tadum2, Tainted Twinkee, Talisman*, Tank Emperor, tearsofblood#, teegaroo, Thadine*, The Illusionist*, The*Lucky*Teacup, thebagel264*, TheEclips3, Thorait, tigergirl4life*, Tiko*, Tonks*, tornadofan2*, Towels0*, Tsukiakari, TurtleSoup, twi-twi*, Tybalt Malav?, Tylerjohnny1, unseenshadow2*, usernamesareadrag*, Valor, Venom0861, Vexilous, vilevixen, VindicatedPurpose, Vinno1234*, VitaminHeart*, ViviOrunitiaFF9*, WakkaWakka, WhiteTiger08*, whymymothergoose*, wolfoftheage*, xRoo*, XShishioX, xSilentButterflyx*, XxEvil1xX*, YellowGrand*, Ylanne, Yolo, ZacharyTC*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/t1uI5tfBNwg/viewtopic.php

may day protests tony nominations 2012 facebook organ donor jessica simpson gives birth carrie underwood blown away chk ryan o neal

U.S. to continue helicopter purchase with only 1 bidder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force on Friday declined to confirm that it had received only one bid for a $6.8 billion helicopter competition, but said it had procedures in place that would allow the acquisition to continue regardless of the number of bidders.

All but one of the contractors expected to bid to build a new combat search and rescue helicopter for the Air Force announced last month that they would not compete, raising the prospect that the Air Force would have to adopt a different approach to the acquisition program.

Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp , did submit a bid for the competition, based on its H-60 helicopter, according to a company spokesman. Other potential competitors confirmed that they had decided to skip the bidding, and at least one of the companies said it was exploring a possible legal challenge to the terms of the competition.

Air Force spokesman Ed Gulick said he could not say how many companies had submitted bids by the Thursday deadline because that was "source selection sensitive," but the Air Force had "acquisition procedures in place to proceed with this important acquisition regardless of the number of bidders."

Gulick said the Air Force remained "committed to a fair, open and transparent process" to pick a new, affordable Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) that met the military's requirements, but could only release details after selecting a winning bidder.

Lieutenant General Charles Davis, the top military official in charge of Air Force acquisition, told Reuters in an interview last month that the helicopter competition was structured to tell potential bidders exactly what capabilities the Air Force wanted and what it could afford.

He denied that the terms of the competition had been written to favor the Black Hawk helicopter built by Sikorsky, and said Sikorsky would be asked to submit certified cost and pricing data if it turned out to be the sole bidder for the program.

Sikorsky was aware that it could be asked to provide such data if no other bids came in, a spokesman said. Lockheed Martin Corp is a key subcontractor on the Sikorsky bid.

Boeing Co , Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter unit , EADS and Northrop Grumman Corp teamed with AgustaWestland, part of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA , announced last month that they would not bid for the work.

At the time, industry executives said the bidding rules were so narrowly framed that they effectively excluded all but Sikorsky's Black Hawk helicopter from the competition, and would not reward extra capability offered by other aircraft.

EADS North America Chief Executive Sean O'Keefe told Pentagon chief arms buyer Frank Kendall in a letter last month that the Air Force's detailed mandatory requirements list had derailed its plan to buy an "in-production, off-the-shelf" helicopter and would result in an unnecessarily costly program.

As written, the terms of the competition also did not call for an evaluation of the full life cycle costs of the bids, despite the Defense Department's emphasis on affordability and a new federal law which required such an evaluation, O'Keefe said.

No comment was immediately available from the Air Force or Kendall's office on the letter from the EADS executive, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

Davis last month said that the Air Force had already drawn up plans for how to handle the procurement if only one company submitted a bid, although he said the service would have preferred to have a competitive process with more bidders.

He said the Air Force's move away from more "nebulous" and "open-ended" procurements was positive for the industry, allowing companies to make more informed decisions about whether to spend money preparing a bid for a given competition.

He said the change toward more narrowly defined requirements for military equipment was a result of multiple protests filed by companies in recent years that challenged the more open and subjective way procurements were structured in the past.

Boeing won the Air Force's last rescue helicopter competition with its H-47 model, only to see the $15 billion contract canceled after several protests by losing bidders.

"This is clearly a result of all of the issues that have accumulated over the years of all of these high-visibility protests," Davis said. As a result, the Air Force was now being more diligent in the structuring of its acquisition programs.

(editing by Nick Zieminski and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/united-techs-sikorsky-sole-bidder-u-helicopter-contest-201245022--finance.html

Skyfall Chicago Marathon 2012 texas rangers steve jobs meningitis bobby valentine bobby valentine

How deadly skin cancer spreads into other parts of the body ...

After recently announcing success in eliminating melanoma metastasis in laboratory experiments, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have made another important discovery in understanding the process by which the gene mda-9/syntenin contributes to metastasis in melanoma (the spread of skin cancer) and possibly a variety of other cancers. MDA-9/Syntenin and IGFBP-2 Promote Angiogenesis in Human Melanoma

Published in the journal?Cancer Research, the study demonstrated that mda-9/syntenin is a key regulator of angiogenesis, the process responsible for the formation of new blood vessels in tumors. Mda-9/syntenin was originally cloned in the laboratory of the study?s lead author Paul B. Fisher, M.Ph., Ph.D., Thelma Newmeyer Corman Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and program co-leader of Cancer Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center, chairman of VCU?s Department of Human and Molecular Genetics and director of the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine.

?Our research brings us one step closer to understanding precisely how metastatic melanoma, a highly aggressive and therapy-resistant cancer, spreads throughout the body,? says Fisher. ?Additionally, analysis of the human genome has indicated that mda-9/syntenin is elevated in the majority of cancers, which means novel drugs that target this gene could potentially be applicable to a broad spectrum of other deadly cancers.?

Fisher?s team discovered that mda-9/syntenin regulates the expression of several proteins responsible for promoting angiogenesis, including insulin growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). The study is the first to provide proof of the pro-angiogenic functions of IGFBP-2 in human melanoma.

In in vivo and in vitro experiments, the scientists confirmed that mda-9/syntenin binds with the extracellular matrix (ECM) to start a series of biological processes that eventually cause endothelial cells to secrete IGFBP-2. The ECM is the substance that cells secrete and in which they are embedded. Endothelial cells are the cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels throughout the entire circulatory system. The secretion of IGFBP-2, in turn, caused the endothelial cells to produce and secrete vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), a protein that mediates the development of and formation of new blood vessels.

The researchers also noted that IGFBP-2 could potentially serve as a novel biomarker to monitor for disease progression in melanoma patients.

?This is a major breakthrough in understanding angiogenesis and its impact in melanoma metastasis,? says Fisher. ?We are now focusing on developing novel small molecules that specifically target mda-9/syntenin and IGFBP-2, which could be used as drugs to treat melanoma and potentially many other cancers.?

Source: http://floridabiotechnews.com/biotechnology/how-deadly-skin-cancer-spreads-into-other-parts-of-the-body/11660/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-deadly-skin-cancer-spreads-into-other-parts-of-the-body

declaration of independence 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods erin andrews erin andrews