Opening statements begin Tuesday in the trial of US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who confessed to killing 13 people and wounding 32 in a November 2009 shooting spree at the Fort Hood base in Texas. Hasan faces the death penalty if convicted. By News Wires (text) Nearly four years after opening fire on fellow soldiers in the deadliest such incident on a US military base, an army psychiatrist is set to confront his victims in court Tuesday. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who has previously admitted to killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the November 2009 massacre at Fort Hood in Texas, faces the death penalty if convicted. The attack jolted the US military and prompted calls for…
Continue reading …To get off the ground, most new businesses need access to capital from the outset to pay for development costs and cover a lack of revenue in the early stages. But when start-up capital dries up, business owners can quickly find themselves in the situation where the pace of outgoings is greater than the pace of earnings. In some cases, business owners will be comfortable paying these costs personally in the short-term. Where entrepreneurs have the capital to hand, this is effectively just an extension of any money they’ve put in to start the business. But in most circumstances, resources are limited and alternative sources of funding must be found to ensure continued business survival. Traditionally banks and other commercial lenders would be happy to provide solid businesses with access to a rolling credit line. However, with the recessionary frost came an unwillingness to lend, which has prevented thousands of small businesses from obtaining the finance they need to expand and grow. Business owners faced with an inability to lend from mainstream banks face two distinct choices: whether to seek private capital from an investor, or to approach alternative business lenders to discuss financing options. In most circumstances small business owners would prefer loan funding over equity finance and, with investor business sentiment at an all time low in Europe and the US, businesses are less likely to find the right deal privately in this climate. Loan funding is regarded as one of the cheaper options for raising money as a business. However, without an established trading history, new businesses can find it difficult to raise the cash they need at affordable rates. For those open to pursuing alternative funding facilities, there are still mainstream lenders prepared to offer a variety of products to business owners. While overdrafts are becoming more tightly restricted by the banks, merchant advance facilities have reemerged as the alternative of choice for most business owners. Allowing finance to be raised against future card sales, this type of facility enables owners to release the potential tied up in their company. Margin advances are now becoming an increasingly viable alternative, with the security over card sales allowing lenders to keep costs down. For those at an earlier stage of the business development cycle, there are also opportunities in the form of micro loans and advances to meet imminent payment demands. Advance Funds Network (click here for more information about Advance Funds Network ) provides businesses with a range of different funding opportunities. They suggested that business owners keep an open mind to varying lending structures in order to get the best deal. “Some business owners feel nervous about lending against future card sales. However, in many cases it can prove to be one of the more cost-effective options for those businesses that are having difficulty securing finance. Whether it is an advance or invoice finance facility, providing businesses with the liquidity they need is essential to protecting jobs and aiding growth in our economy, and owners should be prepared to consider all possibilities when looking for a source of funding.” Sourcing Alternative Funding For Your Business is a post from: Daily World Buzz
Continue reading …Concerns over the well-being of hip hop star Lil’ Wayne have subsided after the artist was released from hospital following a serious health scare. The ‘Tha Carter III’ rapper suffered an unexplained series of seizures, culminating in his hospitalization in a critical condition. Some fans believed Lil’ Wayne would not survive. But according to Lil Wayne’s Twitter feed , he has now left hospital and is in improving health. His release from hospital is obviously encouraging news. Lil’ Wayne has fought to overcome media speculation about his condition. Some sources have suggested the seizures were linked to the drug codeine, which he was said to have been using recreationally in the run-up to this health scare. Codeine is consumed in the form of ‘purple drank’, a drug based on prescription cough mixtures. The syrup is mixed with a soft drink mixer and consumed to intoxicate, and the hip-hop scene has been synonymous with the drink for decades. But Lil’ Wayne himself denies this allegation, saying the seizures are a persistent issue, the cause of which doctors have been unable to identify. Nevertheless, fans will be delighted that he is back on his feet, and almost ready to return to public performance. One of Lil’ Wayne’s most recent seizures happened during the shooting of a music video for his collaboration with Nicki Minaj, the artist he discovered and mentors. The ‘Young Money’ star’s visit to Lil’ Wayne in hospital was one of the most moving scenes for hip hop fans for many years, at a time when his condition was still stabilizing in hospital. He sustained further seizures on separate flights on his private jet, leading to two emergency landings for immediate medical attention. While the severity of his condition was played down at the time, the star’s move to intensive care sent shockwaves through the music industry. Musicians from a wide range of influences came together to pray and wish the star well. His recovery is testament to the goodwill and warmth that was shown to him – both from fans and the industry alike. ABCTickets, which processes ticketing for some Lil’ Wayne events, said that fans could still look forward to seeing Lil’ Wayne in concert at their favorite venues, including the famous Susquehanna Bank Center-the venue in Camden, NJ . “Lil’ Wayne’s health was obviously a major concern for fans, and it’s great to hear that he’s getting better and he’s out of hospital. As this much-loved star takes to the road for his next series of shows, fans can expect tickets to be hot property – even in some of the larger venues on the tour.” Lil’ Wayne is scheduled to perform throughout the US and Europe in the summer, marking the culmination of the America’s Most Wanted tour. With the singer now on the mend, and his expressed desire to retire within the next few years, ticket agents are expecting a scramble wherever seats go on sale. Lil’ Wayne Health Fears Subside As Star Leaves Hospital is a post from: Daily World Buzz
