text:
NEC launches five AccuSync, MultiSync HDTVs
updated 11:25 am EDT, Thu September 6, 2007
NEC Residential Series
NEC on Thursday took a further step into becoming a genuine HDTV producer with five new LCD sets. First is the completely new MultiSync Residential series; the 40-inch SC40 and its larger cousin the 46-inch SC46both display 1080p but are said to have an edge over most home HD sets with an in-house signal processor which NEC claims produces better images; officially, however, the company nets 1,000:1 and 1,200:1 static contrast ratios respectively with 8ms pixel response. Both screens are built with custom home theaters as an option and can be plugged in either through HDMI or HDCP-encrypted DVI as well as legacy component video. ATSC TV tuning is optional, NEC says. Both ship today at $3,300 for the SC40 and $4,200 for the SC46.
Three sets also kick off the launch of the AccuSync Residential series. Capped at a 720p resolution, the 32-inch PV32, 40-inch PV40, and 46-inch PV46 compensate with a much higher 5,000:1 contrast ratio and an integrated ATSC tuner. The PV46 is one of the most complete HDTVs in its class, according to the company: a removable 50-watt speaker system with simulated 3D sound are strong enough to replace stand-alone speakers in tighter environments. Every set should be available today at prices of $900 for the 32-inch model, $1,400 for the 40-inch version, and $2,000 for the largest set.


text:
Our favorite file storage app-shoots files to the iPhone's flash memory via Wi-Fi for storage, transport, and easy retrieval. »
Our favorite file storage app-shoots files to the iPhone's flash memory via Wi-Fi for storage, transport, and easy retrieval. »
Amazon's usually the first place I look during a fit of impulse buying, which their iPhone app now makes stupidly easy. »
Terribly violent little casual game, to birds. A terrible addictive little casual game, to humans. »
More free radio content than any actual radio could ever have. Tailored radio stations are great, sure, but old-fashioned programmed stations—AOL Radio's specialty—have their charms. »
An exceptionally shiny first person shooter optimized for the iPhone 4, with slick, functional controls. »
It's the first panorama app I've seen that doesn't limit the image size to the camera size. You can paste together some seriously large photos with this. »
Generative, ambient music by Brian Eno. If I need to say more, it's also a mini-sequencer: Drop your finger on the liquidy pastel screen, play a note, make simple loops. Music For Airports that you can make yourself. In an airport, even. »
A lot of people buy Nintendo DSes for the sole purpose of having those Dr. Kawashima-approved brain-training games at hand. With this app, you get the exact same mind-juicing benefits for a few bucks, on hardware you already carry. »
There's a lot of overlap in camera apps, so interface and novel features are generally what determine the best. (I like Snapture.) But Camera Plus Pro, already a great alternative camera app, now records video, which it competitors generally don't. »
OK, very cool for Chase customers, not quite as cool for everyone else, but the latest update to Chase's app lets you take deposit checks by snapping pictures of them with your iPhone. »
You know the App Store needs an overhaul when apps like Chorus, which help you find other apps, are necessary. But alas, they are. »
Plenty of apps can technically deal with unit conversions as well as ConvertBot can, but none of them have its fantastic, super-fast interface. »
I imagine there's a huge group of people, like me, who don't keep fastidious hour-to-hour calendars on Google or Outlook or whatever but whose days could benefit from a little more organization. »
What's the one thing I learned from playing Dreamscape? Popping bubbles is incredibly satisfying, even when those bubbles are fake. »
The only cooking app you really need. With its thousands of recipes, shopping list feature and meal suggestions, Epicurious will make you at least look like a passable cook. »

subset: commoncrawl


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System Analyst/Java Norcross, GA
Brandon Vince
Joined: Jun 15, 2005
Posts: 10
Aug 04, 2005 07:19:00
Our client is one of the leading distributors of paper, packaging and facility supplies in North America, offering the most comprehensive suite of products and services in the industry. As the 18th largest private company in the U.S., the company is financially strong and well-positioned for growth.
Position Summary
This position is located in Norcross, Georgia.
The client is seeking to supplement existing applications development resources with a technical person having strong applications development experience in a
environment. An ideal candidate will have recent experience enhancing and supporting mission-critical, enterprise web solutions. These solutions are built and maintained by a high profile technical team having a direct impact on business productivity and success. Familiarity with eCommerce concepts and system integration and performance optimization strategies are very helpful. Technolgies used currently or planned include Java, Broadvision,
, Apache,
, Oracle 9i, Eclipse, HP/UX, MQ Series, WebMethods and others.
A Systems Analyst is responsible for analysis, development and support for computer software to meet the needs of business operations. He/she will understand business requirements, communicate effectively with technical and non-technical resources, and enhance/construct target solutions. The individual in this position has a detailed understanding of the organization (s) being supported, Information Technology's role in the business mission and operational procedures. He/She has specialized knowledge in one or more technical areas consistent with the nature of the application environment. This position may include roles in vendor management.
