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Sterling Silver 9 x 30mm Gemstone Drop Everlasting Knot Leverback Earrings
Captivating movement and beautiful color accent the timeless sentiment of this meaningful design. Crafted in polished sterling silver, each of these lovely earrings features the representation of an everlasting knot with one drop shaped 9 x 30 gemstone in your choice of tiger eye, dyed green aventurine, dyed red jade or dyed black onyx in a drill setting suspended below.
The earrings measure 1-5/8"L x 3/8"W and have lever backs. Includes a jewelry pouch with zip and snap closure.
Part of the Far East Market Collection. Made in China. Do not use jewelry cleaners to clean, use warm water. Put jewelry on last after hair products, make up and perfume. Do not hit stone on hard surfaces as it may crack. All weights pertaining to diamond weights are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Click here for important information about gemstone enhancements and special care requirements.
Sterling silver, also called fine silver, is a beautifully lustrous cool-toned precious metal favored in fine jewelry among other products. The most reflective of all metals (excluding mercury), sterling silver looks stunning by itself and brings out the best hues in an array of colorful gemstones.
Sterling silver can be polished to a higher sheen than platinum. In fact, Ag, the chemical symbol for silver, comes from a word that means "white and shining." The surface of silver can boast that shiny, polished appearance, or can be brushed, satin, matte, sandblasted, antiqued or oxidized (chemically blackened).
In order to be called sterling silver, a metal must be made up of a minimum of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy (meaning other metals), including but not limited to copper and nickel. The alloy is added to pure silver to make the metal more durable, tougher and harder. Sterling silver is designated a fineness of "925." Pieces with sterling silver may be marked "sterling."
Finishes on Sterling Silver
Finishing, or plating, is a common treatment with sterling silver. Popular types of plating are rhodium plating, gold plating and anti-tarnish plating. Plating is used to extend the life and sheen of the jewelry. After sizing or buffing a piece of jewelry with a machine, it must be re-plated to restore the finish.
Caring for Sterling Silver
Sterling silver becomes tarnished as the result of a natural chemical process that occurs when sterling silver is exposed to chemicals in the air, rubber, wool and latex. Humidity also plays a role in accelerating tarnishing. It's easy to keep your sterling silver sparkling, though, by taking a few steps to prevent tarnish and other wear and tear.
Jade reigns as the universal symbol for good luck and has been treasured in China as the royal gemstone for 5,000 years. The Chinese character for jade resembles a capital "I" with a line across the middle. The top of the character represents the heavens, the bottom the Earth and the center section humankind. It has been considered a symbol of love, virtue and status for thousands of years and remains popular today. Jade is traditionally given as a 12th anniversary gift and is believed to strengthen the body and bring longevity to life.
Jade is the term applied to forms of both jadeite and nephrite. The ancient jade carved in China was what we today call nephrite. In the nineteenth century, it was discovered that the material from the new world was not the same mineral as the jade from China. This new and different jade from Central America was called jadeite to distinguish it from the original nephrite. Both are similar in appearance, yet jadeite is considered the true jade and commands higher prices. Though both are quite durable and tough, ranking 6.5-7.0 on Mohs Scale, jadeite is slightly harder than nephrite due to its microcrystalline structure.
Jadeite has a much more vivid green color with finer translucency than nephrite. It is most treasured for its vivid greens, but it also comes in lavender, pink, yellow and white. Nephrite, however, is found in less intense spinach green, white, brown and black colors. While overall color is the most important factor in considering the value of jade, other important criteria are translucency, texture and pattern. Jade is most often sold by the piece rather than per carat. Because of its smooth and even texture, it has long been a preferred material for carving. When placed in jewelry, it is usually cut into smooth dome shapes called cabochons.
Jadeite is primarily mined in Myanmar. Each year, the state-owned Myanmar Gems Enterprise holds the Myanmar Gems, Jade and Pearl Emporium where boulders are sold to top jade dealers from around the world. The dealers take some high-risk gambles with the jade boulders they purchase. Boulders are sold intact, with only a tiny window cut in the side to expose a small section of the interior. The buyer has no idea what lies inside, whether there is valuable green jadeite or only white or brown-stained inexpensive material. Relying on instinct, buyers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for what may turn out to be exquisite gemstones or huge losses.
The most valuable form of jadeite is known as imperial jade. It is a vivid emerald green color and comes from Myanmar. The Emerald Buddha, a sacred image that is enshrined at Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok, Thailand, is actually beautiful green jadeite. A leek green variety called "Russian Jade" is found near Lake Baikal in Russia. In addition to Myanmar, small quantities of jadeite can be found in Mexico and Central and South America, while nephrite is mined in Australia, Canada, Taiwan and the United States.
In ancient China, Jade was thought to preserve the body after death and was placed in emperors' tombs. One tomb contained an entire suit made of jade, thought to assure the physical immortality of its owner. In Central America, the Olmecs, Mayans and Toltecs also treasured jade and used it for carvings and masks. In Europe, although prehistoric axes and blades carved from jade have been found by archeologists, the gemstone was not popular for jewelry use until the sixteenth century when jade objects were imported from China and, later, Central America. The Portuguese brought home jade pieces from their settlement in China and called jade "piedre de ilharga," which meant "stone of the loins" because they believed it to be strong medicine for kidney ailments. Jade objects brought to Spain were called by the Spanish version of this phrase, "piedra de hijada." This became the French word "ejade," which led to the English word jade.
Onyx is a variety of chalcedony quartz that features a fine texture with a smooth black color. Some onyx can display white bands or ribbons against black or brown backgrounds. Mined in Brazil, India, California and Uruguay, most onyx today is color-enhanced to increase its depth of color. It ranks a 6.5 on the Mohs Scale and is an ideal stone for carving. In fact, it is a favorite material of lapidary artists.
Onyx was very popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans. The name comes from the Greek word "onux," which means fingernail. Legend says that one day frisky Cupid cut the divine fingernails of Venus with an arrowhead while she was sleeping. He left the clippings scattered on the sand and the fates turned them into stone so that no part of her heavenly body would ever perish. In Greek times, almost all colors of chalcedony were called onyx. Later, the Romans narrowed the term to refer to only the black and dark brown colors, while the reddish brown and white onyx became known as sardonyx. Highly valued in Rome, sardonyx was especially used for seals because it was said to never stick to the wax. Roman General Publius Cornelius Scipio was famous for wearing sardonyx.
Worn during mourning in the Victorian age, onyx is now traditionally given as a 7th wedding anniversary gift. It is thought to increase happiness, intuition and instincts. The stone is also believed to cool the yearnings of love and decrease sexual desire.
Tiger Eye:
Tiger eye, also called tiger's eye, received its name because it has rich yellow and golden brown bands resembling an eye of a tiger. The stone is a common form of brown quartz that has parallel stripes and lustrous colors. It comes in various, luminous shades of light or dark brown due to iron oxides. Tiger's eye has the property of chatoyancy, meaning that when cut into a cabochon, it can shine with only a small ray of light on its surface, much like the eyes of a cat.
Also called crocidolite cat's-eye or African cat's-eye, the gem has a hardness of 7.0 on the Mohs Scale. Its most important deposit is in South Africa, though it is also found in western Australia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), India and California. Tiger's eye has recently become a modern anniversary gemstone for the 9th year of marriage.
Roman soldiers wore tiger's eye for protection in battle and the stone is said to enhance courage and bring physical strength. Tiger's eye is also believed to offer protection during travel and dispel negative energies. The gem is said to strengthen confidence, willpower and convictions, which in turn help people to accomplish goals, increase wealth and achieve a joyful outlook. Tiger's eye is thought to help people recognize their inner power, leading them to attain their dreams and bring passion and vitality to their lives.
Perhaps tiger eye's greatest folklore is that it is believed to promote mental clarity and balance. The gem is said to focus the mind and teach people to see with the eye of the tiger, clearly and without illusion. It is believed that tiger eye's soothing vibrations can generate a calming effect that diminishes unclear thinking. The stone's subtle energies are thought to bring order, stability and discipline to life. Tiger's eye is closely attuned to Earth energies, but its yellow highlights are linked to the sun. Because it is believed to be a bridge between Earth and sky, it is considered a tool for balance between the physical and the spiritual. As a link between Father Sky and Mother Earth, the stone's influence is thought to be one of harmony between yin and yang.
Earring Back Types
Butterfly Back: A double looped piece resembling a butterfly that fits over a post. Variations on this design are called push back clasps. The basic post and butterfly back are usually used for stud earrings and lighter weight drop earrings.
Hinged Snap Backs: This clasp features a hinged post that snaps into a groove on the back of the earring. It is commonly found on hoops. Sometimes the hinged post is curved to provide more room to fit around the ear, sometimes called a saddleback.
Hook Backs: This earring backing is simply a long, bent post that fits through the piercing. Hooks have several variations, most notably the shepherd's hook and the French hook. While thin wire hooks reduce the weight of long earrings, making them more comfortable, they aren't as secure as other clasp styles.
Lever Back: A hinged lever snaps shut against the curved post to form a closed loop around the ear lobe. This clasp is very secure and good for large or medium sized styles that drop just below the ear.
Omega: Also called French clips, this clasp has a straight post and a looped lever. The hinged lever closes around the post and is held against the ear with pressure. The omega clasp is the most secure clasp, especially for the larger, heavier earrings.
