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Education System in Thailand | Service Learning in Thailand

By: YiQi Xin

Education plays an important role in the development of a country. The understanding of education system will give us a glimpse of the overall picture of Thailand. In my following paper, I am going to introduce the history of Thai education system and the basic structure of school level in Thailand. The status quo of Thai education system will also be discussed with focuses of English education in Thailand, standard tests in Thailand, school uniforms, and government school holidays.

Education in Thailand began in 13th century, when Ramkamhaeng the Great created Thai alphabet. In the early period of Thai education, members of the royal family and nobilities received education from Royal Institution of Instruction (Rajabundit), while commoners received education from Buddhist monks in the temples. In Thai?s traditional education system, village temples were places where most young boys received basic education. Such village temples received boys from the age of eight to serve in the temple as dek wat (which means ?the children of temple?). The dek wat helped to do some housekeeping works in exchange for instructions in reading and writing. Scriptural texts were used as textbooks for educating commoners in traditional Thai education system. The traditional education system prevailed until the 18th century (Ministry of Education [MOE], 1998).

A Thai 100-baht banknote with a background theme of education system

Thailand has been through a long journey to try to improve its education system. The first Thai language textbook, Chindamani, was published during the reign of King Narai the Great (1656 ? 1688). As the printing press entered Thailand in the mid 1800?s, printed books were available in Thai language. Girls in Thailand were not admitted into the educational system until the end of 19th century. The first government school for girls was set up in 1901, and the first teacher training school for women was set up in 1913. The first university in Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, was established in 1917. Chulalongkorn University is named after King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 ? 1910) and it is regarded as one of the best universities in East Asia (MOE, 1998).

Education is divided into four levels in Thailand. Pre-school education is for kids under age 6. Primary education starts when the kids are 6. Primary education is called Prathom in Thai, and it usually lasts for six years. After Prathom 6, the students will receive Secondary Education. Secondary Education is called Matthayom in Thai, and it is divided into two parts: lower secondary education, and upper secondary education. Matthayom 1 ? 3 is considered to be lower secondary education. After Matthayon 3, students take a national entrance exam for upper secondary school and choose academic or vocational stream for their upper secondary education. Academic schools prepare students for college education, while vocational schools prepare students for employment. Thai government provides 12-year free basic education, which includes 6 years of Prathom, and 6 years of Matthayom. The 6 years of Prathom and the first 3 years of Matthayom are compulsory education guaranteed by the Constitution (?Educational System,? n.d.).

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

The admission of higher education sector after Matthayom is largely based on the High School Entrance Exam taken at the end of Matthayom 6. Universities and colleges are the main institutions that provide higher education in Thailand. According to the Ministry of Education in Thailand, there are over 2.2 million students currently enroll in the higher education sector, and the participation rate of university age students has significantly increased in the past few years. There are a total of 780 public and private higher education institutions in Thailand. Thai universities and colleges offer excellent programs in studies of art, medicine, humanities, and information technology. However, many young Thai citizens still prefer studying subjects such as law and business abroad (MOE, 2008, p.4).

The increasing amount of trades and interactions with foreign countries urges people in Thailand to learn English. As the founder of the first modern school in Thailand, King Rama V (1868 ? 1910) realized the importance of English, and he set up an English School in Palace to prepare princes and court children to study abroad. There are around 27% of Thai populations are English speakers. In large cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai, most schools include English as part of their curriculum. However, in most of the rural areas, English is hardly found in schools. Hotel stuff in Thailand might speak passable basic English, while street vendors and shop keepers might only be able to show the prices on a calculator without speaking a word in English. The Thai government sees the demand of English in business, and the government is working on English programs in order to improve the overall English skills of Thai (?Is English Spoken,? n.d.).

The English education in Thailand needs improvement; at the same time, the standard tests are in the process of reform in Thailand. Thai students are required to pass the O-NET (Ordinary National Educational Test) for the completion of each level?s education. O-NET consists 8 subjects, which are Thai language, social science, English, Mathematics, science, health and physical education, arts, and vocational education and technology. The most recent version of Higher Education School Entrance Exam comprises the compulsory General Aptitude Test, which covers reading, writing, analytical thinking, problem solving, and English Communication. O-NET has suffered from criticizes since it came out. Students? extremely low scores in O-NET make the credibility of the test doubtful. Education reform is a hot topic in Thailand these few years (Kaewmala, 2012).

Chulalongkorn University uniform

While standard tests in Thailand craves for reform, the requirement of wearing school uniforms seems to be a tradition that no one will want to change. Uniform is required at all levels of schooling in Thailand. Uniforms show the social states of a person, and the different ways to carry the uniform also shows the different social states of institutions. A traditional dress code for boys comprises knee-length shorts with white open collar shirts. Girls are required to wear a knee-length skirt, and a pale white blouses with white ankle socks and black school shoes. Boys might start wear long pants instead of shorts from middle school. The color of pants for boys is usually khaki, and the color of skirts for girls is usually blue. Theoritically, uniforms help to create a more equal social status for students at school, because students will not be able to tell the social status of other?s family from other?s outfit. Uniform is an important tradition in Thai education system (?School uniform,? n.d.).

Thai kids in uniform

Besides the different requirement of dress code at school, the official holidays in Thai schools are different from the western school holidays. In government schools, the two major holidays are in March and October. The March holiday is usually two months long, while the October holiday is usually a month long. There are a few short holidays during the school year. Students get 3-5 days off school to celebrate the New Year in January. On Mahka Bucha Day (a Buddhist holiday) in February and on Asanha Bucha Day (another Buddhist holiday) in July, schools are closed and students go to local temples to give offerings to monks. Students also get a day off on Royal Ploghing Day, which is connected to the planting season for Thai farmers, in May, a day off on August 12th, which is the Queen of Thailand?s birthday and Mother?s day, and a day off on December 5th, which is the King of Thailand?s birthday and Father?s Day (James, 2009).

