Al Pacino

Via: saiyan baby – + – photo maniac

http://saiyan-baby-photo-maniac.tumblr.com/post/10090611369/al-pacino-photo-gregory-heisler

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Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito’s Way, though he has also appeared several times on the other side of the law — as a police officer, detective and a lawyer.

His role as Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992 after receiving seven previous Oscar nominations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Pacino

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Japan

Default rate at US for-profit schools UP to 15 PERCENT

Via: Reuters

New U.S. Education Department figures show rising default rates on student loans with the sharpest increase among students at for-profit trade schools and colleges.

For students in the for-profit sector, the default rate for those who should have started paying back loans in the 2009 fiscal year rose to 15 percent from 11.6 percent for those whose payments began in 2008.

Overall, student default rates rose to 8.8 percent from 7 percent for students at all types of post-secondary schools, the department said.

High default rates can penalize schools under a government crackdown on poor graduation rates in some programs.

The toughest rule would ban schools from taking students with federal loans if at least 35 PERCENT of graduates and dropouts of programs are not paying back their loans, or meet other criteria.

A trade group of 1,500 for-profit schools, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, is challenging that rule, among others.

APSCU argued that the default rates announced on Monday were misleading, partially because of steps taken by the schools to address problems in recent months, calling the data “looking in the rear view mirror.”

“We believe that the default rates will go down when the economy improves and the unemployment rate drops,” (BRILLIANT!) the group said in a statement.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/12/education-forprofit-idUSS1E78B0UY20110912

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Via: Raw Reply June 8, 2011

Acting on orders from the U.S. Department of Education, a S.W.A.T. team broke into a California home Tuesday at 6 a.m. and roughed up a man — because of his estranged wife’s defaulted student loans, ABC News10 reported. She wasn’t there.

Yet, Kenneth Wright of the city of Stockton was grabbed by the neck by handcuffed before he and his three young children were put in a police car as the officers searched his house, he told ABC News10. He said he was in his underwear the whole time.

“They busted down my door for this. It wasn’t even me,” Wright told the local news station. “All I want is an apology for me and my kids and for them to get me a new door.”

Local police were reportedly not involved in the incident.

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/06/swat-team-busts-into-house-over-student-loan-default/

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personal thought:

I see NO SIGN the economy will improve, and unemployment rates will drop, in 2011 OR 2012.

IF things don’t get better, I can imagine some very angry young people, perhaps not as angry as those in the UK; but perhaps, even angrier.

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photo: Seattle, November 30, 1999

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Social Security concerns unnerve Florida seniors

Via: Reuters

Florida seniors were so rattled by proposed changes to Social Security emerging in the U.S. political debate that their consumer confidence levels plunged more than that of any other age group in August, an economic survey showed.

And that was BEFORE Texas Governor Rick Perry called the popular retirement program a “Ponzi scheme” during last week’s debate among Republican presidential candidates.

It would be difficult to overstate the impact of Social Security in Florida, a longtime retirement haven that is the most populous of the political swing states.

Consumer confidence among Floridians over 60 plunged nine points to 57 in August, according to the latest monthly survey conducted by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

It was the biggest drop among any age group in the survey, which put the overall Florida confidence score at 62 (truthfully, I’m surprised it’s that high), barely above recession level.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/12/us-usa-campaign-florida-idUSTRE78B6I620110912?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

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photo: Yup, definitely Florida!

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Six things to watch for in CNN/Tea Party Republican debate

Via: duh, CNN

Here are key storylines and strategies to watch for in Monday night’s CNN/Tea
Party Republican Debate.

Q1. Round two of the Perry-Romney slugfest?

Q2. Will Michele Bachmann target Perry?

Q3. Can Jon Huntsman build momentum?

Q4. A big night for Herman Cain?

Q5. Who else will come out swinging?

and my favorite,

Q6. Is it over yet?

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/12/debate.five.things/

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PHOTO:

A6: YES, it’s over!

President Michelle Bachmann, and First-Lady Marcus.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Hip Hip Hooray!

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hey, works for me