Screw back: This backing is a slight variation of the standard post and butterfly nut back. Instead of pushing on the back, the nut twists onto the threaded post. A screw back post design is often preferred for expensive diamond stud earrings that require increased security.


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Black Friday is just two weeks away and stores are gearing up for earlier opening times and new arrivals on the biggest deals. Cell phones, computers, and TVs are what we think everyone wants deals on this Black Friday. But as Best Buy tells FOX28's Faran Fronczak, they're gearing up for gaming.
So why games and not the TVs? Devin McCuen from the Best Buy in Mishawaka says a lot of people already have TVs from last year's Black Friday. "It's going to be big. I think the gaming system is going to take over the TVs this year! The X-Box One and then the PS4 are going to be HUGE!" McCuen says. "We're going to have lots of people looking for those. It's going to be crazy in here! It's going to be awesome!"
Across town, Meijer says they aren't focused as much on games. Store Director Rick Zeeff says gaming manufacturers will only allow a certain number of systems per store, so Meijer is focused on a broad strategy - clothing, winter apparel, and shoes.
"It's a better move for us to try to get the whole family. Get mom in to buy games, possibly a gaming system," Zeeff says. "But the go over to the toy area and look at that and then into sporting goods. And then to shoes and fashions and get that warm coat or that nice sweater."
As you know, many stores are opening their doors earlier this year, including Best Buy. They kick off their Black Friday on Thursday -- Thanksgiving Day at 6pm.
For a listing of the deals click here.
WSJV-TV FOX 2858096 County Road 7, SouthElkhart, IN 46517
Switchboard: 574.679.9758News Phone: 574.679.4545Station Fax: 574.294.1267Email: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Peru drug pair 'in great form' inside better prison
Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid are in brilliant health in a modern well-equipped prison, an Irish priest said. Last week the pair pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle cocaine out of the country.
Read: Peru drug pair plead guilty
Father Foley visited the pair last Saturday and said he found them "in great form," despite his continued belief that they are victims of drug gangs, and forced into smuggling. He said:
They weren't in a cell. They were out in a wide open space sitting at a table with a parasol, they were talking and drinking coffee.
As well as that they had telephone communication and they could use it for calling home. I thought they were in great form actually.
My firm belief is that they were conned, they were backed into a compromising situation and their handlers worked on that and got them to go to customs with drugs.
What very likely happened was that people coming behind them in the queue in the airport were the ones who walked through with the drugs.


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FreakScore is a weighted average of all aggregated professional and user review scores. Read more
This product has a FreakScore of 9.2* out of 10 based on 2 scores.
*Score is uncertain and deviates toward category average due to low number of scores.
Veneer Finishes Satin Finishes Full-plane vertical cross b Read more


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Originally published on Fri February 17, 2012 9:34 am
Let's go to a very different reality for one student. Our last word in business today: beyond opulent.
This week the state of Nevada finalized new rules that will make it possible for robotic self-driving cars to receive their own special driving permits. It's not quite driver's licenses for robots — but it's close.
The other day I went for a spin in a robotic car. This car has an $80,000 cone-shaped laser mounted on its roof. There are radars on the front, back and sides. Detailed maps help it navigate.
Do people notice it's a self-driving car and gawk?
Originally published on Fri February 17, 2012 10:37 am
A closed-door meeting to discuss controversial bird flu research is drawing to a close at the World Health Organization in Geneva, and the WHO plans to publicly report on what happened once it's officially over.
Originally published on Tue February 21, 2012 5:52 pm
Tammy Wade knew she had to try something else to lose weight when she stepped on the scale and saw the number: 203 pounds.
Wade, 50, of McCalla, Ala., is only 5 feet 3 inches tall. She had tried everything. Nothing worked.
"I had problems with my feet and ankles, and they were saying I was borderline diabetic," Wade says. "I'm like, well, I gotta do something, you know. So, I needed, really did need to lose the weight."
Originally published on Fri February 17, 2012 3:25 pm
This spring, some high school grads in Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Nevada may see some good job prospects.
The recent spike in metal prices, combined with a shortage of miners, means mining companies are hiring. So some teens are opting not to go to college, and instead are heading underground.
But these high-paying jobs also come at a high cost.
An Educator Questions His Own Path
Jiang Shixue is describing to me one of the most exciting moments of his life: The moment earlier this month when one of the most important people in Europe — German Chancellor Angela Merkel — came to visit his workplace.
"She said that the EU would be happy to see if China can offer a kind of helping hand," says Jiang, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
President Obama's decision to have White House officials and Cabinet secretaries help raise money for a pro-Obama superPAC is raising questions.
The superPAC, Priorities USA Action — which is supposed to be independent of the president's re-election campaign — is launching a new effort to bring in six- and seven-figure contributions.
By law, it cannot coordinate its messaging with Obama's re-election campaign committee. But coordinating other things? That's possible.
Henry Flores was walking down the hallway at St. Mary's University in San Antonio when he noticed that the last office in the hallway's door was open.
"I just kind of looked inside to see who was in there, and I saw a flash of ankle, and I saw this blond hair, and I went smack-dab into the wall," says Flores, who is now a professor of political science and dean of the graduate school at St. Mary's.
It was the mid-1980s and Gwendolyn Diaz, who had just joined the university faculty, was sitting in the office.
Gary Carter, the former Major League Baseball catcher who helped the New York Mets win the 1986 World Series, has died of brain cancer at 57. In a career marked by tenacity — and the ability to hit homeruns — Carter was chosen for 11 All Star teams.
Originally published on Tue February 21, 2012 3:25 pm
Between 1992 and 2004, Monsignor William Lynn was the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's point person for allegations of clerical abuse. When he heard a claim, he was supposed to investigate and, if warranted, remove or turn the priest over to police.
But as two grand juries reported in 2005 and 2011, that often didn't happen.
Earlier this week, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was glitter-bombed by Occupy protesters in Tacoma, Wash., during a rally.
It wasn't the first time for Santorum. In fact, all of the Republican presidential candidates still in the race have faced off with glitter bombers. Unlike a ticker-tape parade or a burst of celebratory confetti, glitter-bombing is a form of protest — it tells candidates that someone thinks they're wrong on an issue.
Originally published on Tue February 21, 2012 6:00 pm
President Obama's controversial decision to require Catholic employers to provide free contraceptives to their employees is still reverberating.
A new New York Times/CBS News poll out this week shows 60 percent of the public supports the president, including 58 percent of all Catholics.
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 6:39 pm
In Egypt, a female Cabinet minister has emerged as the driving force behind a crackdown on U.S.-funded pro-democracy groups.
The attacks of Faiza Aboul Naga — a holdover from the regime of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak — have made her a hero to many Egyptians who believe she is defending their country's honor. But the threat she poses to billions of dollars in U.S. aid and international loans could make her power short-lived.
The good news for the nation's doctors — and the millions of Medicare patients they care for — is that assuming everything goes as planned, the 27.4 percent cut in reimbursements that would have taken effect March 1 won't.
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 6:46 pm
Provocateur comedian Stephen Colbert is known for many things. Silence has not been among them — until now. An abrupt suspension in his Colbert Report's production schedule sparked rumors online Thursday, after Comedy Central said it would air reruns for three days this week.
Originally published on Fri February 17, 2012 10:01 am
Foster Friess, Rick Santorum's billionaire supporter, drew some attention from his candidate Thursday with a comment about contraception that was, to say the least, unusual and surefire fodder for late-night TV comedians .
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 6:41 pm
The wind howls on a blustery Sunday morning in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, as well-dressed families pull into the parking lot of a Mormon church.
Mormon pioneer roots run more than a century deep in this part of the state, an isolated spot between two Indian reservations.
Karen Johnson is among the Mormon faithful, passionate about God and country.
Washington County, Maine, is not a place for unhardy souls.
It's the easternmost county in all of New England, and one of the poorest. And at this time of year, people in Down East Maine do anything they can to eke out a living.
"I get about six months out of it," county resident Hartley Goston said, referring to his lobster boat, The Darian Sue. "I get a few odd jobs here and there to help tie up some loose ends."
Originally published on Fri February 17, 2012 1:36 pm
The coming-home genre is so rife with stock ingredients that first I'd like to tell you what Liza Johnson's very fine drama Return doesn't do. The camera doesn't move in on returning-veteran Kelli, played by Linda Cardellini, as the sound of battle rises and she's back in her head on the front lines. The film doesn't give you what I call the "psychodrama striptease," in which a past trauma is revealed piece by piece until you're finally, at the end, shown the essential bit.
Poking fun at a complex new system for classification of diseases is surprisingly easy and enjoyable.
Yes, there are codes your doctor will be able to use someday to submit bills for treatment of a dolphin bite (W5601XA), being struck by a dolphin (W5602XA) or "other contact" with a dolphin (W5603XA). And that's just the start.
The words "black market" usually summon images of drugs, guns or pirated DVDs — not tubas. Yet authorities in Los Angeles say the instrument is in such high demand that the black market may be what's driving a wave of local tuba thefts.
Ruben Gonzalez is teaching an after-lunch band class at the scene of one recent tuba crime — the music room at South Gate High School outside L.A. He starts with a request only a band teacher would make.
"Make sure we rinse out folks — we don't need any hamburgers or hot chilies coming through those instruments," he says.
