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Jefferson Davis was elected as the only President of the Confederate States of America on February 9, 1861.

Davis was born June 3, 1808 in Kentucky, and grew up on a successful Mississippi cotton plantation.  He was the youngest of ten children born to Samuel and Jane Davis. His schooling included Transylvania University. Following his 1828 graduation from West Point, Davis served in the infantry. In 1835 he married Sarah, the daughter of Zachary Taylor. They moved from Wisconsin to Mississippi. Within 3 months, Sarah and Jefferson contracted malaria. Sarah died of the disease. Davis recovered but the combination of the disease and grief, left him in poor health which plagued him all of his life.

For the next 10 years Davis lived on his cotton plantation and became more active in politics. In 1845 he married Varina Howell and the Davis’ went to Washington DC where he served in the House of Representatives. They made a good team, with her entertaining prowess and his eloquence.

Jefferson and Varina were parents of six children, two of whom died in childhood.

Davis left Congress to serve as an officer in the Mexican War. Returning from the war he was appointed to the US Senate. He lost a close race for Governor of Mississippi, but then was appointed as Franklin Pierce’s secretary of war. Davis was again serving as a Senator when Mississippi seceded from the Union in Jan 1861.

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He was inaugurated on February 18, 1861 and, following the permanent adoption of the constitution, again elected by popular vote for a 6 year term and once more inaugurated on February 22.

Davis did not seek the office, but rose to the call. He felt himself better suited to leadership in the field. His distinguished careers as soldier and civilian led many to believe him a natural leader for the new Confederacy.

He whole heartedly supported a peace conference intended to create a plan to reconcile the Union and the Confederacy. But it’s failure made war inevitable.

The first capital of the Confederacy was in Montgomery, Alabama. The capital changed to Richmond in May 1861, when Virginia joined her sister states in secession.

By April, 1862 he had convinced the Confederate Congress to authorize the first conscription draft. Davis also initiated martial law, regulation of the Railroad, impressments of property, harsh tax laws, and diplomacy with France & England intended to gain commercial trade and recognition of Confederate independence.

Davis is criticized for micro-managing military maneuvers from his far away Confederate White House, rather than leaving tactical details to his Generals. As a president with a formidable cause, Davis was not a particularly tactful person, often perceived as being over bearing and unyielding.

General Robert E Lee surrendered April 9, 1861 without the agreement of President Davis. Davis hoped to continue the war, but was captured May 10, while fleeing to Florida. He was held prisoner for two years before being allowed to post bail.

He lived 12 years beyond the Civil War and had a lot of public support from fellow southerners.  He retired to write his memoirs Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, (2 vol. 1881) and penned A Short History of the Confederate States of America, published after his death.

Davis died in New Orleans of pneumonia on December 6, 1889.

President Jefferson Davis is featured in two paintings by popular Civil War artist Mort Kunstler – Lee Takes Command and White House Strategy.

http://www.articlesbase.com/history-articles/jefferson-davis-president-of-the-confederate-states-of-america-4284151.html

Oil Well for sale is emerging as one of the most profitable business wings across the world and it is the most vital revenue generator in the United States. Oil Wells in the United States use various analysing techniques and engineering methodologies, these techniques play a major role in the sale of Oil wells.  Around 22 barrels of oil can yielded per day from ten oil wells with three injectors, and the rate and amount of the oil varies from place to place.  The economic returns from the crude oil will be greater than 0K from 2000 acres of land and the yield varies accordingly to the water injectors and the land used for drilling. The most significant Oil wells in the United States are given below, the Illinois Oil Wells, Texas Oil Wells, New York Oil Wells, Pennsylvania Oil Wells, Kentucky Oil Field etc.

The Illinois Oil well produces large amount of crude oil from the depressed regions of Pennsylvania and the large yielding oil resources are found in Mediterranean rocks when they are drilled below 13,000 feet.  Texas Oil Trade is the best illustration for US economic growth in this century and the Texas Oil wells have yielded maximum oil in Permian, South east and north eastern regions of Texas, these Oil wells are the most outperforming oil wells. Underneath the basins, oil and gas can move through small holes and pores to other surfaces of the rocks, they must be carefully expelled through shafts and machines. The oil and natural gas explored from these areas at greater depths are considered to be the purest form of natural resources.

