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Relationship between lifestyle and lifestyle-related factors in a rural–urban population of Japan
- Shi-chen Zhang,
- Chang-nian Wei,
- Koichi Harada,
- Kimiyo Ueda,
- Kumiko Fukumoto,
- Hiroshi Matsuo,
- Keiko Minamoto,
- Takeshi Nishikawa,
- Eiichi Araki,
- Atsushi Ueda,
- Jun Fang
- … show all 11 hide
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To clarify the actual state of residents' lifestyle in a mixed rural–urban area in Japan, and to investigate the relationship between residents' lifestyle and lifestyle-related factors.
The Japanese version of Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II), lifestyle-related factors developed through group work with residents of Town A, and demographic variables were used to evaluate 1176 community residents' lifestyles and associated factors.
Factor analysis revealed that there were 4 factors related to healthy lifestyle. Nonparametric analysis revealed that female and elderly groups showed higher overall HPLP-II score than male and young groups. A significant correlation coefficient was seen between scores of overall HPLP-II and lifestyle-related factors (r = 0.611, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that HPLP-II was significantly associated with each lifestyle-related factor, showing a similar order in both gender and age groups. Finally, covariance structure analysis demonstrated that the score of health cognition and regional factors increased the score of HPLP-II, which then increased the score of self-rated health.
The present research clarified the actual state of residents' lifestyles by age and gender in a mixed rural–urban area in Japan, demonstrating a vector model from health cognition and regional factors to self-rated health, via residents' lifestyle.
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- Fukumoto K, Wei CN, Matsuo H, Harada K, Zhang SC, Kalay L, et al. An intervention study to promote self-improvement of lifestyle in a Japanese community: a new health support program. Environ Health Prev Med. 2011;16(4):253–63. CrossRef
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- Title
- Relationship between lifestyle and lifestyle-related factors in a rural–urban population of Japan
- Journal
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
Volume 18, Issue 4 , pp 267-274
- Cover Date
- 2013-07-01
- 10.1007/s12199-012-0315-5
- Print ISSN
- Online ISSN
- 1347-4715
- Publisher
- Springer Japan
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- Quality of life
- Self-rated health
- Lifestyle-related factors
- Authors
- Shi-chen Zhang (1) (2)
- Chang-nian Wei (2)
- Koichi Harada (3)
- Kimiyo Ueda (3)
- Kumiko Fukumoto (2)
- Hiroshi Matsuo (2)
- Keiko Minamoto (2)
- Takeshi Nishikawa (4)
- Eiichi Araki (4)
- Atsushi Ueda (2)
- Jun Fang (1) (5)
- Author Affiliations
- 1. School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- 2. Department of Preventive and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- 3. Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- 4. Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- 5. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan


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This 4 x 2 family home, is situated in a lovely area, close to the beach, and parks nearby. The house is spacious with separate lounge, open plan family/dining area, and kitchen to suit any cook. The appliances are modern and kitchen roomy. The main bedroom is large with en suite and WIR. The remaining 3 bedrooms are double with BIR's. The bathrooms are modern and have plenty of room, with bath to main. To the rear, there is a lovely back yard with paved area, small garden shed, and room for the kids. There is a double garage to the front, with driveway, and manicured gardens. The beach is within walking distance, and there are parks nearby, and easy access to the freeway. A must to view. No pets, no smokers.To register your interest please email Mandy Dalton - email@example.com
Mandy Dalton

subset: commoncrawl


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quote:Too Frat To Care Eating Healthy is Cheaper Than Not Is it true if you cook vegetables it takes out all the nutrition out of it?
quote:Yeah. Every last bit of it. You end up just eating a small amount of fiber with no nutritional value.
quote:I general I find it more expensive to eat healthy. You can consume a lot of calories of junk for a very small price. Think about how cheap you can get fast food, chips, candy bars, hot dogs, sugary drinks, etc. This type of stuff is also the most readily available and only option in food deserts.
quote:Eating Healthy Is Cheaper Than Not
quote:America the only country where the poor people are fat and the rich are skinny
quote:My mother -- who has been after my Dad to lose the weight for years -- asked me for a grocery list and menu for one week. I put together a menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks and wrote out the ingredients she needed to pick up. Her grocery bill was $145. She normally spends $250-$300 a week.
quote:One of the big excuses lower-income people use for not eating healthy is the expense.
quote:I'm sorry, but if i only ate chicken and rice and maybe a vegetable for every meal, I'd shoot myself in the face.


