Standard Life's premiums and deposits in Canada increase by 34% in the third quarter

Standard Life Financial Inc. ("Standard Life") today reported that premiums and deposits reached $1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2012  (2011: $1.2 billion ). The strong performance was largely driven by the insurance subsidiary's group savings and retirement business which grew by 56%.

Assets under administration were 12% higher at $44 billion at the end of the third quarter (2011: $40 billion ), mainly due to positive net flows and market appreciation. This represents an increase of $3 billion since the end of 2011 (December 31, 2011: $41 billion ).

Charles Guay , President, said "We've performed well. We focus our expertise on opportunities in long-term savings and investments and it's paying off. We're seeing a strong momentum in the pipeline of new pension business coming in. On the retail side, we are gaining ground with the fastest growing segregated funds offering in Canada ."

"During the quarter we also announced our first Canadian dollar debt issuance raising C$400 million. The heavily over-subscribed order book for this was a powerful signal of investors' confidence in our financial strength and our strategy." added Mr. Guay.

Growth in all three business segments
Premiums and deposits from the group savings and retirement business amounted to $984 million (2011: $630 million ). The core business segment of defined contribution plans experienced premium and deposit growth of 13% to $565 million (2011:$499 million).  A single large mandate was the other significant contributor to third quarter growth.

The business from group insurance and disability management activities grew 4% to $180 million (2011: $174 million ). An 8% increase in disability management premiums was the main driver of segment growth.
Premiums and deposits for retail savings and retirement solutions were up 7% to $358 million (2011: $336 million ). The growth was driven by strong mutual fund sales, which grew 31% to $99 million (2011: $76 million), and the continued success of Standard Life's traditional retail segregated funds, which grew by 12% to $191 million (2011: $170 million ). Positive mutual fund results were a direct result of better fund performance in fixed income and yield-oriented products, and initiatives to better promote funds.

Successful subordinated debenture issue
In September, the insurance subsidiary raised $400 million in its first subordinated debt offering in Canada , by way of a private placement. The proceeds from the debt issuance will initially be held in Canada for general corporate purposes and, subject to local regulatory approval, may be used to repay, in whole or in part, existing internal subordinated debt to Standard Life plc.

Solid capital position
The insurance subsidiary reported a solvency ratio of 261% at the end of September (December 2011: 204%). The increase is mainly attributable to the $400 million subordinated debt issue. Any repayment of internal debt to Standard Life plc would lower the solvency ratio.

Outlook
The low interest rate environment and uncertain financial markets in Canada present some challenges. The outlook for the Canadian economy however remains steady and Standard Life is confident in its growth prospects for the rest of 2012. The company will continue focussing on three core business segments:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements about certain of Standard Life's current plans, goals and expectations relating to future financial conditions, performance, results, strategy and objectives. Statements containing the words: 'believes', 'intends', 'expects', 'plans', 'seeks' and 'anticipates' and any other words of similar meaning are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances beyond Standard Life's control. As a result, Standard Life's actual financial condition, performance and results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. The company will not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this press release or any other forward-looking statements that it may make.

Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) Conference - the Gold Standard for the Life Settlement Industry

LISA announced the final agenda for its highly anticipated 18th Annual Fall Life Settlement and Compliance Conference. For the past 18 years, LISA conferences have represented the gold standard for the life settlement industry.

"Every new and emerging development over the past 18 years has been introduced, discussed, and debated at LISA's conferences," said Darwin Bayston, President and CEO of LISA, adding, "Our 18th Fall Conference will continue to move the industry forward, as life settlements become the mainstream: for consumers as an important part of their financial well-being, and for investors as an attractive asset class in their investment portfolios."

LISA's Fall Conference will highlight several timely and relevant topics, including how the explosion of Baby Boomers will affect the industry, innovations in digital marketing, and the revolution of social media as an outreach for increasing policy submissions. Attendees will gain important insights from discussions about increasing investment capital and, as one of the most-valued parts of all LISA conferences, legislative/regulatory/legal updates and their impact on the future environment will be presented. Bayston noted, "This is a conference you won't want to miss." Details about the session topics appear on our event website.

