Archive for October, 2009

It may be a bit of a stretch to call Satoshi Ishii the Michael Phelps of Japan, but not by much. His victory in the heavyweight judo competition at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was easily the defining moment of the games for his countrymen and was considered by most media outlets the #1 highlight of the year in all of sports. Though Japan does well at the Olympics for a country of its size and has won gold medals in a number of sports, its important to keep in mind that until the late 1970s judo was the countrys most popular sport.

Ishii himself is also a marketing dream. Hes especially big by Japanese standards with 240 pounds packed on his bulky 511 frame. Not surprisingly, hes tough as nails and a terror on the mat but away from the gym he comes off like an awkwardly cheerful overgrown boy. He definitely seems younger than his 22 years, but gives off the vibe of a nice neighbor boy who youd gladly pay to mow your lawn. Unlike his telegenic American gold medalist counterpart Phelps, who acts as if he spent as much time working on media relations as his backstroke heading up to the Olympic games, Ishii’s demeanor is of an athlete who literally spent the bulk of his life in a gym only to emerge and find himself a national hero and superstar. He alternately seems to be having the time of his life at the vortex of a media frenzy as he is somewhat overwhelmed by the attention.

With the ability to offer him the most money and exposure, it seemed almost a fait accompli that Ishii would sign with DREAM and K-1 parent group FEG. Obviously its a good idea to keep your options open in negotiations, so he also reportedly talked to Sengoku parent World Victory Road and Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation pro wrestling group. As expected, however, FEG reportedly presented Ishii with the most lucrative offer: 500 million yen (roughly $5.5 million US) to fight on DREAM and K-1 cards, with incentive bonuses based on his drawing power and performance. He would very likely become the highest paid mixed martial artist in the world before hed even stepped into the ring for the first time. The tentative plan was for Ishii to appear on the year end K-1/DREAM Fields Dynamite! joint show, if not fighting at least in a heavily hyped opportunity for FEG to unveil their investment.

Ishii then shocked the Japanese fight sport world by categorically rejecting FEGs offer, saying that it was his lifelong dream to fight in the UFC. While this rationale might sound plausible to a US based fan, its akin to a top college baseball player from a SEC school turning down a big offer from the Atlanta Braves saying that its his lifelong dream to play for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan Central League. It frequently comes a shock to US MMA fans when immersed in Japans culture for the first time just how low the UFC ranks in the countrys fight sport pantheon. In MMA, their profile is lower than DREAM and Sengoku, but even smaller groups like Shooto and DEEP. Overall, the interest in and prestige of the UFC is well below not only boxing but even Japanese pro wrestling (puroresu). The UFC is making some progress, and big fights like GSP/Penn and Lesnar/Couture now get higher profile coverage (Lesnar/Couture owed most of its interest in the Japanese press to Brocks run as IWGP pro wrestling champ) but by no means is the #1 US MMA promotion considered on par with any of the major Japanese fighting groups.

Ishii then travelled to Las Vegas for UFC 92, with the Japanese media in tow covering his every move. There were countless photo opportunities with Dana White, who spoke of Ishii in glowing terms, along with top UFC stars. Upon his return to Japan, he was repeatedly photographed wearing UFC t-shirts while speaking enthusiastically about Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and everyone else involved with the promotion.

At age 22, Ishiis got plenty of time to develop as a fighter. His biggest downside risk from signing with Zuffa is financial since hed be lucky to get a fraction of what FEG is willing to pay him. The competitive logic of learning his craft slowly notwithstanding, theres a huge risk in automatically assuming that he can fight for the UFC for a few years and then cash a big check when he returns to Japan as the potential of injury and changing market conditions could seriously impact his market value. On the other hand, it could be a risk hes willing to take given that hes got his celebrity both with the mainstream public and in the judo community to fall back on.

Theres another very realistic scenario that it was all a negotiating ploy by Ishii. The UFC was likely willing to play along, figuring that their investment of a few plane tickets and hotel suites would be worth the resulting PR surge in Japan. Ishii and the UFC develop a cordial relationship which could be to the benefit of both parties down the road.

With the recent revelation that Ishii has broken off UFC negotiations to entertain offers from other parties thats starting to look like the plausible explanation for the once hot and heavy courtship between Ishii and Zuffa. Ultimately, the Ishii/UFC affair could simply prove to be a fling that accrued small benefits to each party, but both realized that there was no long term future for the pairing.