Continue reading …The commercial property market is returning to a more profitable state for investors, thanks to the rise of investment products like REITs which allow for a more diverse exposure to the commercial real estate market. According to reports in Bloomberg , real estate prices across domestic and commercial properties are recovering, as banks and building societies report more lending activity for real estate investments. The news will be welcomed by those with property investments, and those with capital already tied up in commercial premises. Commercial property was one of the first areas of real estate to be affected by the crash, and lawyers, bankers, surveyors and agents all went bust as a direct consequence of this depression of the commercial property market. With banks unable and unwilling to lend money to even perfectly viable businesses, expansion into new premises became the exception rather than the rule. Those that were exposed to commercial property lost heavily as values fell and demand in the marketplace collapsed. Fast-forward to today and commercial property is very much on the rebound, with business levels picking up, back towards pre-crash levels and with new developments from firms like DMB Associates . Buyers are returning, and sellers are again able to realize a fair value for their real estate, both in rental and buying markets. The market is still on the road to recovery more generally, but conditions appear to be stabilizing to the benefit of those invested in these markets and for the benefit of future generations hoping to make it onto the housing ladder. With uncertainty ruling over commercial property markets over the last five years, it is perhaps unsurprising that investors have turned to alternative means of exposure to property investments. Rather than buying homes, shops and offices, a growing body of investors are seeing value in investing in ancillary products like Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in commercial property. These types of funds allow individual investors to spread risk across a more diverse bundle of individual real estate investments. Rather than owning one or two properties personally, investing the same money in REITs or ETFs brings the benefit of professional investment and real estate management, along with the investment diversity that makes returns that bit more secure. Those that choose to invest in real estate through a fund can do so either on exchange or privately, depending on the fund they think best meets their investment objectives. However, in some cases returns are suppressed by the cost of management fees and the general weighting of less effective investments. There are arguments both ways for investors who are interested in taking exposure to the real estate market. However, the main thing for individuals and companies engaged in real estate dealings is that investments are becoming more profitable as the market regains lost strength. While the commercial real estate and domestic property markets remain far from buoyant, analysts are hoping that growing opportunity for investors could spell the start of a reversal of fortunes that can contribute extensively to the wider global economic recovery. Commercial Property Investments Returning To Profitability is a post from: Daily World Buzz
Continue reading …Actress Adrianne Palicki stars in G.I. Joe Retaliation and this might be the reason she is trending right now. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is available for rent and is out on Blu-ray and DVD since a…
Continue reading …President Obama hammered Republican presidential hopefuls today for their “casual” talk of the possibility of war with Iran. “What is said on the campaign trail—those folks don’t have a lot of responsibilities,” Obama said in his first White House press conference since October. “They are not commander in chief….
Continue reading …You may want to examine your next Happy Meal more closely. A Chicken McNugget bearing a resemblance to our first president has sold on eBay for $8,100, the Sioux City Journal reports. An Iowa mom observed the similarity in a McDonald’s while picking up after her kids. She popped…
Continue reading …Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller didn’t mince words when asked yesterday about her country’s history with Britain—just as Prince Harry arrived in the country for a visit. “No race should have been subjected to what our ancestors were subjected to,” Miller said, according to the Telegraph . “It was…
Continue reading …Rush Limbaugh’s “slut” attack on law student Sandra Fluke has no “place in public discourse,” says President Obama. At his news conference today, Obama explained that he called Fluke after the incident because he wants people to be able to speak their minds about policy, noting that he wouldn’t want…
Continue reading …After paying almost three times the drugstore price for a Coke and candy, a Michigan man has had it: He’s suing his local AMC cinema in an attempt to lower snack prices statewide. “He got tired of being taken advantage of,” Joshua Thompson’s lawyer tells the Detroit Free Press . “It’s…
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