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Raising more than $90 million by bringing together private industry, regional governments, and local stakeholders, Ignace Schops led the effort to establish Belgium's first and only national park, protecting one of the largest open green spaces in the country. Read more »
Speech After years of campaigning, Ignace Schops has led the effort to establish Belgium's first and only national park. Raising more than US$90 million by bringing together private industry, regional and European Union (EU) government, local stakeholders, and NGOs, Schops has created a new model for land conservation in the EU and beyond. After Coal, Conservation The province of Limburg in northeastern Belgium contains large woodlands, extensive pine groves, flowering meadows and many rare and unique animals. Since 1901, when coal was discovered in the region, the amount of open space has dwindled, making way for industrial and community infrastructure to support the population employed by the mines. For almost a century, the coal industry thrived in Limburg, but in 1990, the area's seven mines closed, leaving 40,000 people unemployed. The region around the old mines, a highly industrial and densely populated area owned by the government, is adjacent to Hoge Kempen, an area within the province that has retained its natural beauty, despite nearby development. Following the closing of the mines, jobs were badly needed in the region and several corporations wanted to build factories in the Hoge Kempen. However, very few precious open spaces remained in the province and a conflict arose between conservation and development. In response to pressure from industry, the largest coal company and the largest NGO for nature conservation in Belgium, Natuurpunt, founded Regionaal Landschap Kempen and Maasland (RLKM) in 1990. Their goal was to conserve the land in the province and continue to provide jobs and economic development. Through his engagement in nature conservation and his field study on herpetology (amphibians & reptiles), Schops began to see that nature conservation and biodiversity could be helped with a different, progressive approach based on enthusiasm and connectivity. In 1997, Schops and a group of friends began working with RLKM to campaign for permanent protection of a piece of the Limburg landscape through the creation of Belgium's first national park. They believed that the park could provide jobs and revenue through eco-tourism, as well as conserve open space for the future. Since beginning his work in conservation in 1990, Schops had built a network of politicians, including mayors, parliament members and ministers who were willing to work with him. For six years, RLKM, Schops and his friends lobbied the government and funded the national park campaign. Under Schops' leadership, over the next four years, more than US$90 million was raised from sources such as the Flemish government, the European Rural and Regional Development Fund, municipal and provincial development funds, the European Union, local stakeholders and the private sector. Many of the funds he secured were new funding sources for nature conservation and sustainable development which had not yet been utilized. In 2002, the minister of environment agreed to protect the area if a master plan was created and funding was secured. In 2004, Schops became director of RLKM and has spearheaded the final steps to securing the park's future. Belgium's First National Park In early 2006, the Hoge Kempen National Park was officially opened by the European Commissioner for Environment. It has become a source of inspiration for environmental protection in Belgium. More than six million people live within one hour's drive of the park, and since its opening four hundred thousand people have visited. The projected economic revenue generated by the national park after operating for five years is US$48 million per year. The park has created 400 jobs for the local community and has conserved nature and brought economic revenue to the region. Five gateways to the park have been established. Car parks, camp sites and information kiosks are being built, and walking and bike trails have been developed. Souvenir stores and a cafeteria have been completed as well as shops to rent and purchase hiking and bicycling equipment. Additional attractions are planned over the next three years for increasing revenue, while still maintaining free entrance to the park. The first and only national park in Belgium, it contains nearly 6,000 hectares and stretches across six municipalities. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) plans to use Schops's model of creating and funding the national park as an example for other member countries, not only in Europe but around the world. His model demonstrates how a successful public-private partnership in the use and management of nature can be an asset for local and regional development. Schops, as the director of RLKM, will oversee the management of the park and its continued development, and other conservation projects in Belgium.
"Let's do at least what we expect from others. If densely populated, well developed and prosperous regions don't take responsibility for biodiversity and nature conservation, why should undeveloped regions be held to different standards? It's up to us. Let's give a sign to our precious world!"
En español | Lanzamiento de Prensa | Speech
In the shadow of polluting factories in Cataño, Rosa Hilda Ramos led the movement to permanently protect the Las Cucharillas Marsh, one of the last open spaces in the area and one of the largest wetlands ecosystems in the region. Read more »
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In the shadow of polluting factories surrounding San Juan's low income community of Cataño, the wetlands and mangroves of Las Cucharillas Marsh provide important habitats for aquatic and migratory birds as well as flood protection and much needed open space for nearby residents. After leading a movement to hold nearby polluting industry accountable for Cataño's high incidence of respiratory disease, Rosa Hilda Ramos successfully convinced the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to direct millions of dollars in pollution fines to establish long term protection of the Las Cucharillas Marsh. Environmental Justice Leads to Conservation In the 1990s, Cataño, a community of 35,000 within greater San Juan and adjacent to Las Cucharillas Marsh, was found to have the highest rate of respiratory diseases and cancer incidence in Puerto Rico. Air pollution from nearby oil-powered electric power plants, run by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), was primarily responsible. The EPA knew about the high levels of pollution in the Cataño area and had notified the Puerto Rican government that it was unsafe for residents; however, as of 1991, neither entity had taken action to address the problem. When Ramos's mother died of cancer causes in 1990, Ramos decided to donate the medical equipment used by her mother to people in need , after learning that in some of the less privileged communities of the town some people had to share respiratory machines. Realizing that many neighbors were suffering from the same respiratory and cancer problems, Ramos and other community leaders founded Communities United Against Contamination (CUCCo) in 1991 to seek justice. That year, Ramos and CUCCo brought their complaints directly to the Puerto Rican Department of Health and the State environmental Quality Board, demanding action from the EPA. In response to Ramos and CUCCo's persistence, the EPA held a public hearing to address the matter. As a result, PREPA was found in violation of the federal Clean Air and Clean Water acts by the EPA, and was also fined US$10,000 by the Puerto Rican Environmental Quality Board. While the decision was an initial victory for CUCCo and the Cataño community, by 1993, the plants had failed to reduce their toxic emissions. Ramos and CUCCo sued PREPA pro se in federal court. Ultimately PREPA was found responsible for the respiratory and related health ailments of Cataño's residents, and was fined US$7 million. The case represented the first time that citizens in Puerto Rico sat down to negotiate directly with the EPA and regulators, a landmark environmental justice success for the island. The court ordered PREPA to pay the US$7 million directly to the federal government. Ramos and CUCCo had a different idea about where the funds should go. They recommended to the EPA that it use the multi-million dollar fine to purchase Las Cucharillas marshland from the collection of private entities that owned the land in order to permanently protect it. Community Victory for Conservation The 1200-acre Las Cucharillas Marsh bordering Cataño is part of Puerto Rico's San Juan Bay Estuary, the only tropical estuary in the US National Estuary Program, and provides habitat for the largest diversity of aquatic birds in the region. The marsh also serves as a respite from the surrounding complex of warehouses, highways, electrical plants and multiple manufacturing facilities. Its mangroves and wetlands are an important buffer zone protecting Cataño communities from frequent threats of flooding, which have increased with the intensity of tropical storms in recent years. Despite its long-term ecological and community significance, the marsh was not officially deemed a protected area. Cataño rallied behind Ramos' proposal to direct the fines to protect Las Cucharillas. In 1999, Ramos and CUCCo succeeded in convincing the EPA to redirect US$3.4 million of the original $7 million PREPA fine toward the purchase and protection of Las Cucharillas Marsh. The funds were not sufficient to purchase Las Cucharillas's entire 1,200 acres of marshland, so in 2001, Ramos and CUCCo brought together a diverse constituency to develop strategies for additional land acquisition and conservation. The coalition worked against the clock to prevent warehouse construction within large sections of privately-owned Las Cucharillas marshland. In late 2004, the Bacardi Corporation, which operates a factory in Cataño, transferred 10 acres of land worth approximately US$1 million to the Las Cucharillas Marsh reserve. Encouraged by Ramos's talks with the company, the transfer was part of a settlement reached by Bacardi and the EPA over the company's Clean Water Act violations at its factory. In April 2007, with a similar agreement, the EPA announced that Wal-Mart would provide nearly US$100,000 for the preservation of land in the Las Cucharillas Marsh watershed. By 2007, Ramos and CUCCo's efforts had resulted in the acquisition and permanent protection of 300 acres of Las Cucharillas marshland. As a result of Ramos's sustained advocacy, in August 2004, the Governor of Puerto Rico issued an executive order to designate Las Cucharillas Marsh a protected area. Governor Calderón then sent the process to the Puerto Rico Planning Board, where it went through various stages of review. The board has scheduled public hearings on the issue, which will mark the final step in the process to establish Las Cucharillas Nature Reserve.
"Wetlands are mysteriously designed to embrace our rivers' raging waters before they flow into the sea, filtering them and making their path more calm and safe for humans and animals. Wetlands are one of the finest examples of God's creation; a gift to us for a rich and safe life. No human design can substitute the pacifying effect wetlands have over a flooding river. We are blessed to have Cienaga Cucharillas wetlands. It is a blessing we are not willing to lose."