LISA has once again assembled a wide range of outstanding speakers whose expertise and viewpoints are in high demand within and outside the life settlement industry.

Confirmed speakers include these industry leaders:

    Alan H. Buerger, CEO and Co-Founder, Coventry
    Andrew Plevin, Co-CEO - BroadRiver Asset Management, LP
    Brian Glicklich, President - Sound Mind
    Clay Gibson, Vice President Broker Relations - Magna Life Settlements
    Cynthia Poveda, Vice President - Crump Life Insurance Services, Inc.
    Dan Veto, Senior Consultant - Age Wave
    David Mycek, President - Mycek Inc. Actuarial Consulting
    Gary Isakson, Founder and President - LTC Funding, LLC
    Ira Lipsius, Partner - Lipsius-Benhaim Law LLP
    Jeremy Kudon, Partner - Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
    Joseph Kizer, President and CEO - Resource Insurance Consultants
    Kiri Parankirinathan, President - Life Product Developers, Inc.
    Mark Flaherty, Past Controller - Allegheny County, PA
    Matthew Sheridan, Co-Founder - Circadian Capital
    Michael Freedman, Senior Vice President - Coventry
    Patrick McAdams, Investment Director - SL Investment Management
    Paul Siegert, President/Chairman - GWG Holdings, Inc.
    Ralph Hudgens - Georgia Commissioner of Insurance
    Robert Wooley, Of Counsel - Adams and Reese LLP
    Shama Kabani, CEO - The Marketing Zen Group
    Sheri Townsend, COO - Asset Servicing Group, LLC
    Steven Sklaver, Partner - Susman Godfrey LLP
    William Corry - Corry Capital Advisors

LISA's 18th Annual Fall conference will be held at the beautiful Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel, adjacent to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The three-day event begins with the Annual Compliance Conference on Wednesday, November 7. "As the only conference in the life settlement market dedicated to compliance-related issues, there is no better place to learn about the issues that are affecting you," said Daniel Harris, Director of Legal Affairs, Life Insurance Settlement Association.

Non-Life Insurance in Iran, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2016

The Iranian non-life insurance segment was strongly influenced by rising levels of GDP growth and an increase in the motor insurance category, driven by the rising number of road accidents. Growth in the property, automobile and industrial sectors is anticipated to drive the growth of the segment over the forecast period. Motor insurance accounted for the largest market share of the non-life insurance segment in 2011 and is expected to continue its domination over the forecast period.

This report provides in depth market analysis, information and insights into the Iranian non-life insurance market, including:

- The Iranian non-life insurance market's growth prospects by non-life insurance categories
- The various distribution channels in the Iranian non-life insurance market
- The competitive landscape in the non-life insurance market in Iran
- A description of the non-life reinsurance market in Iran

Key Highlights
- The Iranian construction industry grew significantly due to national and international investment in construction. The Iranian construction industry is considered the largest in the Middle East and according to the Central Bank of Iran, around 70% of Iranians own homes, indicating a large amount of disposable income in the country.

- During the review period, the Iranian non-life insurance segment registered steady growth in the presence of sustainable economic growth driven by rising GDP levels and insurance penetration rates.
- Motor insurance accounted for the largest share of the Iranian non-life insurance segment in terms of gross written premium.

- Foreign insurers and insurance intermediaries are able to open contact offices in the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the opening of such offices is subject to the approval of Bimeh Markazi.

- The distribution network of insurance products in Iran is made up predominantly of brokers, agency networks, bancassurance and direct marketing channels. The major share of non-life insurance policies in Iran are sold through brokers, covered under the other distribution channels category in the report.

- As of 2011, there were 23 companies licensed to conduct non-life insurance business in Iran. Iranian insurance companies are regulated by the Bimeh Markazi of Iran, which has a very reputable standing in various insurance industries worldwide.