Is there arsenic in your rice? Probably. That's the news behind a study that found surprisingly high levels of arsenic in rice-based organic toddler formula and energy bars.
One toddler formula with organic brown rice syrup as the primary ingredient had arsenic concentrations six times the federal limit of 10 parts per billion for arsenic in drinking water.
Cereal bars that contained rice products like brown rice syrup or rice flour had arsenic levels ranging from 23 to 128 parts per billion, according to researchers at Dartmouth College, who tested the products.
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 5:10 pm
The man who tried to blow up a U.S. passenger plane three Christmases ago was sentenced to life in prison in a Detroit courtroom today. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 25, boarded Northwest Flight 253 in Amsterdam on Dec. 25, 2009, with a massive bomb hidden in his underwear. As the plane approached Detroit, he tried to detonate the explosives. They failed to go off.
Four months ago, on the second day of his criminal trial, Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty.
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 4:03 pm
Amanda Knox, the U.S. college exchange student who won an appeal to overturn her murder conviction in Italy last October, has signed a deal to write a memoir — for which she'll earn nearly $4 million, according to reports.
The plane landed at Benghazi airport, about an hour late, which seemed just about right to most people on board. Elderly women sported tattoos from their bottom lip to the tip of their chin; several men carefully removed plants that somehow survived being crushed in the overhead luggage bins.
Between lingering New Year's resolutions and impending Lenten restraint, it's the season when many people are inspired to get healthy by refusing foods they normally delight in.
Increasingly, we're seeing elimination diets that promise weight loss and a tantalizing bonus: detoxification.
"Cleansing diets" trade on this most alluring idea: By limiting our intake of food to a few super-pure items, we can free up the body to get rid of all the gunk accumulated in our cells.
Slogans for a Las Vegas restaurant called the Heart Attack Grill include "Taste worth dying for," and "Over 350 lbs? Eat for free!" But the burger joint's shtick of calling waitresses "nurses" — complete with skimpy uniforms — and serving "quadruple bypass" burgers collided with reality Saturday, when a patron suffered a heart attack while eating at the restaurant.
Surely you've noticed that when people move from place to place and stay for a while, they tend to pick up the local accent. We could use Madonna as an example, but we're pretty sure her British accent started before she jumped the pond.
Anyway, in a new study published in the journal Animal Behaviour, two scientists found young pygmy goats, which are known as kids, do something similar.
Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 2:15 pm
This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Almost every day for about a year now, we've heard about the activities of the Syrian opposition: marches and demonstration that in the face of brutal attacks evolve toward armed resistence.
New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin sprang into the spotlight after he scored 27 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. Lin, who previous mostly rode the bench, has become a sensation in the U.S., particularly among many Asian Americans. Journalist Chuck Leung feels a bit conflicted about celebrating Lin's success.


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Can't beat the box office. No Ticketmaster Transaction fee, no Inconvenience Fee, no print-at-home fee. For the cost-conscious consumer it's worth driving a fair piece to buy tickets without the usuriousness.
Amusingly, the A's web site makes it sort of hard to figure out how to buy tickets in person. The information is not included on the General Ticket Info page, nor can it be found on the Single Game Tickets page. Instead, you need to leave the ticket section of the site entirely, and find your way over to the Ballpark A-to-Z Guide page, then under the letter A (oddly) you'll find "A's Box Office," where you'll learn that:
The A's Box Office is located on the North side of the stadium at D Gate and is open on Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturdays, 10am-4pm, closed on Sunday.
The Box Office is also open for every A's home game. On all weeknight, weekday and 6:05 weekend day games, the Box Office opens at 10am. On weekend games, the Box Office opens at 9am. The Box Office is open on gamedays until 30 minutes after the game at the D Gate Box Office.
- I'm guessing that the A's decision to ditch Fan Fest this year put quite a dent in their opening weekend ticket sales. I went at 2:00 today, first day of sales, and there was almost no one there. One couple was walking away as the Aphid and I walked up, and another pair arrived as we were leaving. And that's it. The A's appeared to have eight tickets sellers on duty, and they, um, had some spare time on their hands. My transaction interrupted their card game.
- That said, today as always, the staff at the A's Box Office rock. They are invariably helpful, patient, and possessed of a section-by-section…nay, seat-by-seat…knowledge of the vagaries of the concrete bowl we call home. What's the best way to avoid the sun at a May afternoon game? Or to be close to a restroom with a diaper changing table? Where are you most likely to be assaulted by seagulls, smokers, or Sox fans? The A's ticket staff knows.
- The team store was open. Had no player-specific jerseys or tee-shirts, except for some Chavez's, of which I imagine they own numerous shipping containers full. OTOH—no Crosby's! They've obviously learned to wait out the roster storms before stocking the inventory. They do, however, have six different sizes and styles of Stomper dolls available! Also, as always the A's have a lot of A's gear for infants, but not so much for elementary school aged kids.
- I'll buy more game tickets later when I know my schedule better, and after I've exhausted my various sources of freebies. I'm especially interested in the much-improved Friday Family Pack Deal—four Plaza Level seats for $50, plus four hot dogs, sodas, and bags of peanuts. A fireworks game for my family of four last year ran us $56 for Plaza Outfield seats ($18 each for two adults, $10 each for kids). So for 2009 we're looking at better seats, for less money, plus food. Ex-cellent. < twiddles fingers >
- Also improved for this year: last year's introduction of "premium game pricing," where tickets for games against the Giants, Red Sox and Yankees cost more than other games, has now been rolled back to apply to only the most high priced tickets. Us Joe "Quaff a pre-game BART lot" Sixpack types will pay the same for all 2009 games.
- The $2 Wednesday deals are better than ever! This year, no home Wednesdays are excluded…Royals or Red Sox, Rangers or Giants, Twins or Yankees, makes no difference, the A's will sell you two dollar ticket.
- What's more, the sections with $2 beauties have been expanded this year to add the "Plaza Level" section. Previously, the deal applied only to the Plaza Reserved (aka Upper Bleachers) and the Plaza Outfield (aka Plaza Oblique, near the foul poles). Now you can find $2 tix from Section 225 on the third base side and 209 on first base, at the outside edge of the infield dirt. For me this may not have a huge real-world affect—my butt pretty much only meets my actual assigned seat on Opening Night and when I have my kids along—but for the rest of you right-standing law abiding folk, this is good news.
- Tangent—please, someone tell the A's how absurd their section naming is. If you'd never been there, would you think that "Plaza Reserved" are actually much worse seats than "Plaza Outfield" or "Plaza Level"? Or for that matter, that many seats in the "Plaza Infield" offer substantially better views than those in the "Field Level." For God's sake, there's four separate price ranges which have Plaza in their name. I think they should adopt a more colorfully hierarchical nomenclature. "Well, Roy Halladay's pitching that game, so give me two seats in the Plutocrat section...I can't afford the Brahmins. But next week when KC's in town I'll take two in the Plebe section and look to upgrade. But I draw the line at Peasants…they're revolting"
Two tickets for Opening Night, front row Section 241…close enough that Ryan can hear me but not so close that Ichiro can point me out to the cops. Two tickets to four of the five Wednesday day games this season, and four tickets to every Wednesday night game. 38 tickets, $90. These are the good old days.


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Have you seen the graffiti work of 24 year old Shamsia Hassani, an associate professor of Sculpture at Kabul University in Afghanistan and a founding member of a contemporary art collective, Rosht which means development/growth?
Things of beauty…
A lot of her work features women in burqas, but with a modern silhouette, with hips and sharp shoulders or fish, trapped. She says:
"Art can bring change, I am sure. If people see an artwork, it will perhaps only cause a small shock to their mind, but that can grow and grow."
The last piece is by a male colleague.
via Afghanistan's female banksy | Maryam Namazie.


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Archive for the 'Guest bloggers' Category
Android, Google and bundling: some follow-up thoughts
[By Pablo Ibañez Colomo (LSE)]
The following thoughts were inspired by Alfonso's recent post on bundling allegations against Google. As usual, it is tightly argued and persuasive. I wish competition authorities took such points into consideration when assessing tying and bundling claims. My objections are of a different nature. The fact that I agree with most, if not all, of what he writes does not mean that his points would be conclusive or even relevant in practice after the Microsoft saga. More than anything, Alfonso's post reminds one (or at least me) of the uncertainties that remain in the field of Article 102 TFEU even after the adoption of the Guidance Paper.
Alfonso starts by wondering whether the complaint brought by Google's rivals involves a bundle in the first place. Following the GC judgment in the first Microsoft decision, I would be tempted to reply by saying that anything under the sun can be constructed as a bundle or, put differently, that the legal construction around third party claims need not make sense for Article 102 TFEU to apply. If a tying claim is valid even when nobody wants an operating system without a media player or a web browser, it probably follows that the plausibility of the bundling claim would not be – unfortunately, may I add – a conclusive aspect in the hypotheticals he discusses.
He goes on to argue that Google Play is not the only means through which one can download applications. I am sure more than a reader reacted to this argument in the same way I did. Could not one also claim that it is possible to download web browsers or media player and that the tying of these applications with an operating system are unproblematic as a result? Well, of course, but this fact did not prevent the Commission from taking action against Microsoft not once but twice. All that remedial action would require is an analysis of consumer behaviour allegedly inspired in behavioural economics (the flavour-of-the-month that I fear most, by the way).