As a postscript to the Ishiis relationship with the UFC, it apparently opened the doors for his move to the US where hell be training with the Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. That alone is a positive for his future development as a fighter, as hell be training with a whos who of professional fighting including the gym’s namesake, Randy Couture. Training at a high level facility like Xtreme Couture among such an abundance of talent is a career move thats difficult to second guess.

Ross Everett is a staff handicapper for Sports-1 and an authority on NFL betting. He’s a well known and widely published expert on sports handicapping theory, as well as financial investment strategy. He contributes to a number of online media outlets providing insight on how to bet on NFL football, MMA and boxing.

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When the economy is in the kind of shape it is these days, even the best of us can get caught behind a little bit and need some help with our bills. It may even be that your bills are paid, but your pockets are empty and you just need some walking around cash. Few people have ever made it through life without uttering the words, “I need a loan” at some point or another.

You can always ask your family or friends to give you a short term loan when you need money. However, there are a couple of problems associated with asking family and friends for money. One problem is that it can be awkward asking those who are closest to you for money. Another problem is the poor economy may leave them with barely enough to keep them going let alone loan anyone any money.

Even if someone does lend you money, you also run the risk of now treating it like a casual loan instead of something that you need to pay back right away. This can lead to many problems down the road. When they need the money and you don’t have it, it can cause riffs in the relationship that may never be repaired.

A good way to get some quick cash when you do not have good credit is take out a payday advance. A payday advance is going to allow you to have funds at your disposal when you are a little short. You are going to have to pay this loan off in full on or before your next payday.

For the loan to be processed, it is usually just a matter of a valid id, checking account and pay stub. They process your information and you have money in hand in a few minutes. Terms are usually fairly short and no more than a couple of weeks. The borrowing amount is usually your paycheck up to about $500.

While you can lean on your family for a lot of things, money should not be one of them. It can create a lot of problems and why put that strain there when there are plenty of institutions available that will help you out regardless of your credit. When you are thinking “I need a loan,” don’t let panic set in. Explore your options and you can get the money that you need quick enough.

There is cash to be located you will find, but be vigilant is the common guideline and if you’re deliberating “I need a $5000 loan” and how would I source this hard cash, explore I need a loan or I need a personal loan for more info.

categories: I need a loan,loan,loans,money,borrowing,lending,finance

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You do not have to make a payday cash advance. There are other ways and means to solve immediate cash problems and needs. Then again, there are a couple of good reasons why you should go for a pay advance.

For one, individuals can apply for a payday cash advance online. Because the internet is a virtual repository of nearly every company, you can have your pick of the most ideal lender with the best terms. A casual search will give you several pages of results. You can sit back, relax and research as much as you need to on different lenders. This increases your chance of finding the most appropriate loan terms for your needs.

Another reason is that it has very few requirements. This is yet again another reason why a payday loan makes sense. Companies do not ask for the same set of requirements. Usually though, applicants are assessed based on citizenship, employment, monthly salaries and availability of direct deposit accounts.

Applying online does not require applicants to fax documents. This is even if lenders have minimum requirements. Depending on the lender of your choice, you may not have to fax or present any documents. The most hassle free companies simply let applicants fill up and submit forms online. You do not have to travel to offline offices.

A poor credit scores is often a non issue in a payday cash advance application. This is in contrast to long term loan applications where credit scores and records play a major role in loan approval. Some companies do not even ask for an applicants score. That means you never have to worry about fixing your records first before applying.

Some online companies also approve on the same day as its application. As soon as you submit an application, a company representative can approve it right on the same day or even on the same hour of application. Even if your application gets denied, you have the benefit of knowing within a short span of time whether you qualify or not.

As soon as the application is approved, cash can be sent right away. In the past, cash advances had to be released through checks. With direct deposit accounts however, there is no need to wait for check encashment. In a snap of a finger, you can get your hands on much needed cash immediately for emergency expenses.

Its obvious that payday advances have great advantages. Bear in mind though that they can also put a serious responsibility on you. A cash advance is often a small short term loan with high interest. This means you need to pay your loan within a very short span of time. As the term suggests, payments are often collected on the next payday. Since lenders do not scrutinize applicants closely, the responsibility to truly determine your fitness as a borrower lies on your shoulders.

As an option, payday cash advance helps individuals more than it does the lending company. That is however, only if you make sure that you are qualified for the loan and if you are making it for the right reasons. Never make cash advances your primary financial source.

