On a recent trip to South America, each night that my family sat down to dinner in a restaurant, the waiter immediately handed my husband the wine list. But honestly, we dont need to leave the country to experience the bias that immediately directs a waiter to the man at the table to make the alcohol buying decisions.

I happen to be the wine buyer in our family. I do the research, read up on wines in magazines like Food Wine and the Wine Spectator and hope my husband will like my choices. He usually does.

Now it turns out that alcohol producers and entrepreneurs have finally come to the realization that women are taking control of what alcohol is consumed — both at home and at restaurants. As a result, they are finally trying to deliver what they think women want.

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, women are closing the drinking gap, consuming more alcohol at restaurants and making most of the purchasing decisions for home.

Statistics show that women have been ordering more drinks. The Chicago Tribune piece stated that alcohol servings in restaurants to women increased by 9 percent in 2009, and 3 percent in 2010, according to NPD Group, a market research firm, while servings to men decreased 4 percent in 2009 and 6 percent in 2010. Men still consumed about 10 percent more.

Last March, Deerfield-based Beam Global Spirits Wine, a unit of Fortune Brands, announced that it acquired Skinnygirl Margarita, a low-calorie, ready-to-drink cocktail sweetened with agave syrup.

Women tend to be smarter customers in general, Michael Binstein, owner of Binnys Beverage Depot, an Illinois based liquor store with several locations, told the LA Times. They understand value, and theyre adventurous in terms of what they like to try and experiment with.

Adult Chocolate Milk — a sweet, vodka-infused drink and another fast-selling product, according to Binstein, is developed by Tracy Reinhardt and Nikki Halbur in a home kitchen and sold in 28 states.

The fact of the matter is that women in this country constitute the majority of vodka consumers, and theyve been ignored, Adam Kamenstein, chief executive of privately-held Voli Spirits LLC (which a year ago rolled out Voli Light vodkas with the tagline stay sexy) told the LA Times.

So, next time you find yourself out to dinner and the waiter hands your man the wine list, show him whos really boss.

In this series, we look through the most recent Dividend Channel “DividendRank” report, and then we cherry pick only those companies that have experienced insider buying within the past six months. The officers and directors of a company tend to have a unique insider’s view of the business, and presumably the only reason an insider would choose to take their hard-earned cash and use it to buy stock in the open market, is that they expect to make money — maybe they find the stock very undervalued, or maybe they see exciting progress within the company, or maybe both. So when stocks turn up that see insider buying, and are also top ranked, investors are wise to take notice. One such company is Greenhill amp; Company Incorporated (NYSE: GHL), which saw buying by Director John C. Danforth.

Click here to find out The Top DividendRank’ed Stocks With Insider Buying raquo;

Back on November 17, Danforth invested $193,776.48 into 5,150 shares of GHL, for a cost per share of $37.63. In trading on Thursday, shares were changing hands as low as $39.02 per share, which is 3.7% above Danforth’s purchase price. It should be noted that Danforth has collected $0.90/share in dividends since the time of their purchase, so they are currently up 6.1% on their purchase from a total return basis. Greenhill amp; Company Incorporated shares are currently trading +4.44% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of GHL shares, versus its 200 day moving average:

Looking at the chart above, GHL’s low point in its 52 week range is $26.38 per share, with $62.12 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $40.01. By comparison, below is a table showing the prices at which insider buying was recorded over the last six months:

Greg Schianos intense and efficient approach has been a hit with Tampa Bay players. (Chris OMeara/Associated Press)

San Francisco Examiner President and Publisher Todd Vogt told The Chronicle Thursday evening that a story that the Ex is buying the San Francisco Bay Guardian is not true.

The East Bay Express broke the news Thursday afternoon that, based on two unnamed sources, the Examiner had purchased the Bay Guardian, the 46-year-old progressive, alternative weekly. The Express soon backed off that a bit, saying the Ex was clos(ing) in on a deal.

Guardian executive editor Tim Redmond told the Express Thursday that hes very optimistic the deal will be inked soon. I think well probably sign a deal, but its not yet done, he said. Redmond made similar comments to the SF Weekly, a rival alternative weekly, but has not returned messages from The Chronicle.

In an e-mail responding to a question about whether the story about the Ex buying the Guardian was true, Vogt wrote to The Chronicle: Its not true. Havent bought anything. Im not even in The City. Though we would look at any publication that is for sale which is just about every print product. Thanks. Earlier, he told SF Weekly that news that a deal was imminent was very optimistic.

