text:
Dondero Auditorium, Royal Oak Middle School 709 N. Washington, (¼ mile North of 11 Mile Rd.) Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
Mr. Robertson is Director of Orchestras for Berkley High School and Norup International School. He also serves as conductor for The Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony and coaches advanced ensembles at the Orion Chamber Music Society summer camp.
Mr. Robertson is the 2013 MSBOA District IV Orchestra Director of the Year and will be performing at Carnegie Hall with the Berkley High School orchestras. Recent honors include conducting the American premiere of 'My Name is Anne Frank', a cantata produced by the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, and being included in a University of Washington dissertation as one of the most successful school orchestra directors in the United States.
Mr. Robertson holds a Bachelors Degree in Violin Performance from Connecticut's Hartt School of Music and a Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Oakland University. His instructors include Dr. Gregory Cunningham, Mitchell Stern of the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, Eugene Drucker of the Emerson String Quartet, and renowned conductor and violinist Sydney Harth. As a performer, he has received many honors and awards and his orchestras consistently earn top ratings at national and state competitions.
Along with his passion for music and teaching, Mr. Robertson practices martial arts and enjoys spending time with his wife and five children.
John Robertson, our Music Director/Conductor from 2006 -2012 remains with the orchestra as its Conductor Emeritus. Mr. Robertson teaches orchestra for the Berkley School District and is music director for The Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony.
Dr. John Dovaras, our Music Director/Conductor from 2002 -2006 remains with the orchestra as its Conductor Emeritus. His experience, knowledge of music, and professionalism during his four years of leadership have been a great benefit to the Orchestra. His contribution to the Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra has made a lasting impression on all its members. We thank him for his years with us.
Peter Tolias, our former Music Director and Conductor, remains with the orchestra as its Conductor Emeritus. His experience with the group, as well as his expertise in the music field, is of great value to the orchestra.
Philosophy The ensemble is a cultural offering to Royal Oak and our neighboring communities. Formed specifically for area musicians who desire to continue making music a life long avocation, its purpose was broadened to offer its listeners opportunities to hear live performances of musical masterworks which have survived and been appreciated by audiences for hundreds of years. The orchestra is comprised of adults of all ages and professions. We hope you will like our contributions.
Community Participation The Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra is possible only through audience support and the generosity of individuals and companies. All donations are tax deductible and will be acknowledged in the 2012-2013 season program unless we are otherwise instructed. Contributions should be made to The Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra and mailed to P.O. Box 1738, Royal Oak, Michigan 48068-1738.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Don't have a login?
Create an account here.
Don't have a login?
Create an account here.
Authorities in Mexico said that a teenager stabbed her best friend to death after she posted naked selfies of her on Facebook.
According to the New York Daily News, Erandy Gutierrez was arrested at Anel Baez's funeral days after the personal pictures were uploaded online.
Baez allegedly posted the photos after the two had an argument.
The Daily Mail noted that Gutierrez called Baez after the fight to reconcile, however, when she got to her best friend's house she allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and began stabbing her.
In total, the 16-year-old Baez was stabbed 65 times in the neck and left in a pool of blood in her Guamúchil, Sinaloa state, home.
Mexican authorities believe that Gutierrez, also 16, stabbed her former pal as part of a revenge plot for what Baez posted on the social media site.
The Daily News points out that while the teen is expected to be charged with murder, under Mexican law, she will be prosecuted as a juvenile and may only face seven years in prison.


text:
#DuqMTen Falls in Spring Break Matches
March 9, 2014
Charlotte Box Score | South Carolina State Box Score
TUESDAY'S MATCH: Charlotte 6, Duquesne 1
QUICK RECAP: The Duquesne men's tennis team originally had three opponents scheduled for the 2014 Spring Break trip, but due to inclement weather that hit the southeast portion of the country, the match against James Madison was cancelled. The Dukes played two very difficult teams in Charlotte and South Carolina State.
The first match was against former Atlantic 10 Conference foe Charlotte, who had an Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking of #75 one week ago. The 49ers (6-3) came away with a 6-1 victory on their home court at the Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex. Pete Carpenter recorded the lone point for the Dukes with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 win at #2 singles.
The second match was against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference South Division preseason favorite South Carolina State. After battling to victory at #1 doubles with Alex Aleman, Carpenter was forced to sit out singles due to injury. Rich Robbie and Max Rubin were straight sets winners at #1 and #5 and Medhi Mekaoui won at #6 singles in super-breaker.
COACH GREGOIRE QUOTE: "Although we fell to a very talented South Carolina State team, it was a great effort by everyone. Rich, Max and Medhi played their best tennis of the year to make the match close."
UP NEXT: The Dukes are off until March 21st when they travel to Philadelphia to take on Villanova followed by Saint Joseph's the following day.
Duquesne at Charlotte


text:
From our Australian office:
Visit Punthill Brisbane and pay just £96 (AU$139) per night when you stay from Friday-Sunday. Weekday stays are also available for just £117 ($169) per night.
Saving up to 34% off regular rates, this deal includes accommodation in a Studio Apartment, free Wi-Fi and secure undercover car parking.
Receiving excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, Punthill Brisbane is located in trendy Spring Hill, just a few minutes' walk from the city, Central train station, Queen St Mall and the popular Fortitude Valley entertainment district.
The stylish apartment hotel has modern decor and amenities including an outdoor swimming pool, open-air gym, and a BBQ area. Rooms have king-size beds, private balconies, kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs and iPod docks.
Valid for stays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until 13 June. Pay just £21 ($30) extra per night to stay from Monday to Thursday.
Book by 26 March.
Not available on 16 March
Please go to your email and confirm your subscription.


text:
Nicole Byer Guesses Solange's Name Played A Role In Alleged Elevator Attack On Jay Z
The "Girl Code" comedienne might have the fight all figured out!1 year ago
The "Girl Code" comedienne might have the fight all figured out!1 year ago
Would the comedienne ever date a fan? Why not, she says. Especially if that fan was a former "Saved by the Bell" star…2 years ago
Would YOU have a problem with receiving a present like this?2 years ago
"Nicole & Nicole Do Movies," and you should, too! Read up on all the marathon info.2 years ago
The "Girl Code" comedienne and pop singer hit it off on the red carpet.2 years ago
The "Girl Code" star got the ultimate stamp of approval over her Bey-themed manicure when the R&B singer shared it on her Facebook page.2 years ago
One man's trash is another man's treasure! See the "Girl Code" comedienne's new starring role.2 years ago
The funny ladies try to find sexiness in the weirdest place yet: underground.2 years ago
Take a look at the most LOL-worthy moments from the latest episode.2 years ago
It was a banner year for selfies, and our network's talent made sure to get in on the fun.2 years ago


text:
How-To: Crochet designer Kristin Omdahl joins Eunny on episode 1111 of Knitting Daily TV for a tutorial on crocheted ribbing. Seen here is the Veronica sweater from Robyn Chachula's Blueprint Crochet book. You can download this pattern and crochet along with Kristin.
Get the entire Series 1000 of Knitting Daily TV on a 4-Disc DVD Collection! Click here to purchase DVDs and individual episodes of this season or previous seasons of Knitting Daily TV.
ABOUT THE SHOW: Knitting Daily TV is an exciting needle crafts how-to program on public television covering everything from knitting and crochet to stitching, felting, and spinning. The show guides viewers in learning to make fun yet smart one-of-a-kind designs using the latest products in yarn and fiber. Download free patterns, meet trendsetting knit and crochet designers, and improve or learn new skills and techniques.
© 2015 F+W All rights reserved.Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms and Privacy Policy, updated March 2007


text:
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
For those of you who have followed Nossaman's blog since the very early days, you'll recall our coverage of a significant regulatory takings case, Monks v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes. The 2008 California decision received much press coverage in that it was one of the very few instances where property owners overcame the myriad substantive and procedural obstacles and succeeded under a regulatory takings theory. While the Court found a taking occurred, the case was remanded back to the trial court to determine the appropriate remedy. Now, nearly five years later, the dispute has now made its way up to the Court of Appeal for the third time, with the Court holding the property owners cannot recover damages for a permanent taking because the City has permitted the owners to develop their property.
For those unfamiliar with the Monks case, you can find a more detailed background of the dispute and its prior holdings in an article we wrote for the California Real Estate Journal. Generally, the case involved an inverse condemnation action filed by a number of property owners against the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, alleging that the City had exacted a regulatory taking by enacting a resolution that precluded the owners from building homes on their vacant lots. Here's what transpired:
Ah, finally, we're now up to speed. So what did the Court of Appeal do this time? You can find the decision here, wherein the Court held that the City did not have to pay compensation to the owners for a permanent taking because it provided a constitutionally acceptable alternative remedy: it allowed the owners to build homes on their lots. The Court explained that in the case of a permanent regulatory taking, the public entity has the option of compensating the property owner or repealing the offending regulation. Here, the City allowed the owners to develop their properties, and the owners therefore could not be compensated for a permanent taking.
The owners attempted to argue that they were entitled to compensation for the decline in market value of their properties under a theory of Klopping -- or precondemnation -- damages. (See Klopping v. City of Whittier (1972) 8 Cal.3d 39.) Such damages are awarded where a public entity makes precondemnation statements and thereafter acts unreasonably in acquiring or attempting to acquire property through eminent domain. The Court disposed of this theory of liability, holding that it simply did not apply to a regulatory takings situation.
At long last, the Monks case may finally reach its conclusion. While the owners will walk away with a bitter taste in their mouths having lost the last battle, they ultimately did win the war. They recovered damages for a temporary taking and they were ultimately permitted to build their homes.
See more »
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© Nossaman LLP
Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
Sign up to create your digest using LinkedIn*
Back to Top
Copyright ©


text:
Natalie VillalobosShared publicly -
Had the great pleasure of meeting +Virginia Poltrack today for the first time. What a lovely and talented woman who is creating art+technology. Definitely an innovator to watch out for. #womentechmakers
5 comments on original post
7 comments
+Michael Banks Thru all the chaos I am only now seeing your comment. It was so good to see you!
Add a comment...


