text:
Standard Pacific Corp. Announces Pricing Of Secondary Common Stock Offering By MP CA Homes LLC
IRVINE, Calif., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE: SPF) today announced the pricing of the previously announced public offering by selling stockholder MP CA Homes LLC, an affiliate of MatlinPatterson Global Advisers LLC, of 20,000,000 of its 237,212,786 shares (on an as converted basis) of the Company's common stock, at a public offering price of $9.50 per share, resulting in gross proceeds to the selling stockholder of approximately $190,000,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses. The selling stockholder granted to the underwriters of the common stock offering an option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock solely to cover over-allotments. Credit Suisse Securities ( USA) LLC is acting as sole bookrunner for the common stock offering. Zelman Partners LLC and CRT Capital Group LLC are acting as co-managers. The Company will not sell any shares in the common stock offering, and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by MP CA Homes LLC. The closing of the common stock offering is expected to occur on May 20, 2013, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company has an effective registration statement (including a prospectus) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and has filed a prospectus supplement with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Standard Pacific and the offering by MP CA Homes LLC. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies may be obtained from Credit Suisse Securities ( USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com or toll free at (800) 221-1037.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
UBS bids for 10pc of Goodman Fielder
PUBLISHED: 27 Feb 2012 16:55:00 | UPDATED: 27 Feb 2012 17:44:00PRINT EDITION: 27 Feb 2012Edited by Sarah Thompson and Stephen Shore
Broker UBS is bidding $117.3 million for up to 10 per cent of Goodman Fielder at 60¢ a share on behalf of an offshore buyer, according to sources close to the deal.
Neither private equity group Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) nor New Zealand businessman Graeme Hart are believed to be behind the deal.
PEP and Bain have made several attempts to buy the business.
In 2001 a private equity consortium led by PEP made a $1.60-a-share offer that was rejected by the board. The most recent approach came in 2005 but was rejected by Hart in favour of a $2 billion initial public offering.
Goodman has stable cash flows, which help support higher debt levels. It owns leading brands, extensive distribution systems and has a platform for growth in Asia.
The shares last traded at 51.5¢.
The Australian Financial Review
Read more
Companies | Goodman Fielder. |
Topics | Consumer Goods & Services /Food & Drink , Mergers & Acquisitions |


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I have always been interested in horse racing syndicates, but I never thought that it was something I could do myself. I have been going to the tracks for nearly two decades now, and I have often thought how nice it would be to one day own one of the horses. I never really considered it a possibility though, considering I did not have the time, money nor other resources to do this in a responsible way. That all changed though when a good friend of mine told me about the syndicate that he had just gotten some information on.
He explained that for a one time fee, he would be able to have all of the perks of having his own horse without any of the ensuing responsibility that accompanies this honor. Continue reading


text:
Mr. Herring says Clinton has been a "team player," but he adds that this does not mean she has been "marginalized" the way Mr. Powell was. Indeed, Secretary Albright says the cold-war-era scenario of one dominant player in the promotion of US foreign policy is over, replaced by a "constellation" of participants and influences.
"Her role is to exert power by being a team player, knowing when to delegate and when to take the driver's seat," Albright says. "It's a different modus operandi from a Dean Acheson or a Henry Kissinger."
In Clinton's case, it may be a sense of security about who she is as a global personality that has allowed her to stand back and make way for other high-powered figures to take on the day-to-day management of key portfolios. The idea of naming Senator Mitchell as Middle East envoy came from Clinton, aides say: Obama wanted someone working on the Middle East peace issue full time from the beginning of his presidency, and Clinton knew she wouldn't be able to dedicate the time required as she learned her new job and focused on other priorities like China and Asia, where she symbolically chose to make her first major trip as secretary.


text:
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Author Comments
Escape from the lab and solve the puzzles!
p.i.g is a puzzle platformer with portals that act like tunnels: the player places one end of some blocks, and another portal opens at the end of the blocks.
A and D (or left/right arrows) to move
W (or up arrow) to jump
Mouse to aim and shoot portals
R to restart a level
Q to return to the main menu
Your character is automatically aligned with the tile grid if you aren't moving left or right. It's much stronger if a portal is nearby below you. You can use this to make landing in portals easier =D
The story mode was made in 48 hours for LD 20.
Music by Jim Peterman
5/12- added arrow key support!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Wonder full, The level design was simply genius for a 2d portal game I look forward to more games from you :D
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Is there a walkthrough??
I think i really need it? Im stuck in the 1st chamber in the "think in loops level"...
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Really good soundtrack, for a change.
Games these days have completely shitty music, next to their mediocre gameplay and exaggerated graphics. I've always been a fan of games by you, because it seems you pay attention to most of the concepts that other games lack :)
The music was very VERY suitable for this game and the gameplay was innovative and pretty fun :) The pig was also really cute.
Rated 5 / 5 stars
love your games
if you play the game correctly it doesn't matter that the pigs don't stay close to you
I want to go play portal now lol


text:
They swayed. They sang along… The crowds at IIT Saarang gave Singer KK another night to remember
He performed at Saarang six years ago but he still remembers the night like it were yesterday. "That was just two or three years ago wasn't it?" he asks. "I had a very surreal experience with all those phones glowing in the dark when I sang 'Pal'. Like all IITs, Chennai has a very nice, exuberant crowd."
Now, on the eve of his proshow concert at Saarang 2011, he had a sprained leg. "So not much jumping around today," he says, visibly disappointed. Nervous with all the noise calling out for him?
"No, I am not nervous, not at all. I've performed for 35,000 plus crowds too. The more the merrier. But this kind of environment is electrifying. I really wanted to have a blast but my leg hurts because of the sprain. But I'm going to have a blast anyway."
And when the crowd did an encore of its 2006 swaying to his singing, KK choked: "This is why I love you guys." This time around, IITians let balloons with lights inside them into the sky. It was quite a sight, a night to remember.
"I've never had stage fright even as a kid. Singing comes naturally to me," he says, literally five minutes before he has to go on stage. And here he was chilling over an interview. "It's like coming back to college," says the singer with his boyish looks still intact. So what if it's been almost two decades since those days? His rockstar attitude on stage screams '18 Till I Die'.
"There are two sides to a coin. My real persona is laidback. But when I get on stage, I am completely different," he says.
How does he compare his music with the songs he's asked to sing by other composers? "When you're singing someone else's song, you're doing a job. You devote three or four hours of your life. You understand what the music director wants, his psyche and figure out how much of that you want to take in to make the song your own. But when you're doing your own song, you obviously have spent more time on it, writing it and composing it. Otherwise, they are both your songs no matter who composed them."
What does he find more satisfying?
"Once you sing a song, it's your song. Once a music director entrusts you with a song, it's your song. So I feel equally happy when the crowd sings along 'Pal' or 'Thadap Thadap'."
His last album 'Hamsafar' came out in 2008, eight years after 'Pal,' but KK is no hurry.
"No, I am not working on any album. I am setting up my own work pad. I am doing a lot of things I had shelved for the last two years. So I am looking to spend time with my drums and music. I need to get back to that."
He has often admitted that he is a huge fan of the legend he shares his initials with. "Yes, I've always been a Kishore Kumar fan but all the influences are there, inside you like different pages of a book. But once you are bound with different influences, you are seen as a different book," he says.
"Maybe I want to reinvent myself with my next album. I want to do something fresh without setting any parameters. Like they say, unless you walk down the path, you won't know what you would've missed," he smiles.
"It's time," his manager interrupts, to let us know we have to wind up.
After all these years of playback singing, concerts and music, KK finds himself in a safe, secure zone, inspired to reinvent himself. "And I can afford to do that now," he signs off.
He takes the stage and gives the 9,000 plus audience exactly what they came for — magic moments with friends.
His own songs 'Pal' and 'Yaaron' get the same welcome they got years ago. He sings his heart out with 'Thadap Thadap.' There's applause but no singing along like it happened six years ago. He sings Emraan Hashmi hits and the kids are ecstatic, swaying and singing along with him.
It's a different generation of youth out there in the stands. And you realise, maybe you are too old for college fests.
But Krishnakumar Kunnath — he has outlived change.
Keywords: IIT Saarang, Krishnakumar Kunnath


text: Card Club View full-size image < previous next > Is this photo a winner? "This is a card club that meet once a month for games and fun. Each member host a game night. We have food drive every 3 months that we take to a church food pantry. The photo was taken 8/16/14 at one of the members house. Working with Customink was a great experience they were very helpful and very patience." - Club Magohany (Aug 17, 2014) Share this photo on: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Similar Photos: clubs | card club | charity | food pantry | volunteer | food drive Feeling inspired? Visit the CustomInk Design Lab to start your own group order. Design Your Own