Job Responsibilities
- Hands on programming,
and implementation
- Conduct analysis and author designs per IT project tasks
- Assist in evaluating and coordinating technical strategies (but not architecting those strategies)
- Help to establish time/effort estimations and acceptable quality measurements
- Evaluate the impact of design decisions on code, database and technical environments
- Evaluate interaction between various systems and business strategies
- Support and maintain system integrity
- Create documentation and designs in either Word or Visio
- Complete other related duties and responsibilities as required or assigned
- Bachelor's degree (BS or BA) preferably in Computer Science or Information Systems
- 3-5 years of professional experience
- Solid background and skill in Java programming should include experience with web applications (
), Web Services, Object Oriented Analysis and Design
- Expertise developing solutions using Oracle 9i and PL/SQL
- Strong verbal skills, well-organized written communication skills and an ability to communicate effectively with audiences of various career levels and technical proficiency; candidate will be communicating on a daily basis with Business Analysts and Project Managers
- Ability to prosper in, and contribute to, a high performing team environment
- Must be self-motivated
- Ideal candidate will have an aptitude for researching technical content (including source code) and developing an understanding of complex systems
Preferred Skills:
- BroadVision or Enterprise Java technologies
Brandon Vince

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Piermont, New York
A short section of Piermont's long pier, the village's most prominent physical feature
Location in Rockland County and the state of New York.
|Rockland County and the state of New York.
|Coordinates: 41°2′26″N 73°55′8″W / 41.04056°N 73.91889°WCoordinates: 41°2′26″N 73°55′8″W / 41.04056°N 73.91889°W
|United States
|New York
|• Mayor
|Christoph D. Sanders
|• Total
|1.1 sq mi (3.0 km2)
|• Land
|0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2)
|• Water
|0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
|95 ft (29 m)
|Population (2010)
|• Total
|• Density
|2,300/sq mi (840/km2)
|Time zone
|Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
|• Summer (DST)
|ZIP code
|Area code(s)
|845 Exchange: 359
|FIPS code
|GNIS feature ID
Piermont is a village incorporated in 1847 in Rockland County, New York, United States. Piermont is in the town of Orangetown, located north of the hamlet of Palisades, east of Sparkill, and south of Grand View-on-Hudson, on the west bank of the Hudson River. The population was 2,510 at the 2010 census.[2] Woody Allen set The Purple Rose of Cairo, a fictional film within The Purple Rose of Cairo (1984) in Piermont.
The village's name, in earlier years known as Tappan Landing, was given by Dr. Eleazar Lord, author, educator, deacon of the First Protestant Dutch Church and first president of the Erie Railroad. It was derived by combining a local natural feature – Tallman Mountain – and the most prominent man-made feature of the village – the long Erie Railroad pier.
Sparkill Creek cuts through the north end of the Hudson Palisades, providing easy access to the fertile valley of the unnavigable upper Hackensack River. "Tappan Landing," "Tappan Slote", or "Taulman Landing," as the little port on the Hudson River was called,[1] thus became the original port for southern Orange County. The valley in the Palisades created by the creek also provided a way for the Erie Railroad to easily reach the Hudson, and the railroad built a long pier in 1839 as its principal terminal. The pier and the nearby mountains suggested a new name for the community, which was incorporated as a village in 1850. During World War II the pier was the ferry terminal to which troops from Camp Shanks marched and were then transported to New York Port of Embarkation piers for transfer to overseas transports bound for the European Theater.[3] A memorial plaque notes that history at the pier.[3]
Late in the 20th century, Piermont became a modest tourist attraction for day-trippers from New York City, particularly those bicycling on Bike Route 9.
Piermont Station[edit]
Piermont Railroad Station, located on Ash Street, is a Victorian Stick style structure built in 1873 which served as Piermont's stop for the former Erie Railroad line, which went from Nyack, New York, to Jersey City, New Jersey. The Erie Railroad line stopped running through Piermont in 1966. The rail branch was abandoned in the 1970s as a result of railroad consolidation.
The exterior of the building was renovated to its original architecture and French gray, light-green and oxide-red color scheme in 2006 by the Piermont Historical Society. They replaced the roof and installed a new 9-foot (2.7 m) cupola. The train station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Piermont Fire Department[edit]
Piermont Fire Department, Rockland County department 13, is an all-volunteer fire department, providing fire, EMS, and water rescue services, and is located on Main Street. Piermont is one of the few districts in Rockland County having a Dive Rescue team, providing water rescue services from the Tappan Zee Bridge to the Palisades.
Piermont hand-cranked drawbridge[edit]
The Piermont hand-cranked drawbridge, also known as the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge, was originally built in 1880 by the King Iron Bridge Company, a company from Cleveland, Ohio, that constructed more than 10,000 bridges over six decades. The hand-cranked drawbridge is used as a pedestrian walkway providing a link to Tallman Mountain State Park. This bridge is the only hand-cranked drawbridge in Rockland County and perhaps in the United States. Back in the day, fishermen on sloops heading up and down the creek got out of their vessel, cranked up the drawbridge, sailed across, got out of their vessel and cranked down the drawbridge for vehicular traffic. The whole bridge was dismantled piece by piece, sent off-site for restoration and restored to its original state after a complete forensic analysis. Allan King Sloan, the great-great-grandson of the company's founder, provided some of the information that is on the historical marker nearby and attended the dedication ceremony on August 7, 2009.