If the above arguments are not decisive, we are left with the issue of foreclosure (the 'everybody does it' and the 'business rationale' arguments would not be relevant even before the wisest of competition authorities, as what matters in contemporary competition law, or so I want to believe, is not the motivation behind the behaviour, but its effects on the market). Besides the fact that foreclosure is plain irrelevant in tying cases according to the General Court, I will mention that, according to what I read the other day, Android's market share is approaching 80%. This does not mean in any way that Android is dominant, let alone superdominant (and, again, very sensible arguments can be developed to show why this is not the case). But we all know strange things happen to law and policy when firms reach such market share levels.
What conclusions do I draw from the above? It seems to me that self-restraint is the only limit to the ability of the Commission to interfere with product design in high-technology industries. The second reflection relates to the behaviour of complainants. They cannot be blamed for taking advantage of the confusion created by the Microsoft saga around tying and bundling (i.e. for behaving opportunistically). One could even go as far as to claim that this saga created the expectation that the Commission will intervene when a firm's market share approaches or exceeds 80%.
ECJ's ruling on France Telecom's State aid case (Joined Cases C-399/10 P and C-401/10 P)
Note by Alfonso: As some you may have noticed, I've taken an unusually long blogging break from which I'm now back. As every time I'm out of combat, Pablo Ibañez Colomo (who, by the way, has recently been fast-track tenured -major review- at LSE and has just received a major review teaching prize; congrats!) comes up with a replacement post that's better of what I would've written (we have a luxury bench at Chilin'Competition…). A few days ago Pablo sent us this post on France Telecom that we(I)'ve been slow to publish due to the easter holidaus and to to the frenchy's posting frenzy ;) We leave you with Pablo:
Some readers wll remember that during my short-lived tenure as a substitute blogger a few months ago, I wrote about a pending State aid case involving France Telecom. I guess that at least a fraction on those readers will be interested in knowing that the Court of Justice delivered its Judgment in the case on
19 March.
Unsurprisingly, the judgment is in line with AG Mengozzi's (very sensible) opinion. The General court annuled the Commission's decision on grounds that the Commission had not identified a clear link between the advantage deriving from a shareholder loan offer in favour of France Telecom and the State resources allegedly involved by virtue of the measure. As I argued in my previous post, the Court of Justice takes the view that the General Court's interpretation of Article 107(1) TFEU would leave outside the scope of the provision measures suh as guarantees departing from market conditions (see paras 107-111). Such measures do not immediately place a burden on the budget of the State, but a 'sufficiently concrete risk of imposing an additional burden on the State in the future'. According to the Court, it is sufficient to identfy such a 'sufficiently concrete risk' for State aid rules to come into play.
The broader picture is aguably more interesting than the outcome of this case. As I mentioned in the previous post, the Court of Justice has sided with the Commmission (thereby departing from the analysis of the General Court and the theses advanced y Mmember States) in some key cases revolving around the notion of selectivity. France Telecom, arguably the single most important case of the past years on the notion of State resources, seems to confirm this trend. The old principles of Article 107(1) TFEU case law, if anything, seem more solid following these high-profile disputes
Antitrust Writing Awards- The campaign begins
(Since this post is about awards, we thought a pic form last night's grammys ceremony would be appropriate. I randomly came accross this one, but it risked being inappropriate, so we've decided to go for a more politically correct one).
You may remember that last year we ran a campaign (see here) for Nicolas to win one of Concurrence's Antitrust Writing Awards, which he did for his paper on Credit Rating Agencies.
This year the Editorial Committee at Concurrences has shortlisted 3 pieces written by people who have contributed to this blog, so we thought we'd ask you to please take a minute to give them your 5-star vote ;)
The nominees are:
- On the category for Academic paper on Anticompetitive Practices: Pablo Ibañez Colomo (LSE), for Market Failures, Transaction Costs and Article 101(1) TFEU Case Law, You can read it and vote for it at: http://awards.concurrences.com/academic-articles-awards/article/market-failures-transaction-costs By the way, Pablo gave a lecture on this topic at the IEB in Madrid a few days ago; the slides are available here: Making sense of Article 101 TFEU
- On the category for Academic papers on Economics: Hans Zenger (CRA) for Loyalty Rebates and the Competitive Process : You can read it and vote for it at: http://awards.concurrences.com/academic-articles-awards/article/loyalty-rebates-and-the
- On the category for Business papers on Economics, myself, for Economics in competition law, You can read it and vote for it at (no need to read this one, you can skip it provided that you vote for it): http://awards.concurrences.com/business-articles-awards/article/economics-in-competition-law (actually, the nominated post does not rank among the ones I'm proudest of, but I'm nevertheless grateful for the nomination).
- We are told that Chillin'Competition has also been shortlisted as one of the top 30 professional publications that will be reviewed by Concurrence's editorial board, which will then come up with a ranking (for more info, click here). You cannot vote for us here, but we'd be thankful if you could please exert any sort of coercion on the jury
Reform of Private Enforcement of Competition Law in the UK: the Government's Proposals
[Our friends Christopher Brown (Matrix Chambers and Eutopialaw) and Scott Campbell (Stewarts Law LLP) have kindly offered us a very interesting post on the reform of private enforcement of competition law in the UK. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first written piece commenting on the substance of the proposed reform. With those proposed changes, the UK may be trying to position itself as the leading forum for private actions in Europe. An absolute must read].
A while back, one of us blogged on the UK Government's consultation, launched in April 2012, on possible reform of the private actions regime in the UK. The consultation was wide-ranging and included several radical proposals designed to facilitate redress for victims of anti-competitive conduct – most notably, the introduction of an 'opt-out' collective actions mechanism. Reaction to the consultation from lawyers and business was extensive: the Government received 129 formal responses, and opinion was sharply divided on some issues.
It has inevitably taken some time for the Government to take on board the responses and consider the way ahead, but, since the publication last week of its response to the consultation, we now know what it intends to do. In summary, the Government proposes to
- Strengthen the private law jurisdiction of the specialist judicial body, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT);
- Introduce a "limited" opt-out collective actions regime, with "safeguards" designed to prevent frivolous or unmeritorious claims being brought;
- Promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR); and
- Take some limited action designed to ensure that private enforcement complements public enforcement.
In this post, we take a look at the main proposals, considering some of the likely practical implications of the reforms in the event that they are passed into law.
1. Putting the CAT front and centre of private enforcement in the UK
The first broad proposal is one on which most respondents agreed, at least in broad outline: to make the CAT the 'go-to' venue for private competition litigation in the UK. Since acquiring its private law 'follow-on' jurisdiction upon the entry into force of the Enterprise Act in 2003, the Tribunal has seen relatively little action, and much of the action it has seen has been in the form of procedural skirmishes relating to the ambit of that jurisdiction (several of which have gone on appeal to the higher courts). In many cases, claimants have preferred to commence follow-on proceedings in the High Court instead.
Where's the Law? (or Google and the European Commission)
I said to myself I would keep up the promise I made to Alfonso and continue writing in the blog until Nicolas is back or he recovers (which we hope will be very soon) and starts posting notes again (I failed to anticipate that he wouldn´t stop…)
More to the point: as a complete outsider, I find the lack of publicly available information on the European Google case frustrating, as it is fascinating on more than one level. I just thought that the best way I could rebel against this situation is by making my views on the ongoing proceedings publicly available.
The behaviour of the European Commission in the past few months is interesting (if not puzzling) in at least three important respects:
- The Commission has repeatedly asked Google to submit commitments. One could very well argue that nothing prevents the Commission from doing this. At the same time,this conduct is at odds with the logic of Article 9 of Regulation 1/2003. At least it shows (as if we did not know it already) that the ECJ judgment in Alrosa (as well as AG Kokott's opinion) ignores how negotiations between firms and competition authorities are conducted in reality.
- A commitment decision is the only acceptable outcome for the Commission. In his public statements Commissioner Almunia suggests that the case will only be closed once the authority accepts the commitments submitted by Google. Put differently, we have reached a point where the case is not so much about an authority establishing an infringement by a firm but about a firm proposing a settlement that is acceptable for the authority.
- The Commission assumes that the alleged discriminatory conduct is an abuse of dominance: The whole case seems to be based on the premise that the fact for Google to favour its own services is an abuse of dominance within the meaning of Article 102 TFEU. Commissioner Almunia has even been explicit about this matter. This conclusion is very far from straightforward to reach. It is a factual scenario that can be approached in many different ways. It raises novel and complex questions to which different (and contradictory) lines of case law seem to apply .Unfortunately, the Commission has never even attempted to articulate the legal framework potentially applicable to this case. This would be most desirable, if only because it would make it possible to ascertain whether the Guidance Paper was just the expression of a moment of temporary folly, and not (as I assumed it would) a pre-commitment device designed to preserve long-run legal certainty.
I do not think an expert poker player would advise the Commission to take these moves. Even outsiders like me cannot avoid inferring from them that the (legal) case is probably weaker than the Commission appears to suggest. As an academic, it is the fact that the law has disappeared from the case that I find most worrying, in any event. The question of whether, and why, Google's conduct would be abusive seems to be no longer of relevance for its outcome. In this sense, this case shows the dramatic impact that the abusive recourse to commitment decisions (in particular where, as is the case here, genuinely novel legal questions are at stake) can have on the evolution of our discipline.