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New Ordinances
ORDINANCE No. 370
Be It Enacted by the City Council of the City of Wyoming, Iowa:
SECTION 1. NEW CHAPTER. The Code of Ordinance of the City of Wyoming, Iowa, 2002, is amended by adding a new Chapter 77, entitled GOLF CARTS which is hereby adopted to read as follows:
77.01 DEFINITIONS. "Golf cart" means a three or four wheeled recreational vehicle generally used for transportation of person(s) in the sport of golf, that is limited in engine displacement of less than 800 cubic centimeters and total dry weight of less than 800 pounds.
77.02 OPERATION OF GOLF CARTS PERMITTED. Golf carts may be operated upon the streets of the City by persons possessing a valid driver's license and proof of insurance, except as prohibited in Section 5 of this chapter.
77.03 PROHIBITED STREETS. Golf carts shall not be operated upon any City street which is a primary road extension through the City but shall be allowed to cross a City street which is a primary road extension through the City.
77.04 UNLAWFUL OPERATION. 1. No golf cart shall be operated or parked upon City sidewalks. 2. No person shall operate a golf cart while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, narcotics or habit forming drugs. 3. No person shall operate a golf cart in a careless, reckless or negligent manner endangering the person or property of another or causing injury or damage to same. 4. No golf cart shall carry more passengers than the golf cart is designed for. 5. No golf cart shall be operated upon private property without the express consent of the owner thereof.
77.05 EQUIPMENT. Golf carts operated on City streets shall be equipped with adequate brakes, a slow moving vehicle sign, bicycle safety flag and such other safety equipment required by Chapter 321 of the Code of Iowa.
77.06 HOURS. Golf carts may be operated on City streets only between sunrise and sunset. Golf carts are prohibited on streets during inclement weather when visibility is reduced or impaired by weather, smoke, fog, or other conditions or at any other time there is insufficient light to clearly see a person or vehicle on a roadway at a distance of 500 feet.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 321.247)
77.07 SPEED. No golf cart shall be operated on any City street at a speed in excess of twenty-five (25) miles per hour.
SECTION 2. REPEALER. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. If any section, provision or part of this
Ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provisions or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. WHEN EFFECTIVE. This ordinance shall be in effect from and after its final passage, approval and posting as provided by law.
Passed by the Council on the 10th day of December, 2012, and approved this 10th day of December, 2012.
Be it Enacted by the City Council of the City of Wyoming, Iowa:
SECTION 1. NEW CHAPTER. The Code of Ordinance of the City of Wyoming, Iowa, 2002, is amended by adding a new Chapter 55A thereto entitled "Urban Chickens" relating to the keeping of chickens within the City of Wyoming as follows:
55A.01. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is relating to the keeping of chickens within the City of Wyoming.
Chicken - shall mean a member of the subspecies Gallus gallus domesticus, a domesticated fowl.
Urban Chicken - shall mean a chicken kept on a permitted tract of land pursuant to a permit issued under this Chapter.
Permitting Officer - shall mean the Mayor or designee.
Tract of land - shall mean a property or a zoned lot that has one single family dwelling located on that property or zoned lot.
Single Family Dwelling - shall mean any building that contains only one dwelling unit used, intended, rented, leased, let or hired to be occupied for living purposes.
Permitted tract of land - shall mean the tract of land as identified by the application upon which a permit is granted for keeping chickens pursuant to this Chapter.
Permittee - shall mean an applicant who has been granted a permit to raise, harbor or keep chickens pursuant to this Chapter.
(a) Permit Required. No person shall raise, harbor or keep chickens within the City of Wyoming without a valid permit obtained from the City Council under the provisions of this Chapter.
(b) Application. In order to obtain a permit, an applicant must submit a completed application on forms provided by the City Clerk and paying all fees required by this Chapter.
(c) Requirements. The requirements to the receipt of a permit include:
1. All requirements of this Chapter are met;
2. All fees, as may be provided for from time to time by City Council resolution, for the permit are paid in full;
3. All judgments in the City's favor and against the applicant have been paid in full;
4. The tract of land to be permitted shall contain only one Single Family Dwelling occupied and used as such by the permittee.
5. The applicant has provided notice to the residents of all immediately adjacent dwellings of the applicant's intent to obtain a permit.
(d) Issuance of Permit. If the Permitting Officer concludes as a result of the information contained in the application that the requirements for a permit have been met he shall issue the permit, subject to final approval by the City Council.
(e) Renewal of Permit. A permittee shall apply to renew his permit every 12 (twelve) months.
(f) Denial, suspension, revocation, non renewal. The Permitting Officer may deny, suspend, revoke, or decline to renew any permit issued for any of the following grounds:
1. False statements on any application or other information or report required by this section to be given by the applicant;
2. Failure to pay any application, penalty, re inspection or reinstatement fee required by this section or City Council resolution;
3. Failure to correct deficiencies noted in notices of violation in the time specified in the notice;
4. Failure to comply with the provisions of an approved mitigation/remediation plan by the Permitting Officer, or designee.
5. Failure to comply with any provision of this Chapter.
(g) Notification. A decision to revoke, suspend, deny or not renew a permit shall be in writing, delivered by ordinary mail or in person to the address indicated on the application. The notification shall specify reasons for the action.
(h) Effect of revocation, etc. When an application for a permit is denied, or when a permit is revoked, the applicant may not re-apply for a new permit for a period of 1 year from the date of the denial or revocation.
(i) Appeals. No permit may be denied, suspended, revoked, or not renewed without notice and an opportunity to be heard is given the applicant or holder of the permit. In any instance where the Permitting Officer has denied, revoked, suspended, or not renewed a permit, the applicant or holder of Urban Chicken may appeal the Permitting Officer's decision to the City Council within ten (10) business days of receipt by the applicant or holder of the permit of the notice of the decision. The applicant or holder of the permit will be given an opportunity for a hearing. The decision of the City Council or any decision by the Permitting Officer which is not appealed in accordance with this Chapter shall be deemed final action.
(a) The maximum number of chickens allowed is six (6) per tract of land regardless of how many dwelling units are on the tract. A permittee may request that this provision be waived by the City Council. The City Council may waive this provision if the proposed tract of land provides adequate space and distance from other buildings, and if the character of the neighborhood will not be affected by such a permit.
(b) In no case shall a permit be granted for greater than twelve (12) chickens.
(c) Only female chickens (hens) are allowed.
Permits will be granted only for tracts of land located in residential districts as identified on the current Official Zoning Map on file with the City of Wyoming.
A permit shall not allow the permittee to engage in chicken breeding or fertilizer production for commercial purposes.
(a) Chickens must be kept in an enclosure or fenced area at all times. Chickens shall be secured within a henhouse or chicken tractor during non-daylight hours.
(b) Enclosures must be kept in a clean, dry, odor—free, neat and sanitary condition at all times.
(c) Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens must provide adequate ventilation and adequate sun and shade and must be impermeable to rodents, wild birds and predators, including dogs and cats.
(d) Henhouses and chicken tractors.
1. Henhouses and chicken tractors shall be designed to provide safe and healthy living conditions for the chickens with a minimum of four (4) square feet per bird while minimizing adverse impacts to other residents in the neighborhood.
a. A henhouse or chicken tractor shall be enclosed on all sides and shall have a roof and doors. Access doors must be able to be shut and locked at night. Opening windows and vents must be covered with predator and bird proof wire of less than one (1) inch openings.
b. The materials used in making a henhouse or chicken tractor shall be uniform for each element of the structure such that the walls are made of the same material, the roof has the same shingles or other covering, and any windows or openings are constructed using the same materials. The use of scrap, waste board, sheet metal, or similar materials is prohibited. Henhouses and chicken tractors shall be well maintained.
2. Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens shall only be located in the rear yard required by Wyoming Municipal Code Chapter 165, unless the setback requirements cannot be met in which case they may be kept in other yard but within the required setbacks.
3. Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens must be located at least ten (10) feet from the property line and at least twenty-five (25) feet from any adjacent residential dwelling, church, school or place of business.
(e). Any enclosed chicken pen shall consist of sturdy wire fencing. The pen must be covered with wire, aviary netting, or solid roofing.
a. Odors from chickens, chicken manure or other chicken related substances shall not be perceptible beyond the boundaries of the permitted tract of land.
b. Noise from chickens shall not be loud enough beyond the boundaries of the permitted tract of land at the property boundaries to disturb persons of reasonable sensitivity.
The Permittee shall take necessary action to reduce the attraction of predators and rodents and the potential infestation of insects and parasites. Chickens found to be infested with insects and parasites that may result in unhealthy conditions to human habitation may be removed by a person or entity charged with controlling animals in Wyoming.
Chickens shall be provided with access to feed and clean water at all times. The feed and water shall be unavailable to rodents, wild birds and predators.
All stored manure shall be covered by a fully enclosed structure with a roof or lid over the entire structure. No more than three (3) cubic feet of manure shall be stored on the permitted tract of land. All other manure not used for composting or fertilizing shall be removed. The henhouse, chicken tractor, chicken pen and surrounding area must be kept free from trash and accumulated droppings. Uneaten feed shall be removed in a timely manner.
The Permittee shall not allow the Permittee's chickens to roam off the permitted tract of land. No dog or cat or other domesticated animal which kills a chicken off the permitted tract of land will, for that reason alone, not be considered a dangerous or aggressive animal or the city's responsibility to enforce its animal control provisions.
a. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep chickens in violation of any provision of this Chapter or any other provision of the Wyoming Municipal Code.
b. It shall be unlawful for any owner, renter or leaseholder of property to allow chickens to be kept on the property in violation of the provisions of this article.
c. No person shall keep chickens inside a single family dwelling unit, multi family dwelling unit(s) or rental unit.
d. No person shall slaughter any chickens within the city of Wyoming.
e. No person shall keep a rooster.
f. No person shall keep chickens on a vacant or uninhabited tract of land.
Any violation of the terms of this Chapter that constitutes a health hazard or that interferes with
the use or enjoyment of neighboring property is a nuisance and may be abated under the general nuisance abatement provision of Wyoming Municipal Code Chapter 50.
SECTION 2. REPEALER. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY CLAUSE. If any section, provision or part of this Ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. WHEN EFFECTIVE. This ordinance shall be in effect from and after its final passage, approval and posting as provided by law.
Passed by the Council on the 14th day of January, 2012, and approved this 14th day of January, 2013.


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quote:They did, just not on the scoreboard. If you play the "if" game, it was very close to being a total blowout. Add 12 points for failures to get a TD inside the 8, subtract 14 from TCU for the fumble and the kickoff. Add another 7 on a TD drop, you got 56-13.
quote:If you play the "if" game
quote:I can do that and say TCU should have won the game.
quote:"I think that Zach will have nights like that pretty much routinely from this point forward"- Miles.
quote:Add 12 points for failures to get a TD inside the 8
quote:subtract 14 from TCU for the fumble and the kickoff
quote:@slmandel: But hey, Les knows the drill. No one's going to give him a pass if he loses to TCU b/c they didn't have Jeremy Hill. So onward they go. @slmandel: Jeremy Hill caught on tape clocking a guy in the head, violated probation, but hey, his teammates voted him back, so what I could do? @slmandel: Urban Meyer should study Les Miles on how to avoid backlash. Just don't even pretend to care about values or discipline and all that jazz.


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Meyhem Lauren - Kelly Kapowski (Remix) Feat. Troy Ave
Kelly Kapowski (Remix) Meyhem Lauren Feat. Troy Ave
Meyhem Lauren's "Mandatory Brunch Meetings" gets the remix treatment from Harry Powder.
Bump Kelly Kapowski (Remix), the latest cut from Meyhem Lauren which features Troy Ave on the assist. It dropped on Friday, March 29th, 2013. Meyhem Lauren's horizons are broadening with each new release, and Kelly Kapowski (Remix) is no exception. It's a worthy addition to a catalogue that has seen much growth since Meyhem Lauren stepped foot in the rap game. We're looking forward to hearing more.
Hear more of Meyhem Lauren on Critical Thinking. If you're down, make sure to visit Meyhem Lauren's profile page for the newest info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
How's the chemistry here? Are y'all feeling this one?


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Sun, 4 Dec 2011
Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have increased by 49 per cent in the last two decades, according to the latest figures by an international team, including researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia.
Send this page to your mobile phone by scanning this code using a 2D barcode (QR Code) reader. These can be installed on most modern Smart Phones.


