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Anyone ever see this?
http://margomargo.tv/makestepliquidAMCphotos1.html
Could this be the day? EOM
So quiet. EOM
Could this be the day?
OT: President Kerry
One sunny day in 2005, an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry."
The Marine replied, "Sir, Mr. Kerry is not President and doesn't reside here." The old man said, "Okay," and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry" The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Kerry is not President and doesn't reside here." The man thanked him and again walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry. The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Kerry. I've told you already that Mr. Kerry is not the President and doesn't reside here. Don't you understand?"
The old man answered, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, " SIR, See you tomorrow
OT: CHINESE PROVERBS
>
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Virginity like bubble, one prick, all gone.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who run in front of car get tired.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who run behind car get exhausted.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Foolish man give wife grand piano, wise man give wife upright organ.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man with one chopstick go hungry.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Baseball is wrong: man with four balls cannot walk.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Panties not best thing on earth but next to best thing on earth!
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>War does not determine who is right, war determine who is left.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Wife who put husband in doghouse soon find him in cat house.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>It take many nails to build crib, but one screw to fill it.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who drive like hell, bound to get there.
>
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who stand on toilet is high on pot.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who fish in other man's well often catch crabs.
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Crowded elevator smell different to midget.
>
>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Man who has sex with woman in field get piece on earth
Abe, Who the heck are you?!
Its Mezcal time boy and girls!
I had my suspicions and now it is confirmed!
http://www.noedesign.com/dev/KerryEdwards/Index.html
enjoy
He He
TAA
Funk Music Star Rick James Dies
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 6) - Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit ''Super Freak,'' died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said.
James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes.
''We learned of his death after responding to a radio call,'' Reyes said.
After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues.
James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained and burned a young woman with a hot pipe during a cocaine binge at his house in West Hollywood. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room.
James was sentenced to more than two years in state prison.
In 1997, he released a new album, but a year later he suffered a stroke while performing at Denver's Mammoth Events Center, derailing a comeback tour.
In 1998 he also underwent hip replacement surgery.
With his trademark Jheri curl, James was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1980s, using danceable rhythms and passionate ballads to gain a wide following. Aside from ''Super Freak'' - which MC Hammer used a decade later as the backing track for his monster hit ''U Can't Touch This'' - James' hits included ''Mary Jane,'' ''Ebony Eyes'' and ''Fire and Desire,'' a stirring duet with Teena Marie.
08-06-04 1525EDT
A handsome white-haired man walked into a jeweler's shop late one Friday, with a beautiful young lady on his side.
"I'm looking for a special ring for my girlfriend," he said.
The jeweler looks through his stock, and takes out an outstanding ring priced at $5,000
"I don't think you understand. I want something very unique," he said.
At that, the jeweler went and fetched his special stock from the safe. "Here's one stunning ring at $40,000."
The girls' eyes sparkled, and the man said that he would take it.
"How are you paying?"
"I'll pay by check, but of course you will want to contact the bank to make sure that everything is in order, so I'll write a check and you can phone the bank, then I'll fetch the ring on Monday."
Monday morning a very pissed off jeweler phones the man. "You jerk, you lied to me there's no money in that account."
"I know, but can you imagine what a fantastic weekend I had?
One user, a person using the screen name "mumioler" who had posted the original messages about Galton's client that started the dispute, wrote a series of new messages calling Galton a "shyster" and an "overly robust geezer that makes a living walking behind the elephant with a shovel."
I guess he can sue Reuters now lol
Ah, it will get thrown out. The guy is just waistin $$$ to scare them.
Is something up with the NV web site?
I think the front page changed and NV Discovery is not coming up.
Any ideas?
TAA
Could this be the day?
A Google IPO blunder
The most anticipated initial public offering of the year is in a flap already. Web search company Google, planning an IPO worth up to $36 billion, may have illegally issued shares.
Google sold 23.2 million shares to 1,105 current and former employees and also granted 5.6 million options to 301 people, but did not register the transaction as required, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Reuters reported. The company plans to buy back the shares at a cost of $25.9 million, Reuters said, but some holder may not take a buyout and sue.
