Double Amputee Afghan War Vet Inspired A Lot Of People At The Paralympics

Paralympics Discus Military

The emotion of the reception was inescapable. Derek Derenalagi, the British discus thrower whose legs were blown apart five years ago by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, drank in the moving warmth of the sustained applause as he entered the Olympic Stadium for Friday night’s competition.

Sadly for his own aspirations of a medal, he could finish only 11th from a impressively strong field. Derenalagi’s longest throw of 39.37 metres, yielding 771 points, was comfortably adrift of the benchmark set by Russia’s Alexey Asapatov, whose effort of 56.19m equated to 977 points.

The 37 year-old, born in Fiji, had been desperate to mount the podium but recognised that his mere appearance here verged on miraculous. In 2007, he had been lying dead on an operating table at Camp Bastion, before a member of medical staff detected a pulse.

In the five years that ensued he helped galvanise public support for those seriously wounded in the service of the country. He was pivotal, indeed, in the creation of Help for Heroes after the charity’s founders, Emma and Bryn Parry, visited him at Selly Oak Hospital and found themselves moved by his dignity in the face of extreme adversity.

“It was devastating for both of us to see somebody so injured when we visited him in hospital,” Emma Parry remembered. “But to see him five years later, having battled everything to get through to the Paralympics, is absolutely extraordinary.”

His resolve to reach the Paralympics was forged in the grimmest of those hospital days. Watching the Beijing Games from his bed, he decided that his ambition was to wear Britain’s colours at London 2012 and worked indefatigably at identifying his strongest sport, the discus. His specialist prostheses have been built to be especially resilient to withstand the force of his throwing action.

“It’s an honour to represent my country both on the front line and now at the Paralympics,” Derenalagi said. “Going into the stadium and performing in front of 80,000 people, I’m just humbled by the route that I’ve taken, not giving up and then taking up Paralympic sport.”

For Derenalagi, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, the recollection of the day he lost his legs is minutely detailed. He had been serving as a private in the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, subsequently renamed the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, on his second tour of Afghanistan. His legs were severed on the morning of July 19, 2007, when he asked his Land Rover to reverse so that he could have a clearer view of the helicopter landing site he was clearing.

He was checking, he claims, for evidence of a Taliban ambush. At that moment, by the most grisly coincidence, the vehicle’s right tire strayed on to a 44-gallon drum buried beneath the ground and loaded with hundreds of ball bearings and six-inch nails.

In the explosion that followed, Derenelagi was hurled 30 yards through the air, landing on rocks. His left leg was blown off above the knee and his right leg was left nothing but tissue and bone. Extraordinarily, he even remembers the words he summoned up during those terrible minutes. “I said, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, if you are willing to use my life to motivate and encourage others, then please give me life again’.” That mission, at least, had been accomplished on Friday night.

Now: This is what NOT to say to a Wounded Warrior >

Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/v0IcAmYOv1U/double-amputee-afghan-war-vet-blew-away-the-odds-at-the-paralympics-2012-9

military debt consolidation moorcroft debt recovery negotiating credit card debt non profit debt help

Stocks for the Long Run: Paychex vs. the S&P 500

Investing isn't easy. Even Warren Buffett counsels that most investors should invest in a low-cost index like the S&P 500. That way, "you'll be buying into a wonderful industry, which in effect is all of American industry," he says.

But there are, of course, companies whose long-term fortunes differ substantially from the index. In this series, we look at how individual stocks have performed against the broad S&P 500. 

Step on up, Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX  ) .

Paychex shares have simply crushed the S&P 500 over the past quarter-century:

Source: S&P Capital IQ.

Since 1987, shares have returned an average of 18.6% a year, compared with 9.7% a year for the S&P (both include dividends). That difference adds up fast. One thousand dollars invested in the S&P in 1987 would be worth $19,200 today. In Paychex, it'd be worth $236,780. 

Dividends accounted for a lot of those gains. Compounded since 1987, dividends have made up about half of Paychex's total returns. For the S&P, dividends account for 39% of total returns.

Now have a look at how Paychex earnings compare with S&P 500 earnings:

Source: S&P Capital IQ.