Creating a Mosaic of Protected Lands in the Amazon In a lawless, remote, northern region of the Brazilian Amazon, where land grabbing and illegal logging are destroying communities and the environment, Tarcísio Feitosa da Silva leads a grassroots coalition to protect the tropical forest and the people who live there. Working with local organizations, Feitosa revealed massive illegal logging and human rights abuses. Their work prompted the government to protect a mosaic of tropical rainforest areas that, together with existing indigenous lands, make up the world's largest area of protected tropical forest, bigger than the state of Minnesota. The 240,000-square-kilometer area includes the Verde para Sempre Extractive Reserve, the Riozinho do Anfrizio Extractive Reserve, the Serra do Pardo National Park, and the Middle Lands Ecological Station. Working in a Deadly Environment Feitosa, 35, has spent more than 10 years fighting for human rights, environmental protection, and sustainable development in the Xingu and Middle Lands of Pará, some of the most remote areas of the Amazon. He works with the Pastoral Lands Commission, the social justice arm of the National Conference of Bishops (of Brazil), and is one of the elected leaders of the Movement for the Development of the Transamazon and the Xingu (MTDX), several of whose leaders were assassinated in recent years. In February 2005, Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun who worked in Pará alongside Feitosa, was murdered. Feitosa has documented illegal logging activity, and in one high-profile action, tipped off government officials who raided the logging sites, seized 6,000 illegally felled mahogany trees, and sold them at auction to raise $1.5 million to create a fund supporting sustainable development and conservation efforts. Feitosa also helped organize a protest in which community members linked their boats to barricade the mouth of a major river, blocking barges carrying illegal logs. They were able to seize about 2,000 logs. Seeking Environmental Justice in Remote Regions Feitosa's work is carried out in an extremely remote area that is a two-day boat ride from the nearest significant town. The northern state of Pará encompasses more than one-quarter of the country's Amazon and boasts extensive unspoiled forested regions and freshwater river beaches. It also is home to many traditional and indigenous communities that live in almost total isolation from the outside world. But starting in the 1970s, the government began to build roads through the Amazon to Pará, bringing in thousands of settlers. Pará now is one of the deep Amazon's most lawless and environmentally threatened regions. Land grabbing, uncontrolled deforestation, illegal logging, and fires are rapidly destroying and degrading its forests. Logging has affected Pará more than any other region of the Amazon, resulting in the loss of one-fifth of the state's tropical forest cover. Together, Pará's deforested areas are about equal in size to the state of Colorado. The Brazilian government has begun to pave the last 1,174 kilometers of road connecting Pará to the rest of Brazil. Without controls or protection, this road will open one of the final intact swaths of the Amazon to expanded cattle ranching and soy production, easier access for loggers and a greater influx of settlers who will set more fires to clear forest for their crops. In the Amazon, deforested areas receive less rainfall, and the plants and trees retain less moisture. As the area dries, the entire region becomes more susceptible to widespread forest fires like those in 1998 that engulfed much of the Amazon, and to droughts like the one in 2005 that left many Amazon tributaries completely dry, fish dying in the sun and many communities stranded and hungry.
"Here in the Amazon we have the greatest corridor of protected areas in the world. This is important to guarantee the lives of the human populations that depend on the forest to survive and to give continuity to the forest and its resources. The municipal, state and federal governments of Brazil should now assume their clear role in protecting these forests."
Her campaign against a nationwide road-building program resulted in the cancellation of 60 road projects and the development of new transportation policies. Read more »
In 1989, the British Department of Transport announced a £23 billion national road building program, which was boasted as the largest of its kind since the Roman Empire. The plan would destroy hundreds of officially designated protected sites for wildlife, history and landscape and devastate local communities. On her way to Winchester every day to work as a children's librarian, Emma Must passed Twyford Down, a hillside that was known in England for its rare natural habitats and archeological significance. Despite 20 years of overwhelming local opposition, highway construction through the down began in 1992. Unable to tolerate this destruction, Must joined a small group of youths camped on the hill to protect it. The group was forcibly removed from the site and it seemed that the battle was lost. However, new inspiration came from Must, who began to mobilize large protests. By using tactics that included chaining herself to a bulldozer, she brought national attention to the issue. In the coming months, more than 50 peaceful demonstrations took place. Must was later imprisoned for defying a High Court injunction by participating in a demonstration. She then joined the organization Alarm UK!, an umbrella group for the nationwide road building protest, and continued to work with local anti-road groups by promoting direct action, building coalitions and pressing for policy reforms. Though ultimately Twyford Down was not saved, it drew the country's attention to the nation's massive road building program and symbolized a turning point in the campaign to stop it. The movement grew and crossed all social and political boundaries. In response to the public outcry, the British Department of Transport completely reversed its road building policies in 1994. In the summer of 1998, the new British government published the first "White Paper" on the subject in 20 years, laying out proposals for legislation on sustainable transport. The National Roads Programme has been cut to just 37 schemes, out of almost 600 in 1989, a true victory for the anti-roads movement. Must, through her work with Transport 2000, developed a network of regional grassroots campaigners to help insure that the alternatives are carried out on the local level. Meanwhile, Must has been spreading the word to campaigners in Central and Eastern Europe, helping to set up an East/West network tackling the Trans-European Road Network and passing along lessons learned in the United Kingdom regarding halting large-scale road-building. Must is currently working with the World Development Movement in London, calling multinational corporations into account for their overseas activities.
"People power is forcing a transportation revolution."
United disparate groups to work for the protection of Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world's highest coastal mountain range.
Colombia's Juan Mayr led a brilliant campaing to protect the world's highest coastal mountain range, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Rising abruptly from the beaches of the Caribbean to 18,947 feet, the Sierra Nevada is a striking example of Colombia's phenomenal biodiversity. Every type of ecosystem is represented - arctic tundra, rainforest, desert - and like the larger world, it is imperiled. Read more »
Colombia's Juan Mayr has led a brilliant crusade for the world's highest coastal mountain, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Rising abruptly from the beaches of the Caribbean to 18,947 feet, the Sierra Nevada is a striking example of Colombia's phenomenal biodiversity. Every type of ecosystem is represented - arctic tundra, rainforest, desert - and like the larger world, it is imperiled. A photographer turned environmentalist, for two years Mayr made his home in the Sierra Nevada and lived with the Kogi, one of the last functioning pre-Colombian civilizations. The Kogi, who live in villages high on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, worship knowledge and believe that they are the "Elder Brother" of Mankind. They feel responsible for keeping the balance of the universe and view the rest of mankind as the "Younger Brother" who through ignorance and greed is killing the Great Mother (Earth). The Kogi, who Mayr now promote as exemplary managers of the environment, have resolved to have minimal contact with the outside world. In 1986, Mayr founded the Fundación Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and served as its executive director. Using his great communication skills, Mayr has worked hard to develop a participative conservation strategy to bring together regional government, peasant farmers, indigenous peoples, scientists, local and international conservationists and different armed groups that operate in the region for the mountain's conservation. After four years of meetings, workshops and consultations, the Fundación Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta developed a participatory conservation development plan for the area. In June 1994, after 500 years of struggle, 19,500 hectares of traditional lands on the Caribbean coast were returned to the indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada by the Colombian government. Over 300 Kogi, Arsario and Arhuaco Indians walked down from the mountain to the sea to attend this historic event. In August 1998, Mayr was appointed minister of the environment by the Colombian President Andres Pastrana. Mayr resigned as the director of the Fundación Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, but remains an active board member.
"We have found that education and water resources are key to bringing all different parties together."
Biologists by training, Catsadorakis and Malakou led the creation of the first trans-boundary protected area in the Balkans, an area better known for conflict than cooperation, at the borders of Greece, Albania and Macedonia. Read more »
The wetlands of Préspa in northwestern Greece are one of the most biologically rich and diverse regions in Europe. Over 260 species of birds migrate, winter and breed there, including the world's largest colony of the rare Dalmatian pelican. In the mid-1960s, government projects introduced large irrigation systems, commercial fertilizers and mechanized farming, quickly endangering the intricate wetland's ecology. Biologists Myrsini Malakou and Giorgios Catsadorakis used their research in the region to help the local communities seek alternatives. They taught organic farming and reintroduced traditional practices that sustained both the people and the wetlands. They founded the community-based Préspa Center for Man and Nature, and they continue to serve as scientific advisors for the Society for the Protection of Préspa. Thanks to their dedication and years of work, the destruction of the wetlands has been halted and restoration has begun. Their singular groundbreaking achievement came on February 2, 2000, when, in response to their proposal, the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia and Greece signed an agreement establishing the first transboundary protected area in the Balkans. At the signing ceremony, the prime ministers declared that the Préspa Park would be a model of peaceful collaboration among their countries. Malakou and Catsadorakis are currently working on a management plan for the sustainable development of the new park.
"There is a huge single challenge to the modern world: Humans must define what prosperity means on a healthy planet capable of sustaining all equally. The effort to find this optimal modus vivendi has no borders, and natural entities must be used to inspire, enrich, empower and unite peoples."
Undeterred by local drug lords, Edwin Bustillos blocked logging in the Sierra Madre despite violent attempts on his life and founded the Advisory Council of the Sierra Madre to preserve the ecosystems that are home to the Tarahumara and Tepehuan communities. Read more »