text:
Validation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 in an Australian Pain Clinic Sample
- John Baranoff,
- Stephanie J. Hanrahan,
- Dilip Kapur,
- Jason P. Connor
- … show all 4 hide
Rent the article at a discount
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Recently, an 8-item short-form version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ-8) was developed predominantly in an internet sample. Further investigation of the factor structure in a multidisciplinary pain clinic sample is required. Investigation of the concurrent validity of the CPAQ-8 after accounting for the effects of variables commonly measured in the pain clinic setting is also necessary.
This study examines the factor structure and concurrent validity of the CPAQ-8 in a sample of treatment-seeking patients who attended a multidisciplinary pain clinic.
Participants were 334 patients who attended an Australian multidisciplinary pain service. Participants completed the CPAQ, a demographic questionnaire, and measures of patient adjustment and functioning.
Confirmatory factor analysis identified a two-factor 8-item model consisting of Activity Engagement and Pain Willingness factors (SRMR = 0.039, RMSEA = 0.063, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.960) was superior to both the CPAQ and CPAQ with an item removed. The CPAQ and CPAQ-8 total scores were highly correlated (r = 0.93). After accounting for pain intensity, the CPAQ-8 was a significant predictor of depression, anxiety, stress, and disability. The subscales of the CPAQ-8 were both unique contributors to depression and disability in regression analyses, after accounting for pain intensity and kinesiophobia, and after accounting for pain intensity and catastrophizing.
The CPAQ-8 has a sound factor structure and similar psychometric properties to the CPAQ; it may have clinical utility as a measure of pain acceptance in treatment-seeking, chronic pain patients.
- McCracken LM, Vowles KE, Eccleston C. Acceptance of chronic pain: component analysis and a revised assessment method. Pain. 2004;197:159–66. CrossRef
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- Reneman M, Dijkstra A, Geertzen J, Dijkstra P. Psychometric properties of chronic pain acceptance questionnaires: a systematic review. European J Pain. 2010;14:457–65. CrossRef
- Nicholas MK, Asghari A. Investigating acceptance in adjustment to chronic pain: is acceptance broader than we thought? Pain. 2006;124:269–79. CrossRef
- Wicksell RK, Olsson GL, Melin L. The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ)—further validation including a confirmatory factor analysis and a comparison with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. European J Pain. 2009;13:760–8. CrossRef
- Geisser DS. A comparison of acceptance-focused and control-focused psychological treatments in a chronic pain treatment center (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). Reno, NV:University of Nevada; 1992
- McCracken LM. Behavioral constituents of chronic pain acceptance: results from factor analysis of the chronic pain acceptance questionnaire. J Back Musculos Rehab. 1999;13:93–100.
- Vowles KE, McCracken LM, McLeod C, Eccleston C. The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire: confirmatory factor analysis and identification of patient subgroups. Pain. 2008;140:284–91. CrossRef
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- Vlaeyen JWS, Linton SJ. Fear-avoidance model of chronic musculoskeletal pain: 12 years on. Pain. 2012;153:1144–7. CrossRef
- Ferreira-Valente MA, Pais-Ribeiro JL, Jensen MP. Validity of four pain intensity scales. Pain. 2011;152:2399–404. CrossRef
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- Asghari A, Nicholas MK. Pain self-efficacy beliefs and pain behaviour. A prospective study. Pain. 2001;94:85–100. CrossRef
- Lovibond PF, Lovibond SH. The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) with the beck depression and anxiety inventories. Behav Res Therapy. 1995;33:335–43. CrossRef
- Nicholas MK, Asghari A, Blyth FM. What do the numbers mean? Normative data in chronic pain measures. Pain. 2008;134:158–73. CrossRef
- Taylor R, Lovibond PF, Nicolas MK, Cayley C, Wilson PH. The utility of somatic items in the assessment of depression in chronic pain patients: a comparison of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) in chronic pain and clinical and community samples. Clinical J Pain. 2005;21:91–100. CrossRef
- Browne MW, Cudeck R. Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit. In: Bollen KA, Long JSS, editors. Testing structural equation models. London: Sage; 1993.
- Hu L, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ Model. 1999;6:1–55. CrossRef
- DeCarlo LT. On the meaning and use of kurtosis. Psychol Methods. 1997;2:292–307. CrossRef
- McCracken LM. Learning to live with pain: acceptance of pain predicts adjustment in persons with chronic pain. Pain. 1998;74:21–7. CrossRef
- McCracken LM. Toward understanding acceptance and psychological flexibility in chronic pain. Pain. 2010;149:420–1. CrossRef
- DiStefano C, Motl RW. Further investigating method effects associated with negatively worded items on self-report surveys. Struct Equ Model. 2006;13:440–64. CrossRef
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- Title
- Validation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 in an Australian Pain Clinic Sample
- Journal
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Volume 21, Issue 1 , pp 177-185
- Cover Date
- 2014-02-01
- 10.1007/s12529-012-9278-6
- Print ISSN
- 1070-5503
- Online ISSN
- 1532-7558
- Publisher
- Springer US
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- Chronic pain
- Acceptance
- Short-form
- Psychometric properties
- Authors
- John Baranoff (1)
- Stephanie J. Hanrahan (1) (2)
- Dilip Kapur (3)
- Jason P. Connor (4) (5)
- Author Affiliations
- 1. School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- 2. School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- 3. Pain Management Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Adelaide, Australia
- 4. Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- 5. Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia


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Twilight Awesomeness! Meeting Peter Facinelli AKA Carlisle In Person At The Nevada Women's Expo! Nurse Jackie! Can't Hardly Wait! Autographs! Photos! And More!
I admit, I like Peter Facinelli. Now, I'm not a Twilight enthusiast like so many others but that's fine. Peter is awesome on Nurse Jackie and in Can't Hardly Wait as well. Gosh, I can't believe that Can't Hardly Wait was so long ago… He was also in a short lived series called Fastlane. Yep,... read more ->
Twilight Breaking Dawn and Nurse Jackie Star Mr. Peter Facinelli Takes Time Out To Sign Autographs and Meet Fans! Unlike Sarah Michelle Gellar… Had To Throw That In There…
As most of you know I love me some Nurse Jackie. I mean, Showtime has a thing with flawed central female characters, and I think the ensemble of Nurse Jackie is just pitch perfect. I've been working on a cast poster for a while now, and I'm just starting a few cast photos as well…... read more ->
New Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1 Press Stills! Rob Pattinson Smiles! Taylor Lautner Smolders! It's Crazy Times!
Okay, everyone knows how awesome Anushika is… and this post is just for her. Cause I'll tell ya, Twilight… Not my Fav… I know shocking right? But Anushika LOVES it! With a capital L-O-V-E. So, when these new images came zooming into my inbox I had to go… Yeah, for Anushika… I'll put them up!... read more ->


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Recently, I had the blessing of being stranded in an airport due to a flight delay. As a person with a seemingly unending list of responsibilities, being stuck in an airport for any length of time, isn't what I would normally refer to as a "blessing", but somehow, this time was different. Although frustrating at first, as my mind began to settle, the moments gradually passed from one distraction to another, until each one became an unintended form of entertainment. And without realizing it … [Read More]
Parenting…On Both Fronts
The Baby Boom generation (1946-1964) is likely the first group of Americans – as a culture – to fully recognize and believe in the promise of "The American Dream". During this time of great prosperity and economic growth, anyone from any background could dramatically improve their lifestyle with nothing more than hard work and desire. As a result, we were blessed with a nation of entrepreneurs whose challenge to mediocrity eventually led to better living conditions for the entire civilized … [Read More]
Death, Credit and Crooks
The death of a spouse for many survivors will become a financially paralyzing event; because even with extraordinary planning, it can be emotionally difficult, if not impossible to begin working through tedious financial affairs while grieving. Yet without a proactive approach, we can quickly turn this fragile moment into an on-going dilemma with potentially dangerous financial consequences. Therefore by taking a closer look at some of our most basic decisions, such as maintaining joint … [Read More]
The Day After . . . Tomorrow
If tomorrow morning became the unplanned moment of your last few words and final breath, what significance would all the days before have in the lives of those you've touched? And what would become of that significance the day after tomorrow, and the day after that? In most cases, it only takes a couple generations for our beloved patriarchs and matriarchs to simply become "our ancestors" – faceless names on a family chart – and only a couple more generations to be forgotten, completely. … [Read More]
How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
Identity theft: By now most of us are aware of its destructive capabilities and potential long term impact on personal finances, credit scores, and good reputations. However, we typically overlook the growing ease with which it occurs, due to the stealthier methods afforded by advancing technology. "Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." (Prov. 2:11 NIV) This is a great verse, but in the context of identity theft, it may be one we've only applied to the surface. In … [Read More]


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Santa's Solution Original High Quality Christmas Tree Stand with Auto Stop Watering System
Item # WX2-151647
- Google+
This item is shipped directly from the factory. To see the expected shipping date, please add to your Shopping Cart. Sorry, no express shipping available. We are unable to ship factory direct items to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or APO or FPO addresses.
This item cannot ship to Canada.
This item cannot ship internationally.
- Details & Specs
Santa's Solution Original High Quality Christmas Tree Stand with Auto Stop Watering System keeps your tree sturdy and green.
Sturdy support at a great price! No wonder it's been a best seller for years. Patented steel base is designed to flex, absorb, and equally distribute the weight of the tree. Includes handy watering system.
Steady as she goes:- Designed to accommodate trees up to 9' tall with up to 5 1/2" trunk diameter
- Solid steel construction with powder coated finish
- Leak-proof, rust-proof watering liner holds approximately 1 1/2 gallons
- Patented "turn straight" centering system allows for perfectly centered, stable display
- Vertically adjustable support arms include 3/8" eyebolts
- Anti-scratch floor pads prevent damage to floors
- 22" base stance trunk holder is 7" h. x 6 1/4" in diameter. Weighs 10 lbs.
- Includes biodegradable tree skirt / disposal bag
- Also includes Auto Stop Watering System that clips onto the tree and makes watering easy-no more bending over or crawling on the floor.
The only tree stand you'll ever need!
- Reviews
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Drunken drivers have been known to tear families to pieces. Teenagers whose inhibitions have been lowered are more likely to try drugs or continue to do drugs during their moments of alcoholic euphoria. Nightclubs and cafés found guilty of serving minors surely are close to the end of their ride. Gatsby's is simply protecting its own interests, as should any successful business. CocoLoco's and Gatsby's are clubs from different cultures. Both deserve respect for what they have to offer the community.
Mitchell Pellecchia
Bet he likes bleach: White greetings from Port St. Lucie! I read with amusement a letter in your July 5 edition in which the writer ridiculed my pro-British position. The author of the letter said among other things that the Egyptians were an advanced civilization before the British, as if that somehow discredited my position. I hope the author of the letter is aware that Egyptian civilization was Sumerian in origin and therefore white. I assume the author is of the "Afrocentric school of history," which teaches a pseudohistory that goes so far as to claim that ancient "black Egyptians" had wings and could fly until the "evil whites" came along and shot them down.
I also found it rather amusing to read in the same issue that some white South Africans were decrying white racism. If black rule in South Africa was all so wonderful then why, pray tell, did they flee to America to escape it? Could it be that they are like typical American white liberals who preach that integration is great for us poor white peons but not for them? They force integration and black rule upon the rest of us from the seclusion and safety of their gated communities.
Shouldn't those white liberals from South Africa take the next flight back to their "integrated paradise" and set an example for the rest of us poor white peons who are too ignorant to realize the joys and thrills of living under black rule?
Respectfully yours for God, race, and nation,
Bishop John David Alder
European American Episcopal Church of Florida
via the Internet
How many roads must Stratton walk down before they...: Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed Jeff Stratton's March 1 article "Blowin' in the Wind." Not that I'm a New Order fan, I'm just rather into the melodica, particularly as played by Augustus Pablo. I share Jeff's feelings in regard to the instrument's lowly status and the way it's criticized. Many years ago I went into my local music store to order a Hohner model only to be told by the owner that he thought it looked like some kind of sex aid!
I think the point of the melodica is its simplicity. I can certainly relate to Calvin Johnson's remarks that "I just make it up as I go along." It is an instrument that seems ideally to lend itself to improvisation. I'm not a keyboard player or technically gifted musician, but I do have a good musical ear, and the melodica just seems to let you blow along to any tune, which is very rewarding in its own way. This in itself merits more respect for the instrument.
Richard Smith
via the Internet


