Chwalimir blog

Wells Fargo CFO retires, successor named

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Wells Fargo & Co's (WFC.N) chief financial officer will retire after taking nearly a half year of unpaid leave and will be replaced by the bank's administrative chief.

The San Francisco-based bank's shares were down 2 percent to $33.40 in after-hours trading. The shares rose 2.3 percent on Tuesday before the announcement.

CFO Howard Atkins, 60, will retire in August after an unpaid leave of absence, the bank said on Tuesday. The unpaid leave begins immediately and Atkins is now replaced by Timothy Sloan, 50.

Atkins, who had been with Wells Fargo since 2001, is retiring for personal reasons, the bank said.

Analysts said the structure of Atkins' retirement raises questions about his departure.

"I would think if somebody had a health issue you would have some paid time, though every company is different. It's odd," said Chris Marinac, a bank analyst at FIG Partners LLC in Atlanta.

A Wells Fargo spokesman declined to comment on the reasons behind Atkins' departure, but said the August retirement allows certain retirement benefits to vest.

Sloan was named chief administrative officer last year after previously working as head of Wells Fargo's commercial banking, real estate and specialized financial services.

Sloan joined Wells Fargo in 1987.

In turn, Patricia Callahan will take Sloan's old post. Callahan currently oversees the integration of Wachovia's operations into Wells Fargo.

(Reporting by Joe Rauch; editing by Steve Orlofsky, Andre Grenon and Matthew Lewis)

N.Z museum mulls options for mummified Maori heads

WELLINGTON (AFP) – For decades, New Zealand has campaigned for museums to repatriate the mummified and heavily-tattooed heads of Maori warriors held in collections worldwide -- now it must decide what to do with the gruesome but culturally valuable relics.

New Zealand's national museum Te Papa has more than 100 of the heads, known as toi moko, in storage in Wellington, along with about 500 skeletal remains plundered from Maori graves as recently as the 1930s.

In Maori culture, the dark swirls and geometric designs of traditional facial tattoos on men recognised high birth and rank, as well as achievements on the battlefield.

Te Herekiekie Herewini, who leads Te Papa's repatriation programme, said the heads of deceased chiefs or family members would be mummified as a way of preserving their spirit, while enemies' heads were preserved as war trophies.

"Initially the mummification of heads and bodies was part of our normal mourning process," he said.

"But when Europeans came, they saw the exotic nature of the heads and they became a coveted trading item because they were of commercial value in Europe, America and Australia."

The heads became so valuable that in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, some Maori hunted members of rival iwis (tribes) and murdered them to supply the burgeoning market in European museums for exotic human remains.

"For some of the iwi, trading in toi moko was strategic in accessing items such as muskets and European tools," Herewini said.

The trade in human heads was banned in the 1830s but over the next century museums turned their attention to skeletal remains.

New Zealand medical students also fed the demand, as they were required to take their own skeletons when they attended overseas colleges, with most of the bones robbed from Maori tombs.

"People would go to known caves or hidden burial sites where they knew Maori remains were and, without permission, they would take them and trade them," Herewini said. "Every museum wanted their own Maori head or Maori skeleton."

The grisly curios continued to be displayed in museums around the world, including New Zealand, until the 1970s.

Herewini said it was around then that Maori began pushing for the repatriation of their ancestors' remains, often meeting fierce resistance from institutions which feared it would set a precedent that could eventually see them forced to return human remains such as ancient Egyptian mummies.

The French parliament last year voted overwhelmingly in favour of returning around 15 Maori toi moko after years of debate about the implications of the move.

"These are much more than simple museum pieces," French lawmaker Michele Tabarot said at the time.

"These are human remains and some of these people were deliberately murdered to satisfy a despicable trade."

Herewini said repatriating remains was an emotional issue for Maori, who had a strong connection to the land and wanted to give the warriors the dignity of a proper funeral.

"For us, it's taking an ancestor back home, so it's the whole process of remembering," he said. "They're family members and it's important for them to be returned home to their resting place.