LIFE Working on Diagnostics Biz.

Over the recent past, Life Technologies (LIFE) has been focusing on developing its diagnostics franchise. Earlier this month, the company entered into a license and supply agreement with Singapore based VelaDx. The latter will develop next generation sequencing-based, in vitro diagnostic tests that will run on Life Technologies’ Ion Personal Genome Machine platform. Semiconductor sequencing, being a transformative technology, can make diagnostic tests faster, thereby helping doctors globally to take better treatment decisions.

Life Technologies has also resorted to the acquisition route targeted toward building its diagnostics franchise. The company acquired Compendia Bioscience, a cancer bioinformatics player, which identifies gene targets for drug discovery and development. These services are widely used by the pharmaceutical industry. Based on the oncology data provided by Compendia, Life Technologies should be able to develop its own tests as well as collaborate with pharmaceutical companies in companion diagnostic development.

However, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition of Compendia is expected to be neutral to 2012 earnings and accretive to the company's overall ROIC by 2015.

In July, the company went for two tuck-in acquisitions – Navigenics and Pinpoint Genomics. The acquisition of Pinpoint Genomics provided Life Technologies with a 14-gene panel test, Pervenio Lung RS, a risk stratification test for early stage lung cancer. This test, launched in September, will provide immense help to a huge patient base by identifying lung cancer patients, who are at high risk of mortality following surgery, in the early stages. In addition, the test will also aid prevention and disease management.

On the other hand, the Navigenics deal brings in an established, CLIA-certified laboratory licensed throughout the U.S. This facility will be employed for design and validation of new diagnostics assays.
Life Technologies also has a Master Development Agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) for companion diagnostic projects. The collaboration with Bristol-Myers is in line with the company’s strategy to build partnerships with pharmaceutical majors for companion diagnostic development including participation in early-phase clinical trials.

Life Technologies enjoys a strong position in the life sciences market. We are optimistic about the company’s focus on its diagnostics franchise, which holds potential. However, economic uncertainties in Europe and unfavorable currency were major headwinds for the company during the last reported quarter.

Life is good and Hallmark Announce Strategic Partnership

Life is good, the Boston-based lifestyle brand committed to spreading the power of optimism and helping kids in need, today announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Hallmark Cards, Inc., the world’s leading greeting card brand. The collaboration between Hallmark and Life is good will produce exclusive co–branded products that will be available throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

The collaboration will bring exclusive Life is good products to various Hallmark and Life is good distribution channels at retail and online. These initial distribution channels include Hallmark Gold Crown stores, Hallmark.com, Lifeisgood.com, Life is good company-owned stores and Life is good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes®, with the potential to broaden distribution channels and expand product offerings in the future. Select Hallmark Gold Crown stores will also carry a collection of Life is good apparel and accessories.

This new partnership is an important part of Life is good’s strategic licensing vision for its Best-In-Class (BIC) business unit. Life is good's new Best-In-Class business unit is designed to extend the Life is good brand through partners who are the leaders in their existing product categories. The goal is to build healthy new business with smart, well-established leaders who can elevate the Life is good brand in new industries. Life is good intends to be very selective with signing additional best in class partnerships as part of its ongoing strategic plan.

“We are excited to announce our new relationship with Hallmark, which is the first in our Best-In-Class partnership strategy,” said Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist at Life is good. “We’ve spent 18 years developing valuable intellectual property that is applicable to many different industries. Life is good is dedicated to developing relationships with like-minded companies that will share in our commitment to helping kids in need and spreading the power of optimism. Through this partnership, we will reach millions of new optimists and greatly expand our community.”

“I am excited about the partnership with the Life is good brand,” said Cindy Mahoney, Vice President-Hallmark Licensing. “We have a shared commitment to life affirming consumer products and believe this will inspire new ways to help people make meaningful connections.”