The school holidays show the significance of Buddhism and the high social status of King and Queen in Thailand. The tradition of uniforms reveals the importance of group belonging and social class in Thai society. The standard test system and English education program are the areas that the government is trying to work on in order to improve Thai education system, and the two issues draw a lot of attention from media and politicians. The glimpse of school level in Thailand enables us to gain a basic understanding of Thai students? life, while the history of Thai education system enables us to further our understanding of nowadays Thai education system and Thai culture.

References

Educational system in Thailand. (n.d.). Thai-farang.com. Retrieved from http://www.thai-farang.com/education/esystem.htm
History of Thai education. (1998). Retrieved from the Ministry of Education of Thailand website http://www.moe.go.th/English/e-hist01.htm
Is English spoken in Thailand? (n.d.). Orient Expat Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.orientexpat.com/thailand/faq/english
James, C. (2009, October 22). What are the school holidays for government schools in Bangkok, Thailand [Web log post]? Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/what-school-holidays-government-schools-4686017.html?cat=16
Kaewmala. (2012, February 23). Thai education failures ? part 1: Ridiculous O-NET questions [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://asiancorrespondent.com/76664/thai-education-part-1-ridiculous-o-net-questions/
Ministry of Education, Bureau of International Cooperation. (2008, November). Towards a learning society in Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.bic.moe.go.th/fileadmin/BIC_Document/book/intro-ed08.pdf
School uniform. (n.d.). Wikipedia.com. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniform#Thailand

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HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon hands-on at CTIA 2012

Image

This handset didn't surprise anyone when it was officially announced at CTIA Wireless 2012, but we're still happy to spend time with the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon Wireless regardless. After catching enough glimpses of the smartphone over the past few months, we already had a good idea of what to expect: Big Red's latest LTE device will have Ice Cream Sandwich dressed in Sense 4, a 4-inch Super LCD qHD panel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 (Krait), 1,700mAh user-removable battery, microSD support and an 8MP BSI f/2.2 camera with a 28mm lens.

If you're familiar with either the OG HTC Droid Incredible or its sequel, you'll instantly recognize the trusty hump on the back of the third iteration -- Verizon and HTC haven't strayed too far from the design formula here. Aside from the Sense 4 firmware hiding inside the phone, the Incredible 4G LTE has little in common with its cousins, the One X and One S. Frankly, we're still left pondering if the carrier will come out with a version of its own, since we've seen the other three national powers get a high-profile device from the Taiwanese manufacturer.

We had a very similar feeling when holding the new Incredible, one easily related to how we felt with its predecessors. It's quite light, and it actually feels thinner than it really is. All in all, the phone is very comfortable to hold, and from our few minutes of using it, it seemed to be rather smooth. Naturally, as we expected, Verizon reps warned us that it's running on preliminary firmware at the moment, so we don't take a lot of stock in its performance, good or bad. All in all, it's exactly how we thought it would be -- a refreshed version of the Incredible 2, with a much better processor and a few other notable bumps in specs.

Developing...

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon hands-on at CTIA 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 20:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 charged in 9/11 attack resist Gitmo hearing

In this photo of a sketch by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed reads a document during his military hearing at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, Saturday May 5, 2012. The self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks repeatedly declined to respond to a judge's questions Saturday and his co-defendant was briefly restrained at a military hearing as five men charged with the worst terror attack in U.S. history appeared in public for the first time in more than three years. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool)

In this photo of a sketch by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed reads a document during his military hearing at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, Saturday May 5, 2012. The self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks repeatedly declined to respond to a judge's questions Saturday and his co-defendant was briefly restrained at a military hearing as five men charged with the worst terror attack in U.S. history appeared in public for the first time in more than three years. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool)

In this photo of a sketch by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, right, consults with his civilian attorney David Nevin during a break of his military hearing at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, Saturday, May 5, 2012. The self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks repeatedly declined to respond to a judge's questions Saturday and his co-defendant was briefly restrained at a military hearing as five men charged with the worst terror attack in U.S. history appeared in public for the first time in more than three years. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool)

At left a March 1, 2003 photo obtained by the Associated Press shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan. At right, a photo downloaded from the Arabic language Internet site www.muslm.net and purporting to show a man identified by the Internet site as Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sep. 11 attacks, is seen in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The picture was allegedly taken in July 2009 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and released only to the detainee's family under a new policy allowing the ICRC to photograph Guantanamo inmates, ICRC spokesman Bernard Barrett said Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks, including the self-proclaimed mastermind, are headed back to a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay more than three years after President Barack Obama put the case on hold in a failed effort to move the proceedings to a civilian court and close the prison at the U.S. base in Cuba. (AP Photo/www.muslm.net)

FILE - In this May 13, 2009 file photo reviewed by the U.S. military, the sun rises over the Guantanamo detention facility at dawn, at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. In a speech Thursday, President Barack Obama defended his plans to close the Guantanamo prison camp. Five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks, including the self-proclaimed mastermind, are headed back to a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay more than three years after President Barack Obama put the case on hold in a failed effort to move the proceedings to a civilian court and close the prison at the U.S. base in Cuba. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, file)

At left a March 1, 2003 photo obtained by the Associated Press shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan. At right, a photo downloaded from the Arabic language Internet site www.muslm.net and purporting to show a man identified by the Internet site as Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sep. 11 attacks, is seen in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The picture was allegedly taken in July 2009 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and released only to the detainee's family under a new policy allowing the ICRC to photograph Guantanamo inmates, ICRC spokesman Bernard Barrett said Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks, including the self-proclaimed mastermind, are headed back to a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay more than three years after President Barack Obama put the case on hold in a failed effort to move the proceedings to a civilian court and close the prison at the U.S. base in Cuba. (AP Photo/www.muslm.net)

(AP) ? The self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks repeatedly declined to answer a judge's questions Saturday and his co-defendants knelt in prayer in what appeared to be a concerted protest against the military proceedings.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men appeared for the first time in more than three years for arraignment at a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, charged with 2,976 counts of murder for the 2001 attacks.

