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Latin America
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Topic: Latin America (Read 21077 times)
Power User
Posts: 32261
China's growing presence in Central America
Reply #100 on:
July 01, 2013, 04:59:29 PM »
China's growing economic activity and diplomatic involvement in Central America show Beijing strengthening its ties with the region, despite the United States' historical dominance there. The current presence of the Chinese government and corporations is relatively small, and Chinese strategy in Central America does not immediately threaten U.S. economic and political power in those countries. In the long term, however, China intends to use steadily increasing trade and investment to obtain access to Central America's emerging markets and gain political allies.
China's strategy in Latin America seeks to fulfill three principal interests: securing resources abroad to maintain domestic economic growth, encouraging nations to recognize China instead of Taiwan and opening new markets for Chinese goods. For example, these objectives define the Chinese relationship with Venezuela. China has invested billions of dollars in joint ventures for oil extraction and maintained political recognition from Venezuela, while its trade relations with that country have flourished.
Central America's relationship with China differs from this because of its relative resource scarcity and deeply rooted political and economic connections to the United States. This lack of energy or mineral resources has led Chinese firms and diplomats to focus more on bilateral trade and political recognition.
The favorable geographic characteristics of the narrow Central American isthmus separating the Pacific and Atlantic oceans also stoked interest from Chinese representatives, among others, in constructing an alternate transit route to the Panama Canal. A proposed canal in Nicaragua, which has been envisioned for more than a century, would connect Nicaragua's Caribbean and Pacific coasts. In June, the Nicaraguan legislature approved a $40 billion proposal by a Hong Kong-based company to construct it. The company's owner said construction would begin in 2014 and end in 2020. The planned canal would be 286 kilometers (178 miles) long and allow ships displacing 400,000 tons to pass. Private Chinese companies have also expressed interest in studying the feasibility of proposed railroads between the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Honduras and Colombia as alternatives to shipping cargo through the Panama Canal.
Despite reports of China's involvement in significant infrastructure projects, recognition of China and expanded trade remain the dominant issues in its relationship with Central America. China increased its trade with the region and obtained political recognition from Costa Rica by providing states with public works and economic incentives. In 2007, for example, China incentivized Costa Rica to expel Taiwanese diplomats and recognize China by offering the country a $130 million aid package and purchasing $300 million in Costa Rican bonds. Central America's relative poverty and lack of infrastructure make recognition of China a lucrative decision for regional leaders seeking financial aid. China has also increased its economic presence in Central American states more than Taiwan has, with China's exports to all nations there outpacing those of Taiwan. Costa Rica remains the only regional country to date that recognizes China, but Honduras previously expressed interest in reversing its recognition of Taiwan.
The United States' historical control of the area remains a barrier to any significant inroads by the Chinese. Central America's proximity to the world's largest importing market and U.S. political and military interventions in the region have ensured U.S. dominance.
Central America's proximity to the strategically important Gulf of Mexico makes it critical for the United States to ensure that no foreign competitor dominates that region. Central America also has traditionally acted as a buffer between the United States and any threats. During the first half of the 20th century, the United States secured Central American countries against internal political instability by conducting frequent military interventions to end conflicts and install U.S.-allied governments. After World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union vied for ideological and material influence in the region. The result of these American efforts was its uncontested dominance of Central America and sensitivity toward potential threats from the region.
This U.S. authority discourages significant Chinese involvement in Central America. Any Chinese investment in significant infrastructure works, such as the proposed Nicaragua canal, could raise long-term political concerns in Washington. The entrenched U.S. influence in Central American political and economic systems makes such ambitious Chinese interaction with those states unlikely. Central America remains a valuable zone for U.S. strategic interests, which means Chinese influence there will likely remain focused on economic issues and modest political gains.
Read more: China's Growing Presence in Central America | Stratfor
Follow us: @stratfor on Twitter | Stratfor on Facebook
Power User
Posts: 32261
Gang truce looking fragile
Reply #101 on:
July 14, 2013, 11:23:38 PM »
El Salvador's Fragile Gang Truce and Threats to Regional Peace
July 12, 2013 | 0515 Print Text Size
An 18th Street gang member takes part in an event to surrender weapons March 9 in El Salvador. (JOSE CABEZAS/AFP/Getty Images)
A steadily increasing tempo of homicides throughout El Salvador in June and July could portend an end to a fragile truce between the country's two main criminal gangs, Mara Salvatrucha and Calle 18. In the year after the cease-fire took effect in March 2012, the country's murder rate -- which was then the second highest in the world after Honduras -- was reportedly cut in half. The apparent success of the truce, which was backed by the Roman Catholic Church and the Organization of American States, encouraged the Guatemalan and Honduran governments to consider striking armistice deals with gangs in their countries in hopes of similarly reducing murder rates. However, the recent surge in Salvadoran gang violence may weaken support for such crime reduction initiatives. If the tenuous peace in El Salvador indeed collapses, a rare opportunity to reduce violent criminal activity may be lost in Central America.
The recent increase in homicides in El Salvador was punctuated by a spike at the beginning of July, when 103 people were reportedly murdered in one week. There have also been indications that Salvadoran gangs may be preparing for a future conflict, with reports suggesting that some gang members have continued acquiring firearms during the truce for later use.
El Salvador
According to local media, the increased violence may stem from when, in late May, El Salvador's newly appointed security minister, Ricardo Perdomo, withdrew from imprisoned gang leaders certain privileges, such as the right to call news conferences, that were allegedly part of the peace deal. Raul Mijango, a former guerrilla and lawmaker who helped broker the truce, said the killings increased because the jailed leaders have lost control over lower-ranking members on the streets. Whatever caused the violence, it appears to have alarmed Salvadoran officials, with Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes summoning Mijango to an emergency meeting on July 4.
The Rise of Central America's Gangs
Though Mara Salvatrucha and Calle 18 are present throughout North and Central America, they do not operate as monolithic entities. The gangs are organized into regional cliques, each with control of their own territory, and only loosely connected at national and international levels through financial ties and cultural identifiers.
The two major gangs, along with several smaller criminal groups, have undermined security severely in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras since the early 1990s, when Salvadoran immigrants who had founded the gangs in Los Angeles were deported. Mara Salvatrucha and Calle 18 then swelled in size -- with combined membership reaching an estimated 27,000 members in El Salvador and 100,000 throughout Central America by 2011, according to Salvadoran police estimates -- and became involved in a range of criminal enterprises, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and extortion. The subsequent rise in murders, and the gangs' control of entire urban neighborhoods, turned gang-related criminality into a major political challenge for Central American governments.
The Evolution of Mexico's Cartels
As small, resource-poor countries that historically have lacked strong institutions, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were particularly affected, and the region's expanding role as a trafficking corridor for South American cocaine exacerbated their problems. The drug trade fueled dramatic rises in crime in each country, eroding the governments' control over large areas of territory and preventing them from providing even minimal levels of security to their citizens. Crime became a major domestic and foreign policy issue for regional leaders, and the alleged involvement of the gangs in international drug trafficking networks controlled by Mexican cartels has made Central American security a concern for the United States.
Negotiations and Challenges to Peace
In search of a viable way to stem the violence, El Salvador's ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front became open to striking a deal with Mara Salvatrucha and Calle 18, despite misgivings from conservative political opponents. Mijango began negotiations with the alleged approval of former Security Minister David Munguia Payes in late 2011 or early 2012. In exchange for a promise to stop the killing, government representatives reportedly agreed to transfer high-ranking gang members out of a maximum-security prison and provide financial incentives, among other rumored concessions. While the exact details of agreements remain unclear, the government apparently made similar offers to both gangs.
The initial success of the cease-fire attracted attention from gangs and religious leaders in neighboring Honduras, where jailed gang leaders indicated their willingness to reach a similar deal with the government. The Organization of American States suggested recently that a peace agreement could be reached with Guatemalan gangs by the end of 2013. But the collapse of Salvadoran truce would endanger these initiatives and possibly deny regional governments a similar means of reducing violence, regardless of what has caused the recent wave of killings.
Government leaders in all three countries -- particularly those from conservative or opposition parties that typically oppose bargaining with criminal groups -- would likely undermine future peacemaking attempts, since such leaders would consider more truces politically risky and potentially expensive. The United States, which Central American governments rely on heavily for security funding, also does not support negotiations with the gangs.
Still, there is some hope that the decentralized leadership structures of the gangs will make them willing to negotiate even if the current truce fails. Since individual cliques often operate in isolation from one another, the end of the Salvadoran cease-fire would not necessarily impact the decisions of gang leaders in Honduras or Guatemala. The concessions that could be gained in the deal may prove tempting enough to keep such groups at the negotiating table.
Read more: El Salvador's Fragile Gang Truce and Threats to Regional Peace | Stratfor
Follow us: @stratfor on Twitter | Stratfor on Facebook
Power User
Posts: 32261
Chinese canal through Nicaragua?
Reply #102 on:
July 16, 2013, 12:45:36 PM »
Power User
Posts: 32261
Reply #103 on:
November 25, 2013, 11:05:42 AM »
Power User
Posts: 32261
Kerry kills Monroe Doctrine
Reply #104 on:
November 27, 2013, 07:08:40 PM »
Power User
Posts: 32261
Stratfor: Panama Canal
Reply #105 on:
January 27, 2014, 09:08:47 AM »
Panama Canal Expansion: The Dangers of Long-Term Delays
January 27, 2014 | 0518 Print Text Size
Significant delays to the Panama Canal expansion project are increasingly likely as negotiations between the multinational construction consortium, Spanish financiers and Panamanian authorities drag out. The Grupo Unidos Por el Canal consortium is threatening to stop work at the end of January after already extending the previous deadline past Jan. 20. According to the Panamanian Dispute Adjudication Board, which is arbitrating the negotiations over who will cover cost overruns, a work stoppage could mean that the canal will not be completed until as late as 2020.
Because the project has been delayed once already, from an estimated completion date of 2014 to mid-2015, a postponement of a year or so would be well within the bounds of previous setbacks. How long it is delayed now will be determined by several factors, including whether the project will need a new consortium of builders and financial backers; such decisions will be shaped by ongoing negotiations between the principal stakeholders. The duration of any holdup itself will be critical in determining whether the ongoing dispute is geopolitically significant. A delay of a year or less is unlikely to have major consequences. On the other hand, a five-year delay could strain regional ports and transportation infrastructure, particularly as the United States continues to emerge from its economic downturn.
The expansion project will enable significantly larger bulk and container ships to pass through the canal. In essence, it will improve connectivity between Asia and the eastern coasts of North America and South America by making an all-water route accessible to a wider range of ships. The U.S. Gulf Coast and trade ports in the Caribbean stand to benefit the most from the increased shipping volumes of larger ships. East coast ports that have the capacity to handle new, larger Panamax ships will be in direct competition with west coast ports and interior transportation lines for trade traffic.
These effects will be seen regardless of the timeline of the project's completion, but depending on the length of the delay, different elements of infrastructure -- particularly port and railway industries -- and their associated companies will be affected in different ways.
Necessary Modifications
Ports in the Western Hemisphere are watching the ongoing negotiations with much anticipation. Ship designs are always changing to maximize efficiency, but at this point it appears that the canal improvements will permit ships that can carry up to three times as much containerized cargo as the current Panamax ships. The maximum bulk cargo weight of standard vessels is expected to increase by roughly 50 percent, to around 120,000 metric tons. This increased capacity will give ports the opportunity to handle greater cargo volumes and generate additional revenue.
But to be ready to do that, ports will have to be modified to receive the larger post-Panamax ships, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars worth of upgrades. New Panamax ships -- with significantly larger hulls and displacement -- draw much more water than current Panamax ships. This means that ports will need to have channels and berths at least 15 meters deep. For many locations, this will require significant dredging. This is particularly true of Gulf coast ports such as Houston, which tend to be relatively shallow, but even east coast ports will have to deepen their channels and berths. For example, the Port of New York and New Jersey began dredging key channels to depths of 15 meters in 2005. The New York and New Jersey Port Authority is also raising the Bayonne Bridge by 19.5 meters to allow enough air clearance for larger tankers entering the port. The project is taking place without disrupting traffic and is expected to cost $1.29 billion.
Other ports in the Western Hemisphere have already invested or are preparing to invest in the improvements necessary to receive increasingly large ships. These include Norfolk, Va., and Savannah, Ga.; Kingston, Jamaica; Cartagena and Buenaventura in Colombia; and Suape and Santos in Brazil. These are long-term investments designed to keep the ports relevant and competitive in a global climate in which ships are becoming larger each year, regardless of the status of the Panama Canal.
For the ports that are set to complete their expansions by the mid-2015 Panama Canal benchmark, the delay could mean a longer timeframe for recouping upgrade costs. But these are large infrastructure projects requiring enormous efforts and financing. As such, they are subject to their own delays, and a hold in the completion of the canal expansion may give some of these ports more breathing room and time to complete their own improvements before the canal upgrade affects regional trade dynamics. Longer delays to increased trade volume would likely create serious financial implications for a great number of ports.
