IPIP Blog

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 27 , 2012 — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan.#xA0;27 , 2012 /PRNewswire/ –#xA0;AFH Holding Advisory, a single member family office and advisory firm serving US and international clients, announced today that it received its lenders license from the California Department of Corporations and has now begun offering stock collateralized loans to publicly traded, emerging growth companies throughout the world.

At AFH we seek to partner with promising growth companies by providing them with the capital they need to grow their business and improve liquidity, said Amir Heshmatpour, managing director of AFH Holding and Advisory. Our team of financial experts and advisors has broad industry expertise ensuring that our clients receive customized solutions that fit their business objectives no matter where in the world they are located.

AFH offers non-recourse stock loans with flexible terms, as well as provides loans of up to 10 percent of a companys market capitalization.#xA0;Additional services include#xA0;alternative public offerings, bridge financing, corporate governance development, among other services.

For more information please visit www.afhholdingandadvisory.com

About AFH Holding Advisory, LLC AFH Holding Advisory, LLC is a single member family office and advisory firm serving US and international clients who seek capital formation and business strategies including the preparation and implementation of alternative public offerings, PIPE financing, acquisitions, corporate governance development, regulation and compliance, among other services, all executed concurrently to provide a seamless transition from private to public status. By delivering objective thinking, proven practices and best-of-breed partners, AFH helps both public and private clients achieve their specific development and financial goals. AFH is a licensed lender in the State of California. For more information, please visit http://afhholdingandadvisory.com

For Inquiries: AFH Holding Advisory, LLC Office: (310) 492-9898Email: Loan@afhholdingandadvisory.com

SOURCE AFH Holding Advisory, LLC

If you have not read and printed off last weeks column, it is a good idea to do so as that information precedes the pure stretch highlighted this week. Setting up the quiet, comfortable and calm environment, performing the mellow heat building rhythmic warm-up and myofascial release, and experiencing the wonderful visual beach journey are integral aspects of the rest and relaxation day. The pure stretch featured below will include stretches for every major muscle group of the body in a variety of positions, all concentrating on enhancing relaxation and flexibility. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.

Rest and relaxation pure stretch sequence

Note: Hold each stretch statically to a point of tension, never pain, for 15-30 seconds, breathing rhythmically throughout. If you are unclear how to perform any of these stretches, please feel free to drop me an email and I will send you details.

Begin lying supine with your legs flexed at the knee joint and soles of your feet on the floor.

Perform a supine low back/glutes/hamstrings/calf/achilles tendon stretch by extending the right leg toward the ceiling, holding the leg behind the thigh and pressing the right heel toward the ceiling, then perform on the other side.

Cross the right foot above the left knee performing a number four stretch for the hip abductors, drawing the left knee into the chest, hands behind the left thigh, then switch sides.

Press up slowly into a seated position with the legs comfortably in a tailors sit and the hands resting on the knees with the palms facing the ceiling. Perform a cervical stretch bringing the chin to the chest, then right ear to right shoulder, chin to chest, left ear to left shoulder, chin to chest and then head to neutral.

Bring the soles of the feet together with the legs flexed and the knees lying comfortably out to the sides of the hips performing a hip adductor stretch. Place the hands on the ankles rather than the feet and hinge from the hips, thinking torso moving forward not downward.

Press yourself up to a kneeling position and perform the cat/cow stretch for the entire spine.

Once this sequence is completed, perform a kneeling hip flexor/quadriceps stretch with the right foot/leg forward, right knee over right heel and the left leg trailing behind, with the left knee/lower leg on the floor. While you perform this stretch, interlace your fingers behind the back, extending the arms, pressing the knuckles toward the floor opening the pectorals, anterior deltoids and biceps. Then, switch sides and interlace the fingers so the knuckles face the ceiling extending the arms into a lat/oblique stretch.

Tuck toes of the right foot under and place the hands onto the left thigh pressing yourself into a standing position.