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Sponsored by: Arceneaux Ford
Aug 7, 2011 11:24 PM by Chris Welty
KATC has learned about an oil spill being cleaned up in Saint Martin Parish.
About 250 barrels of oil were spilled into the Penatec Canal in the Catahoula area last week.
The company responsible, WLE incorporated says they've had about 70 to 80 people working on site every day to minimize contamination.
2 months ago


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Plant Panthers vs. Manatee Hurricanes
Updated: August 27, 2010, 11:31 AM ET
Corey Long | ESPN Recruiting
Two of the nation's best high school football teams meet when the Tampa (Fla.) Plant Panthers play the Manatee (Fla.) Hurricanes on Friday night. The game, airing on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, is part of the ESPN RISE High School kickoff, a series of eight games over three days televised on ESPN's family of networks.
Coach: Robert Weiner |
Record: First game (Last year, 13-1) |
Team overview: Heading into his seventh season, Weiner has already won three state championship (2006, 2008, 2009) and established himself as one of the best high school coaches in Florida. Before Weiner's arrival Plant's last era of football prowess was in the late 1970s. |
Prospect history: In recent years Plant has been known for its quarterbacks. Robert Marve was Mr. Florida Football in 2006 and committed to Miami, where he started for much of the 2008 season before leaving the program and transferring to Purdue. He was named the starter at Purdue last month. Marve broke several state records in 2006, including touchdown passes in a season. Following Marve was Aaron Murray, who broke Marve's record for touchdown passes in a season during his junior year in 2007. Murray returned from a severe leg injury to win a state championship for Plant in 2008. He committed to Georgia at the start of his senior season and will start for the Bulldogs this year. Several other players from those teams have made their way into FBS programs, including offensive lineman Rhonne Sanderson (Florida State), wide receivers Derek Winter (Auburn) and Allen Sampson (Hawaii) and running back Lovell Jackson (Wake Forest). Plant alum Mike Williams was an All-America wide receiver at USC and was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions. Unable to stick in the Lions organizations, Williams is trying to get his career back on track in Seattle under his old college coach Pete Carroll. |
Top prospects: Despite being the No. 2 athlete in the country and having big upside as linebacker, James Wilder wants to be a running back at the next level. In high school the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder will play both ways. He rushed for a touchdown against Manatee in the Class 5A state championship game that was heavily replayed. Last week Wilder committed to Florida State, choosing the Seminoles over Florida and Georgia. Quarterback Phillip Ely (6-1, 192 pounds) is 26-0 as a starter in varsity and JV competition at Plant. A tireless worker, Ely doesn't have the strongest arm on the block but he's accurate and understands all elements of the offense. With more than 20 offers, Ely surprised many by choosing Alabama over LSU, Clemson and Wake Forest. Offensive lineman Tony Posada (6-4, 325 pounds) is the leader up front and will set the tone for the type of aggressive blocking that is expected from Plant linemen. Once Posada engages an opponent, it's tough for the player to get away before being sent to the ground. Posada committed to Michigan over offers from South Florida and Missouri. |
New face: Junior wide receiver Austin Aikens (6-0, 175 pounds) transferred to Plant from nearby Tampa Catholic and showed some nice skills during the Nike 7On tournament. With Plant graduating most of its receivers from the 2009 championship team, Aikens will have plenty of opportunities to become Ely's favorite target. |
Keep an eye on: Defensive back Eric Patterson turned some heads during the spring when he neutralized wide receiver Andre Davis (Tampa, Fla./Jefferson) despite giving up four inches. The 5-9, 190-pounder is working on consistency issues but it's likely he's going to sign with an FBS school in February. |
Other prospects: Wide receiver Tyrell Mills is going to be another one of Ely's primary targets in 2010. At 6-3, 190 pounds, the rising junior is a big target and will be a dangerous threat inside the red zone this season. Running back Antonio Crawford (5-10, 185) put on some muscle during the offseason and will be in the backfield every down this fall -- sometimes in tandem with Wilder. Like most Plant running backs, Crawford, a junior, is going to have to be able to run out of the shotgun and be a factor in the passing game. |
Bet you didn't know: Plant's most notable alumnus is Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs, a 1976 graduate. |
Coach: Joe Kinnan |
Record: First game (Last year, 13-2) |
Team overview: During his two stints at Manatee (1981-2000; 2005-present), Kinnan has a record of 240-67 and was honored by the Florida State High School Athletic Association as one of its top coaches of the 20th century. The Hurricanes have won four state championships under Kinnan (1983, 1985, 1989 and 1992) and were state finalists in 1993 and 2009. |
Prospect history: Probably the most decorated and beloved former member of the football program was quarterback Tommie Frazier. The 1992 Manatee graduate won two national titles at Nebraska, was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1995 and was MVP of both bowl games that determined the national championships. Defensive back Tyrone Williams, another former Cornhusker, played nine seasons in the NFL with the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys. He was a starter for the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. Williams joins Alvoid Mays (Redskins), Bill Anderson (Packers) and Henry Lawrence (Raiders) as former Hurricanes with Super Bowl rings. Lawrence started for all three of the Raiders' Super Bowl-winning teams. More recently, two members of last season's state runner-up team -- quarterback Brion Carnes (Nebraska) and wide receiver Tracy "Ace" Sanders (South Carolina) -- are battling on the depth charts for playing time as true freshmen. |
Top prospects: Four-star running back Mike Blakely is heading into his fourth year as a major contributor in the Hurricanes' offense. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder's career began as a backup quarterback to Carnes and a return specialist. Since then Blakely has been used everywhere he can touch the ball but is most comfortable as a running back who can also beat you in the passing game. Blakely has more than three dozen offers from major FBS programs but has Auburn and Florida tied at the top. Wide receiver Quenton Bundrage is often left off the list of top Florida wide receivers but the 6-foot, 180-pounder quietly racked up strong numbers in his first two years as a starter with the anticipation of having a breakthrough year in 2010. So far, Cincinnati is high on his list with offers from Iowa State, Marshall and Colorado State in his possession as well. |
New face: It's rare for Kinnan to rave about an underclassman but he believes big things are in store for sophomore quarterback Cord Sandberg. As the son of an assistant coach, Sandberg has been around the program for many years and showed a lot of his promise by throwing five touchdown passes in the Hurricanes' spring game. |
Keep an eye on: Defensive lineman Quinton Pompey (6-2, 250 pounds) is the most talented senior on a defense that is loaded with prospects. He has to work on his consistency to draw the attention of the big schools but the talent is there, as evidenced by his double-digit sack season a year ago. |
Other prospects: The rest of Manatee's defensive line isn't too shabby. Defensive tackle Drakkar Wilson (5-10, 290 pounds) is a little undersized for the big programs, but he's the team's emotional leader on defense and a reliable battler on the interior. Defensive end Chris Pompey (6-3, 200 pounds) is going to continue to wreck havoc as a pure pass rusher. On the offensive line one guy to watch is senior Prince Matt (6-4, 260 pounds), who is moving to tackle from tight end. Matt is pretty raw but he is taking well to coaching and has good athleticism for the position. The Hurricanes have two underclassmen on their defense who should get plenty of attention come Sept. 1. Linebacker Darius White (6-1, 200 pounds) and safety Clinton Heaven (6-0, 178 pounds) are coming off strong sophomore seasons and have impressed during offseason camps. |
Bet you didn't know: Manatee High School is in its 114th year of operations and claims alumni in all 50 states and more than 20 countries. |
- Covers recruiting in the Southeast
- Joined ESPN in 2009
Some of the top players and high school programs will take the field in the ESPN RISE High School Football Kickoff, which will feature eight games over three days on ESPN's family of networks, incuding ESPN3.com.
- Tampa (Fla.) Plant vs. Manatee (Fla.)
(ESPN, ESPN3, 7 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3 - Sacramento (Calif.) Grant vs. Folsom (Calif.)
(ESPN2, ESPN3, 10 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3
- Hoover (Ala.) vs. Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes
(ESPN, ESPN3, Noon, ET)
Watch on ESPN3 - Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe vs. Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern
(ESPNU, ESPN3, 4 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3 - Cibilo (Texas) Steele vs. San Antonio (Texas) Madison
(ESPN, ESPN3, 7 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3 - Euless (Texas) Trinity vs. Tyler (Texas) Lee
(ESPNU, ESPN3, 10 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3
- Olney (Md.) Good Counsel vs. Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier
(ESPN, ESPN3, 3 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3 - Moeller (Ohio) vs. Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne
(ESPNU, ESPN3, 7 p.m. ET)
Watch on ESPN3
ESPN RISE stories