A shorter delay, however, will provide a reprieve for west coast ports in North America that are likely to become slightly less competitive once high-volume all-water routes to the east coast become viable. This is a potential boon for inland railways that transport goods from west coast ports to east coast consumers, which could see higher-than-expected demand if the expansion is delayed. The prospect of the eventual completion of the canal would reduce incentives for substantial additional infrastructure investment, meaning that a long delay of five or more years would leave North America reliant upon existing infrastructure. As the U.S. continues to recover economically, additional imports could begin to seriously strain existing infrastructure at west coast ports and railways if the Panama route does not open. South American ports, for the most part, serve localized markets and are unlikely to see these kinds of distributed risks.
A longer delay to the canal becoming fully operational would also substantially impact liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf Coast to Asian consumer markets. Whereas the current canal is too small for most liquefied natural gas tankers, the new canal dimensions are big enough to fit the majority of the tankers currently in operation. As a result of the boom in natural gas production in the United States, the first liquefied natural gas export facility at Sabine Pass, La., is expect to come online in 2016. The majority of the export contracts being signed by prospective liquefied natural gas exporters are with Asian countries. Therefore, being able to go through the Panama Canal would be substantially more efficient than having to go around the capes of South America or Africa. Expanded capacity at the Panama Canal will also be a boon for exporters of oil derivatives on the U.S. Gulf coast.
The investment boom in Western Hemispheric ports -- as a result of the planned expansion as well as the gradual enlargement of ships in the global fleet -- has introduced a multitude of variables that will affect the eventual outcomes of the canal. Every port in North America hopes to improve its competitiveness to secure a larger share of the anticipated uplift in maritime trade. The individual financial profiles of seaports will determine their resilience in the face of a delayed Panama Canal upgrade. Looking at the maritime distribution system as a whole, however, it becomes clear that while a short delay will have a limited impact globally, a long delay could put serious stress on existing North American infrastructure.
Read more: Panama Canal Expansion: The Dangers of Long-Term Delays | Stratfor
Power User
Posts: 6245
Re: Stratfor: Panama Canal
Reply #106 on:
January 27, 2014, 10:54:28 AM »
IIRC, we used to own and manage a canal there.
Power User
Posts: 696
Re: Latin America
Reply #107 on:
January 27, 2014, 02:06:51 PM »
Colonialism is over. The French and the Brits used own Suez. For that matter England used to own a big chunk of North America as did the Russians, the French, the Spanish, and the Dutch,. If you want to go back to biblical times just look at present day Middle East. There needs to be a statute of limitation on absentee ownership.
Denny Schlesinger
Power User
Posts: 32261
Russia begins to expand into Latin America
Reply #108 on:
March 21, 2014, 11:07:04 PM »
Power User
Posts: 32261
Re: Latin America
Reply #109 on:
July 26, 2014, 01:35:23 PM »
Hat tip to CCS:
American "intrusion" is both welcome and not welcome, depending on what it is and depending on who minds and who does not mind. In any case, The US is losing LatAm with Obama's extreme "flexibility."
One day's Yahoo Latin-America headlines:
Japanese PM opens LatAm tour with Mexico energy deals
Chinese president ends regional tour in cradle of Cuban Revolution
Chinese leader signs accords, wraps up Cuba visit
Chinese president backs Cuba's economic reforms
China, Venezuela deepen economic ties during visit
Cuba hopes for more investment as Chinese president arrives
China, Russia leaders seek South American inroads
Chinese leader woos Latin America with deals
Brazil, China sign several trade, business deals
Russia set to reopen Soviet-era spy post on Cuba: source
China seeks to build railways in Brazil to ship out commodities
BRICS meet South American leaders after bank deal
Putin, Kirchner seek 'multipolarity' in Argentina visit
China's leader Xi departs for South America tour
Putin signs nuclear energy deal with Argentina
Putin in Argentina, building Russian ties
Putin in Cuba, Nicaragua to rekindle Latin America ties
BRICS to launch bank, tighten Latin America ties
Putin kicks off Latin America tour with Cuba stop
Putin pledges to help Cuba explore for offshore oil
Putin in Cuba to rekindle Latin America ties
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I love postcards, especially old ones. I have inherited a box of old letters and postcards from my grandparents which make fascinating reading.
Since we got our holiday cottage I have been on the look out for old postcards of the local area, and here are a few on display at the cottage. I find them even more fascinating if they have been sent, so have the stamps, date, message and address on the back too. It makes me wonder where they have been in the intervening 50, 60, even 70 years or more., and about the writers and recipients.
I have a few of the local postcards on display in the cottage. In the hall way I have this flower frame (an ebay purchase)
and here are some more "stuffed" into a simple Ikea picture holder on the mantle piece.
Finally here is the back of one of the cards
However, are postcards dying out? Do you send postcards anymore? I now only send 3 a year, to international friends I never see, as a way of keeping touch in-between christmas cards.
A recent article by India Knight in The Sunday Times said
Britons are sending an incredible 30m more postcards annually than they were five years ago, according to the Post Office. I find this the most cheering news, obsessed as I am with the tragic demise of "proper", as in pen-and-ink, correspondence.
Most of the people writing out the postcards could e-mail instead, or send a charmless text; what with sophisticated mobile phones and digital cameras, they could even send images of their whereabouts. But no: they choose the slightly cheesy postcard instead.
Perhaps it's a form of bragging – "I'm on a golden beach and you're not" – but it is also a long overdue and welcome return to the poetic and evocative art of putting pen to paper…….I hope that this newfound love of the postcard eventually translates into a rediscovery of the joys of letter writing: whatever you can say in person, or electronically, is 100 times more resonant and significant if it's written down – even if it's only "Wish you were here".
Do you ever send postcards from your holidays anymore? Let me know.
Finally an older layout to share, along the post card theme
For more Show and Tell Friday visit There's No Place Like Home
Our 5 weeks at the cottage is nearly at an end. We have one more week back here in August, before the kids return to school, so alas it is time to pack up, clean, and head home.
This past week has been a bit tougher than the previous weeks as I have had a flare up/reoccurrence of my shingles. It is a bit of a pain (literally!) but seems to be settling down. Fortunately my husband is still on his holidays so that has really helped, as has a sympathetic GP who was able to get us the prescription by a phonecall/fax within a few hours.
So on to other things
A digital layout to share, my daughter and a friend from England enjoying some time together.
Kit used – Circle of Friends by Katie Hadfield and Lili, available at The LilyPad Digital Store
Finally, I received this award this morning
from another Northern Ireland blogger Leanne at See the Woods and The Trees.
It originated from Memoirs of a Mommy
The rules of sharing the Love are very simple.
MemoirsofaMommy says the rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**
Obviously I will oblige.
Here are the blogs I have chosen for this award
Take 90 West
I have missed you while you took your bloggy break – glad to have you back
Musings of a Housewife
For helping me to finally makeover my blog
Mrs Miles
Because she is always there for me with a prayer and a smile
Surviving Motherhood
Because she reminds me to find the joy in parenting
I thinks that is all for tonight.
I can here the Wii Fit calling my name
Take care until next time.
30 comments on Wish you were here? – Show and Tell
Hi JanMary, What a great name. It's very nice to meet you!
I am sorry to hear that you have shingles. Yikes! That is not good. I hope you feel better very, very soon.
Your cottage sounds like a dream. What a wonderful way to enjoy the summer. I could almost feel a breeze here in my little studio/office as I looked at your photos of the postcards and read your post.
Thank you for dropping by my blog and for leaving a comment. I do hope that you will return. I will be back here again soon.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I do send postcards – especially when we go on vacation. I also like to send ones from my local area to college or military people.
I used to have 2 shoe boxes full, but narrowed it down to just one shoebox full of postcards.
As much as I love e-mail I hope that postcards never totally disappear.
I'm signing in with my old site because the comment form won't let me enter my URL which is now http://jendisjournal.com.
Sorry to hear about your shingles- hope your feeling better now. I've had them twice now- so I know all about that pain!
As for postcards, I LOVE them. I always buy some from wherever we vacation for keepsakes. And, I just joined the group Postcrossing. You sign up to swap postcards with people from all over the world. I just recently sent out postcards to germany, turkey, poland, finland, and brazil. I am a new memeber so I havent recieved any yet- but it should be exciting. Check it out at postcrssing.com
have a good weekend! -
oops- i left a typo- its: postcrossing.com
Thank you! You are a very sweet blogging friend.
Awwww, thanks JanMary. You made my day!
And I'm curious – did you say what you said about me because you know the book I'm publishing now is called Finding Joy? Or was that purely coincidental?And as for the postcards? I don't get into postcards as much as greeting cards. I have a box full of 'em so there is something "on hand" when the need arises.
Email is great, but finding a personal something in the mailbox is even better! -
What beautiful postcards and layouts! Thanks for stopping by.
Hello JanMary :),
How wonderful to meet you! What a great post, I was just thinking about this not long ago. Not only do we not send postcards but we rarely write letters either. I often wonder if sending a postcard will make someone wish they were on some magical vacation or worry they will think I'm bragging. I need to rethink that and perhaps just sending a great post card telling someone you're thinking of them :).
I love your digital picture, my sister does some, I really must learn how :).
Congratulations on your award!
Have a Wonderful Evening!
Kathi -
Yikes-shingles! My mom had them in her 70s and is still feeling the effects of them. Take care.
Love your postcards! I actually get a few from pals in other states. I think it's fun to get them and wonder if the postman and others enjoy reading them. -
Hi, I found your blog through DST. You know, I used to send postcards all the time, but it's been a good few years since I've sent one now. Emailing is just so convenient. But I do send letters by snail-mail to the grandparents and great-grandparents. Hmmm…maybe I should send them a postcard instead. You've got me thinking here…
Congratulations on your blog award, and I hope your shingles flare up settles soon.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. The From Our Blog To Yours (FOBTY) is a weekly challenge posted on the Sweet Shoppe Designs blog. They ask a question that we have to answer on our blog. Pretty easy stuff, and we earn a point towards rewards that add up to discounts in their shoppe. The blog link is here: http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/blog/?cat=15
I love SSD – it's a great community and the shop is fabulous.I'll be back to visit again, and to click on your outside links – they all look so interesting!
Your blog is awesome, Jan. I can't remember the last time I stopped by, but it's been far too long. I'll be a regular visitor From now on so you'll have to keep it updated.
You totally deserved that blog award and any other awards.
I send postcards all the time. Actually, I just sent one yesterday and I'm not even on vacation. When I take the kids on outings, I get a postcard to send to my family back 'home' so they can see what we're up to. A blog is great but for the 85 year old Gramma, a postcard does the trick.
Love your blog!
I too love postcards. When we travel, I always buy extra and mail them to our children (who are all young and love to get mail!) It's fun to come home and for them to have mail from where our family just was!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful collections.
Gayly -
Love all the postcards! Such a nice keepsake! I've never done much traveling and neither has my family, but I love the idea!
Glad your shingles are easing up now!
oh…wonderful postcards!
I bet those post cards are fascinating. I love looking back through old cards and letters.
I love old postcards too, and have a few for the different holidays. Your collection is wonderful and I love how you have displayed some of them!
~Kelli -
I LOVE old postcards too. What a beautiful BLOG you have here! Thanks for visiting my blog.
I do send postcards! We buy a lot of them from where we live and send little notes to many people. I also collect them wherever we go for my scrapbooks.
Hey thanks for stopping by my blog! Congrats on your award:)
Hi JM thanks for another great blog. SO glad you are feeling a little better, hope the shingles soon clears up.
Just love your recent photos, ab fab!
Hz -
I just love post cards too:)
mysweetlife.org -
THANK YOU JM, for 'warding me! Its a good boost on a day when it touches me very much. Your thoughtfulness meets me at a time when I need it, and is confirmation to think on all that is pure, good etc! Sitting here on the other side of the globe, I feel like we're as close as the local coffeehouse. I know that I'm ALWAYS covered in prayer and have a good friend in you.
OH JANMARY – get this, *hopping up and down* I was just looking at my family tree the other day and discovered my Great, Great, Great Grandfather was from Ireland!!!
I will have to share more with you as soon as we can chat!
One day, I'm GOING to come and see the beautiful place you call home, and was home to my ancestors, I just KNOW it.
Thank you again for bringing a smile to my heart today.
I think postcards, as well as hand written letters are in a class of their own, for I treasure letters saved from my Grandmother, Mother etc. Its a little harder to treasure a printed email, no matter what font – its not reflective of the person so much.
Your layout is lovely – cute pic of your dd and friend.
Barb -
hey sweetie…I felt a little quilty for not blogging in English during our trip, but I'm so going to make it up to you!! Thanks for visiting today and will make sure to post lots of photos th3e upcoming months!
Sounds all great and also love old postcards. I keep each and every one I receive and so I have lots from my early years..LOL. I didn't send any this vacation though, time was really flying by! Well hun we'll catch up these days…glad to be back!
Have a fab day and summer! Hugs
love your pages, love your blog and I love this award
I love your postcards, they are so beautiful!! Wonderful blog. I love how "delightful" it is
Postcards are making a comeback, and becoming collectors' items. Check out postcrossing.com to send and receive postcards to and from random people all over the world. It's fascinating!
Wow, I love your blog! It's been a while since I stopped by, and I'm glad I did! This postcard post is so inspiring! It makes me want to run to the store and buy some postcards! I do send postcards when I'm on vacation, and I always send one to my own home for the scrapbook. I am now inspired to try and make one myself with my own photos- I just sent a message to my friend who worked at the post office for specifications. Thanks for the inspiration! ANd I love that scrapbook page with your daughter and her friend!
You are BEYOND talented! I love all your layouts and pictures and thoughts… thanks so much for visiting me…. I shall now very much enjoy visiting you!!
Many blessings-