The groups will continue to collaborate in the future on new products with the ultimate goal of spreading the power of optimism, all while helping kids in need through the Life is good Playmakers.

New home for Australian Fashion Week

There will be no more harbour views for Australia’s leading runway event as Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Week exits the International Passenger Terminal in favour of the industrial event space at Carriageworks in Eveleigh.

The move was announced yesterday over fashion-sized egg tarts (tiny) and mini espressos (tinier) and put rest to speculation that the shows would move to the Opera House. Designer Lisa Ho was pleased about the new site. "Change is good. I worked on the costume design for the Olympics Opening Ceremony here (Carriageworks) - it was our undercover headquarters – so it’s always been recognised as a secret artistic hub for the creative community", she said. After 10 years at The Rocks, organisers IMG Fashion felt the event had outgrown the waterfront location with the heritage rail yards offering over 87,000 square foot of usable area. "Carriageworks provides thirty five per cent more physical space" said Peter Levy, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of IMG Fashion Worldwide. "This means we can offer increased infrastructure at the same reduced investment we did in 2012".

In an effort not to pour the past into a new location, IMG plans to reinvigorate all the show spaces adding photographic studios, dining areas and business rooms to provide sponsors, exhibitors and designers with different opportunities for both collection shows and sales. Transportation and parking has always been an issue for MBFWA and the new venue hopes to address this with one fashion assistant overheard saying "she wouldn’t have to pay her salary in parking fines this year". Key to the switch is the announcement of a partnership with AEC Premiere, the largest boutique trade show in Australia. In 2013, Premiere will operate directly alongside the MBAFW schedule. The inclusion of Premiere brings immediate increased infrastructure to the umbrella event, adding 150 exhibitors and an expectation of more than 1200 buyers through the doors. "There is power in numbers", says Fashion Publicist, Adam Worling. "

Housing an established trade event under the same roof makes sense - and hopefully that translates to sales". Kym Ellery, Alexandra Smart (Ginger & Smart), Camilla Freeman-Topper and brother Marc Freeman (Camilla & Marc) joined a host of designers in showing their support for the new plans, particularly the shift in dates from May to April which falls more in line with the international Spring/Summer buying calendar. With retail still under pressure, the fashion industry has embraced the proposed changes and renewed business focus with enthusiasm. "The weak wont survive", says Lisa Ho. "You need to be incredibly focused on customer service and product innovation. I consider myself to be a global trader – designers need to start thinking that way. These days it’s an international market - not just a local one". In true fashion industry style, shoes and frocks were on top of the conversation agenda with one fashion editor saying that the new venue was going to save thousands in dry cleaning bills, shoe repairs and blow drys: "We’ve finally got a roof over our heads – bricks and mortar at last".

Generation Life exceeding initial sales projections

Generation Life, a new technology-based life insurance provider for the online customer, is exceeding initial sales projections by 183 percent since its launch eight weeks ago, company officials said. Generation Life’s parent is Tennessee Farmers Life Insurance Company, a single-state company headquartered in Columbia, Tenn.

Generation Life offers term and whole life products at www.generationlifeinsurance.com. Professional advisors are available by phone; the underwriting process involves a few questions and an automated underwriting check. No medical examinations are required. Policies can be approved within minutes and the customer pays the premium electronically. Generation Life customers enjoy the convenience of limited underwriting, issuance in minutes instead of weeks, and online policy service.

The company’s products include 10-, 20- and 30-year term life plans and a whole life plan in face amounts up to $250,000. Two other whole life plans, one for final expenses and another with a graded death benefit, are available up to $50,000.

Generation Life is offering policies in 13 initial target state markets: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Regulatory approval is pending to begin sales in Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana and Virginia. To avoid competition with Tennessee Farmers Life agents, Generation Life products are only available outside Tennessee.

