Monthly Archives: October 2015

Charity Work

Charity Overtakes Basketball For Bruce Levenson

Leave a comment

The former owner of the Atlanta Hawks, Bruce Levenson has recently sold his controlling stake in the NBA franchise to billionaire Tony Ressler. The sale comes after a shift in the interests of Levenson saw him become more interested in the community and charitable programs he has become interested in during recent years. The move towards community based work has been a major part of the life of Bruce Levenson in recent times, which has seen him step away from the NBA team he has led from the bottom of the standings to the very top of the regular season seedings.

Bruce Levenson has produced a large number of businesses that have shown how his skills and experience with all things technological have shaped his career and personal life. Levenson first came to prominence as the co-founder of the Oil Express newsletter, founded when he was working as a journalist for The Washington Star. Upon establishing the newsletter the approach taken by Bruce Levenson towards analytics and news gathering differed from his rivals and saw the Oil Express become the top provider of news and analysis for the oil industry. Levenson was then instrumental in the foundation of the United Communications Group, now better known as UCG, which expanded the analytics provided to a number of different industries.

After finding success in the real time analytics industry, Bruce Levenson looked to assist the Atlanta Hawks in their quest to win a second NBA Championship following the 1958 Championship of the franchise. Levenson had become an important part of the NBA landscape by the time he sold the franchise in 2015 for a reported $830 million. As the sale of the franchise was completed Levenson was forced to give up his position on the NBA Board of Governors and to halt his active participation in the NBA based programs provided by the Make A Wish Foundation.

Despite the time and effort leading the Atlanta Hawks has demanded from Bruce Levenson, the chance to explore the philanthropic activities available in Maryland with his wife, Karen has become a major part of the life of the founder of UCG. After discovering more about the experiences of his mother in law during the World War II Holocaust, Bruce Levenson became an important part of the establishment and construction of the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Following the establishment of the U.S. Holocaust Museum the Levenson family became an important part of the philanthropy program established at The University of Maryland. Philanthropy has become an important part of the life of Bruce and Karen Levenson as they seek out the best ways of assisting those in society who are in the most need.

Authors

YEONMI PARK: A HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPION

Leave a comment

The North Korean oppressive regimes of the past decades had relative ease of success in gagging the media and brainwashing the people. The country is notorious for its poor international relations policies and has become isolated from the rest of the world. Over the years, numerous reports of human rights violations in North Korea have surfaced. The government perpetrates them on its people. It is for this reason that one defector, 21-year-old Yeonmi Park refers to her country as the darkest environment on the planet.

Park has for a long time been at loggerheads with the government of North Korea. She has taken the war front in the fight against human rights violations and injustices on the North Korean government. Old habits die hard, the government in retaliation has set about discrediting her testimonials and claims from other defectors. However, her campaigns have only gained new followers and more voices.

Yeonmi Park’s turbulent journey dates back into her early childhood. Born in a poor neighborhood, her family had little to get by. They were further tortured and starved by the dictators of North Korea to the point of fleeing the country. She narrates countless ordeals of helplessness, despair and betrayal as a thirteen-year-old on the run from North Korea. Her families went through capture, blackmail, torture and violence on a daily basis. While on the run in China, Yeonmi lost her father to lung cancer while her sister separated from them. She would later face the trauma of rape levelled against her mother in her presence.

North Korea with all its nuclear might and a very charged army are increasingly unable to deal with the criticism Fronted by the diminutive Yeonmi Park. She has gotten used to being shamed and labelled a defector and traitor. In contrast, her decision to speak up against the evils in her country have inspired a worldwide movement. The movement has exposed the despicable and inhuman acts done by the North Korean government over the years. Because of her efforts, the world today is questioning what goes on in the territory.

Yeonmi is still a student of Criminal Justice at Dongguk University in South Korea where she still lives with her family. She prominently features in in radio and TV shows, magazines and newspapers. She also writes and publishes articles concerning the plight of women and children in North Korean societies. Yeonmi is never shy of the public eye. She volunteers with human rights groups and also acts on ambassadorial roles as a young voice for women and youth around the world.