The oil wells in these regions are subjected to strict rules and regulations and these rules and regulations differ with place to place. Many revised plans are carried on these oil wells, and this leads to increase in the production of Oil in the United States, even though the other parts of United States are subjected to heavy loss, these parts are not affected and they contribute consistently. While comparing with the data of 2007, there was one percent decrease in the oil production, this was due to the increase in population and modernization. The comforts and luxuries are increasing at rapid rate in this modern world which may destroy the natural resources, and the mankind will be facing numerous problems in future. The Oil well trade is running successful across the world because of the oil producing companies are providing the investors, with lion’s share of their profit.

http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/far-famed-oil-wells-for-sale-across-the-united-states-3384724.html

Article by Real Estate Advisor

Top 10 and Bottom 10 U.S. States Where People Live the Longest

If you are looking to live to a ripe old age, then check out these top U.S. states where people are not only living longer but also better. Eons Inc. in its 2007 State of Longevity Report lists the top 10 and bottom 10 U.S. states where people’s longevity is the highest. Hawaii tops the longevity list with the highest calculated age of 91.98 years. The report also ranks the states based on behaviors that affect longevity such as the best attitude on aging, eating habits, amount of exercise and hours at work.

The longevity report was compiled from data provided from more than 450,000 respondents, aged 50 and above, on various factors including their personal history, lifestyle, nutrition, medical and family history. The report ranked all the 50 states based on the responses made on an online longevity calculator. The respondents received feedback on how to improve their behavior and lifestyle to maximize their lifespan.

Here is the list of top 10 U.S. states where people live the longest -

1. Hawaii with an age expectancy of 91.98 years2. Colorado with an age expectancy of 91.76 years3. New Mexico with an age expectancy of 91.60 years4. California with an age expectancy of 91.55 years5. Arizona with an age expectancy of 91.39 years6. Vermont with an age expectancy of 91.38 years7. Oregon with an age expectancy of 91.36 years8. Washington with an age expectancy of 91.30 years9. Idaho with an age expectancy of 91.15 years10. Minnesota with an age expectancy of 91.15 years

The bottom 10 U.S. states where people live the longest are -

1. Kentucky with the lowest calculated age of 89.86 years2. Pennsylvania with the lowest calculated age of 89.81 years3. Ohio with the lowest calculated age of 89.80 years4. Indiana with the lowest calculated age of 89.74 years5. Oklahoma with the lowest calculated age of 89.73 years6. Illinois with the lowest calculated age of 89.68 years7. Arkansas with the lowest calculated age of 89.65 years8. Louisiana with the lowest calculated age of 89.61 years9. Missouri with the lowest calculated age of 89.60 years10. West Virginia with the lowest calculated age of 89.52 years

It can be noted that the difference between the states with the highest and lowest calculated age expectancy is just below three years.

http://goarticles.com/article/Want-To-Live-A-Long-Life-Top-10-States-For-Longevity/547964/

Top 10 and Bottom 10 U.S. States Where People Live the Longest

If you are looking to live to a ripe old age, then check out these top U.S. states where people are not only living longer but also better. Eons Inc. in its 2007 State of Longevity Report lists the top 10 and bottom 10 U.S. states where people’s longevity is the highest. Hawaii tops the longevity list with the highest calculated age of 91.98 years. The report also ranks the states based on behaviors that affect longevity such as the best attitude on aging, eating habits, amount of exercise and hours at work.

The longevity report was compiled from data provided from more than 450,000 respondents, aged 50 and above, on various factors including their personal history, lifestyle, nutrition, medical and family history. The report ranked all the 50 states based on the responses made on an online longevity calculator. The respondents received feedback on how to improve their behavior and lifestyle to maximize their lifespan.

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Here is the list of top 10 U.S. states where people live the longest -

1. Hawaii with an age expectancy of 91.98 years
2. Colorado with an age expectancy of 91.76 years
3. New Mexico with an age expectancy of 91.60 years
4. California with an age expectancy of 91.55 years
5. Arizona with an age expectancy of 91.39 years
6. Vermont with an age expectancy of 91.38 years
7. Oregon with an age expectancy of 91.36 years
8. Washington with an age expectancy of 91.30 years
9. Idaho with an age expectancy of 91.15 years
10. Minnesota with an age expectancy of 91.15 years