The Sierra Madre Occidental in Northern Mexico extends for over 1,000 miles and is the most biologically diverse ecosystem in North America. The Sierra Madres' isolation and deeply corrugated topography has attracted drug traffickers and illegal logging operations. Only two percent of the region's old growth forests remain. Undaunted by the violent climate generated by the drug trade, Edwin Bustillos (d. 2003), an agricultural engineer, was determined to create a 1.3 million acre biosphere reserve in the Sierra Madre to protect both its highly endangered ecosystems and 12 native Tarahumara and Tepehuan communities that have lived in the mountains for two thousand years. To accomplish this Bustillos, a native of the Sierra Madre, founded a human rights and environmental organization called CASMAC (Advisory Council of the Sierra Madre) in 1992. Thanks to the work of Bustillos and CASMAC, two indigenous old growth forest reserves were officially declared by surrounding communities. CASMAC helped developed proposals from 10 other communities to integrate all or part of their forests into the Biosphere reserve as well. Bustillos paid a high price for his commitment to the Sierra. He survived three attempts on his life and sustained severe back and head injuries incurred in the attacks. Despite the odds, Bustillos and CASMAC helped stop two illegal logging operations and worked to protect the land rights of over 300 Tarahumara families. Although a very small organization, CASMAC and Bustillos were also instrumental in developing a landmark constitutional proposal for indigenous rights in the state of Chihuahua, which nearly became law before being defeated by a newly elected congress in 1996.
CASMAC proceeded to change strategies for defense of indigenous rights by embarking in ecologically friendly and culturally appropriate economic alternatives to drug production and logging. CASMAC, with its U.S. partner, the Sierra Madre Alliance, developed a permaculture training program and a native craft program. Organic paper production and a project to develop non-timber forest products such as medicinal plants began in the fall of 1998. CASMAC further enabled native communities with a leadership training program, a radio communications network and a program for training and certifying indigenous forest inspectors. CASMAC continues to research community problems and take legal action on behalf of communal native forests and lands.
"Those who live in harmony with their surroundings live with intelligence."
En Español | English Bio | Lanzamiento de Prensa
Isidro Baldenegro was jailed for 15 months for organizing protests against illegal logging in the Sierra Madre Mountains and his work to defend the forests, lands and rights of indigenous people. Read more »
Indigenous Leader Defends Forests in Mexico Isidro Baldenegro López, 38, is a subsistence farmer and community leader of Mexico's indigenous Tarahumara people in the country's Sierra Madre mountain region. He has spent much of his life defending old growth forests from devastating logging in a region torn by violence, corruption and drug-trafficking. Ninety-Nine percent of the Old-Growth Forest Is Gone The spectacular Western Sierra Madre mountain range hosts one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, ranging from snow-covered peaks to four separate canyons, each deeper than the Grand Canyon in the United States. In addition to the 120 species of neo-tropical migratory birds which winter in the region, it is also home to 26 threatened or endangered species including thick-billed parrots, spotted owl, northern goshawk, military macaw, as well as a number of native fish, reptiles and amphibians. The region is also home to the Tarahumara, one of the largest indigenous groups in North America. But the region's long history of resource extraction, violence and corruption threatens both the forest and the indigenous communities. Ever since the Spanish invaded Mexico in search of precious metals, the Tarahumara and other native peoples have sought refuge in the remote mountain valleys. Today, loggers and ranchers seek lumber and land at any cost, forcing many people to flee and destroying the vast majority of old-growth forest. In fact, 99 percent of the region's old-growth forests have been logged. In the Name of His Father According to local and international non-governmental organizations, the area is controlled informally by violent local crime bosses who gained power in the last 30 years by laundering drug money through logging and ranching operations. The government has been largely unresponsive to the violence, resulting in regional impunity. Tragically, Baldenegro is acutely aware of the grave risks involved in defending the forest. As a boy, he witnessed firsthand the assassination of his father who was killed because he opposed logging. In the face of these serious risks and repeated threats against his life, Baldenegro has chosen to remain and defend the forest and ancestral lands his community has inhabited for hundreds of years. In 1993, Baldenegro developed a non-violent grassroots resistance movement to fight the logging, gaining support from local and international NGOs. In 2002, he organized non-violent sit-ins and marches, prompting the government to temporarily suspend logging in the area. The following year he mobilized a massive human blockade of mostly women whose husbands had been murdered, resulting in a special court order outlawing logging in the area. False Arrest Following the 2003 blockade, Baldenegro suddenly was jailed on what would later prove to be false charges of arms and drug possession. His arrest generated international solidarity from important environmental and human rights NGOs, and Amnesty International declared Baldenegro a prisoner of conscience. Released in June 2004 after 15 months of prison, he emerged even more determined, encouraged by the immense international support. Soon after, he and his supporters won two more government logging suspensions. Motivated by his success, he established an environmental justice organization, which currently has cases pending in the federal courts. Defending a Way of Life Baldenegro's courageous efforts have made him a national and international hero. He has brought world attention to the beautiful, ecologically crucial old-growth forests of the Sierra Madre as well as the survival of the Tarahumara.
"To seek a better future for the communities and the coming generations, to denounce the injustices committed against the indigenous people and to protect the forest and natural resources of the Tarahumara Sierra."
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One roommate's art-fueled movement goes terribly wrong.
Emma Stone was the most paranoid person I had ever met. In private she wore a full suit of medieval armor at all times, visor down.
Reading is good, in general, but sometimes it's just another way to put insane porn into your body.
How to Enjoy this Article: 1) CLICK on the link 2) READ the intro (optional) 3)LAUGH at the artwork!
Photoshop Phriday showcases the tremendous image manipulation talents of the Something Awful Forum Goons. Each week they tackle a new theme, parodying movies, video games, comics, history, and anything else you can think of. If you want in on the action, join us on the Something Awful Forums!
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The Waechtersbach Fun Factory Jumbo Cafelatte Cups are 4 ½" tall and hold a full 16oz of your favorite latte coffee drink and they do put the "fun" in any setting. The bold bright colors can be integrated into any style of decoration. Designed by the world-renowned porcelain makers, Waechtersbach-Konitz, they are produced to demanding specifications in China. The Fun Factory Cups are available in a rainbow array of bright colors with glossy ceramic finishes that are...
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A quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test measures the specific level of HCG in the blood. HCG is a hormone produced in the body during pregnancy.
Other HCG tests include:
Serial beta HCG; Repeat quantitative beta HCG; Human chorionic gonadotropin blood test - quantitative; Beta-HCG blood test - quantitative; Pregnancy test - blood - quantitative
Blood is drawn from a vein. The vein used is usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is first cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed. The puncture site is covered with an adhesive bandage to stop any bleeding.
No special preparation is necessary.
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
HCG appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception. Quantitative HCG measurement helps determine the exact age of the fetus. It can also diagnose abnormal preqnancies, such as ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies, and possible miscarriages. It is also used as part of a screening test for Down syndrome.
This test is also done to diagnose abnormal conditions not related to pregnancy that can raise HCG level.
HCG level rises rapidly during the first trimester of pregnancy and then slightly declines.
Higher-than-normal level may indicate:
Lower-than-normal levels may indicate:
There is very little risk in having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks of having blood drawn are slight but may include:
Lee P, Pincus MR, McPherson RA. Diagnosis and management of cancer using serologic tumor markers. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 74.
Morrison LJ. General approach to the pregnant patient. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2009:chap 175.
Webster RA. Reproductive function and pregnancy. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 25.
Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Bellevue, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, David R. Eltz, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi Wang.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Dr. Rotua Lumbantobing, Westminster College assistant professor of economics, was recently published in the American Journal of Business Research and presented research at the Southern Economic Association 82nd Annual Meeting Nov. 16-18 in New Orleans, LA.
"How Water Access Affects Housing Price in a Developing Country: A Hedonic Analysis" studies 1,723 households around the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Households obtain water from three sources: public water sources; private wells; and tap water access, where households pay a fee in exchange for a certain level of water service. The results show that a private tap water connection is capitalized into higher house prices. A benefit of the study is that it can be used to help governments in cost-benefit analysis of investment in public infrastructures, and can be used to measure changes in household welfare via water access improvements.
The American Journal of Business Research is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal based at Fayetteville State University. It is indexed in Cabell's Directories, ProQuest ABI Inform and EBSCO's Education Research Complete. The journal is available through EBSCO Publishing and ProQuest.
Lumbantobing's presentation "Sorting Equilibrium with Respect to Water Access: An Analysis of Household Location Choice in Southwestern Sri Lanka" extends the analysis in the paper above using sorting equilibrium framework. The model incorporates household preferences and their interaction with neighborhood characteristics. Results show that households value access to tap water, despite its service limitations, and like to have other alternative water access - such as a private well - to complement tap water. An important implication is that crowding out can be avoided when alternatives with comparable cost and quality exist.
Lumbantobing earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Indonesia, an MBA from the University of Rochester, and master's and Ph.D. degrees in economics from North Carolina State University.
Contact Lumbantobing at (724) 946-6061 or email for additional information.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster is a top-tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 377 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.


