Coming Soon – VideoBlogMe.com!
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on September 16th, 2009 | 2 comments
READ MORE
READ MORE
Processing your request, Please wait....
Gold Coast B2B Site Maintenance
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on December 4th, 2009 | 0 comments
Dear B2Bers,
Please be advised that GoldCoastB2B.com will be offline this evening at approximately 9pm until tomorrow morning at approximately 10am. We will be performing security updates, user capabilities, and highly anticipated design upgrades. Please check back regularly for more updates on our scheduled downtime.
Thank you,
Gold Coast B2B Staff
NFL Week 12 Summary
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on December 1st, 2009 | 1 comment
(AP) — The Indianapolis Colts spotted Houston an early 17-0 lead before a patented Peyton Manning fourth-quarter rally to stay one of the NFL’s two unbeaten teams after 12 weeks of the season.
Manning tossed three TDs and the Colts rallied for a 35-27 win, their 20th straight regular-season victory.
Indianapolis is 11-0, one win shy of the New England Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game run from 2006-08. The Colts can tie the record if they beat Tennessee at home next weekend.
The Colts are 15-1 lifetime against Houston, which fell to 5-6 and likely out of the playoff picture.
Manning threw two first-half interceptions, but had a pair of second-half TD passes, including a 4-yarder to Dallas Clark that gave the Colts a 21-20 lead with about nine minutes left. Clint Session stretched the lead to 28-20 when he returned an interception by Matt Schaub 26 yards for a touchdown seconds later. Schaub fumbled on Houston’s next possession and Chad Simpson’s touchdown run put the game out of reach.
The Colts are the first team to clinch a playoff berth, winning the AFC South title when Jacksonville lost to San Francisco.
The NFL’s other undefeated team is New Orleans, which hosts New England Monday night.
2009 American Music Awards Recap
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on November 24th, 2009 | 1 comment
If you missed Sunday’s 2009 American Music Awards,
these five moments will bring you up to speed on the night’s highlights.
Adam Lambert shocks fans. “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert gave the final performance of the night, and earned a prominent place in Monday morning water-cooler conversation everywhere. Blame it on his sex-infused rendition of “For Your Entertainment,” which included leashes, crotch nestling, humping and an on-stage makeouot session. Some call it artistry, others say Lambert let an obsession with shock value supersede real talent.
Jennifer Lopez falls on stage. After tons of advance hype, J-Lo’s performance of “Louboutins” fell flat — and so did the singer. She took a tumble mid-song. In her defense, the song wasn’t completely awful, but its advance hype gave viewers high expectations. Most of us were a little underwhelmed.
Lady Gaga delivers. The singer offered another awesomely divisive performance, singing “Bad Romance” and “Speechless.” For the second song, she sat at a fiery piano after breaking a giant mirror. In true Gaga fashion, a mask was involved. Pants weren’t.
Whitney Houston comes back. Chances are, most at-home viewers mumbled an astounded “she actually looks and sounds good” during Whitney Houston’s performance of “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” Houston, who won an international artist of the year award, looked happy and healthy for the first time in a long time.
Taylor Swift dominates. Oh yeah, they gave out awards Sunday night, too. Taylor Swift won artist of the year, beating Michael Jackson for the title. Swift won in five of the six categories in which she was nominated at this year’s AMAs. Jackson posthumously won four AMAs this year. He now has a total of 23 AMAs, a record.
Existing-home sales surge 10.1% in October
Posted by Mr Smart on November 23rd, 2009 | 1 comment
Home sales far exceeded expectations last month, surging to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit.
The National Association of Realtors said Monday that home resales rose 10.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.1 million in October, from a downwardly revised pace of 5.54 million in September.
The tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time owners was originally set to run out on Nov. 30, but Congress renewed it earlier this month and broadened its reach. People who have owned their current homes for at least five years can now claim a tax credit of up to $6,500 for a home purchase. To qualify, buyers must sign a purchase agreement by April 30.
The Realtors report on October home sales reflect offers made before buyers knew the tax credit would be extended. “There was a lot of rush and hurry to complete sales” before the deadline, said Lawrence Yun, the trade group’s chief economist.
But sales are likely to drop over the winter as buyers hibernate for a few months without the looming tax credit deadline.
The new deadline means that “we’re going to see some good activity coming out of the spring,” said Pat Lashinsky, chief executive of online real estate brokerage ZipRealty Inc.