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On the first Saturday of April, the streets of Benton fill with thousands of people, all who have come to the annual celebration of the sweet potato. Tater Day started in 1842 with the trading and selling of sweet potatoes. Tater Day features a parade, flea market, arts and crafts, beauty pageants, carnival rides, barbeque cook-off competition, Tater trot & run, and all the "good eats" you would expect to find at an old time country fair. For more information, email email@example.com
The 171st Annual Tater Day is Friday, April 4th through Monday, April 7th, 2014
Friday, April 4th Events:
Dirt Kart Racing - Friday
- HH Lovett Park
- Admission: $10 at gate, $5 pit pass
- 6:00 p.m.
- Contact (270) 703-2049 for details
Saturday, April 5th, 2014 Events:
Casey's Amusements at the HH Lovett Park
Vendors and food throughout Benton all day
29th Annual Tater Trot Fitness Walk & Run - Saturday
- Registration 7:45 - 8:30 am
- 5K Race at 9:00 am
- Run/Walk at 9:30 am
- Location: Mike Miller Park
- Contact: Chris Kerrick 270-527-1453
- Race Administration: Marshall County Track & Field Booster Club
Demolition Derby - Saturday
- 6:00 pm at H.H. Lovett Park
- Gates open at 4:00 pm
- Pit Opens at 2:00 pm
- Driver Entry Fee - $30 registration + $15 gate
- All participants must be registered by 4:30 pm.
- Admission $10 (6 & Under FREE)
- Pit Pass $5 all ages
- Absolutely NO ALCOHOL allowed on premises.
- All derby cars must enter from 14th St. to Park Ave.
- Contact: Danny Sirls 270-493-1030
Sunday, April 6th, 2014 Events:
Casey's Amusements at the HH Lovett Park
Vendors and food throughout Benton all day
Monday, April 7th, 2014 Events:
Casey's Amusements at the HH Lovett Park
Vendors and food throughout Benton all day
Benton Lions Club Pancake Breakfast
- 7:00 am - 10:00 am
- Location: Benton Elementary School
- Cost: $4.00 per person
- Contact: Kip Mathis 270-527-3153
Tater Day Parade
- 11:00 am
- Theme: "Remember Our Troops"
- Grand Marshal: Jimmie Lovett


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Mar 1, 2015
Supported Languages
Rating (current version)
Not yet rated
- May 12, 2011
New version » 126.96.36.199 - Oct 15, 2010
Initial Release
Publisher's Description
Get it with Microsoft Tag
Take a pic of the Tag with your Windows Phone 7 device, to download this app from the Marketplace. |
I'll stick with the wp7 built-in song finder under the phones search button.
Jul 1, 2012
Very quick and almost always finds the music
Jun 6, 2012
Doesn't know much classical, but is still quite impressive with other music.
May 31, 2012
Useless on WP with integrated Bing search.
Apr 16, 2012
Is it just mine or has shazam not been workin lately
Apr 7, 2012
Awesome, Zune pass integration is a win!
Feb 17, 2012
One of the most useful apps in the marketplace.
Jan 11, 2012
When I purchased this, it was supposed to have unlimited tagging. For the past 3 months it's said my monthly tag limit has been reached. I am very unhappy.
Dec 26, 2011
Was a great app before they crippled it.
Dec 21, 2011
Perfect! It makes finding new music so easy
Nov 30, 2011
You've got to be effin kidding me if you think I'm going to pay you $6 to do what Bing does for free and does better. No way in hell. Plus you want to limit the tags to 5? Bing is unlimited. The app is waaay slower than Bing as well. Boycott this app. You will be out of business in no time.
Nov 15, 2011
Amazing and helpful
Nov 12, 2011
Alright app, but Bing has been able to identify more since the mango update.
Nov 11, 2011
Apparently I have been at my 5 tag MONTHLY limit since JUNE. Ridiculous! No point in purchasing because Mango has the same thing for free!!
Nov 7, 2011
Cool idea, but rarely works.
Nov 4, 2011
Why is this under "Games"? Why can't it open faster so I can actually use it when I hear a song I like? Why does it only recognize 30% of what I throw at it. It needs some work.
Nov 2, 2011
This app Is great. I hate when i love the song playing, but i don't the name. Love it.
Nov 2, 2011
Mango update makes this app useless.
Oct 25, 2011
Nice app but why is it my games hub?
Oct 22, 2011
Get mango and ditch this stupid thing
Oct 11, 2011


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My weekend plans include painting my guest bathroom, taking my dogs to the dog park and attempting to start my DIY porcupine mirror since last weekend's weather wasn't cooperative (rainy and windy) :(
But before all of that, let's start with the 10th edition of Fabulous Finds Friday with this colorful Paint Palette pillow from CB2:
[ Image via CB2 ]
The front of the pillow looks like it's been painted with watercolors but it reverses to solid gray so for $34.95, you're basically getting two pillows for the price of one! Not a bad deal for a bright and cheery addition to any room!
The second fabulous find is this adorable set of Dachshund Bookends from Z Gallerie:
[ Image via Z Gallerie ]
I don't have a Dachshund but I am a dog lover and think these bookends are super cute! They're made of solid matte black resin and are only $29.95 for the set. I was thinking I'd pick up a pair but I have some furry friends at home that might get a little jealous ;)
Next up is the Domino Book of Decorating from West Elm:
[ Image via West Elm ]
I picked up this book a couple of years ago and it's always been one of my favorites. The book takes readers room by room and provides them with tools to create functional and fabulous spaces. This is the book that propelled my love for decorating into new dimensions and is a definite must-have!
The fourth fabulous find (say that ten times fast) are the Ninjabread Men Cookie Cutters from Perpetual Kid:
[ Image via Perpetual Kid ]
I'm not much of a baker but these cookie cutters are hard to resist! Not only is the name cute but can you imagine how much fun you'd have decorating the little Ninja's after they're done baking?! For $7.95/set, they'd make a great gift for anyone on your list (non-bakers included)!
Last but not least is the Grid Mat from Crate and Barrel:
[ Image via Crate and Barrel ]
With Spring approaching, most of the country will start to thaw meaning boots and shoes are going to be getting wet and dirty from all of the melting snow and ice. The Grid Mat is a modern-looking, weather-resistant way to trap all of that dirt and debris from getting inside your house and is currently on sale for $12.95!
What did you think of this weeks Fabulous Finds Friday? What would you like to see included next week?


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The team at Emarketed has become one of our most indispensable partners. World Gym International oversees a network of over 200 gyms worldwide, so we needed to find a full service website design, marketing, and online services ...
Web Design
We believe a client's website should reflect that company's brand, as well as its position in the marketplace. We don't believe in "one size fits all" designs or templates. The SEO web design Emarketed creates for your company will be an original design, presenting you as you want to be perceived.
Just as the same printed brochure can't work equally well for a publisher and a bank, website design templates suffer the same shortcomings. For this reason, emarketed's designers (many of whom have apprenticed at other top design and advertising firms) are assigned to our clients' accounts based on expertise in related markets. We don't use stock designs. We don't recycle designs created for other clients. And we don't forget that the design must also be functional, so search engines will view and index the site.
Emarketed's website designs are not only attractive and functional; they're also search engine friendly. Many inexperienced designers or ad agencies ignore (or overlook) this consideration. We employ some of the most experienced web designers in Los Angeles, and the best copywriters and code developers in the business. You'll get a sophisticated seo web design, persuasive and targeted seo web copywriting, and all the essential (but unseen) tools that assure high-level recognition by search engines. We also design with future scalability in mind, so as your company grows, your site can easily grow with it.