It’s not clear if this will affect the timing of the IPO. Google plans to sell 24.6 million shares at $108 to $135 per share in its debut, which means those illegally-issued shares could be worth up to $3.1 billion.
Hey bull, maybe it can be shorted at IPO with all those unregistered shares lol
A Google IPO blunder
The most anticipated initial public offering of the year is in a flap already. Web search company Google, planning an IPO worth up to $36 billion, may have illegally issued shares.
Google sold 23.2 million shares to 1,105 current and former employees and also granted 5.6 million options to 301 people, but did not register the transaction as required, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Reuters reported. The company plans to buy back the shares at a cost of $25.9 million, Reuters said, but some holder may not take a buyout and sue.
It’s not clear if this will affect the timing of the IPO. Google plans to sell 24.6 million shares at $108 to $135 per share in its debut, which means those illegally-issued shares could be worth up to $3.1 billion.
When does the Poison Pill run out?
Do we have a Blue Poison pill or a Red? lol
Turn up the sound to hear a message.
[Suppressed Sound Link]
When I moved up to Boston back in 1995 the price of a public phone was 10¢.
But 2 years later it jumped to 35¢ and now you would be lucky to find a big bell phone. You would most likely find some company phone you never heard of for 50¢. I see noe VZ is demanding two bits also.
[Suppressed Sound Link]
Just leave a message on the -0333 number and wait, he will call you like he did me, just sound like a fine upstanding gentleman and he will return your call.
I talked to BK yesterday.
I asked when would the SEC approve the filling and he said he could not say but there would be PRs when its gets approved.
TAA
Hey, if that stuff is legal that you are on can you send me some?
Mezcal gives me a hangover ;(
Or could it be Koolaid?
Spoke, you are a real winner
So,who bought?
You forgot to mention E.F. Buffett, Warren's Half cuzin.
You must work for NV or a VC...
OT : An unemployed man is desperate to support his family of a wife and three
> kids. He applies for a janitor's job at a large firm and easily passes an
> aptitude test.
>
> The human resources manager tells him, "You will be hired at minimum wage
of
> $5.35 an hour. Let me have your e-mail address so that we can get you in
the
> loop. Our system will automatically e-mail you all the forms and advise
you
> when to start and where to report on your first day."
>
> Taken back, the man protests that he is poor and has neither a computer
> nor an e-mail address. To this the manager replies, "You mustunderstand
> that to a company like ours that means that you virtually do not exist.
> Without an e-mail address you can hardly expect to be employed by a
> high-tech firm. Good day."
>
> Stunned, the man leaves. Not knowing where to turn and having $10 in his
> wallet, he walks past a farmers' market and sees a stand selling 25 lb.
> crates of beautiful red tomatoes. He buys a crate, carries it to a busy
> corner and displays the tomatoes. In less than 2 hours he sells all the
> tomatoes and makes 100% profit. Repeating the process several times more
> that day, he ends up with almost $100 and arrives home that night with
> several bags of groceries for his family.
>
> During the night he decides to repeat the tomato business the next day.
By
> the end of the week he is getting up early every day and working into the
> night. He multiplies his profits quickly. Early in the second week he
> acquires a cart to transport several boxes of tomatoes at a time, but
> before a month is up he sells the cart to buy a broken-down pickup truck.
>
> At the end of a year he owns three old trucks. His two sons have left
their
> neighborhood gangs to help him with the tomato business, his wife is
buying
> the tomatoes, and his daughter is taking night courses at the community
> college so she can keep books for him.
>
> By the end of the second year he has a dozen very nice used trucks and
> employs fifteen previously unemployed people, all selling tomatoes. He
> continues to work hard. Time passes and at the end of the fifth year he
> owns a fleet of nice trucks and a warehouse that his wife supervises, plus
> two tomato
> farms that the boys manage. The tomato company's payroll has put hundreds
> of homeless and jobless people to work. His daughter reports that the
> business grossed a million dollars.
>
> Planning for the future, he decides to buy some life insurance.
Consulting
> with an insurance adviser, he picks an insurance plan to fit his new
> circumstances. Then the adviser asks him for his e-mail address in order
to
> send the final documents electronically.