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quote:Andre's plan to take the guys tailgating is thwarted when their high school nemesis Frank "The Body" Gibiatti and his gang have the same idea. Taco tries to sell knockoff merchandise and has a run in with Chicago Great Jim McMahon.
quote:He was great in everything he's ever done
quote:It's been funny, but I hate how they've barely mentioned the actual league at all this season.
quote:how many times was the fat guy going to frick up what the other guy meant?


text: Our compatible Pitney Bowes DM900 ink cartridges are an excellent alternative to the more expensive OEM name brand cartridges. Buy with confidence as our compatible Pitney Bowes DM900 ink cartridges are designed to meet or exceed OEM Pitney Bowes DM900 ink cartridge print quality. All of our cartridges are backed by a One Year 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and will not void your Pitney Bowes DM900 printer warranty. In addition to our compatible alternatives, we also offer OEM name brand cartridges for your Pitney Bowes DM900 printer.


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Showroom.View Our High Quality Cast Iron Products Online.
We have worked hard to bring you our collection of cast iron products and now we have a prime location in the newly restored original foundry works in city centre of Wolverhampton. The building was originally used to make safes over 150 years ago. We are located in what was once the old stables, where the dray horses were kept which were used to deliver the very heavy safes into Wolverhampton and beyond.
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5 Jamie on formLilyloulou | 24/10/2010 | See all Lilyloulou's reviews (191)Top 100 Reviewer Top 10 Books Reviewer This is Jamie on top form. Very easy to follow and some fantastic tips and ideas for quick dinners - liked the tip for quick berry ice-cream. I've made that a few times already. Tastes great and stupidly quick and easy to do! Brilliant practical cookbook.
5 30 minute delicious meals, yum!Moomintroll | 27/11/2010 | See all Moomintroll's reviews (6)i bought this book having watched some of the series and because I'm a busy working mum with a young child. I thought it would be great to knock up some of these recipes. The recipes are really good and very quick and easy to do. The chicken pie is yummy and went down very well with my family. I would recommend this book.
5 Re: Lovely Bookbutterfly57 | 03/02/2011 | See all butterfly57's reviews (1)This is a lovely and easy book to follow, great pics, and the meals can be changed around. I can't believe the bad press and people that have been saying its taking them about an hour, I'm not a chef, but I get everything ready beforehand, as Jamie keeps saying, maybe if you are not a very experienced cook then this may not be the book for you, but I have completed them in the 30mins, hardly any chopping involved, but if there is then use the processor!The only thing I would hold back on is the amount of chillis which seem to be in nearly every recipe.
5 Amazing!DJsanta | 07/02/2012 | See all DJsanta's reviews (2)Such an easy to follow, basic book. Great for those comfy in a kitchen or those who aren't so sure... I find some of the recipes are now household faves. Great book!
5 Jamie's 30 minute mealsGoosegob | 16/02/2011 | See all Goosegob's reviews (2)Just had this book bought for me and so, so far only made 1 recipe - the Jools Pasta - as i don't have a lot of the equipment Jamie uses in his kitchen i have obviously improvised and chopped by hand when he has used the processor. However, getting everything ready beforehand helped and it wasn't that much over 30 minutes that the meal was ready. It really is step by step and easy to follow and without being 'patronizing' too. A great book with loads of great meals that you can swap and change to suit yourself.