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Collect terms with the same powers
This functionality does not run in MATLAB.
collect(p, x, <f>) collect(p, [x1, x2, …], <f>)
collect(p, x) groups terms with the same powers of x in an expression p.
collect(p, [x1, x2, ...]) groups terms with the same powers of x1, x2, … in a multivariate expression p.
If you pass a function name f as a third argument to collect, the procedure collects the powers of x (x1, x2, … for multivariate expression). Then it applies the function f to the coefficients.
collect(p, x) presents p as a sum . The coefficients ai are not polynomials in x. These coefficients can contain some terms with x, for example, sin(x) or .
collect returns a modified copy of a polynomial. The function does not change the polynomial itself. See Example 1.
If p is a rational expression in x, collect handles the numerator and denominator separately.
If p is a multivariate expression, collect(p, [x1, x2, …]) returns an expression in the following form:
The coefficients ai1, i2, … are not polynomials in x. These coefficients can contain some terms with x1, x2, …, for example, .
If p is a rational expression in x1, x2, …, the collect command handles the numerator and denominator separately.
For polynomial expressions, collect internally calls two functions: poly and then expr. The function poly converts an expression p into a polynomial in the given unknowns. This function returns a polynomial with the terms collected by the same powers. Then expr converts this polynomial into a polynomial expression. See poly for more information and examples. When applied to a rational expression, collect handles the numerator and denominator separately.
You can use arbitrary expressions as indeterminates. See Example 2.
You can specify a function name instead of a variable. In this case, collect treats all calls of the function with different arguments as different variables. See Example 4.
collect does not recursively collect the operands of nonpolynomial subexpressions of p. See Example 2.
If p is not a polynomial expression, collect can return the unchanged expression p. See Example 5.
You can define a polynomial expression p and collect terms with the same powers of x and y:
p := x*y + z*x*y + y*x^2 - z*y*x^2 + x + z*x; collect(p, [x, y])
collect does not modify the original expression:
You can collect terms with same powers of x:
collect(p, [x])
If an expression contains only one indeterminate, you can omit the square brackets in the second argument of the function call:
collect(p, x)
To factor coefficients in a resulting expression, pass factor as a third argument to collect:
collect(p, x, factor)
collect does not modify nonpolynomial subexpressions even if they contain a given indeterminate. In particular, collect does not recursively handle the operands of a nonpolynomial subexpression:
collect(sin((x + 1)^2)*(x + 1) + 5*sin((x + 1)^2) + x, x)
collect accepts nonpolynomial subexpressions as indeterminates:
collect(sin((x + 1)^2)*(x + 1) + 5*sin((x + 1)^2) + x, sin((x + 1)^2))
collect normalizes a rational expression, and then handles the numerator and denominator separately:
collect(z/(x+y) + 3*z/(x+z), z)
If you specify the name of a function as an indeterminate, collect handles functions calls with different arguments as different indeterminates:
collect(a*f(1) + c*f(1) + f(2) + d*f(2), f)
collect(a*sin(x) + b*sin(x) + c*sin(y) + d*sin(y), sin)
p:= diff(besselJ(0, x), x $ 4); collect(p, besselJ); collect(p, besselJ, expand);
If p is not a polynomial expression, collect can return the unchanged expression p:
p := y^2*sin(x) + y*sin(x) + y^2*cos(x) + y*cos(x); collect(p, x)
The expression p is a polynomial expression in y. You can group the terms with the same powers in this variable:
collect(p, y)
p | |
x, x1, x2, … |
The indeterminates: typically, identifiers or indexed identifiers. |
f |
A function. |


text:
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Bulls top Wizards - 12.29.12
Chuck Swirsky of BullsTV recaps the Bulls 87-77 win over the Wizards Saturday night in Chicago


text:
Western Union Gift Exchange Tour To Benefit Local Goodwill Organizations
As part of its 2012 "Gift of Possibilities" campaign, the Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a global leader in financial services, will host a five-city consumer Gift Exchange Tour benefiting local Goodwill organizations.
The Gift Exchange Tour will take place at Western Union Holiday Gift Spot locations across select Simon properties and Western Union's flagship store on Saturday, Dec. 1; Saturday, Dec. 15; and Saturday, Dec. 22, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time in the following cities:
- New York City: Western Union Flagship Store, 1440 Broadway, New York, NY
- Chicago: Orland Square Mall, Orland Park, Ill.
- Dallas: Irving Mall, Irving, Texas
- Los Angeles: Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance, Calif.
- Miami: Miami International Mall, Doral, Fla.
"Each year, thousands of consumers receive holiday gifts that go unused," said Victoria Lopez-Negrete, senior vice president and general manager, North America at Western Union. "The Western Union Gift Exchange Tour is a natural extension of our community -focused brand and global Gift of Possibilities campaign to help create new holiday possibilities for others."
Items received during the Gift Exchange Tour will be donated to local Goodwill organizations in select markets. Consumers who trade in a new or unused gift will receive a promotional code for a 50 percent discount * on a Western Union Money Transfer ® transaction, which is redeemable at Western Union Agent locations in the United States. A limited number of consumers at each Gift Exchange event will receive a $20 Western Union prepaid gift card in return for their trade-in item.
According to the third-annual Western Union Holiday Gifting Index, 86 percent of consumers in the U.S. would gladly trade a gift to make someone else's holiday dream come true. When asked how charitable giving makes them feel during the holiday season, 58 percent of consumers say it makes them feel like they are making a difference, 45 percent feel better about themselves, and 22 percent say it makes them feel like part of their community.Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
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text:
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Recession-driven budget cuts by hospitals and governmental entities reduced sales for Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: AHPI) throughout fiscal 2010. The company managed to offset much of the year's sales decline by cutting overhead and operating costs. Still, the company reported a loss for the year.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, Allied sales fell about $6 million, or more than 11.7 percent, from about $52.1 million in 2009 to $46.0 million in the current fiscal year. The cost of sales was reduced by 13.4 percent, from about $40.3 million to $34.9 million. The company also cut its selling, general and administrative costs by about 8.5 percent, from about $13.0 million to $11.9 million in the current year.
The net loss for fiscal 2010 was $600,000, or a negative seven cents per basic and diluted share. This compared to a loss of more than $16.8 million, or a negative $2.12 per basic and diluted share, for fiscal 2009. The 2009 loss included the effect of a non-cash accounting charge of $16.0 million relating to the impairment of goodwill in the fourth quarter. The 2009 goodwill impairment was caused by the decline of the Allied stock price in the year and a general downturn in orders caused by the recession.
Sales for the fourth quarter ending June 30, 2010, fell about 7.9 percent, from about $12.7 million to $11.7 million. As it had throughout fiscal 2010, Allied reduced its cost of sales in the quarter by about 8.3 percent from approximately $9.6 million to less than $8.8 million. The company also cut selling, general and administrative costs by about 18.2 percent, or $585,000, compared to the previous year.
Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 was about $86,000, or one cent per basic and diluted share. This compared
SOURCE Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. Copyright©2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved |


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POLL: Favorite Episode (Spoilers!)
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Spoilers! Come Back After You Have Completed The Walking Dead!!!!
I think that episodes 2 and 4 were the strongest in the series. If I had to rank them it would be 4,2, 5,1,3. Episode 4 felt like it had the most interesting shit going on, with the section at the school probably being the highlight of the season for me (next to the cannibals from episode 2). Then there was that horrible shit at the end the made you wonder whether there was anything you could have done to avoid it. Which was your favorite episode and why?
I really liked them all besides the third one which was just good in my opinion (my opinion of is is probably hurt by the fact that I spent more time trying to fix technical problems with it than actually playing episode 3.)
Edit: I guess 5. Shit was crazy.
Reflecting on it, I feel like 5 and 3 had the most impact on me. Those were the episodes when my favourite characters died, and each of their deaths was handed exceptionally well, which is what makes this game stand out IMO.
Molly is my favourite character by far in the series so episode 4 for sure.
My real answer would be none.
But since there's no none/show results option i voted 2. I just didn't care about the story that much and found the first episode to be boring and 3,4 and 5 were all equally but in different ways frustrating.
2 is more of a self contained story within the bigger thing and i thought is was alright, if somewhat useless. Well except the ending that basically sets up the ending of the whole game.
2 was the best pure episode. It had the right mix of tension and release, good mix of objectives and plot devices, well acted. 2 was like a great mid-season television episode; it really shows the 'style' of the writing more than necessarily getting bogged down in overarching plot details.
It's hard to really say which one was the best since they all had their moments, I was originally going to say episode 3 because of the twists and shocks but I think that the utter bleakness and complete payoff of episode 5. Right from the get-go when Lee loses an arm it sets the tone as the darkest episode of the season. Even though it's a bit on the short side compared to the other episodes, it has the most emotional moments of the game. The conversation with the stranger was heart-pounding, Kenny and Ben had closure and the final minutes were no doubt this season's finest moment. It's really great to see an episodic game stay as consistent and raise the bar even higher with each installment. I'm really excited for the next season, whatever direction they decide to take with it.
3 had the biggest sucker punches, and when shit got real. Standing outside the train, being timed on whether or not to leave Lilly behind. That's when things really kicked up and started, before that, it just seemed like some short stories tied along with a loose overall narrative.
Had to go with 3. Getting broadsided by the outright murder of Carly was probably the biggest shock of the game for me. I literally went slackjawed and just stared at the screen trying to put together what just happened. Then I totally left Lily because I was in a fit of rage.
this thread has already been done, but I picked 2 told a great stand alone story.
In order of preference:
- Episode 5 - bleak, emotional, but I really felt connected with the group that I was moving through the episode with. It was a tragic last stand in hopes of protecting the little girl that I was ready to die for.
- Episode 3 - fuck. Just a series of fucks. My only gripe with episode 3 is that it clings too heavily on prior episodes and feels scrapped together from so many independent pieces that lack a cohesive identity.
- Episode 4 - A lot of crazy stuff happens, it has a unique identity, but some portions of the experience could have used some trimming down. A lot of characters were introduced and thrown out too fast for my liking.
- Episode 2 - A spectacular story that feels more tangentially related to the overall plot than anything. The opposite problem of episode 3.
- Episode 1 - Too heavy-handed, poor pacing, and it spends too much time driving home irrelevant character backstory that is never made good on. While I enjoyed it, I feel like it is a real shame that this is how people walk into this spectacular series.
I'm torn. 3 hit me the hardest, particularly Carley's death. I had to step away from the computer for a few minutes after that. However, I really liked the tone of 2. From the moment I met the St. John brothers, I knew there was something wrong with them, and that episode did a great job of slowly raising that level of dread.
2 was an awesome story, and I still felt like I had some agency in the world so that was definitely my favorite. I don't like 3 as much as most people, the illusion was kind of broken for me in that episode, and while it did have those two pretty strong moments, I think the rest of the episode is sort of boring. 1 felt kind of obvious, 4 was never very spectacular, and 5 was too short.
Probably 4, because of the Crawford scene.
it finally looks like you're about to find a place where people have managed to create an efficient and organized (if somewhat cruel) society, only discover that the entire place is overrun with walkers. That part really freaked me out.
5 was amazing because of the ending, but it was kind of short.
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David Pellow
"Breakthrough Communities is an inspiring window on the metropolitan regional equity movement. This book offers a series of paths that lead us away from the despair and decline of the past, to a 21st century marked by hope, renewal, and transformation. Pavel and her colleagues show us what is actually working and what can work in cities and regions in the pursuit of racial, economic, and environmental justice. This is a powerful invitation to a world that I am aching to be a part of."--David Naguib Pellow, author of Resisting Global Toxics: Transnational Movements for Environmental Justice and Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota


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Any ideas? The hospital we work for rents houses to employees. In this town, it is either that, or an RV. We have been in the RV for 12 years now, and are finally outgrowing it. We will move into a hospital house (2 small bedroom and a single car garage) hopefully early next month.
One of our first purchases is going to be a gun safe. However, we will not be allowed to drill into the floor or walls to secure the safe. Other than buying the biggest, baddest, heaviest safe we can afford, does anyone have any ideas how to secure it?


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Human Capital:
Selected Agencies' Experiences and Lessons Learned in Designing Training and Development Programs
GAO-04-291: Published: Jan 30, 2004. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 2004.
Additional Materials:
- Highlights Page:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-9490
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Effective training and development programs are an integral part of a learning environment, helping improve federal workforce performance in achieving agency results. Therefore, in this report GAO was asked to identify examples of selected federal agencies' experiences and some of the key lessons they have learned in designing their training and development programs. This work focused on ways that these agencies (1) assessed agency skills gaps and identified training needs, (2) developed strategies and solutions for these training and development needs, and (3) determined methods to evaluate the effectiveness of training and development programs. GAO worked with five agencies to identify their experiences and lessons learned: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of Defense; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Department of the Interior (Interior); Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of the Treasury; the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); and Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Agency officials provided information during interviews and furnished supporting documentation for analysis and review.
GAO identified important lessons learned from five federal agencies' experiences in designing training and development programs for their employees that could be useful to other agencies facing similar challenges. These lessons learned are related to the following three areas. Assessing Agency Skill Requirements and Identifying Training Needs: The agencies used a variety of approaches to assess current and future skill requirements, such as implementing workforce planning models and conducting knowledge and skills inventories. Generally, the agencies are transitioning to more comprehensive approaches. One of the lessons learned was to involve stakeholders and benchmark with others to identify critical skills and competencies and related training needs. For example, IRS officials believed they needed a leadership competency model directly based on the work of their agency's business units. To develop a comprehensive model, they interviewed top IRS leaders and benchmarked with leading practices in the public and private sector. Developing Strategies and Solutions for Training Needs: The agencies considered a mixture of delivery mechanisms, as well as potential sources for training and development opportunities. However, projecting costs and benefits of proposed training and development programs presented challenges for them. The agencies usually developed broad information on anticipated benefits and expected costs of potential investments, although often without tying benefits to specific performance improvements or considering all costs. One of the lessons learned was to establish mechanisms to avoid duplication or inconsistencies. Education Service Representatives in each regional VHA network, for example, coordinate training and development programs with headquarters--sharing information about successful practices and identifying areas where coordination is needed. Determining Methods for Evaluating Training Programs: Overall, the agencies relied primarily on participants' end-of-course evaluations, but they are beginning to use more comprehensive evaluation approaches, including limited use of return-on-investment analysis techniques. One of the lessons learned is to plan for the use of multiple data types and sources in order to attain a balanced assessment once the course is implemented. For example, USACE's training center incorporated pre- and post-tests on over 90 percent of its courses, as well as approaches to collect participants' and course managers' feedback, as part of the design. Four of the five agencies provided comments on a draft of this report. Interior and VA said that they generally agreed with the report's findings regarding their respective agencies. IRS and OPM said that they appreciated the opportunity to be included in the report and to share information on training activities. USACE provided no comments on the draft report.
Jan 30, 2015
Federal Workforce:
OPM and Agencies Need to Strengthen Efforts to Identify and Close Mission-Critical Skills GapsGAO-15-223: Published: Jan 30, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 2015.
Jan 6, 2015
Defense Base Act Insurance:
State Department Should Evaluate Its Open Market System and Incorporate Leading Practices into Any Future Single Insurer SolicitationGAO-15-194: Published: Jan 6, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 6, 2015.
Nov 18, 2014
Labor Relations Activities:
Actions Needed to Improve Tracking and Reporting of the Use and Cost of Official TimeGAO-15-9: Published: Oct 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 18, 2014.
Sep 2, 2014
Human Capital:
OPM Needs to Improve the Design, Management, and Oversight of the Federal Classification SystemGAO-14-677: Published: Jul 31, 2014. Publicly Released: Sep 2, 2014.
Jul 15, 2014
Federal Workforce:
Human Capital Management Challenges and the Path to ReformGAO-14-723T: Published: Jul 15, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 15, 2014.
Jun 6, 2014
Human Capital:
Strategies to Help Agencies Meet Their Missions in an Era of Highly Constrained ResourcesGAO-14-168: Published: May 7, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 6, 2014.
May 8, 2014
Information Technology:
SSA Needs to Address Limitations in Management Controls and Human Capital Planning to Support Modernization EffortsGAO-14-308: Published: May 8, 2014. Publicly Released: May 8, 2014.
Apr 9, 2014
Health Care Workforce:
Federal Investments in Training and the Availability of Data for Workforce ProjectionsGAO-14-510T: Published: Apr 9, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 9, 2014.
Mar 4, 2014
Human Capital:
Agencies Should More Fully Evaluate the Costs and Benefits of Executive TrainingGAO-14-132: Published: Jan 31, 2014. Publicly Released: Mar 4, 2014.
Jan 29, 2014
Federal Workforce:
Recent Trends in Federal Civilian Employment and CompensationGAO-14-215: Published: Jan 29, 2014. Publicly Released: Jan 29, 2014.
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I know that the issue of employees carrying at work has been addressed, but here is a slight twist.
I have my own consulting business. I am a one man show. When I do on-site consulting, I am under contract with the client company. I am NOT an employee. I am a contractor. If the client company has a no firearms policy, am I obligated to abide by it?