>
> When the man replies that he doesn't have time to mess with a computer
and
> has no e-mail address, the insurance man is stunned, "What, you don't have
> e-mail? No computer? No Internet? Just think where you would be today if
> you'd had all of that five years ago!"
>
> Ha!" snorts the man. "If I'd had e-mail five years ago I would be
sweeping
> floors at Microsoft and making $5.15 an hour."
>
> Which brings us to the moral of the story: Since you got this story by
> e-mail, you're probably closer to being a janitor than a millionaire.
> Sadly, I received it also.
OT: Four men went golfing one day.
Three of them headed to the first tee and the fourth went into the clubhouse to take care of the bill. The three men started talking and bragging about their sons.
The first man told the others, "My son is a home builder, and he is so successful that he gave a friend a new home for free. Just gave it to him!"
The second man said, "My son was a car salesman, and now he owns a multi-line dealership. He's so successful that he gave one of his friends a new Mercedes, fully "loaded."
The third man said "My son is a stockbroker, and he's doing so incredibly well that he gave his friend an entire portfolio."
The fourth man joined them on the tee after a few minutes of taking care of business. The first man mentioned, "We were just talking about our sons. How is yours doing?"
The fourth man replied, "Well, my son is gay and go-go dances in a gay bar."
The other three men grew silent as he continued, "I'm not totally thrilled about the dancing job, but he must be doing well. His last three boyfriends gave him a house, a brand new Mercedes, and a stock portfolio."
Ran into a Mongoose?
Mezcal time...... ;)
>JOB APPLICATION
>
>NAME: John Kerry
>
>RESIDENCE: 7 mansions, including Washington DC, worth multi-millions.
>
>EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Law Enforcement. I voted to cut every law
>enforcement, CIA and defense bill in my career as a US Senator. I ordered
>Boston to remove a fire hydrant in front of my mansion, thereby
>endangering my neighbors in the event of fire.
>
>MILITARY: I used three minor injuries to get an early discharge from the
>military and service in Vietnam (as documented by the attending doctor).
>I then returned to the US, joined Jane Fonda in protesting the war, and
>insulted returning Vietnam vets, claiming they committed atrocities and
>were baby killers. I threw my medals, ribbons, or something away in
>protest.
>Or did I? My book; Vietnam Veterans Against the War: The New Soldier shows
> how I truly feel about the military.
>
>COLLEGE: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. Unlike my
> counterpart George Bush, I have no higher education and did not get
>admitted to Harvard nor graduate with an M.BA
>
>PAST WORK EXPERIENCE: I ran for U.S. Congress and have been there ever
>since. I have no real world experience except marrying rich women and
>running HJ Heinz vicariously through my wife Teresa.
>
>ACCOMPLISHMENTS: As a US Senator I set the record for the most liberal
>voting record, exceeding even Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. I have
>consistently failed to support our military and CIA by voting against
>budgets, thus gutting our country's ability to defend itself.
>Although I voted for the Iraq War, now I am against it and refuse to
>admit that I voted for it. I voted for every liberal piece of
>legislation. I have no plan to help this country but I intend to
>raise taxes significantly if I am elected.
>
>My wealth so far exceeds that of my counterpart, George Bush, that he will
>never catch up. I make no or little charitable contributions and have
>never agreed to pay any voluntary excess taxes in MA, despite family
>wealth in excess of $ 700 million.
>
>I (we) own 28 manufacturing plants (Heinz) outside of the U.S. in places[
>like Asia, Mexico and Europe. We can make more profit from the cheaper
>cost of labor in those Countries, although I Blame George Bush for sending
> all of the jobs out of Country.
>
>Although I claim to be in favor of alternative energy sources, Ted Kennedy
>and I oppose windmills off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as it might
>spoil our view of the ocean as we cruise on our yachts.
>
>RECORDS AND REFERENCES: None.
>
>PERSONAL: I ride a Serotta Bike.
>
>My Gulfstream V Jet I call The Flying Squirrel.
>
>I call my $850,000 42-foot Hinckleytwin diesel yacht the "Scarmouche".
>
>I am fascinated by rap and hip-hop and feel it reflects our real
>culture.