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Current Time
user posts + reviews
Posted on: November 17, 2008 at 10:09PM
Even though Tokyo is a huge megalopolis, to get a feel of the more traditional Japan, book your stay in a 'ryokan'. These small family owned hotels resemble a bed and breakfast type atmosphere that can really get your relaxed after a day in the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo. You can sleep on futons on tatami woven mats and enjoy tea brought to you by the inn keepers. For the more adventurous traveler, sign up for the ryokan's meals! You never know what you are going to get, but its worth the gamble. report a problem


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Article brought to you by: Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)Halloween is a Candy Adventure For My Family
By Vincent Johnson
October 30th, 2013 A Blest Life (www.ablestlife.com) Halloween is a time kids look forward to. Parents on the other hand... MOORESVILLE, NC - Our family has never been known for its promptness. In fact, my wife and I call ourselves the "Late" Johnsons. As we accumulated more and more children; we kept getting later and later. Every year as Halloween approached all of us knew we would end up, well, late for something. That "something" was usually having customs set up or purchased in time for the actual event.On most Halloweens it ended up being a test in how resourceful we could be. We were like the MacGyver's of Halloween costumes. We could make a costume out of Popsicle sticks, paper clips, cardboard and duct tape. This didn't mean, of course, that the costumes were any good or that those who had to don them were not embarrassed. We had plenty of "Hobo's", Ghosts, Raggedy Ann's, army men, mummy's, policemen, etc. If you notice, I didn't say we were creative, just resourceful. Candy was another issue. If we broke tradition and bought the candy early enough, we were sure to have one of our detective children find it and then pass it around the house. We would then, of course, not find out until Halloween. This meant I had to go out and find some Halloween candy - fast! [media id="499"] Has anyone ever gone out on the afternoon before Trick or Treating began to find candy? Let me share for those who have not; there is no candy left! I would travel to nearby towns looking for some, well; it felt like it was in another town. I would come home with the candy that nobody wanted. Black Licorice (which I personally love), the tiny lollipops (Dum-Dums), mints, etc. There was always plenty of Tootsie Rolls! I think the kids would pass the word not to go to our house on those occasions, because we had lousy candy. Our children, on the other hand, had finely tuned the art of candy collection during Halloween. Sack upon sack of candy would be the "haul" for my children. They would come and go in shifts accumulating as much "loot" as they could. I was personally in awe of what they had gotten. I think part of it is because when I was a kid parents just didn't give out as much candy. Now, parents have a smorgasbord of candy for the kids. I think parents try to be as generous as they can as well as being the coolest on the block! You know no parent wants to be known as the owners of the house with the lousy candy during Halloween. All in all it really didn't matter to me as long as I could pick from the endless supply of candy from my kids. I wonder if they try to make it all last until the next Halloween like we did back in the day? A birth foretold: click here to learn more! Article brought to you by: Catholic Online (www.catholic.org) |


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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — The Springfield School Board voted to send a bond to the November ballot.
The bond request is worth more than $62 million. The decision at Monday night's special board meeting was unanimous.
The money would be distributed for improvements district wide, but most would be allocated to rebuilding Hamlin Middle School. The aging building has a long list of maintenance issues and the district says it needs to be replaced.
Board members say moving this measure forward and putting it to voters is the right thing to do.
"We look at the needs of our community," said Springfield School Board member Jonathan Light. "We've been talking about the possibility of going after this bond since our last one since we're always looking forward and how to serve our kids, and the time was now."
The owner of a $150,000 home would pay an extra $62 a year. That's on top of $153 dollars that owner currently pays for school bonding each year.


text:
Updated on
November 10, 2008,
asks from
Midlothian, VA
November 09, 2008
Puberty Questions
My son is getting ready to turn 10 years old and he has started growing pubic hair. Isn't that young? I'm freaking out a little... Also, does anyone have an opinion on when we should begin the 'talk' about the birds and the bees? I don't want to do it too early. Any suggestions anyone has for books to help with this discussion that my son can read would be helpful. Thanks!
So What Happened?™
Wow! Thanks for all the great advice. It sounds like my son is developing at a perfectly normal rate and I need to start having some discussions with him. I appreciate everyone that responded!
Featured Answers
K.L. answers from Washington DC on November 10, 2008
Just wanted to say I agree with those who have said it's never too early to begin the birds and the bees talk. I've started already with my son, who is three, and I intend to add more and more information as he gets older. It doesn't have to be one big talk.
1 mom found this helpful
H.D. answers from Norfolk on November 10, 2008
More Answers
W.W. answers from Washington DC on November 09, 2008
Seems like these things are starting earlier and earlier...
My daughter started getting hair when 9 1/2, as well as breast development. She started her menses exactly one month to the day before her 10th birthday. I was 13! Well, I believe you should bring up th esubject long before they get into trouble. Ask what they know, what have they heard. We are very candid in our home. Kids think they know it all at this age, so, we want to make sure that she knows correctly. Her friends are just as clueless, and the info they will give is scary.He may start asking you more stuff once he figures out he will not catch on fire for asking you. Our daughter always asks us about stuff she hears. I have a medical back ground, and the things kids tell each other is amazing. Get to him first! It is never too early! We started talking to her when she was 6-ish. We watched the birthday show on discovery health..and she wanted to know how and why. Little
things can spark a great conversation. The way someone dresses, things a friend/TV show says, etc. Best of luck. I have a special needs child as well, and this will be a very difficult conversation to have with him. But he is learning already. Take care! W.
1 mom found this helpful
B.H. answers from Norfolk on November 09, 2008
Just wanted to add that my stepdaughter has started wearing a bra sometimes. I understand. :)
1 mom found this helpful
K.L. answers from Washington DC on November 10, 2008
Just wanted to say I agree with those who have said it's never too early to begin the birds and the bees talk. I've started already with my son, who is three, and I intend to add more and more information as he gets older. It doesn't have to be one big talk.
1 mom found this helpful
K.A. answers from Richmond on November 10, 2008
Two years ago, at 11, my son took a class offered at our church for 5th/6th graders. They used the book, Created by God: About Human Sexuality for Older Girls and Boys by Abington Press. The book discusses body changes, emotional changes as well as goes into human growth, sexual development and reproduction from a Christian perpesctive. He knew more than I did after taking the class, which was about 8 hours, with his friends. I read lots of the book with him and we continue to discuss changes as they occur. I think it is time for you to begin if his body has begun to change.
R.S. answers from Washington DC on November 10, 2008
I think 10 might be a little old for the first talk, not too young. I know we're all uncomfortable with the idea, but the earlier, more comfortably, and more often you talk to your son about things like this, the more likely he is to be willing to talk to you and share your views and values.
Just try to think about it calmly and approach it calmly. If he knows you're uncomfortable, he'll be uncomfortable, too.
And, trust me, he already knows the basics.
R.H. answers from Norfolk on November 10, 2008
Well in my opinion you are already late on that talk. I believe it should have started right from the beginning. But since you havn't it's going to be aquaward. BUT it does still have to be done. I would start out about how your body changes and than go on to why?
J.F. answers from Richmond on November 10, 2008
10 is definitely not too young to have "the talk". Sexuality has never been a taboo subject of discussion for us. I had the talk with my stepson when he was 10. My son is about to turn 13 and has only just begun the puberty stage, but I had the talk with him at age 10. The rule of thumb in my house is if he's old enough to ask the questions, he's old enough to get an honest answer.
I have several books, a few parenting books that cover the subject and how to discuss it; What's Happening to My Body? - one for girls, one for boys (a little outdated, but useful for kids to read on their own); and The Magic of Sex, which is much more adult (has illustrations, charts and graphs, pictures and loads of info), but covers EVERYTHING. Even though The Magic of Sex is geared toward adults, I've found it to be the most useful because it really does cover everything and I don't forget anything that needs to be discussed. I find books that are geared toward kids quite lacking on the really important subjects, like protection from pregnancy and disease.
The books are great, but only when you sit down with your child and discuss it with him as you read through together. Books cannot replace parental input, especially when it comes to the morals and values you want to instill in your child.
Don't forget to read through any book you get yourself first! If you don't, you can come out sounding like you don't already know and you're just learning as you read with your child. It really makes a big difference if you're trying to teach from the book. Don't let the nerves get to you. Once you've read it, you have the outline for discussion.
H.F. answers from Washington DC on November 10, 2008
I would start now. When kids start puberty, they also start getting interested in sexual matters.
I actually told my kids a long time ago how babies are made, it has never been a secret, so there is no uncomfortable birds and bees moments. Direct honesty is the best approach, matter of fact style. I would mention about contraceptives too, but that doesn't need to be too detailed yet.
I also bought a book directed to boys aged 8 and up, it explains about changes in their bodies. Since I am a girl, I figured I needed more info, and that way my sons can also read all by themselves about the changes, when they want to know.
Sex info book I haven't looked for yet...maybe I should look for one soon, my older son is 9 now.
The kids seem to reach puberty at younger age now when the nutrition is better than it was before. I guess we parents just have to adjust to that change.