The hearing quickly bogged down before they could be arraigned. The men took off the earphones that provide Arabic translations and refused to answer any questions from the judge, Army Col. James Pohl, dramatically slowing a hearing that is heavy on military legal procedure.

At one point, two defendants got up and prayed alongside their defense tables under the watchful eyes of troops arrayed along the sides of the high-security courtroom on the U.S. base in Cuba.

Prisoner Walid bin Attash was put in a restraint chair for unspecified reasons and then removed from it after he agreed to behave. Lawyers for all defendants complained that the prisoners were prevented from wearing the civilian clothes of their choice.

Mohammed wore a white turban in court; his flowing beard, which had appeared to be graying in earlier hearings and photos, was streaked with red henna.

Mohammed's civilian lawyer, David Nevin, said he believed Mohammed was not responding because he believes the tribunal is unfair.

Jim Harrington, a civilian attorney for Yemeni defendant Ramzi Binalshibh, said his client would not respond to questions "without addressing the issues of confinement." No further explanation was given.

Pohl warned he would not permit defendants to block the hearing and would continue without his participation.

"One cannot choose not to participate and frustrate the normal course of business," Pohl said.

He addressed the earpiece issue by bringing the translators into the courtroom to translate out loud and attempted to stick to the standard script for tribunals, asking the defendants if they understood their rights to counsel and would accept the attorneys appointed for them. The men did not respond, not even to acknowledge that they understood the questions.

Through much of the session, the defendants seemed to be trying to give the impression they were in a different world than the rest of the court.

Cheryl Bormann, a civilian attorney for bin Attash, appeared in a conservative Islamic outfit that left only her face uncovered and she asked the court to order other women present to wear "appropriate" clothing so that defendants do not have to avert their eyes "for fear of committing a sin under their faith."

And Binalshibh interrupted the session with an outburst from the defense table in a mix of Arabic and broken English, saying, "Maybe they will kill me and say I committed suicide."

Six 9/11 family members were in the courtroom with the defendants while more than 100 others watched the proceedings on closed-circuit video feeds in the U.S. Jim Riches, a retired city firefighter whose son was killed at the World Trade Center, said some people blurted out "C,mon, are you kidding me?" as the defendants became more disruptive.

In the past, during the failed first effort to prosecute them at the U.S. base in Cuba, Mohammed has mocked the tribunal and said he and his co-defendants would plead guilty and welcome execution. But there were signs that at least some of the defense teams were preparing for a lengthy fight, planning challenges of the military tribunals and the secrecy that shrouds the case.

The arraignment is "only the beginning of a trial that will take years to complete, followed by years of appellate review," attorney James Connell, who represents defendant Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, told reporters gathered at the base to observe the hearing.

"I can't imagine any scenario where this thing gets wrapped up in six months," Connell said.

Defendants in what is known as a military commission typically do not enter a plea during their arraignment. Instead, the judge reads the charges, makes sure the accused understand their rights and then moves on to procedural issues. Lawyers for the men said they were prohibited by secrecy rules from disclosing their clients' intentions.

Harrington, representing Binalshibh, who has said at one hearing that he was proud of the Sept. 11 attacks, said he did not think that any of the defendants would plead guilty, notwithstanding their earlier statements.

Army Capt. Jason Wright, one of Mohammed's Pentagon-appointed lawyers, declined to comment on the case.

Before the hearing, family members at Guantanamo said they were grateful for the chance to see a case they believe has been delayed too long.

Suzanne Sisolak of Brooklyn, whose husband Joseph was killed in his office in the trade center's north tower, said she is not concerned about the ultimate outcome as long as the five prisoners do not go free.

"They can put them in prison for life. They can execute them," Sisolak said. "What I do care about is that this does not happen again. They need to be stopped."

The arraignment for the five comes more than three years after President Barack Obama's failed effort to try the suspects in a federal civilian court and close the prison at the U.S. base in Cuba.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced in 2009 that Mohammed and his co-defendants would be tried blocks from the site of the destroyed trade center in downtown Manhattan, but the plan was shelved after New York officials cited huge costs to secure the neighborhood and family opposition to trying the suspects in the U.S.

Congress then blocked the transfer of any prisoners from Guantanamo to the U.S., forcing the Obama administration to refile the charges under a reformed military commission system.

New rules adopted by Congress and Obama forbid the use of testimony obtained through cruel treatment or torture. Gen. Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, said the commission provides many of the same protections that defendants would get in civilian court. "I'm confident that this court can achieve justice and fairness," he said.

But human rights groups and the defense lawyers say the reforms have not gone far enough and that restrictions on legal mail and the overall secret nature of Guantanamo and the commissions makes it impossible to provide an adequate defense.

They argue that the U.S. has sought to keep the case in the military commission to prevent disclosure of the harsh treatment of prisoners such as Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times and subjected to other measures that some have called torture.

Mohammed, a Pakistani citizen who grew up in Kuwait and attended college in Greensboro, North Carolina, has admitted to military authorities that he was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks "from A to Z," as well as about 30 other plots, and that he personally killed Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Mohammed was captured in 2003 in Pakistan.

Binalshibh was allegedly chosen to be a hijacker but couldn't get a U.S. visa and ended up providing assistance such as finding flight schools. Bin Attash, also from Yemen, allegedly ran an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan and researched flight simulators and timetables. Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi is a Saudi accused of helping the hijackers with money, Western clothing, traveler's checks and credit cards. Al-Aziz Ali, a Pakistani national and nephew of Mohammed, allegedly provided money to the hijackers.