Standing with legs hip-distance apart, perform a triceps/medial-posterior deltoids stretch for both sides and complete the pure stretch with a deep inhale bringing arms up from the sides of the body over the head, palms as close as possible lengthening the torso, exhale and return the arms to the sides, rotating the shoulders back/down, standing tall.

Now, enjoy the rest of your day, feeling refreshed, relaxed and lengthened.

Jackie Wright is the owner/manager of Never Summer Fitness, LLC located in Grand Lake, Colorado. She may be reached at her website at www.neversummerfitness.com, her email at NSFGL@comcast.net, her blog at www.skyhidailynews.com and her Facebook page at Never Summer Fitness.

US Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau officials, holding their first public hearing since
Richard Cordray was installed as director, gathered information
on so-called payday lending as they plan oversight of firms
faulted for taking unfair advantage of low-income borrowers.

“The purpose of all our research and analysis and outreach
on these issues is to help us figure out how to determine the
right approach to protect consumers and ensure that they have
access to a small-loan market that is fair, transparent and
competitive,” Cordray said at the field hearing today in
Birmingham, Alabama.

The consumer bureau, created by Congress under the Dodd-
Frank Act, will oversee payday lenders as part of its nonbank
supervision authority, which took effect when Cordray was seated
by President Barack Obama in a recess appointment on Jan. 4. The
bureau’s work will be driven by research and supervision, and
its enforcement efforts will target practices that pose
“immediate risk to consumers and are clearly illegal,” Cordray
said at the hearing, where officials heard testimony from the
industry, consumer groups and the public.

Action by the consumer bureau could hit big payday lenders
such as Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc. (AEA), the nation’s
largest, and QC Holdings Inc. (QCCO) It could also affect companies
that are mainly pawnbrokers but offer payday loans, such as Cash
America International Inc. (CSH), EZCORP Inc. (EZPW) and First Cash Financial
Services Inc. (FCFS)

New Regulations

Cordray, 52, made no mention of new regulations or any idea
that payday lending should be explicitly restricted. “We are
thinking hard about these issues, and we do not have all the
answers worked out by any means,” said Cordray, a former Ohio
attorney general who served as the consumer bureau’s enforcement
director before taking the top job.

The goal should be that “we all look to develop a more
vibrant, competitive market for small consumer loans,” he said.

In an interview, Cordray cautioned people concerned about
payday lending against the view that “now that we have a
federal bureau, everybody can sit in their easy chair and count
on everybody else to work everything out.” Activists should
work with local and state officials, and each other, he said.

Payday lending is a form of short-term borrowing in which a
customer typically leaves as collateral a post-dated check for
the amount of the loan, plus a fee. Loans generally range from
$100 to $400, and are paid back in a few weeks. Banks including
Regions Financial Corp. (RF), Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), US Bancorp (USB) and
Wells Fargo amp; Co. offer similar products in which loans are paid
back through direct debits.

JMP Securities LLC, a San Francisco-based investment bank,
estimated in a Jan. 9 report that the annual payday loan volume
is $32 billion and growing slowly. Lenders collect about $7
billion in fees each year, Cordray said.

Truth in Lending

When calculated as an annual percentage rate — as required
under the Truth in Lending Act — interest on payday loans can
range as high as 521 percent, according to the consumer bureau.
This has led groups such as the Consumer Federation of America
to compare payday lenders to loan sharks.

Consumer advocates have expressed particular concern over
repeat borrowers who may fall into a “debt trap” driven by the
high annual rates on payday loans. Understanding that issue will
be a key step for the agency, Cordray said.

“We plan to dig deep on this topic to understand what
consumers know when they take out a loan and how they are
affected by long-term use of these products,” he said.

Underserved Population

In defending their business practices, payday lenders say
they provide credit to an underserved population that can’t get
it anywhere else and the costs are lower than bank-overdraft or
utility-cutoff fees borrowers might otherwise face.

The consumer bureau’s supervisory authority will play a key
role in its work on payday lending, in part by enhancing
understanding of how the industry functions, Cordray said.