Yeonmi presents herself to the world as a brave girl. She admits that growing up in the sub-human condition in North Korea gave her a wrong impression about life. Her escape in search for freedom is a journey she is grateful she went through. The same experience makes her life story connect with her global audience. This is just the beginning for Yeonmi and her human rights movement. She will not stop until her people are free.

Business News

10 new buildings planned for New York

Leave a comment

New York City is home to some of the country’s most famous and iconic buildings. The landscape of the Big Apple is constantly changing and the pace doesn’t show any signs of waning. In fact, ten brand new projects were approved this month, all of which exceed 100,000 square feet of new development.

One Vanderbilt Office Tower (Manhattan)

The One Vanderbilt Office Tower will be an enormous 67-story, 1.3 million square foot building. It will be built in Manhattan on One Vanderbilt Avenue (near Grand Central Station in Midtown).

Twin rental buildings (Bronx)

Two new 25-story rental buildings will be coming to the Bronx. Both buildings will predominately be comprised of apartments, but a portion will be dedicated for retail and a community facility on NYC real estate.

Rental properties at Greenpoint waterfront (Brooklyn)

An affordable rental building will be replacing the existing warehouse at 27 West Street. The 19-story structure will provide 234 residential units. A 120-car garage is also being constructed.

Synagogue and residental building (Brooklyn)

An 11-Story residential building will be constructed at 1721 East 8th Street. It will feature a 27,000-square-foot ground-floor synagogue and commercial space on the lower floors.

Affordable rental building (Bronx)

At 4439 Third Avenue, a new 12-story affordable rental building will be erected. In addition to 133 residential units, a community facility and commercial space will be available.

New academic building at Marymount School (Manhattan)

The newest addition to the Marymount School, a Catholic all-girls school, will be a 13-story academic building. It will be constructed at 115 East 97th Street and will include a gym, dance studio, chapel, offices, and classrooms.

Senior living facility (Staten Island)

Brielle, an assisted living residence, will be building 161 new residential units as well as a 10,000-square-foot recreational facility.

Rental building at Park Slope (Brooklyn)

Lastly, a 12-story building will be erected at 541 Fourth Avenue, providing 125 units as well as retail spaces. The structure will also feature a parking garage, storage, and a pet spa.

TOWN Residential

With all these exciting new developments, now is the perfect time to start looking for a new home in the New York area. TOWN’s team of experts are comprised of seasoned industry leaders who can find the right real estate for you at a price you can afford.

If you are looking to sell or lease, TOWN has a proven track record of producing fast results at maximum profit.

Legal

James Dondero leads Highland Capital to Win Case against Credit Suisse

1 Comment

Lake Las Vegas is a 3,592-acre developed area that surrounds a 320-acre artificial lake in Nevada. The lake is an artificial dam structure that was completed in 1991. It sits on top of the Las Vegas Wash, which still passes under it through two 2.4 meter diameter pipes. The lake is surrounded by a lake resort that consists of three separate resorts including the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort, the Hilton Lake Las Vegas and the Aston MonteLago Village Resort.

On the July of 2008, the Lake Las Vegas LLC filed for bankruptcy. At this time, it had debts estimated at 540 million US dollars. Subsequently, Lake Las Vegas became the subject of a lawsuit between Highland Capital Management and Credit Suisse, the latter being the agent for a syndicate of entities that gave loans for a project to develop the property. Credit Suisse offered loans to project developers at the resort by seeking finance from non-banking organizations like Highland Capital in the form of loans. The lenders were to benefit by accessing high-return real estate property while Credit Suisse would benefit by earning a fee from each transaction.