___

Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Armenia Elections: Armenian Parliamentary Vote A Test For President Serge Sarkisian

Armenia Elections

rmenian President and Republican Party President Serge Sarkisian speaks to press after he voted during parliamentary elections in Yerevan, Armenia on Sunday, May 6, 2012 President's wife Rita Sarkisian smiles at left. (AP Photo/PanARMENIAN , Tigran Mehrabyan)

?

By Martin Wolk

Weeks after revealing that he has prostate cancer, billionaire investor Warren Buffett tried to reassure thousands of investors Saturday that his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate will be in good hands after he steps down.

Buffett, 81, addressed nearly 40,000 shareholders at the company?s colorful annual meeting in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., saying his condition is not life-threatening and should not have much effect on his work.

Dave Weaver / AP

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger are seen on big screens as they answer questions at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

"I feel terrific,? Buffett said.

?Maybe I'll get shot by a jealous husband,? he joked. ?This is a really minor event."

Buffett?s longtime partner and vice chairman, Charlie Munger, 88, joked that he resents the sympathy and attention Buffett is getting. ?I probably have more prostate cancer than he does,? he said.

But the diagnosis was one more reminder that the so-called Oracle of Omaha is mortal and will be hard to replace. Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire, has said he has identified a successor, although he has not identified him publicly.

"I don't think that every deal that I made would necessarily be makeable by a successor, but they'll bring other talents as well," said Buffett. He reassured the audience, which packed a downtown arena and overflow rooms, that his successor would have the skills required to handle the job.

"We're not going to have an arts major in charge of Berkshire,? he said.

As Buffett roamed the exhibit hall, shareholders mobbed him, trying to take pictures with their cellphones. He spent time singing"There is No Place Like Nebraska" with the University of Nebraska's cheerleaders at the Justin Boots stage before checking out the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and BYD electric car displays.

Later Berkshire shareholders were treated to a video skit in which Buffett joked about the fame his secretary Debbie Bosanek gained after the billionaire complained that she pays a higher tax rate than he does.

Berkshire owns clothing, furniture, railroad, insurance, jewelry and utility businesses. It also has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola Co., IBM and Wells Fargo & Co. On Friday, Berkshire said its first-quarter profit more than doubled to $3.2 billion from last year's $1.5 billion because this year's results weren't hurt by major disaster losses in Berkshire's insurance units.

Berkshire?s main Class A shares, the costliest on the New York Stock Exchange, gained $150 Friday to close at $121,950.

Among the internal candidates seen as possible future Berkshire chief executives are Ajit Jain, Buffett's top insurance lieutenant; Matthew Rose, who runs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad company; and Greg Abel, who oversees the utility company MidAmerican Energy.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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রবিবার, ৬ মে, ২০১২

Law firm Dewey warns of impending layoffs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf notified attorneys and staff on Friday that they could face mass layoffs, in the starkest sign yet that Dewey could be on the verge of collapse.

"Although we continue to pursue various avenues, it is possible that adverse developments could ultimately result in the closure of the firm, which would result in the termination of your employment," the firm said in a letter to employees that was obtained by Reuters.

Angelo Kakolyris, a spokesman for the firm, declined to comment.

The firm issued the notification under a federal law known as the WARN Act and similar state laws that require employers to notify workers of mass layoffs in advance. The federal WARN Act requires employers with 100-plus employees to give them 60 days' notice, while New York's WARN Act requires employers with 50 or more workers to give at least 90 days' notice.

"Although we continue to pursue various avenues, it is possible that adverse developments could ultimately result in the closure of the firm," the letter said.

Dewey & LeBoeuf, once one of the biggest law firms in the United States, has been struggling this year with growing debt, declining revenue and partner defections, which continued unabated on Friday.

Since January, the firm has lost at least 120 of its 300 partners amid a mounting debt crisis. It has tried and failed to find a merger partner.

Employees leaving Dewey's offices in midtown New York on Friday declined to talk to a reporter. Workers from a local moving company called Moishe's loaded about two dozen boxes labeled Dewey & LeBoeuf early on Friday evening before driving away.

A Facebook site set up to help Dewey attorneys and staff find jobs grew to 220 members on Friday afternoon.

Earlier on Friday, another source close to the situation said that Dewey & LeBoeuf had dismissed Executive Director Stephen DiCarmine within the last week. DiCarmine has retained a prominent criminal defense lawyer, the source said.

Last week, the firm informed its partners that the New York District Attorney launched an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by former Chairman Steven Davis.

No allegations of wrongdoing have been brought against DiCarmine. The reasons for his termination couldn't be determined. Davis has denied any wrongdoing and DiCarmine did not return phone calls seeking comment.

DiCarmine has hired Edward Little, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, according to the source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Little, a partner at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, declined to comment on whether he had been hired in connection with the DA probe.

Defections from the firm decimated its overseas offices on Friday, with a wave of departures in Britain, Germany, Kazakhstan, UAE and Russia.

Dewey's options could include an out-of-court wind-down or a bankruptcy, whether voluntary or forced by its creditors, bankruptcy experts said.

Earlier this week, Dewey denied any plans to file for bankruptcy. Industry experts say a filing would be expensive and unlikely to salvage the firm, but could provide an efficient legal framework for Dewey to collect receivables from departed partners.

People who are owed money by Dewey have already begun seeking to sell their claims to third parties on a secondary market at a heavy discount, said Kevin Starke, a bankruptcy analyst with CRT Capital Group, a brokerage that specializes in distressed securities.

When businesses are insolvent or close to it, their stakeholders, fearing they will not be paid fully or on time, commonly sell their claims at a discount to institutional buyers in an effort to recover some money.

In Dewey's case, sellers will likely include trade vendors, suppliers and other service providers who may have receivables against the firm, Starke said.