>
> I own several "Large" SUVs including one parked at my Nantucket summer
>mansion, though I am against large polluting inefficient vehicles and I
>blame George Bush for the energy problems.
>
>PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004.
Warren Buffett's Wife Dies of Stroke
July 29, 2004 09:56:00 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Susan Buffett, the wife of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKa) Chairman Warren Buffett, died of a stroke while the two were visiting friends in Cody, Wyoming, the company said on Thursday.
Susan Buffett has been a director of Berkshire since 1991 and owned 2.2 percent of the company's stock, according to the company's most recent proxy filing. She also stood to inherit Warren Buffett's fortune upon his death, a sum estimated by Forbes at $42.9 billion.
The company did not say in its statement what would happen to her interest in Berkshire. But Warren Buffett has said that if he outlived her, all off their stock would go to a family foundation upon his death.
While the two have been separated for years, they never divorced and remained close.
Susan Buffett was 71 at the time the company's proxy statement was filed this spring.
© 2004 Reuters
I don't think osama is running, maybe an infertile egg.
Heck, kerry may start a fashion trend in Afghanistan.
Oh, and I think kerry's wife's speech sent my wife back 100 years lol
OT: How one company, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge, went from research breakthrough to IP0 in a few short years.
From idea to marketplace: The Boston ecosystem at work
How one company, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge, went from research breakthrough to IP0 in a few short years.
By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff / July 26, 2004
STUDYING SUGARS: Scientists at MIT labored through the 1990s to understand the role of complex sugars, which coat cells and can serve as a conduit for viruses and diseases. An initial breakthrough came in 1993, when assistant professor Ram Sasisekharan cloned the first Heparin sugar-degrading enzyme in MIT's biomedical engineering lab.
ADVERTISEMENT
THE EUREKA MOMENT: In April 1999, Sasisekharan, research associate Ganesh Venkataraman, and graduate students Zachary Shriver and Rahul Raman became the first scientists to develop a process for determining the structure of complex sugars. The four were eating pizza late at night in Sasisekharan's cramped office in MIT's Building 16 when they realized they had cracked the code by using computers to piece together diverse sugar measurements.
SPREADING THE WORD: MIT's team published its findings in the October 1999 issue of Science magazine and discussed them at a Stockholm conference. "Everyone felt we had it," Sasisekharan recalled.
A STARTUP GETS FUNDING: Sasisekharan joined with his MIT mentor, biotechnology research pioneer Robert S. Langer, and Venkataraman to found Momenta on May 17, 2001. They received a $250,000 seed round of funding on Aug. 16, led by Polaris Venture Partners in Waltham. MIT's Technology Licensing Office granted the company the right to use the MIT-owned technology in exchange for equity, licensing fees, and potential royalties.
SETTING UP SHOP: Flush with $6.2 million from a Series A funding round led by Polaris and Cardinal Partners on April 16, 2002, Momenta moved to new offices in Cambridge on May 1. Alan L. Crane, recruited from Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Cambridge, reported on May 31 as Momenta's chairman and chief executive officer. Researchers began working on new drugs and technologies based on their novel understanding of sugars.
STAR POWER: The company in mid-2002 tapped into Boston's medical institutions to assemble a scientific advisory board that included high-profile Harvard Medical School professors M. Judah Folkman of Children's Hospital and Eugene Braunwald of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
FOLLOW-ON FUNDING: With its team in place and its drug discovery underway, Momenta drew additional venture capital: $19 million on May 9, 2003, in a Series B round led by Atlas Venture of Waltham and MVM Ltd. of Cambridge, and $20.5 million on Feb. 27, 2004, in a Series C round by Polaris, Cardinal, Atlas, MVM, and Mithra Group.
BUILDING A PIPELINE: Momenta now employs about 45 people and has 100 patents and applications. Its researchers are working on a generic form of Lovenox, a sugar used as a blood thinner; an engineered Heparin product for acute coronary syndrome; technology that permits inhalation rather than injection of drugs; and, anticancer drugs based on an understanding of the role of sugars in cancer formation. These products are on track to enter the market over the next several years.
