Break from the Grind April 10, 2009

A Little Friday File Fun (04/10)

April 10, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - They say that a picture is worth a thousand words...
Reported by

Well, here’s a couple of thousand….

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If you can’t view the above video, try  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7OXnC5k2OA

BUMPER “CROP?”   Those new bumpers just don’t work the same as they used to.

If you can’t view the above video, try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ZCRiH_340

And here's pictures AND sounds...

and a gift for that hard-to-shop-for-someone - ropeless jump rope - - - I kid you not.  MORE at http://jumpsnap.com/index.html

And here's some sounds...

- - - In Kissimmee, Florida , an unnamed woman called 911 with an unusual predicament.   MORE at http://cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/audio/CAR_ELECTRICAL_PROBLEM.mp3

- - - In Haltom City, Texas , an unnamed woman felt that she hadn't been given the extra shrimp for which she had paid $1.62 - - - so she called to a higher authority - - - 911.   And you can listen to this call at http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7289098

And last, but not least...the criminal elements:

- - - In Peoria, Arizona , an unnamed 16-year-old was hanging out with some of his buddies - - - when the subject turned to his recent escapades - - - breaking into a car and stealing the stereo, as well as a Cricket phone - - - and, apparently while he was carrying on about it - - - the aforementioned Cricket phone dialed 911 - - - giving police an opportunity to hear him "confess" to his crime - - - and, ultimately, an opportunity to triangulate his position (via the same phone) - - - and arrest him - - - you can listen in at   http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/04/mobile_phone_in_kids_pocket_ca.php

- - - In Kansas City, Missouri , police responding to a home invasion call here spotted suspect Sterling Devine, 25, and tried to pull him over - - - undeterred, Sterling ran two stop signs - - - and a red light - - - before crashing his car into the Cinemark theater building - - - and providing us with one of the funniest mug shots you'll see this week - - - MORE at http://www.kctv5.com/2009/0408/19129373_240X180.jpg

And here's a picture worth...$125,000....

- - - In Boulder Creek, California , an unnamed 23-year-old took her boss' car for a spin (with his permission) - - - but unfortunately took a curve too fast - - - lost control - - - hit an embankment - - - and flipped the vehicle - - - causing an estimated $125,000 damage - - - after all, her boss' car was a Ferrari - - - you can see it HERE http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site571/2009/0405/20090405_105325_fearrari_GALLERY.jpg

TRIVIAL PURSUITS:   There were nine dogs aboard the Titanic when she sank.  

How many survived?    

Turns out only three survived:

  • Margaret Hay's Pomeranian (lifeboat #7),
  • Elizabeth Rothchild's pooch (lifeboat # 6) and
  • Henry Sleeper Harper's Pekinese, Sun Yat Sen (Lifeboat # 3)

The Top 10 Nerf Guns of All Time (according to Popular Mechanics) at http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4311795.html

TRIVIAL PURSUITS:   Which state of the United States of America borders the most other states?

Actually, this turns out to be a trick question.  There are two - Tennessee and Missouri - each of which has eight states bordering it (including each other):

The Volunteer State is bordered by eight states:

  • Kentucky
  • Arkansas,
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • North Carolina
  • Virginia

The Show-Me State is also bordered by eight states:

  • Iowa
  • Illinois
  • Kentucky
  • Tennessee
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Kansas
  • Nebraska
Administration April 9, 2009

CVC Capital Partners Wins Barclays iShares Bid

April 9, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - U.K. bank Barclays PLC agreed Thursday to sell its iShares exchange-traded funds business to European private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners.
Reported by

According to Reuters, the deal, which will reap £3 billion ($4.41 billion), brings in cash Barclays can use to increase its buffer against credit losses as the economy worsens. Barclays also has an option to receive 20% of the value of iShares in cash following a future increase in the value of the business.

To get the deal done, the bank agreed to lend CVC £2.1 billion (see Barclays Ready to Announce iShares Deal: WSJ ). Reuters noted that the sell represents a sacrifice for Barclays, underscoring the bank’s eagerness to raise cash and avoid seeking state aid as some of its rivals have done. The iShares unit, offering some 360 exchange-traded funds globally, contributed a significant chunk of the bank’s profits in 2008, the news report said.

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The sale caps several weeks of talks with a variety of interested buyers, with CVC coming into the game late (see CVC Capital Partners in Talks to Buy iShares Business ).

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