"A market for receivables is shaping up around 10-to-15 cents on the dollar," he said.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Longstreth, Karen Freifeld and Caitlin Tremblay; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Eric Effron, Eddie Evans, Gary Hill)

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Shane Bauer And Sarah Shourd Marry: Two Hikers Held In Iran Tie The Knot In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two Americans detained and accused of spying after hiking near the Iraq-Iran border three years ago will marry Saturday in the San Francisco Bay area.

A private wedding ceremony for Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd was set for 4 p.m. at an undisclosed location, said San Francisco attorney and family friend Ben Rosenfeld.

Bauer, Shourd and Josh Fattal, all University of California, Berkeley graduates, were arrested on July 31, 2009, and held in Iran.

Bauer and Fattal were sentenced to eight years after being convicted on spy-related charges, but were released after more than two years.

Shourd was released after 14 months on bail.

Bauer proposed to Shourd while both were in prison, fashioning an impromptu ring out of threads from his shirt.

All three say they were innocent of spying and had simply strayed across the countries' border while in the mountainous region.

Fattal will be Bauer's best man, Rosenfeld said.

No additional details about the wedding were released, but an automated response to an email inquiry from The Associated Press to Shourd said the couple would be away on a honeymoon until May 18.

They live, and will remain living in the San Francisco Bay area, Rosenfeld said, but he did not disclose where.

Shourd grew up in Southern California, Bauer is a native on Minnesota and Fattal grew up in Pennsylvania.

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US stocks dip after conflicting economic reports

Wall Street gnawed on a muddle of economic data and corporate earnings Thursday, pushing stocks lower after a brief rise.

The American consumer's buying power was thrown into doubt early on after Costco, Macy's and Target posted disappointing April sales. Colder temperatures and renewed concerns about the economy weighed on shoppers.

Worker productivity fell sharply in the first three months of the year, the government said. That's a mixed sign, auguring higher costs for businesses but holding out the promise of renewed hiring.

The labor market has been on traders' minds all week because the government's closely watched monthly jobs report is due out Friday. In the final major indicator before that announcement, the government said the number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week by the most in three months.

The competing indicators offered little direction for major stock indexes. They opened lower, rose slightly in the first 15 minutes of trading, then turned solidly lower for much of the day.

European stocks closed lower, giving up earlier gains, after the head of the European Central Bank signaled that it will not inject more cash into the region's fragile banking system.

U.S. stocks traded sideways because traders are "balancing between a weak close for European stocks and trying to bet on what (the jobs report) will look like," said Peter Tchir, who runs the hedge fund TF Market Advisors.

GM shares fell 2 percent after the automaker said its first-quarter profit declined, mainly on losses in Europe.

If Europe's debt crisis spills over into the U.S., one of the major threats will be lower sales for American exporters to Europe such as GM and Caterpillar. Caterpillar lost one percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 46 points to 13,222 as of 12:05 p.m. EDT. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost seven to 1,394. The Nasdaq composite average fell 28 to 3,031.

The Carlyle Group, a big, politically-connected private equity firm, edged higher after an initial public offering of some 30.5 million common units worth $671 million.

The company priced its stock below the expected range late Wednesday. Carlyle, trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker "CG," has about $147 billion in assets under management.

Other swinging stocks:

? Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. plunged 50 percent, the most in the Russell 2000 index of small companies. The maker of single-cup coffee machines and cartridges said late Wednesday that its earnings for the fiscal year ending in September will be far below its previous forecast and analysts' estimates. Green Mountain shares have lost more than three-fourths of their value since September.

? Cablevision Systems Corp. dropped eight percent after its first-quarter revenue fell short of analysts' expectations and profit declined sharply.

? Viacom Inc., owner of MTV and Paramount Pictures, rose three percent after saying its net income rose sharply as its TV networks brought in more revenue.

? Orbitz Worldwide Inc. rose four percent after narrowing its first-quarter loss and beating analysts' estimates.

___

Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Associated Press

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Teenage suicide bomber kills 20 in Pakistan

A teenage suicide bomber targeted police in a bustling Pakistan town square on Friday, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens in the tribal area near the Afghan border, officials said.

Among the dead were the local chief and deputy of a tribal police force recruited by the government to help defeat the Taliban in the northwest. Such forces are frequently targeted by militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The bomber, who intelligence officials said was aged 14 to 16, detonated explosives strapped to his chest in Khar, the main town of Bajaur district. Bajaur has been one of the toughest battlegrounds in Pakistan's fight against a northwestern Taliban insurgency.

It was the deadliest bombing in Pakistan since March 2, when at least 22 people were killed by a suicide attack on a mosque in the tribal district of Khyber.

"Twenty people, including five policemen, were killed and 46 others were wounded. Some shops and a restaurant were destroyed," Islam Zeb, the top official and administrative head of Bajaur tribal district, told AFP.

Officials had earlier put the death toll at 16.

It was the third bomb attack in two days in Bajaur, after twin blasts killed five people -- including pro-government elders and security personnel -- on Thursday.

The violence highlights the insurgency in Pakistan at a time when Islamabad is under renewed US pressure crack down on militants based on its soil, such as the Haqqani network, blamed for a spectacular assault on Kabul last month.

Rescue workers pulled out at least four bodies from the collapsed debris of shops and a restaurant that caved in under the Bajaur blast, said administration official Mustafa Kamal.

The military conducted major anti-Taliban offensives in Bajaur in August 2008 and February 2009, and has repeatedly declared the district secure.

But militants have still proved able to strike.

"Apparently, the bomber was waiting for the (local) head of police, and he rushed and jumped towards him when he was talking to other policemen at a checkpost," he said.

According to an AFP tally, around 5,000 people have been killed in militant attacks across the country since July 2007, when government troops raided an extremist mosque in the capital Islamabad, sparking a bloody insurgency.

Doctor Habib Khan, head of the main hospital in Khar, warned that the toll could rise further after Friday's attack because some of the wounded were in a critical condition.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack came two days after Pakistan went on a high state of alert for the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's killing by American troops, fearing a wave of revenge attacks.