THE IPO: On June 21, the company raised $34.8 million in an initial public offering to fund its drug development. Momenta sold 5.35 million shares at $6.50 each and was listed on the Nasdaq market under the symbol MNTA.
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
Thanks!
I don't think we know all the facts.
Would it be a good idea to short Google when it IPOs?
It would be a shame if they were trying their best in this market.
OT: Just got a phone call from back home a friend my wife and I grew up with was in a bad accident. She and her son should be Ok.
Crash kills officer and hurts 2 others
Policeman was driving wrong way on Rt. 1&9
Saturday, July 24, 2004
BY BARRY CARTER AND NIKITA STEWART
Star-Ledger Staff
An off-duty Newark police officer driving the wrong way on Routes 1&9 yesterday was killed in a head-on automobile collision that injured a mother and her 12-year-old son in the other vehicle.
Newark police officer Anthony Simmons, 35, of Hillside was driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee southbound in the northbound express lane on Routes 1&9 when the fatal collision occurred around 2:53 a.m., said Acting Police Director Anthony Ambrose.
Simmons, a 13-year veteran on the force, was pronounced dead at the scene, but the driver of the 2002 Ford Explorer, Maryann Abasto, and her son were taken to University Hospital.
Rogers Ramsey, a hospital spokesman, said they are listed in stable condition.
Ambrose said the investigation into the accident is ongoing, but a witness told police Simmons was traveling northbound in the local lane on Routes 1&9 and got off at the Delancy Street exit.
Since Simmons lives in Hillside, Ambrose said he may have missed the turn off for Route 22 and kept driving on Routes 1&9 until he could exit the highway at Delancy Street.
When he did get off the road, Ambrose said Simmons turned left onto Delancy Street, then made another left a few 100 yards up to get back on the highway to go southbound.
Ambrose, however, said that entrance is no longer a southbound ramp because of construction in the area. He said the ramp is actually an exit for the northbound express lane on Routes 1&9.
"He probably didn't know about the change and went up into the northbound lane thinking he was going south," Ambrose said.
Simmons traveled in the wrong direction for about a 1 1/2 miles before the accident occurred between McClellan Street and Haynes Avenue.
Ambrose said investigators also do not know where Simmons was coming from or if alcohol was involved. Toxicology reports are pending.
Abasto was headed home after spending hours in the emergency room of a hospital in Elizabeth with her son, Michael, said Irene Abasto, her mother-in-law.
Michael hurt his arm as he made the final run for the Iron Knights during a Little League baseball game in Newark Thursday night, she said.
Maryann Abasto -- an emergency medical technician with the Ironbound Ambulance Squad -- had driven to the hospital in Elizabeth because it had a pediatric orthopedist on staff, Irene Abasto said.
As they headed home, Maryann Abasto called her husband, Alexander Abasto, to let him know they were on their way. Minutes later, Alexander Abasto received another phone call from his friend, Michael Lalley, a Newark police officer who told him that his son and wife had been in an accident.
He rushed to the scene early yesterday morning and called his mother.
"My son called me and said, 'Mom, Mom, this is unbelievable,'" Irene Abasto recalled. "I could hear her screaming and he was crying and he was crying to them, 'I want you to give her something so she doesn't hurt.'"
The accident scene was in the jurisdiction of the Ironbound Ambulance Squad, where Abasto has worked for three years. The squad was on the scene and several members were at University Hospital yesterday to lend their support.
Family members and friends who gathered at the Newark home where Simmons grew up on Goldsmith Avenue were at a loss yesterday about what happened.
His mother, Mary, told Ambrose that Simmons stopped by the house around 3 p.m. Thursday and left after making a phone call.
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye," she said. "It hurts right now."
Ambrose and Acting Police Chief Irving Bradley expressed their condolences to the family, telling Simmons' mother that his death will be tough to overcome.
"Our prayers and our hearts are with you," he said. "We hope there is a speedy recovery for the other family," he said later. "This is a tragedy for the Simmons family and for the other family as well."
Sgt. Zaid Braswell, a childhood friend, said Simmons was one of 11 brothers and sisters who made people laugh when he walked into a room. He said Simmons was an avid jogger, who loved music and was a deejay when he wasn't on the job.