“Our examination authority is an important tool that will
allow us to inspect their books, ask tough questions, and work
with them to fix any problems we uncover,” Cordray said in his
prepared remarks. “This includes looking at the materials and
strategies that are used to market the loans.”

In the enforcement area, Cordray said that the bureau will
look particularly at the issue of unauthorized debits to
consumers’ accounts and “aggressive debt collection.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Carter Dougherty in Washington at
cdougherty6@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Lawrence Roberts at
lroberts13@bloomberg.net.

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App Description
Love is in the air in Fashion Story(TM), the stylish game in TeamLavas hit virtual world Story series! Celebrate Valentines Day with new fashions and decorations that are perfect for the occasion. Stock your racks with heart nighties and love perfumes, be the first to own a Kissing Swan fountain, and progress through The Proposal and Single Ladies, two new goals that award exclusive Valentines Day items!

- Customize and accessorize your own character, choosing from a variety of make-ups, hairstyles and clothing lines!
- Unlock trendy designer clothes lines and innovative stylish accessories, placing them in your store to draw trendsetting customers in from far and wide.
- Showcase your style and creativity to design the layout and decor for a stunning fashion boutique.
- Visit your friends boutiques and like items in their stores to give them a free gift.
- Invite your Facebook friends to be your neighbors.
- FREE updates with new clothing, accessories, character make-up and boutique decorations every week!
- Its FREE!

Mark J. Meiklejohn is Bank Rhode Island’s new president and CEO. He was appointed to the position on Jan. 3, after serving as the executive vice president and chief lending officer. Before the promotion, he was responsible for all commercial-lending areas, as well as business development, the lending-services unit, cash management and Macrolease, Bank Rhode Island’s Long Island-based equipment-leasing company.More

Serenity ~ the relaxation app is an app that sets to slow life down and make the day that bit calmer while in use. After all, life is hectic. While technology is fantastic for keeping us all informed in the worlds events and keeping on top of work, it also means that many of us dont really stop to relax. Its even worse for those city dwellers with the bustling hive of activity around them making quiet time near impossible.

Serenity ~ the relaxation app works by providing 30 relaxing videos, each invoking tranquility and relaxation. Theres something for all tastes. While one video might offer cute sleeping kittens and loveable rabbits, another provides scenes of thunderstorms. The inclusion of a slowly burning candle is a nice touch, the kind of thing that reminded me just how simple yet pleasing the world can be.

The videos are grouped together according to similar elements with the first page focusing on autumnal scenes while another looks at underwater relaxation. Six videos per category keeps things varied but not overwhelmingly so.

The interface is easy to browse with a tap on a picture unveiling the video that can be viewed either with soothing sounds or without.

These videos can be viewed over AirPlay for those with an Apple TV or AirPlay compatible speakers which can be exceptionally useful for setting the mood at an event. A sleep timer will also come in handy for those who like to have ambient noise around them as they rest.

Serenity ~ the relaxation app is an incredibly simple app but it needs to be, otherwise it wouldnt be as effective. For those in need of tranquility and a form of meditation, $0.99 is surely a small price to pay.

STATESVILLE, N.C., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Bebida Beverage Company (otc markets:BBDA) (BeBevCo) a developer, manufacturer and marketer of relaxation and energy drinks, is entering into a growing number of distribution agreements with distributors of the leading beer brands.

Today, BeBevCo announced an alliance with North Kansas City Beverage Co., established in 1955 and a wholesaler of beers, under which KOMA UNWIND non-alcoholic relaxation beverage products will be sold.

“KOMA UNWIND is leading the Relaxation Revolution for a stressed out and sleep deprived America. Major distributors from around the U.S.A. are getting in line to pick up KOMA UNWIND relaxation beverages, and our marketing and awareness programs are having a major impact on increasing sales and distribution,” said Brian Weber, CEO of BeBevCo. “Our product was designed for maximum distributor & Retail profit margins while maintaining a healthy margin for continued growth over ten years,” added Brian.