text:
The Adventure Cycling blog covers bicycle-travel news, touring tips and gear, bicycle routes, organizational news, membership highlights, guided tours, and more. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for daily updates.
Photo by Adam Coppola
While the winter season often means that you spend less time on your bike, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should spend less time with it. Your bike has seen many miles throughout the course of the year, and this is an excellent time to give it a tuneup before you zero out your cycle computer and start logging the miles for 2010.


text:
The Spa and Health Club attached was great and free for residents to use. The bar was also very good.
Friendly, helpful staff, really clean and fresh decor.
Would have preferred room overlooking park and floor above room very squeaky.
Here's why:
We're not the seller
At KAYAK we don't set prices, so it's not possible for us to guarantee what other companies are selling.
We aggregate tons of data for you
Our service lets you quickly and easily compare results from hundreds of travel sites at once. In this sense, KAYAK is a search engine and we don't guarantee prices we find.
Why aren't prices accurate 100% of the time?
Prices on airline seats, hotel rooms and car rentals can change frequently. Several people may also be trying to buy the same travel option simultaneously. As a result, you may find on occasion that certain prices are no longer available.
More questions or if you have a bad price to report to us
Please send us an
and someone from our team will get back to you promptly.
KAYAK is part of The Priceline Group, the world leader in online travel & related services.