Vogt did not respond to a question about whether a deal was in the works.

Guardian publisher Bruce Brugmann, an award-winning First Amendment and free speech crusader, has not responded to e-mail and voice mail messages, nor to a note left near the front door of his home. The person answering the phone at one of his favorite Potrero Hill haunts Thursday evening said he wasnt there, but had been there for lunch Thursday for a meeting.

SINGAPORE, April 19 (Reuters) – Asias fuel oil market strengthened on Thursday, as buying
momentum built up further with over a million tonnes traded for the first two intermonth
contracts combined.
Chinese trader Brightoil was also seen bidding up the spreads during the Asian trading
window.
The May/June timespread, which is the premium between the May and June swaps contract,
gained 50 cents to close at $3.63 a tonne and traded higher at $3.80 after, more than 480,000
tonnes transacted.
The June/July timespread saw heavier volumes of over 600,000 tonnes traded, which pushed the
spread up 38 cents to close at $3.75 a tonne, hitting a high of $3.85 after.
Cash premiums for spot cargoes also improved, with a deal done for the 180-centistoke (cst)
grade during the trading window at a premium of $1.00 a tonne above Singapore spot quotes, with
bids seen at the same level as well, after a week of largely lacklustre activity.
Another deal, for the 380-cst grade, was also done at a premium of $2.50 a tonne.
Regional demand has been firm, with South Koreas Western Power and East-West Power both
seeking a combined 110,000 tonnes of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) for delivery in May and June.

Western Powers demand for 60,000 tonnes of HSFO comes on top of the 60,000 tonnes it had
already purchased earlier at $755.00 a tonne on a cost-and-freight (CF) basis for the same
May-June period. Those volumes will be provided by Samsung CT Corp.
Singapore onshore fuel oil inventories sank 4.284 million barrels to a 13-week low of 16.394
million barrels as arrivals from the West remained thin.
However, more supplies can be expected ahead as refiners from India and the Middle East were
seen offering volumes for May lifting.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco is offering two 90,000-tonne cargoes, one for May 1-5 lifting from
Ras Tanura and one for May 22-24 lifting from Jubail.
The cargo loading from Ras Tanura is the A990 straight-run grade, while the Jubails lot is
380-cst.
ExxonMobil has also offered 90,000 tonnes of 700-cst, for May 12-14 lifting from Yanbu, with
a deal expected to be concluded on April 19.
Indias Essar Oil offered 45,000 tonnes of 380-cst, for May 4-6 loading from Vadinar, with
the tender closing on April 20.
The volume size of the cargo is smaller than its usual 60,000-80,000 tonnes offering. The
refiner was expected to stop offering cargoes as early as May, after starting a new delayed
coker unit (DCU) at its 375,000 barrels per day Vadinar refinery at the start of the month.

FUEL OIL
TENDERS/SPOT
ISSUER BUY/SELL GRADE VOL LAYCAN AWARDEE/CLOSE PRICE
Korea/WP Buy HSFO 30KT May 14-18 (Pyong Taek) Samsung $755
Korea/WP Buy HSFO 30KT May 30-June 3 (Pyong Samsung $755
Taek)
India/IOC Sell 180cst 15KT May 2-4 (Haldia) BP unspecified
Korea/WP Buy HSFO 30KT May 26-30 (Pyong Taek) April 26
Korea/WP Buy HSFO 30KT June 6-10 (Pyong Taek) April 26
Korea/EWP Buy HSFO 50KT May 8-12 (Ulsan) April 24
India/Essar Sell 380cst 45KT May 4-6 (Vadinar) April 20
Saudi/Aramco Sell A990 SR 90KT May 1-5 (Ras Tanura) unspecified
Saudi/Aramco Sell 380cst 90KT May 22-24 (Jubail) unspecified
Saudi/ExxonMo Sell 700cst 90KT May 12-14 (Yanbu) April 19
il

CASH TRADES
Grade Seller Buyer Vol Laycan Price
(Transaction)
180cst BP Gunvor 20KT May 9-13 MOPS +$1.00
380cst PetroChina Unipec 20KT May 4-8 MOPS +$2.50