Led by James Dondero Highland Capital accused Credit Suisse of overly inflating the value of the project so as to generate higher fees for itself. Dondero, President and Co-founder of Highland Capital Management, said that Credit Suisse had known all along that the loan was fraudulent. Dondero said that he had evidence of one Credit Suisse banker describing the loan as ‘crap’ in an e-mail to his colleagues.

Dondero talked about another e-mail from David Miller, which pointed out that Credit Suisse was the sole manager of the Lakes Las Vegas financing and was therefore bound to profit nine billion dollars for its services. Miller goes further in the e-mail to say that ‘he would go anywhere he could find money’. David Miller is said to have designed the methodology used to property in contention. A separate e-mail discovery from Credit Suisse referred to Miller as Dr. Frankenstein.

Lawyers of Highland Capital said that Lake Las Vegas deal was introduced as a loan product by Credit Suisse to project developers. The loans were, however, deceitful as the developers would immediately give themselves enormous bonuses from the proceeds. The developers would eventually sour and go into bankruptcy or restructuring. Credit Suisse, however, denied any wrongdoing and accused Highland capital of looking for a scapegoat.
In 2015, the courts ordered Credit Suisse to pay 211.9 million dollars in damages and 75.6 million dollars in prejudgment damages to Highland Capital for a breach of contract.

Previously, in 2014, a jury awarded Highland Capital 40 million dollars in a verdict against Credit Suisse. The Jury found that the bank had fraudulently hidden information to lure Highland Capital in refinancing the Las Vegas Lake development in 2007. In a statement, Dondero said that the disregard for lenders displayed by Credit Suisse was the most reckless he had seen in thirty years. He was, however, glad that his firm had managed to recover damages for its funds and investors.

Health Care

The Different Ways Nobilis Health Is Transforming Healthcare

Leave a comment

Many people do not spend a great deal of time thinking about healthcare companies until they need to find a physician for one reason or another. Even if they have a regular physician that is not associated with any type of group or major company, they may find themselves in a position where they eventually need to find another physician or a specialist because of some type of medical problem. These types of physicians are typically associated with larger groups or partnered with a specific company that acts as an umbrella company for all of their operations. Such is the case with Nobilis Health.

This is a company that performs a lot of different functions. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States and as such, it has started operations in virtually every facet of healthcare imaginable. One of the ways that the company is most involved is by working in mergers and acquisitions concerning various healthcare facilities and the doctors who are associated with them. Some of the most impressive mergers and acquisitions of various hospitals have occurred as a direct result of the efforts of Nobilis Health Corp.

How does this benefit most of the people involved? Many times, a small local hospital or other type of healthcare facility that is operating on its own has fewer resources available to it. This in turn typically means that its financial resources are also limited. When this happens, it can force physicians at the facility to leave in order to create a practice somewhere else that is more productive. Eventually, many of the smaller facilities close their doors because they are simply unable to compete with the larger healthcare facilities that have more resources. The role that Nobilis Health plays is to bring these facilities together and allow them to merge with others who are facing similar situations. This in turn can create a newer, bigger and more productive facility that still allows the same physicians to practice there. The best part about it is that they have additional resources. This in turn benefits the patients as well.

Of course, Nobilis Health does not stop there. They are also experts at engineering partnerships between physicians and creating partnership groups where a number of different physicians working at different facilities can operate under the same umbrella company. They also offer staff members for medical facilities that are hired through the parent company and then filtered out to the various facilities. More recently, they have started a program where they develop and manage surgical centers. Many times, these are standalone surgical facilities that are not associated with a major hospital.

Obviously, it is easy to see that when it comes to healthcare companies that are capable of making waves in this particular industry, Nobilis Health is among the best. In all likelihood, doing business in this fashion represents the way that it will likely be conducted in the future. More and more facilities are turning to this method of operation in order to join forces and pool their financial resources. Therefore, there is every likelihood that Nobilis Health will continue to prosper in the years to come, all while helping other healthcare facilities do the same thing.