Ménage à trois (part III; Makis Komninos): Case T-169/08 PPC v Commission
This third part of our inaugural ménage à trois discussion on the Greek lignite Judgment features (see part I and part II ) another good friend of this blog: Assimakis Komninos. Makis is a great guy, a partner at White & Case, and was a successful co-counsel in the case
we're they are discussing, so he was an obvious candidate for our triad of guests. As you will see, Makis sides with Marixenia Davilla in praising the Judgment. In doing so, he replies to José Luis Buendía's more critical views.
To illustrate Makis' post we have chosen the image of another famous lignite-related (look at gift in the middle) ménage à trois. :)
First of all, it is such a great pleasure to be invited to comment on the Greek lignites case. I should disclose at the outset that I represented, as co-counsel, the Hellenic Republic in its intervention in support of PPC during the written proceedings stage.
My personal view is that the General Court did the right thing and annulled a decision that was going a step too far. There is no doubt also, in my view, that the Commission was using this as a kind of "test case" against a carefully selected target.
The intellectual starting point is, I think, the very nature of Article 106 TFEU. This is a rather curious provision and I certainly agree with José Luis that it is essentially about State measures, but the sure thing is that the Treaty fathers wanted to give it a carefully circumscribed scope. A systematic interpretation of the Treaty does not support that there is general prohibition of all State measures that may – even indirectly – impact on competition and business activities. Article 106 TFEU restricts the behaviour of Member States only by reference to the scope of some other Treaty provisions, such as Article 102 TFEU. This is the provision that the Commission chose to rely on by reference.
Then, if one reads the Commission's decision, one fails to see how Article 102 TFEU would come into play here, albeit by reference. Would the theory of harm refer to a leveraging abuse, to a refusal to supply, to a failure to satisfy demand (exploitation), to discriminatory treatment on the part of PPC? Not clear at all. The Commission thought that it did not have to specify this. By the way, I am not suggesting that in Article 106 TFEU cases, the Commission need to show anti-competitive effects etc. This is not what I argue. Instead, I submit that the Commission should be able to demonstrate with a sufficient degree of intellectual clarity that the State measures are connected with a specific kind of actual or potential abusive behaviour by the undertaking in question. This is all the Court says and I fully agree with Marixenia.
With respect, I do not agree that the previous case law gave the Commission leeway in not being obliged to identify a specific kind of actual or potential abusive behaviour. On the contrary, if we look at RTT and even Connect Austria, while we see references to "equality of opportunity" and to RTT's "obvious advantage over its competitors", that by no means leads to the conclusion that the mere existence of inequality of opportunity is sufficient for an Article 106 TFEU violation. In both cases, the Court spoke about specific anti-competitive phenomena. In Connect Austria, the problem was that the undertaking in question was allowed (through the inequality of opportunity) to expand its dominant position onto a related market and, in RTT, the Court is very clear and explicit as to the kind of abuse of dominance that was at stake: "an abuse within the meaning of Article [102] is committed where, without any objective necessity, an undertaking holding a dominant position on a particular market reserves to itself an ancillary activity which might be carried out by another undertaking as part of its activities on a neighbouring but separate market, with the possibility of eliminating all competition from such undertaking".
In the PPC case, the Commission seemed to build its case on the grounds that PPC's lignite rights are not sufficiently counter-balanced by significant deposits of its competitors, even though lignite is not an essential input to compete downstream. I am actually being kind to the Commission, when I say this, because this theory is not clearly articulated within the txt of the decision. The Commission then identified a remedy: PPC's competitors needed to gain access to 40% of the total exploitable lignite reserves. In a nutshell, the Commission was seeking to use competition law to unbundle the Greek electricity generation market. However, this instrumentalisation of the law, in order to redesign a market structure, lacked both a legal and a sound economic basis. Moreover, it would lead to a dangerous precedent by permitting the Commission to attack market structures it dislikes by invoking the vague concept of "inequality of opportunity".
The Commission misinterpreted the case law and its decision deserved to be annulled. I do not think this is the end of Commission enforcement under Article 106 TFEU, as some commentators have argued. It will only have to do a better job next time and articulate also a clear theory of harm that refers to an actual or potential abuse of dominance by a public undertaking or an undertaking with special or exclusive rights, as a result of certain State measures.
Ménage à trois (part II; José Luis Buendía): Case T-169/08 PPC v Commission (… and Jules v Jim)
For this second part of our first ménage à trois discussion we are proud to present you with José Luis Buendía's view of the Greek Lignite Judgment in response to Marixenia Davilla's earlier post. Aside from being the head of Garrigues' Brussels office -where I happen to work-, José Luis is widely regarded as "Mr Article 106″. He also masters the art of illustrating all hiw views with metaphores and parables. Continue reading and you'll see what we mean….
[For a contrarian view of José Luis' arguments check our Makis Komninos post (which we will publish here tomorrow)].
It is a real pleasure to be invited to contribute to this blog. This is even more the case given the topic, the format, and the identity of my nice and learned counterparts – Marixenia and Assimakis. Even if I don't share their enthusiasm about this judgment, it is clear that they have done an excellent job as lawyers. So, congratulations to them and to their colleagues who worked om the case.
Contrary to them, despite having been in the past an EC official, I have not had any involvement in this particular case. I am nevertheless very interested in it, since I am working on a new edition of my book on Article 106. Moreover as I have explained in a recent article, unfortunately there are not so many Article 106 cases to comment. So I am glad to have this opportunity.
This case made me think of François Truffaut's film Jules et Jim about a genuine ménage à trois. The Catherine of the movie (Jeanne Moureau) had – simultaneously – a husband and a lover. As Marixenia rightly implies in her interesting comment, Article 106 also has simultaneous links with State aid on the one hand and with antitrust on the other hand. In my view the problem with the judgment is to assume that Article 106 is only married with antitrust and faithful to it. It is not. Article 106 is about State measures and is therefore essentially different from antitrust.
It is for this reason that, in my opinion, this judgment is not really consistent with the previous case law that it claims to be following. Indeed, previous judgments, like RTT, considered that the mere granting of an exclusive right to a public undertaking previously enjoying a dominant position was in itself contrary to Article 106 combined with Article 102 TFEU. This conclusion was based on the effects of the State measure creating the extension of a dominant position from one market to another one (effects that were similar to those of an abuse). The said conclusion did not require any actual abusive behavior.
In today's judgment the General Court reads the previous case law in a different manner and finds that it does require the existence of an abusive behavior, at least a potential one. Since the EC decision did allegedly not established the abuse but relied only on the effects, it was according to the Court in breach of the Treaty. This reasoning seems to me clearly contradictory with the case law.
This reasoning seems also a little bit abstract. Indeed, the judgment itself concedes that the mere possibility of a future potential abuse would have been enough to satisfy the legal test. However, since according with the judgment, the decision did not explore this issue in an explicit manner, it had to annul it. It seems however obvious to me that a State measure extending the dominant position from one market to a neighbor one has, at the very least, the potential to lead to abusive behaviors. So, the Court seems to say that it is only the lack of an explicit reference to this obvious consequence that leads to the annulment.
I assume that the Commission may appeal the judgment before the Court of Justice in order to clarify the application of Article 106 with regard to special or exclusive rights. I also think that in the future the Commission should be more active and more coherent in the application of this provision.
In any event, I also know that my Greek friends would have a view different from mine, so I really look forward to the continuation of the debate.
Reform of UK competition law- Part 2: facilitating private redress
[Note by Nicolas and Alfonso: In the second of his guest posts on reform of UK competition law and enforcement, Christopher Brown looks at potential reform of private redress mechanisms]-
On 24 April 2012, just weeks after announcing the Government's intentions in respect of reforms to the public enforcement regime, BIS launched a Consultation on reform to the private enforcement of competition law in the UK. Such reform might be said to be long overdue: it has been some five years since the OFT made recommendations to Government stressing the desirability of changes to facilitate private redress.
The Government's stated objective is to encourage private-sector challenges to anti-competitive conduct to complement public enforcement. Elsewhere in the document, it is said that the aims of the reform proposals are (i) to increase growth, by empowering small firms to tackle anti-competitive behaviour which is stifling their business, and (ii) to promote fairness, by enabling those who have suffered loss as a result of such anti-competitive conduct to obtain redress. The principal proposed reforms are:
- to increase the role of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) as a forum for private actions, by allowing it to hear 'standalone' claims as well as 'follow-on' claims;
- controversially, to introduce an opt-out collective actions regime;
- to protect the leniency regime by preventing at least certain leniency documents from being disclosed to claimants bringing private law claims and protecting at least immunity applicants from joint and several liability.
These 3 proposed innovations are touched upon below.
(a) The role of the CAT
The proposals to make the CAT a major venue for private litigation based on competition law have been broadly welcomed. In its twelve years of existence, it has built up a strong reputation in its handling of appeals under the Competition Act 1998 (and other legislation) and follow-on private actions under section 47A of that Act. It is widely regarded as efficient, fair and competent. It makes eminent sense, in principle, for the CAT's jurisdiction to be extended so as to make most efficient use of the resources at its disposal.