CASH ($/T) ASIA CLOSE Change % Change Prev Close RIC
Cargo – 180cst $723.45 $2.45 0.34 $721.00 FO180-SIN
Diff – 180cst $1.10 $0.60 120.00 $0.50 FO180-SIN-DIF
Cargo – 380cst $715.55 $3.00 0.42 $712.55 FO380-SIN
Diff – 380cst $2.25 -$0.13 -5.46 $2.38 FO380-SIN-DIF
Bunker (Ex-wharf)- 380cst $721.00 $4.00 0.56 $717.00 BK380-B-SIN
Bunker (Ex-wharf) Premium $5.45 $1.00 22.47 $4.45

SWAPS ($/T) ASIA CLOSE Change % Change Prev Close RIC
(0830 GMT)
Brent M1 $118.69 $0.23 0.19 $118.46
180cst M1 $721.88 $1.88 0.26 $720.00
180cst M1/M2 $3.63 $0.50 15.97 $3.13
180cst M2 $718.25 $1.37 0.19 $716.88
Visco M1 $9.13 -$1.25 -12.04 $10.38
Visco M2 $9.88 -$0.87 -8.09 $10.75
380cst M1 $712.75 $3.12 0.44 $709.63
380cst M1/M2 $4.38 $0.88 25.14 $3.50
380cst M2 $708.38 $2.25 0.32 $706.13
Cracks 180-Dubai M1 -$4.09 $0.42 -9.31 -$4.51
Cracks 180-Dubai M2 -$4.26 $0.31 -6.78 -$4.57
East-West M1 $40.25 $0.00 0.00 $40.25
East-West M2 $39.75 -$0.25 -0.63 $40.00
Barges M1 $681.63 $1.88 0.28 $679.75
Barges M1/M2 $3.13 $0.25 8.68 $2.88
Barges M2 $678.50 $1.62 0.24 $676.88
Crack Barges-Brent M1 -$14.31 $0.02 -0.14 -$14.33
Crack Barges-Brent M2 -$14.64 $0.03 -0.20 -$14.67

(Reporting by Jasmin Choo and Lee Yen Nee; Editing by Alison Birrane)

Learn how to make money buying and selling scrap gold from the experts at Absolute Wealth and the Gold Profit Formula training course.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 19, 2012

People who want to know how to make money buying and selling scrap gold are already a step ahead of everybody else, said todays AbsoluteWealth.com article. Motivation is all anyone needs to get started as a precious metal dealer. After that, its experience that separates good dealers from bad ones.

Absolute Wealth is offering decades of experience in one comprehensive training course, and its available right now to those who are ready to enter the business.

Gold Profit Formula is the perfect guide to selling gold and cashing in on record-high prices, the article said. The amount of money refiners are offering for scrap gold, silver, and other precious metals will make heads spin. The Gold Profit Formula course shows how to become an individual operator and do better business than the jewelry stores, pawn shops, and Cash for Gold conglomerates.

The article said that because of golds ten-plus year run of impressive price growth, gold dealing has become an intriguing practice. Gold Profit Formula provides information that any dealer needs to know, plus invaluable tips and secrets that make personal gold dealing a booming business.

The course makes it easy to learn how to test gold, silver, and diamonds for quality and value, said the article. It includes resources like the list of the ten most valuable watches and the Three Cs of diamond buying. It also shows how to joint venture with pawn shops, antique dealers, and jewelry stores to buy and sell gold in their establishments, free of rent.

The benefits of being a personal gold dealer are unquestionable, the article said. In America, scrap gold can be found in almost every household in every city. Modern currency has replaced precious metals and taken away most of their reverence. This makes getting money for gold even more profitable, AbsoluteWealth.com said. Average, uninformed people are amazed at the amount dealers can offer for scrap gold, and the dealers turn around and refine it for even more.

That profitability is the motivation for Gold Profit Formulas training. Videos, audio recordings, and written transcripts are offered in the course. They can all be downloaded, saved, and copied to watch or listen to for personal use anytime, anywhere.

Absolute Wealth is an expert team of real investors and advisers devoted to identifying winning strategies for exceptional returns. Investors have turned to Absolute Wealth for professional investment analysis and recommendations on the latest trends and progressions. For more, visit AbsoluteWealth.com.

Absolute Wealths Gold Profit Formula is giving individuals the knowledge and the power to become genuine gold dealers. Never before has such a complete program been offered in one training course. For those who are ready to discover how to make money buying and selling scrap gold, Gold Profit Formula is waiting.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebhow_to_make_money_buying/and_selling_scrap_gold/prweb9414463.htm

Clothing is one of the biggest expenses in my household. With three growing children, it seems like someone is always outgrowing their clothes. Ive learned a few techniques to reduce costs.