Tribal police, who are recruited to help the government fight Taliban militants in the tribal belt, are frequently attacked.

Pakistan has lost more than 3,000 soldiers in the fight against homegrown insurgents but has resisted US pressure to do more to eliminate havens used by those fighting the Americans in Afghanistan.

The US conducts a secretive drone war against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants based on Pakistani soil, despite increasingly vocal public denunciations from the government that initially gave its tacit approval to the strikes.

Relations between Pakistan and the United States have lapsed into stalemate since the covert American raid that killed bin Laden last May and US air strikes that inadvertently killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Pakistan has shut down NATO supply lines into Afghanistan and last month parliament approved new guidelines on relations with the United States, which included a call for an end to drone strikes.

It remains unclear whether the impasse with Washington can be solved before this month's NATO summit on Afghanistan in Chicago, to which Islamabad has been invited.

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Video: Bachmann, Gingrich endorse Romney despite former attacks

SpaceX chief wants to be a spaceflier

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: The billionaire founder of the SpaceX rocket venture, Elon Musk, says that within five years he wants to make orbital space trips available to regular passengers ? including himself.

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LinkedIn Acquires Professional Content Sharing Platform SlideShare For $119M

upload-share-pLinkedIn has just acquired professional content sharing platform SlideShare for $119 million in cash and stock. We've pasted the release below. SlideShare is a sharing platform for business documents, videos and presentations. SlideShare lets anyone share presentations and video and also serves as a social discovery platform for users to find relevant content and connect with other members who share similar interests. The company also has a huge enterprise following, and companies like IBM and others use the platform to curate content from all of their employees and partners on a branded page.

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Afghanistan security deal Obama signed has holes

President Barack Obama returns a salute as he steps off the Marine One helicopter upon his arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May, 2, 2012. Obama was returning from an unannounced trip to Afghanistan.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama returns a salute as he steps off the Marine One helicopter upon his arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May, 2, 2012. Obama was returning from an unannounced trip to Afghanistan.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai sign a strategic partnership agreement at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(AP) ? The 10-year security compact that President Barack Obama signed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai contains promises the United States and Afghanistan cannot guarantee they will keep, and loopholes for both nations.

The deal signed Tuesday also allows either nation to walk away on a year's notice. That could allow the next U.S. president, or the next Afghan leader, to scuttle a deal negotiated by his or her predecessor.

For Obama, the agreement represents a compromise with Karzai after messy negotiations over U.S. military detention of Afghan suspects and raids on Afghan homes that offend Afghans.

U.S. concessions were relatively small, however, and the deal Obama signed in Kabul is probably the best one he could get on a tight deadline. He wants to showcase a long-term commitment to Afghan stability when he hosts NATO leaders for a summit in Chicago later this month. U.S. officials said the deal is legally binding, but it does not carry the force of a treaty as Afghanistan originally wanted.

Obama called the agreement historic, and said it "defines a new kind of relationship between our countries ? a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation, and we build an equal partnership between two sovereign states."

The deal pledges Afghanistan to fight corruption, improve efficiency and protect human rights, including women's rights. All are areas where the United States already finds fault with Afghan performance, and Afghanistan has promised improvement on corruption many times before. The nine-page agreement spells out no consequences if those or other goals are not met.

The agreement uses even looser language to address the production and trafficking of illegal drugs in Afghanistan, a major opium producer. Both nations affirm that illicit drugs undermine security and legitimate economic growth but promise only to cooperate to confront the threat.

The United States promises to seek annual funding to train and equip the Afghan armed forces but gives no dollar figure. That money must be approved by Congress, which has so far supported the Obama administration's plan to build up the Afghan forces. There is growing concern in Congress, however, about the quality of those forces, and the billions of dollars they would need over 10 years is not assured.

The agreement promises ongoing U.S. investment in a variety of development, health, education and support projects aimed at helping the poor nation one day support itself, and it commits the United States to seek annual funding from Congress "commensurate with the strategic importance of the U.S.-Afghan partnership."

U.S. officials said they cannot make a more specific pledge because Congress controls the purse strings.

The agreement, which takes effect when U.S. and other foreign combat forces leave in 2014, also is not the last word on whether the United States leaves a much smaller contingent of troops in Afghanistan after that date.

Both of the current leaders want such a residual force. But if Iraq is a guide, the rationale for a continued U.S. military presence on the soil of a Muslim nation could change, or new leadership in Washington or Kabul could decide on a different path.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said the "strategic partnership agreement" is not intended to address the specific terms of an ongoing military relationship. The agreement pledges the two nations to begin work on a more detailed pact, and sets a goal of one year to complete it.

"Clearly if you're going to have troops remaining in Afghanistan, you're going to have to have some guidelines that govern that," Kirby said. "What form it takes and what title it has ... we're just not there yet."

The U.S. promises to name Afghanistan a "major non-NATO ally," a loose term meant to underscore U.S. commitment to Afghan stability but not one that would automatically bind the U.S. to come to Afghanistan's defense if it were attacked. The deal does say that the United States would "regard with grave concern any external aggression against Afghanistan," and promises urgent consultation on a diplomatic, military or other response.

The agreement also sets in writing previous assurances from U.S. leaders that the United States will not build permanent military bases in Afghanistan or use its soil to launch hostile attacks on its neighbors. That does not preclude U.S. military and intelligence units from sharing space at Afghan bases, but if honored would prevent the United States from launching any future strike on Iran from inside Afghanistan.

Karzai had sought the deal as a measure of U.S. dedication to protect and underwrite his poor but strategically located country. He is worried about a political and military resurgence of the Taliban insurgency once tens of thousands of foreign forces leave, and U.S. officials share that concern.

Karzai, however, is scheduled to leave office in 2014, probably just before the new agreement would take effect.