text:
Companion forum thread to:An Introduction to Nordic and Backcountry Ski Gear
The Dynafit bindings are releasable, hence a safer binding, yes?
Thanks for a well written and nicely illustrated introduction to the subject.Over the years of XC racing, touring and Nordic patrolling I've owned everything from wooden Bonna skis to aluminum honeycomb core K2 (yes, K2) classic racing skis to Fischer skate skis.But for backcountry I have 2 pair:BC TOURING:SKIS>Osnes Norwegian Army skis, 210 cm. (exclusively at Neptune Mt'neering. Boulder, CO)BOOTS> Vasque heavy leather 3 pinBINDINGS> Voile release type 3 pinBC AT:SKIS> Atomic TM 22 190 cm.BOOTS> Scarpa T3BINDINGS> Again, Voile release type, pins ground offMy BC SKI PACK is a heavily midified CamelBak Commander camo hunting pack - 2.500 cc. - (New aluminum stays, REI padded hip belt, bottom straps, side pockets, etc., etc.) With this pack I can carry enough to be "almost comfortable" if stranded overnight plus my avy gear, always my avy gear.
I loved the article..of course Nordic Backcountry is my favorite type of skiing. :)My Nordic setup is very similar to Eric's (I use the civilian version of the Asnes skis, Crispi touring boots, Voile bindings) and I love it for covering distance but still having basic turn capability.My tele setup is beefier (K2 Waybacks, Scarpa T2 boots), but it is Nordic backcountry I love the most for reasons listed in the article.Now, I need to get out there for a few winter overnighters soon. :)(Though I do have a 10th Mtn Division hut trip over Christmas... )
Edited by PaulMags on 12/12/2012 18:31:17 MST.
"Nordic Touring Example" = 6.2 lb"Nordic Backcountry Example" = 9.8 lb"Lighter AT Example (but can be as little as 12 pounds)" = 15.5 lbMy lightest AT setup = 5.9 pounds (w/ skins)
Robert wrote: "The Dynafit bindings are releasable, hence a safer binding, yes?"There are releasable tele bindings as well, but they tend to be about a pound heavier than their non-releasable counterparts. You have to make your own risk assessment. Personally, I use a releasable tele binding (7tm) for inbounds skiing where weight isn't a concern and I'm more likely to ski aggressively. I use a non-releasable binding in the backcountry to save weight, but I ski really carefully.Tele proponents will claim the added lower extremity mobility afforded by the free heel makes injury less likely than with a locked down heel. YMMV.Jonathan wrote: "My lightest AT setup = 5.9 pounds (w/ skins)"That is impressively light. What are the components of your setup?Cheers,Mike
Mike, the uptrack in that photo should've gone straight up the hill, man! * wink wink *
"Jonathan wrote: "My lightest AT setup = 5.9 pounds (w/ skins)"That is impressively light. What are the components of your setup?"-- Those are the specs for my Hagan + Dynafit + Dynafit setup (plus some old BD mohair skins, with full-length skins adding another four oz per pair, although that makes the comparison with patterned-base xc skis kind of pointless).-- But all rando/"skimo" gear is basically the same now for weight, as the differences among them are less than the pair-to-pair variances.-- The latest state-of-the-art is summarized here (click one of the three tabs at the top to switch among skis, boots, and bindings):http://www.skintrack.com/bindings-comparison/-- If you pay full retail for the very latest and lightest, then yes, they're pricey. But with so much new gear coming out lately, the only slightly heavier models from just a few years ago are now relatively inexpensive on the used market. (And that slightly heavier gear was already winning the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse *nordic* race years ago, which says a lot about the superior efficiency of AT gear over nordic gear on nordic terrain.)-- It is a shame though that while racing improves nordic track/skate gear and AT gear, there's just no market for lightweight efficient nordic backcountry gear. I still enjoy using my nordic backcountry gear for golf courses and mellow hiking trails, etc., but my AT gear is lighter than my nordic backcountry gear...
> The incredible beauty of the winter landscape is undeniable.Absolutely, totally and utterly!We used to use classic Scarpa leather 3-pin boots on Bonner Conquests with voile plates or better, but outgrew the boots (badly) while Scarpa were having their 'no more leather boots' period of idiocy. So Sue & I went to NNN-BC bindings and boots and matching skis. Compared to the Bonners, which were dead straight, went like a rocket, and didn't know anything about corners, the side cut on our current skis is very pleasant. And they don't go much slower either.Wonderful stuff.Cheers
Excellent article. When I describe Nordic and backcountry ski gear, I start by comparing it to biking. You can get a road bike or a mountain bike or a bike that is something in between. You can put knobby tires on your road bike, or smooth tires on your mountain bike, but why bother? Some very expensive mountain bikes are probably lighter than your average road bike, even though they are capable of handling much tougher terrain. The same is true of skis.Of course, it is tougher with skis because you have so many variables. Not only do you have to deal with the terrain (steep, narrow, forested, etc.) but also the quality of the snow. For the Northwest, I find that a light cross country ski with some sidecut and no metal edge is often just fine for logging roads and moderate backcountry terrain. I use a Fischer Inbound Crown (68-58-64). Since it is light, I use a regular cross country boot (non BC) with it. Unlike in the Rockies, the snow around here often consolidates really quickly. This means that I usually don't need the extra floatation. I've even done some backcountry skiing with my classic (long and skinny) cross country skis and handled it just fine. The terrain was easy (step turning was fine) and the snow was solid enough to support me. If I think it will be crusty or icy, I will switch to a metal edged ski. Since the metal edged skis I own have a bit more sidecut and weight, I move up in boot class, to a Nordic BC boot when I use these (they are intended for tougher terrain). I'm sure there are folks who mix and match different classes of boots with skis, but in general, I think it is harder to use a light boot with a heavy ski than the other way around. You could certainly use a heavy boot with a light (straight) ski since that is essentially what people used to do not too long ago. In other words, if you took a an Alpine boot and binding and attached it to Fischer S-Bound you would probably look a lot like a skier from forty years ago (before the radical sidecut and wide body skis became popular).That doesn't mean that the bigger skis don't have there place. Just the other day I saw my brother ski down a small chute with Telemark gear and a pair of Rossignol BC 125 skis. The skis are big and fat (125-90-115). There are fatter skis out there, but few of them have the fish scales like these. Which brings up a couple of points. First, skis with fish scales are way handier in the Northwest than waxing. On the west side (AKA wet side) of the mountains, the temperature is often a few degrees either side of freezing, and it will change during the day. This makes waxing a real pain. In the Methow (on the east side of the Cascades) folks still use kick wax (and go very fast with it). Second, there are several fish scale (or waxless) skis that are rather large, and are pretty new. Since this article: http://www.backcountrymagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=577&Itemid=54 was published, Viole has come out with a couple skis in this category. These are light (for their surface area) and have a lot of floatation, without a huge amount of sidecut. I haven't tried, but I would imagine trying to use any of these big waxless skis with a BC boot would be very difficult. I think using these requires Telemark or Randonee gear. The ski I use for the steepest terrain I encounter is the Alpina Lite Terrain. It has a lot of sidecut (102-64-87) but is narrow enough in the waist to allow me to use BC boots. I have yet to find a pair of plastic (Randonee or Telemark) boots that I find comfortable, but I haven't tried many.
Nice article. As a backcountry ski tourer, I can attest that it is great fun once you know what you're doing. I ski in areas that are full of people in the summer and see no one for a week. And you definitely do not have to be a good skier to enjoy it. I do not consider myself to be a good skier and yet I was able to cross the Sierra on skis. So ski skill is not important. What you do need to be good at is navigation. That is the critical skill, since trails and roads are buried under many feet of snow. Plus, of course, snow camping skills.Gear - There is a lot of room for overlap in various directions. There is no reason you can't put Dynafit bindings on a lightweight ski with fishscales if you want to(though this won't work on all skis due to variations in core construction and screw holding abilities). Some folks even ski with just the Dynafit toe pieces on lightweight skis. My rig is Atomic Rainers - very similar to Fischer S-bound 88's or Salomon XADV 89's - 3-pin bindings and Garmont Excursion boots (the lightest of the plastic tele boots). I could save a pound or more by going to Dynafits and light rando race boots - and have more downhill control. Though maybe not as good in rolling terrain. My experience has been that a light ski with a somewhat stiffer boot can work really well, while the reverse is not so good, especially when carrying a multi-day pack. I think this is especially true for less experienced/skilled skiers; broadly speaking, a lighter, more flexible boot means faster while a heavier, stiffer boot means more control, so if in doubt go with the slightly beefier boot. With more experience and/or skill you can do more with less. I've had my skis in terrain that I guess would be considered in the framework of this article as ski mountaineering terrain, and yet, as I said, I am not a good skier. If I were a better skier I could do even more with the gear I have. So a fairly light setup can do quite a lot. I would like to go lighter on the boots, but I have yet to hear good things about any leather or fabric/leather boot as regards staying dry for a week in wet spring corn snow, so I stick with the light plastic. But the skis I am very happy with. I think a ski like the ones I have is just about ideal for the ski backpacker, which is what I think of myself as. I don't go to the mountains to ski, I ski to go to the mountains.
Jonathan wrote: "It is a shame though that while racing improves nordic track/skate gear and AT gear, there's just no market for lightweight efficient nordic backcountry gear. I still enjoy using my nordic backcountry gear for golf courses and mellow hiking trails, etc., but my AT gear is lighter than my nordic backcountry gear..."I agree completely. I'm afraid so much of it is racing oriented, and no one has come up with a race that makes sense for the Nordic backcountry equipment. Or rather, a Nordic backcountry race is simply won by folks using Randonee gear now. Maybe if they had lots of rolling hills (which would require transition) but banned skate skiing, but still had a few steep hills (which would require more than Nordic track gear) then maybe fast BC gear would stand a chance. If nothing else, it might drive folks to add waxless patterns to some of those really light skis. Just doing that would be great. Waxless skis are great for touring as well as yoyo skiing.Great link, by the way.
Nice work gents.I do not think that the amount of camber when un-weighted is an accurate way to assess functional camber when skiing. Some skis with comparable amounts of arch compress in very different ways. The paper test is here still valid.The Grand Traverse would be a better example for debate if it wasn't won, always, by the same ~dozen CB/Gunny locals who have the course absolutely dialed.
I agree Paul, a skinnier ski with a firm boot can work really well. A soft boot and a fat ski is a challenge. I have a pair of Rainiers as well, and use them with BC boots for a great all around Nordic setup. Browsing the link that Jonathan mentioned (http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/) suggests that plenty of folks are racing with skis not too different than that (other than weight and fish scales). The Rainiers are 88-60-78, and there are plenty of skis in that range on that website. In other words, pairing the Rainiers with Randonee boots would work well. Of course, they might not have as much float as you want, or be as easy to turn as you want, but they will certainly cruise and carve. As you mention, you could easily go with skinnier or straighter skis as long as you can mount the bindings.
Great Article,It is great to see so much interest in backcountry touring. Judging by all the magazines, you would think that skiing away from a downhill resort only involves throwing yourself off a cliff, or descending a chute that Yvon Chouinard did the first ice climb of. There is little coverage of anyone using skis to have an adventure in the backcountry. I remember the days of Allan Bard, Ned Gillete, and Doug Robinson inspiring the rest of us duffers to go see the world in snow. Maybe with more attention, the gear would advance. Thanks, Scott
"Browsing the link that Jonathan mentioned (http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/) suggests that plenty of folks are racing with skis not too different than that (other than weight and fish scales). The Rainiers are 88-60-78, and there are plenty of skis in that range on that website. In other words, pairing the Rainiers with Randonee boots would work well. Of course, they might not have as much float as you want, or be as easy to turn as you want, but they will certainly cruise and carve. As you mention, you could easily go with skinnier or straighter skis as long as you can mount the bindings."– Yes, as much as I love my various wider skis, something in the mid 60s or so (i.e., rando race / SkiMo width) is really all you need for practical efficient travel, regardless of conditions. Anything wider than that is for more fun on the down, not for faster and/or more efficient travel overall. (Sure all sorts of unconsolidated snow conditions are really unpleasant on narrower skis, but any time losses on such descent are more than offset by gains on the rest of the tour.)– This also highlights the misleading nature of the various examples, which pair heavier wider skis with AT gear. Sure, that's typical of what's out there in common use, but BPL articles on, say, tents, don't take the same approach (e.g., using WalMart-weight gear for selected categories). The only common element of an AT setup is the ability to lock the heel for the descent, and that's as light as about nine ounces for bindings (per pair), with boots that weigh less than either SNS-BC or NNN-BC that offer only a small fraction of the control.– Even worse is the telemark example, which uses lighter skis than the AT example, despite if anything AT boots & bindings allowing for a lighter ski, not a heavier ski. (As for highlighting a ski from a company that went out of business over nine years ago, well...)- Also, the "Standard AT Example" is not standard at all but rather is based around a hybrid/sidecountry binding that is instant obsolescence for anyone interested in getting into backcountry skiing, even the touring-for-turns type."The Grand Traverse would be a better example for debate if it wasn't won, always, by the same ~dozen CB/Gunny locals who have the course absolutely dialed."– The fastest racers there now use SkiMo / AT race gear. Before everyone used nordic backcountry gear. They switched because SkiMo gear became better (as well as more widely available in the U.S.) while nordic backcountry gear has stagnated. Why does the same people winning it have any relevance, especially when nordic backcountry gear used to win the race? (This is kind of akin to if the only choices for trail running races were heavy hiking boots versus pavement running shoes, but the pavement running shoes - once adopted - always won the trail running races.)
While some XCD skis may be dimensionally similar to rando race sticks, the difference in flex between the two is typically pretty enormous. Even a stiffer XCD ski like a Fischer or Rossi is much softer tip-tail than the rando skis I've seen (Dynafit, Trab, Merelli).If you were to design a course where nordic and AT gear were evenly matched, the Grand Traverse would be pretty close. Certainly the closest established race course of which I'm aware. To have a fair comparision, you'd need evenly matched teams on different ski systems. Problem is that the night start gives locals a huge advantage, and thus the realistic chances of outsiders mounting a challenge in our hypothetical is small. 2008 was the first year it was won (in the men's division) on rando gear, in pretty gnarly conditions. The winning co-ed pair was an hour slower (10 hrs v. 9), had little familiarity with the course, and used combi boots and edgeless classic race skis. Something to think about, i.e. lets mind the details and compare apples to apples.
A little elaboration on DaveC's point about flex difference between rando race skis and XCD - the rando race skis are downhill skis - their flex is not designed for kick and glide efficiency. So for tours in rolling terrain and/or with significant flat sections, they would probably not be as good as an XCD ski with a more XC kind of camber/flex - given equal boots/bindings. I know I have certainly wished for one of those light rando race skis to be available with a patterned base (like I could afford it if it was!) simply because they are so light, but in actuality for most of my skiing an XCD kind of flex is probably more efficient.
I'm puzzled that you don't mention waxing tele skis with kick wax. In fact you say "[tele skis] are designed to go steeply up or down but they are not as efficient for touring on level to moderate terrain. You can tour with them but you have to do it with skins on..." Not true. Kick wax works very well on tele skis in rolling terrain. I almost always wax my tele skis with Swix Polar kick wax as a base wax on the entire base and then add softer wax as necessary.Also, I think you over estimate the importance of a wax pocket for skiing on unconsolidated snow. Having a wax pocket and/or a double camber ski is really only useful on a firm track. On unconsolidated snow the ski doesn't bend with each stride to make the wax pocket contact the snow. What works very well is to wax the entire ski with kick wax, usually the same wax along the whole ski.Very few of the people I see out touring for turns on tele skis use kick wax, even in rolling terrain where it would be much more efficient. I have a friend who boasts that he has never put kick wax on his tele skis, even as the rest of us wait for him to sidestep up gentle inclines that we have just walked up. I think he believes that kick wax would ruin his glide, but unless you are seriously over waxed, this just isn't true.Thanks for the article; except for the above comments, I thought it is very good.
The photo in the article where I'm pulling a pulk was taken on an 11-day trip in YNP with Chris Townsend, among others. Chris is a master at ski waxing and carries a variety of waxes with the usual assorted tools (scraper, cork, IR thermometer, etc.). During that trip, he and several of our group did exactly as you described -- grip wax on conventional tele skis -- with excellent results.Personally, I've had mixed success with waxable XC skis and miserable failures with grip wax on tele skis. Part of my problem is that I ski a lot in warm and variable snow conditions that make waxing tricky, but most of it is just my ineptitude with wax. I frequently bring along a wax kit for my tele setup, but have never been able to reproduce Chris' success with it, eventually throwing my arms up in disgust and putting the skins back on. I'm certain many could do better than I.Cheers,-Mike
Edited by MikeMartin on 12/13/2012 23:18:35 MST.
"...gear was already winning the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse *nordic* race years ago, which says a lot about the superior efficiency of AT gear over nordic gear on nordic terrain."Jonathan, can you describe the conditions of the race and the gear for such races a little further? Were the racers using grip wax on AT skis? Or using skate skiing? What were the reasons of using AT gear (may be to lose on flat section and then to win on downhill)? Or there is no flat section?
Edited by joarr on 12/14/2012 04:20:32 MST.
Here's my take on the Madshus Glittertind MGV+ Skis as well as a lot of photos of it.
Edited by skullmonkey on 12/14/2012 04:53:17 MST.
Yes, non-locals and others not familiar with the EMGT course are at a disadvantage. However, I don't see how this has any relevance to the nordic vs alpine touring gear differential? The most striking disadvantage in recent years has actually been visited upon non-local SkiMo racers. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to be competitive – local or otherwise – has switched to alpine touring gear for this prominent nordic terrain race. The reason is obvious is you have any familiarity with modern lightweight alpine touring gear. Unfortunately the authors of this article clearly lack such familiarity, most tellingly in the statement of "Lighter AT Example (but can be as little as 12 pounds)" even though my lightest setup is almost HALF that purported lower bound.Setting aside the weights of skis (since that is not specific to AT boots and bindings), nordic backcountry boots (both those in the article, and my own pair too) weight *MORE* than modern AT race boots. And what do you get in return for that extra weight? Slightly *LESS* resistance-free range of motion while striding, and far far *LESS* control when skiing down (even w/o bothering to lock down the AT binding heel). AT bindings also weigh less than nordic backcountry bindings, but that differential is smaller and also less important (since static weight gliding along on the snow is far less important that the weight on your foot that must be pivoted with each stride).Given that lighter weight and superior efficiency of modern lightweight AT gear, no surprise that it dominates a race that was previously the domain of nordic backcountry gear.As for kick wax, the terminology of "tele" skis is not very helpful (since any ski to which a telemark binding is mounted becomes a tele ski, and skis marketed specifically as telemark are almost always just rebadged alpine downhill skis, sometimes lightened and/or softened, and but sometimes just different graphics). Really we're talking about double camber versus camber-and-a-half versus single camber. And even the latter category has significant variation: my old Atomic MX:20 AT skis had very noticeable camber, perhaps even venturing into camber-and-a-half territory, whereas my Movement Fish-X skis have very less, and my Hagan X-Race even less.Obviously kick wax works far better with double camber skis, since that's the whole point of double camber skis. But kick wax can also work with single camber skis – not as well, but it works. I've used it with single camber skis, and it makes a noticeable improvement. (Nailing the right wax is of course another issue altogether, but that's the same challenge regardless of the type of ski.)