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quote:"Some" opponents suggest Andre Johnson has lost"perhaps a half-step" and "isn't as explosive" as he once was entering his age-32 season Although Johnson put up monster 2012 stats following a slow start, it was noticeable on tape that he's become a ess explosive route runner versus man coverage. His production was also buoyed by volume; he finished fifth in the NFL in targets. Per the National Football Post's Len Pasquarelli, the Texans have "privately allowed" they must develop a future No. 1 receiver because Johnson is no longer a long-term solution. They drafted DeAndre Hopkins in the first round.
quote:Giants agreed to terms with WR Victor Cruz on a six-year, $45.879 million contract. FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports the deal contains $15.6 million guaranteed
quote:ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss believes Julian Edelman (foot) will enter Week 1 as the Patriots' No. 2 receiver if he can get healthy. Edelman isn't a roster lock because of his latest injury, but shouldn't have much trouble moving past Aaron Dobson, Donald Jones and the like if he can get back to 100 percent before the preseason. Edelman caught 21 passes for 235 yards in nine games last season, but was slowed by hand, foot and head issues.
quote:ESPN's Ed Werder reports Rob Gronkowski (back surgery) is "looking good" and making "significant progress."
quote:DeMarco Murray (hamstring) confirmed he'll be 100 percent for camp. Murray missed a few OTAs sessions with the ailment. "I'm doing everything," he said. "Full speed." The trick will be keeping Murray 100 percent. Injury prone in college, he's missed nine games over his first two NFL campaigns, and appeared sluggish after returning from a foot injury last season. Murray will a high-risk, high-reward RB2. All things considered, this has been the 25-year-old's healthiest offseason so far in the pros.
quote:I'll pass, rather dmac than dturd
quote:Bears GM Phil Emery admits he was a bit disappointed that Matt Forte wasn't used in the passing game as much ast season"For whatever reason, whether it was protection or whether it was utilization or whether it was catching, we didn't utilize Matt or he didn't have the opportunity to be fully utilized," Emery said. Forte has made it clear since coach Marc Trestman's hiring that he expects a heavy uptick in receptions out of the backfield, and we've noted it several times. He's a surefire RB1 in PPR
quote:After training all offseason with Lamar Miller, Frank Gore compared Miller to former Miami (FL) teammate Clinton Portis. "Lamar is probably the fastest," Gore said when comparing Edgerrin James, himself, Portis, and Willis McGahee. "He reminds me of Portis." Per the Miami Herald, the Dolphins "privately" believe Miller can develop into "not merely a good starting back, but a great one." If Miller shows pass-protection competency in training camp, he will enter the season as an every-down feature back.
quote:Darren Sproles could be the primary beneficiary of coach Sean Payton's return from suspension. Sproles finished as a top-ten fantasy running back in non-PPR leagues in 2011, before falling to 22nd in 2012 with Payton gone on a BountyGate ban. Some missed time due to a fractured hand was partially to blame, but Payton is intent on using Sproles more as an outside runner in addition to featuring him in the passing game. Sproles is a value pick at his current fourth-round ADP.
quote:Rob Gronkowski has shed the cast and brace from his four-times surgically repaired left forearm. The Boston Herald takes it as, "at the very least a sign of progress," and noticed Gronk moving around "fine" at a bookstore late last week. "I can tell you this," Gronkowski said. "I'm in great spirits. I'm enjoying life a lot more. I can tell you that right there."
quote:Anquan Boldin reportedly looked "as if he'd been playing with Colin Kaepernick for 10 years rather than a few weeks" during spring practices. Boldin is consistently a favorite of quarterbacks because he fights hard for 50/50 balls and sheds tackles after the catch.
quote:Boldin is our No. 45 wideout
quote:The Rams list Daryl Richardson as their "projected starter" at running back heading into training camp. It's only notable in that the Rams had to list someone on their training camp press release, and chose Richardson over Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy. Momentum has been building for Richardson after Pead appeared to be the early favorite to replace Steven Jackson on early downs, but we're headed for a genuine camp battle. Pead is still the slight favorite despite his Week 1 suspension.
quote:Trent Richardson insists he has "no pain" in his troublesome right leg, and that he'll be "full-go right from the get-go" in training camp.
quote:I bet Jones
quote:Patriots waived WR Donald Jones. According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots "want to get their young guys reps." Jones signed a three-year contract with New England in March, but the deal contained no guaranteed money. This move would seem to improve veteran Molasses Michael Jenkins' chances of making the final 53-man roster.


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Familial hypercholesterolemia is a disorder that is passed down through families. It causes LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels to be very high. The condition begins at birth and can cause heart attacks at an early age.
Related topics include:
Type II hyperlipoproteinemia; Hypercholesterolemic xanthomatosis; Low density lipoprotein receptor mutation
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder. It is caused by a defect on chromosome 19.
The defect makes the body unable to remove low density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol from the blood. This results in high levels of LDL in the blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol make you more likely to have narrowing of the arteries from atherosclerosis at an early age. The condition is typically passed down through families in an autosomal dominant manner. That means you only need to get the abnormal gene from one parent in order to inherit the disease.
In rare cases, a child may inherit the gene from both parents. When this occurs, the increase in cholesterol levels is much more severe. The risk for heart attacks and heart disease are high even in childhood.
In the early years there may be no symptoms.
Symptoms that may occur include:
A physical exam may show fatty skin growths called xanthomas and cholesterol deposits in the eye (corneal arcus).
The doctor will ask questions about your personal and family medical history. There may be:
People from families with a strong history of early heart attacks should have blood tests done to determine lipid levels.
Blood tests may show:
Other tests that may be done include:
The goal of treatment is to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic heart disease . People who get only one copy of the defective gene from their parents may do well with diet changes and statin drugs.
The first step is to change what you eat . Most of the time, the doctor will recommend that you try this for several months before prescribing medicines. Diet changes include lowering the amount of fat you eat so that it is less than 30% of your total calories. If you are overweight, losing weight is very helpful.
Here are some ways to cut saturated fat out of your diet:
You can lower the amount of cholesterol you eat by eliminating egg yolks and organ meats such as liver.
It may help to talk to a dietitian who can give you advice about changing your eating habits. Weight loss and regular exercise may also help lower your cholesterol levels.
If lifestyle changes do not change your cholesterol levels or you have a very high risk of this condition, your doctor may recommend that you take medicines. There are several types of drugs available to help lower blood cholesterol levels and they work in different ways. Some are better at lowering LDL cholesterol, some are good at lowering triglycerides, while others help raise HDL cholesterol.
Statin drugs are commonly used and are very effective. They include lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Lipitor), pitivastatin (Livalo),and rosuvastatin (Crestor). These drugs help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Other cholesterol-lowering medicines include:
People with a severe form of the disorder may need a treatment called apheresis. Blood or plasma is removed from the body. Special filters remove the extra LDL cholesterol, and the blood plasma is then returned to the body.
How well you do depends on how closely you follow your doctor's treatment advice. Making diet changes, exercising, and taking your medicines correctly can lower cholesterol levels. These changes can help delay a heart attack, especially for people with a milder form of the disorder.
Men and women with familial hypercholesterolemia typically are at increased risk of early heart attacks.
Risk of death varies among people with familial hypercholesterolemia. If you inherit two copies of the defective gene, you have a poorer outcome. That type of familial hypercholesterolemia does not respond well to treatment and may cause an early heart attack.
Seek immediate medical care if you have chest pain or other warning signs of a heart attack.
Call your health care provider if you have a personal or family history of high cholesterol levels.
A diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat and rich in unsaturated fat diet may help to control LDL levels.
People with a family history of this condition, particularly if both parents carry the defective gene, may want to seek genetic counseling.
Genest J, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 47.
Semenkovich, CF. Disorders of lipid metabolism. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 213.
Larry A. Weinrauch MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Outcomes Research, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Suspension is not enough for this animal who abuses his position
Just about time Chinese let head news like this on the web. What a bunch of crooks!
Guangzhou is a nasty city, and so is Guangdong Province.
Probably what they call the Chinese Elite... wow. Impressive.
Treating their own people like sh*t...
power of internet is great CCP can't hide abuse of its citizen all the time
To Mr. Chin: Guess there are no economic story to cover in China. Guess that's no more important story to cover. So you spend two entries on rude customer on airline.
Talk about lazy reporter. Do you just sit behind your desk and copy and paste Weibo story instead of going out and finding right story?
China's defense budget is set to jump 10.1% to $141.5 billion in 2015, the 26th year of nominal double-digit increases since 1989. The problem: We don't know how it's being spent.
New rules on labor negotiations in southern China offer a potential solution to the country's growing problem with labor unrest while at the same time illustrating the difficulty the Communist Party faces in effectively addressing workers' grievances.
As Chinese society has grown more complex, the Communist Party's estimation of the annual Spring Festival TV gala as a means of communicating with the masses has increased.
President Xi Jinping's recent rhetoric on ruling the country according to law has cast a new shadow over legal reform in China.
A clampdown on "Western ideas" in Chinese classrooms isn't just about controlling society. It has another dimension, involving Xi's relationship with the conservative left in the Communist party.
China Real Time Report is a vital resource for an expanding global community trying to keep up with a country changing minute by minute. The site offers quick insight and sharp analysis from the wide network of Dow Jones reporters across Greater China, including Dow Jones Newswires' specialists and The Wall Street Journal's award-winning team. It also draws on the insights of commentators close to the hot topic of the day in law, policy, economics and culture. Its editors can be reached at email@example.com.