“Our charge was to find a way to expand our footprint outside the borders of Tennessee,” said TFLIC Chief Operating Officer Dennis Stephen. “Using our existing technology platforms, leveraging the power of the internet, and incorporating the expertise of a nationally-respected marketing firm, we are doing just that without a tremendous investment in traditional brick-and-mortar offices. Judging by initial customer response, Generation Life will prosper in an underserved market segment.”

Insurance analyst Conning Research estimates a “coverage gap” -- the difference between what people have in life insurance coverage versus their actual need -- totals more than $10 trillion nationwide. A large percentage of these potential customers are willing to shop for life insurance online but do not want to deal with traditional life insurance underwriting hassles.

Generation Life was developed for that market. The company was formed by acquiring and renaming Congress Life, an Arizona-domiciled company with licenses in 43 states but no existing business on its books. Sales are conducted by Spring Venture Group, a Kansas City-based firm specializing in online lead generation and direct response marketing.

All Generation Life policies are underwritten and administered in Columbia by Tennessee Farmers Life. TFLIC is affiliated with the Tennessee Farm Bureau and is marketed in the state under the trade name Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee. TFLIC was established in 1973, has $28 billion of life insurance in force, has nearly $1.7 billion in assets, and has been Tennessee’stop writer of individual life policies for many years. Industry ratings include A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best, and top-50 rankings from both Ward’s Group and Weiss Ratings.

“For years Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee has been recognized as an industry leader in efficient operations and thus being able to offer quality insurance at affordable rates,” said Chief Executive Officer Sonny Scoggins. “With the launch of Generation Life, we are not only increasing efficiency but also adding new levels of innovation to our business model.”

NBC's "Fashion Star" production halted by picketers

Production on the second-season NBC's reality competition show "Fashion Star" has been brought to a temporary halt because of union picketing.

About 70 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees picketed the show Saturday at Hollywood Center Studios, prompting producers to cancel a taping and dismiss a studio audience.

IATSE official Vanessa Holtgrew told The Hollywood Reporter the union was striking against the show until a contract is reached.

The union allows members to work on the non-union "Fashion Star," but they get no pension and health benefits without a union contract.

IATSE is fighting to keep a foothold as union-heavy productions like feature films in Los Angeles increasingly give way to productions that tend to be non-union like reality shows.

NBC and the show's three production companies had no immediate comment.

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Your Style In His Hands Premieres on TLC this October

An all new fashion 911 has just hit TLC and it is here to clear out closets of fashion misses of style stuck women! On Your Style In His Hands, the future of several women who find themselves deep in the fashion trench depend on the experience and expertise of no ordinary fashion guru. On Your Style In His Hands, the husbands of these fashion-impaired ladies must ‘man up’ to the pressures of creating fresh looks for their wives and shop until they drop as they attempt to put together stellar new wardrobes based on a £5,000 budget.

The catch? These ladies have no say in what their partners buy. So, will their husbands get it right, or will they end up sleeping on the sofa? Find out on Your Style in His Hands, every Saturday at 9:00 p.m., starting October 13 on TLC. Encores every Monday at 12:00 a.m., and Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

A four-part series hosted by model and resident style expert Lisa Snowdon, Your Style In His Hands features couples whose relationships are suffering due to the ladies’ lack of confidence in their tired, worn and ill-fitting wardrobes. Much to the despair of their other halves, these ladies live in tracksuits, oversized jumpers and even pyjamas to hide away from the world. On Your Style In His Hands, Lisa guides these forlorn men through fashion minefields, providing them the express lowdown on cuts and colours of clothes, make-up tones and hairstyles that best suit their wives. Whether it is getting to grips with his wife’s wardrobe, understanding what is the best way to dress a ‘pear’ shaped body, how to accessorise, or simply how to give a constructive compliment, with Lisa’s help, even the most unfashionable husband can be transformed into the perfect personal stylist!

On Your Style In His Hands, watch as the men rush to get up to speed with the world of women's fashion, in time for a grand party, attended by the couples' friends and family, at which their wives’ new style is unveiled. So will they succeed and give the love of their lives the makeover of their dreams?