"The iwi don't know exactly who these people are but they do know they're connected to the land. They think about the different battles they were in, the different lifestyle they lived and the possible connections they have with them directly."

While the remains are returned to their iwi whenever possible, Herewini said that a lack of historical records meant about a quarter of the heads and bones held at Te Papa could not be identified.

They are stored in acid-free boxes in a special area of the museum and never go on display. Even viewing images of toi moko is considered taboo in Maori culture, Herewini said.

Building a permanent mausoleum for the unidentified remains in Wellington is under consideration but the Ngati Kuri tribe, in the country's far north, has put forward an alternative proposal.

They want to bury them near Te Rerenga Wairua, or Cape Reinga, the northernmost point in New Zealand, where Maori believe the spirits of the dead depart for the afterlife.

"It's a special area where there are ancient burial sites," Ngati Kuri Trust chairman Graeme Neho said. "Provided the other iwi agree, we believe placing their final resting place there would be a comfort to them and we would be their guardians."

Regardless of the remains' final destination, Herewiri sad he would continue his quest to return Maori ancestors to their homeland.

"For me, it's about righting a wrong, whether that was committed by Maori or Europeans is really immaterial," he said.

"It's completing the circle and bringing these people back home."

California Injury Attorneys Remind Fans About Dangers of Drunk Driving on Super Bowl Sunday

A study by the Automobile Club of Southern California found that drunk driving incidents are 27% more likely to occur statewide on Super Bowl Sunday. Motorists need to be aware of the very real risks of impaired driving, especially on Super Bowl Sunday, says California injury lawyer Mike Bomberger of ESTEY BOMBERGER.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 3, 2011

For NFL fans, there is no day more enjoyable than Super Bowl Sunday, California personal injury attorney Mike Bomberger says. But Super Bowl Sunday is also well-known for alcohol-related accidents that result in serious injury or death. Theat ESTEY BOMBERGER would like to remind you this Super Bowl Sunday that drinking and driving is simply not worth putting your own life and everyone on the road at risk.

It's no secret that Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for consuming alcohol, and many law enforcement agencies throughout California are stepping up efforts to combat drunk driving this weekend. The California Office of Traffic Safety has funded a number of Avoid DUI Task Forces in California on February 6th. But law enforcement by itself cannot prevent all DUI accidents. Motorists and football fans must be responsible and make the decision to not drink and drive.

Super Bowl Sunday is second only to New Year's Eve as the deadliest alcohol-related traffic accident day of the year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

According to numerous studies, impaired driving negatively affects driving performance and increases the likelihood of being involved in a collision. Consuming alcohol affects vision, information processing, attention, psychomotor skills, and perception, all brain functions that are necessary to drive a motor vehicle. Even with a very low blood alcohol concentration (BAC), driving skills can be impaired. Despite awareness campaigns, more than 11,000 people are killed every year inin the US.

"Driving under the influence is selfish. Accidents caused by drunk drivers are 100% preventable," says Bomberger, founding partner of ESTEY BOMBERGER. "Avoiding these accidents is easy. If your Super Bowl plans involve alcohol, make the right decision before kickoff. Designate a non-drinking sober driver."

If you are hosting a party, part of your responsibility is to ensure your guests make it home safely. The following quick tips from MADD can help you encourage safe driving at your party:     Be accountable. When guests arrive, before drinks are poured, confirm that at least one person in each group is prepared to be the sober driver.     Avoid serving mixed drinks. Carbonated mixers like club soda and tonic water cause alcohol to be absorbed faster. Sweet mixers, such as fruit juice, mask the taste of alcohol and may cause more alcohol consumption.     Don't support underage drinking. Never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age.     Always provide plenty of food for guests. Drinking on an empty stomach results in faster alcohol absorption.     Provide non-alcoholic drinks. Guests should always have beverage options that don't include alcohol.     Be prepared to referee. If some guests have had too much to drink, invite them to stay over or arrange a ride home with another non-drinking driver. Do not let intoxicated guests get behind the wheel. They may never make it home. Impaired drivers put everyone on the road at risk. If you are on the road and you see a drunk driver, call 911. Telltale signs of drinking and driving include driving too slowly, weaving across lanes, making wide, abrupt turns, or following too closely.