text:
BankNetMore resources for national banks
HelpWithMyBank.govGet answers to banking questions
Job SeekersJoin one of the best places to work
Three federal banking agencies Monday issued a joint statement to clarify expectations for stress testing by community banks—banks, savings associations, and bank and savings and loan holding companies with $10 billion or less in total assets. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency clarified that community banks are not required or expected to conduct the types of stress testing required of larger organizations.
Search Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) Archive


text:
We were lucky during the last 3 weeks, big and small whales came into the Vestfjord and we found some of them.
Since we have so much to do out in the fjord, we have problems updating you with news, but here are some news:
Here are the highlights:
2009-07-11 we found a young minke whale in the fjord. He was very shy and we could not approach him. When I checked my pictures later I saw many scars on the left side, it looked like he was shot or had survived a granate from the whalers. This may be the reason why he was so shy.
[nggallery id=32]
2009-07-13+14 we found a group of 50-60 long finned pilot whales, yet another new group for us that produced a lot of beautiful sounds! We first heard them in the fjord and it did not take us long to find them. They were very curious and came very close to our boat, even vocalizing in the air. At one point a young animals was blowing bubbles under the boat. It looked like they were resting and milling in an area over 20km. The next day they were gone. We don't know where they go or even if they ever come back. We just hope they won't travel to the Faeroe Islands where they are slaughtered brutally in the name of tradition…
[nggallery id=33]
2009-07-14 we found the second largest whale in the world: 2 Fin whales! They were swimming out of the fjord while producing low frequency sounds.
[nggallery id=34]
We also saw a young grey seal at our small colony. However the seals are behaving very strange lately: they come very close to the boat (< 10m) almost begging. We suspect that the other widlife safaris from the village or private people started to feed these seals with fish. This is very dangerous because there is still seal hunting going on in Norway and the hunting quota for the grey seals is 25% of their population, with other words, people can shoot them wherever they see them. By feeding the seals, the selas get used to people & boats and when the hunters come, they will be easy prey. Wild animals should be left alone and not be fed!


text:
Home » Barney's Farm » Top Dawg
Barney's Farm - Top Dawg
- Seed Bank: Barney's Farm
- Type: Feminized
£5.88 GBP per seed
Product Information
Winner Cannabis Cup 2007
The Mexican Sativa x Afghan. The plant has a distinct pineapple smell and taste, yet the Kush influence gives it an Indica depth to give a stone effect. Very pungent to grow, and needs a top filtration system. Buds are dense and allow for easy manicuring. Ideal for SOG and ScrOG growing method.
Type: Indica / Sativa
Genetics: Mexican. Afghan
Yield: Optimum indoor. 400 gr/m2
Indoor Height: 70-80 cm
Indoor flowering time: 60 to 70 days
Outdoor harvest time: Early October
Get your hands on Barney's Farm cannabis seeds here which can be bought from the Single Seed Centre
No longer available in regular.
Single seed orders are always labelled separately and for peace of mind we include an equal portion of the original product carton. Find out more about our service and our shipping guarantee.
We cannot publish reviews concerning growing/germination.


