Former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is expected to plead guiltythis morning before a federal judge in White Plains. The AssociatedPress reports that a person familiar with the case says the guilty pleawill resolve three federal criminal trials currently pending againstKerik.He faces up to 20 years in prison for the most seriouscharges against him, but the plea deal could shorten that sentence tounder three years.
Kerik was scheduled to stand trial nextMonday, for allegedly accepting apartment renovations from a contractorwith ties to organized crime. Prosecutors say the company did the workhoping Kerik would help it obtain a city license. Kerik is charged withtax evasion and lying to the government.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

The IBM executive charged with insider trading by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is out of a job at Big Blue.
Robert Moffat, the head of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, wascharged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud in mid-October andsubsequently placed on a temporary leave of absence.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

JPMorgan execs Charles E. LeCroy and Douglas W. MacFaddin bribed localfirms with ties to the Jefferson County Commission in 2002-03 to ensurethat JPMorgan would be selected as the county's bond underwriter andswaps provider.
In taped conversations, the men acknowledgedthe payments were "scam transactions" and "payoffs" that were "theprice of doing business," according to the SEC complaint.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Welcome to New York!!! You sound so surprised...
btw, did any of the place, that you went to, had the money back guarantee for unsatisfactory appraisal? did you know that some places would take you to an appraisal with their bodyguard BEFORE you buy?

Looks like SEC is finally waking up!! They were asleep for 30 years now, time to earn their keep.
I don't think our jails are big enough to fit all the corrupt people tho.
This is actually a pretty big store on 47th..
I don't know their policies..
and there is really nothing to appraise yet...
there is a picture of the ring i want them to make and that's all.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

actually that what my husband keeps telling me when I push him to invest more - he says they are all a bunch of crooks there...would you want to have only 30% of what you have...now you can say your profit is 70%...
I think all those financial advisers and brokers should be financially liable for giving bad advise...or their fees should be tied to profits you make...

Sveta, hedge fund managers are very much tied to the profit they make for you.. Their fee is usually a small management fee + percentage of profit..

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Mike, actually - I have never ever would go to 47th street if I want to buy rellly good piece of jewelry and ESPECIALLY stone!.... the only right way to buy dimonds is from companies that can give you sertificate... but I feel sorry for you!:-)

So, i have an update on my stone search!
Today as i was walking around i stopped by a totally random jewelry place.
Met the nicest dude ever!! He literally spent an hour teaching me gemology.. i now know why some stones cost more some less how to tell sapphire from tanzanite, how to look for inclusions, how to evaluate luster, etc, etc..
No hard sale at all.. told me to go back think about it, come back when i decide..
Wow.. there are good people out there afterall!!

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Inna, you do get a certificate on 47th street...you just have to go to an independent apprasal, and for 50 bucks you will get a writing on the wall and a piece of mind...
Mike, next time buy from Tiffany ;-) - american company - plus you can even bring it back for any reason for a store credit if you change your mind...and the design will be fantastic - no need for a high resolution picture...:-)
or check out costco.com - they sell nice jewelry at reasonable prices...you see I am used to living in a civilized world by now...:-)