subset: commoncrawl


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Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore look forward to Oscars


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One of my most pleasurable pastimes is to walk in my paradisaical hometown of Bridgetown with my camera amongst the glory of nature that surrounds me. Mostly nature is my source for photography and digital photo enhancement, but I am constantly on the lookout for other sources in other environments, including cities, for an opportunity to capture a new texture, another building, an old door – my eyes tend to see beyond what the camera is capturing – but not always.
So I suppose you could say that I have a somewhat diverse selection in my work. Occasionally I think I must develop a distinctive style or subject, but I see so much that can become something more beautiful to look at that I have to capture it.
Sometimes I layer my photos with textures to create a moe 'painterly' feel to my images.
Some of my images are processed from several exposures blended in software to clearly define detail in, say woodwork, stonework, skies.
Sometimes I blend two or more of my photos to create an image of a time and place that only exists in my mind.
Sometimes I use software to turn a photo into an image which could pass for a painting.
However, I have to say that when I turn out an image that needs no editing and is as beautiful as nature is in its own right, I do feel a different type of achievement – it means I can produce an image as good as any professional photographer.
You are invited to enter into my world by looking through this gallery. I welcome any comments and trust you will enjoy what you see here.
My images are not in the public domain. All images are copyright © Elaine Teague. All rights reserved. They should not be published, transferred, reproduced, modified or used in any way or in any part thereof without my written permission. If you wish to purchase any of my images you may safely do so through this site.
I have put together some calendars, but feel free to email me if you would like to choose images from my gallery to make up a calendar especially for you.