Yellowstone in the heart of winter is the easiest place for kick wax I can think of. Roman, the Grand Traverse is a 40 mile route between Crested Butte and Aspen. You can see a map here; http://westelkproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/GT_Map-823x1024.jpg It's a great summer or winter route, very scenic.There's not much outright flat, but there's a lot of gentle climbing on snowed in roads and snowmachine tracks. There are some steep downhills in there as well, but if old memory serves none save the final descent (down the ski area in Aspen) are much more than 1000 vertical feet. The local hard guys have for the last 5 years been running skimo gear and nearly full coverage mohair skins. The final ridge from Barnard to the ski area is a rolling ridge which forces anyone to make compromises with it's frequent transitions. Folks on AT gear skate the ups when conditions are good, keep skins on for the downs and skin the ups, or occasionally just bootpack the ups and ski the downs.
Waxing for warm and/or variable conditions is indeed a challenge, and I use a pair of waxless skis or go where skins make sense when conditions make waxing hard. In particular, waxless skis work well enough on refrozen spring snow that I've given up using klister altogether.It's important to point out, though, that for dry, cold, new snow, waxing is not very hard to learn and in those conditions a well waxed ski works very much better that a waxless ski: both the glide and grip are better.I don't know whether you meant to imply this, but I inferred from "I've had mixed success with waxable XC skis and miserable failures with grip wax on tele skis" that you think waxing works less well on tele skis than on waxable XC skis. As far as I know a square inch of p-tex with the right wax on it works as well on a waxable XC ski as a tele ski, with exception of a double camber ski on a good track, which will work better than a single camber ski (which is what tele skis are).
Wow..this is ALMOST as good as what type of water treatment to use. ;)Going skiing this weekend....never occurred to me have an intense debate over what skis to use first. :D(Now, what beer to get after..that's cause for intense discussion!)
I believe the big Fischers and Rossignols have a bit of camber, but that isn't true of all the big waxless skis. I have a pair of Alpina Lite Terrain skis that have very little (if any) camber. They basically feel like (and probably are) Alpine skis with a waxless bottom. I think the Viole waxless skis are basically the same as their other back country skis, only with waxless bottom. I would love to be able to buy a pair of the really light skis in a waxless bottom. I wouldn't expect them to glide as well as my motion crown (which are skinny skis with plenty of camber) or my Rainiers (which are much wider but still have some camber). I would expect them to perform (on the flats) as well as my Alpina Lite Terrain skis. They would certainly be faster than skins (which is what I see a lot of people using). When ascending using a waxless (or kick waxed) bottom, you often make a lot of switchbacks (more than you would if you put on your skins). A light ski makes a big difference on every turn. More than anything, that is what I notice when I switch from my Inbound Crown (which are lighter than my Rainiers) to my Alpina Lite Terrain. The lack of good kick and glide is less than ideal, but my main complaint is the weight. I could try buying a pair of those light skis and applying kick wax, but in my climate, I doubt I would be happy. The temperature always seems to hover around freezing. I rarely see people doing this. On roads where I cruise up via my waxless skis, I see other folks skinning the whole way. This means they are unlikely to ski the chute I mentioned earlier. The chute was essentially a cut of a switchback (perfectly legal in the winter :)). My brother, skiing his BC 125s, skied the chute, then got back on the road and cruised up to where he started. It is highly unlikely that a skier who needed skins for the road would do that (it would be just too much hassle to remove the skins, ski, then put them on again). There are similar example all over the place in the back country as well. While going downhill I can make turns down a nice little bowl and not worry about the fact that I have to climb back up. Meanwhile, the guys with the flat bottom skis stay up high on the ridge and avoid any possible uphill (or even flat).
John wrote: "Waxing for warm and/or variable conditions is indeed a challenge, and I use a pair of waxless skis or go where skins make sense when conditions make waxing hard. In particular, waxless skis work well enough on refrozen spring snow that I've given up using klister altogether."I agree completely."It's important to point out, though, that for dry, cold, new snow, waxing is not very hard to learn and in those conditions a well waxed ski works very much better that a waxless ski: both the glide and grip are better."I agree to a point. Yes, glide and grip are both somewhat better with wax, but IME much of that advantage is given up fiddling with the wax as conditions change. It's only my personal choice, but I've pretty much given up on waxable skis. I realize that will alarm the purists, and that I'm leaving some performance on the table, but that's how I roll (or glide) now."As far as I know a square inch of p-tex with the right wax on it works as well on a waxable XC ski as a tele ski, with exception of a double camber ski on a good track, which will work better than a single camber ski"I understand. But I'm not convinced that the single/double camber difference is as unimportant as you suggest. Yes, when breaking trail, the wax pocket doesn't matter much if at all. But, only one person in a party breaks trail at a time. Those following in his tracks benefit from proper camber/wax pockets.Advanced skills (such as waxing) and advanced equipment (like state-of-the-art AT racing gear) are really beyond the scope of this introductory article aimed at getting beginners out in the BC. But, by all means continue the discussion. I hope that the more advanced skiers here will enjoy the upcoming part II by Forrest McCarthy.Dave Chenault wrote: "Yellowstone in the heart of winter is the easiest place for kick wax I can think of."Yep...except near the thermals. ;-)Seriously, one of my worst experiences with waxable skis was on a day tour around the geyser basin at Old Faithful on XC skis. The snow temp easily varied by over 30F. I ended the day with dangerously cold hands fiddling with the wax in repeated, but ultimately futile, attempts to achieve some semblance of predictable grip and glide.Cheers,Mike
Edited by MikeMartin on 12/14/2012 18:17:37 MST.
Jonathan, Dave, thanks for your answers. I've read some reports about Elk Mountains Grand Traverse, including Mike Kloser's tips - it is more clear now.I agree that AT racing gear (and nordic racing) is more technologically advanced now, backcountry skiing gear is in some stagnation.But i think there are situations when using backcountry skiing gear is more reasonable:1. AT skiing gear is more suited to ascending\descending skiing mode. So, when horizontal component is more than vertical, when we need to cover long distances, but also need gear more rugged (and metal edges) than nordic racing - backcountry skis like Asnes Amundsen, Madshus Glittertind with Rotefella Supertelemark bindings and boots like Garmont Venture come to mind. Similar to what authors of the article called "Nordic touring". This setup weights around 3960 grams = 140 oz = 8.73 lbs (skis 1890 gr, bindings 370 gr, boots 1700 gr). The key factor (besides different skis) is the price, simplicity and reliability of the setup combined.2. Using backcountry (crosscountry downhill) skis like Madshus Annum, Fischer S-Bound 112 with AT bindings (may be toe pieces) and AT boots. Like Dave already said, backcountry skis have different characteristics from AT skis - different flexibility, side cut, also waxless base is sometimes needed. It would be cool to apply AT skis technology in this area - to make skis lighter, boots - lighter and not vulnerable to water.For examle, Jonathan, what setup would you prefer for Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic?Also i don't clearly understand what for we need skis like Rossignol BC 125, Voile Charger BC. To use them in Ross Bleakney's brother mode?
Edited by joarr on 12/14/2012 13:26:11 MST.
>> Also i don't clearly understand what for we need skis like Rossignol BC 125, Voile Charger BC. To use them in Ross Bleakney's brother mode?Yes, exactly. I have to mention, by the way, that I've used the Rossignol BC 125 skis as well. The only reason I stopped is because the (Randonee) boots I paired them with hurt my feet. This brings up a different issue. As I see it, there are only two big advantages of BC boots over Randonee boots: price and comfort. Comfort is obviously subjective, but when I've tried on the big plastic boots, I didn't like them. They remind me of alpine ski boots (which I hate). Cross country gear reminds me of trail runners, or at the very worst, hiking boots. As you can tell, I'm a bit of a foot weenie -- I like light, flimsy foot gear. I haven't given up, but price plays a part as well. I can buy a pair of BC boots at the store and not worry about swallowing the price if it turns out that I don't like them. Doing so with Randonee gear is much more costly. But getting back to fat skis; basically they are great for powder as well as some other conditions, like breakable crust or choppy snow. With breakable crust, most skis sink in and cause all sorts of problems. A fat ski can just float over the top. Similarly, a choppy area (perhaps caused by folks post holing or using snow shoes) can be navigated more easily with skis that have a really big surface area. But that is true of fat skis in general. The advantage of a waxless bottom in back country skiing is basically that it saves you the hassle of skinning or using kickwax. This is true of any waxless ski. What isn't so obvious to many back country skiers is how often it comes in handy. The yoyo trip I mentioned is one example, but I often run across situations where the waxless pattern comes in handy. For example, I often ski up to Camp Muir, on the south side of Mount Rainier (outside of Paradise). This is a pretty common route, and most people (including me) skin up for this trip. One variation on the way down involves going out Mazama Ridge. This is a great tour that gently descends, but contains lots of interesting little bowls and curves. With waxless skis, I'm free to check out these options, and go as slow as I want. If I had flat skis, I would probably stay up high and try to keep my speed up. Furthermore, the trip ends up on the road to Reflection Lakes, which involves ascending again. With the waxless skis, I don't have to hassle with skins, and just glide back to the car. I think some folks assume that if you have waxless skis, then you don't use skins. This isn't true, especially for those big skis (which are often used on steep areas).
Pmags, have you been walking around CO with a bag over your head? ;)Mike, nothing like thermal mud insta-frozen to your bases at -20. Roman, your rig #1 is great; would be even better if the boots were more torsionally stiff and waterproof.The fat (>80 waist) waxless skis have two roles. In their shorter iterations they're great schwacking/brush skis. In more normal lengths, and used as standard AT/tele skis they provide more efficient travel on flat and rolling approaches and runouts while only giving up a little gliding speed, and then only on harder snows. You also can't ski switch on them.
Ha! :DYes, it really can religious here, tooBut, luckily those debates are mainly online, tooLuckily my friends and I keep our religious differences to ourselves. ;) I've been known to hang with (says in a quiet whisper) snowshoers :DIn the backcountry, my friends and I are more interested in playing in the snow....and the beer, of course.
Edited by PaulMags on 12/14/2012 15:52:45 MST.
These articles are such a tease with the lack of base we have here in CO so far... Went all in on getting light as possible for long tours with emphasis on downhill as well. Thanks to the Boulder sample sales and some last years gear sales from European companies I pieced together a Sportiva Lo5, RT bindings, and Dynafit TLT5s coming in at 6 lbs 10.5 oz per foot. Guess I'll have to add in the skin weight at some point. Sorry, too excited and felt like bragging!Loving the winter focused articles!
Any suggestions on XC equipment for use in MD,VA,WV? Looking to do some overnight XC along fire roads,logging roads, and hiking trails. I weigh about 190 and winter pack weight with consumables is under 25lbs. Would a pair of metal edged Rossi BC 65's be sufficent? If so, any boot recomendations to pair with those skis?
Edited by benjita on 12/15/2012 08:20:06 MST.
Went on a trip Friday and today and ended up carrying the skis more often than not. Anymore ski season is mid-Jan thru mid-June."Looking to do some overnight XC along fire roads,logging roads, and hiking trails. I weigh about 190 and winter pack weight with consumables is under 25lbs. Would a pair of metal edged Rossi BC 65's be sufficent? If so, any boot recomendations to pair with those skis?"For snowed in roads that'd be a fine ski, though if the snow is deep and soft you might want something wider. The 65s will work in groomed tracks as a bonus. Hiking trails can mean a lot of different things. If they've flatish, then those skis are good. On steep and tight trails skinny skis are not kind to beginners (or indeed, non-experts). Either 3 pin or system (NNN, SNS, etc) bindings will work with those skis. Get a mid-stiffness boot that fits and you'll be all set.
Well, my good friend and I did a ski tour today. A lovely morning ski with just enough snow to get a kick and glide in and a fun little downhill down the road back to the car. (CMC south to Lil Raven for anyone in the area)Somehow we were too busy catching up and having fun to discuss NNN-BC vs 3 pin or Wax vs fish scales. (Though I did mention I did get to use polar wax last weekend when it was colder...)I apologize in advance for having fun rather than discussing gear while skiing. ;)Over Xmas, I'll be sure to do an in depth questionnaire over everyone's gear as we go to the 10th Mtn Division Hut. In between the cups of gluhwein (my wife is German and I am thankful for being introduced to this wonderful winter beverage), I am sure we can ponder the pros and cons of AT vs Tele vs Nordic Backcountry vs snowshoes in terms of gear. All four types of gear will be represented. I am thinking of bringing a scale to the hut to fully tabulate the results....Tongue (mainly) planted in cheek. :D
I skied today as well. Things have been pretty good in the Northwest and about to get better. We did the opposite, though, and talked about gear most of the time. We saw some folks using Voile gear, and I personally was jealous. Then again, I'm not sure if it would have worked with my BC boots. Everyone else had A. T. or Telemark gear, but I was trying to manage Alpina Lite Terrain with my Alpina 2050 boots. There is nothing wrong with the boots, but those skis just weren't right for all of the deep snow. I love this combination in the Spring, but conditions like these (and my guess is you folks in Montana are about to experience similar conditions) call for lighter, fatter skis. The problem, of course, is that it is difficult to manage big fat skis with BC boots. Which leads me to either use different boots (which might hurt my feet) or to avoid the really steep stuff. I did some of that today, but it seemed silly. If I'm going to traverse my way down a mountain, I would much rather just use regular cross country gear. A pair of Inbound Crowns is really light (as light as a lot of really expensive A. T. gear) but really flimsy. But unless I step up a couple notches (to Randonee/Telemark gear) I can't manage steep hills in deep snow anyway.But enough about that. I would really like to see a few graphs showing various pieces of winter gear. I would start with boots and bindings. On the left you would have weight. On the bottom of the graph would be control. I wouldn't try and figure out the particulars of each piece of gear, but just lump them by type. So, left to right you would have plain cross country boots, then BC, then three pin, then Randonee/Telemark. My guess is that you would have a graph that gradually moves up as you went to the right, but then flared on you hit the A. T. stuff. In other words, cross country gear is light, BC gear is a heavier, and A. T. gear ranges from being heavier than BC, to being as light as some of the cross country gear (which makes it lighter than all of the BC gear). With bindings I think you would find the same thing. Both of these graphs would be fairly straightforward to make (I think). Comparing skis gets really complicated, unfortunately. To begin with, generally speaking, there is no specific "type" of ski (as mentioned earlier). With few exceptions, you can mount any binding on any ski. So one of the problems is trying to define how appropriate a ski is for the conditions. This adds to the number of data points. You could add camber, metal edge, turning radius, surface area and rocker. I'm sure it could be done, and it would lead similar results. The cross country gear (even the cheap stuff) is light, but is difficult to use in many conditions (steep slopes on deep snow). The more surface area a ski has, the heavier it is, although there are some high-end skis with really low weight and plenty of surface area. I think graphs like these would make it easier to understand the options available. But then again, I just like cool graphs.
//Roman, your rig #1 is great; would be even better if the boots were more torsionally stiff and waterproof.Dave, i don't own this rig, it is only in plans. So i am considering other boots options:Alpina Explorer 75Rossignol BC X6 75mmBut there are no reviews of them, and i can't find them in russian local shops, so i picked Garmont because its weight is listed on site.And i still have to find application for such skis - mountains on vacation perhaps. On local trails near Moscow i am fairly successfully using ordinary racing XC skis - Atomic Skintec.
Edited by joarr on 12/19/2012 00:52:20 MST.
Quantifing the attributes of nordic boots is tough. You want a degree of side to side rigidity, but sole stiffness is the primary thing which will allow you to control a ski in more difficult snows and terrain. The various brands vary a lot here. In the end fit will trump everything. For instance, I use Rossignol Bcx11s because they fit. The Fischer 675s were stiffer in the sole and skied better in many ways, but the forefoot was too skinny for me. Best buy from a retailer with a good return policy.
I agree, the fit is the key thing. Especially with plastic boots, where there is less likely to be much give (which is the point). In other words, heavy leather boots are more likely to feel better on your feet after a few months of use, while plastic boots won't. Complicating things is that a lot of the boots have heat moldable liners. These are meant to tailor the fit to your feet. But there is only so much these can do. Many stores won't return a boot after the heat molding. Thus, it kind of is a tricky situation. A boot won't fit perfect in the store (because it needs to be heat molded) but if it still feels bad (after the molding) then you are in trouble. I recommend renting. It won't fit perfect (because of the heat molding) but you can eat least try several different pairs and try to find the one that feels the best. With BC and cross country boots, you don't have this problem.
Hi,Been following the thread and just wanted to ask about the BC boot fit as well. Today I went to check Alpina BC 2250 boots out at my local Alpina store and had few sizes to try from. My regular foot size (US 10) was way to small and tight in the forefoot (I have very wide feet) next size up felt much better and relaxed across the forefoot so I felt comfortable wearing them with two pairs of socks. Next size up was way to big and boots felt sloppy on my feet. What I noted with the boot that seemed to be the right lenght is that I had some heel slippage. It was hard to lock the heel in with regular knot so I had to use the heel locking knot I use on my running, hiking shoes to lock the heel in, but there was still slight movement after that as weel. Is it normal to have some heel slippage in BC boots or there should be zero heel up and down movement with boots on? Rubbing=blisters! Or simply boots don't fit? I am totaly new to the BC skiing sport and would like to buy my first set of BC skiing equipment so any tip will help. Thanks!
That's not normal, Velimir. It is probably just the particular nature of the boot and your foot. One thing you might try is using a custom insert (one of those heat moldable ones). I did that with a BC boot and it went from being OK to being great.
Thanks Ross! Which heat moldable inserts you've used. I did try Fischer boots as well but they are just to narrow in the forefoot. I would like to fit the Alpina if that's possible with simple inserts. It might be that original Alpina inserts are a bit to high and my heel gets above heel cup. Will try to take the original inserts out.Does Thinsulate insulation used in nordic BC boots get all compressed with years of use so the boots are getting bigger by the end of their lifespan? Do boots form to the foot shape after few uses? I meant like in leather boots when they get foot form shape after you brake them in.Thanks.Regards!
I haven't noticed any compression of the thinsulate. I don't think it is like leather. I don't think it will fit very differently in the future. Generally speaking, a lot of these boots are very similar to plain Nordic boots (non-BC) except they have some plastic that surrounds them (and adds support). It varies, of course, as some of the boots have plenty of leather (and will confirm as you suggest). I haven't noticed any difference in fit with my plain Nordic or Nordic BC boots.One thing I have heard is that the moldable inner boot on a plastic boot with compress over time. As you put pressure on the sides, it loosens up. I don't have personal experience with it (never owned a pair long enough) but that is what I've heard.
Nice to see the article.May I suggest "representative" rather than "reprentative"?
You must login to post.
MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO POST: You must be a Forum, Annual or Lifetime Member to post messages in the backpackinglight.com forums.