His successor is unclear, as is the future of a political outreach to the Taliban that might draw the movement or its surrogates into some kind of power-sharing arrangement. All are factors that could affect whether Afghanistan continues to want such a deal with the United States.

Either nation can quit the agreement with one year's written notice. If both parties want to cancel it they can do so by mutual agreement at any time.

The deal was announced the same day the Pentagon said in a new report that the counter-insurgency campaign is making good progress on the military side, but little progress on issues that depend on cooperation from the Afghan and Pakistani governments.

"The Afghan government continues to face widespread corruption that limits its effectiveness and legitimacy and bolsters insurgent messaging," the semi-annual report to Congress said.

It identified safe havens in Pakistan where insurgents hide and re-arm for attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces as "the most critical threat" to the war effort.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Guidelines For Savvy Home-based Business Owners

With all the right expertise, commencing your home-based business can be a likelihood. This post represents many recommendations on creating your home business.

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Maintain an in depth report of your own daily expenses and other things that will impact your business economically. You?ll have to have the information and facts for finding out your reductions at taxation time, plus if you?re unlucky sufficient to become audited.

Attempt advertising and marketing your home business through the internet. Having a site your potential customers can view with ease, whether designed by you or a professional, you will certainly be more successful. It is important to offer you your customers excellent website content with the ability to make purchases on the internet where useful. Supplying an method for them to stay in touch with you is also an essential thing to consider. The following advice must direct you towards your efforts.

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When setting up your home-based business, be sure you have an appropriately written business strategy. Small companies need a good created business plan as much as bigger businesses. This course of action spells out what your desired goals are, the methods you can expect to reach these targets and also the sources you?ll will need. It is possible to confer with your business strategy plan to make sure you are operating in the direction of reaching your objectives as your firm expands.

You should always determine how significantly launch funds will be required to start your home business. A residence business costs a lot less to run when compared to a classic organization, but you will still need to spend some money it. Identifying your bills beforehand will help you in keeping your organization operating in the black colored.

When you have another company, checklist that deal with instead of a P.O. Box. People will feel an increased connection to an actual deal with and therefore are not as likely to see not enough humanity. Developing an actual street address offers your organization feelings of permanence that is reassuring in your buyers.

As you may generate profits, set aside a few of it to meet your taxation accountability. Taxes will account for about 15 or 20Per cent of the full revenue so ensure you save consequently.

So that you can become successful at becoming a home-based business proprietor, you must be able to take information-based risks to increase your horizons. Attempting something totally new will draw in the interest of the latest consumers and enhance your profits. If you keep to the very same tactics and not attempt something totally new, you could potentially lose out on large the opportunity to cash in major.

It is essential to purchase a business distinct email accounts to help you quickly maintain business and personal emails different. In addition, accessibility your e-mail in different ways. For instance, you should use Yahoo gmail only for enterprise and Microsoft View for private email messages.

Give your home-based business website the capability to sell. Many home based businesses only offer from the properties ? to provide you with a lift on the levels of competition, select a site that offers also! Registering an internet site with a domain name service provider is extremely economical.

Having an online business is a dream about lots of people. Even so, receiving a home-based business started off is hard in the event you don?t know what you are carrying out.

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I'm quite new here so I could use some practice as well. However, I prefer to have more serious battles (at least plot-wise) rather then having the characters only sparing, which would make them hold back. If you mean sparing as practice for us, then I'm all for such practice with you. I have finals for school coming up and I don't have many characters ready at the moment, but once summer vacation arrives I'll have a lot of time to practice with you if you wish. My finals end on Tuesday, just in case you were wondering.

I'd be willing to change my characters ever time. Like I said earlier, I'd just need a bit of time in order to come up with some characters.

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Colo civil unions bill gets OK by another panel

DENVER (AP) ? Gay couples came one step closer Friday to having civil unions in Colorado after another Republican-led House committee approved legislation that appears to have enough support to get to the governor's desk.

The finance committee approved the measure with a 7-6 vote after it passed the House judiciary committee late Thursday.

Rep. Don Beezley was the only Republican to support the measure on the finance panel.

"For me, it really came down to that basic issue of fairness and doing the right thing," Beezley said, echoing a similar comment made by Republican Rep. B.J. Nikkel, who joined Democrats on the judiciary committee in approving the measure.

The measure now goes before the appropriations committee. Democrats on that panel unanimously support the bill and need at least one Republican to vote yes for it to go to the House floor, where it will likely pass.

Republican Rep. Cheri Gerou, a member of the committee, previously said she supports the bill.

"I'm very excited," said a smiling Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a Democrat and gay lawmaker sponsoring the bill. "We're one step closer today than we were yesterday, and yesterday we were one step closer than we've ever been."

The state Senate has already approved the bill and it could reach Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper by Wednesday, when the session ends. He is firmly in support.

If passed, Colorado would join more than a dozen states that allow gay marriage or civil unions. Hawaii and Delaware began allowing civil unions earlier this year.

The measure does not allow gay marriage but does grant gay couples rights similar to marriage, including enhanced inheritance and parental rights, and the ability to be involved in partner's medical decisions.

Republicans who oppose the bill said it undermines traditional marriage and that voters expressed their position on the issue when they banned same-sex marriage in 2006.

Republicans have a 33-32 vote advantage in the House. But supporters say they have enough votes for passage.

Earlier in the day, Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty gave his colleagues a pointed warning from the podium, urging them not to attack the motives or legislators on pending legislation. He made clear later in an interview with The Associated Press that he was referring to the civil unions bill.

McNulty said Senate Democrats took months to move the bill to the House and did it on purpose to force a decision within the final days of the legislative session.

"I think that there are those in the Democratic Party that want to make sure that this issue is a political issue in November," he said, referring to the upcoming election.

He later said in an interview with The Associated Press that the gay union bill will be scheduled under the rules, even though he noted that some supporters seek preferential treatment for certain bills.