The bottom 10 U.S. states where people live the longest are -

1. Kentucky with the lowest calculated age of 89.86 years
2. Pennsylvania with the lowest calculated age of 89.81 years
3. Ohio with the lowest calculated age of 89.80 years
4. Indiana with the lowest calculated age of 89.74 years
5. Oklahoma with the lowest calculated age of 89.73 years
6. Illinois with the lowest calculated age of 89.68 years
7. Arkansas with the lowest calculated age of 89.65 years
8. Louisiana with the lowest calculated age of 89.61 years
9. Missouri with the lowest calculated age of 89.60 years
10. West Virginia with the lowest calculated age of 89.52 years

It can be noted that the difference between the states with the highest and lowest calculated age expectancy is just below three years.

http://realestateadvisor.articlesbase.com/health-articles/want-to-live-a-long-life-top-10-states-for-longevity-179997.html

Atlas Copco Ltd has signed an agreement to acquire the Medical Gas Solutions business from Penlon Ltd, headquartered in the United Kingdom. Penlon Medical Gas Solutions is a leading provider of medical gas systems, medical vacuum equipment, and pipeline components for hospitals.

Penlon Medical Gas Solutions’ business had revenues in 2010 of around MGBP 12 and employed aggregate quarry mining equipment south africa about 100 people. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction is conditional on clearance by competition authorities.

Penlon Medical Gas Solutions is headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The company has assembly facilities in the UK and sells through distributors to over 30 countries worldwide, including the Middle East, India, China and Japan. See also the Medical Gases section of jaw crusher in south africa. The anesthesia business will remain with Penlon Ltd.

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The United States Mine Safety and Health Administration has just terminated two imminent danger orders issued on March 18, 2011 to Lexington, Kentucky based Rhino Eastern LLC, a 51%-owned subsidiary of Rhino Resource Partners LP, regarding its Eagle No. 1 Mine in Bolt, West Virginia. Today’s actions by MSHA allow Rhino Eastern LLC to resume production at the Eagle No. 1 Mine immediately.

R. Chad Hunt, P.E., Vice President of Rhino GP LLC, the General Partner of Rhino Resource Partners LP and the coal grinding mill plant process executive who oversees the Rhino Eastern Mine, commented that “We have successfully drained the pools of water that caused MSHA to issue the two imminent danger orders and we will continue to monitor the situation and drain any smaller pockets that remain when we encounter them. The safety of our workforce always has been, and will continue to be, our top priority. We are very appreciative of the hard work our management and workforce put into this effort to get the orders lifted and the cooperation we received from MSHA.” Future production is not anticipated to be affected by the temporary idling of production or the engineering solution implemented by Rhino Eastern LLC.

The properties cover approximately 26,000 acres and are known as Chanarcillo, Yerbas Buenas, Pircas, Chimbeos and Lomas Bayas. One World will issue an aggregate of 17,500,000 shares and pay an aggregate of 0,000 cash to acquire an 80% interest in each of the properties and will fund 100% of all costs up to the completion of a positive feasibility study for each property. The property vendor will retain a 1% net smelter returns royalty on each property, up to a maximum of US,000,000 in royalty payments per property. One World will make an advance royalty payment of 0,000 on each property.

Chanarcillo and Yerbas Buenas are currently the two material properties in the package, and each is highly prospective for the presence of Iron Oxide Copper Gold (“IOCG”) deposit-type mineralization. One World anticipates conducting drilling programs on each of the Chanarcillo and Yerbas Buenas properties, totalling approximately 15,000 metres, as well as at least one more of the newly-acquired properties, in 2011.

http://www.articlesbase.com/online-promotion-articles/the-united-states-mine-safety-and-health-administration-4639561.html

Article by Aurelia Masterson

Executive Summary – There are now 10 states in the USA that are insolvent and expected to file for bankruptcy in the fairly immediate future (2010).

Which 10 States – California, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. These 10 states account for over one third of the USA population and this is significant. Think of it is more then 33% of the USA going bankrupt.

Other States on the Endangered Species List – Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, New York and Hawaii. These states are in bad shape and can easily get pushed over into bankruptcy.

Which States are Financially Solvent – Only two. Montana and North Dakota, which actually has a .3 billion dollar surplus.

Why They Are So Bad Off Financially – High Foreclosure rates, high unemployment, budget deficits, political and legal blocks to having a balanced budget, poor money management.