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360 comments
Chicken Tamale Casserole
1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper or chili powder
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy mix)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
Preheat oven to 400. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (to the cooking spray) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.
This Chicken Tamale casserole is a quick and easy swap for more traditional tamales but just as delicious!
Submitted by Debbie from California
by BOBLAT9
July 18, 2012
by BOOBEAT1984
June 02, 2012
by SCHEEPY
February 27, 2012
by BABAWAWA
February 25, 2012
HAve all the ingredients on hand - might make for tonight! TY
by FAMJR
February 25, 2012
by SANDY413
February 24, 2012
by SANDY413
February 24, 2012
by BETTYMCTEX
February 24, 2012
Thanks for sharing. Sounds so good. Will be making this soon
by CHILPEP
February 24, 2012
Would add pepper jack cheese and more hot pepper flakes
by SCHEEPY
February 24, 2012
by CHRISUSA46
February 24, 2012
sounds a little too spicy for my brood but thanks.
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Visit our Craft Village page for Craft Vendor application and tips on booth decoration.
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The Festival is a project of the Campbell Culture Coalition whose mission is to enhance the artistic and cultural opportunities of the citizenry, preserve the culturally significant past,
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Art Works Blog
Strange Sightings at Blue Star Museums
August 1, 2014
Some of our participating Blue Star Museums offer more conventional collections than others. There are incredible works of art, important artifacts from our past, and wonders from the natural world. Then there are other museums that showcase a whole lot of mustard. The quirky, colorful items...
Lessons Learned from talking about the Nature of Creativity in the Brain
July 31, 2014
Sunil Iyengar (NEA Director of Research and Analysis) and I had the privilege of attending a Nature of Creativity in the Brain working group at the Santa Fe Institute earlier this month. We co-organized the event with Jennifer Dunne, the Institute's faculty chair. The purpose of the meeting...
Notable Quotable: POTUS edition
July 30, 2014
"The arts and humanities aren't just there to be consumed when we have a free moment. We need them like medicine. They help us live." -- President Barack Obama at the 2013 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal ceremony You can view an archive of the live webcast of the...
Looking Forward: Theater edition
July 29, 2014
For our second installment of Looking Forward we asked playwright and Theater Communications Group blogger Jacqueline Lawton to respond to the question: Where are you seeing opportunities for growth/unexplored challenges/gaps to be filled in your arts discipline? Given her commitment to diversity...
Notable Quotable: Irvin Mayfield
July 28, 2014
"Art gives us the opportunity to remember that we're living magic on a daily basis. When you talk to people, they deal with life as if it's a mundane thing. Maybe it's because we're used to it. Maybe it's because we've been taught through systems and schools...
Art, Coming to a Billboard Near You
July 25, 2014
Times Square isn't picky about the billboards it displays. A capitalist's dreamscape, there are advertisements for Broadway shows, movies, beverages, underwear, cars—if you can buy it, they'll promote it. But in a few days, one of the world's most visited tourist...
Art Talk with Emmy Parker of Moogfest
July 24, 2014
"[W]e approached the design of Moogfest much like we approach synthesizer design. We asked ourselves this question: how can we inspire people who are interested in technology, music, and art to create new things?" -- Emmy Parker To musicians and engineers, Robert Moog (rhymes with rogue)...
Notable Quotable: Larry Kramer on creativity and catharsis
July 22, 2014
"I don't believe in catharsis from [being] creative. If you're any good, your work, what you are trying to say, becomes almost a genetic part of you that you don't lose." -- Larry Kramer You can read the complete interview with Larry Kramer here . If you're...
Creating for Community: Announcing the New Issue of NEA Arts
July 21, 2014
When conducting Art Talks for the blog, we'll often ask artists what they believe their responsibility is to the community, and conversely, what they think the community's responsibility is to them. In our new issue of NEA Arts —now live on our website—we expanded this...
Designing the Future
July 18, 2014
Norman Bel Geddes perhaps isn't the best embodiment of the NEA's notion of creative placemaking. Rather than communities centered on art, the designer envisioned a world centered on the automobile, filled with expressways, multi-tiered bridges, and parking lots as far as the eye could...
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…to become a member of one or more of our donor membership groups.
San Antonio Society has been a part of the hospital's support system since 1979. The Society is our oldest and most prestigious annual membership group. As a member of the San Antonio Society, your membership fees will do the most important thing any of us can do—help people.
The Cardiac Care Club was formed specifically to sustain San Antonio Community Hospital's heart programs with financial support and education. This group also brings an understanding volunteer who has faced similar issues to patient rooms to counsel and help educate new heart patients.
The Foundation's Business Benefactors is a vibrant group of local business leaders who recognize the importance of offering high quality healthcare to their employees and their families.
We hope you will consider supporting the hospital through your membership in any of these donor groups. Our goal is to ensure that San Antonio Community Hospital has the resources to exceed your healthcare expectations for years to come.
Click below for description of the benefits, opportunities and processes to join one of these groups:
San Antonio Hospital Foundation is recognized as a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This allows your gifts to the San Antonio Hospital Foundation to be tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Mail your check or money order to: San Antonio Hospital Foundation 999 San Bernardino Road Upland, California 91786
Call the Foundation at 909.920.4962 with your credit card number. You can also setup an automatic credit card charge.