NJ Real Estate Update
Posted by Mr Smart on November 19th, 2009 | 0 comments
From the Star Ledger:
Economic Indicators point to an uneven housing recovery
As the New Jersey real estate market tries to get its footing back, more evidence was released this week showing the terrain is uneven.
New home building in the Northeast hit the skids last month, but at the same time fewer New Jersey homeowners received foreclosure notices, according to the latest state and federal statistics.
Construction of new homes in the region fell 18.8 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 56,000 from 69,000 in September — the biggest percentage drop in the country, according to the Commerce Department. That included a nearly 10 percent decline in single-family homes.
Meanwhile, for the first time this year, the number of residential foreclosure filings was actually lower than the same period in 2008, according to the state judiciary.
Lenders started 4,991 foreclosure proceedings against New Jersey homeowners in October, down from 5,262 during the same month last year.
The state is retreating from a foreclosure filings high in June, when 6,138 foreclosure notices were recorded.
…
More than 2,600 New Jerseyans have received counseling through the state’s Foreclosure Mediation Program, Gov. Jon Corzine said earlier this fall. About 1,450 cases have been completed, and roughly half of the homeowners were able to stay in their homes.
…
In New Jersey, foreclosure filings from September to October in Cumberland and Warren counties increased by the widest margins — 8.75 percent and 11.29 percent, respectively, while filings in Hunterdon and Passaic counties decreased the most — 32.1 percent and 27.5 percent, respectively.
…
Unemployment is the main reason homeowners are falling behind, said Joseph Seneca, a professor of economics at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. While the economy is likely out of recession, the state’s unemployment rate is now only starting to retreat from a record 26-year-high of 9.8 percent. The state’s jobless rate for October was 9.7 percent.“Looking forward, it’s hard to pull the trigger on any big purchases, such as homes,” Seneca said of the housing climate in the state.
Slower sales, Falling prices, More foreclosures
Posted by Mr Smart on November 18th, 2009 | 0 comments
The housing market dropped off a cliff in October, as the original Nov. 30th expiration date for the first-time home buyers tax credit approached, according to the Housing Market Monitor of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Add to that the 6.25% 60-day delinquency rate in the third quarter — 58% above the level of one year ago — and you’ve got a recipe for housing disaster: more foreclosures, slower sales and ultimately a greater decline in house prices.
“With unemployment virtually certain to remain high well into next year, there is little prospect for any sizable drop in foreclosures,” Dean Baker wrote in the Nov. 18 issue of the Housing Market Monitor. “As a result, foreclosures will be putting homes on the market at an annual rate of close to 2 million. This is guaranteed to depress prices in a market with total demand of close to 5 million. In short, house prices will almost certainly resume their decline. The only questions are how soon and how fast.”
Beware of foreclosure scams
Posted by Mr Smart on November 14th, 2009 | 0 comments
Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams – Help Is Free!
- Beware of anyone who asks you to pay a fee in exchange for a counseling service or modification of a delinquent loan.
- Scam artists often target homeowners who are struggling to meet their mortgage commitment or anxious to sell their homes. Recognize and avoid common scams.
- Assistance from a HUD-approved housing counselor is FREE.
- Beware of people who pressure you to sign papers immediately, or who try to convince you that they can “save” your home if you sign or transfer over the deed to your house.
- Do not sign over the deed to your property to any organization or individual unless you are working directly with your mortgage company to forgive your debt.
- Never make a mortgage payment to anyone other than your mortgage company without their approval.
New Jersey soldier injured in Fort Hood shooting
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on November 8th, 2009 | 0 comments
(11/06/09) BRANCHBURG – A Bridgewater resident has been identified as one of the soldiers injured in Thursday’s deadly shooting at Fort Hood.
The soldier from Bridgewater who was one of 30 wounded Thursday in the massacre at Fort Hood, Texas is walking with the aid of crutches and was expected to be released from a Texas hospital yesterday after undergoing surgery to remove a bullet from his thigh, according to family friends.
Alan Carroll, 20, an Army soldier who was also shot in the bicep, tricep and side during the rampage that killed 13 people is making a steady recovery and is also starting to walk, North Branch Fire Chief Michael Russoniello said.
“He’s up on crutches. He doesn’t waste any time,” Russoniello said about Carroll’s recovery. “He’s doing really good.”
Carroll, a volunteer with the North Branch fire company and a 2007 graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan High School, was expected to begin physical rehabilitation in Texas before coming back to New Jersey in December, he said. “He’s in good spirits. He’s looking forward to going back home,” North Branch Fire Company Deputy Chief David Hickson said.