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Introduction: The Gin Game & The Dance Scene
In Part 1 of this post, The Unrealized Potential of Cohen's Take This Waltz in The Gin Game Part 1: The Basics of the Play and Its Add-on Dance Scene, I provided basic information about D.L. Coburn's "The Gin Game" and its dance scene as groundwork for an explication of the bipartite thesis I stated in that preceding blog entry:
I contend that (1) the use of this specific song is key to the dance scene, which itself, though not part of the original script, exponentially enhances the drama and pathos of the play and serves as catalyst for the audience's investment in the fate of the characters and, by the way, (2) the scene's full potential is not realized because of the manner in which the music is implemented in the orthodox, playwright-sanctioned production of the play.1
Today's post will focus on the specific uses of the dance scene and its music as well as my argument that the music could have been used to greater effect.
The Significance Of The Outcomes Of The Gin Games
At the center of "The Gin Game" is the cruel cosmic joke that we humans cling tenaciously and desperately to the very flaws that can destroy us – even when those faults are made all too apparent. Psychiatrists call the tendency of individuals to repeat a traumatic event or its circumstances over and over again "repetition compulsion." Fonsia and Weller are the elderly poster children for Repetition Compulsion.
In "The Gin Game," Weller, who cajoles Fonsia into playing gin and teaches her the rudiments of the game, becomes increasingly frustrated to the point of apoplexy as Fonsia wins hand after hand, all the while maintaining her veneer of sweetly innocent decorum to the point of apologizing for winning, further antagonizing Weller.
This repeated scenario of Fonsia's victories over the pompous and laughably over-reactive Weller is initially pleasing and genuinely funny to the audience, providing more than enough cues for anyone familiar with movies or TV to infer that "The Gin Game" is a romantic comedy with the familiar Katherine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy story line in which the sweet but shrewd – and a tad shrewish – female wins the the crusty male curmudgeon's heart, which on analysis, turns out to be composed of gold.
A sense of hope is boosted, for example, by the contrast in appearance of Fonsia and Weller before and after their first meeting. When first seen, Weller wears "terry-cloth slippers, khaki pants, a pajama top and an old brown wool bathrobe" while Fonsia is clothed in "faded pink slippers, an old housecoat, and a cardigan sweater." Encouraged by their first contact, Weller next appears in "a jacket and tie, khaki pants and loafers," and Fonsia "looks like a different woman [in] a print dress, a rose-colored cardigan, and open-toed sandals."
What was comical and hopeful, however, turns threatening and tragic as Weller proves unable to tolerate the assault on his brittle ego caused by the ongoing losses at gin. His increasingly lurid language and escalating violence (e.g., throwing over the card table after yet another loss) drive Fonsia (and likely the audience) into a psychological retreat.
Fonsia, however, cannot ultimately withdraw from the battle, even when it is clear that the only victory she can win will be Pyrrhic. She is herself rigidly insistent, because of her embedded history of unfulfilled hopes, on protecting her own facsimile of self-esteem at all costs and consequently approaches every interaction with the presumption that others, especially men, will attempt to attack, cheat, or abandon her.
This combination of traits prevents Weller and Fonsia from achieving more than a momentary connection and ultimately dooms their chance of forming an enduring relationship.
Because both characters are locked into their self-sabotaging personalities, conditions deteriorate until the final game turns into a furious no-holds barred battle that leaves both contestants dismayed, mortified, and – rightfully – frightened.
The Waltz As Redemption
The counterpoint to the mutually assured destruction, to use an especially appropriate Cold War term, of the card games is the dance Fonsia and Weller perform which offers the sole glimpse of genuine joyousness and selfless human connectedness in the universe created in "The Gin Game."
Or, as Coburn puts it,
It's [the dance is] essential because it offers a moment where we come to a full empathy and appreciation of the two characters and how close they, for a moment, get to where we want them to be. Not in some sentimental romance of old age or anything like that, but just having something in their lives that is enriching and making them happy. We certainly aren't well down that road but we're hinting at it with this dance. And then the dance reveals some of the psychological elements of lost abilities in Weller. And Fonsia can then get so much closer to him and feel so much for him when he has to sit down and can't continue with the dance. It gives her a real feeling for Weller that perhaps is expressed as well as it can be in that moment.
The dancing demonstrates, in fact, a number of qualities that make it a remarkably apt means of portraying a potential route of rapprochement standing in contradistinction to the battleground of the gin games. For example,
- The card games separate the players by a table and the cards while the dancing demands a physical embrace. In an early scene, in fact, Weller moves from sitting on the side of card table adjacent to Fonsia to a chair opposite her to prevent his seeing the cards in her hand. The card game exists in the antagonistic gap between the individuals; dancing exists in the coordinated touching and transient union of the two individuals.
- The card games are mechanical, governed by a list of rules and regulations while the dancing is lyrical, allowing and encouraging variation from the standard format.
- The card games position Fonsia and Weller as opponents, exacerbating their conflicts, while the dancing positions Fonsia and Weller as partners, permitting them to (temporarily) shift their behaviors to act in concert, benefiting themselves as well as their partner.
The mood shift from the card games to the dance is brilliantly clear-cut. The card games are filled with rancor, bitterness, attacks, insults, and rage. Compare that with this storyboard view of the dance scene.
The Dance Sequence Storyboard
From left to right,
Frame 1: Fonsia hears the music begin and is caught up in a revelry.
Frame 2: Weller allows that the music is "all right, but it's too long."
Frame 3: Weller complains that "Those lyrics, they're crazy."
From left to right,
Frame 4: Fonsia pleads/lures/entices Weller to dance with her.
Frame 5: Weller accedes to her wishes.
Frame 6: Fonsia reacts with delight to Weller's agreement to dance with her.
The dance begins at the point portrayed in the graphic atop this post. Just prior to this, Weller motions Fonsia to him when they step together to dance, reciprocating her motions enticing him (see Frame 5).
From left to right,
Frame 8 & 9: After beginning with a standard, cautious box step, Fonsia and Weller accelerate, twirling and spinning youthfully and happily.
Frame 10: Fonsia and Weller gleefully take each other in, joyously celebrating their dance.
From left to right,
Frame 11: Immediately following the joyful moment, Weller's leg gives out.
Frame 12: Fonsia commiserates with Weller's lament that he "used to dance all night," responding "so did I."
Frame 13: Weller invites Fonsia back to the card table.
The sequence is also nuance-suffused with multiple details highlighting or reinforcing motifs. Beyond those mentioned already, one notes, for example, that Weller's leg doesn't buckle during the spinning and twirling but surrenders to fatigue immediately following that glimpse of happiness, emphasizing that, while old age may have intensified their weaknesses, the cruxes of Weller's and Fonsia's problems are their characterologic flaws rather than their physiological or intellectual deficits secondary to aging. Again, quoting from Coburn's commentary on the PBS web site,
I'm more interested in showing the psychological aspects of getting older, but, of course, physical health does play a part in that. Weller knows that dancing is something that he was once even noted for and he knows this is going to be extremely difficult for him because he's been having great difficulty with his leg. Fonsia doesn't realize that. He tries to go right over that, as though it doesn't exist, and they do dance but he has to give it up after 20 seconds or so. There's that great loss of things that we used to be able to do that we can no longer do. So the physical is a big element in the despair in getting older.
In fact, one of the few instances of true empathy between the two characters is Fonsia's observation that she too used to "dance all night."2
The entire dance scene, from the time the two characters appear on-screen until the segment ends with them returning to playing cards, is less than three minutes. The dancing itself lasts less than 30 seconds. Yet, as the author intended, the scene opens the audience's eyes to what is possible for Fonsia and Weller and develops an empathic bond between the characters and those watching the play.
That, my friend, is dramaturgic efficiency.
The Use of Take This Waltz in The Gin Game
That Take This Waltz serves as a fitting accompaniment for a waltz, a dance step appropriate to the characters, their setting, and the needs of the play is important but also self-apparent. The effect of the song's lyrics, however, is less obvious and is part and parcel of my argument.
Readers may recall from yesterday's post the playwright's own description of the music:
About two weeks later, while having dinner with my wife, we were listening to Leonard Cohen's "Take This Waltz." And this is a very curious piece. It's strange in that the lyrics are, in some cases, bizarre, but they are such beautiful harmonies. I started to see how a dance scene could offer a moment where we come to a full appreciation of the two characters as they get as close as we want them to be. [emphasis mine]
Coburn's recounting of the event resonates with this comment from Julie Harris,
We're all very excited about it [the dancing] because it's a wonderful scene. He's found the perfect piece of music, Take This Waltz by Leonard Cohen. You know Leonard Cohen? It's quite a poignant piece of music … [emphasis mine]
And, indeed, these "bizarre," "poignant" lyrics are positioned as the alternative to the rigidly logical rules that regulate the gin games. Extrapolating, the implication is that logic and intellect, the provinces of the head, can't cure problems of the heart. To communicate between two hearts, to overcome the psychological flaws that preclude two individuals reaching out to one another requires something that is, like Take This Waltz, surreal, beautiful, and touching.
The Staging Of Take This Waltz And Its Effect On The Audience's Comprehension Of The Lyrics
Observing the staging of Take This Waltz is best accomplished by viewing the video of the dance scene from the PBS production of "The Gin Game" in the player below. I suggest watching it twice. First, enjoy an overview of the dance. On the second viewing, focus on the lyrics of Take This Waltz being sung in the background with the goal of determining the words and phrases the audience can hear and understand.
To my ears, the only reliably clear words from the start of the song until the dialog between the characters halts while Fonsia motions Weller to dance with her and Weller silently decides to fulfill that request are the refrains, Take this waltz and Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay. During the described interlude in the dialog, these lines from Take This Waltz are sung:
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take its broken waist in your hand
This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With its very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea
In Cohen's lyrics, the line, Dragging its tail in the sea, is followed by the verse that begins,
There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where your mouth had a thousand reviews
and continues for three stanzas.
In the play, however, Dragging its tail in the sea marks the end of the lyrics; the remainder of the version of the song used in the play, which serves as accompaniment for the actual dancing, is purely instrumental. When the dancing ends because of Weller's leg giving out, the song ends as well.
The rest of the original lyrics of Take This Waltz are either buried beneath the actors' lines or are expunged altogether.3 Take This Waltz plays for most but not all of the three minute dance scene. Given that the shortest version of Take This Waltz I can find on a Leonard Cohen CD is a few second less than six minutes, simple arithmetic reveals that at least half the song, as Leonard Cohen performs it, has been deleted in the version used in "The Gin Game."
That only a fraction of the song's lyrics are accessible to the audience places Weller's comment that "Those lyrics, they're crazy" in a new light. This observation, which echoes a similar comment by Weller earlier in the play, is, I suspect, meant to substitute for a full rendition of the lyrics, i.e., the author, through Weller, tells the audience that lyrics are crazy – or as Coburn himself calls them, "bizarre."
This course of action may have been chosen because it's more efficient.4
Or Weller may announce that the lyrics are "crazy" to relieve the audience of the burden of puzzling it out for themselves, i.e., Weller's declaration is the means to assure that the audience "gets it."
Came So Far For Beauty
Eliminating a portion of a song, even an excellent song, does not, of course, necessarily decrease the value of the song's function in a play. Obviously, alterations to music used in movies and theater (when that music was not written specifically for those purposes) may be necessary for practical reasons (e.g., Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, AKA Ode to Joy!, seems a dandy piece of music and at just over an hour of playing time, is not, as symphonies go, an especially lengthy work; yet, even dedicated playgoers might flinch at the prospect of a play consisting of 90 minutes of dialog plus 60 more minutes of the Ninth Symphony. As they (should) say, a little of the Ninth goes a long way) or issues intrinsic to the film or play (e.g., switching pronoun genders in love ballads to match the play's cast or changing the tempo or length of an orchestral work to match the action on the screen).
Whether or not a different staging of Take This Waltz, especially one that would feature more of the lyrics, would offer any enhancements to "The Gin Game" is a legitimate question.
There is, admittedly, more than a tad of a bit of hubris involved in my answering that query. After all, D.L. Coburn has a Pulitzer Prize for "The Gin Game"5 while I have – a blog. There's also the matter of my attempts to read Coburn's mind despite my lack of psychic credentials. And, I carry the biases of one who is a Leonard Cohen fan more than a D.L. Coburn fan; I tend, for example, to see "The Gin Game" as a backdrop for Take This Waltz and to find myself wondering if Coburn considered doing a musical version of the play, turning the Bentley into an all-Cohen, all the time cabaret.
Nonetheless, my perspective, now that all the necessary analysis has been done, is simple to explain but neither trivial or the mere product of my Cohenthusiasm.6 As an audience member, I want the chance to discover and experience for myself the same enchantment and gratification Coburn felt when he first heard the "strange" song, Take This Waltz, with its "bizarre" lyrics and "beautiful harmonies." I want to share the excitement of Julie Harris extolling the "poignant" and "perfect piece of music." That sounds much more interesting than being told by an actor playing Weller that a character like Weller would find the words to the song "crazy."
And, I have one additional argument to offer:
Now in Vienna there's ten pretty women
There's a shoulder where Death comes to cry
There's a lobby with nine hundred windows
There's a tree where the doves go to die
There's a piece that was torn from the morning
And it hangs in the Gallery of Frost
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz with the clamp on its jaws
Oh I want you, I want you, I want you
On a chair with a dead magazine
In the cave at the tip of the lily
In some hallways where love's never been
On a bed where the moon has been sweating
In a cry filled with footsteps and sand
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take its broken waist in your hand
This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With its very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea
There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where your mouth had a thousand reviews
There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking
They've been sentenced to death by the blues
Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture
With a garland of freshly cut tears?
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz it's been dying for years
There's an attic where children are playing
Where I've got to lie down with you soon
In a dream of Hungarian lanterns
In the mist of some sweet afternoon
And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow
All your sheep and your lilies of snow
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
With its "I'll never forget you, you know!"
This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz …
And I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder,
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, Oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now. It's all that there is
- The only production of "The Gin Game" I've seen is the video of the PBS version of the play. Since the PBS TV screenplay was adapted from the script by the playwright, D.L. Coburn, my working assumption, until shown otherwise, is that the staging of the dance in this production is in line with his intentions and instructions. [↩]
- OK, it did occur to me that this would have been an excellent opportunity to use Cohen's "Do I Have To Dance All Night." See The Best Leonard Cohen Song You've (Probably) Never Heard » Heck … [↩]
- Early in the song, other words can, with special effort, be understood but are otherwise obscured by the actors' dialog being spoken simultaneously. Surely, an audience intent on following the action of the lay would not make out many of the lyrics other than those noted and the success rate in comprehending even those lines, especially if the audience member has not previously heard Take This Waltz, would likely be low. [↩]
- The economical use of time is, obviously, important, especially for the the TV version of the play since it has discrete, rigid time restrictions; it could be that because of the less demanding timing of the live theater, stage productions of "The Gin Game" use longer versions of the song [↩]
- The Pulitzer Prize was awarded before the dance scene was part of the play [↩]
- That said, it does seem a lost opportunity to forgo using a Leonard Cohen recording of Take This Waltz in the play, given that there is no reason the song has to be performed live. The version of Take This Waltz on The Essential Leonard Cohen is one of the singer's more melodious vocalizations, is easily understood, and seems well worth the extra three or four minutes. [↩]