___

Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed.

___

Find Ivan Moreno on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IvanJourno.

___

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Improving Your Life, One Home Improvement At A Time |

Top?Penticton Contractors?In The Okanagan

Although it may surprise you, your home and surroundings have an impact on your feelings. There are many people who run businesses from home, which adds more importance to being satisfied with the quality of the house. You want your home to be both a place that is functional as a work space, and also a place where you can relax and enjoy life. Improving anything that stands in the way of these needs will improve both your work and your relaxation time. Use this advice to assist you in creating a living space that speaks to your heart.
Your comfort is in your hands. Although it is normal for your home to not be perfect, major flaws can cause you displeasure. Even a few small alterations can make a big difference to your happiness. Buy a new kitchen set, or replace your lumpy, old sofa with a softer one.
Good organizational skills can only help you so much if you have run out of space in your home. There are times when the only you can do is make expansions. Even a small addition to your home can add valuable storage space, increased feeling of space and reduced stress levels.
Build your home to be a place where it is easy to have fun. Installing a pool, hot tub or sauna can make your time at home enjoyable. Nonetheless, cheap options, such as adding a basketball court to the garage, can easily be done without spending too much money.
Look at the lighting in your home to see if you can improve it. Different light fixtures as well as types of bulbs can brighten your house, save money and may be easier to use, as they won?t have to be changed as often. Changing your lights can improve the whole feeling of your home. You can fix most lighting fixtures by yourself.
You don?t need a green thumb to make the outside of your house into a landscaping wonderland with flowers and all sorts of attractive decorative pieces. You can contract with a local landscaper if you feel you lack the expertise to do the job yourself. No matter who does the work, you will enjoy relaxing in your garden. Having a variety of plants can improve your life by making the air quality better, letting off a nice aroma and giving you fresh produce to eat.
Updating your home by installing new windows or replacing the roof, or even repainting it, can improve the way you view it. By making these improvements in your home, you will be thrilled with the changes that have been made. You will feel happier when you approach the house.
Since a significant portion of your time will be spent in your home, you should feel happy and comfortable there. So, fixing up your home not only improves its value, but it also keeps you in a better state of mind.

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Romney: Regular people teach him about struggles

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney smiles at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney smiles at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday, May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP) ? Mitt Romney says he learns about what it's like to struggle in a difficult economy by sitting down to chat with regular people. But the Republican presidential candidate doesn't want anybody to see it ? and his campaign won't say who he meets with or when the meetings occur.

In interviews and on the campaign trail, Romney regularly says that he learns about the struggling economy by talking to people affected by it. Earlier this week, he said he meets with families "almost every day." On Friday, Romney said the talks are "off the record" ? and that he agrees to keep private the names of the people he meets with.

"Before I begin an event like this, I typically am able to sit down with a few people on an off-the-record kinda basis," Romney said as he delivered his standard campaign speech Friday in Pittsburgh.

"I agree not to say who they are to the members of my media," he said, before joking: "My media, I don't have my media, I wish I had my media. To members of the media."

That description was slightly different from one he offered on Tuesday.

"So far during my campaigns one of the highlights for me has been sitting down with three or four families almost every day without the camera there," he said during an interview with CBS News. "Most of them are done privately ? that is a wonderful way for me to understand how people are really feeling."

Aides did not respond to repeated requests for information about the meetings and the participants, including when the meetings take place, who has participated or even which states they are from. Aides also wouldn't say whether any meetings were held Thursday or Friday, when Romney campaigned in Virginia and Pittsburgh, respectively.

The meetings aren't listed on Romney's public schedule.

On Wednesday, a spokesman said Romney had no such private meetings before an appearance that day at a small business in Chantilly, Va.

"Almost every single small business.most every public event that we have, we have these middle-class families do a round-table with the governor," Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said Wednesday when asked to explain what Romney said in Tuesday's television interview. "It's more productive to do it without the cameras. He hears from them about the Obama economy; he hears what their concerns are in the states."

Romney has held a few round-table events with voters while cameras were present.

He held one with veterans in South Carolina on Veterans Day last year, with housing industry businesspeople in Florida before the primary and with business owners in Nevada before the caucuses. After becoming the presumptive nominee, Romney held a round-table with Hispanic community leaders in Arizona.

He also meets regularly with the owners of the companies who host his campaign events. Almost all of Romney's stops on the trail are in warehouses or offices of local small businesses.

But instead of keeping these stories secret, he'll often incorporate them into his campaign speech as sad examples of a suffering economy or to highlight what America's entrepreneurial economy can do. There's a struggling barber, for example, who's putting off retirement. On the other hand, there's an immigrant who came to the U.S. and founded a company that helps with pioneering spinal surgery. Romney appeared at that company, NuVasive, in southern California in late March.

"I'm amazed by the hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people," Romney said Friday.

Associated Press

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The Deviation Between Having Got and Leasing Commercial Real ...

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You will have to think about several pros. You generate a guarantee, the home loan is usually considerably less costly as compared to every month lease and lots of various reasons. As you close the business enterprise, you can always rent it out. As there is no more rent, there is no need to handle increases of the house corresponding expenses.

The downside is that you have several duties, mortgage rates along with pricey down payments. The enhancements you?ll produce may damage the entire worth so pay attention to that.

The best thing is usually to contemplate these types of situations and pick the best thing for you. Your enterprise demands the best financial funding program along with consistent answer of them all. The down payment needs to be paid for first. Is it really for you? Equipment can be extremely high priced consequently watch out. You do not want to buy a spot but not hold the funds required to manage your business. Could the repayment program for the home loan make an every month difference?

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This is definitely just how, in a couple of words, you have to examine the problem and assess the procedures you?ll have to make. The essential aspects are definitely the impact on the books and also the IRR rewards it might present. Many of you may come to the conclusion that it is however easier to possess the house and not simply lease it.

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