To find yourself, think for yourself

                                                    - Socrates -

Hubby and I are going to have chinese this Friday at our favorite Chinese restaurant and we are anxiously awaiting our fortune cookies. We went through some old slips from last year (from that same restaurant) and the numbers have recently fallen in NC and SC, as well. We expect that one of these will have a powerball winner for us........

 

Monday 2-23-09

062, 137, 654, 353, 056, 542, 610, 643, 123, 467

798, 474, 513, 802, 761, 324, 201, 837, 937, 537

209, 301, 302, 401, 336, 008, 215, 737, 111, 999

Being out of step with the majority can be tiring, but sometimes it's necessary. 
                                                                                - Shale Paul in The Warrior Within -

Sunday 2-22-09

511, 537, 237, 937, 214, 411, 611, 521, 501

437, 637, 547, 527, 536, 538, 314, 224, 204

215, 213, 155, 966, 066, 111, 333, 777, 888

:l Helios Day l: Midday 2-22-09 Evening

** until 2-26-09 **

013, 014, 015, 023, 024, 049, 058, 059, 067, 068, 069, 078, 123, 139, 148, 149, 157, 158, 159, 167, 168, 238, 239, 247, 248, 249, 256, 257, 258, 267, 348, 589, 679, 689, 789, 004, 005, 006, 112, 113, 114, 022, 122, 229, 033, 338, 339, 166, 266, 077, 177, 778, 779, 688, 788, 499, 599, 699, 222, 888

Batman Breaks $1 Billion At Box Office

By Access Hollywood 13 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- "The Dark Knight" has become the fourth film ever to reach $1 billion in worldwide box office receipts, joining "Titanic," "Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in the exclusive club.

Profits, like sausages... are esteemed most by those who know least about what goes into them.

- Alvin Toffler -

8-year mystery of Chandra Levy's slaying may end

WASHINGTON – A Salvadoran immigrant convicted of attacking two women in the park where Chandra Levy's remains were found was expected to be arrested in the next few days in the former intern's slaying, a person close to the investigation said.

An arrest would cap a revived investigation into the 2001 killing that had gone cold for years after destroying the career of former U.S. Rep. Gary Condit of California.

Investigators in 2002 questioned Ingmar Guandique, now 27, in the slaying after he was convicted of attacking two women joggers in Washington's Rock Creek Park. They didn't charge him, but statements he made to people while in prison helped lead investigators back to him, said the person, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday.

A law enforcement official who has spoken to investigators said the break came in part from DNA evidence that was either retested or collected, and it was connected to Guandique. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Levy investigation is ongoing.

Local prosecutors have convened a grand jury in the District of Columbia, and an arrest warrant is expected within the next few days, the officials said. Levy's father, Robert Levy, said Washington, D.C., Police Chief Cathy Lanier called his home late Friday and said the same thing.

Chandra Levy was 24 and had just completed an internship with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons when she disappeared in May 2001 after leaving her Washington, D.C., apartment. The Modesto, Calif., woman was wearing jogging clothes when she vanished, and a man walking his dog found her skull and bones in the park a year later.

Authorities questioned Condit, her congressman, in the disappearance, but he was never a suspect in her death. Condit, a popular Democrat for a dozen years in his district, was reportedly having an affair with Levy, and the negative publicity from the case was cited as the main reason for his overwhelming primary loss in 2002.

Guandique was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attacking two women in the park. The federal Bureau of Prisons lists an inmate in California with the same sentence and age, but with the spelling Guandigue instead of Guandique. A message seeking comment was not returned.

One of his victims in the park attacks, Halle Shilling, told The Washington Post that new prosecutors and detectives apologized to her because prior investigators had never interviewed her in the Levy case.

"They said they were so sorry it took so long to talk to me," Shilling said. "They really want to get to the bottom of this, and they are not going to sleep well until they get a conviction."

Robert Levy said he and his wife, Susan, were not told who would be arrested, "but we all know who it is." He would not elaborate but said they would favor a life sentence for the killer.

"If someone is executed, they really don't suffer too much," he said from his home in Modesto.

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Condit, said the revelations clear the former congressman.

Condit did not return several messages left by The Associated Press but said in a statement to WJLA-TV in Washington that he is glad the Levy family is finally getting answers.

"I had always hoped to have the opportunity to tell my side of this story, but too many were not prepared to listen. Now I plan to do so, but I will have no further comments on this story at this time," he said in the statement, posted on the station's Web site.

After Condit lost, he sued several media outlets that had connected him to Levy's disappearance and death. He reached an undisclosed settlement with three tabloid newspapers.

Lanier, the D.C. police chief, said Saturday that she could not comment out of respect for the Levy family and the investigators and prosecutors who have worked on the case.