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Valid until February 22, 2015, or while supplies last. Student discount not combinable with other promotional pricing. Available in Microsoft retail stores in US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. Only available to K-12, higher education students, parents purchasing on behalf of students, education institution employees, faculty, staff, school board and PTA/PTO executives for K-12 and higher education institutions. Institutions are not eligible for this offer. Some purchases are only available for higher education students, and may require additional eligibility verification and confirmation at checkout to complete your order. Offer only valid on select products. Limited quantities may be available. In store and online offers may differ; See http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/edu for details about online student offers. Not valid on prior orders or purchases; cannot be transferred or otherwise redeemed for cash or coupon code. Not combinable with other offers. Taxes may apply. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. False representations of eligibility voids this offer, and Microsoft reserves the right to collect the full price of product(s) ordered. Limit of 3 items per order. Bulk orders not valid.
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E-Mail Article - Oklahoma City Ballet to Present SWAN LAKE 419 21 |
STAGE TUBE: High School Students and Teacher Dance to 'Uptown Funk' in Viral Video VIDEO: DWTS Champ Alfonso Ribeiro Talks Sold Out Tour & More on GMA STAGE TUBE: New York City Ballet Presents Third Installation of Art Series With Dustin Yellin, 2/4 STAGE TUBE: Sneak Peek at State Ballet Theatre of Russia's SWAN LAKE STAGE TUBE: Iowa State Basketball Coach Shows Off His Moves in Infiniti Commercial Dance Off BWW TV: First Look at Alvin Ailey's Season Highlights VIDEO: Broadway's Alfonso Ribeiro Wins Season 19 of DANCING WITH THE STARS! VIDEO: Janel Parrish Floors the Judges with Gorgeous Freestyle on DWTS VIDEO: Alfonso Ribeiro Tap Dances His Way to a Perfect Score on DWTS VIDEO: Go Behind-the-Scenes of DANCING WITH THE STARS Final Rehearsal! VIDEO: Tommy Chong Chats Exit from DANCING WITH THE STARS on GMA VIDEO: Janel Parrish Paso Dobles Her Way Into the Finals on DWTS VIDEO: Alfonso Ribeiro Dances Through Injury & Pain to Move On to DWTS' Finals STAGE TUBE: Christopher Rice on the Making of '#TappyTroops' STAGE TUBE: Dancers Comment on LGBT 'Public Displays' of Affection
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Massachusetts State Police released photos Saturday of a boat in the back yard of a home in Watertown where bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was arrested.
Photos show bombing suspect in boat
Updated On: Apr 20 2013 03:19:03 PM MDT
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Mar 04 2012
Best rooftop bars in Kuala Lumpur
As Kuala Lumpur grows ever upwards, one of the benefits is an increasing number of rooftop bars where you can get spectacular views of the city. For the most part these are based in high end hotels, making for a mixed clientele of well-heeled locals, expats and visitors. The dress code tends towards "smart casual", … read the full post


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A string of cold nights in California shouldn't make much of a dent in the state's strawberry crop.
Thanks to extensive freeze-protection measures, volumes and markets won't likely be significantly affected by the cold weather, Carolyn O'Donnell, director of communications for the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission, said Jan. 15.
"I've talked to growers in Ventura and Santa Maria, and it sounds like those who did frost protection, the damage is minimal," she said.
Most Oxnard growers ran wind machines, sprayed with water and, in some cases, brought in helicopters to mitigate damage for five nights beginning Jan. 10, O'Donnell said.
"The Oxnard guys are tired," she said.
But as a result of their efforts, damage should be limited, and strawberry prices shouldn't be significantly affected, O'Donnell said.
Overall damage from the freezes could be up to 15% for California Giant Inc., Watsonville, Calif., Cindy Jewell, the company's marketing director, said Jan. 15.
"There will be a bit of gap, then we'll be back in business," she said. "There were light volumes anyway, so it's not like we're going from huge volumes to nothing."
Temperatures were expected to return closer to normal in the second half of January, Jewell said. The gap would likely come the week of Jan. 21.
On Jan. 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported prices of $14-16 for flats of 12 1-pound containers of medium and large strawberries from Oxnard, down from $18 last year at the same time.
In fact, fruit that is set to harvest for the busy Valentine's Day period should benefit from the cold, she said.
Jewell agreed.
"It's always better when the plants are dormant," she said. "It makes them more hardy when we get into production."
Growers in Ventura County and Santa Maria who did not protect crops and suffered damage will likely be set back up to four weeks.
"Most of it was bloom damage, not fruit damage," O'Donnell said.
Because of the cold weather, Santa Maria production could begin in early March instead of late February, Jewell said.
In Florida, meanwhile, growers the week of Jan. 14 were dealing with exactly the opposite kind of weather problem.
"It's been a bit of a rough spot with the warm weather the last couple of weeks," said Gary Wishnatzki, president and chief executive officer of Plant City, Fla.-based Wish Farms. "There's a little extra production, and prices have slid quite a bit this week."