Some of the detailed proposals in relation to the CAT are, however, more controversial. In particular, the Government proposes the introduction of a "fast-track" system for claims brought by SMEs (which, as part of its growth agenda, the Government is very keen to support). The Government is particularly concerned that SMEs are in practice prevented, or substantially deterred, from seeking redress for loss caused to them as a result of competition law infringements. It points, with some justification, to the considerable cost of litigating in the UK and the length of time cases take to reach resolution. What they need, the Government seems to think, is a quick and easy way of getting their complaints in front of a court. The fast-track proposal is the Government's suggested way of improving matters. So what is it?
Reform of UK competition law- Part 1: public enforcement
[Over the course of two posts, Christopher Brown (Matrix Chambers) blogs on the substantial reform agenda in the UK. The first post looks at the reform of the public enforcement regime; the second will consider the recent proposals to reform private enforcement].
As readers will probably know, back in March 2011 the UK Government, through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ("BIS"), launched a consultation on potential reform to the UK competition law landscape (see my earlier post here). It contained a number of bold suggestions for redesigning the domestic regime. After a 3-month consultation period and, seemingly, much head-scratching, BIS announced its concrete proposals for reform on 15 March 2012. Those proposals are now contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament. Then, as if the Department didn't have enough on its plate already, it launched a consultation on reform to private actions in the UK. In these posts, I touch on the main aspects of both proposals and offer some limited comments.
Reform of the public enforcement regime
Given space constraints, this section touches on just three of the reform proposals, relating to institutional architecture, enforcement model and the cartel offence.
Case C-128/11 UsedSoft v Oracle
Note by Alfonso: The Court of Justice has published yesterday its long-awaited decision in UsedSoft v. Oracle. Even though the matters are issue are mainly IP-related (they concern the application of the so-called "exhaustion doctrine" to computer programs), they have important competition law implications. Marcos Araujo (a friend of ours and a partner at Garrigues) has followed closely this case as well all others concerning the intersection of IP and competition law. We've asked him to provide us with his first views on this very fresh Judgment. Here they are:
In a Grand Chamber judgment, the ECJ has taken a determined stance in favour of THE free movement of goods and the exhaustion doctrine. Today's Judgment has dismissed not only Oracle's arguments, but also those raised by the Commission and by the various intervening Member States, and has affirmed vigorously the right of licence holders to "resell" their rights of use of computer programs, supporting intermediaries and end customers in the way.
The case had attracted much attention given the contradictions in this area of European Law, which on the one hand declares that the sale of computer programs exhausts the rights of the owner (art. 4.2 of Directive 2009/24) and therefore that the program can freely be re-sold, and, on the other hand, states that the provision of services over the Internet does not cause exhaustion of rights (Recital 29, Directive 2001/29). In this situation, software companies which license (and arguably do not "sell") software over the internet may claim that their IP rights should not be deemed to become "exhausted", as they would be providing a service rather than selling a product.


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Born: 18th March 1893 in Oswestry, Britain.
Died: 4th November 1918 in Ors, France.
Overview of Wilfred Owen's Life
A compassionate poet, Wilfred Owen's work provides the finest description and critique of the soldier's experience during World War One. He was killed towards the end of the conflict. Read his war poetry here.
Wilfred Owen's Youth
Wilfred Owen was born on March 18th 1893, to an apparently wealthy family; however, within two years his grandfather died on the verge of bankruptcy and, missing his support, the family were forced into poorer housing at Birkenhead. This fallen status left a permanent impression on Wilfred's mother, and it may have combined with her staunch piety to produce a child who was sensible, serious, and who struggled to equate his wartime experiences with Christian teachings. Owen studied well at schools in Birkenhead and, after another family move, Shrewsbury - where he even helped to teach - but he failed the University of London's entrance exam. Consequently, Wilfred became lay assistant to the vicar of Dunsden - an Oxfordshire parish - under an arrangement designed so the vicar would tutor Owen for another attempt at University.
Early Poetry
Although commentators differ as to whether Owen started writing at the age 10/11 or 17, he was certainly producing poems during his time at Dunsden; conversely, the experts agree that Owen favoured literature, as well as Botany, at school, and that his main poetic influence was Keats. The Dunsden poems exhibit the compassionate awareness so characteristic of Wilfred Owen's later war poetry, and the young poet found considerable material in the poverty and death he observed working for the church. Indeed, Wilfred Owen's written 'compassion' was often very close to morbidity.
Mental Problems
Wilfred's service in Dunsden may have made him more aware of the poor and less fortunate, but it didn't encourage a fondness for the church: away from his mother's influence he became critical of evangelical religion and intent on a different career, that of literature. Such thoughts led to a difficult and troubled period during January 1913, when Wilfred and Dunsden's vicar appear to have argued, and - or because perhaps as a result of - Owen suffered a near nervous breakdown. He left the parish, spending the following summer recovering.
During this period of relaxation Wilfred Owen wrote what critics often label his first 'war-poem' - 'Uriconium, an Ode' - after visiting an archaeological dig. The remains were Roman, and Owen described ancient combat with especial reference to the bodies he observed being unearthed. However, he failed to gain a scholarship to university and so left England, travelling to the continent and a position teaching English at the Berlitz school in Bordeaux. Owen was to remain in France for over two years, during which time he began a collection of poetry: it was never published.
1915: Wilfed Owen Enlists in the Army
Although war seized Europe in 1914, it was only in 1915 that Owen considered the conflict to have expanded so considerably that he was needed by his country, whereupon he returned to Shrewsbury in September 1915, training as a private at Hare Hall Camp in Essex. Unlike many of the war's early recruits, the delay meant Owen was partly aware of the conflict he was entering, having visited a hospital for the wounded and having seen the carnage of modern warfare first-hand; however he still felt removed from events.
Owen moved to the Officer's school in Essex during the March of 1916 before joining the Manchester Regiment in June, where he was graded '1st Class Shot' on a special course. An application to the Royal Flying Corps was rejected, and on December 30th 1916, Wilfred traveled to France, joining the 2nd Manchesters on January 12th 1917. They were positioned near Beaumont Hamel, on the Somme.
Wilfred Owen sees Combat
Wilfred's own letters describe the following few days better than any writer or historian could hope to manage, but it is sufficient to say Owen and his men held a forward 'position', a muddy, flooded dug-out, for fifty hours as an artillery and shells raged around them. Having survived this, Owen remained active with the Manchesters, nearly getting frost bite in late January, suffering concussion in March - he fell through shell-damaged land into a cellar at Le Quesnoy-en-Santerre, earning him a trip behind the lines to hospital - and fighting in bitter combat at St. Quentin a few weeks later.
Shell Shock: Wilfred Owen at Craiglockhart
It was after this latter battle, when Owen was caught in an explosion, that soldiers reported him acting rather strangely; he was diagnosed as having shell-shock and sent back to England for treatment in May. Owen arrived at the, now famous, Craiglockhart War Hospital on June 26th, an establishment sited outside Edinburgh. Over the next few months Wilfred wrote some of his finest poetry, the result of several stimuli. Owen's doctor, Arthur Brock, encouraged his patient to overcome shell-shock by working hard at his poetry and editing The Hydra, Craiglockhart's magazine. Meanwhile, Owen met another patient, Siegfried Sassoon, an established poet whose recently published war work inspired Wilfred and whose encouragement guided him; the exact debt owed by Owen to Sassoon is unclear, but the former certainly improved far beyond the latter's talents.
Owen's War Poetry
In addition, Owen was exposed to the cloyingly sentimental writing and attitude of non-combatants who glorified the war, an attitude to which Wilfred reacted with fury. Further fuelled by nightmares of his wartime experiences, Owen wrote classics like 'Anthem for Doomed Youth', rich and multi-layered works characterised by a brutal honesty and deep compassion for the soldiers/victims, many of which were direct ripostes to other authors.
It's important to note that Wilfred wasn't a simple pacifist - indeed, on occasions he railed against them - but a man sensitive to the burden of soldiery. Owen may have been self-important before the war - as betrayed by his letters home from France - but there is no self-pity in his war work.


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Photo: Manny Ramirez out of Oakland A's
Manny Ramirez asked the Oakland Athletics to release him from his contract and the team granted his request on Friday night.
Ramirez signed a minor league deal with Oakland on Feb. 20. He was hitting .302 with 14 RBIs in 17 games with Triple-A Sacramento. He had served a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy last year. When the ban had ended on his 40th birthday on May 30th he remained in the minors. When the A's couldn't give Ramirez assurance that he would be called up to the Majors he decided he did not want to stay in the minors. Though he once signed a $45 million contract with the Dodgers, this slugger was only getting paid $500,000 in the minor leagues.
Other troubles also plagued Ramirez this year. In April Ramirez wife Juliana, dropped charges of domestic battery from a September 2011 incident.
Ramirez has 555 career homers and 1,831 RBIs, retired last season rather than serve a 100-game suspension for failing a second drug test. The Commissioner Bud Selig cut the suspension in half after Ramirez sat out the rest of the season.
Ramirez said he would go home and continue to train, he was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic . He is determined to make a full comeback.
Written by HS News Sports Writer: Tim Horodyski


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Definition: 'Face Region'
face regionType: Term
1. the topographic subdivisions of the face, including nasal, oral, mental, orbital, infraorbital, buccal, parotid, and zygomatic.