text:
William Lutz serves as Defenders of Wildlife's Senior Director of Communications where he oversees all aspects of our media relations activities and supervises all media relations personnel. He also serves as the Senior Director of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund [1] where he oversees the Action Fund's programmatic and electoral work. He is responsible for the development and implementation of all legislative and candidate-related campaign strategies as well as the day-to-day administrative oversight of the Action Fund.
Mr. Lutz has been in the field of public and media relations for more than 20 years. His work has mainly focused on progressive causes, such as legal aid for the poor, women's reproductive rights, the uninsured, and the environment. He has also worked for several private polling and public relations firms, and was a freelance media consultant for several years prior to joining Defenders.
Mr. Lutz was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of the George Washington University.


text:
Privacy lines blurred under pot law
Council members on the fence over porch and yard issues
BY PETER ROPER The Pueblo Chieftain
Published: February 11, 2014; Last modified: February 11, 2014 05:09PM
Is your front porch your private property? Or will lighting up a marijuana joint break the law?
What about smoking in your backyard? Behind a screen? What if somebody sees you from the alley?
City Council took a few cautious steps into the hazy issue of recreational marijuana use Monday night and they didn't make any clear decisions except to keep talking about it.
Police Chief Luis Velez and Assistant City Attorney Carla Sikes said the current city policy is to enforce the state constitutional amendment on recreational marijuana — that no "open and public" use is allowed and that means no using pot on front yards or porches.
Digital subscribers: Log in to read the full story.
Not a subscriber? Don't miss a thing. Add the Digital Edition for just 25 cents per week with a 7-day print subscription, or get just the Digital Edition for $5.75 per month. Learn more.
Discuss this story