Again, huge outperformance. Since 1995, earnings per share have increased by an average of 17.3% per year, compared with 6% annual growth for the broader index.

What's that meant for valuations? Paychex has traded for an average of 49 times earnings since 1987 -- well above the 24 times earnings average of the S&P 500. It's far different today, however. Paychex currently trades for about 19 times earnings.

Through it all, shares have been strong performers over the last quarter-century.  

Of course, the important question is whether that will continue. That's where you come in. Our CAPS community currently ranks Paychex with a four-star rating (out of five). Do you disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, or add Paychex to My Watchlist.

The Steve Jobs Betrayal
You may already know that in the final year of his life, Jobs revealed a stunning betrayal ? and told his biographer, "I will spend my last dying breath... and every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank to right this wrong." What was it that made Jobs so irate ? and why could it make a few in-the-know investors some major profits over the coming months and years?

Enter your email address below to find out what made Jobs so enraged!

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin Wordpress | Android Forums | Wordpress Tutorials

Source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/09/01/stocks-for-the-long-run-paychex-vs-the-sp-500.aspx

debt settlement leads debt settlement software debt settlement solution debt settlement usa

Andy Roddick Is Rocking The Coolest Shoes At The U.S. Open

No matter how far Andy Roddick goes at the U.S. Open, at least he'll go out in style.

Right now all eyes are on the 30 year old as he makes his final run at Flushing Meadows; however, they should also be on his patriotic footwear. 

While on the blue and green Arthur Ashe Court it's tough to miss the American's contrasting red, white, and blue sneakers adorned with stars and stripes.  

The Babolat Propulse 3 isn't a new shoe. Roddick showed off his stars and stripes kicks at the London Olympics

If you haven't noticed the patriotic sneakers yet, take a look: 

andy roddick us open sneakers 

On Arthur Ashe Kids' Day:

andy roddick us open 2012 sneaker

Here's a closer look at them mid-air during the Olympics:

andy roddick u.s. open sneakers 

@USOpen passed around this photo on Twitter last night in support of Andy:

andy roddick us open sneakers

SEE ALSO: How Roger Federer single-handedly prevented Andy Roddick from becoming a tennis great >

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/yN_7mqNPOP8/andy-roddick-is-rocking-the-coolest-shoes-at-the-us-open-2012-8

debt help uk debt iva debt lawyer debt management group

With DipJar, the Humble Coffeehouse Tip Jar Goes High-Tech

--> We've all been there: You wait in a long line at a busy coffee shop, pay for your beverage with a credit card, and see the humble tip jar sitting on the counter. Without cash, there's no way to show your appreciation for that joltin' cup o' joe. That's where the DipJar comes in.

New York City techie Ryder Kessler came up with the idea for DipJar in 2008, after he noticed baristas going tipless even during extremely busy hours. After years of research and development, Ryder and his brother and co-founder, Judd Kessler, released the first functional DipJars this summer at a few coffee shops around New York City.

"Everyone was paying with credit or debit, so the tips had plummeted," Ryder told the New York Post. "Baristas take really great care of me, and I didn't like that they were working just as hard and making less money."

Here's how DipJar works:

A store or restaurant places the DipJar on the counter, just like a regular tip jar. A customer can then dip his or her credit or debit card into the slot, and for each dip it deposits an amount set by the establishment into the jar. The device displays the tip amount and emits a friendly chime to let you know that the Dip went through. The machine keeps track of who's behind the counter on a given shift and divvys up the tips accordingly.

According to the Post, initial reaction has been mixed. Some customers have complained that the confirmation chime wasn't loud enough, so they weren't sure if the tips went through. And workers aren't seeing big benefits. "I get a check for, like, six dollars every two weeks," one barista said. "Either people aren't using it or DipJar is stealing our kit. I think people just don't notice it."

For this test run, Kessler told USA Today, DipJar isn't taking anything out of employees' tips and is covering the cost of credit-card fees. But eventually, the service will start taking a cut of the tips as a processing fee, with employees receiving at least 80 cents per dollar. In the future, Kessler hopes to have enough bargaining power to lower the credit card fees, and let employees keep 90% of the tips.