Synonyms: regio facialis, regions of face
The information shown above for face region is provided by Stedman's.
* Stedman's, part of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, provide a comprehensive line of health-science publications for healthcare professionals and medical students.
Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.


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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are these tickets paper and why is there another person's name on it?
2. Can I have my tickets delivered to another address?
3. How can tickets listed on the website not be available?
4. Can you mail my tickets to me?
5. Why are you charging me more than face value?
6. Are these seats next to each other?
7. It says there are 4 tickets available, so why won't it let me purchase an odd number, such as 3 or 1 ticket?
8. If I wait until the day of the event, do I get a better price or deal on the tickets?
9. (Out of state) I chose Encino pick-up, where is Encino?
10. I placed a web order and wanted to check the status of my order?
11. Why can't you leave the package without a signature?
12. Why do I have to pay for shipping when the tickets aren't being shipped immediately upon purchase (e.g. season tickets, future events, etc…)?
13. It says 2-Day Federal Express, so why didn't I get my tickets on Saturday or Sunday?
14. My billing address is a P.O. Box and it won't let me ship my tickets there. Why not and what can I do?
15. Why do I have to do a fax? I order over the internet all the time and do not have tine to do this?
16. Why don't you accept international credit cards?
17. What time is your Downtown, Los Angeles location open for pick-ups?
18. Does my child need a ticket if they are under a certain age?
19. Why do you say you are (fill in organization) when you are not?
20. If you are not the box office, why do you position yourself like you are?
21. If I order online, how is my order confirmed?
22. If you are Barry's Ticket Service, why does it say you are something else?
23. What proof of purchase do I get?
24. What are my guarantees if the tickets aren't what I purchased?
25. Is this legal?
26. How much over face do you charge?
27. Are you guys Ticketmaster?
28. What happens if my tickets are lost or stolen?
29. What happens if the event I purchased tickets for is postponed or cancelled and I am unable to attend the new scheduled date?
30. I want to order for an event tonight but it only allows me to select shipping. So how would I go about getting my tickets
31. Is there a dress code?
32. What are the seat numbers for Section "x", Row "y?" Is it closer to the inner or outer aisle?
33. I am on your website, why are some General Admission (GA) tickets priced higher than other?
34. I see worse seats at a higher price. Why?
35. (customer walks into our Costa Mesa office) I just ordered tickets from your website and selected the Costa Mesa pick-up option. Why aren't my tickets here?
36. (on the day of the event) Do I have to pick up the tickets at the Encino location?
37. What is playing in (fill in the blank) city?
38. Can I use my friend's credit card?
39. Can I have someone else pick up my tickets?
These paper tickets, also known as Ticketfast tickets, are the new form of print your own tickets being offered by Ticketmaster. Ticketfast tickets allow for customers to obtain their tickets by email rather than waiting for them to be shipped. Ticketfast tickets are as valid as traditional hard tickets. The name printed on the ticket belongs to the individual whose credit card was used to purchase the ticket originally, however this does NOT require that individual to be the one using the ticket.
2. Can I have my tickets delivered to another address?
Tickets cannot be delivered to a different address. Barry's Ticket Service has an agreement with the credit card companies to only ship to the billing address of the credit card being used for the purchase.
3. How can tickets listed on the website not be available?
The website you are viewing is not in real time. What may appear available, unfortunately, may already be sold because the website is updated once every business hour. After our normal business hours, the frequency of our updates decreases.
No, Barry's Ticket Service cannot mail tickets to our customers. If tickets were sent by U.S mail there is no way of tracking the shipment/delivery. By using a delivery service such as Federal Express, packages can be tracked online or by phone. The customer's signature is also required to help verify delivery and receipt of the ticket package.
We carry premium tickets to sold out events, and pay premium prices to obtain tickets. Face value is not a factor in our pricing model. Pricing is based on ticket demand, availability and market conditions.
Unless otherwise noted, seats purchased in sets or groups are always next to each other.
Although we are not able to break up a group of 2 or 4, you can select an odd number out of a group of odd numbers listed or for any group of 8 or more. If these options are not available online, please call us and will we do our best to accommodate you.
Waiting until the day of an event to purchase tickets can be risky. The ticket business is much like the stock market and prices are based solely on availability and demand. If you wait, the event can sell out, the price can go up, down or remain the same. It is important to note that by waiting the customer takes the chance of not being able to get any tickets or paying much more than what they would have paid initially. Keep in mind that due to market driven price fluctuations, we can not honor prices that were quoted out at an earlier date.
Encino is a city in California, as are all other Barry's Ticket Service offices. Therefore, if a customer decides to obtain their tickets via a customer pick-up, they must make certain that they are local to one of our offices. Otherwise, shipping the tickets to our customers is the only alternative.
Since our volume of orders to be processed is normally high, it may take up to 24 hours to have one of our sales representatives contact customers. We ask that customers allow us that time to contact them first regarding the order they placed. If the customer still hasn't heard from a sales representative after the day the order was placed, the orders either never came through to us, or were unable to contact the customer.
We require the customer or someone at the residence/delivery address to sign for the package. This way we have written documentation/proof of delivery. This is also how we verify the delivery and receipt of the package.
12. Why do I have to pay for shipping when the tickets aren't being shipped immediately upon purchase (e.g. season tickets, future events, etc…)?
Even though the tickets are not being shipped immediately on the day of the purchase, they will still be shipped at a future date, thus requiring some kind of shipping fee at that time. Shipping charges do not fluctuate, for Barry's Ticket Service or the customer, simply because tickets are being shipped at a future date. Whatever shipping method was selected (e.g. Next Day, 2-Day, etc…), that is the service that will be performed and charged for.
Unless a Saturday Fed-Ex (additional charge) is selected, all shipping methods apply ONLY on regular business days. Tickets shipped out on a Thursday via a 2-Day Federal Express will get to their destination on Monday of the following week. Friday would be the first business day and Monday the next. If necessary, shipping will be upgraded to ensure timely delivery.
Even though we require customers to have their tickets shipped to the billing address of the credit card, Federal Express (this is the service we use) does not ship to P.O. Boxes. Therefore, customers are required to either fax written documentation allowing us to ship to a residential or different address, OR pay an additional fee and have the tickets sent to the P.O. Box via Certified U.S. Mail.
For the Customer's protection against credit card fraud, a fax authorization may be required for security purposes, to ensure the customer's credit card, identification, signature, and billing address are correct. This is something that protects the customer and the company.
For security purposes, Barry's Tickets only ships tickets nationally. Therefore, we cannot accept international credit cards, as their billing addresses are out of the country.
17. What time is your Downtown, Los Angeles location open for pick-ups?
Business hours are 9 AM-9 PM, Monday-Sunday (subject to change, please double-check with your sales representative). Tickets for pick-up at this office are guaranteed only 1 hour before the event and 1 hour past the start of the event.
Ticket necessity for children's admission varies from venue to venue. There is not a set age, which would require the purchase of a ticket or not. If buying a ticket for a child, please contact the venue before placing an order to determine the quantity of tickets to be ordered.
Our website or ownership of web domain does not mean that we are necessarily that organization or affiliated with them in any way. Rather, the webpage simply implies that we have the rights to own that domain, which is an affiliate website of www.barrystickets.com
Our many disclaimers (place link to disclaimer) strictly state that we are not a box office and are not affiliated in any way. .
After placing an order online, the customer will receive an email with written documentation of their ticket reservation or request. The order will be final once a sales representative contacts the customer and informs them that their order is complete and ready for shipment or pick-up. Placing an order online is only a ticket request and does not assure that the customer will receive the tickets for which the order was placed.
22. If you are Barry's Ticket Service, why does it say you are something else?
The website you are viewing is one of many websites affiliated with Barry's Ticket Service.
Upon the completion of the order and confirmation from a sales representative, the customer will receive a receipt in the mail, with their package or via email describing their order and showing method of payment. In addition, the customer information will be stored in our computers to keep record of orders placed.
Barry's Ticket Service reserves the right to upgrade customers at no additional cost to improve the seats if what they ordered is not available. If the tickets ordered or an upgrade are not available, a sales representative will contact the customer and offer different seats or ones that are comparable . A customer will never get tickets of a lesser value and/or quality without being contacted first and getting approval.
The industry is legal and legitimate. We are a fully licensed member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. In addition, Barry's Ticket Service is part of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. We have been in business for over 20 years and take great pride in the service we offer.
There is never a set amount we charge over the face value of a ticket. Prices are based strictly and solely on ticket availability and market demand.
No, we are not Ticketmaster or affiliated with them or any other box office. . We are a private ticket broker and charge over face value for our tickets, as we pay premium prices to obtain them.
Losing tickets is identical to losing cash money. They are almost impossible to replace. Please keep your tickets in a safe, dry place. If they are lost or stolen, please contact us immediately and we will do our best to help you any way we can.
29. What happens if the event I purchased tickets for is postponed or cancelled and I am unable to attend the new scheduled date?
Barry's Ticket Service offers a full refund of the charge less any shipping or delivery fee. The appropriate amount will be refunded as soon as the tickets are returned to one of our offices in a timely fashion (this allotted time period will be determined at time of cancellation or postponement).
30. I want to order for an event tonight but it only allows me to select shipping. So how would I go about getting my tickets?