text:
Interview with Gabriel I. H. Williams
Interview with Gabriel I. H. Williams
Former Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia, founding member of the Association of Liberian Journalists in Americas, and author of Liberia: The Heart of Darkness
May 30, 2002
The following interview was conducted at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, which serves as Secretariat of the World Movement for Democracy. The interview was conducted by Mr. Ryota Jonen, Project Assistant for the World Movement for Democracy.
Q: How did the Press Union of Liberia emerge, what was your role in it, and how has it managed to stay together despite numerous challenges during and after the war?
The Press Union of Liberia started in the early 1960s. It was the result of continuing suppression of press freedom. The journalists in those days decided that there was a need for organizing themselves to secure their collective professional interest and to advocate for better press conditions in the country. During that time, journalists were not respected. They were held in the lowest regard of any professionals in the country. The creation of the Press Union was intended to raise the profile of journalists and to give them a collective voice.
For about 15 years after the creation of the Press Union, it was not really progressive because during those days many of the members worked for the Ministry of Information and other state-owned media agencies. There were independent media houses and newspapers, but they were not strong enough due to limited resources. That situation continued until the early 1980s; in 1981, to be precise, Mr. Kenneth Best, Managing Director of Liberian Observer Corporation, returned from abroad and established the first really independent newspaper, called the Daily Observer. It introduced the American style of journalism to the country: investigative reporting, news analysis, advocacy, and drawing attention to the ills of society. From there, journalists in the country began to raise more public awareness, while the need for media advocacy became more pressing.
So the Press Union was reorganized and revived. The first president of the Press Union after this reorganization took it in a more progressive direction. In 1987, I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Press Union as an Assistant Secretary General, and in 1989 I was elected Secretary General. But then the war came, and many of the trained journalists, who were educated and experienced, left the country. When the war reached Monrovia, much of the media infrastructure was destroyed completely.
At that time, all the media in Liberia was controlled by various factions. For example, when Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front, one of the warring factions, reached Monrovia, it seized the national radio and television station, called the Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS), and began its own broadcast basically advocating Taylor's positions. There was, then, no independent journalism. During that time, I myself was in hiding.
The president of the Press Union at the time, Isaac Bantu, who is an internationally known and respected advocate of press freedom, was in danger for his life and fled the country for America. I was wanted dead or alive, and thus sought refuge in an American Embassy residence where I stayed for almost a year. Many other leaders of the Press Union went underground, and, as I said, the media was basically serving the cause of the various factions. When the Nigerian-led West African peacekeeping force came in and fought Taylor to get him out of the city, his supporters looted the state radio and TV station and took the equipment with them, and re-installed it on their own bases to continue propagating Taylor's cause. By that time, the radio and TV offices and the offices of all the other media had been destroyed. Both the government forces and the rebels targeted them because they were seen not to be in their interests. So the only information people had in the country emanated from the various factions.
When the peacekeeping force came, they brought in a short-wave, mobile radio station, connected to the Voice of Nigeria, which they installed on their base, and that station began to disseminate information. They consolidated control in the region, and there was a semblance of normalcy. By this time, Samuel Doe, then President of Liberia, had died, and his forces had been confined to their barracks, but there was no independent journalism.
Several colleagues and I decided to do something to introduce some alternative means for disseminating information that would not simply cater to the factions' positions. We therefore launched the Inquirer Newspaper, which is now the leading newspaper in Liberia, and I was the managing editor. Given the conditions, we started the newspaper using personal typewriters and candles, and we typed wherever there was a generator. We worked overnight just to present independent positions on issues, and this how the Inquirer came about. It became successful because people were hungry for balanced information, and we were able to present it. That positioned us to be the source on which the people depended over the years.
But this did not come without risks. There were many times when I was almost killed, and there were threats to have me eliminated. In fact, there was a time when Prince Johnson, a leader of one of warring faction, planned to bomb the newspaper office because we criticized him for killing people (he used a sledgehammer to kill several of his senior commanders, and the newspaper condemned him for it resoundingly), and ECOMOG, a West African regional peace-keeping force, had to station its troops at the office for about six months to prevent us from the rebels' attack. I told Prince Johnson, "you might as well do what you want to do, but we will continue to condemn any attempt to stifle the press and to prevent us from doing what we have to do." So ECOMOG stationed some troops to protect us.
Meanwhile, Bantu, who was in the United States, met with some grant-making organizations and made a compelling case to them to help the Press Union do its work and to thus help keep the independent press alive. With him in the U.S. and me and other colleagues on the ground in Liberia, we were thus able to coordinate and continue the work. This is how the Press Union remained alive at that point.
Q: What are the biggest challenges that the Press Union and journalists in Liberia currently face?
The biggest current challenge is a lack of trained journalists, a lack of adequate education and training. The media is the foundation or bedrock of democracy. If journalists are not well prepared to articulate the ways in which democracy will be more vibrant for the country, there will be no democracy. Over the past ten years or so, the university has been closed most of the time and training opportunities have been very limited, and most journalists now in the profession are therefore not well trained or equipped to their work. I think that's the single greatest challenge.
The government oppresses freedom, but I don't think that's as grave as the lack of journalists who are prepared to meet the responsibilities of independent journalism. If journalists cannot articulate what democracy is, and if they cannot raise consciousness in the society, there cannot be democracy in Liberia. Elections are not going to solve the problem. We need educated journalists, and this is a matter of utmost urgency. The media in Liberia right now is unprepared. About 98 percent of all the trained journalists are out of the country right now. Our focus has thus been on how we can provide basic training for those journalists who are there on the ground now. In fact, in 1992-93, the Press Union provided journalists with training workshops. This was one of the key things that I raised during my time with the Press Union, because at the end of the day if journalists do not know what they are doing, they are not going to be effective, and that is a very, very serious problem. This is the gravest problem among all the others that the Liberian media is facing.
Q: What strategies has the Press Union used successfully to overcome challenges to promoting freedom of the press, and what experiences have been unsuccessful?
I think the Press Union to a large extent has been successful in serving as the torchbearer by drawing international attention to the need for political reform, for democratic change, for respect for human rights and civil liberties. But again, as I said, the challenge is that the media is limited by a lack of trained people. If you are not educated, there is nothing you can do! The capacity is lacking, and this is serious. The society depends on journalists to educate people about their rights. The African tradition has been that people do not understand what their democratic rights are. That the Press Union and the independent media in Liberia have not been as successful as they should be is due to the lack of trained manpower. Right now, anyone can come in off the street and say he or she is a journalist. But if this person has not been schooled, has not been trained, how is he or she going to conduct an interview or write a story that is going to inform and educate others? You cannot have an illiterate and uneducated citizenry and expect democracy to be successful. That is the real problem now.
Q: What role has the press been playing in Liberia to promote democracy and human rights? And how do journalists in Liberia work with other civil society organizations, such as human rights organizations, to promote democracy and human rights?
Over the years, during the period of reorganization of the Press Union, the press has done a very wonderful job of drawing public attention to excesses and abuses perpetrated by whatever government has been in power in Liberia, whether it was the Doe government, the Taylor government, or if it was during the days of the war when we didn't really have a strong government.
Concerning collaboration with other sectors of civil society, there have been a number of activities. When Chancellor-at-law Benedict Sannoh started his Center for Law and Human Rights Education, we worked with that organization on ways to provide education. The newspaper that I headed and the Center agreed to publish articles in the newspaper to educate people. The press and social centers, like the Center for Law and Human Rights Education, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, often work together. The Justice and Peace Commission and other civic groups have helped us to conduct workshops to educate journalists about the rule of law and human rights work. The workshops focused on how the media can be used to educate the public about their rights by working with human rights organizations. We also sought to work with United Nations agencies and other organizations. For instance, we worked with organizations focused on health education. We collaborated in helping people get vaccinated, get basic education on issues such as how to take care of their own health and well-being.
From human rights groups we learned what the laws were and what the rights of people are. Armed with that kind of information we used our media to provide the public with what they needed to know to empower themselves. And the collaboration grew. The current Press Union has been building on that collaboration, and is working with other civil society organizations on workshops and other training exercises to educate journalists. The purpose is to enable journalists, through their daily stories and articles, to educate the people and prepare them, not only in the area of human rights, law, and the constitution, but also in areas such as basic health and sanitation. All of these things are part of the general plan to prepare the people for a democratic society.
To be able to do things effectively, you have to be healthy in body, mind and soul. We did as much as we could to stay healthy. We collaborated with religious entities, since they are the soul of society on the issues of morality and the commitment to doing the right thing. The churches and the Muslim mosques had programs that catered to the well-being of people. We collaborated with and learned from them, so that we would be able to learn how to empower our people.
Q: Since you left the country, you have kept in touch with a number of Liberian journalists, both within and outside of Liberia. How do you think that exiled Liberian journalists, like yourself, can help journalists inside Liberia to promote freedom of the press? For instance, the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas - how can this exile community help people inside the country?
That's a question I'm dealing with right now. As I indicated earlier, in the wake of the war, most of the experienced journalists left Liberia. When Mr. Taylor's government came in, the condition of the press became worse. Press freedom was in a bad situation since he was planning to just wipe out everything. So a few of us, specifically Bantu and I, got together and collected all the resources we could muster. Once I left Liberia in 1993 and joined Bantu in the U.S., we wrote letters individually to the Liberian government to advocate for press freedom, but individual efforts were not enough.
Many of the individual journalists who came to the U.S. from Liberia during the war advocated for freedom of the press. What we needed was an umbrella group that would be much more effective than just individuals, like myself, like Bantu, or Kenneth Best writing our own letters. In 1998, we brought together many Liberian journalists in the U.S. and other places in Washington, DC, to identify our collective interests, and we decided to organize ourselves. This was the launch of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), and, believe me, it made a huge difference. Here in the U.S., we can do as much as we want without any government trying to assassinate or suppress us.
Since the launch of ALJA, we have been drawing the attention of the U.S. State Department, United Nations agencies, and international organizations to what is going on in Liberia. We have been doing what the Press Union and the independent media inside Liberia is unable to do because of the prevailing situation. For example, in December 1999, we wrote a five-page letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, then president of the UN Security Council, and the president of the General Assembly, specifically detailing the gross human rights abuses in Liberia and the country's contribution to destabilization in Sierra Leone and Guinea. We called for a committee to investigate Liberia's situation, and it was not long before we heard that a UN team had been sent to Liberia to investigate. Shortly afterward, all the sanction measures started coming into place.
The ALJA has also been issuing regular press releases drawing attention to the situation. If a media house is closed, we issue a press statement and disseminate it to the international community. We've constantly appeared on international radio programs. The Liberian government doesn't have any control over what we do here, and we have succeeded fairly well in reporting on those things that the Press Union and the media on the ground in Liberia cannot. We receive information from reliable sources and we release it to the world. There is nothing Mr. Taylor can do about that.
Our next move is to find the necessary resources for training programs for people who are now in charge of media activities in the country. If they are prepared, they can do their share. In addition, we can pressure the government to the extent that it cannot afford to ignore what we've called for.
This is what we have been doing. It's basically to continue to draw international attention to abuses taking place in the country that contribute to the degeneration of Liberian society, and, to that extent, we've succeeded. Even though I'm now the outgoing Secretary General of ALJA, I will have a series of meetings to seek support for our effort until the new leadership can come in and until the Board of Directors can be constituted. In the resolution that was accepted at the most recent ALJA conference, we called on the international community not to recognize any group that seizes power by force of arms. The best option in Liberia now to save lives and put an end to the continuing destruction is to create an atmosphere for free and fair elections. It may take a long time, it may take a lifetime, but I'm sure it can be achieved. But it cannot happen in the midst of chaos.
The recent publication of my own book, Liberia: The Heart of Darkness, is part of the process of continuing to draw attention to the situation in Liberia. I'm also thinking about writing a second book or doing a video-documentary, for example. If I can raise the necessary resources, I intend to go into the West-African sub-region, visit refugee centers, interview people, and get their stories. My own story is already published, but there are hundreds of thousands of Liberians who have gone through similar experiences. If we don't document what has happened, we will not have the lessons to guide us in the future. This has been Liberia's problem all along; we don't have enough documentation of the past, and this is the reason why I have committed myself. It took me eight years, for example, to get this first book out, and I'm going to continue to do whatever I can to provide some additional means of documentation. So besides the ALJA and individual initiatives, in general, we have to save our country. If we don't, no one else will.
Q: This is the last question. As you know, there are a number of countries facing challenges similar to those of Liberia. Based on your experience, what do you suggest to journalists in those countries to overcome their challenges?
I hope that journalists in those countries can learn from our experience because to a very large extent we have been successful. Many current international actions against Liberia's undemocratic regime are not being undertaken in isolation from what we have been doing. It takes credible journalists who can provide accurate documentation to convince the international community to initiate action. We have been planning to bring together all the journalists who are in exile from African countries. We should all begin to work together to pursue our collective interests. We have always told the international community that if there's no peace in Liberia, for example, there will be no peace in Sierra Leone. So we have to work together.
Before September 11 last year, we were planning a program, with the Freedom Forum, to bring together journalists who are residing in the U.S. from all African countries. This conference was planned for October but was unfortunately cancelled because of what happened on September 11. But this is an example of our initiatives. If I had the opportunity or the means to travel even to Sierra Leone or the Democratic Republic of Congo, I would do that, and I would ask, "Look, this is our experience. This is what we've been doing. How can you learn from it? How can we learn from what you've been doing that may have been successful?" You know, it's all about networking - networking with the people in Nigeria, in Sierra Leone, in Ghana, etc.
Our problem now is that in the absence of requisite resources, we can only do so much. We are only working with what we have so far, but we hope to build on it. First, we didn't have a journalists association. We didn't speak with one voice. But we are doing that now, and the international community is seeing what we are doing. And that is opening doors. So if we can begin to reach out to our colleagues in other parts of Africa, in other regions of the world, we will be only too willing to take the message to them because whether you are in Liberia or Sierra Leone, people are people, and we have to begin to work together. We have to understand each other's problems. That will make it much better because the collective effort counts for so much more than individual initiatives. So, that's where we are.
Finally, I'm going to take this opportunity to make an appeal. There's a need for other organizations to help us. They can contact me through the World Movement for Democracy, or they can contact the ALJA, to see how we might fit into their programs and to network. That is the only way we are going to get rid of these dictators, these demagogues, these corrupt, incompetent regimes that continue to feed off the rest of us. The more they are unable to be effective, the easier it will be to eliminate them. .I have a fairly good feeling about the future of Liberia. This is because just as I'm doing my level best as an individual, so we are working as hard as we can as a group, and as a result we are able to draw international attention to the situation in Liberia and demonstrate that even more can be done for our country.
Our cause is not easy. We are all in exile, and everything that we owned in our country is lost. Our efforts are mostly at our own expense, but we have to make this sacrifice. We have to step up and do what we can for our people. With other support, we can constrain undemocratic regimes. Support for development can only be effective if there is law and order, which cannot be achieved if you don't have people who are capable of standing up and doing what is right. To develop a peaceful, orderly, and wholesome functioning society is our goal. And you know, by God's spirit, I think we shall achieve it. It may take a long time, but no matter how long it takes, if there are resources we can muster, we shall do it. It's for our country, and it's for my own salvation. I need to go back to my country and live there. It has not been easy, but we have been successful to the extent that we have because of our determination that we are doing the right thing and that's all that matters. Thank you very much.
Q: Thank you very much. We wish you the best for a democratic Liberia, and I hope that other journalists and other democracy activists around the world will take advantage of your experience by contacting you to share information and ideas.