DipJar also addressed employee fears that people will tip less with an electronic tip jar. "Our research suggests that people who pay with cash tip with cash, while people who pay with plastic don't tip at all," according to the website's FAQ page. "We want to capture all the tips those people would be leaving if there were an easy way to tip electronically."

While DipJar only accepts credit and debit cards now, the Kesslers are working to equip the product to accept all forms of electronic payment. If the devices take off, a cashless wallet will no longer be an excuse for not leaving a tip.



Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin Wordpress | Android Forums | Wordpress Tutorials

Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/01/dipjar-credit-card-tip-jar/

bad debt collection bad debt mortgage bad debt write off bankruptcy debt relief

Stocks for the Long Run: Paychex vs. the S&P 500

Investing isn't easy. Even Warren Buffett counsels that most investors should invest in a low-cost index like the S&P 500. That way, "you'll be buying into a wonderful industry, which in effect is all of American industry," he says.

But there are, of course, companies whose long-term fortunes differ substantially from the index. In this series, we look at how individual stocks have performed against the broad S&P 500. 

Step on up, Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX  ) .

Paychex shares have simply crushed the S&P 500 over the past quarter-century:

Source: S&P Capital IQ.

Since 1987, shares have returned an average of 18.6% a year, compared with 9.7% a year for the S&P (both include dividends). That difference adds up fast. One thousand dollars invested in the S&P in 1987 would be worth $19,200 today. In Paychex, it'd be worth $236,780. 

Dividends accounted for a lot of those gains. Compounded since 1987, dividends have made up about half of Paychex's total returns. For the S&P, dividends account for 39% of total returns.

Now have a look at how Paychex earnings compare with S&P 500 earnings:

Source: S&P Capital IQ.

Again, huge outperformance. Since 1995, earnings per share have increased by an average of 17.3% per year, compared with 6% annual growth for the broader index.

What's that meant for valuations? Paychex has traded for an average of 49 times earnings since 1987 -- well above the 24 times earnings average of the S&P 500. It's far different today, however. Paychex currently trades for about 19 times earnings.

Through it all, shares have been strong performers over the last quarter-century.  

Of course, the important question is whether that will continue. That's where you come in. Our CAPS community currently ranks Paychex with a four-star rating (out of five). Do you disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, or add Paychex to My Watchlist.

The Steve Jobs Betrayal
You may already know that in the final year of his life, Jobs revealed a stunning betrayal ? and told his biographer, "I will spend my last dying breath... and every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank to right this wrong." What was it that made Jobs so irate ? and why could it make a few in-the-know investors some major profits over the coming months and years?

Enter your email address below to find out what made Jobs so enraged!

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin Wordpress | Android Forums | Wordpress Tutorials

Source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/09/01/stocks-for-the-long-run-paychex-vs-the-sp-500.aspx

debt negotiation companies debt payment calculator debt planner debt ratio calculator

Microsoft Updates Service Agreement To Make It Easier To Read The New Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clause

8-31-2012 11-37-56 AMWhile we appreciate that Microsoft has made its online services agreement much easier to read, the update comes with a questionable addition: a shiny new mandatory binding arbitration clause with class action waiver. The clause states that you agree to settle any legal disputes (except intellectual property rights disputes) in either the small claims court [...]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/08/microsoft-updates-service-agreement-to-make-it-easier-to-read-the-new-mandatory-binding-arbitration-clause.html

business debt relief business debt settlement capquest debt recovery christian debt relief

Flash Flood Warnings Hit The South As Isaac Dies Down

Tropical Storm Isaac Hurricane Isaac Submerged Houses Flooding Flood Flash Flood

Tropical depression Isaac is now pouring down over the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, with threats of flash floods popping up in the region.

The National Hurricane Center has issued watches and warnings for parts of the Lousiana and Mississippi coastlines as the storm loses strength but continues to drench communities in the South.