"The cash is mine in '09"

- Nayya Bey -

Midday 2-21-09  Evening

For 5 Draws

** Straight **

Full List

013 015 016 023 025 026 031 032 034 035 036 037 039 043 045 046 051 052 053 054 056 057 059 073 075 076 083 085 086 093 095 096 103 105 106 123 125 126 130 132 134 135 136 137 139 143 145 146 150 152 153 154 156 157 159 173 175 176 183 185 186 193 195 196 203 205 206 213 215 216 230 231 234 235 236 237 239 243 245 246 250 251 253 254 256 257 259 273 275 276 283 285 286 293 295 296 301 302 304 305 306 307 309 310 312 314 315 316 317 319 320 321 324 325 326 327 329 340 341 342 345 346 347 349 350 351 352 354 356 357 359 370 371 372 374 375 376 379 380 381 382 384 385 386 387 389 390 391 392 394 395 396 397 403 405 406 413 415 416 423 425 426 430 431 432 435 436 437 439 450 451 452 453 456 457 459 473 475 476 483 485 486 493 495 496 601 602 603 604 605 607 609 610 612 613 614 615 617 619 620 621 623 624 625 627 629 630 631 632 634 635 637 639 640 641 642 643 645 647 649 650 651 652 653 654 657 659 670 671 672 673 674 675 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 687 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 697 703 705 706 713 715 716 723 725 726 730 731 732 734 735 736 739 743 745 746 750 751 752 753 754 756 759 783 785 786 793 795 796 803 805 806 813 815 816 823 825 826 830 831 832 834 835 836 837 839 843 845 846 850 851 852 853 854 856 857 859 873 875 876 893 895 896 903 905 906 913 915 916 923 925 926 930 931 932 934 935 936 937 943 945 946 950 951 952 953 954 956 957 973 975 976 983 985 986 003 005 006 030 033 050 055 113 115 116 131 133 151 155 223 225 226 232 233 252 255 300 303 311 313 322 323 330 331 332 334 335 336 337 339 343 344 353 355 373 377 383 393 399 433 434 443 445 446 454 455 600 606 611 616 622 626 633 636 644 646 655 656 676 677 686 696 699 733 737 755 757 773 775 776 833 855 883 885 886 933 939 955 959 993 995 996 333

or

Filtered List

023  032  203  230  302  320  034  043  304  340  403  430  039  093  309  390  903  930  123  132  213  231  312  321  234  243  324  342  423  432  237  273  327  372  723  732  239  293  329  392  923  932  347  374  437  473  734  743  349  394  439  493  934  943  015  051  105  150  016  106  601  610  025  052  205  250  036  306  603  630  045  054  405  450  057  075  705  750  059  095  905  950  096  609  690  906  126  216  612  621  135  153  315  351  159  195  915  951  176  617  671  716  183  381  813  831  196  619  691  916  246  426  624  642  257  275  725  752  259  295  925  952  276  627  672  726  345  354  435  453  357  375  735  753  376  637  673  736  384  483  834  843  387  783  837  873  396  639  693  936  457  475  745  754  459  495  945  954  759  795  957  975  086  680  806  156  615  651  185  815  851  186  681  816  285  825  852  286  682  826  356  635  653  385  835  853  456  645  654  486  684  846  657  675  756  687  786  876  689  896  986  003  030  300  033  303  330  113  131  311  133  313  331  223  232  322  339  393  933  399  939  993  005  050  006  600  115  151  225  252  336  633  383  833  446  644  699  996  959  995  255  455  606  626  636  646  655  696  855  885  333 

Friday 2-20-09

574, 576, 579, 596, 526, 220, 063, 067, 489

398, 895, 479, 499, 488, 480, 954, 945, 270

702, 186, 632, 302, 301, 779, 502, 257, 532

521, 925, 790, 178, 129, 170, 106, 401, 801

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

- Jack London -

Disgraced banker found, served court papers

WASHINGTON - FBI agents on Thursday located disgraced billionaire banker R. Allen Stanford in Virginia, and served him with civil legal papers filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

FBI spokesman Richard Kolko says FBI agents, acting at the request of the SEC, served Stanford papers Thursday in Fredericksburg, Va.

Stanford is not under arrest and is not in custody.

The SEC charged Stanford and three of his companies on Tuesday with committing an $8 billion fraud that lured investors with promises of improbable and unsubstantiated high returns on certificates of deposit and other investments.

He has not been charged with any crime.

Federal law enforcement officials raided Stanford's Houston offices Tuesday, seizing assets and shutting down operations. 

Over the years, Stanford's pitch to investors was equal parts glamour and flattery.