Advocates

Yeonmi Park Is More Than A Conquerer

Leave a comment

It happens in your town, city, and state and many of you have no idea what goes on. There are children, mothers and even fathers who have been bought and sold for both their sexual and labor advantages. They may be a well to do person or a vagabond on the street. The world of human trafficking involves kidnapping people from all walks of life. There’s not a person that can’t be a victim given the right circumstances and location. While human trafficking can be for labor, more than 75% of victims are used for sexual pleasures. It is the utmost way that HIV is spread throughout the country.

Although slavery was abolished years ago, there are more slaves in our world today than at any other time throughout history. It’s a huge industry that has over 27 million adults and 13 million children involved. In some countries, people are kidnapped for their organs due to a human trafficking process known as organ harvesting. Young girls are often used to lure others into the fold. They are well trained and work hard to recruit new members continually. North Korea is one area that is especially noted to be hostile for women and human trafficking. Many try to escape this country by way of China, only to find out that there are people waiting for them at the border to kidnap them and break their will. If one of the 80% of women who escape through China complains, they will be sent back to North Korea and either killed or housed in a slavery camp.

This industry claims more than 30,000 lives each year because of its tortuous ways. Girls are often malnourished, abused and have a plethora of medical conditions due to unfit housing conditions. Sexually transmitted diseases are ramped. Some escape and live to tell the tale. One lucky lady and her mother escaped the clutches of the Chinese market by way of a desert. Yeonmi Park is a human rights activist that shares her story on the Independent with anyone who will listen. She was tortured, raped and battered before she escaped at only 13 years of age. She is a native of North Korea who didn’t know of such a life until her father went to prison. With no money to live, her mother, sister and Park decided to escape to China. Once they made it to the border, they were sold to a man who utilized their services.

Park describes conditions that are not fit for a dog. She talks about going without food, water and living in filthy conditions. Though Park has relocated to South Korea, a much more liberal and safe area, she never forgets the horrors that drove her to the edge of her sanity. She now dedicates her life to sharing her story and counseling others about the day they made a choice that changed their entire life. She is a survivor and wants to expose the lascivious acts that go on in the underworld.

Food For Animals

Top Myths About Dog Food

Leave a comment

As a pet food brand, Beneful and its pet nutrition experts have always stressed on the fact that food requirements of pets are different from humans. This brand is also quite passionate about dog health and tastes. Over the years, they have introduced an amazing variety of wet and dry dog food flavors so that those lovable furry friends can enjoy a meal that is wholesome, healthy and delicious. These experts have also come across various myths and misconceptions that people have about Beneful on samsclub dog food. It’s time to put those myths to rest. In the following points, some top myths are busted by dog experts –

Dog Food Can Be Used As Cat Food – People who have both cats and dogs tend to interchange their food because they think it is okay. There is a reason why the pet store has separate sections for dog food and cat food. Cats require higher fat content, protein content and Taurine in their food. Dog food, on the other hand, tends to be low on Taurine and high in carbohydrates. It is also low on fat and protein as compared to cat food. Unless the food is specifically marked as being safe for both cats and dogs, interchanging food should be avoided.

Changing the Dog Food Formula Causes Digestion Problems – The myth is so wrong that it’s opposite is true, in fact. Some studies show that when dogs eat the same dog food consistently for years, they are prone to allergies to particular ingredients. They can also develop IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a common condition among dogs. This is why Beneful has so many different types of dog foods with varied flavors.

High Protein Dog Food Is Harmful – Pets actually benefit from high protein dog food that uses animal protein instead of plant protein. This is particularly good for ageing dogs who need the extra nutrition and strength. For this, it is best to go for wet dog foods that come in the form of prepared meals and contain actual animal protein like lamb, beef, et al. Beneful has an amazing variety of these kinds of meals for those dogs who like their food to be full of delicious flavors and scents.