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Delia Barrera
Turning South LA schoolyard "deserts" green
"Mommy, that school looks like a desert." Delia Barrera had just brought her seven-year-old daughter to her new school, Anderson Elementary in South Los Angeles. Delia moved to the Los Angeles area seven years ago with her husband Nathaniel and her five children, ranging in age from two to sixteen-years-old. Though she was excited about financial opportunities for her family, Delia knew that her new city would be a challenging environment. South Los Angeles hosts the largest proportion of homeless persons in the county and most families in the area survive on single incomes less than two-thirds the national median. The region has less tree cover than any other part of the city and suffers from some of the worst air pollution. Delia doesn't have a car and often finds herself leading her children along the hot, bright streets darting from one spot of shade to the next.
Delia spent her own childhood in a rural area of Michoacan, Mexico where illegal logging is prevalent. Her father, an arborist, worked on government reforestation projects in exchange for food. Many seasons, the entire family worked together to plant as many seedlings as possible and Delia learned to care for pine trees at a young age. After meeting her husband they moved to the United States. Construction work opportunities brought her family to Compton where Delia works as a full-time mother, twisting wire clothes hangers for extra income.
Though fortunate to have the employment opportunities that come with living in a big city, Delia found that her children were facing many of the same difficulties she faced in her own hometown—struggling schools and harsh physical environments. Hoping to support her children in every way she could, she joined the newly formed Parent Teacher Association at her children's new school, Willowbrook Middle School in 2010, where she quickly became president. She first heard about TreePeople from another mom and days later brought her family along to help plant trees at a TreePeople event at a local school. Since then she has attended every TreePeople sponsored planting in her area and speaks out at meetings, inspiring other parents with her fiery enthusiasm.
After attending plantings at several local middle and elementary schools, Delia found herself walking through her neighborhood asking members of her community to participate in an upcoming planting at Willowbrook Middle School. Although many parents have been reluctant to get involved, Delia was able to build a team of mothers to help organize and provide food. The planting was a success and though the eight camphor trees planted are still young, children are now playing in the little shade the saplings provide during PE class.
Since then Delia has participated in plantings all across Compton Unified School District. Delia, her children, and other community members continue to work together to regularly water and care for the new additions to their neighborhood. Delia feels her children are becoming more connected with their environment and are learning the importance of caring for their surroundings. She looks forward to the day when her children have grown up and are able to stand under the shade of the trees they planted themselves, just as she is able to do when she visits Michoacan.
Caring for the trees is not always easy. Delia and her family have to fill trashcans with water and wheel them over in shopping carts at several schools that lack proper irrigation systems but she perseveres, knowing that her true success will lie in the legacy she leaves to her children. "When we first came here and my daughter got to her school she looked at it and said, 'Mommy, that school looks like a desert.' And it was like a desert, but not anymore. It has grass and flowers and we'll keep planting more trees."
Story by Bethany Ritz and Richard Border.


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Ready to get busy meeting and dealing with a bunch of warm prospects?
Leads Are Kinda Our Thing
Our B2B direct marketing services are designed to get you in front of your most qualified prospects – be it by profiling potential clients, cleaning customer data, generating qualified sales leads, or setting B2B appointments. [Our Services]
How Our Service Works
Your step-by-step guide on what to expect from our most popular service, B2B Appointment Setting/Lead Generation, from kick-off meeting and product training, to list creation, calling and weekly reporting. [The Callbox Process]
What You Get
For starters, you get your own team of experienced inside sales professionals and brand champions carrying your banner and ready to hit the ground running. [Your own team and more]
Like that Daniel Day-Lewis
We're very versatile. Through the years, we've helped businesses from a wide range of industries. The criteria is simple: as long as you have an appetite for sales-qualified leads, we'll be able to help. [Industries we serve]
How We Deliver The Goods
Our name says it all! Wait, it doesn't. We do more than call to generate business b2b leads. We do B2B Telemarketing in combination with Web, Email and Social Media Marketing – it's the whole enchilada. [How we do it]
Where We Deliver the Goods
You can access your leads and appointments from any device at any time through our proprietary lead generation and customer relationship management tool. [More about PipelineCRM]
Our Recent Campaigns
Giant Software Solutions Provider Improves Lead Capture and Conversion with Callbox
Product Lifecycle Management -
Australian Software Vendor Taps Callbox to Fast-track Sales in Asia-Pacific
Project Management Software
Our Testimonials
I always want us to pay our suppliers on time, but I am very anxious we get it right with Callbox, because I believe you are working very hard to provide us with a great service.
Insurance Brokerage Firm Singapore
I have tried for 3 years to find a telemarketing company that actually works. My search is over with Callbox.
Commercial Real Estate Prospecting Los Altos, CA
I am pleased to say that you have done a very good job in calling and generating leads for our organisation. I am sure we will have another round of campaign with your team very, very soon. Loved the way your team works timely reports, timely information regards the leads, proper scripts. Good. Keep it Up!! Best part is you understood what we are selling and devised your own process and ways to help us position and qualify a lead. Very Good.
Enterprise Software Vendor Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I have worked with Callbox since Jan 2009. I find them professional, helpful, and reliable. They do a great job of getting our prospects to sign up for a webinar or a face to face meeting. I would recommend them to anyone who needs telemarketing services!
Software Development Co. Ontario, Canada
We have been working with Callbox since 2004. They have been our only source for various functions including lead generation and marketing services. Callbox has been a very valuable source for our company and we are very satisfied with their services. We plan to work with them for many years to come. If your business is looking for lead generation or marketing services, we highly recommend Callbox.
Sage Partner Denver, CO
Telemarketing (sometimes known as telesales, inside sales or teleprospecting) is a process of generating sales leads and business appointments by phone. It normally starts with cold calling to identify decision makers, followed by a series of follow-up calls to qualify, nurture, and convert prospects into warm, viable leads. Effective telemarketers use a targeted calling list to ensure high conversion rates for calling campaigns.
Lead Generation
Lead generation is a generic term for any marketing activity aimed at promoting consumer interest and generating inquiries on a product or service. Callbox uses the multi-channel approach in B2B lead generation leveraging unique combinations of various tools including telemarketing, email, online, and social media marketing.
B2B Appointment Setting
Appointment setting is a crucial part of the sales process which involves arranging face-to-face, phone, or online sales meetings with qualified sales leads. An effective B2B appointment setting strategy allows a marketer to spend quality face time with potential clients and a good chance at landing a new business deal.


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Welcome to the Crown Spa online shop which offers the perfect selection of hotel vouchers and dining vouchers for any occasion. Select from a wide variety of unique gift vouchers including spa days and money vouchers. All prices are per person, unless stated otherwise.
If you are pre-buying a Spa Treatment for when you stay with us, please contact us either by email or phone when you have bought a voucher.
We recommend guests to pre-book an appointment time to avoid disappointment.
If you need any more information regarding any of the products on offer please contact us on firstname.lastname@example.com or 01723 357480 (option 1).


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Midnight Tango Tickets
Find the Midnight Tango tickets you're looking for on viagogo, the world's largest ticket marketplace. Select an event to view the range of tickets available or view the calendar to see all the dates available with tickets. You can also sell your spare Midnight Tango tickets on viagogo, and listing tickets is free. All Midnight Tango tickets are covered by the viagogo Ticket guarantee!
Midnight Tango
Sign up for Midnight Tango Ticket Alerts
Sign up here for information on upcoming onsale dates, times and venue information. Be the first to know when Midnight Tango tickets go on sale
More about Midnight Tango Tickets
Buy or sell your Midnight Tango tickets at viagogo. You can also sign up for Ticket Alerts above to stay informed about upcoming Midnight Tango performances and events in a city near you. If you have any questions about using viagogo, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
viagogo is your online ticket marketplace for concert tickets, sports tickets and theatre tickets.