Below, the full release

 

TROPICAL DEPRESSION ISAAC BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING TO THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY... SUMMARY OF 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...38.5N 93.0W ABOUT 43 MILES...80 KM...WSW OF COLUMBIA MISSOURI. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...25 MPH...40 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NE OR 52 DEGREES AT 3 MPH...5 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1004 MB...29.65 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. COASTAL FLOOD WARNINGS AND FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI COASTLINES. FOR INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF ISAAC WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 38.5 NORTH...AND LONGITUDE 93.0 WEST. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD ON SATURDAY EXITING THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND CONTINUING INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 25 MPH...40 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1004 MB...29.65 INCHES. HAZARDS ------- RAINFALL...STORM TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 8 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY EASTWARD INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY THROUGH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY...HEAVY RAINS WILL REACH THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. WHILE THE ONGOING DROUGHT WILL TEND TO KEEP THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING DOWN INITIALLY...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE SAME AREAS WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASING FLASH FLOOD THREAT OVER TIME. RAINFALL TOTALS --------------- SELECTED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES THROUGH 7 PM CDT ...ALABAMA... WILMER 5 WNW 17.63 DEES 3 N 14.53 GRAND BAY 0.6 NW 11.07 MOBILE/BATES FIELD 9.85 GRAND BAY 6.52 FAIRHOPE 2.3 N 6.42 DAPHNE 1.8 ESE 5.87 THEODORE 8.0 SSE 5.12 POINT CLEAR 1.6 SSW 5.04 DAWES 4.73 SILVERHILL 0.9 SSE 4.34 ...ARKANSAS... PINE BLUFF 8.50 KINGSLAND 6.95 STUTTGART MUNI ARPT 6.32 FORDYCE 6.10 ARKANSAS CITY CANAL 81 5.72 CONNERLY BAYOU 5.70 HARDON LOCK & DAM 5.53 STAR CITY 5.39 EGYPT 5.25 STEPROCK 5.15 MONTICELLO 1.6 WNW 5.09 WHITE HALL 4 NNW 5.08 LITTLE ROCK 2.2 N 3.13 ...FLORIDA... VERO BEACH 5.2 S 16.60 ROYAL PALM BEACH 5.0 W 16.29 BOYNTON BEACH 1.9 NNW 14.41 GREENACRES 13.10 PORT ST LUCIE 1.5 NE 13.04 WELLINGTON 12.55 ABERDEEN 4.2 NNW 12.41 THE ACREAGE 12.29 LOXAHATCHEE WILDLIFE REFUGE 12.24 PALM CITY 4.0 SW 11.69 WEST PALM BEACH INTL ARPT 8.64 MIAMI/OPA LOCKA 6.64 ...GEORGIA... GUYTON 1.9 S 5.60 BROOKLET 13.1 SE 4.60 RINCON 1.2 NNW 4.03 MONROE 5.6 NNE 3.11 JESUP 7.1 N 3.04 AUGUSTA/BUSH FIELD 2.53 ALMA/BACON CO. ARPT 2.49 SAVANNAH MUNI ARPT 2.47 FORT STEWART/WRIGHT AAF 2.06 AUGUSTA/DANIEL FIELD 1.95 MOODY AFB/VALDOSTA 1.50 ...ILLINOIS... GREENVILLE 5.63 HARDIN 2.53 JACKSONVILLE 2.47 CAHOKIA/ST LOUIS 2.25 CENTRALIA MUNI ARPT 2.17 MONTGOMERY 2.07 PITTSFIELD 2.06 CARBONDALE/MURPHYSBORO 2.02 SPRINGFIELD/CAPITAL ARPT 1.49 SCOTT AFB/BELLEVILLE 1.08 ...KANSAS... OLATHE/JOHNSON CO INDUSTRIAL ARPT 2.16 LAWRENCE MUNI ARPT 0.57 ...LOUISIANA... NEW ORLEANS 20.08 BAPTIST 13.94 RESERVE 0.5 SSE 13.46 HOLDEN 13.28 LIVINGSTON 13.16 ABITA SPRINGS 1.9 NE 12.36 PORT VINCENT 12.20 HAMMOND 2.3 WSW 11.93 TERRYTOWN 3.3 S 10.56 SLIDELL 10.40 ...MISSOURI... KANSAS CITY MUNI ARPT 2.89 MT LEONARD 2.84 WEST PLAINS 2.29 INDEPENDENCE 2.25 LESTERVILLE 2.21 LEES SUMMIT MUNI ARPT 2.19 HAZELGREEN 2.14 ST CHARLES 2.13 WHITEMAN AFB/SEDALIA 2.11 LITTON AGRI-SCI CNTR 1.99 AVA 0.8 NNW 1.92 COLUMBIA RGNL ARPT 1.76 JOPLIN RGNL ARPT 1.61 ST LOUIS/LAMBERT INTL ARPT 1.40 ...MISSISSIPPI... KILN 3.3 N 17.04 COLUMBIA 3 W 15.68 HATTIESBURG 5 SW 13.45 PURVIS 2 N 13.36 SAUCIER 1.7 NNE 12.78 PICAYUNE 5.6 ENE 12.17 DIAMONDHEAD 1.5 NE 12.04 LONG BEACH 0.7 S 11.95 PASCAGOULA 3 NE 11.50 SUMRALL 11.29 MONTICELLO 11.00 KEESLER AFB/BILOXI 10.17 JACKSON 4.76 ...NORTH CAROLINA... WILMINGTON/NEW HANOVER CO. ARPT 4.07 JACKSONVILLE/ELLIS AIRPORT 1.50 ...SOUTH CAROLINA... MOUNT PLEASANT 5.5 NNE 9.08 PAWLEYS ISLAND 5.6 NNE 8.36 CHARLESTON 2.8 NE 7.36 JOHNS ISLAND 9.0 SE 6.44 MEGGETT 1.8 W 4.85 BEAUFORT MCAS 3.59 ROCK HILL-YORK CO. ARPT 2.89 DARLINGTON 1.75