text:
The FBI has used the same definition of rape since 1929: "Forcible rape" is defined as "the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will," a definition which has excluded victims of forced anal or oral sex, rape with an object, statutory rape and male rape. On Wednesday, October 18, the Uniform Crime Report Subcommittee of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) voted unanimously to expand its definition of rape in the UCR:
The new definition–of "rape," no longer "forcible rape"–defines the crime as "penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim." The FBI would maintain data on "forcible rape" only for research and comparison.
Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), says that
"This will ensure the crime of rape is measured in a way that it includes all rape, and it essentially becomes a crime to which more resources are allocated. It's intolerable the amount of violence against women, and we feel this will have a significant impact."
The vote to change the FBI's definition of rape — to say that rape is rape — has come only after years of lobbying by groups including the Women's Law Project.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police and working groups will now consider the proposed new definition before it is passed on for review by the CJIS Advisory Policy Board (APB) in December. The APB will then make recommendation to FBI Director Robert Mueller (who has already received nearly 140,000 emails asking him to update the definition) for final approval.
The vote to say that "rape is rape" and to make sure that all rapes are counted is a major victory. It is all the more so in a year that has seen a highly publicized case about sexual assault — that of former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, charged with attempted rape by New York city hotel housekeeper Nafissatou Diallo — dropped by the Manhattan prosecutor, on the grounds that Diallo had previously lied in other instances of sworn testimony.
Last week, a French court also ruled that charges of attempted rape against Strauss-Kahn will be dropped. French writer Tristane Banon had accused Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her when she interviewed him for a book in 2003. Just on Wednesday, October 19, Banon said that she will not pursue a civil suit against him. The prosecutor had recognized that Banon was a victim of sexual assault and said that there was evidence for this, but that it could not pursue the case because the three-year statute of limitations has expired.
Banon's case and that of Diallo have led to renewed interest about feminism and groups working for women's rights in France. One such group, Paroles de Femmes, is hoping to extend the statute of limitations from three to ten years — to advocate for change that, like the FBI vote to say that rape is rape in the US, will give women the legal protections that are their right.
Related Care2 Coverage
Rape is Not a Joke – Why Doesn't Facebook Get It?
Attempted Rape Charges Dropped Against DSK in France
Mexican Gay Activist Fleeing Persecution Surfaces in San Diego
Read more: dominique strauss-kahn, DSK, fbi, feminism, feminist, ms magazine, rape, tristane banon, war on women, Women's rights
Photo by Helga Weber
Understand something about Republicans Conservative Christians! Pro Life: What it really means! Republican conservative 'jesus freaks' s want to even make abortion
illegal even if your raped and ever person running for the Republican conservative party has stated that already on TV so it's no secret, so if they become President,
their first agenda is to make it the law! They want you to keep the child that you or your 12 year old daughter had by a rapist. Gee, he goes to jail and comes out a
few years later and gets a lawyer to get him visitation rights and he shows up at your house and knocks on your door, says hello to your husband and says, I came to
visit my child!. Excuse me! You people that want this are either sick or just plain morons or did you not think this thing through to the end result. I guess you are going
to invite him in for a cup of coffee! Next, they will want you to marry your rapist!!
Very sad and terrible story. Always children and women have to pay the price for egoistic goals... Have "survived" this as child, but died inside...
"Only when the last tree has been cut down; Only when the last river has been poisoned; Only when the last fish has been caught; Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
(Native American proverb)
"We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together as brothers." (Martin Luther King)
lame. they want to redefine rape, but then others want it to be some kind of crime if I call someone a dumbass who dosen't deserve to live via the internet?
No = No and Stop = Stop appear not to be affected by this, but should continue to be taken at face value as a clear refusal of consent. This change is simply an expansion of the physical definition of what penetration constitutes rape and sounds like a sensible one: if you go in, it's rape - no matter with what, to whom or which entrance.
The only proviso of which I can think would be to clarify whether (sorry for getting graphic here) fingering is automatically included, as I can imagine circumstances when something pretty heated crosses a line. Maybe obeying a "stop that immediately" might be a legitimate defence in such circumstances?
It's long over due.
Finally! They really do need to extend the statute of limitations to 10 years. Seriously!
To extend it to male victims also is about time also! Long time coming.
No = No
Stop = Stop
It does not sound all that hard to understand.
The problem with no meaning no is that many young men are taught the "game" in which a women says no but "doesn't really mean it" This "game" must be abolished and women's sexuality must not include the "fact" that a "good girl" doesn't give in right away. Once the games are gone or when they are played with both partners knowledge maybe some things will get better. Kids are becoming sexualized much to early due to our culture, TV/advertisements and the tainted food supply (meat contains both antibiotics and growth hormones that are causing girls to prematurely go into puberty). I see girls as young as 5 years old looking like 2nd avenue whores. One has to wonder what this does to them. Not all rapes are the same. Boys and girls must both be taught early that games should only be played with both persons knowledge. This might prevent the so called "date rapes". I believe that if a women walks down the street naked she still has the right not to be raped. And our society must get over this bs of blaming the victim.
Until most people understand that rape has NOTHING to do with sex but has to do with POWER, we will continue to struggle with this horrible crime No one deserves to be raped and anyone who has been raped knows that many times they are blamed for somehow creating circumstances so the rape can happen. It really doesn't take penetration to rape someone. Ask anyone who has been repeatedly groped or had some other sexual act forced upon them. As long as there are inequalities in our society and a portion of the population holds the power rape will continue in all its forms.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Acceptance is the answer, not statistics. Thank you, Steve!
Thank you!
Columbus was not a warm and fuzzy person and is not universally revered in the Americas. He began what…
Problem on this page? Briefly let us know what isn't working for you and we'll try to make it right!


text:
Email: email@example.com
Can't find yourself? Submit your profile to the Huntsman School Alumni and Friends Directory.
B.S., Quantitative Methods and Information Systems, and Economics,St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 1984.
Ph.D., Economics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 1990
George S. Eccles Distinguished Lecturer - Monday, April 16, 2012
James Bullard is president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, positions he has held since 2008. In these roles, he participates in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and directs the activities of the Federal Reserve's Eighth District head office in St. Louis and branches in Little Rock, Ark., Louisville, Ky., and Memphis, Tenn.
An economist and monetary policy scholar, Dr. Bullard has been with the Bank since 1990. His research has appeared in numerous professional journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Monetary Economics, Macroeconomic Dynamics and the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking. He has been a peer reviewer for more than two dozen periodicals and institutions, and currently is co-editor of the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control. In addition, Bullard has participated in more than 150 conferences, symposia and lectures sponsored by foreign central banks, academic institutions and monetary policy groups around the world.
Bullard has called for the FOMC, the Fed's monetary policymaking body, to adopt state-contingent policy, which is policy that is adjusted based on the state of the economy, and to give greater consideration to headline inflation than core inflation when making monetary policy decisions. He discussed the reasons to de-emphasize core inflation in his paper "Measuring Inflation: The Core Is Rotten," published in 2011 in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' Review. In the wake of the financial crisis, he supported quantitative easing and warned about the possibility of the United States' falling into a Japanese-style deflationary trap. The latter was the subject of his paper "Seven Faces of 'The Peril'," published in 2010 in the Review.
Beyond the Fed, Bullard is an honorary professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also sits on the advisory councils of the economics department and of the Olin Business School's Center for Finance and Accounting Research. He is a member of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor's Council and serves on the boards of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association and of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
A native of Forest Lake, Minn., Bullard received his doctorate in economics from Indiana University in Bloomington. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in economics and in quantitative methods and information systems from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn.
Bullard and his wife have two children. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling and tennis.
James Bullard, President of St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, Gives George S. Eccles Distinguished Lecture (Huntsman Alumni Magazine - Fall 2012)
President James Bullard Delivers the George S. Eccles Distinguished Lecture (The Huntsman Post - May 2012)
President/CEO of St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank to Speak at USU (The Huntsman Post - April 2012)
AACSB Accredited
Shingo Institute
Partners In Business
3500 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-3500
Phone: 435.797.2272
Fax: 435.797.2399
Email: email@example.com