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Hauntworld.com is the World's #1 Haunted House website. There are several ways to market your haunted house house supply company, retail store, haunted attraction, horror movies with Hauntworld.com. Please click on the information that best suits your needs. In 2013 Hauntworld was the WORLDS #1 Haunted House and Halloween Attraction website combined with its sister sites we attacted roughly TEN MILLION visitors looking for haunted attractions. Hauntworld Can help your business FIND new customers and send target traffic to your website. Please click on our new 2014 media kits to reserve your space TODAY! Marketing Your Supply Company. Advertise with HauntWorld Magazine. CLICK HERE to download a 2014 Media Kit Marketing for Haunted Attractions. Purchase Featured Banners and Listings. CLICK HERE to download a 2014 Marketing Kit Marketing Haunted House Supply Company. CLICK HERE to read details for placing ads in Hauntworld Magazine Do you want to place banners for movies, or products on Hauntworld.com? Please email our business office for details. email@example.com If you want all the DETAILS on purchasing EITHER ads in our magazine or purchase banners on our state by state haunt directory Please Contact Patti Ludwinski firstname.lastname@example.com By Phone 314 629 3940314 629 3940
Find Haunted Houses, Haunted Attractions, Real haunted houses, the best and scariest attractions in the World. Hauntworld.com is the biggest online directory for anything and everything Halloween, Haunted, Spooky, Scary and everything bump in the night. Are you looking for the best haunted houses near you then use the Hauntworld haunt finder directory to help you locate attractions throughout America, Canada and the entire World! Please take time to review the attractions you visit and post your reviews online for all to read. If you are looking for any type of scary attractions from the very scary gory haunted houses to even the family friendly events like pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes to even zip lines and more you will find them here on www.Hauntworld.com. Hauntworld.com helps you find real haunted houses, zombie runs, fall festivals, Halloween and Haunted Attractions. Hauntworld.com is also the best place to find year around haunted houses across the World including the biggest and the best haunted house attractions. Hauntworld.com is also the only website on the web that rates and reviews haunted houses across the globe with our field of reporters reviewing only the scariest haunted houses in the country. Now Hauntworld.com will help you stay updated on all the Zombie haunted themed attractions like Zombie Runs, and or Zombie themed haunted houses! Do you want to learn the history of the haunted house industry then we can provide this as well Hauntworld.com is the biggest and best haunted website on the planet! Halloween has gone crazy in America and now the World and Hauntworld.com will help you find just the right scary attraction for your next haunted encounter! Also join our facebook page to stay updated daily! Happy Haunt Hunting!


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Bud Light/ Yuengling/ Edward Jones of Clyde Night Features Three Divisions of Racing |
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 | |
The final Friday night of racing, before switching to Saturdays, at "Ohio's Finest Racing" speed plant is Bud Light/ Yuengling/ Edward Jones of Clyde Night. Friday, August 3rd features the O'Reilly Auto Parts 410 Sprints, Summit Racing Equipment UMP DIRTcar Late Models and the Fremont Fence Company 305 Sprints. Craig Mintz has a 56-point lead in the track points heading into the weekend and its tied with Bryan Sebetto and Dale Blaney with 3 wins a piece for the most feature wins in 2012. Phil Gressman, Chris Andrews, Mike Linder and Brad Bowman round out the top-5 with just 3 point races left. Ryan Missler sits atop of the points for the UMP Late Models by 29-points over Mike Bores. Missler returned to Engine Pro Victory Lane this year and looks to possibly wrap up his fourth consecutive track championship. Justin Chance, Larry Kingseed and Ky Harper round out the top five. 2010 National UMP DIRTcar Champion Rusty Schlenk leads the division with 3 feature wins to date. D.J. Foos has scored an impressive 5 feature wins and leads the standings in the 305 Sprint Car division by 35-points over Nate Dussel. Dustin Dinan, Jamie Miller and Jordan Ryan round out the top-5 in points. Friday is also Night #17 of the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title presented by Engine Pro & KS Sales & Service. Defending F.A.S.T. Champion Bryan Sebetto comes into the weekend with a 36-point lead over Craig Mintz. It will also be Night #7 for the F.A.S.T. 305 Championship Series, which has D.J. Foos leading the way. More info about the Fremont/Attica Sprint Title can be found online at www.fastondirt.com. Follow F.A.S.T. on Twitter @FASTseries. Adult general admission is $14.00, Seniors $12.00, Ages 11-15 are $10.00, Kids 10-and-under are FREE. Pit passes are $25.00. Gates open at 5 pm with racing scheduled to start at 7:45 pm. |
Last Updated ( Thursday, 02 August 2012 ) |


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Class Signup
Back to TechShop San Francisco Class Catalog
PRO201: 3D Printing: Type A Machines SBU
Class Number 917-54131
3D printing allows you to quickly and easily create a physical object from a computer model, literally printing thin layers of the part one at a time. This is an easy way to prototype parts for machining or injection molding, or just making one-off parts out of convenience.
In this class, you will learn how to import, prepare, and print three-dimensional parts using the Series 1 3D printer from Type A Machines. With the largest build-space available at TechShop, the Series 1 can print larger objects than are possible with other 3D printers.
The class will print a small part that TechShop has designed.
Once you take and successfully pass this class, you can use this equipment for your projects whenever you work at TechShop as a member!
This class will not be transferable to or from the MakerBot classes for reservations.
Passing this class is a requirement to use this equipment at TechShop
TechShop Location: | TechShop San Francisco |
Room / Area: | Computer Lab |
Instructor: | Chris McCoy |
Class Date: | Tuesday, Sep 30, 2014 |
Start Time: | 6:00 PM |
Class Length: | 2.5 Hours |
Member Price: | $70.00 Note: Active membership badge required at class check in. |
Non-member Price: | $90.00 |
Lab Fee: | $5.00 |
Age Range: | 12 and Up (Contact the store to register students under 13.) |
Must Attend with Parent: | 12 through 13 |
Min. Students: | 2 |
Max Students: | 7 |
Current Students: | 7 |
Seats Left: | 0 |
Friday, 2/13/2015 | 3D Printing: Type A Machines SBU |


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What is EMDR?
Evidence Base
Training Format
Training Schedule
Trainer Details
Getting Treatment
Useful Links
EMDR Training & Consultancy provides Refresher & Supervision Days for EMDR clinicians wishing to update their practice, as well as small In-house Trainings.
Apply to John Spector at firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 020 8343 3665 for further information or check the Training Schedule Page here. For National EMDR Trainings from Level 1 obtain information from www.emdrmasterclass.com or www.emdr-training.com.
The principal of EMDR Training & Consultancy is John Spector, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. John was the first British Clinician to be trained in EMDR by Dr Shapiro (the founder of EMDR), and he is an accredited Consultant in EMDR, an EMDR Institute Facilitator, and an EMDR Europe accredited Trainer in EMDR. He is the author of several papers published in the Scientific Literature on EMDR.
All EMDR Trainings, and Refresher/Supervision Days organised by EMDR Training & Consultancy are recognised by the EMDR Association UK and Ireland (the official body representing EMDR in the UK) and also by EMDR Europe (the body governing training standards throughout Europe).
EMDR Training &Consultancy provide:-
1. EMDR Refresher/Supervision Days. (See Training Schedule Page for details). These are one day events through the year for clinicians who have done the EMDR Training a long time ago, or who have completed or part completed their Basic EMDR Training more recently, and would like to refresh their EMDR skills with the first Accredited British EMDR Trainer and the first British clinician trained in EMDR. These are for very small groups mainly in London but also in Axminster, Devon. Because these are only carried out with small groups they are both intensive and informal and early registration is advisable. Feedback has been outstanding.
6 CPD credits are earned for attendance, and also EMDR Supervision hours.
2. In-House EMDR Trainings for 16+ clinicians around the UK.
3. Small Group (up to 5) supervision nationwide by Skype Video
This site is primarily about Training in EMDR. For information on finding accredited EMDR therapists go to www.emdrassociation.org, the EMDR Association website.


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Big test on deck for John Danks in start against Reds
BY DARYL VAN SCHOuWEN email@example.com March 18, 2013 11:11PM
Chris Sale
GLENDALE, Ariz. — John Danks will pitch Tuesday in Goodyear against the Reds. It will be an important outing for the White Sox left-hander in his return from shoulder surgery as he aims to make the Opening Day roster.
Danks' velocity needs to climb into the low 90s over his last three outings of the preseason, and he needs to be able to finish six innings before the season starts.
Sox catcher Tyler Flowers said he saw progress from Danks in each of his starts. But he got knocked around in his second and third outings.
"I can't get away with quite as much as I was able to before surgery,'' Danks said. ''But maybe it's good for me in the long run, learn how to pitch a little bit.''
On the plus side, Danks said his shoulder feels good. He had surgery in August.
Aches and pains
With Flowers (stiff back), Jeff Keppinger (right shoulder irritation) and Jesse Crain (groin), the Sox have three significant players on the mend. Manager Robin Ventura isn't overly concerned about any of them and says the Sox are playing it safe by not rushing them. In Keppinger's and Crain's case, they also have to get working to be ready by Opening Day.
"Every day it's something else with somebody, but the idea is to have them healthy when we're in Chicago,'' Ventura said.
No rest for Peavy
The Sox enjoyed an off day Monday, but Jake Peavy pitched in a minor league game, throwing 97 pitches over six innings. Peavy did not allow a walk. Said pitching coach Don Cooper: "It was a great workout for Jake and we got a lot of work in. He worked on all his pitches and his fastball was really good.''
Peavy will face the Dodgers on March 23.