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So im about to bottle a Vanilla Sarsparilla Mead i made, its about 2 months old, clear and overall good, EXCEPT, the scent. the scent is this weird almost Inky scent; it smells like the vanilla bean when you are too close and you just get a giant wiff, does anyone know if this disipates as it ages? or is it just how it will be, because to me i see it as unpleasent but who knows it may add to the bouquet when it is mature.
Bright fruitless orchards Brown sun catchers drift along Sippin hard cider
So the mead is about month bottle conditioned. i cracked my one bottle that i carbonated and thought FireTruck!! i should have carbonated all of them. The mead's nose is almost fruity, its just splendid. the nose as developed away from the inky vanilla bean, and the flavors are just different, they are of neither vanilla or sarsparilla, that may mean i need to add more, but the flavor is just different, like nothing i've ever tasted. Great Mead to try if you have some extra brewing space: 2lbs Wildflower Honey 1 Vanilla Bean Split 1/2 oz Sarsparilla Root. ec-1118 1 packet


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Pumpkin beers come in variety of tastes
Come Thursday night, kids will be diving into their Halloween haul for mouthfuls of candy.
Kids aren't the only ones savoring the treats of the season. Beer connoisseurs are quaffing pumpkin brews while they last.
Over the past decade, pumpkin beers have rapidly grown into a major autumn phenomenon.
"It's definitely a fall thing. It's like a comfort food. These beers really tie into fall flavors," says Laura Mio, general manager at the downtown Fargo JL Beers.
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For status updates, visit lucyburns.org.
Ballotpedia's coverage of elections held on March 3, 2015, was limited. Select races were covered live, and all results will be added once the merger is complete.
Carlos Quintanilla
Carlos Quintanilla | ||
Candidate for | ||
U.S. House, Texas, District 33 | ||
Party | Democratic | |
Websites | ||
Campaign website |
Campaign themes
Quintanilla's campaign website listed the following issues:[1]
- Jobs
- Excerpt: "Carlos Quintanilla supports a Comprehensive effort to create jobs, by investing in infrastructure, creating a Summer Jobs Program, Investing in Schools and in Teachers, Building New Roads, Providing Tax Breaks to Small Businesses, and Making Available Small Business Loans to those Businesses that will help create JOBS."
- Health Care
- Excerpt: "Americans need Comprehensive Medical Coverage, one out of five Texans are without Health Care. We need to make sure that all Texans have access to quality health care"
- Energy
- Excerpt: "Energy exploration must be done responsibly and in an efficient manner, simply because we need gas and fuel, we should not give carte blanche to big oil companies like British Petroleum (BP) and Exxon Oil. Big oil and big energy companies must know that I am on the side of alternative fuel development, conserving our eco systems, protecting the way of life of fisherman and promoting Gulf tourism."
- Immigration Reform
- Excerpt: "Carlos Quintanilla supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform, with a path to Citizenship, which will include a fine, a thorough criminal background check and assurances that Immigrants will continue to be productive Citizens of the United States, with a caveat that they would be ineligible for government subsidies and or welfare programs."
- Crime
- Excerpt: "Carlos Quintanilla was active, engaged, and passionate about fighting the biggest drug epidemic to hit Texas, and in particular many areas within the 33rd Congressional District, that caused the death of more than 30 young teenagers and the addiction of thousands of young Children, to this killer drug that Children labeled Cheese Heroin."
Quintanilla ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Texas' 33rd District. He was defeated by Domingo Garcia and Marc Veasey in the May 29, 2012, Democratic primary.[2][3]
External links
State of Texas Austin (capital) | |
Ballot Measures |
List of Texas ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | History of direct democracy | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process | |
Government |
Texas State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | Legislative Budget Board | Legislative Reference Library | |
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Transparency Topics |
Public Information Act | Transparency Checklist | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations | |
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Gateway at Knoxville has 2 bedroom 1 bath units at $530 a month and 4 bedroom 2 bathroom units at $384 a month. This includes a utilities package, furniture, and access to all property amenities: a shuttle to the UT Campus, fitness center, game room, (with x-box, play station, wii, and air hockey table), cyber lounge and printer, stand up and lay down tanning beds, pool, hottub, outdoor basketball court, tennis court, sand volleyball court, and muliple grilles across the property. Furry friends are welcome. 865-577-8700 to set up a tour today.
www.latitude35.com Click the previous link for a menu. Wine specials on Wednesdays, and tons of other drink specials. DJ rain plays the dance tunes Thursday through Sat. Nite. NO COVER! Watch college basketball and NFL Football all weekend long. Watch Tennessee take on Virginia on MON. NO COVER TO Dance !!! with DJ Rain! Thurs. - Sat. evenings! Celebrate NYE at Latitude 35. Rooms for rent for private parties including NYE!
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Fast Class: Geocaching – basic treasure hunting
What's geocaching and letter boxing? Children love treasure hunts, geocaching and letter boxing are treasure hunting activities for any age. Jessica Snowden, a Sonoma County mom who has worked as a school aide and community club leader for more than 20 years, wants to share this fun activity with children at the Finley Community Center from 9 a.m.-noon April 12.
You might have heard of geocaching as something that just a few people on the periphery do, like participating in flash mobs. It's actually a great family activity that gets kids out of the house and more in touch with their environment while they hunt for "treasure." The treasure might be a matchbox car or a tiny plastic dinosaur, or even the spectacular view, but finding it is the point.
Here's how geocaching works. Unless they're being led by an expert like Snowden, participants can start at geocaching.com. That site counts more than 2 million active geocaching sites and 6 million people playing worldwide. Snowden knows of about 35 sites near Howarth Park alone.
Typing in a ZIP code will bring up the geocaches in your area. Then you have a map to get you going and often a clue, usually a vague riddle. When you find the cache, there will be a log book to sign and date. Then you take a treasure and leave a treasure.
The benefits and learning opportunities of this all-ages activity are:
- Becoming aware of your surroundings
- Getting outdoors
- Finding the beauty of a particular spot
- Learning about a specific area
- Getting exercise
- Having fun
A variation of the game is letter boxing. With letter boxing, you have a unique stamp that is used to stamp the book.
Class at a glance:
What: Intro to Basic Treasure Hunting
When: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 12, or Saturday, May May 24
Where: Willow Room at Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave.
Who: Children 8-12
Cost: $40 ($50 for nonresident)
Information: classes page / 543-3737
For Snowden's class, students will learn geocaching and letter boxing. They will make their own stamps and cache schwag. Weather permitting, they will head into the park for a geocaching adventure. Students should bring a light snack and water and wear comfortable clothes and shoes. This is a Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks activity.