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Read any good porn lately? Bourbon porn, I am of course talking about.
Back in my Royale days, one of my regulars was a fortysomething former Marine and East Coast transplant named David who, best we could deduce, bought a shack of a house around the corner from the bar specifically for commuting-to-and-from-alcohol purposes. I don't think any of us ever knew exactly what he did for a living either, and the behind-the-bar debate on his sexuality was endless, but he was always friendly and a huge tipper, so yay David!
Anyway, David's brother-in-law wrote a book, said David, and David kept promising to bring me a copy. Like many other aspects of David's existence, I was suspect of this oft-repeated promise, the way you never believe any teenager who claims to have a significant other from summer camp/in Canada. But produce the book he eventually did.
It's a nice, hefty hardcover called Bourbon At Its Best, and sometimes I paw through it, well, lustfully. But not, like, while hiding out in the bathroom or anything too lecherous like that. Not, like, Dov Charney levels of licentiousness.
Anyway, here's a good, easy cocktail recipe from the book, which was actually borrowed from cocktailer extraordinaire David Wondrich. Now, if you wanna talk about serious cocktail-nerd hard-ons, fer rills, if there was a foldout poster of Wondrich in, say, the latest issue of Imbibe, it would already taped to my bedroom wall. Or the inside of my liquor locker.
OK, enough dirty talk. Get to sippin'!
The Bourbon Dynasty
(Borrowed from Bourbon At Its Best; author Ron Givens, in turn, got it from cocktail writer and consultant David Wondrich)
2 ounces Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon
1 ounce Lillet
1 teaspoon creme de cassis
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
Lemon twist, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir with great vigor and strain into your preferred cocktail glass.
Tasting Notes:
So the only thing I changed up here was, I eschewed the suggested Maker's Mark for Eagle Rare. Absolutely no offense intended towards Maker's Mark, which I will tirelessly defend as underappreciated. It was just that we were out of it. Why we then level-jumped all the way to Eagle Rare — a 10-year! we're living like kings! — I honestly can't remember. I have full faith in Wondrich and am sure Maker's would work just dandily.


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Today, ex-president Jimmy Carter proved once again that he has the I.Q. of a small soap dish. He is complaining, like other left wing mouth pieces recently, about the separation between the rich and the poor. And they always add the obligatory, "oh and the middle class", because they don't want to offend them. JC compared now to when he left office in 1980.
Well, let me just enlighten Mr. Carter and the other left wing kooks. The poor and the middle class are not worse off, and the separation between them and the rich is perfectly understandable, and normal, in an expanding economy.
Lets just take a look at how the Middle Class compares, now vs. 1980.
How about cars? In 1980 cars were cheaply made, unsafe, low performance and got crappy gas mileage, not to mention unreliable. Today the Middle Class buys expensive, reliable, very safe, high performance, efficient luxury cars. The average Middle Class household (MC HH) had roughly 1 car. Today, the average MC HH has 2 - 4 cars.
How about entertainment? Let's start with TVs. In 1979 the average MC HH had 1 TV, a CRT, low resolution, with a crappy antenna. One in 10 MC HH's had analog cable to 1 TV. Today, MC HH's have 3 or more High Def, LCD/LED digital flat panels. And they have digital Satellite with DVRs plus high definition Blu-ray or DVD players.
How about Phones? In 1980 MC HH's had 1 or 2 fixed phones. Today, the average is more than one mobile phone per person. Many HH's still keep the fixed phones as well.
How about houses? In 1980, the average MC HH had a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1 - 2 car garage, about 1200 square feet. Today, MC HH's have 4 - 5 bedrooms, 3 - 4 baths, 2 - 3 car garage, about 2900 square feet. And homes today are actually much more efficiently built (energy and usability/convenience). Houses today have much higher quality materials (granite, better paints and insulation, standardized construction, and safer). And appliances are also far superior.
How about clothes? In 1980, MC HH's had pretty much only the clothes they needed for work and school. Closets were very small even in bigger houses. People didn't have more clothes than they needed. Today, MC HH's have huge walk-in closets full, often more than 1, and even the kids have lots of clothes and even walk-in closets themselves. People today buy a lot more, and more expensive, clothes (and bling too).
Computers? Well, computers existed in 1980 but almost no one had one. Today, MC HH's have an average of 3+ (Desktops, laptops, tablets). Computers cost many thousands of 1980 dollars, in 1980. Today, you can get one for a few hundred dollars, in 2013 dollars.
Game machines? Yes, they had game machines back in 1980. I had one. But very few MC HH's had a game machine (Atari, Coleco, Commodore). Today, many MC HH's have all 3 of the major game machines, plus lots of expensive games!
What about food? In 1980 women could still find the kitchen in their house and families ate at home most of the time. Families ate out once or twice a month. Today, MC HH's eat out most of the time (30+ times per month). When women cooked, families invited guests over much more often, which increased social behavior, good social behavior. Families had more friends back then. And the eating out today is causing real health problems.
What about other non-necessity stuff (boats, RV's, planes, jet ski's)? Yep, MC HH's today have lots more of those.
How about education? In 1980, somewhere between 1 in 3 and 1 in 5 kids attended college. Today, almost all kids get at least some college, and often at other people's expense (you the taxpayer).
How about vacations and associated transportation? Vacations were rare in the 1980's, about 1 every 3 - 5 years for most MC HH's. Today, MC HH's take multiple vacations per year. This has increased flying dramatically as a result. In 1980, only 1 in about 2,000 people had ever been on a cruise ship. Today, its about 1 in 15.
Internet Access? There was no such thing in 1980. Now its pretty much universal in MC HH's. And that has brought down the cost of information dramatically for the MC.
How about things like insurance? In 1980 it was a rare thing for kids to have health insurance. Today, in MC HH's where the parents have insurance through their employer, kids are also on the policy. However, health insurance costs have risen sharply due to many factors, mostly too many people receiving coverage, government interference, unions, and a health care system that is not subject to market forces (no, it actually isn't). Other insurance costs have risen sharply too, business insurance, car insurance, home insurance.
What about working? In 1980, about 85% of teenagers had some kind of job, usually part-time. Today, less than 15% do, mainly because the family does not need them to work, whereas they did in 1980.
What about getting loans for the MC? In 1980, the interest rate for buying a home was around 19%. Today, its 3-4%. Rates for cars were also very high, often 15% or more. Today you can get all the way down to 0%. However, credit card rates have been all over the map, which suggests collusion in that market.
I'm sure you can come up with even more categories to compare.
Anyone who says the middle class is not better off today than when Jimmy Carter left office is either a liar or just plain loco. I think Jimmy Carter is the latter. He's nuttier than a fruitcake.
And if we want to talk about the poor... Well first there are 2 different groups among the poor, the working poor and the welfare poor. The working poor are struggling and the causes of that are complex, but I blame government. The government has created a dis-incentive for work, and purposefully so. The government does not want the poor working. They want them under government control. And lazy people are happy to oblige.
And that brings us to the welfare state. In 1980, the assistance you could get from government was not really enough to sustain a person by itself. You had to supplement it with help from family, friends, churches, community, and working. Today, the income of a person on welfare is enough to sustain a whole family, and quite nicely. The poor in America have spendable cash, and look what they spend it on, drugs, alcohol, gambling, prostitution, fancy cars, etc. How many times have I seen a person in the checkout line at the grocery store ahead of me with over $200 worth of groceries, paying with food stamps? Cigarettes, alcohol, ice cream, steak, fancy salad dressing, twinkies, everything but condoms.
Poor people all around the world are trying to get to the United States because of how well the poor have it in the US. They have it pretty damn good, despite what the left wing tells you.