"It's hard to believe he's gone," Braswell said.
Simmons, who joined the force in 1991, received 14 command citations. In his 13 years with the department, Simmons had numerous assignments, including patrol, the Juvenile Aid Bureau, Motorcycle Squad and the Prisoner Processing Division. He most recently was assigned to the South District.
Barry Carter covers Newark. He can be reached at bcarter@starledger.com or (973) 392-1827.
What if they said they were going to file for an IPO with the SEC but did not, Would these guys still be in business?
]Nearly $14 million was used to finance Lawrence's grossly lavish lifestyle, which included spending $2.1 million purchasing at least 23 automobiles including exotic cars such as a Lamborghini and Vipers for himself. He also spent almost $500,000 on cars for his family and friends. Lawrence's other lavish spending included nearly $2 million on homes, $1 million on boats and $330,000 on an engagement ring for relief defendant Stacy Gray. Claflin spent more than $2 million of investor funds for his personal use.
Ouch!
So I guess this stock never made it to IPO?
This is a civil suit but not Federal?
Key figure in Znetix fraud case gets four-year prison term
By JOHN COOK
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Kevin McCarthy, who fleeced Znetix shareholders with promises of IPO riches, will no longer be able to pass the collection plate to potential investors.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman sentenced the 41-year-old Kirkland resident to four years in prison for his role in the $91 million stock scam. In addition to the prison sentence, Pechman ordered three years of probation that includes restrictions on McCarthy's employment, ability to own firearms and, in an unusual move, his financial dealings with church members.
Because McCarthy touted the Znetix stock scam through religious organizations, including McCarthy Ministries, Pechman barred him from giving any financial advice to fellow parishioners.
"You can't even pass the collection tray on Sunday mornings," Pechman said.
McCarthy faced a maximum of 10 years in prison for conspiracy and mail fraud, though attorneys for the defense and prosecution asked for a reduced sentence of 40 months because of his cooperation and testimony.
The first of nine men to plead guilty in the case, McCarthy joined Znetix affiliate Health Maintenance Centers as director of investor relations in September 2000.
He later worked closely with Znetix ringleader Kevin Lawrence to secretly control Cascade Pointe, a limited liability company that bilked investors out of more than $12 million.
McCarthy's two days of testimony earlier this year at the trial of former Znetix stock salesmen Larry Beaman, Michael Culp and Harvey Kuiken helped seal their convictions. They are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17.
"He was one of the most exemplary cooperators I've ever seen," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Coopersmith in his recommendation to the judge. "From Day One he was right away telling us completely candid, thorough responses to the questions we had."
Defense attorney Carol Koller described McCarthy as a "pawn in the system" who did not set out to defraud anyone.
"In his heart, he wants to make this right," Koller said.
During brief remarks, McCarthy choked back tears as he thanked the court and his attorney.
"Everybody has been fair," he said.
But Pechman, who has presided over the complex financial fraud for two years, was not swayed by McCarthy's emotional statement or the recommendations of the attorneys.
Pechman said McCarthy was the centerpiece of the government's case, unearthing complicated facts, providing forthcoming testimony and meeting with federal agents at any time. But Pechman said she was struck by how closely that enthusiasm mirrored his devotion to Znetix.
"There is something lacking in you and your moral center," Pechman said. "I am not so sure you know who you are. You are a little bit like a proverbial pingpong ball going back and forth."
While Pechman said defense attorney Koller put a good gloss on McCarthy's activities, she said the fact remains that he cheated people "who lost more than they could afford."
"You were not just an unwitting pawn," she said. "It is obvious you were in up to your eyeballs."
McCarthy declined to comment after the sentencing. His wife, who sat in the front row of the fifth-floor courtroom in downtown Seattle, said she was perplexed by the decision.
"I am just stunned," she said.
In other developments in the case, former Znetix stock salesman Alex Lacson yesterday dropped plans to try to reverse his guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6.
Donavon Claflin, the 33-year- old former treasurer of Health Maintenance Centers, is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
.10 Magic number?
[Suppressed Sound Link]