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/OZ2hnzmX_1Y/flash-flood-warnings-hit-the-south-as-isaac-dies-down-2012-9

debt settlement agency debt settlement leads debt settlement software debt settlement solution

Some Dinosaurs Used The Same Hunting Techniques As Modern House Cats

dinosaur

A new study suggests that some predatory dinosaurs used ambush hunting techniques similar to modern cats, Jonathan Ball of BBC reports. 

The research, published in PLoS One, studied the fossil remains of two Sinocalliopteryx dinosaurs, eight-foot-long creatures that walked on powerful hind legs, and found the ground dwellers had been feasting on primitive birds and flying dinosaurs when they died.

Dr. Bell said the dinosaurs were wily hunters and that cats are a good comparison because they are "incredibly stealthy, stalking their prey before pouncing."

The Canadian-Chinese team found a Sinornithosaurus, a feathered flying dinosaur measuring about 3 feet 4 inches, inside the stomach of one of the fossils from northeast China and preserved remains of two primitive crow-sized birds in the other.

"I can imagine a Sinocalliopteryx stalking a bird through the underbrush waiting for the right moment to leap into the air and catching a bird mid-flight," researcher Dr. Phil Bell told BBC.

The view has not gained universal approval, however, as Dr. Jakob Vinther of the University of Bristol told BBC that the "only way to strongly argue for this hypothesis would be to have more evidence."

Ball notes that fossils provide one of the few tangible links back to the Cretaceous and Jurassic eras—when dinosaurs ruled the earth—as they represent a petrified and rudimentary snapshot of prehistoric life.

"It's so rare to get a glimpse into how dinosaurs – animals that have been extinct for millions of years – behaved," Dr. Bell said. "We now know more about the diet of this species than any other dinosaur." 

SEE ALSO: Modern Birds Are Essentially Living Baby Dinosaurs >

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/Hf42IQKgXlk/some-dinosaurs-used-ambush-hunting-techniques-similar-to-modern-cats-2012-8

debt resolve debt settlement advice debt settlement agency debt settlement leads

Learn The Value Of Canny House loan Research

There is certainly zero hesitation produce that propane is a wonderful long-term expense. We have actually peaked within our power to increase creation meaningfully, just as we now have with gentle essential oil. I do think in order for there to become an increase in long-term propane supply, you have to supply incentive to producers [...]

The post Learn The Value Of Canny House loan Research appeared first on legal debt help online.

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/06/27/learn-the-value-of-canny-house-loan-research/

debt management group debt management software debt management uk debt managers ltd