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White or Wood Kitchens for Resale?
Have a 12 year old oak kitchen (builders grade) that is looking worn. Would like to reface or replace them. We are so unsure how long we are going to be in this townhouse. Maybe only five years. Should I go with a nice glazed mape or glazed white cabinet? Recently read a blog that a shaker syle cabinet in a stained wood is best for resale. I know white kitchens look beautiful,however, some people had some negative comments (example, they look too sterile, like a hospital, cold looking, etc.). Problem is I like both. Can anyone shed some light on this issue?
Remodeling for resale doesn't make money back most of the time.
I would argue that stained is better than wood as far as resale especially considering painted is normally an upcharge. glazed also costs money you're probably not getting back.
I did a white kitchen in my house, it helped sell the house, but if I were doing it over again I'd do wood. you can do either nicely.
Remodel for yourself (within reason).
If the kitchen is worn but it doesnt bother you in particular, don't do anything if you know you are going to be selling within a few years and price accordingly. Return on investment for a typical kitchen is not 100% which means you always lose money and with the market the way it is, you may not make up the difference in the house price.
If you want to remodel it for yourself, do it to your own taste unless you want something really off the wall--and don't exceed what the neighbors are doing pricewise unless you can afford to lose something on the deal. Someone will either like it or not, and your townhouse is probably going to be pretty interchangeable with someone else's to the typical buyer --so yours will appeal to someone white or wood tone.
Restore the existing finish, change the hardware, and tweak a few accessories. If you're going to sell, it's rare that someone is goign to come in and say, OH... I love everything about that kitchen exactly the way it is. There will always be something they'll be thinking about changing "down the road". You're better off leaving the cabs and pricing it 20K below a like house that has more kitchen remodeling then you in your area.
If your oak cabinets are in good shape, I would hire a painter to paint them, update the counter top and hardware and appliances and call it DONE! Especially if you are selling shortly. I wouldn't sink a ton of $$ into a kitchen I would only get to enjoy for a short time.
And we bought a house that had nothing remodeled or updated in the 10 years since the house was built. We picked this home b/c it allowed us to personalize it. We have created a backyard oasis from a completely blank slate (we added everything from the flagstone patio to the fence to every bush/tree except for 2 in the yard). We also got to update the kitchen once already and now are getting to do a bigger/better update with it.
honestly, the reason why I'm not as thrilled with my white kitchen is ejbrymom's solution. I've seen so many people who painted their cabinets to "update" them, some decently and some not so.
Also it seems in my area wood has a higher percieved value than painted unless its that offwhite with glaze, and even then..
Also, I did Ikea with an MDF white painted door. Love the storeage, drawers etc. the doors don't have a nice feel to them.
Last weekend I was at a subdivision garage sale and went into a house that was for sale. We aren't looking to buy but I always like to look :)
Anyway, this house isn't that old (1994) and it had white laminate cabinets/countertops. The owner had 3 teenage daughters and I was shocked at how dirty and dingy the cabinets looked. And this is a house that is listed for nearly $600K.
Had these cabinets been oak and CLEAN, it would have made the kitchen look so much nicer.
I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, except I just want to say that a clean house would help put you above your competition.
I personally prefer stained over white painted cabinets. I know several people that hate white cabinets. I wouldn't paint your cabinets white just for resale.
My neighbor has oak cabinets and she wasn't looking to sell but she wanted to update her kitchen. She put tan brown granite (one of the less expensive colors) on her counters, black handles on the cabinets and a new lighting fixture over the island. It doesn't even look like the same kitchen.
Thank you all for responding. I have attached picutures. From all of your advice, I am thinking that due to the housing market unpredictability, it would be wise to keep what I have and spruce it up. Thinking about changing the island to a black island by Krafmaid to bring black into the kitchen. Adding a molding on the top of the cabinets with a black inset. Perhaps replacing the cabinets on top the microwave and on the sides of the microwave with the same black as the island. Perhpas a nice hood. Eventually replace the white appliances. Update knobs to a burnished antique.
I want to respond to everyone. Trying to figures out how to respond to everyone individually. Thank you so much
Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket
Chocolatebunny, thanks for sharing your experience with your neighbor. It gives me hope that I can work with what I have. CHRisk327, I have seen a shabby white paint job where the paint was chipping when we were looking for a home. What came to mind first was, I have to do something right away. If it was oak, at least you could live with it. I get what you mean.
If there are lots of townhouse units in your area that are twin to yours, being different might be more advantageous than being the same. Having a place be a better buy for the same price is the best way to sell within a large development suffering from a surfeit of For Sale signs.
If you're going to splurge on granite or another expensive surface, either make it a really personal decision and ignore resale OR think hard about practicality to make the kitchen more desirable for others.
Who will be your buyers? Those who are likely be busy on-the-go people needing a townhouse for convenience and low maintenance? A single person or empty nesters or single parent? Unless this is a luxury dwelling, townhouse and condo buyers in the next few years in our community are likely gonna be cash-strapped and shoppping for a deal. A distinctive design element such as an artistic molding or a gorgeous or efficient built-in item or railing or light fixture (or other element to make the place special) will be as important as the kitchen unless the kitchen is a disaster in decor or in layout. I agree that simple cleanliness and maintenance can be a deal-breaker when there are a lot of units on the market.
Although black and black-ish countertops are considered elegant and desirable from a design standpoint by many GWers, anything that needs dusting, shows fingerprints, needs special creams, etc. is not a plus when it comes to pleasing the masses, esp those with little kids, messy hubbies and hobbies, or no spare time. As for the movement issue and oak, it's a real issue. You don't want the countertops and the cupboards to duel with one another. One needs to be subordinate in the amount of energy it exudes. (Unless, of course, you're decorating to please yourself. Then you can have anything you can afford and the question of desirability is put off until you set price at selling time.)
I think the kitchen looks like it is in good shape. I am not sure that I would do anything more than change the hardware or paint the walls a color that coordinated with the countertop color.
I personally would rather buy a house that had a kitchen in decent original shape that I could live with until I changed it than buy a house that had a quick budget update of the cheapest granite on the market or an inferior paint job. And in my observation...and I have looked at probably 100 houses over the past couple of years...most homeowners don't do very good paint jobs on wood or trim and many professional painters don't do very good ones either...unless the painter is very good, and very expensive, and that may blow the budget anyway.
Your kitchen looks in great shape. I would do the following to update it for resale. I would either stain or glaze the cabinets a darker color or paint them. I would add new hardware and if your area warrants it, do granite countertops. If it doesn't, then I wouldn't even do granite. Then I'd stop.
Florantha, I get what you are saying about black granite and marks. I priced Wilsonart HD laminate from Lowes and Home Depot, it was $1,300 - $1,600 for 51 square feet installed. Some local grainte dealers have specials for about $3,000. What color/material would you suggest for the perimeter which would be oak? I have to get a new island (thinking black) due to the fact that our attempt to paint was not a success (long story). I did see a kitchen with similar colors with a silestone counter in "kona beige" which had some specs of black. I agree I need to add some details like an interesting light fixture over the island and some detailed crown molding on top of the cabinets. My goal would be to decorate to please overselves at the same time keeping in mind potential buyers of the future.
Palimpsest, thanks for the advice. I agree the kitchen and the adjacent family room need a paint color. I was thinking about BM Nantucket Gray or BM Baby Turtle. I really do not like the countertop color, it is really a greenish blue. Visitors tell me that they would change it. I think even the cheapest granite would look better than the horrible green laminate. Do you have a granite color in mind that would no look "cheap?"
cpartist, I want to begin looking at a company called Nhance (from Home Depot) that does wood restoring. Would you think a shade darker like in the cherry family? There are some neat expresso colors out there also. My floor is traditional oak. I have seen a kitchen done in a peppercorn stain with Delicatus white grainte. Not sure based on the rest of my house as you can see from the picutures would go. I do have many black accents. Not sure how to incorporate that. My living room is "loft sytle" from Ethan Allen. Still not finished with that. I guess I am overwhealmed.
lke2decor, I don't have any recommendations about what countertops are best for a kitchen, but I definitely don't think that rock countertops are a necessity for everyone.
We have a lot of countertop area and our 180FX Formica "antique mascarello" installation was $1500. This for the top of the line. For us, this product is just fine and there isn't a friend of mine who has anything else, including many with fancier houses. This is the lightest color of this product available, I think. It's absolutely great, if you want to camouflage everything, including jelly smears and such.
Dark, unmottled laminate has the same problems that rock has--dust and smears and such.
If I had decided to go with a more mod kitchen, I would have seriously considered a faux aluminum laminate. Very mod, very nutty fun. I also had about forty other favorite laminate items. I loved looking at all the options and used to deal out the samples like a card player who is addicted to cards.
Have fun stormin' the castle!
Florantha, just googled imaged your formica (attached). It is really nice. I am going to check it out at Lowes or Home Depot. Is that a spec of black I see in it? What are your cabinets like?
Here is a link that might be useful: goole images
I think any shade darker would work. I would consider a dark expresso since you have black accents. Or, do the cherry color with a black counter. Either would tie it all together. But, and here's a big but, if the neighborhood doesn't warrant granite, don't waste your money. Just find a nice laminate.
Floranta and cpartist. Taking both of your advice, here is a kitchen stained a little darker (cpartist) with a formica countertop (Florantha). Getting somewhere. I am very visual. Florantha, I know it is dark. I just need to pull black in somewhere. Will pulling black on hardware/lighting be enough. I also thought that the money I save by using lamiate, we can start to add stainless appliances.
Here is a link that might be useful: flickr
cpartist here is a visual of expresso cabinets with light counter. Florantha, do you think it would turn the retirement age couple away?? It is midnight. I am tired. My mind is like mush. Maybe tomorrow with a fresh mind I can sort this all out.
Here is a link that might be useful: flickr
I think that what people do not consider in the white/wood decision is light. We own a two family with identical floorplan in each unit. Our kitchen has white cabinets and the rental has medium tone maple with a glaze. Our cabinets are slab style and the others are raised panel. Our kitchen feels SO much brighter and fresher than the rental unit kitchen. Since your space looks like it might be a bit dark, white cabinets could really brighten it up. I would put a warm color on your walls to keep it from looking sterile. I will admit to a bias against wood, I think it looks dated. If your woodwork and trim throughout the townhouse (doors, window frames, etc) is white, I think the cabinets should be white too. If you have wood trim, the cabinets should be wood too, and in the same species and same finish. Just my opinion. Makes the house look pulled together. But do keep in mind about the light.
I'd go darker stained for your cabs and a medium to light countertop to balance them out. If not, then go with white painted cabs and a darker stained floor. You could then do a darker granite than with the wood cabs and still maintain a light look. If you are adding a black island, then maybe do a more cherry tone for the stain on your existing cabs with the black trim and molding you are considering.
I think a nickel or chrome finish for the hardware and a nice light fixture and you will really perk up the decor. I think your knobs look a little small and would rather see something bigger or ideally pulls with your cabs, but not bar pulls, unless you are trying for real contemporary. You can do a nice backsplash and work a little black liner or feature of sorts into that since that seems to be a priority.
You don't want to go too trendy if you are only staying short term and want to sell the kitchen as a "new" kitchen (we use "new" for up to 5 years old and "updated" for 5-15 years old). If you want your kitchen to be different and better than the ones they will compare it to, then you don't want the original look or to look like the current trends. Buyers want something they can point out as special. That does not mean it has to be expensive, just some element of unique.
I would not replace the appliances unless they are not functioning right.
And just to confuse you ;-) I'm going to offer a different option since you mentioned refinishing your cabinets.
Don't stain them at all. Give them a clear finish to protect them and nothing more. The natural finish will minimize oak's busy grain. The darker the stain, the more prominent the grain. Up to a point, that is. Oak grain becomes texture not pattern when it's stained very dark. That's a great look, too, and perhaps a treatment to consider for your island.
Next, replace the laminate with Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone. It really does look like the real thing but for a fraction of the cost. See the link below to see it is in a kitchen by GWer janie-k. I think it would awesome with natural oak cabinets and it would tie in with your range's black surface.
Here are two images that hopefully will give you an idea what natural oak cabs with oiled soapstone laminate might look like
I wouldn't do the solid dark backsplash between counter and upper cabinet but that's just me. That treatment always seems cave-like to me.
And here's a kitchen of natural oak paired with white appliances.