The injury lawyers at ESTEY BOMBERGER all too familiar with the devastation that alcohol-related injuries and fatalities caused. "Our firm has successfully represented dozens of victims of drunk driving accidents and their families. In 2010, we recovered a $6 million settlement for a victim of a head-on collision caused by a drunk driver on Interstate 10," Bomberger says. "But even with a fair settlement, you can never really undo the pain these accidents cause, not just to victims, but their entire families. If you have been drinking, it's important to stay off the roads."

About ESTEY BOMBERGER

ESTEY BOMBERGER is one of the top personal injury law firms in the State of California. The firm's exclusively represent victims of serious injury and wrongful death, and take special pride in their role representing victims of drunk driving accidents and others injured by the negligent conduct of others. For more information, visitand .

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Mike BombergerEstey Bomberger(800)784-9180Email Information

Hansbrough leads No. 9 Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Ben Hansbrough scored 25 points and Carleton Scott had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 9 Notre Dame to its fifth straight win, 76-69 victory over Rutgers on Sunday.

The Irish (19-4, 8-3) reclaimed sole possession of second place in the Big East behind No. 4 Pittsburgh and will host No. 15 Louisville on Wednesday.

Scott Martin had 14 points for Notre Dame and Tim Abromaitis added 10.

Jonathan Mitchell scored 24 points for Rutgers (12-11, 3-8) while Dane Miller added 11.

Notre Dame was 27 of 34 from the free throw line and scored only two field goals over the last 8 minutes. Rutgers was 8 of 12 from the line.

Notre Dame pulled away from a 7-7 tie with a 17-6 run that included five straight points and a nice assist by Hansbrough. The Irish stretched the lead to 25-15 before a 3-pointer by the Scarlet Knights' James Beatty started a 7-0 run and got Rutgers within 25-22.

Notre Dame led 37-33 at halftime with Hansbrough scoring 10 points.

The teams battled evenly in the second half before two free throws by Martin started an 8-2 run that made it 51-43 with 12:36 to play. Consecutive 3-pointers by Rutgers made it a two-point game before a layup by Hansbrough sparked an 11-2 run that gave the Irish a 62-51 lead.

Kovalchuk scores 2 to lead Devils past Canadiens

MONTREAL – Dainius Zubrus and Ilya Kovalchuk scored 2:52 apart early in the first, sending the New Jersey Devils on to a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

Martin Brodeur got his 615th career win despite leaving after the first period because of a bruised right leg. Brodeur stopped all 11 shots he faced before he was replaced for the second by Johan Hedberg, who made 14 saves over the final two periods.

Kovalchuk was awarded his second goal of the game at 18:39 of the third when he was hooked on a shot at an empty net that hit the right post. Travis Zajac, who scored in the second, got his second assist of the game on the play.

P.K. Subban got his sixth goal 6:32 into the second, moments after Zajac made it 3-0, to spoil the combined shutout effort.

Carey Price made 26 saves for Montreal, which had won three straight coming out of the All-Star break, including a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday.

Zubrus opened the scoring on an unassisted effort 1:12 in. The former Canadiens forward jumped on a turnover by Montreal defenseman Hal Gill behind the net and came out front to beat Price for his 10th goal.

Kovalchuk deflected Colin White's point shot in midair, redirecting it past Price for his 16th goal at 4:04.

Brodeur flexed his right leg at the Devils' bench during a stoppage in play with 5:45 left in the opening period moments after stopping a shot by Jaroslav Spacek.

He finished the period but did not return for the second.

Zajac made it a three-goal lead with his ninth goal 3:16 into the middle period.

Subban drew Montreal within 3-1 when he was credited with his sixth after his shot struck Kovalchuk's stick on its way past Hedberg at 6:32.

NOTES: Brodeur watched the third period from general manager Lou Lamoriello's box. ... Canadiens D James Wisniewski missed his second straight game because of illness.