Real Estate – Declining real estate values cause homeowners to have their house prices adjusted for purposes of paying lower property taxes causing a drop in property tax income revenue. High foreclosure rates means unoccupied homes. That means no taxes on phones, water, cable, Internet etc. More lost revenue. There are very few new housing starts, which means lost jobs and no payroll taxes, and no sales taxes on building supplies and materials. There is also a loss of revenue from building permits and other revenue. A lot of retail space and office space is going vacant which again means lost revenue.

High Unemployment – This means a drop in state income taxes and a drop in city and county taxes as well. This also causes high unemployment benefits with extensions, which hurts the state especially with a shortage of employers paying into the fund due to a large amount of lost jobs.

Retail Sales – Of course with such high unemployment these retail sales are off and thus the sales taxes paid to the states, cities and counties is way down further reducing their revenue.

Auto Sales – The big drop in car sales has hurt Michigan and of course caused lost jobs nationwide.

Tourism – The drop in tourism has caused Nevada to lose a lot of tourism business resulting in jobs lost and the casinos and hotels are in trouble financially with their debt load. Tourism brings Nevada a lot of special tourist taxes that are now way down. Florida and New York are also tourism states and tourism revenue in these states is down.

Timber – This is low due to few new housing starts and is affecting Oregon.

Result of States Filing Bankruptcy – There will be reductions and loses of pensions for retired workers. There will be layoffs amongst state workers. There will be defaults in part or in full on financial obligations the state cannot fulfill. The bankruptcies will roll downhill and cities and counties will start to go bankrupt. Prisons will be turning to early release and letting large numbers of inmates out early. Prisons will close and department of corrections staffs will be curtailed. Newly convicted criminals will be steered into supervised release, house arrest, and other programs which they offender will be paying for as an alternative for prison which will be reserved for violent offenders. There will still be a lot of convicts, just not a lot of people doing prison time. First responders such as police, highway patrols, and department of corrections law enforcement personnel, fire personnel, ambulances, sewer, water, and other personnel will be laid off out of necessity.

Combined with high unemployment, rising homelessness, an awful economy, early prison release and a very low chance of getting sent to prison crime can be expected to rise significantly. There will need to be layoffs and a certain amount of jobs cut from the public sector within the states, cities and counties. Many of these people were and are Obama supporters but they will sour fast when they lose their jobs in the midst of this depression with awful prospects for work.

Thirty-four states already cut higher education aid and twenty-five states already reduced grade school aid. Twenty-Seven states have reduced health care benefits for low-income people. Twenty-six states have hiring freezes. Twenty-two states have lowered employee’s wages. Thirteen states have announced layoffs. Federal aid to the states has already being reduced. The worst is yet to come. 2010 will bring the loss of many jobs in public sector as well as the private sector. Experts say any chance of a turn around will be best case in 2011 and possibly much later with 2010 looking bleak.

Discussion -The bankruptcies should happen in 2010 and many of the other problems have already begun. In 2010 37 Governors face re-election and 46 states will chose their legislatures. The reality is to keep the states spending budgets up; taxes will have to be increased. When you have a lot of people out of work and a lot of failed businesses this means big tax hikes and raising taxes for those able to survive in a down economy is just going to make it harder for them to make it in the long run. Of course out of work people are short term oriented and can care less about down the road.

Things look like the politicians are going to try and run with upside down budgets but they will run out of money and then have to make some hard choices when they are up against the wall. In a state with high unemployment, who is going to vote for a politician who says we need to pull our belts in and run with a balanced budget and a sound economic policy and this will mean spending cuts and job cuts. Now the politician who says well we need to make jobs, extend unemployment benefits, send the kids to school and college, keep the medical aid coming, and keep the spending up is going to get elected. Then when the spenders get elected what are they going to do?

See the perfect storm is brewing and many indicators for a revolution are in place and it is like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Obama has been a sheer disappointment for many and the few remaining supporters will turn against him when they see what 2010 has in store for them.

http://www.panamalaw.org

http://goarticles.com/article/10-States-Ready-to-Go-Bankrupt-Bad-Implications-for-USA/2279648/

Being in a safe community is one of the most important factors that buyers consider when purchasing a home, condo or any other type of real estate. So where are America’s most secure places to live? The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has released its third annual ranking of top 20 ‘Most Secure U.S. Places to Live’.