Get cash advance in one hour. Learn more regarding speedy cash advance online! This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

categories: payday cash advance,pay day cash advance,finance

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When you first learn about cheap term life insurance and what you can get for the amount of money you are paying I am sure that you wanted to get some more information about the different companies offering it as well as the details of such policies. You will probably then start to search the internet as this has a large amount of information contained to get everything started.

When you’ve filled out a number of online quote forms for your cheap term life insurance policy you may be a little confused as to where all of the different cheap ones are. The companies look at the answers that you have supplied them and also review your medical history. Some companies may not really supply you with a quote that you would consider cheap, and so you will need to understand that each one will have their pros and cons.

Your health matters – A couple of factors might be causing higher than anticipated term life insurance costs. First and foremost is the general state of your health. Getting an online quotation is one thing, but pricing an actual policy after the life insurance company has reviewed your medical history is really what determines your true costs for life insurance.

Very rarely will an individual get life insurance without first having a medical examination. Getting a policy through your place of employment is the only time this may happen, but generally in this situation, your coverage will be minimal.

If you are looking for this type of employer policy to act as your cheap term life insurance and only life insurance policy then you should consider getting something more substantial on a private basis. Something that will help your family should you die.

Lets take a look at the logic for a moment. If given the choice, life insurance companies would select as customers only those whose health is excellent. Excellent health means you should live longer. When you live long there is less chance that the insurance company will have to pay out your policy’s death benefits.

So, if you live longer than your cheap term life insurance cover, then the life insurance company will be the winners, as they have not paid out a penny to you and you will have invested a lot of money but seen no return for it.

The categorization system – When determining the true cost of a policy, life insurance companies use a classification system. Individuals with a clean bill of health generally get classified as super preferred and get the lowest-priced premiums. They’re the ones who get cheap term life insurance. Several more categories exist and, unfortunately, each category comes with a progressively higher premium.

Some of the health conditions that raise a red flag in the eyes of an insurance company include use of tobacco products, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a history of cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart disease or other type of chronic disease in your family, even if you do not have any symptoms of these conditions.

If you do have symptoms of the above conditions, you should expect that cheap term life insurance isn’t something for which you’ll qualify. The types of medical conditions listed above are more likely to cause premature death in an individual. If the insured individual dies during the life insurance policy term, the insurance company will have to pay out death benefits. And that’s what life insurance companies look at when deciding whether or not an individual qualifies for cheap term life insurance.

Ray loves writing about the similar forms of life insurance and how does term life insurance work. He websites over at his website at he discusses the similar factors of cheap life insurance quotes online and how you can get one.

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This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding car insurance for 17 year olds. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about car insurance for teenagers.

Information is power nowadays. The more you know about insurance – the higher are your chances to get the best deal. Information about the destination country is however integral in staying safe when driving in a foreign country. As such, one should acquire a copy of the driving laws in the destination country and read them before taking to the wheel. Prices can vary by hundreds of dollars, so it is worth the small effort it takes to do a little internet surfing. Prices are initially considered very competitive by customers. How competitive a quote is will depend heavily on the car being insured and the claims history of the customer.

Check all the cheap car insurance quotes that you have and make sure that the companies offering these services are reliable and trustworthy. This can be done simply be checking the car insurance companies profile online. Check out the safety of your new car. Before you purchase your new car, check out the safety features. Check for group discounts. Just call your carrier and ask for the list.

I trust that what you’ve read on car insurance for 17 year olds so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Healthcare is different you cannot opt-out by not living so in essence mandated coverage becomes a life tax. Health insurance is one of the MOST deregulated industries, and that is the core of the problem. They treat people like objects, like numbered cattle, not like people. Health insurance is mandatory. The IRS would be responsible for making sure everyone has health insurance, and taxing those who are lacking insurance.

Accidents cannot always be your fault. However, one of the factors which an insurance company will look will be a good driving history. Accidents happen a lot, particularly in cities with a high amount of traffic; often, if people don’t know all the rules of that particular city, or are visiting, they can get in trouble. It doesn’t help matters that many are tourists who aren’t used to driving there and don’t know the roads.

Generally, most companies will give the possibility of paying out of date, but this has its price. Your bill could increase a few euros each time you pay off the term. Generally, if you have a loan, such as for a house or car, your lender requires you to have the proper amount of insurance to cover their interests. They don’t want you to just default on the loan if something happens to it.

Knowing enough about car insurance for 17 year olds to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about car insurance for teenagers, you should have nothing to worry about.

About The Author: InsuranceSet.com allows you to compare 17 year old car insurance and provides free resources on car insurance for teenagers. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this paragraph and the hyperlinks are left unaltered.

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