Russoniello and Hickson spoke to Carroll and family members by phone yesterday afternoon. Carroll was in a room where hundreds of unarmed soldiers were lined up for vaccines and eye tests when a gunman opened fire. The gunman shot and killed 13 people and wounded 30 before a Fort Hood civilian police officer shot him four times, stopping the melee.
Staying healthy during flu & cold season
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on November 8th, 2009 | 2 comments
As the weather becomes colder and we stay indoors more, people often catch colds or other viruses. The cold and flu season can begin as early as October and usually ends sometime in April. While there is no way to cure the common cold or the flu, healthy eating during cold and flu season can help you avoid getting sick. Researchers are finding positive links between immune function and components in food. If you or your kids seem to get one cold after another, you’ll want to make sure they eat plenty of immune-building foods. Garlic may boost your immune system, increasing resistance to infection and stress. To get the immune power from garlic, crush the cloves with the flat side of a knife before adding them to your food. This releases the garlic juice, which has great immune properties.
Cheese and other dairy products contain conjugated linoleic acid, a natural component of dairy fat which has boosted immune response in animal studies.
Yogurt and other cultured milk products contain probiotics, beneficial bacterial with immune-boosting benefits. Look for the “live active culture” seal, which indicates that probiotics have been added. Also check milk product labels for vitamin D. Early research suggests low levels of vitamin D may be linked to a seasonal increase in colds and flu and a higher incidence of respiratory infections.
Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and juices, may also help the body’s immune system. Zinc, found in meat, chicken, peanuts and peanut butter, plays an important role in the proper functioning of the immune system in the body.
Fresh ginger root can help you when you are sick by inducing sweating and decreasing nausea and diarrhea. Make ginger tea by grating one ounce of fresh ginger in a pint of water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste. Chicken soup and warm beverages increase the flow of nasal secretions, helping alleviate cold symptoms. Of course, the taste and wonderful aroma of chicken soup may be an important part of the beneficial effects.
Healthy eating during cold and flu season means getting the daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals by eating a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from all food groups.
New York Yankees on the Canyon of Heroes!
Posted by Gold Coast B2B Staff on November 7th, 2009 | 2 comments
Hundreds of thousands of New York Yankee fans cheered their baseball team on Friday at a parade through Lower Manhattan to celebrate its 27th World Series victory.
Ticker-tape and toilet paper, the traditional way to bestow honor in New York, was thrown from office windows as the players paraded on floats along Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave them the keys to the city and rapper Jay-Z sang his hit “Empire State of Mind.”
After a championship draught that seemed like an eternity for some fans — the Yankees last won a World Series title in 2000 — the team topped the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday to win the best-of-seven series four games to two.
“We really forgot how great it feels,” Yankees captain and shortstop Derek Jeter, who was on the 2000 club, told the crowd. “This year it’s for the fans.”
The World Series victory was an apt way for the Yanks, long known as the Bronx Bombers for their slugging, to christen their new $1.5 billion stadium in the New York borough of the Bronx.
The win gave fans a respite as the U.S. economy struggles to shake off the its worst recession in decades and unemployment reached a 26-1/2 year high in October of 10.2 percent.
“We get to come here and enjoy this and not worry about (the economy) for a little bit of time,” said Donna Grofsick, 44, from Hawthorne, New Jersey, holding a sign that read “Marry Me Derek, it’s OK with my husband.”
Some fans waited more than eight hours to catch a glimpse of their favorite players such as Alex Rodriguez and Series Most Valuable Player Hideki Matsui. Many were dressed head to toe in Yankees merchandise to signal their support.
“We got here at 2 in the morning,” said unemployed student Kevin Cecchini, 23, of Hillsborough, New Jersey. “It’s a great day, everyone has a smile on their faces. People are forgetting about their problems and enjoying the day.”
Jeannine Ready, 53, of Nanaimo arrived in New York on Thursday after a cruise, where she followed the Series on board ship. “This is big,” she said. “My husband has been a fan since he was five years old and he’s now 65.”
New York was also celebrating an economic windfall. A spokesman for Comptroller Bill Thompson estimated the three Series games played in the Bronx were worth an estimated $60 million to the city.
Most of that value, he said, came from about 9,000 out-of-town visitors who attended the games.
Bloomberg said that presenting the keys to New York to the Yankees was an honor. “It is our way of saying to some very special people no matter where you go in life this city will always welcome you back with open arms,” he said.