About BeBevCo

BeBevCo (Bebida Beverage Company) develops, manufactures and markets beverages including relaxation drinks Koma Unwind “Chillaxation” Drink(TM), Koma Unwind Sugar-free “Chillaxation” Drink(TM) and Koma Unwind “Chillaxation” Shot(TM) as well as Potencia Energy Drink, Potencia “BLAST” energy shot, Relax 5 shots and Piranha Water.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historic information contained in this release, the statements in this news release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause a company’s actual results in the future to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the company’s ability to attract qualified management, raise sufficient capital to execute its business plan, and effectively compete against similar companies.

Contact: (704) 660-0226 extension 5

Investorrelations@bebevco.com

www.BeBevCo.com
www.Relaxfive.com

SOURCE Bebida Beverage Company

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

STATESVILLE, NC and PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Bebida Beverage Co. (BeBevCo) formed an agreement with Flash Foods of Georgia to carry Koma Unwind products at more than 170 convenience stores in Georgia and Florida. This marks BeBevCos largest retail partnership to date, according to a company announcement.

In these stressful times, the demand for relaxation beverages is growing and now KOMA Unwind Products are arriving in Georgia, said BeBevCo CEO Brian Weber.

Flash Foods of Georgia, a self-distributor through Distribution South, has operated since 1952. It distributes its own grocery products and fuel using its own transports internally or through subsidiaries of The Jones Co.

Distributor by distributor and chain by chain, we are getting our products in more locations at an ever-increasing pace. This deal is a major deal for us; in fact, its the biggest retail partner yet, said Weber.

BeBevCos Koma line includes the Koma Unwind Chillaxation drink in sugared and sugar-free versions, as well as the Koma Unwind Chillaxation shot.

In related news, Attitude Drinks also signed a new distribution agreement for its ready-to-drink real milk recovery drink Phase III Recovery. Sams Mart Inc. authorized the sale of the beverage at all North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia Sams Mart locations. Choice USA will distribute Phase III in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Savannah Distributing will distribute it in Georgia.

We are excited about the authorization of Phase III in Sams Mart, said Jack Shea, Attitude Drinks executive vice president of sales. We expect to repeat the initial success of Phase III in the Southeast, as we have done in New England. The authorization in Sams Mart is a big step in that direction.

Sams Mart Inc. started business in 1991 and now operates a chain of 150 stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Even after the presents have been unwrapped and the festive candles put away, many Kentucky families will be paying for Christmas for months into the New Year.

Those who took out payday loans, paying fees that could equal nearly 400 percent annualized interest, will be paying dearly.

We are deeply troubled by the exorbitant and unconscionable interest rates charged by payday lenders and the economic and personal distress this causes individuals and families.

In addition. it concerns us that our commonwealth continues to permit this practice that runs counter to simple morality and collective good judgment.

As pastors, we know many people who struggled their way through the holidays. On top of gifts, if there were any, there were heating bills to pay, rent due and food to put on the table. Payday loans offer a short-term fix while saddling households with long-term debt.

Based on data collected from the states Department of Financial Institutions database, the typical Kentucky payday borrower is indebted for 160 days a year and pays $529 in fees alone for $317 of credit.

These loans are predatory in nature. Lenders target low-wage earners, seniors and other vulnerable citizens. Because of their short-term due date and high fees, it is nearly impossible to repay a payday loan in time.

Instead, people find themselves still short of cash and forced to go back for another loan. We see this unending cycle persist despite other legal attempts at restrictions. The database provides strong evidence of this.

Common sense tells us that paying interest hand over fist is bad for families and bad for the economy when families cant pay for things they really need: a new pair of boots, gas so that they can drive to work, medication, etc.

Our religious heritage tells us that laying a debt trap is blatantly immoral. The Bible has spoken clearly about lending, warning against interest charged to the poorest.