By serving a select and wealthy clientele, employing top-flight talent and being "a privately held institution free to focus on our No. 1 priority, which is our clients," Stanford was able to earn "premium returns," his bank documents claimed.

But those profits may never have existed. Despite claiming to have made double-digit returns between 1993 and 2005, the company's annual returns hadn't reached 10 percent since 1994, according to court papers.

Runs on banks in Venezuela, Antigua
Worries about the implications of the seizure caused panicked depositors to swarm Stanford-controlled banks in Antigua and Venezuela on Wednesday. Thursday, a run on deposits in Stanford Bank SA in Venezuela forced the government to intervene to back deposits.

Venezuela's finance minister Ali Rodriguez said the Venezuela-based bank will immediately be put up for sale and there is interest in acquiring it. Details of a potential sale were unclear.

This is not the first time Stanford has attracted attention from the authorities. The jet-setting financier, who hobnobbed with lawmakers and had been knighted in the island nation of Antigua, had been under investigation by federal authorities for years, according to people familiar with the investigations and published reports. These people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

Stanford lied about his bank and its history — not just its finances — to gain investors' trust, public records show. Company documents referred to a 70-year tradition of client relationships. Yet there is no record of his bank having existed before the 1980s.

And while he told clients their money was guarded by a team of "20-plus analysts," court papers said he and James Davis, a college roommate, were the only ones familiar with the investment strategy.

The bank had been misrepresenting its performance since at least 2004, according to court papers.

The claims of inflated returns allowed the bank to plow more money into other parts of Stanford Financial Group, paying "disproportionately large commissions" to its affiliate Stanford Group Company, the documents say.

Even in 2008, a year when many stock market indexes lost around 40 percent, the company claimed losses of only 1.3 percent.

That's when Stanford's lies seem to have caught up with him — thanks in part to news about an alleged $50 billion pyramid scheme by New York financier Bernard Madoff.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation of Stanford had been in the works before Madoff gave himself up in December, said a U.S. official with knowledge of the probe who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to provide information about it.

 

But the agency stepped up enforcement efforts after embarrassing revelations that the SEC had cleared Madoff despite specific tips and multiple investigations, current and former SEC employees said. They said regional offices appeared to be fast-tracking the Stanford case and others with the potential to give the agency another black eye.

One former employee said enforcement officials had told him they were trying to recover from the negative publicity surrounding the Madoff case. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to preserve their relationships with the agency.

 

Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday he could not rule out more Stanford-sized or Madoff-sized fraud scandals.

"It's hard to say. I'd like to think that those things are going to be the largest," Holder told reporters in Washington. "The department will be vigilant in the detection of that kind of fraud. That's especially true given the magnitude of the stimulus effort and the recovery effort. We want to make sure the money gets into the right hands for the right reasons."

Stanford's companies also had been under investigation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulatory body. FINRA spokeswoman Nancy Condon said the two investigations were operating in parallel "and at some point, both of us became aware of each other."

With SEC investigators and Florida regulators closing in, Stanford desperately sought to reassure employees, investors and the press that nothing was wrong. He told clients these were "routine examinations," court records show.

A Feb. 12 company e-mail told workers that "former disgruntled employees" had made complaints that could complicate an "otherwise routine examination."

And a Stanford spokesman denied there was anything unusual about a January visit to Stanford's Miami offices, telling The Associated Press, "We were informed by the three agencies that this was a routine examination."

But when one client tried to cash out a multimillion dollar deposit on Feb. 9, the bank told him the SEC had frozen the account.

Another client was told that Stanford personally had ordered a two-month moratorium on payouts, court records show.

Even after Tuesday's raid made international headlines and provoked bank runs in Antigua, some investors were still looking for answers.

At the Stanford Fiduciary Investor Services' office in a downtown Miami high-rise late Wednesday afternoon, a 64-year-old retired investor arrived in a motorcycle jacket and helmet.

The man said he had been told his account, totaling over $1 million, was being transferred to another bank. He spoke on condition of anonymity to maintain the privacy of his investments.

He said he had called for more information Wednesday, but there was no one there to pick up.

Meanwhile, Thursday's move in Venezuela followed similar action from authorities around the region. Panama regulators have taken over a Stanford affiliate there and a local arm of Stanford Financial Group halted its activities on the stock exchange in Colombia. Ecuador stopped a brokerage linked to the group from operating.

 

In Venezuela in recent days, hundreds of people lined up at the international group’s local offices hoping to recover their money. While lines at the local retail bank were much shorter, enough depositors had sought to withdraw their cash to prompt the government action.

Early on Thursday, there were no lines at one of the retail bank’s main branches in Caracas.

Many Venezuelans remember a 1994-1995 crisis that cost the country $11 billion, as half the country’s banks fell.