Add new paint on your walls and new hardware on your cabinets and your kitchen would look great!
One last comment. People might like white cabinets but they usually prefer the sleek finish of white painted maple cabinets, not white painted oak cabinets. It's very difficult to disguise oak's strong grain. Back when I thought I'd only give my kitchen a face lift, I looked into hiring someone to paint my cabinets. They all warned me about the grain. I saw examples and didn't mind the grain showing but my friend disliked it a lot.
Here is a link that might be useful: Somewhat Finished, Somewhat Budget... White Vintage Kitchen
I agree with lisa a concerning painting oak cabinets. It does little for resale. We painted our oak bathroom cabinets in our last home right before selling to "update" our bathroom. I thought it really opened up the space, but picky buyers were not so agreeable. Almost all noted that the cabinets were older and would need replacing. If you can make your stained wood look fresher, go with that option first.
I like all the suggestions you're getting re. freshening up the wood with a fresh transparent or slightly toned clear satin finish and keeping the counters fairly budget.
As a recent buyer I encourage you to stick with the wood rather than paint. I'm personally not a fan of white painted kitchen cabinets. (And I also hate granite, so there you go. :-) )
In my case, I'd much rather buy the kitchen as is for a lesser price and save my pennies for a total remodel of my own choosing - this is what I did with my own house purchase. The kitchen I bought looked like this, and the hideous salmon formica and vomitrocious paint really wasn't an issue with my remodel in mind:
Lisa a, I agree that if you have the grain showing in a white cabinet, it does not not give you that classic white cabinet look. I also agree with Joshct about how white opens up, however, if budget does not allow to do white, then I have to go with what I have. Another option is looking into refacing with white, but based on research,it can be costly. Lisa a, I have been gravitating toward a dark counter. The wilsonart oiled soapstone as well as Basalt Slate are definately an option. Liked the second image. Here is an island light that just striked my interest. Maybe I can take off from there. Imagining that with the oiled soaptone counter---what color pulls/knobs???
Here is a link that might be useful: lighting universe
Lisa a or anyone, if I go with the oiled soapstone on the perimeter, I need to figure out island selection. Island has to be replaced due to paint mess up. I could do an antiqued off white island with the same soapstone counter???? My gut is telling me in a smaller spaced kitchen, I should probably stick to the same counter material on perimeter and island. Thoughts anyone?
Here is an image of a wood kitchen, black countertop, white island
Here is a link that might be useful: google images
this is useful
Here is a link that might be useful: Formica 180FX discussion #1
We had our 25 year old oak cabinets painted off white about 9 months ago. I love it. Not nearly as expensive as replacing or even refacing. The painters used some type of grain filler before painting, which really produced a nice smooth door. I know the look has been done a million times, but we went with a black granite, orb hardware and white subway tile backsplash. The granite was in the lowest price group (impala black), so it was not that much different in price than the fancy formicas you are looking at. I did price those and found they were too expensive for laminate. We also did not want to go overboard on a full blown remodel since we don't think we will be here that long. But I definately think it was worth every penny for my own enjoyment and the potential resale. It just looks so much better.
lke2decor, that's a lovely kitchen! I think you may have found a way to give your kitchen an updated look without spending a lot of money. I like the simple white subway tile backsplash they added to that kitchen, too.
Good job finding that image.
I meant to add links to GW member kitchens who have either stained or painted their original oak cabinets a dark color so here they are now. I noticed that you have quite a few pieces that are painted black so perhaps giving your island the same treatment will tie the space together nicely.
celticmoon's dark stained cabs
For some reason, oak's grain isn't as big a deal when it's painted or stained a very dark color. It becomes a welcome texture. IMO, of course.
I'm in review mode so I can't go back and check your posts but I seem to remember you asked about island counter, too. You can see that what's popular is a white or marble look or wood counters. Enigmaquandary purchased her beech butcherblock counters from Ikea. They are very reasonably priced.
like2decor ...
I agree with palimpsest: don't try to anticipate the resale market, and don't expect to get the money back. My neighborhood realtor (25+ years in the business) and my BIL realtor/contractor/house flipper (30+ years in the business) both say to get rid of the ugly, fix everything that is busted, clean the heck out of it and price it accordingly.
Your place is all pale and bland, which makes the countertops and cabinets very dominant. A change of paint and cabinet color would probably spiff you right up.
One reason your counters have a greenish tone is that they are next to orang-ish wood and the contrast emphasizes the green in the countertops. You need to have something that is MORE green and way less orangish to shove the countertops away from green. (color is 100% comparison)
If you painted the walls a greenish grey or dusty green, and stained the cabinets a browner color (or painted them a cool grey) the countertops would shift color away from green.
Have you thought about putting crown molding at the top of the cabinets?
That, plus solid surface countertop, change paint color, new hardware, and new lighting would make it a whole new kitchen. Maybe a new backsplash.
That would surely be easier and less costly than new cabinets, resurfacing, or restaining the cabinets.
Also, all the above can probably be done by you. That is, if you a a DIY type.
Good Luck
Dear Frances00,
Looks like new counter, hardware, backsplash, crown molding, lighting fixtures is the direction I am heading. I know I have to paint the boring white walls and add crown molding around the two rooms. If I go with a pretty neutral counter (black or tans), what color would you suggest? Nervous with a dark color due to the limited amount of windows--not much light. I was thinking about BM Manchester Tan. I love sage greens too. I really like Nantucket Gray and Baby Turtle. Maybe I can decrease their strength. Any thoughts????
In my area, there are alot of cheap Chinese import granite places where they sell precut granite. You can probably get the entire kitchen for $1000 to $2000, about the same as custom laminate price. I would not put in something like soapstone where the price will be significantly more than that. Like Palimpest said, when I am house hunting, I prefer to not pay for things that I see no value in. For example, a nice countertop on the cabinets that are not well built would fall in that category. I don't know how well your cabinets are built, but... My own rental condo unit's builder grade cabinets are not worth putting "expensive" counters on. The shelves are sagging because they cannot hold up to the weight and the boxes are very sad looking.
If your cabinets are not in good shape, I would not do anything. I would talk to the real estate agent and ask what is needed to sell the town house quick versus the highest price. Depending on people's circumstances, quick sale at slightly lower price is far better place to be than getting that last $ and not being able to sell for months/years. Sometimes, the fastest way to sell a property is to price it to move. If you haven't sunk alot of money in the property, you are more likely to price it to move..... Just a different perspective to chew on.
To answer your question, as far as granite colors go, I'm partial to the lighter ones with wood-even though the dark ones are striking. There are some not too expensive ones with a flaky pattern that wouldn't "fight" the oak grain like the granites with linear movement.
I do like a white sink-especially with white appliances. Especially since it's now dark in the morning. Too many long NE winters in a north-facing kitchen- I like a brighter look when I have a choice.
If you think you'll be moving sooner rather than later, I'd go with a mid-priced laminate.
kaismom, just to be clear, I was suggesting Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone laminate counters, not the real thing. It's not one of the more expensive laminates but it looks great IRL. You raise a good point, though, about the quality of the cabs.
lke2decor, you wrote that the cabs are worn, which I took to be a surface issue not a structural issue. Is this the case?
I'm not familiar with the colors you suggested but I think a warm tan or soft gold would look good with the earth tones you have in your rooms. That said, I have a hard time picking colors based on computer photos so I could be wrong. Whatever you choose, though, don't forget to check your paint choices against the cabinets (once they are cleaned up) so that you pick a color that compliments not fights the oak or emphasizes any underlying golden orange tones. As someone above pointed out, green can do that.
One paint tip I learned the hard way: before investing time and money into painting the rooms, buy a sample size and paint a large patch of it on the wall or a sample board (my local paint store sells blank poster board type stuff for this purpose). I can't tell you how many times I thought I'd found the right color based on a chip only to discover it was totally wrong on the wall. (If you paint the wall, you should cover it with primer before painting the walls with your final color choice.)
There's a product out called Restor-a-finish or something close to that. You can clean and then rub down your existing cabinets and that would brighten them up. The pre-fab granite slabs come in a variety of standard colors. I think something lighter like Santa Ceceila (?) would work. Ditto on lisa's idea to invest in paint samples. I purchased 11 different samples before settling. And yes, you can ask the store to make up a particular paint color at any strength you want. The color I ended up with was one of my choices at 50% strength.
Lisa a, I probably should have chose another word than "worn." Perhaps at the beginning stages of "fade." More so on the ones near the sliders. They really just need an oil or conditioner to spruce them up. Probably the product that remodelfla mentioned. There is even a company called Kitchen Tune Up that offers a reconditioning service that is fairly inexpensive from what I hear. The shelves in our our cabinets are in great shape. Want to pick up a sample of the Wilsonart Oiled soapstone and go hardware shopping. At least it is a start. The Kitchen Tune Up rep called me and mentioned a process called "redooring." He told me it was cheaper than refacing. You paint the frames with a pre-matched paint and you order the doors to match from them. Probably will not head in that direction, but will be interesting to look at the products and see prices. I do think that sometimes it pays to wait and if we decide to stay in a few years, we can do it the right way. So, after everyones help, I have to say replacing the laminate would make a difference as well as other easy changes mentioned previously. Paint color will be fun! I can bother everyone on the paint on the decorating blog when I get the counters installed.
Remodelfla, thanks for the input. Laminate shopping I will go. Do you think the restoring product is available at HD? I will also search on the web for it.
riverspots, never thought about the sink as far as matching the white appliances. It does make sense. At least I have that. The only thing that I hate about white sinks is that they stain and mark easily. Bought a plastic sink guard for the bottom (it can get in the way). I have to bleach it at least once a day. Oh well, as we can see nothing is ever perfect!
Remodelfla, found it on the web. They have a product called Restora a Shine also which might be what I need to add some shine to the cabinets near the sliders.
LOL-flipping through tv channels last night, guess who had oak cabinets and green countertops??--The Rosanne show.
Heres some info on the product in case anyone is interested.
Here is a link that might be useful: google
Love this Island. Think it would open up the kitchen, rather than a solid piece of furniture.
Here is a link that might be useful: Crate & Barrel
That's lovely although I can't visualize it in your kitchen.
Have you seen this IRL to make sure it's stable? A marble top weighs a lot so this piece could be top heavy, which could make it easier to tip over than a free-standing piece with a lower center of gravity.
Also, can you afford to give up the storage your current island provides? You could stash lovely baskets to hold some kitchen items on the bottom shelf but if you overdo it, I'm afraid it will scream "not enough storage space in this kitchen."
You can likely achieve the open feel without giving up all your storage by choosing something along these lines
Homes & Gardens
Don't know if the above are more country than you want (although you do have that lovely pine armoire) but hopefully these help you see what else is possible for (fingers crossed) less than $999. Or are you seeing this as a furniture investment that you take with you? If so, then future buyers might see dollar signs, knowing that they'd need to buy an island right off the bat.
But before you proceed with any of these ideas, including the marble topped island, make sure that the kitchen floor beneath your current island is finished. If not, you'll have extra costs, especially if it requires that you patch in wood (provided you can still get flooring to match) and/or refinish the whole to avoid the patched look.
Thanks for going the extra mile. I appreciate your expertise. I can see by your thoroughness, you have alot of experience. Stepping back, for all the points you have mentioned, it is not the right island. It was my emotions reacting to it, not the practicality. Maybe we can finish painting the current island. Question would be the bm dove white or black. With black the laminate soapstone will not go. I like the islands you sent. Will continue to brainstorm.
Oh, goodness, you give me too much credit! I'm not the expert here but I am good at research, turning up questions to ponder and thinking things through. It's mostly a good thing until I do it so much that I can't make a decision! LOL
I totally understand the emotional reaction. We all do it.
I think you could go with either white or black for the island. If white, go with the soapstone look-alike laminate. If black, go with a butcherblock top ala Ikea. Personally I like the black/butcherblock combo because I think it ties in with your other furnishings but that's my opinion. You'll need to decide not only which look you prefer but which one you can pull off as a DIY project (it sounds like you'll be painting the island cab not hiring a professional) and not have it look like a DIY project. Oh, and which look suits the style of your home best.
Not to muddy the waters but you could also choose a color for the island, perhaps the sage green you mentioned above and top it with the soapstone look-alike laminate.
There are a lot of painted cabs in many colors in the thread below. Worth checking out to see if you like a painted cabinet in something other than white or black.
Here is a link that might be useful: Any non-white painted kitchen cabinets?