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More Green Interactives
More about the Environment
Sustainable Seafood Recipes
Sustainable seafood chef and National Geographic Fellow Barton Seaver dishes up tips for delightful and guilt-free holiday meals.
Sustainability at National Geographic
The National Geographic Society aims to be an international leader for global conservation and environmental sustainability. Learn more about the Society's green philosophy and initiatives.
School Greening Contest Winners
See the winners of the "Find Your Footprint" competition. The winning ideas will help schools reduce waste and save water and energy.
Living Room Makeover
Save Energy, Water, and Your Health With Our Interactive Guide
What's Your Water Footprint?
Feed the World
National Geographic explores how we can feed the growing population without overwhelming the planet in our food series.
The Great Energy Challenge
What Is It?
An initiative to help you understand our current energy situation.
Personal Energy Meter
See how you measure up against others, and how changes at home could do tons to protect the planet.
Special Ad Section
The World's Water
Help Save the Colorado River
NG's new Change the Course campaign launches. When individuals pledge to use less water in their own lives, our partners carry out restoration work in the Colorado River Basin.
Water Grabbers: A Global Rush on Freshwater
A special series on how grabbing water from poor people and future generations threatens global food security, environmental sustainability, and local cultures.


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Processing Time - Orders typically ship in 2-5 business days. Transit via UPS Ground can take up to 6 business days. Braided and custom-made products may take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.
Free Shipping to Contiguous United States - We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands at this time.
Oversized items - Orders that ship freight may take up to 2 weeks from shipment date to be delivered. You will be contacted by the trucking company to schedule a delivery appointment.
Shipping to Canada - Orders shipping to Canada will be subject to a 15% shipping surcharge fee. The shipping surcharge does not cover duties, customs, taxes or brokerage fees which may be charged to you by the shipping courier at time of delivery. At this time we are not shipping to Yukon and the Northwest Territories in Canada.
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Safavieh Martha Stewart Arusha Earth Rug
Item #: 101MSR3615A-P Add to Wishlist
Description: Evocative of the grassy plains of its namesake national park in Tanzania, Arusha is a stylized abstraction of giraffe hide. Artfully hand-knotted in India of 100-percent premium wool, the graphic motif of Arusha is softened with a contemporary earth-toned palette.
- Collection: Martha Stewart
- Brand: Safavieh
- Material: 100% Wool
- Weave: Hand Tufted
- Styles: Animal Print Rugs
- Origin: India
- Available in the following sizes: 2' 6" x 4' 3", 2' 3" x 10', 4' x 6', 5' x 8', 8' x 10', 9' x 12', 9' 6" x 13' 6" and 6' Round
- Clean & Care: Vacuum regularly as new wool rugs can shed yarn fibers for up to three months. Avoid direct and continuous exposure to sunlight. Do not pull loose ends, clip them with scissors to remove. Clean liquid spills immediately by blotting with cloth or sponge. For hard to remove stains, professional rug cleaning is recommended.
Good quality plush rug BUT the color is off. The image would suggest "gold" but the overall effect is sagey gray and brown. So it is NOT as pretty as the picture would indicate. A disappointment.
RECOMMENDED: No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Safavieh's award-winning original collections range from the finest antique reproductions to the most fashion forward, contemporary rugs. Safavieh offers a wide variety of transitional area and accent rugs of both Oriental and contemporary designs. Safavieh also produces a variety of rug designs from American Country styles and 19th and early 20th Century European Art.
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Looking for Headphones?
Start shoppingComfortable acoustics: relaxing with the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones
Some people might think that it's fun to review headphones.
OK, it is.
But sometimes I need a break. I've been wearing headphones pretty much eight hours a day five days a week for a couple of months now. Because of these extreme working conditions, comfort has become almost as important to me as audio fidelity. Earlobes are pretty tender to begin with — even more so after they've been squashed for any length of time by ill-fitting headphones.
So it was with great relief that I donned the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones. Their plush velour earcups settled gently against my head, while the padding across the top kept the 'phones from weighing heavily on my mind (or at least my skull). The HD 598's are made of good quality plastic, so they're lightweight without being flimsy — another plus.
OK, they feel great — but how do they sound?
The HD 598s were headphones I could definitely live with. They had a transparent, spacious sound that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're like my colleague Marshall and crave big bass, you might be a little disappointed. It's not that the HD 598s didn't deliver bass at all. It's just that they reproduced what lows were already in the music without adding anything to it.
So, for example, Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love thundered with John Bonham's drumming and John Paul Jones' bass guitar. But the same song by Hayseed Dixie didn't. Which was fine. Hayseed Dixie is a bluegrass band (albeit a very strange one), and their stand-up bass shouldn't have the same punch as Jones' amped-up instrument.
What these headphones excelled at were revealing the details that were in there the mix. So selections from the Pebbles series of garage band compilations sounded about like what the by do through other headphones. Lo-fi, mono mid-1960's recordings that don't have a lot detail — which is exactly what they are. But put on music from modern garage bands, like Jet, and it's a different story. I could easily separate out each instrument (as well as the vocals), so I could listen deep into the mix and even just pay attention to what the drummer was doing if I wanted to.
Electronic vs. Acoustic
Some headphones are better-suited to electronic music — such as rap, metal, trip-hop, etc — while others do well primarily with acoustic genres. With the HD 598s I didn't really hear that much difference between those two categories. The headphones simply delivered the music as it was recorded. So Eminem's tracks had the bass that was mixed into them. It hit hard, even without any additional boost from the headphones. Leif Ove Andsnes' grand piano sounded clean and natural for the same reason. Ditto with Rebecca Pidgeon's close-miked and breathy voice. And so, too, with the heavily processed and compressed singing of Lily Allen. These are definitely the right headphones for someone with eclectic tastes (or in my case, eccentric tastes).
My rule of thumb for audio quality
I've gotten into the habit of looking at plug at the end of the cord to assess how the headphones were primarily meant to be used.. If the headphones have a minijack, then that suggests they're best suited for portable use, and I make sure I do extensive listening with my iPod®. If the cord ends in a 1/4" plug, then I do most of my listening with the headphones plugged into a headphone amp (in my case, a NuForce Icon 2 that connects to my laptop). I've found that those type of headphones — even if they come with a minijack adapter as the HD 598s do — generally need more power to them than a headphone jack can provide to operate efficiently.
The Sennheisers did well plugged into my iPod, but I had to boost the volume more than I normally do in order to hear the music, and even then it sounded a little rounded off on the top and the bottom. I have the same lossless files on my computer as I do on my player, but they definitely sound better coming from my laptop via the headphone amp. Of course, the amp's DAC (digital-to-analog converter) is processing the files with more accuracy than either my iPod's DAC or computer's soundcard could, so that's part of the improvement. But having enough power for the drivers makes a huge difference.
Great headphones for all-around — and all-night — listening.
I thoroughly enjoyed the long listening sessions I had with the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones. Even after four or five hours, they felt just as comfortable as when I first put them on. Regardless of what genre of music I chose, the headphones reproduced the songs with fidelity and clarity. And for active listening, that's all I need.


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Processing Time - Orders typically ship in 2-5 business days. Transit via UPS Ground can take up to 6 business days. Braided and custom-made products may take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.
Free Shipping to Contiguous United States - We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands at this time.
Oversized items - Orders that ship freight may take up to 2 weeks from shipment date to be delivered. You will be contacted by the trucking company to schedule a delivery appointment.
Shipping to Canada - Orders shipping to Canada will be subject to a 15% shipping surcharge fee. The shipping surcharge does not cover duties, customs, taxes or brokerage fees which may be charged to you by the shipping courier at time of delivery. At this time we are not shipping to Yukon and the Northwest Territories in Canada.
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Couristan Everest Ardebil Ivory Rug
Item #: 11037600598-P Add to Wishlist
Description: Created from 100% heat-set Courtron™ polypropylene, the Everest Collection by Couristan offers a super-dense weave and a soft, luxurious finish. This ultra-fine strong synthetic fiber resists wearing and permanent stains and provides Everest with long-lasting performance and appearance retention. Available in fifty-two rich fashion-oriented designs, styled from traditional and modern-day patterns, the Everest Collection is a perfect solution to any interior requiring a great deal of charm and beauty at an affordable price.
- Collection: Everest
- Brand: Couristan
- Material: 100% Courtron™ Polypropylene
- Weave: Power Loomed
- Styles: Traditional Rugs
- Origin: Belgium
- Available in the following sizes: 3' 11" x 5' 3", 5' 3" x 7' 6", 7' 10" x 11', 3' 11" Round, 5' 3" Round, 7' 10" Round, 3' 11" Square, 5' 3" Square, 7' 10" Square, 4' 6" x 6' 6" Oval, 7' 10" x 11' Oval, 2' 7" x 7' 10", 3' 11" Octagon, 5' 3" Octagon and 7' 10" Octagon
Well worth the very low price. Soft and plush with a tight weave. The colors were right on. Just what I was looking for. Delivery only took a few days after ordering.
RECOMMENDED: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.Well worth the very low price. Soft and plush. The colors were right on. Delivery only took a few days after ordering.
RECOMMENDED: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.The crimson ardebil rug is beautiful, very much like the picture. If I were the change anything, I would have incorporated some light figures because, as a whole, the rug is somewhat dark. But no complaints--got what I intended to order.
RECOMMENDED: No, I would not recommend this to a friend.I must have looked at a hundred different carpets on line over and over again because I was so nervous about ordering a carpet without seeing or touching it first. I finally took the plunge with this one and we are very happy! It looks a little redder than I had expected but we still love it.
RECOMMENDED: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.Finally a great looking rug that wears well in high traction areas. I've had trouble finding about 5'x5' for a very square area. Thank you.
For seventy-five years Couristan rugs has been the trusted name in the floor covering industry offering a vast assortment of exclusively designed power-loomed and handmade area rugs. The business began in 1926, with the import of handmade area rugs from Persia and is still owned and run by the Couri family. Today, Couristan is known for having the most exquisite power-loomed and handmade floor coverings available anywhere in the world.
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