If you are interested in placing an order for tickets for the day of an event, please call our offices and place the order with a live sales representative. This way ticket availability and pick-up will be determined at the time of the sale, rather than the customer waiting for a sales representative to contact them. If the order is still placed with the customer selecting the shipping alternative, a sales representative will contact the customer and inform them of their delivery options
Strictly speaking, there is no dress code. However, for concerts or theatre, venues may be contacted individually to determine their standards and/or dress codes, if any.
Seat numbers are not necessarily predetermined and can only be upon calling one of our sales representatives. If available, they will try to fulfill your request or offer something as comparable as possible at the time.
Our website lists our tickets as well as tickets owned by different sources. As a result, prices may fluctuate for the same GA ticket. Prices listed by different sources will vary and may be inconsistent from our own.
Our website lists tickets owned by different sources. Therefore, not everything listed actually comes from our internal inventory. As a result, prices for seats worse than others may actually be priced higher. These different sources listing their tickets determine their own prices, which may be more or less than our listings. Therefore, customers will see worse seat tickets listed at higher prices.
Once you place an online order, it is .a reservation/request for tickets. The order is ONLY completed and confirmed once one of our sales representatives calls the customer back. At this time the sales representative will inform the customer as to exactly when the tickets will be available for pick-up at the selected location. Customers should not attempt to pick-up tickets without some verification of their orders' completion.
The actual location of our ticket inventory varies by date, event and venue so different events are stored in different locations. For orders placed on the day of the event, please call our office to find out specifically where tickets are are located and what we can arrange to accommodate your needs.
In order to view what events are taking place in a certain city, simply put that city's name in the search field on the website and a complete listing will be displayed of what events are being held at what venues in that city.
No. Per company policy, only the cardholder can place an order. We are required to ship the tickets to the billing address of the credit card, or the card holder may pick up at one of our offices.
No. Per company policy, only the cardholder may pick up at one of our locations.
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So, I read Whitlock's article today, here's the link: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10187180/The-truth-is-sexy-...-and-so-are-NFL-Truths
I couldn't help but send him an email about his Broncos comments. I know, I fell into the trap, but couldn't help it. Here's my email and his response. I guess he conceded that he had no argument.
Thanks for the note. I appreciate the feedback. I read a lot of my e-mail. Sorry we disagree.
God bless,
-----Original Message-----
From: Clay
To: email@example.com
Sent: Thu, Oct 8, 2009 11:07 am
Subject: Absolute Diarrhea of the Mouth
I know you aren't going to respond, because you, like all journalists are afraid of things that prove you wrong. But, I really hope you read it. You my friend, may be the worst journalist in the world when it comes to talking about things that you really have no knowledge about. I am talking about your Denver Broncos remarks saying that if they had Jay Cutler, they would be a Super Bowl caliber team. The FACT is that if they had Jay Cutler, they would be 2-2 right now. There is not a chance that Jay Cutler goes 4 games without an interception. I challenge you to look at his stats for the last 3 years and tell me how many times he has gone 3 games without an INT, let alone 4. The Denver Broncos have won 2 games that were VERY close and if they lost 1 field position battle, or scoring opportunity because of an INT, they would have lost both of those games. If Denver was 2-2 with Cutler right now going into such a "difficult" part of their schedule like everyone says, you would be projecting them as a 5-11 team. With or without Jay, that would be your prediction and if you tell me I'm wrong, you are lying. I realize you are a KC guy, and it is your job to make sure you do not write anything positive about Denver, but you would do yourself a large favor by not speaking about them period. Saying things that make zero sense only makes you look dumb. Just so you know, Orton is 25-12 as a starter, 17-2 at home, and this year has 5 TD, 0 INT, and a 97.7 QB rating(and is 4-0). He has done all this while having to wear a glove on his throwing hand because of a dislocated index finger that broke the skin! Please do research before you write things like this.


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This dog is fast and loves to chase outdoors and indoors it is quiet and well-mannered. With its thin coat, it should not live outdoors.
Breed Overview
Originating during the ancient times in Great Britain, these hare-coursers are extremely fast. Today, they are used for racing, lure coursing, and open field coursing. They are quiet, well mannered, calm, sensitive, eager to please, but somewhat timid. They are very reserved towards strangers but get along well with other pets if raised with them. Greyhounds are excellent sprinters but are not endurance runners. Though they seem like long-distance runners, they are content with just a long walk and they enjoy to snuggle up on the couch. Ideal human companions for these hounds are singles, active and sporty individuals, those with large backyards, and families with older children. Grooming is very minimal because they only require brushing to remove dead hairs.
Breed Characteristics
Breed Details & Traits
Height: Male: 27-29"; Female 26-28"
Weight: Male: 65-70 lb; Female: 60-65 lb
Lifespan: 10-13 years
Breed Traits
Calm, Fast, Quiet, Sensitive, Sighthound,
Health Concerns
Common Health Concerns for Greyhound:
Less Common Concerns for Greyhound:
Similar Breeds
Greyhound Discussions
Share your thoughts and experiences, ask questions, or just show your love for the Greyhound breed here!


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Salon Coordinator
Hair Phases Salon is one of the largest Salon & Spas in the Inland Empire. We have approximately 45 Stylists, Massage Therapist, Nail Tech, & Barbers. In addition to a team of 8 Commission Stylists and 5 Receptionists. We pride ourselves on continuous education and ...
Jul 31 -
Rancho Cucamonga - Business & management
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The Storm Track 9 team's WeatherBug observation unit is an inconspicuous addition to the roof of Immanuel Lutheran School in Wisconsin Rapids.
But the data it gathers is a valuable asset to the students of room 302.
"It's pretty cool," 6th grade student Max Mortenson told Newsline 9 about studying meteorology.
Mortenson cited areas in hydrology as a subject of particular interest in the field.
"I think it's pretty cool how the water cycle works and how evaporation, condensation and precipitation work," Mortenson continued.
An added benefit of Storm Track 9's partnership with WeatherBug is that the data exclusive to Newsline 9's team of meteorologists is the same information displayed on television.
WeatherBug observation units are often installed at schools and utilized to strengthen children's knowledge and appreciation of the weather.
"How much it can change, and just like that," 6th grade student Ethan Hess said when questioned about what his favorite feature of the weather is.
"I've been through a tornado warning twice. The first one was when we were camping at Dodge Park," Hess said.
The experience of severe weather when outdoors is something 5th grade student Easton Brise relates to. He recalls an occasion seeing a funnel cloud when playing outside.
"It looked like there was a tornado that was coming down right on top of our camper because we were looking up at it," Brise said.
The tales of severe weather experience from Immanuel Lutheran students are in ample supply.
Fellow 5th grade student Erin Schlaefer recounts experiencing a tornado warning when playing at a friend's house.
"Then her grandma came in and said, 'quick! Get in the bathroom, there's been a tornado warning," Schlaefer said.
But through studying meteorology in school and seeing first-hand observations taken place in the classroom, these children say they have less to be afraid of when severe weather does strike.
The Storm Track 9 team of meteorologists prides itself on being part of the community-wide effort to educate children about meteorology and severe weather preparation. If your community group or class would like a visit from one of our meteorologists, email email@example.com.
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- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
From the Publisher
"Buck Brannaman is part of a lineage of skilled horsemen, and for the horses he works with, it is about trust and understanding, not submission."
--Robert Redford
"When it comes to horses, Buck Brannaman is part guru, part psychologist, and all cowboy. He's a 19th -entury man in a 21st-century world, and his life is at once inspirational and instructive."
--Tom Brokaw


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The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commers Women in Business group will host its kick off event Thursday at the Mount Vernon Athletic Club.
The group recently formed to fill the need for a women's business group in the Mount Vernon area, member and business owner Hilaire Henthorne said.
"I was talking to [Chamber President] Barbara Doyle about some of the wellness talks I was giving to women, and I was concerned about women in Northern Virginia not having the support they need," Henthorne, owner of Passionate Purpose Coaching, said. "She told me that there was a new committee they were trying to form."
Henthorne joined the group and began discussing ways to reach out to businesswomen and entrepreneurs in the Mount Vernon area. There is a series of four events planned for businesswomen to attend and learn more about different topics, including stress reduction and women's wellness.
"The main idea of the group is: we want to support women in business by providing educational and networking opportunities to help them grow personally and professionally," Henthorne explained.
Thursday's event is the Women in Business kick off. The first hour will consist of a wine and cheese networking reception where guests can meet Chamber members. The second hour will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with four successful businesswomen in the Mount Vernon community.
The panel includes Barbara Doyle, CEO of Inova Mt.Vernon Hospital, Jane Gandee, Owner of ServiceMaster of Alexandria, Karena Rasser, President of Top It Off Accessories, and Sonja Caison, Owner of The Cleaning Authority.
For more information and to register, visit the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce website.


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just hit 10K followers on facebook, so i thought i'd prepare a little present. this should not be taken seriously. please. all the tracks are at least a year old, if not over 2 years old. but i still had some feelings for them and thought you guys might enjoy :) 9 tracks in all.
o and get ready for the bad vibes release party this friday @ the downtown independent in LA. i will be playing bad vibes live all the way through. that means loop pedal, guitar, bass, keys, vocals, and everything else. all on my lonesome. we'll see how it goes... video will be streaming live online. if it goes good, maybe i'll bring the live set to ur city 2 <3