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I read about the victims of Katrina were given their guns back, but did anyone like the NRA challenged the 2nd amendment with the courts where charges were brought against the police chief? Was the state fined for the guns that they lost or ruined ? Did anyone due time ?
By looking at the enlistment Oath below, it states to "defend the Constitution from foreign and domestic, doesn't that include the police chief ?
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).


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In Oz: Trippin'
* An escalation by Beau Cyphre *
I haven't been here for a long time, but I know there's still a box of treasures whenever I stop by, and lay me down is one of the most beautiful pictures on the whole deviantART-Community. For me it's a trip to wonderland, where girls are like flowers and boys are all eyes, simply unable to resist everlasting beauty.
I can't withhold my feelings, 'cause this isn't neither a picture nor an irresistible vision; this is a prayer, and if I wouldn't believe in God, I'd surely do now.


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Can you follow?
The latest update on the rap mogul doesn't sound great.
Those Naughty Boy collaboration rumors are true.
The yolk's on Ryan, and also on anyone standing too close to him.
The daughters of Oberyn Martell look ready for vengeance in this behind-the-scenes video.
The Avengers leader speaks out on his new role.
Bicycle Zombie is a proud graduate.
Here we go, it's week Five of 'Degrassi's Champagine Supernova' and the answers are slowly coming together. Miles and Zig received a rude and confused welcoming from Clare when they knocked on her door. A basket was left on her porch by Eli, filled with treats and snacks that would be sure to fill her […]
Oh, the thirst of it all!
The 'Teen Mom OG' cast member is opening up about her marriage proposal.
See the super-sweet photo that announced the news!


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Immediately visible among the ranks of Atlanta-based New Trinity Baroque were the hemispherical copper timpani, dented from use but servicable, a trio of long valveless trumpets, a triple-looped horn played with the bell pointed upward, an overgrown cello called a violone, and a delicate-sounding, theorbo, or long-necked lute, also called a chitarrone. Along with soloists, string players with baroque bows and a choir from Georgia Tech, they were at Advent to perform J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, period-style.
Bach, Mass in B Minor
Predrag Gosta, Timothy Hsu and Jerry Ulrich, conductors
Sunday, Cathedral Church of the Advent
Four stars out of five
The three trumpets first filled the sanctuary in "Et in terra pax," matching the glory of the chorus in "Gratias," following with majestic playing in "Et resurrexit" and "Et expecto." On corno di caccia (natural horn) in "Quoniam tu solus sanctus," Paul Hopkins negotiated the difficult octaves and scale patterns with ease, forming a fine duet with bass Paul Max Tipton.
A highlight was the duo of countertenor Terry Barber and oboe d'amore soloist Marianne Pfau in "Qui sedes," performed as seamlessly and buoyant as a vocal duet. So engaging was the lilting pastorale between Tipton and two oboes in "Et Spiritum sanctum" it was shame it had to end. Tenor Adam Kirkpatrick and flutist Karolina Bater created a gentle rapport in the "Benedictus," while Wanda Yang Temko formed several outstanding vocal partnerships with her penetrating soprano.
Conducting duties were shared by New Trinity founder Predrag Gosta and Georgia Tech's Timothy Hsu (a Birmingham native) and Jerry Ulrich. Some flaws surfaced in this reading of the new Joshua Rifkin edition of the Mass, particularly with a few ragged downbeats and string intonation, but as the Mass progressed so did the musical momentum. Period performance or no, the concluding "Dona Nobis Pacem" was magnificent, the choir ramping up the volume as the trumpets blared and the timpani thundered.