As a couponer, I buy groceries before I need the groceries. Thats often when they are the least expensive. When I need pasta sauce, its not always going to be on sale. The same theory holds for clothing. When my 4-year-old son needs a new pair of jeans, its not likely that a store will have his size on a clearance rack at that time.

Buying clothes a size in advance is an easy way to avoid paying the full cost. This is easier done for younger children who may not be as demanding for the latest trend. For them, basic jeans, T-shirts and tops never go out of style. Stay away from the latest fads to avoid a child refusing to wear an outdated trend.

We havent hit summer yet and retailers have had bathing suits and other summer apparel out for weeks. Buying a swimsuit or shorts now is the most expensive time to buy. Instead, buy seasonal items when retailers are switching over to a new season. Clothing often gets marked down 75 or 90 percent.

Selection will be reduced, but finding jeans for less than $5 and shirts for $2 is worth the few minutes to glance through a rack of clearance clothing. Keeping a container in a closet for these clearance items is the easiest way to keep track of purchases for next year. When the season rolls around, the wardrobe basics have already been purchased at significant savings. Winter is over, but I found a jacket for my son a few weeks ago for $7. It was originally more than $30. Its hanging in the closet waiting for winter.

Socks, underwear and other basics are easy to purchase a size in advance. When I find a clearance sale, I buy one or two sizes larger than they are currently wearing. When they do grow into the next size, its already purchased and in the house.

Holiday clearance is another time to look for clothes. A few days after the holiday the holiday-specific clothing is marked down drastically to make room for the next holiday apparel. Many of these items can be used all year. After Valentines Day I found a T-shirt regularly priced at $6.99. It was marked down to 70 cents or 90 percent off. Its a basic-black childs T-shirt with the word LOVE on the front.

The T-shirt was perfect for my 8-year-old daughter. It has turned into her favorite shirt to wear long after Valentines Day. It was marked down simply because the tag said Valentines Day.

Sometimes I need to supplement wardrobes in season. Combining coupons and store discounts is another method for spending less on clothing. Many retailers offer discounts through email to those signed up for sale alerts and other communications. Kohls routinely offers a $5 coupon for new signups for email newsletters. They also offer coupons to their credit-card holders. The discounts range from 15 percent to 30 percent.

Target and other retailers offer mobile and web coupons. Sometimes there is a coupon on Target.com for $3 off any Merona apparel item. Merona is a private brand carried by Target. Target once had a coupon on their website for $5 off any pair of jeans. I found jeans marked down to $5.98 and was able to pay just 98 cents plus tax for a pair of jeans that retailed for more than $25. In addition, using a Target Red card, either debit or credit, will save you an additional 5 percent.

Old Navy offers discounts through daily-deal sites and their Facebook pages. Other retailers mail coupons to those signed up for communications or credit cards. When I need to supplement our wardrobes, I use an Internet search engine and search for coupons and the name of the stores I will be visiting.

Another option is to buy second hand. Consignment and thrift stores carry clothing that others have outgrown or grown tired of. Its common to find items with their tags still attached. It takes time to sort through all of the sweaters from the 1980s and other clothing to find what you need, but the savings can be worth it.

Clothing your family doesnt have to cost as much as housing them. Thinking and planning ahead can reduce the money spent on clothes.

Oracle Mulled Buying RIM or Palm to Take on Android: Ellison

By Vamien MacKalin | April 18, 2012 2:05 PM EDT

Most of Japan’s traders have
stopped buying Ukrainian corn because of low quality,
Ekonomicheskie Izvestia newspaper reported, citing agriculture
researcher ProAgro.

Ukraine sold 553,000 metric tons of corn to Japan so far in
the marketing year which started on July 1, Izvestia reported.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Kateryna Choursina in Kiev at
kchoursina@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Claudia Carpenter at
ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net

• LinkedIn
• Google +1
• Print

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Economics Minister Motohisa Furukawa said on Friday that the central bank purchasing longer-term bonds could be an option for monetary easing, in addition to buying debt with less than two years of maturity.

Buying bonds with a longer maturity is one idea, he told reporters at a regular news conference.

(Reporting by Yuko Yoshikawa; Writing by Shinoichi Saoshiro; Editing by Joseph Radford)