Throughout its history, the church has opposed usury and usurers who, in the words of Martin Luther, oppress the poor and deprive them of their daily bread.

Since our nations founding, state usury laws have guarded citizens against unconscionable interest rates. But in recent years, our legislators have set aside the lessons of morality, history and common sense, allowing an immoral product to grow and flourish in our state.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have either never allowed payday lending or have limited interest to about 36 percent. Federal law protects military families with a 36 percent rate cap as well.

Lets resolve to offer this guarantee to Kentucky families before next Christmastime. Lets make 2012 the year that Kentuckians abolish the payday debt trap.

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By William L. Watts, MarketWatch

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — The long-feared euro-zone credit crunch appears to be under way, economists said Friday after December data showed a sharp slowdown in private bank lending and broad money supply growth.

The European Central Bank said loans to the private sector grew at a 1% annual rate in December, slowing from 1.7% in November and 2.7% in October. Economists had forecast growth of 2.1%.

The lending data point to “the first conclusive signs of an outright credit crunch emerging in Europe,” said James Nixon, European economist at Societe Generale.

Money-supply growth also slowed. M3, the broadest measure of money supply, grew at a 1.6% annual pace in December, slowing from 2% in November.

Click to Play

Manpower on high unemployment

ManpowerGroup CEO Jeff Joerres agrees a 'new normal' of high unemployment exists in the U.S.

A breakdown of the lending data showed that loans to the corporate sector dropped 37 billion euros ($48.6 billion), the largest ever one-month decline, while loans to households shrank by EUR10 billion and net mortgage lending fell by EUR7 billion.

The euro

/quotes/zigman/4867933/sampled EURUSD
-0.0230%

 , buoyed by optimism over prospects for a deal between the Greek government and private creditors on a voluntary write-down of Greek debt, traded 0.5% higher versus the dollar at $1.3151.

The European Central Bank injected nearly half a trillion euros into the banking system via three-year loans in December as it conducted a long-term refinancing operation aimed at easing funding pressure on banks and averting a credit crunch. Another operation is set for February.

Turmoil created by the euro-zone’s sovereign debt crisis has contributed to tensions in the banking sector as worried institutions hoard cash despite the ECB’s liquidity efforts. Many economists have feared that funding worries combined with pressure to meet tougher capital requirements would lead banks to significantly scale back lending to the private sector.

The ECB, however, has so far remained relatively confident that a significant credit crunch could be avoided.

DAVOS 2012

o

Russian soul searching (blog)
o

Geithner
issues firewall call

o
Schaeuble rebuts Geithner
o

Greece gap
may be chasm

o
Curiously quiet on Greece (blog)
o

Cameron urges bold action

o

WTO:
Yuan is undervalued

o

Merkel: Yes, we dare

o

Soros: Austerity’s
dangers

o

IMF fears ’1930s moment’

o
Women’s ‘ambition gap’ (blog)
o
Africa’s in for a fight (blog)

/conga/story/2012/01/davos_2012.html
189504

Earlier this month, the ECB Governing Council said “the figures on lending do not so far suggest that the heightened financial market tensions led to a sizeable curtailment of credit in the euro area,” but pledged “close scrutiny” of credit developments.

The December data are likely to trigger a “bout of introspection” at the ECB, said James Ashley, senior European economist at RBC Capital Markets.

“We expect next month’s statement to be notably more circumspect in its description of money/credit dynamics. As a result, at next month’s monetary policy meeting, the Governing Council will need to weigh its inevitable concerns over the money/credit data against the continued tentative signs of stabilization,” Ashley said, in a note.

But Martin van Vliet, economist at ING Bank in Brussels, said the ECB’s injection of three-year loans in late December should help ease supply constraints going forward.

Still, the data underline the lack of any inflation threat in the euro zone and suggests investors shouldn’t “get too far carried away by the tentative signs of improvement in the economic situation,” he said.

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Jan. 27, 2012 5:29p

William L. Watts is a reporter for MarketWatch in Frankfurt.