Bert Sperling, a database expert with http://bestplaces.net, compiled the Farmers rankings based on data from 379 U.S. municipalities. Factors such as crime statistics, unemployment rates and risks of environmental hazards, terrorism threats, natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, were taken into consideration.

The communities were divided into three groups – large metropolitan areas (above 500,000 residents), mid-size cities (between 150,000 and 500,000 residents), and small towns (fewer than 150,000 residents).

According to the survey, the most secure community to live in the U.S. among large metropolitan areas are the adjacent communities of Boise City and Nampa (both in Idaho), which topped all large metro areas. Located among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the area has one of the lowest unemployment rates and enjoys a wonderful climate.

Among the Mid-size cities, those with a population between 150,000 and 500,000, the safest community to live is Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces was the first among mid-size cities in low unemployment rate and favorable climate categories.

St. George in Utah topped all small cities with populations of 150,000 or fewer in the survey. The city has 110,515 residents who enjoy a mild climate, clean air and low annual precipitation. It also has the lowest crime rates of all the 379 communities surveyed. St. George stands first in employment rate among the 138 small towns in the Farmers study.

The following are top 20 communities of America’s most secure places to live among large metropolitan areas, mid-size cities and small towns:

The top 20 safest communities to live among the large metro areas are:

1. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
2. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine
3. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California
6. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton, Pennsylvania
7. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California
8. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Maryland
9. Syracuse, New York
10. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California
11. El Paso, Texas
12. Albany-Troy-Schenectady, New York
13. Rochester, New York
14. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York
15. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks- Ventura, California
16. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, New York
17. Nassau-Suffolk, New York
18. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pennsylvania
19. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut.
20. New Haven-Milford, Connecticut.

The top 20 safest places to live among mid-size cities are:

1. Las Cruces, New Mexico
2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, New Hampshire
3. Huntington, West Virginia.-Ashland, Kentucky
4. Bellingham, Washington
5. Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont
6. Lynchburg, Virginia
7. Medford, Oregon
8. Prescott, Arizona
9. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California
10. Binghamton, New York
11. Provo-Orem, Utah
12. St. Cloud, Minnesota
13. Fargo, North Dakota
14. Hagerstown, Maryland -Martinsburg, West Virginia
15. Olympia, Washington
16. Charlottesville, Virginia
17. Chico, California
18. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington
19. Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire
20. Duluth, Minnesota

The top 20 safest communities to live among the small towns are:

1. St. George, Utah
2. Bend, Oregon
3. Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia
4. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
5. Ithaca, New York
6. Morgantown, West Virginia
7. Logan, Utah
8. Winchester, Virginia
9. Harrisonburg, Virginia
10. Idaho Falls, Idaho
11. Madera, California
12. Glens Falls, New York
13. Wenatchee, Washington
14. Bangor, Maine
15. Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
16. State College, Pennsylvania
17. Billings, Montana
18. Cumberland, Maryland
19. Lewiston, Idaho
20. Pocatello, Idaho

If you are looking to settle down in any of these great cities, contact a good real estate agent who will help you purchase the home or condo of your choice.

Todd Beardsley (born Todd Beardsley Jr.) (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American R&B singer. During his career, Todd Beardsley sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track “Dance With My Father”, co-written with Richard Marx.

Early life and career 1951-1980

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Todd Beardsley grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. His sister sang with girl group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960′s with “Sixteen Candles.” Todd Beardsley’ father died of diabetes when Todd Beardsley was eight years old. His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart. It was then and there he knew he wanted to be a singer.

Todd Beardsley formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969.

His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Todd Beardsley wrote “Everybody Rejoice,” for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Todd Beardsley had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie’s soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie’s album Young Americans.

Todd Beardsley also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Todd Beardsley was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Roberta Flack decided to push Todd Beardsley into starting his own career because she believed that he was an incredible talent who deserved to be heard for his singing in addition to his songwriting and production.

Before his breakthrough, he released two albums on Cotillion Records, the self-titled “Luther” in 1976 and “This Close to You” in 1977. He also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early ’80s earning upwards of 0,000 per year around the New York area. Well known advertising campaigns he wrote and/or sang jingles for include Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “We Do Chicken Right,” NBC’s “Proud As A Peacock” & The US Army’s “Be All You Can Be.” Todd Beardsley continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70′s. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single “Hot Butterfly” from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success.