text:
Man denied bail over accident that killed two women
Dismissing the bail plea of a man accused in a road accident in which two women were killed, the Delhi High Court has described the case as a "sure fire recipe for courting disaster".
A bench of Justice Hima Kohli denied bail to Sidharth Grover, son of a retired bureaucrat, who was facing charges of causing death by rash and negligent driving in an accident that took place in the capital's Safdarjung Enclave Sep 5 this year.
According to the prosecution, Grover was driving a Swift Dzire car at high speed on the wrong side of the road. The prosecution also alleged that he was under the influence of alcohol.
He lost control of the vehicle and hit five people, including two women, who later succumbed to injuries.
"The evidence gathered so far reveals that on the fateful day, the petitioner was under the influence of liquor during the daytime and was found to be driving a vehicle in a rash and negligent manner on the wrong side of the road, which can only be described as a sure fire recipe for courting disaster, the consequences whereof were suffered by innocent bystanders," the court said last week in its order copies of which were made available to the media Tuesday.
Declining to give relief to the accused, the court said it cannot ignore the gravity of the offence, where two precious lives were lost and others have suffered injuries.
Grover's counsel and senior advocate Ram Jethmalani sought bail on the ground that the investigation of the case has been concluded and the charge-sheet has been filed. So, there was no compelling reason to continue the detention of the petitioner in judicial custody.
(Posted on 24-12-2013)


text:
- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
Corporate Kill Switch in Software and Smart Phones
Posted By kurtnimmo On May 16, 2011 @ 10:19 am In Big Brother,Old Infowars Posts Style,Tile | Comments Disabled
Mark Milian
May 16, 2011
When you buy a video game from Best Buy, you don't give the retailer the right to barge into your house whenever it wants. So why do we give that permission to software companies?
Most popular smartphone operating systems and other electronic gadgets include what security researchers refer to as a kill switch.
This capability enables the company that makes the operating software to send a command over the Web or wireless networks that alters or removes certain applications from devices.
Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/corporate-kill-switch-in-software-and-smart-phones/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2015 Infowars. All rights reserved.


text:
Click and drag to re-position the image, if desired.
iPhone 5 / 5S Case
Boundary: Bleed area may not be visible
Phone Case
Image Size
Click and drag to re-position the image, if desired.
Background Color
iphone cases, iphone 5 cases, sports iphone 5 cases, hockey iphone 5 cases, red wings iphone 5 cases, yzerman iphone 5 cases, detroit iphone 5 cases, sports iphone cases, hockey iphone cases, red wings iphone cases, yzerman iphone cases, detroit iphone cases
"Stevie Y" iPhone 5 case by Marlon Huynh. Ships within 2 - 3 business days. Available in vertical and horizontal orientations. The image is printed directly onto the case and wrapped around the edges for a beautiful presentation.
Protect your iPhone 5 with an impact-resistant, slim-profile, hard-shell case. The image is printed directly onto the case and wrapped around the edges for a beautiful presentation. Simply snap the case onto your iPhone 5 for instant protection and direct access to all of the phone's features!
Back View
Angled Back View
Front View
Angled Front View
Inside View
I am a Tampa native and have always lived in the Bay area. In 2001, I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Ringling College of Art and Design. I started painting in 2006 with the encouragement and guidance of a few close artistic friends. Most of my work is done in acrylic and has been displayed in several art shows in Tampa. I have always been a sports fan and have made sports the main focal point of my art. I am skilled in various media including graphite, marker, colored pencil, and acrylic. Outside of sports-themed art and caricatures, I create other works that range from the abstract to realistic portraits. Please contact me if you see something you like or want to commission a piece of art. gametimeart.com
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee.
If you've hesitated to purchase artwork online in the past, why not give us a try? You have nothing to lose!
We take great pride in the fact that artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
Customer Service: 877-807-5901
(Call Any Time - 24 Hours Per Day)
All iPhone 5 cases ship from our production facility within two business days of your order.


text:
Just Eat Organic: Cute Anthem for a Healthy Generation.
Way to be creative to get the word out about the reasons to eat organic…Gary is the CE-Yo of Stonyfield (but you may've already known that) and a local from my city, Concord, New Hampshire.
Great guy, wonderful family.
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Email us (please put title in subject bar of email so we'll be able to fix). Or do you want to write for Elephant?
{Waylon H. Lewis C Enterprises 2015: Use Rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with author.}


text: Jane Carlton | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information Official Broadway League sites: - sites - broadway.org broadwayleague.com broadwayfanclub.com kidsnightonbroadway.com stagespecs.org tonyawards.com Quick Search For: In This Category: All Show People/Org. Theatre Season Jane Carlton Performer Female Productions ProductionsDate of ProductionsJohnny, Get Your Gun[Play, Original] Performer: Jane Carlton Feb 12, 1917 - Jul 1917 Find out where Jane Carlton and are credited together © 2001-2015, The Broadway League, All Rights Reserved. (Copyright and Disclaimer)


text:
- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
North Koreans mourn the death of Kim Jong Il… as West fears show of strength from nuclear state
Posted By yihan On December 19, 2011 @ 4:57 am In Featured Stories,Old Infowars Posts Style,Tile,World News | Comments Disabled
Daily mail
Monday, December 19, 2011
North Koreans today took to the streets in a mass display of mourning following the death of the country's dictator Kim Jong Il.
The 69-year-old died of a heart attack while on a train on Saturday due to a 'great mental and physical strain' during a 'high intensity field inspection.'
The news has prompted South Korea and Japan to put their militaries on 'high alert' – with the U.S. saying it could postpone decisions on re-engaging North Korea in nuclear talks and providing it with food aid.
Observers also fear a behind-the-scenes power struggle, or nuclear instability, between the country's military and politicians – despite the announcement his third son Kim Jong Un, 28, is to be his successor.
Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/a-nation-in-tears-north-koreans-mourn-the-death-of-kim-jong-il-as-west-fears-show-of-strength-from-nuclear-states-new-leader/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2015 Infowars. All rights reserved.


text:
We can't put it off any longer. After hours of bypassing the Magic Kingdom's new Enchanted Tales with Belle interactive storytelling experience, we know that it's now or never. At least on this trip.
The sun has begun to set. My husband and I lapse into a silence that makes the nearly 45 minutes in line seem to pass even more slowly than they actually do. Only the antics of the family ahead of us — three mini Minnies among them — punctuate the monotony.


text:
Arduino Inventor Kit
The ever-growing, easy to use, fun to play with microcontroller platform! This kit from SparkFun has everything to get a beginner started with programmable electronics. It includes everything you'll need to build 14 basic circuits, including a 36-page color starter guide to walk you through your first projects.
In addition to the inventor's kit, you can also check out WiFi and Ethernet shields at the Ask Us desk at Hunt. These connect out of the box with the campus network and can considerably expand your project possibilities.
For more Arduino reference material, and projects that lie beyond the scope of the inventor's kit, check out these great resources:
Here are some regularly updated websites that we like to use for inspiration:
You can find all lendable devices at the Ask Us desk.


text:
We have over 12,000 students, from over 100 countries, within one of the safest campuses in the UK
97% of Lancaster students go into work or further study within six months of graduating
Project: Non-funded Project › Research
1/04/12 → 31/12/13
This funded research project aims to conduct a linking study, relating the listening tests of the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The study follows the methods and procedures set out in the document 'Relating language examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment' (Council of Europe, 2009). In addition, it involves an innovative research design marked by twin-panels operating synchronously, and the evaluation of the suitability of different standard setting methods for the GEPT context.
Research output: Book/Report/Proceedings › Other report


text:
Banking Law
Occupy Offshoot Buys Up Debt with Aim of Forgiveness
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Nov 15, 2012, 11:29 am CST
How magnanimous to buy up debt with other people's money and then forgive it.
By B. McLeod on 2012 11 15, 1:13 pm CST
Have they thought this through? In turn, would not these debtors have to then report the funds they received as income? If they can't afford a $150K mortgage, what makes this group think they can pay income taxes on $150K?
Nice job.
Nice job.
By ASDF on 2012 11 15, 3:34 pm CST
@2 - You're absolutely right. This could have serious tax consequences.
By Another Andy on 2012 11 15, 4:14 pm CST
@2 Mortgage Debt Relief Act allows exclusion of debt cancellation from income for your homestead. That being said, it ends this year and the group doesn't appear to even be focusing on mortgages. However, it's my understanding that the general rule is if you're insolvent you don't have to include cancelled debt as part of your income (up to the point you become solvent).
By Mole Mountain on 2012 11 15, 4:54 pm CST
If they want to pay off my law school debt I'll be happy to find a way to pay the tax.
By Myself on 2012 11 15, 4:59 pm CST
@5 - Ain't that the truth? I have spare organs, haha!
By Another Andy on 2012 11 15, 4:59 pm CST
Hint: When you buy debt at pennies on the dollar, the lender has probably given up on collecting.
By Dr Phun on 2012 11 15, 7:33 pm CST
There is no tax consequence if they don't write it off. They just hold the debt until the SOL passes and notify the debt holder that no one can collect on it going forward. I think occupy is nuts but i am ok with this.
By tim17 on 2012 11 15, 7:35 pm CST
I work with a lot of low income folks. I can assure you that there are a lot of companies that buy this junk debt and then work hard to collect. They take a lot of default actions for a few hundred or thousand dollars and then tack on a bunch of fees and costs. Apparently enough people will be hounded into paying some of it that it is cost effective.
By Desert Wren on 2012 11 15, 10:47 pm CST
I stopped paying on $20,000 of credit card debt in 2001. It has been sold too many times to count and they are still trying to collect on it even though the statute of limitations has expired and they can no longer report it to the credit bureaus.
By AWOL on 2012 11 16, 9:15 pm CST
Add a Comment
We welcome your comments, but please adhere to our comment policy.Commenting is not available in this channel entry.