Catch all the fashion hits and misses on the following episodes of Your Style In His Hands:

Mark And Lynsey
Mark and Lynsey have been married for four years. With two young children, Lynsey has dropped an incredible four dress sizes but she has not succeeded in losing her old wardrobe of bulky jumpers and baggy trousers. With Lynsey’s confidence at rock bottom and their relationship on the line, can husband Mark rebuild his wife’s wardrobe and her self-esteem?

Luke And Kirsty
Meet police detective, Luke, and nurse, Kirsty. Working mum of two, Kirsty is so busy looking after others that she has little time for her appearance and lives in a tired uniform of tracksuits and hooded tops. Does Luke have what it takes to transform his wife with the wardrobe of her dreams and at the same time rekindle the romance?

Tom And Lou
In this episode, we meet Tom and Lou, a newly engaged couple who have recently moved to Tom’s family farm. Now living and working in the countryside, the once vibrant Lou has left her passion for fashion back in the city. But can opinionated farmer Tom get his fiancée out of her style rut with a stylish and practical wardrobe before they walk down the aisle?

Jamie And Alicia
Meet Jaime & Alicia, a married couple who have recently emigrated from the USA. Moving away from their family and friends to a foreign country has left Alicia’s self esteem and style at rock bottom. Can City Analyst Jaime rebuild his wife's confidence with a brand new wardrobe and convince her that she is still the vivacious woman she used to be?

Gearing your life toward sustainability

Smartphone applications could help you reduce your carbon footprint, or at least get you thinking and talking about it.

GreenBuilder magazine, by YUDA Media, is an iPhone tool for downloading free back issues of GreenBuilder, with attached videos that are for homeowners as well as builders and remodelers. Subjects recently covered by the magazine include how to make a concrete countertop; "eco-leadership"; the rebuilding of New Orleans; and the technology of green windows and walls; and sustainable dirt.

With an issue of the magazine open, you can choose to read the text as printed, or switch to plaintext version and increase the font size.

Want to find an environmentally minded resort in Aruba, Germany, Kenya, or the USA? Green Globe is a free travel app for Android and Apple that certifies participating hotels, meeting sites, and attractions around the world as, among other things, being managed with sustainability in mind.

Choose a country and see establishments that Green Globe has approved as complying with relevant safety and labor laws, abiding by "fair-trade" principles, and respecting the local community. If you like what you find, you can book your event or vacation through the app.

GreenITers Mobile, for Android and Apple, by Fullcircle Innovations, is a free app for joining an online "eco-innovations community" to share news and investigate gadgets and technology in green jobs, electric vehicles, climate change, and related subjects.

EcoChallenge, billed as a way to take steps toward "sustainability in your life," is a free iPhone app from Raureif GmbH. The project is an initiative of the University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam, Germany.

One set of challenges in the app asks you to eat less meat and to persuade others to do likewise. Another suggests a food-shopping trip in which you bring home no plastic. And if you do end up with a plastic bag, you reuse it at least three times. If you tap to accept a challenge, use the app to register your progress and share your effort on Facebook.

Athletics make life miserable for opponents at O.co Coliseum

They take away home runs, as Coco Crisp did in the second inning when he sprinted to his left, leapt to the top of the wall near the 390-foot mark in center and pulled back a certain homer from Prince Fielder.

They hit home runs, as Seth Smith did in the fifth inning when he belted a moon shot to dead-center off Anibal Sanchez.

They dive to take away doubles, as leftfielder Yoenis Cespedes did in the seventh inning -- robbing Fielder of a hit. They turn double plays, they pump their fists, and they pitch. Brett Anderson, a gifted left-hander who missed most of the year recovering from Tommy John surgery, showed dominant form in six games down the stretch when he returned, strained his abdominal muscle at the end of the season and came back Tuesday night at O.co Coliseum to handcuff the Tigers.

