| From dreams to debt
In May 2006, after the couple had started investing, Pacific Wealth flew them and Aileen's sister to Tucson and paid their hotel bill so they could attend a Pacific Wealth seminar to hear glowing testimonials from other investors. Guest speakers included McLeod and James Duncan. Duncan said the organization didn't advertise and was picky about whom it recruited, Aileen Ramirez said. Pacific Wealth's real estate arm, Stonewood Consulting Inc., found the couple investment homes to buy. The Ramirezes signed the papers, following Stonewood's instructions not to sign certain lines or to date the documents. Aileen Ramirez, who, like many Pacific Wealth investors, is Filipino, said Pacific Wealth leaders built up her sense of confidence when they talked about their Christian values, which she said are dear to the Filipino community.
Honky-tonk with a big-city beat
He saw the void, because the big boys like Jam and LiveNation weren't touching it," says Duff Rice, founder of concert promotion group Duff Entertainment.
The shows at Joe's Bar are not just for city folk, either. Marci Braun, music director for US99, says, "The cool thing is that our country shows are spread out and that listeners are so passionate, they'll travel wherever" to see shows.
What's your pleasure?
And in Chicago, you can hear it all. Seeing Keith Urban at the Allstate Arena is definitely one way to go. But smaller-bars-turned-honky-tonks are full of spectacular house bands and big acts. If mainstream country's not your thing, try the House of Blues or FitzGerald's for more alt-country acts such as the Waco Brothers and Chicago's own Robbie Fulks, who calls country music a broad quilt of styles, adding that "people in Downers Grove have more in common with truck drivers than you might think." Farther out, you can get off your bar stool and try line dancing.
Coke near Honest Tea stake deal - report
In its eighth year in business, Honest Tea posted $13.5 million in annual sales. "Honest is a very small brand, but has attracted attention due to its organic positioning," John D. Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, told CNNMoney.com in an e-mail Wednesday. "Linking up would be a positive for Coke." Both a Coca-Cola spokesman and an Honest Tea spokeswoman declined comment on the report. Honest Tea would join Coke's line of noncarbonated beverages in North America, including Glaceau's Vitamin Water, Fuze and Campbell's. Although Coca-Cola sells Nestea and Gold Peak tea drinks, it still remains behind PepsiCo (PEP, Fortune 500), privately held Arizona, and Cadbury Schweppes (CSG) in take-home market share for the segment. As consumer tastes shift from carbonated soft drinks toward water, juices and teas, Coca-Cola said it expects overall revenue will increase in the high-single-digit percentage range due to changes in its product mix in 2008.
A new ID system will make US citizens more secure, according to the ...
However, even the older folks will need one of the new IDs in order to board a plane by 2017. The new licenses will include three additional security layers, but no microchips -- yet. This will likely comfort some of RFID's vocal opponents. Secretary of State offices will now take pictures for licenses at the start, instead of the end the application process, so upon rejection, the person will be put in the system in case they try to return or forge a license. Additionally, it'll mandate all states to perform social security checks when licensing. This program is representative of the major government drive in recent years to increase security, even at the expense of cost and privacy. Many of the stateside logistics are already in place in some states; others will be forced to update their procedures. Meanwhile on the federal level, the government must embark on the massive task of network citizen data between its branches and attempting to keep this data secure.
1933: D.A. identifies Kraft State Bank robbers
Property owners in the city of Menomonie will soon be paying a stormwater utility fee. Discussing the proposed utility Monday night, the Menomonie Plan Commission noted that the city is large enough that the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires the city to issue stormwater discharge permits. The city has received a grant from the DNR to begin planning a stormwater utility... Tara Jeatran, daughter of Jack and Leslie Jeatran and a senior at Menomonie High School, selected January "Youth of the Month" by Menomonie Optimist Club... After playing even for the first 27 minutes, UW-Stout's women's basketball team went on a 17-4 run to take control and defeated UW-Platteville, 84 to 65, Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse...Megan R. Ryan of Colfax, who is enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts, is among more than 3,800 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa named to the dean's list for the 2006 fall semester...
|