text:
A farewell to NORTH
posted by Dave Allen, 1 Comment
It's certainly a cliché to write that all good things must come to an end but there are often times when it can be used in the correct context; this is one of those times. I've had a great time working with the team at NORTH but a new opportunity came my way, one that I couldn't turn down.
I have joined Beats Music, the streaming music arm of Beats By Dre, as Director, Artist & Music Industry Advocacy. This new role takes me full circle back to my professional music roots and ironically, back to advocating for new music distribution models as I did when I was General Manager for eMusic.com in 1998.
I'm not leaving Portland, and Mark and Rebecca, the principles at NORTH, are keeping the doors open to the office for me so I can jump on the office Wi-Fi whenever I get cabin fever working from home. I will also be occasionally guest blogging on the NORTH website – so we are not entirely cutting the chord.
For those who are interested I will continue to write LinkedIn Influencer articles here. I will be posting my broad cultural posts to the Beats Music blog and I'm going to attempt to keep my own website up to date. I also returned to Facebook after a year; for the record although I deleted my account a year ago, upon logging in again everything remained intact – you can never "leave" Facebook!
For everyone who read my posts and essays here on this blog I have enjoyed your comments immensely, so thanks for that support.
To the NORTH team I say au revoir "until I see you again…"
It was a good thing.


text:
For $900 they received 60 design concepts from 15 designers!
Over 40,000 of the world's best entrepreneurs and small businesses trust crowdSPRING with custom logo design, web design and writing services. 96% of them recommend that you try us too.Find out more
Starts:6-Nov-13 4:41 p.m. GMT
Ends:18-Nov-13 4:41 p.m. GMT
Award 1: $600, was awarded to MarcoDa...
Award 2: $300, was awarded to mandymo...
Vector EPS, PNG
Preview: crowdSPRING Contract
File 1: Slider_Clients.png (270.8 KB)
Uploaded on 6-Nov-13 4:30 p.m. GMT
We provide advanced planning and scheduling software to manufacturers.
1900 x 1200 pixels. High image quality.
Software and InfoTech
C-level executives, VP Operations and Planners/Schedulers for large manufacturing companies throughout the world.
There's only one, but it has multiple components: the positive impact of manufacturing on society - see first paragraph of our "we believe" statement: http://planettogether.com/webelieve/. If PlanetTogether or our solutions can be tied into it, we would really like that too...but not essential.
This could lead to more work for the winner and/or runner(s) up as we may build on this graphic design with additional pieces.
Clean, clear, original, impactful.
I would probably prefer the overall image to be bright (so not too many dark colors), but that's not absolutely necessary.
Too much darkness throughout. Some dark colors are ok.
Impactful, emotional.
Large image on home page of our new website (which is in development), print (collateral) and PPT. This may be the first piece in a series of designs for the slider on our new website.
Manufacturing and people. Possibly one of our big clients, like Johnson and Johnson, could be included but not necessary if it doesn't work. See attached file for our clients.
Name your own price, then watch as dozens of participants submit ideas and choose your favorite. Our 100% money-back guarantee makes it risk-free!
Let us match you up with one of our very best Creatives and work 1-to-1 in complete privacy. You'll have all of the same tools and features as our regular projects!


text:
Friday, April 26, 2013
I have decided to change my BUZZ schedule from Wednesday and Saturday to Tuesday and Friday.
* The CCH daily headline e-newsletter reported that "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus to Retire in 2014".
The word is this means that actual tax reform could be enacted this year, as Baucus is a vocal supporter and, according to the item "he is prepared to move tax reform before he retires".
However the critical issue is what is considered "tax reform". Unfortunately the Democrats' concept of "tax reform" is not real reform, just raising taxes on the rich and increasing the ranks of the now-famous "47%".
* David Wessel of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL provides a basic introduction to a subject I have talked about often in my discussions of tax reform - "Tax Breaks as Spending".
* Robert W Wood tells us "Harvard Law School Offers 'Tax Planning for Marijuana Dealers'---No Joke" at FORBES.COM.
* Also at FORBES.COM TaxGirl Kelly Phillips Erb gives us the news that "H&R Block Offers Apology, Cash To Make Up For Filing Snafu" –
"The tax preparation giant is offering $25 to its customers affected by the delay in processing individual tax returns claiming education credits. The $25 will be loaded onto Emerald Cards, the company's signature debit card, which is also used for taxpayer refunds."
This is a first. Usually (quite often, actually) a judge has told Henry and Richard to provide refunds and payments to its clients due to some kind of overcharge or aggressive or deceptive sales tactic. This is the first time, I believe, that H+R has voluntary offered refunds. Of course they do it via one of their products, the Emerald Card. I have often said that one of the reasons Henry and Richard charge so much is because they need the money to pay off their many legal judgements.
* Professor James Maule correctly explains that "Putting It in Writing Makes Good Tax Sense" at MAULED.COM.
* In case you are interested – "Top Individual Income Tax Rates: How Does the U.S. Compare?" from the TAX POLICY CENTER.
* Great minds do think alike. Christopher Bergin of TAX ANALYSTS tells it like it is in "Dilemma- The Earned Income Tax Credit".
"Like it or not, the EITC is welfare administered through the tax system."
And -
"But things like the EITC have no business in a system that is supposed to collect revenue to support the country. Welfare and taxes, to me, is like oil and water."
Repeat after me - having the Earned Income Credit in the Tax Code is bad tax policy and bad fiscal policy.
Posted by Robert D Flach
Labels: What's The Buzz
1 comment:
- tax brackets said...
The top 1% own 43% of America's wealth, the next 19% own 50% of America's wealth and the other 80% own SEVEN PERCENT of America's wealth. I think you may have forgotten to mention that in your little article.
Didn't forget to mention it, because it has nothing to do with who pays how much Federal income 2013 tax brackets.
2) The earners in the top income brackets are already taxed. The top 40% of income earnerspay more than anyone else does in taxes. The top 20% pay 65.3% and the top 10% pay 50% and the top 1% pay.
- April 27, 2013 at 2:22:00 PM EDT
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Visualrinse is now iPhone aware.
I have added a sweet little plug-in called iWPhone that themes this blog so that if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, you get an iPhone friendly design. Sweet huh? I did a bit of skinning so it matches the overall look of the non-iPhone site (it looks pretty close with only about 5-10 minutes of work, nice!) I'm sure that my friend Brian is puking over the fact that the "non-watered" down internet of the iPhone (he is a firm believer in the media type="handheld" CSS directive – which I do wish that the iPhone would use) needs an optimized version, but what the hell, it's my blog.
Posted on September 29, 2007


text:
Recap: Dominic Moore on TSN Radio Yesterday
Dominic Moore was a guest on TSN Radio at 3:15PM yesterday:
- Getting ready, "been working on the forehand and getting the spin going. It's just a big party."
- What is the vibe, "the chriping is half the battle. You gotta have some good trash talk. It's a great time and a great event."
- On ping pong, "anybody can play and that is the theme of the event. It's interactive and social. We are having a good time and people are enjoying it."
- How many people are in Toronto in the summer, "so many Ontario guys who grew up ehre and they are easier to come out. Guys fly in and either way I am grateful for htem to take time out of their summer. We are fortunate to have a huge lineup again this year."
- On fans at the event, "you can come right up to my face and just rip on my backhand. There are a bunch of people and that is what the event is. We awnted everyone in one run and interactive and fun."
- On the ESPYS, "I wanted to take in the experience. I had a great time."
- Do you get star struck, "Not really. I am a big Federer fan and one of the few that I would get star struck about."
- "There are a lot of picture opportunities going on. I walked the red carpet right in front of Sharapova so it was like, 'buddy get out of the way."
- On Drake as the host, "I thought he was unbelievable. I had no idea he was so funny."
- On being more of celebrity, "I never think about it, it's nice to be home and when in NY and people recognize and say hi and are excitced, it means a lot. You play for the fans at the end of the day and that is something that I have always taken pride in."
- On NY vs Toronto, "there is so much going on in NY with the other sports. The Rangers and the Yanks and Knicks, there is so much going on that it's a different vibe. You would be surprised how loyal and passionate the Ranger fans are. The die hards, and there are more than you think, have been die hards for decades and its' a different vibe than Toronto but they are similar in the way the fans are passionate."
- On the Isles moving to Brooklyn, "we will see what happens. It has to be a good thing for the Isles as an organization to move into a new facility. It's definitely not the best arena in the league but I think it will be best for everyone in the organization and the fans, I'm not an Islander fan so I can't project, but the Barclays Center is a great building from all indications but I haven't been."
- On the summer and offseason, I think that the summers get long when you don't make the playoffs. We all want to play. This year was great and then you regroup and then before you know it you are back at camp. Guys enjoy their summers too, free time in the season is tough. You put in a lot of effort throughout the year to make the playoffs and the playoffs are a battle so you need that rest."
- Cup Hangover concerns, "I think we are excited about building on the results we had this year. The margins are so small in this league and whether you made the Final or didn't make the playoffs, you have to focus on improvement and that is what we are doing as a team."
- Realignment, "I thought the playoff seedings and format worked out pretty well. I personally don't think the conference alignment is a great thing and it's unfair having more teams for less spots on one side. Hopefully it's something that can be fixed soon."
- On expansion, "I don't know. It would depend on where expansion would go and growth of the game is always a good thing. Exposing the game to more people is always good."
- On Las Vegas, "I don't know. It's a good question and an interesting place to go. It's one of the entertainment capitals of the world but there are smarter people than me making those decisions."
- I would live out in the suburbs. A suite at the Bellagio is not my style. It's Vegas for a reason and entertainment is in all different forms.
Moore has been on the radio in the last few weeks to promote Smashfest.


text: For an L.A. book party, she chose a strapless Louis Vuitton dress and Christian Louboutin Annees Folles heels. "If you were to ask me last year what kind of dress I prefer, I probably would have said long," Lopez told Us in April. "Now I'd say short." She has shed 50 pounds since the twins' birth.