Anderson, who is the veteran of the A's staff at just 24, struck out the first two batters of the game, Austin Jackson and Omar Infante, and got Miguel Cabrera to groundout to second base. It took about five minutes, which was more than enough time for the green-clad, yellow-towel waving crowd to fill the cavernous, concrete-lined, '70s era stadium with ear-splitting noise.

For the last two days several A's players -- along with A's manager Bob Melvin -- talked about the effect this crowd has on his team. It happened again Tuesday night as Oakland rode all that energy to a 2-0 victory over the Tigers and got back into the American League Division Series — Detroit leads, two games to one.

Melvin and his players spent so much time the past two days talking about the resiliency of this group that you figured if nothing else, they actually believed it. Clearly, the crowd did. And does, and will even more tonight during Game 4.

The throaty effort didn’t go unnoticed by the Tigers.

Loudest crowd of the year? Anibal Sanchez was asked.

“Definitely,” said the Tigers’ starter, whose first-inning control problems exacerbated the noise.

He described it as fun, even if he could barely hear Gerald Laird when the catcher came out to the mound in the first to help calm him down.

“We knew this was going to be tough,” Laird said.

It was enough to make you wonder what might have been had the Tigers been forced to begin the series in Oakland. Every strike by a Tiger elicited a roar — and cowbells and drums and horns — from the fans, most of whom spent most of the night on their feet. A Tigers out was reason to cheer even louder.

Just four months ago the Tigers played at Oakland in front of a crowds smaller than 10,000. That might as well have been a different season. Nearly 38,000 jammed the O.co Coliseum, turning the joint into one of the most uniquely hostile parks in baseball.

The Athletics eat it up — as they did when they overcame a five-game deficit to the Texas Rangers with nine games left in the season, as they did when they spotted those same Rangers a 5-1 lead in the final game of the season before dropping a 12-run bomb to flatten them and complete an improbable run to the West Division title.

That run stalled in Detroit last weekend. But this young and relentless team hit its stride again Tuesday on a clear night with a light breeze, riding the wave of a constant roar. They stole home runs. They hit home runs. They threw strikes.

And they won, shaking off a dispiriting loss two days earlier, the kind of gut-check they have exhibited the last couple of months.

Now it’s the Tigers’ turn to respond.

The din isn’t going away anytime soon.

Young life cut down in Camden had great promise

Four years ago, as MetEast High School teacher Josephine Parr steered her Chevrolet Venture minivan down Mount Ephraim Avenue in Camden past a long line of abandoned buildings, she turned to her passenger, Khalil Gibson, a student whom she was advising.

"What would you do with a whole block?" she asked Gibson, a young teen who had big ideas for himself and his beleaguered city.

Gibson proceeded to describe where he would place a community center for teens, a dance studio, and a music studio.

"You could see what he was trying to convey. He was a visionary. He didn't see the obstacles. He was able to see the potential," Parr recalled Monday as she tried to make sense of why Gibson's life was cruelly cut short.

On Saturday night, a masked gunman wearing yellow latex gloves shot Gibson as he sat in a car parked in the Fairview neighborhood. Jewel Manire, 18, the driver, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Three other passengers, two 16 and one 20, were wounded.

Authorities have yet to pinpoint a motive for the attack except to say it was not a random act.

Few details have emerged about four of the victims. But those who knew Gibson on Monday recalled a young man who impressed them with his maturity and ambition.

Friends said they didn't doubt Gibson would achieve his dream of becoming a music mogul, maybe even a millionaire. None had imagined he would be killed in the backseat of a car.

Guided by mentors, Gibson sought in turn to inspire other young people.

"He wanted to make sure that little boys had men in their lives," Gibson's godmother, Betty Matthews, said.

Matthews said she had planned to take Gibson to the Boys and Girls Club of Camden County in Parkside this week so he could sign up to be a mentor.

Sean Brown, 30, a Camden Board of Education member who mentored Gibson in high school and then became his friend, said, "He stayed on his path. The fact that some evil person decided to shoot innocent people speaks more to that person's character than Khalil's future."