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Nature Detective Workshops for Kids [NEW date - was July 12]
Saturday, July 19 @ 1pm & 2:30pm (repeat workshop) [NEW date]
Children (ages 6 - 12) are invited to become Nature Detectives at our hands-on workshops where we'll learn all about bats and how these pollinators relate to gardening. Every child will receive free gardening goodies, including Nature Detective notebooks, and enjoy learning all about our wonderful Florida bats and why they are so valuable and not so scary. These workshops are designed by the Sisterhood of the Traveling Plants, sponsored by the Garden Club of St. Augustine and the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, with special partners from Bird Island Park providing activities with a special bat craft afterwards. Space is limited; sign up for a workshop by stopping by the Reference Desk or calling the library at 827-6950.
Florida Writers Association / Ancient City Chapter Monthly Meeting
Saturday, July 19 @ 10am
Taking the Confusion out of Social Media Marketing: Practical Tips to Connect with Your Audience. Presented by Carol O'Dell, award-winning author, blogger, and inspirational speaker. It's a new publishing world out there and social media is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience. If you're confused as to how to use it, and how to connect with the social media outlet that is best for you and your book, then come to the July presentation to learn how to make social media work for you.This meeting is sponsored by the FWA/ACC and the Friends of the Main Library St. Augustine. All book sales benefit the Friends of the Library. Doors open at 10am. All meetings are free and open to the public.
Teen Lounge
Saturday, July 19 @ 1pm
Teen Lounge is open for gaming on the PS3, Wii, or PS2. We also have board games, paints, and other crafts. Musical instruments are available as well.
Nature Detectives Workshop
Saturday, July 19 @ 2pm
Children (ages 6-12) are invited to become Nature Detectives. Every child will receive free gardening goodies, including Nature Detective notebooks, and enjoy learning all about our wonderful Florida bats and why they are valuable and not so scary. Please call the library at 827-6900 to register your child for this free program. Sponsored by the Garden Club of St. Augustine Geranium Circle and FOLSE.
Master Gardeners' Plant Clinic
Saturday, July 19 @ 10am
Weeds? Bugs? Bad soil? Having trouble making your gardens grow? Bring your questions and get solutions at the Master Gardeners' plant clinic today at 10am.Summer Reading Event: Solar Viewing
Saturday, July 19 @ 11am
We've observed the moon, now it's time to take a look at the sun. The Northeast Florida Astronomy Society will be here to show us the daytime sky (weather permitting). Groups are asked to register in advance by contacting Carla or Melissa at 827-6960.
Summer Reading Event: Telescope and Binocular Workshop
Saturday, July 19 @ 12pm
Do you have a telescope or binoculars? Did you know the library has one of each that you can check out? Bring your own or learn how to use the library's equipment at this hands-on workshop presented by members of the Northeast Florida Astronomy Society. Please register for this workshop by contacting the library at 827-6960.
Knit Wits Knitting Club for Kids & Teens
Saturday, July 19 @ 10:30am
The Knit Wits is a family affair. Kids 8-17 are welcome to learn to knit, or bring along mom so she can learn too. Learn to knit, or bring in something you've already started, and knit with the group. Please bring your own knitting needles, if you have them.Easy Science of Healthy Living
Saturday, July 19 @ 2pm
Do you feel tired? Do you hurt most of the time? Does it sometimes feel like your health problems control you? Find the energy to do the things that matter to you, and put the life back in your life. Join us to learn how essential oils can make an impact on your health, and help you feel more positive about life. This aromatic, uplifting program will cover using essential oils in new ways and audience members will have an opportunity to experience the aromas of therapeutic essential oils.


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text: GALLERIES Diego Luna Kevin Chapman Kevin Chapman Tonya Cornelisse Tonya Cornelisse Aaron Yoo Aaron Yoo Arthur Cohn Arthur Cohn Coming Next OR 0 12 Back to Top ▲ Diego Luna Diego Luna Diego Luna Picture 11 AskMen Editors Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 0 Shares One of Mexico's most acclaimed actors, Diego Luna starred in the crossover hit Y Tu Mama Tambien (a.k.a. And Your Mother Too). He has made headway into the U.S. market thanks to his work in Frida, The Terminal, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and Criminal. Catch him in 2006's Toto. Continue reading Diego Luna's profile. Next Page gallery Comments Show Comments More Like This Promoted Around the Web Special Features


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- Adult Adventure
- Some Body Parts
- Tools and Tapers
- Straight Barbells
- Accessories
- Curved Barbells
- Replacement Parts
- Captive Bead Rings
- Earlets & Tunnels
- 14k Gold Only
- Ear Plugs
- Segment & Seamless Rings
- Spirals & Claws
- Organics
- Charms
- Hide Your Piercing
- Genuine Diamond Jewelry
- Circular Barbells
- Fixed Bead Rings
- Screwball Rings
The Snake Wood Tunnel's are an Exotic Wood that comes from Central & South America. It makes a really appealing plug that surpasses many with it stripes in the wood. These will vary a little in appearance because of them being organic and not man made. These are a fabulous piece to wear in your ear piercings.


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Important: The price in R$ is merely a reference; this is an int'l transaction and the final price is subject to exchange rates and the inclusion of IOF taxes and an eNF will not be issued.


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By David Colagiovanni
For those of you outside of UNC-TV's viewing area you can still see… MORE
Blog / Archive: September 2008
Water/Weight , Stacy-Lynn Waddell installation at Branch
By Jerstin Crosby
With all the art related goings-on's in downtown Durham last weekend I… MORE
Filmmaker Lech Majewski to Speak at Duke this Tuesday Night
By Libby Lynn
Polish filmmaker Lech Majewski will host a Q&A session this Tuesday night, Se… MORE
Creepy Baby Face
By Christine Smith, Nasher Museum Intern
Last Friday, I braved the crowd and took advantage of F… MORE
UNC-TV Documentary "El Greco to Velázquez" Premieres Tonight at 9pm!
By Teka
Check out UNC-TV's original documentary El Greco to Velázquez: Art during the R… MORE
Beverly McIver To Speak At Duke
By Libby Lynn
So Good by Beverly McIver
As part of the Durham Art Guild's upcoming 54th Ann… MORE
Awesome, in the non-teenager way
By Sarah Schroth, Nancy Hanks Senior Curator at the Nasher Museum
It is amazing to me how many peo… MORE
Rothko Is Hot
By Christine Smith and Lisa Hafer
Rothko is hot. Right now no artist's work is more in demand on… MORE
Jerstin Crosby featured on globatron.org
By David Colagiovanni
One of our Nasher Museum Blog writers and local artist Jerstin Crosby was… MORE


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$25 for a Designer Gold Watch - 4 Style Options ($59.99 Value)
Designer Gold Watch
- Retail $59.99
- You save 58%
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Limited Time Offer!
Limit 5 per customer, may purchase 5 additional as gifts. This voucher has no cash value. Cannot be combined with other offers. Total voucher value must be used in 1 order. Valid for US Residents only. Product will be automatically shipped to address entered at checkout within 2-4 weeks of purchase - no voucher redemption is necessary.. Cannot ship to HI, AK or Puerto Rico.


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Princeton Pet-Friendly Lodgings
1. Fairfield Inn Princeton
2828 Dixon Street
Princeton, IN 47670
Category: Hotel
Lodging manager? Update your listing
Last updated 2014-11-26 | Update this Pet Policy
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Please use this form to update this pet policy with regard to pet fees, deposits and size restrictions–or if the lodging is no longer pet friendly.
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For more information about Indiana
- Indiana
- 1 North Capitol
- Suite 700
- Indianapolis, IN 46204
- In State # (317) 233-6887
- Toll Free # (800) 291-8844
- Internet: http://www.state.in.us/tourism/