Career success 1980-2003. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. Their 1980 hits, “The Glow of Love” and “Searching” led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP “Never Too Much.” The album, which contained the track “A House is Not a Home” went double platinum, with the song “Never Too Much” reaching #1 on the R&B charts.

Todd Beardsley released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Todd Beardsley had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Todd Beardsley had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: “Stop to Love” in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”. He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin’s albums “Jump To It” and “Get It Right”. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Todd Beardsley-produced tracks after a long chart absence.)

The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Todd Beardsley…The Best Of Love, included the ballad “Here And Now”, the first Todd Beardsley single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991′s Power Of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track “Power of Love/Love Power” winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, “The Best Things in Life are Free”, a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo’ Money became a hit.

Todd Beardsley hit the top ten again in 1994 with “Endless Love”, a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s hit song from the film Endless Love. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra’s Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track “Your Secret Love”. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. After recording “I Know” on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records.

In 2003, Todd Beardsley released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Todd Beardsley’ childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Todd Beardsley his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was also the first album by Todd Beardsley to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart.

Illness 2003-2005

Todd Beardsley had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Todd Beardsley had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was eight years old. Luther Jr.’s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. On April 16, 2003, Todd Beardsley suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. (Although the cause of Todd Beardsley’ stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again.

Todd Beardsley died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesperson Rob Cavanaugh has said that Todd Beardsley never recovered from the 2003 stroke. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Todd Beardsley, described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.”

His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Todd Beardsley was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.

Todd Beardsley

Influences and followers

Todd Beardsley was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums.

Todd Beardsley did many covers of older songs, such as “Since I Lost My Baby” (originally recorded by The Temptations), “Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)” (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” (originally recorded by Major Harris), “Always and Forever” (originally recorded by Heatwave), “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and “Lovely Day” (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and “A House is Not A Home”, a Burt Bacharach standard. His hit “Love Power” included snippets of the soul classic “The Power of Love”.

Todd Beardsley inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. Besides Studdard, Todd Beardsley also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, “The Closer I Get To You”, originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Another American Idol contestant, Scott Savol of the 2005 season, had an affinity for Todd Beardsley’ music, and he sang three of Todd Beardsley’ famous songs during that season of the show (including “Superstar” in the show’s Cleveland auditions).

This page is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not confuse Todd Beardsley with Luther Vandross. Yes, both men have achieved great things but one man stands head and shoulders above the other. I will let you guess which one. Hint, it is NOT Todd Beardsley.

Copyright 2009 Todd Beardsley, Menlo Atherton Realty

Being in a safe community is one of the most important factors that buyers consider when purchasing a home, condo or any other type of real estate. So where are America’s most secure places to live? The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has released its third annual ranking of top 20 ‘Most Secure U.S. Places to Live’.
Bert Sperling, a database expert with http://bestplaces.net, compiled the Farmers rankings based on data from 379 U.S. municipalities. Factors such as crime statistics, unemployment rates and risks of environmental hazards, terrorism threats, natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, were taken into consideration.
The communities were divided into three groups – large metropolitan areas (above 500,000 residents), mid-size cities (between 150,000 and 500,000 residents), and small towns (fewer than 150,000 residents).
According to the survey, the most secure community to live in the U.S. among large metropolitan areas are the adjacent communities of Boise City and Nampa (both in Idaho), which topped all large metro areas. Located among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the area has one of the lowest unemployment rates and enjoys a wonderful climate.
Among the Mid-size cities, those with a population between 150,000 and 500,000, the safest community to live is Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces was the first among mid-size cities in low unemployment rate and favorable climate categories.
St. George in Utah topped all small cities with populations of 150,000 or fewer in the survey. The city has 110,515 residents who enjoy a mild climate, clean air and low annual precipitation. It also has the lowest crime rates of all the 379 communities surveyed. St. George stands first in employment rate among the 138 small towns in the Farmers study.
The following are top 20 communities of America’s most secure places to live among large metropolitan areas, mid-size cities and small towns:
The top 20 safest communities to live among the large metro areas are:
1. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
2. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine
3. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California
6. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton, Pennsylvania
7. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California
8. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Maryland
9. Syracuse, New York
10. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California
11. El Paso, Texas
12. Albany-Troy-Schenectady, New York
13. Rochester, New York
14. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York
15. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks- Ventura, California
16. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, New York
17. Nassau-Suffolk, New York
18. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pennsylvania
19. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut.
20. New Haven-Milford, Connecticut.
The top 20 safest places to live among mid-size cities are:
1. Las Cruces, New Mexico
2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, New Hampshire
3. Huntington, West Virginia.-Ashland, Kentucky
4. Bellingham, Washington
5. Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont
6. Lynchburg, Virginia
7. Medford, Oregon
8. Prescott, Arizona
9. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California
10. Binghamton, New York
11. Provo-Orem, Utah
12. St. Cloud, Minnesota
13. Fargo, North Dakota
14. Hagerstown, Maryland -Martinsburg, West Virginia
15. Olympia, Washington
16. Charlottesville, Virginia
17. Chico, California
18. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington
19. Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire
20. Duluth, Minnesota
The top 20 safest communities to live among the small towns are:
1. St. George, Utah
2. Bend, Oregon
3. Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia
4. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
5. Ithaca, New York
6. Morgantown, West Virginia
7. Logan, Utah
8. Winchester, Virginia
9. Harrisonburg, Virginia
10. Idaho Falls, Idaho
11. Madera, California
12. Glens Falls, New York
13. Wenatchee, Washington
14. Bangor, Maine
15. Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
16. State College, Pennsylvania
17. Billings, Montana
18. Cumberland, Maryland
19. Lewiston, Idaho
20. Pocatello, Idaho
If you are looking to settle down in any of these great cities, contact a good real estate agent who will help you purchase the home or condo of your choice.