Dry Food Is A Replacement For Oral Hygiene In Dogs – The most common dry food is kibble and it does nothing for the teeth of dogs. Dogs have pointed teeth in their mouth so that they can eat meat easily. Kibbles are either smashed by the teeth or swallowed whole. As such, they have no way of reaching the crevices of the teeth and clean them up. Instead, people should use healthy chewy bones and such treats that are definitely bigger than the dog’s mouth – enough not to be swallowed whole.

Vet Dog Food Is The Best – Vets usually keep dog foods that are from top and popular brands. Complete reliance cannot be placed on these foods and people should still take time to check the ingredient list before choosing a brand.

With these myths now busted, people can make an educated choice about dog food.

Apps, Women

Anastasia Date Gives You The Best of Online Dating

Leave a comment

There are a myriad of sites available for people to meet potential friends, dates, business partners and any other forms of relationship that can have a positive effect on one’s life. Unfortunately, many people do not necessarily know where to begin when it comes to finding such people. Compatibility in relationships certainly matters, despite the kind of bond there is between the individuals. Therefore, it is an essential necessity for said individuals to find a common ground of location to meet one another. Meeting someone with similar interests, backgrounds and other personality traits can be quite an exhilarating experience. Where is a good place to look when striving to form such bonds? Search for your perfect match on Anastasia Date today!

Anastasia Date Offers You a Dating Platform That Is Easy To Use

Anastasia’s dating platform is extremely easy to utilize. The engineers of the website have designed it with elements of user-friendliness in mind. All a member has to do is search for members within their communities to decide whether or not they happen to like their profiles. Personalities, photos and details in information are all certain factors in one’s decision making process. Therefore, finding a potential friend, partner, or whatever kind of relationship one is looking for is quick, easy and quite fun!

Russian women have been reputed as being some of the world’s most beautiful women, not only in their exterior aspects, but also through their personalities, liveliness, intelligence, wits, humor and much more. Unfortunately, many men are unaware of where to find them. By signing up for Anastasia Date, one is sure to find the woman that they have been looking for. Your days of searching for the woman you have been dreaming about is finally over as Anastasia Date provides you with a platform with thousands to choose from. Make the right choice of signing up for a reliable dating website today!

Business News

Makeup Evolution

Leave a comment

The cosmetic industry is an ever changing business that is constantly feeding innovative makeup products to the masses a means to enhance natural beauty. The interesting thing about makeup products is that it seems as though consumers aren’t willing to purchase any items that are subpar: everyone wants the best of the best. This could, in part, be because many notorious figures in the limelight are constantly showcasing how effective or ineffective up and coming makeup brands are or what they have to offer.

One of the most notorious makeup companies, MAC, revolutionized the cosmetic industry by providing cohesive, high quality products that were marketed in illustration and print toward all races, colors, and genders. Finally, consumers could acquire makeup products that were guaranteed to visibly appear over their skin complexion. Additionally, MAC made a focus on various makeup textures, creating products that varied from matte to moist, glossy to sheen, and so on. Interestingly, there was once a time where you would frequently hear the question, “Where did you get your lipstick,” and you would inevitably hear, “MAC.” However, that isn’t much of a commonality now that other cosmetic companies have come up with their own genius products and strategies. NARS, Chanel, bareMinerals, and many other cosmetic brands are highly prized, worn, and recommended among consumers now.

In today’s 20th century, many makeup lovers have taken efforts into their own hands to invent or mimic their favorite makeup products. Some of these people are celebrities, aestheticians, cosmetologists, or just your plain average makeup appreciator. One successful cosmetic brand known as “Lime Crime” was founded by Doe Deere in 2008. What makes Lime Crime products on ilovelimecrime.com so special are her neon and richly pigmented eyeshadows, lipsticks, and lipglosses. Deer, like many makeup appreciators took initiative to create her own makeup brand as a means to provide something different to the cosmetic industry and all that it took was passion. The comparison of how the cosmetic industry operated from then to now is so drastic that you just never know what whimsical modifications will take place in the future, but you can be guaranteed that they will be unprecedented.