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ABC News' Ron Claiborne and Bret Hovell Report: The campaign of Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., is feeling confident. At McCain's election night party location in Dallas, TX, hundreds of red, white and blue balloons are being hung from the rafters in anticipation of victory tonight. Perhaps more telling is the huge banner perched in the bleachers on the right side of the stage that reads "1191" in big bold letters. That, of course, is the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination. The campaign has counted their delegate numbers in such a way that all but guarantees that they'll hit the mark tonight. McCain adviser Charlie Black says they are guessing McCain's Republican rival, Governor Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., will only get approximately 30 delegates in Texas out of the 137 in play. McCain's campaign expects him to capture winner-take-all Vermont and do very well in Ohio and Rhode Island as well. McCain has 986 delegates right now according to ABC News' count. That means he needs 205 to put him over the top – roughly four-fifths of the delegates up for grabs tonight. However it goes down, that sign is pretty clear – the McCain campaign thinks they're wrapping this race up tonight.
A Good Sign for McCain
Mar 4, 2008 5:55pm
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From the streets of New York City to the townships of South Africa, the LGBT rights movement and its opposition are engaged in an unprecedented international battle. GlobalPost presents an ongoing series of reports from key locations at this pivotal time in history, telling highly personal, often overlooked stories from the fight.
Israeli government "pinkwashes" treatment of Palestinians by glamorizing gay rights record, critics say.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Gloria Gaynor's anthem "I Will Survive" is never out of place in a gay setting, but something about it was different on this particular night.
The words were coming through in Arabic instead of English, the uplifting disco beat resounding against the ancient walls of the club housed in a mixed neighborhood where the Arab city of Jaffa blends into the edges of modern Tel Aviv.
Conflict still rules the region, a complex and bloody dispute about land, history and religion decades in the making, but at the Palestinian Queer Party, music takes precedence and peace rules the room.
Held every six weeks or so, the party demonstrates what is possible with gays in charge, say those who attend.
The majority of the crowd at the party are gay Palestinians living within the borders set after Israel's victory over Arab forces in 1948 — officially called Arab-Israelis — but about a third are Israeli Jews. West Bank Palestinians have also been known to cross the separation wall to mingle and dance here, risky a trip as that might be. Once they are among fellow gays, these Palestinians can often hide from Israeli authorities in plain sight.
"If gays were controlling the world, we wouldn't have any more war."~Yoni Schoenfeld, Editor, Bamahane
"If gays were controlling the world, we wouldn't have any more war," says Yoni Schoenfeld, the openly gay editor-in-chief of Bamahane, the official magazine of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), sitting in his office in Tel Aviv and commenting unofficially.
Tel Aviv has been voted the most gay-friendly city in the world and has even been called the "Mecca" for gay Palestinians, but rights advocates say the good press is actually a mask covering Israel's treatment of Palestinians in general, considered by many human rights organizations and observers to be a persecuted group.
The phenomenon has been termed "pinkwashing," which tends to deify Israel as a socially enlightened society while demonizing Palestinian and other Arab attitudes about lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs), critics say.
For example, the New York City-based Anti-Defamation League offers a poster via its website reading, "Which of the Middle East nations protects the legal rights, safety & freedom of the LGBT communities? Only Israel."
But advocates say that because Israel doesn't accept applications for asylum from gay Palestinians (or any Palestinians at all), it has created a double standard rooted firmly within the conflict itself. Some also see a disconnect between the IDF, which supported openly gay soldiers long before the US ended its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, and the security apparatus accused of mistreating gay Palestinians.
Others, like Schoenfeld, disagree. "I don't think Israel uses [gay rights] for propaganda." A gay soldier guarding a checkpoint, he says, "doesn't see the connection between the two things."
'Nowhere to Run'
Gay Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank have been said to suffer doubly, grappling with the challenges of homosexuality within their communities as well as the dangerous and uncertain existence most Palestinians live day-to-day.
Haneen Maikey is the director of Al Qaws, a gay advocacy group that works in Israel and the Palestinian territories (the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). She was at the door during the Palestinian Queer Party, collecting money for entry and making sure everything went well.
The loud music made the event a difficult place for a formal interview and later by email, Maikey declined to speak, stating, "I am aware you are interested in making an article about pinkwashing in the West Bank but unfortunately both Al Qaws and PQBDS [Palestinian Queer Boycott Divestment and Sanctions] are not interested. Generally we have no media policy and only work on creating our own media or cooperating with allies when it is needed."
Maikey also did not want other West Bank activists who work with her to be interviewed. Ironically, the result of such hesitance to comment is that the voices who speak most openly about gay Palestinians are actually Jewish Israelis.
Anat Ben-Dor and Dr. Yuval Livnat are co-directors of the Refugee Rights Clinic at the Tel Aviv University School of Law. Part of their work is advising LGBT Palestinians who have come into Israel and attempted to claim asylum. Ben-Dor co-authored "Nowhere to Run," the 2008 publication detailing horrific treatment of gay Palestinians within


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Oregon Governor Announces Grants to Train Workers for Renewable Energy
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has announced two new grants that will provide workforce training in the renewable energy field. The grants will support training for wind turbine technicians and help expand awareness of job opportunities in sustainable energy. The March 9 announcement included other workforce training grants addressing labor shortages, workforce retention, and the film and video industry.
"Expanding our workforce sector, supporting a clean energy agenda and diversifying our local economies go hand in hand," Governor Kulongoski said in a press release. "Now is the time to help create sustainable, family wage jobs for Oregon families in all of our communities."
The renewable energy workforce grants include:
- $59,850 for the Wind Turbine Technician Training program at Columbia Gorge Community College. The funds will be used for additional lab curriculum and the creation of an online and distance learning program for the Wind Turbine Technician Training class. It is estimated that 300 to 430 employees will be trained through this program.
- $48,825 to the Business Alliance for Sustainable Energy (BASE) consortium in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties. BASE will coordinate with the AFL-CIO to connect the efforts of sustainable energy workforce projects and groups across the state, share practices, and expand awareness of workforce and labor opportunities.
The Governor's Strategic Training Fund grants — totaling $281,545 — are supported through federal Workforce Investment Act resources. The fund assists companies with expansions and workforce training. The grants are awarded to regional workforce response teams through regional and local workforce investment boards.
For more information, see the governor's March 9 press release.
To read more information about renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Oregon, see:
- Oregon news published on the EERE Web site.
- Brief project descriptions from the Oregon Energy Office published in the EERE State Energy Program newsletter, Conservation Update.
- Oregon publications listed in the EERE State Publications Database.


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News Release 175
DNR announces 2009 boost in visitors to Wallace State Park, 6 percent growth in visitors to State Parks last year
Volume 38-175 (For Immediate Release)
Contact: Sue Holst
JEFFERSON CITY, MO., MARCH 29, 2010 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today that Wallace State Park near Cameron saw a 15 percent increase in visitors in 2009. The announcement follows an earlier announcement by Gov. Jay Nixon that Missouri's system of state parks saw an overall increase in visitors of 6 percent last year.
"Wallace State Park is just one of the many gems to be found in Missouri's state park system," Gov. Jay Nixon said. "With the opportunities for inexpensive recreation and family activity that Wallace State Park provides for folks in the northwest Missouri area and beyond, it's no wonder that people flocked to the park last year in growing numbers."
The Division of State Parks reports that 240,640 visits were made to Wallace State Park in 2009. The previous year, the division recorded 209,529 visits to Wallace State Park. The 15 percent increase in visitors over the previous year at this park is reflective of a larger trend that shows the number of visitors to Missouri state parks on the upswing for the first time in a decade.
Wallace State Park provides a wooded family-oriented recreation retreat. Visitors can explore the forest-covered hillsides on four trails that wind through the park. Shady picnic areas are provided and fishing is popular in six-acre Lake Allaman. A modern campground is available for campers and the special-use camping area is popular with youth organizations.
On Friday, Gov. Jay Nixon noted in his remarks at the initial meeting of the Children in Nature Challenge initiative, which he created via Executive Order 10-18 on Feb. 26, that total attendance at Missouri state parks in 2009 had risen to more than 15,890,785 visitors. This is an increase of nearly one million visitors from the 2008 attendance figure of 14,937,471.
Gov. Nixon has implemented several initiatives encouraging awareness and use of Missouri's tremendous system of State Parks and Historic Sites. In addition to the Children in Nature initiative, Gov. Nixon has created the State Parks Youth Corps, which will put one thousand young Missourians to work this summer on projects beautifying and maintaining state parks and historic sites. He has also worked with the Missouri Division of Tourism to encourage people from Missouri and neighboring states to vacation at or near state parks.
Wallace State Park is located at 10621 NE Hwy. 121 near Cameron. Persons requiring special services or accommodations can call the site at 816-632-3745 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For information about state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at mostateparks.com.