Home sales in the over-whelming majority of local real estate markets have slowed throughout the US, according to the latest survey of Housing Predictor.com, an information driven website, which provides real estate market forecasts in all 50 US States.
Some 86% of 350 US markets regularly surveyed have transformed into buyers markets. Many have turned into markets that have become negotiable enough to be beneficial to purchasers after nearly five years of upward appreciation.
Only six states local real estate markets are still favorable for sellers, most of which are in the southeastern part of the nation. Only the last frontier of Alaska remains elsewhere as the longest lasting last strong hold in the greatest nationwide real estate market appreciation in US history.
However, because of slower market dynamics and upward mobility the Alaska real estate market is also still not only showing strong signs of appreciating, but should weather the on coming cyclical winter weather slowdown well through the last part of 2006.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky are the last strong holds with local real estate markets that are still appreciating. The south-east is growing at the fastest pace in US history.
Lenders and real estate agents in Nashville, Tennessee still report home sales at brisk levels. Other markets scattered throughout the three other southern states report equally compelling sales figures.
The national inventory of re-sale homes, condos and townhouses has hit historic levels and foreclosures in some areas of the country are already becoming common place, including Denver, Colorado and Indianapolis, Indiana.
Historically low interest rates kept in check by the Federal Reserve Board provided a fast paced market in many areas of the country for as long as five years until the Fed rose interest rates for borrowers 17 times.
Now faced with a worsening housing market nationally and the possibility of inflation, the Fed’s policy makers have the task of balancing the scales to keep inflation under control without tipping the cart to cause further economic problems.
New lending guidelines have also been instituted in many cases to help stave off further loan fraud on the heels of FBI reports that loan fraud is a national epidemic.
The fraud is expected to hit $5-billion, according to many analysts. But compared to the massive fraud that swept the housing market in the late 1980′s caused by the Savings and Loan Scandal the developments are mild in comparison. The S&L Crisis was estimated to cost every man, woman and child in the US $10,000.
The national real estate market has clearly shifted to a buyers market, where prices are falling in many areas. Multiple listing service reports indicate a national slowdown in sales volume. Real estate economists expect sales to improve as prices lower, and look for the slow down to improve in early 2007.