Gibson, a 2011 MetEast graduate, was a Camden County College student. One ambition he had yet to realize was to follow his older brother to Morehouse College in Atlanta. He also worked part time at a Taco Bell in Cherry Hill.

Manire, a Camden High graduate, was a young mother. She had left a family gathering Saturday night to meet friends, according to a family member.

It was unclear how the five ended up together in a parked car on Hull Road. Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, declined to discuss the victims' whereabouts before the shooting.

The gunman, who allegedly also wielded a machete and wore a black mask over the lower part of his face, remained at large Monday. He knew at least one of the victims, the Prosecutor's Office and city police said.

Authorities pieced together the following events:

Around 11:40 p.m. Saturday, the gunman crept up to the driver's side of the group's burgundy Chevrolet Lumina. He repeatedly fired, hitting Manire first.

A 16-year-old girl who was shot in the arm and shoulder stumbled out of the car and called police. The gunman then pushed Manire aside and drove off with his four other victims inside.

Another 16-year-old girl was shot in the head but survived.

Yet another victim, a 20-year-old female who was shot in the face, reportedly played dead until the gunman stopped the car about a mile away on a dirt road near the 2500 block of Morgan Boulevard. It was long enough for her to jump out.

The gunman chased her, but she got away. He was last seen running toward basketball courts near Morgan Boulevard.

The victims were taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The 20-year-old who was shot in the face and the 16-year-old who was shot in the head were reported to be in critical condition Sunday. An updated condition was unavailable Monday.

Laughlin declined to discuss a motive, but authorities said they did not believe the attack was random or connected to drugs.

Camden Police Chief Scott Thomson, who attended a memorial Monday for the city's latest homicide victims, said the killings - the 49th and 50th of the year - did not appear to be gang-related.

Two more crosses were added to a field of them that has sprouted in Roosevelt Plaza across from City Hall. The memorial is the work of an antiviolence group calling itself Stop Trauma on People. Holly Walker, a friend of the Gibson family, hammered a sky-blue cross with Gibson's name and age in black letters into the grass. (The cross says Gibson was 19; authorities have said Gibson was 20.)

Parr said Gibson had been concerned about violence in his community and wanted young people to have a safe space. Shortly after he told her about his vision for the run-down block, he drew up a sketch of where he envisioned the community center and studios.

"He had grand ideas from day one," she said.

Parr, who headed the magnet school's internship program, introduced Gibson to Brown. At the time, Brown was an urban studies undergraduate student at Rutgers-Camden and founder of Young Urban Leaders, a nonprofit that seeks to prepare young people to address urban issues.

During the internship, Brown said, he discussed life lessons with Gibson as well as topics such as the economic models of nations. He taught Gibson about nonprofits and start-ups. He took Gibson to classes at Rutgers and to black student union meetings.

Gibson in turn taught him about underground hip hop, Brown said.

"I wanted him to see what a group of young, successful, community-minded, organized people looked like and how they got things done in a large environment," Brown said.

Donovan Moore, 24, a Camden native who said he freelances for magazines such as XXL and is known in hip-hop circles as Don Bleek, said his sister, a student at MetEast, introduced him to Gibson in 2008.

"We used to sit down and talk about how we're going to be the next Jay-Z and Diddy," said Moore, who works in New York in the marketing department of Universal Republic, a record label whose artists include Lil Wayne.

Moore said he helped Gibson complete his senior project at MetEast - organizing a free hip-hop concert at the Walt Whitman Arts Center.

"It was far beyond the expectations we both had," Moore said.

But Parr, 42, said she believed Gibson would not realize his full potential in Camden.

"I think you've reached your limit," she recalled telling him.

He wanted to leave the city, though he was nervous about starting his life over somewhere new, she said. Still, she encouraged him to chase his dream of attending Morehouse.

"I think you would feel more inspired and strong around your brother," she told him.