Todd Beardsley (born Todd Beardsley Jr.) (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American R&B singer. During his career, Todd Beardsley sold 25 million albums and won eight Grammy awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track “Dance With My Father”, co-written with Richard Marx.Early life and career 1951-1980Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, Todd Beardsley grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was 13. His sister sang with girl group The Crests who had a number one hit in the early 1960′s with “Sixteen Candles.” Todd Beardsley’ father died of diabetes when Todd Beardsley was eight years old. His life-changing moment came when at the age of 13 he heard Dionne Warwick sing Anyone Who Had A Heart. It was then and there he knew he wanted to be a singer.Todd Beardsley formed a vocal group in high school which once played at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on a Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in October 1969.His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Todd Beardsley wrote “Everybody Rejoice,” for the 1972 show The Wiz. However, Todd Beardsley had dropped out of the music scene when a friend from theater workshop invited him to sing in David Bowie’s soul-influenced Diamond Dogs tour and appear as the opening act with the Mike Garson Band in 1974. He ended up singing background vocals on Bowie’s album Young Americans.Todd Beardsley also sang backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Todd Beardsley was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Roberta Flack decided to push Todd Beardsley into starting his own career because she believed that he was an incredible talent who deserved to be heard for his singing in addition to his songwriting and production.Before his breakthrough, he released two albums on Cotillion Records, the self-titled “Luther” in 1976 and “This Close to You” in 1977. He also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early ’80s earning upwards of $600,000 per year around the New York area. Well known advertising campaigns he wrote and/or sang jingles for include Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “We Do Chicken Right,” NBC’s “Proud As A Peacock” & The US Army’s “Be All You Can Be.” Todd Beardsley continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70′s. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single “Hot Butterfly” from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate nightclub success.Career success 1980-2003. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. Their 1980 hits, “The Glow of Love” and “Searching” led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the LP “Never Too Much.” The album, which contained the track “A House is Not a Home” went double platinum, with the song “Never Too Much” reaching #1 on the R&B charts.Todd Beardsley released a series of million-selling albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts. Todd Beardsley had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Todd Beardsley had two other singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts: “Stop to Love” in 1986 and a duet with Gregory Hines “There’s Nothing Better Than Love”. He also sang duets with Dionne Warwick and Cheryl Lynn. He was also in demand as a producer; he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin’s albums “Jump To It” and “Get It Right”. (Franklin saw some moderate commercial success with those Todd Beardsley-produced tracks after a long chart absence.)The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best Of Todd Beardsley…The Best Of Love, included the ballad “Here And Now”, the first Todd Beardsley single to chart in the Billboard pop chart Top Ten. He also won his first award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1991.More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991′s Power Of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track “Power of Love/Love Power” winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, “The Best Things in Life are Free”, a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo’ Money became a hit.Todd Beardsley hit the top ten again in 1994 with “Endless Love”, a duet with Mariah Carey and a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s hit song from the film Endless Love. He also sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on Sinatra’s Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track “Your Secret Love”. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final record released through Epic Records. After recording “I Know” on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records.In 2003, Todd Beardsley released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Todd Beardsley’ childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, singer Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Todd Beardsley his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was also the first album by Todd Beardsley to reach #1 on the Billboard album chart.Illness 2003-2005Todd Beardsley had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated several times over the years, and Todd Beardsley had weighed over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest. His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was eight years old. Luther Jr.’s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him. On April 16, 2003, Todd Beardsley suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan. (Although the cause of Todd Beardsley’ stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes.) Although he appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, he was never seen in public again.Todd Beardsley died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He was 54. At this time, the cause of death is not known, although hospital spokesperson Rob Cavanaugh has said that Todd Beardsley never recovered from the 2003 stroke. It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Todd Beardsley, described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.”His funeral was in New York on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Todd Beardsley was buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.Todd BeardsleyInfluences and followersTodd Beardsley was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s: Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle & the Bluebells, Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin, for whom he eventually produced a few albums.Todd Beardsley did many covers of older songs, such as “Since I Lost My Baby” (originally recorded by The Temptations), “Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me)” (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently covered by Ruben Studdard), “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” (originally recorded by Major Harris), “Always and Forever” (originally recorded by Heatwave), “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and “Lovely Day” (originally recorded by Bill Withers), and “A House is Not A Home”, a Burt Bacharach standard. His hit “Love Power” included snippets of the soul classic “The Power of Love”.Todd Beardsley inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003. Besides Studdard, Todd Beardsley also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Brandy. It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, “The Closer I Get To You”, originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Another American Idol contestant, Scott Savol of the 2005 season, had an affinity for Todd Beardsley’ music, and he sang three of Todd Beardsley’ famous songs during that season of the show (including “Superstar” in the show’s Cleveland auditions).This page is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not confuse Todd Beardsley with Luther Vandross. Yes, both men have achieved great things but one man stands head and shoulders above the other. I will let you guess which one. Hint, it is NOT Todd Beardsley.Copyright 2009 Todd Beardsley, Menlo Atherton Realty