Piermont is located at 41°2′26″N 73°55′8″W / 41.04056°N 73.91889°W (41.040623, -73.918788).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), or 41.74%, is water.
Piermont is on the west bank of the Hudson River, south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
|Historical population
|Est. 2014
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 2,607 people, 1,189 households, and 672 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,878.9 people per square mile (1,502.3/km²). There were 1,320 housing units at an average density of 1,964.0 per square mile (760.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 78.75% White, 4.72% Black, 0.19% Native American, 7.79% Asian, 5.49% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.62% of the population.
There were 1,189 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the village the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $61,591, and the median income for a family was $89,846. Males had a median income of $50,659 versus $43,176 for females. The per capita income for the village was $43,731. About 3.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents[edit]
- John W. Ferdon (December 13, 1826 – August 5, 1884) Served in the United States House of Representatives, New York State Assembly (Rockland Co.) and New York State Senate (7th D.).
- Paul E. Olsen, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and member of the National Academy of Sciences
- Alfred Bristol, A 100-year-old World War II veteran of Piermont who served his country in a segregated Army unit is the recipient of this year's Rockland County Buffalo Soldier Award. The award, presented since 1993, is named after the black 10th Cavalry Regiment that was stationed near the railroad construction camps of the Kansas Frontier in 1867. Regiment members were nicknamed "Buffalo Soldiers" by the Plains Indians, based on their exceptional and fearsome fighting reputation. They were never defeated during 23 years of service in the Indian Wars, from 1867 to 1890. Bristol enlisted in the segregated New York Army National Guard in 1931. He belonged to the "Harlem Hellfighters," the nickname for the 369th Infantry Regiment, which was later reorganized into the 369th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion and was sent to the Pacific during World War II. It participated in the 10th Army Division's invasion and occupation of Okinawa, a Japanese stronghold, in 1945. Upon completing Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, a rarity for blacks at the time. Bristol and his wife, Carolyn, who married in 1941, moved to Shanks Village in Orangeburg after World War II where Bristol organized meetings, dances, parades and the 25-cent "Shanks Carpool" to and from New York City. Bristol played a role in the creation of Tappan Public Library and from 1963 to 1995 served as a trustee and president of the library's board. In 1967, he organized the Art for the Mountain auction to help save Clausland Mountain from development, with the 550-acre site later becoming a county park.
- Grady Anderson of Nanuet, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and the 1996 award recipient, stated "The purpose was to honor African-American unsung heroes in Rockland County who served in the military and, like their predecessors, experienced the wrath of racism, and were successful in their fields and for giving back to the community," Anderson said.
- Army veteran David Smith of Montebello, who saw combat in Vietnam and was the 1994 award recipient, thanked Bristol "for allowing me and others to climb up your back, for the path that you laid for us. So I say that with appreciation, affection and love, and I'll salute you again, sir."
Historical markers[edit]
- Bogertown - 102 Paradise Avenue
- Sneden House - 38 Paradise Avenue
- Dederer Stone House or Stonehurst
Landmarks and places of interest[edit]
- Dederer Stone House or Stonehurst
- Eleanor Stroud Park - A pond and small surrounding park next to Sparkill Creek and under the U.S. Route 9W viaduct. The park is named after a woman who lived near the pond on Ferdon Avenue.[8] For decades she looked after the children who ice skated at the pond and served hot chocolate, coffee, hot dogs and cookies from a nearby shed. The pond is free to the public and open until 9 PM every day the green signal flag is posted.
- Haddock's Hall - 300 Ferdon Avenue (NRHP)
- "Last Stop USA" memorial statue that honors the soldiers that died in World War II. Piermont Pier was the area of disembarkation for soldiers heading to Europe.
- Onderdonk House - 758 Piermont Avenue (NRHP)
- Piermont Railroad Station - Ash Street (NRHP)
- The Piermont Historical Society
- Rockland Road Bridge- between Piermont & Ferdon Avenue. (NRHP)
- Sneden House - 38 Paradise Avenue
- Sparkill Creek Drawbridge- Bridge Street (NRHP)
- Swamp Church - Carteret Avenue (St Charles A. M. E. Zion Church) In 1865 the black community around the Slote attended the Swamp Church at Skunk Hollow pastored by "Reverend Billy" Thompson.
- Happy Dog Gallery- 2 Roundhouse Rd, Piermont, NY- open to the public 845-365-0906
- Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library
- Piermont Rowing Club
- Piermont Chess Club
- Piermont Historical Society
Official Website of the Village of Piermont
- ^ a b "Piermont". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Piermont village, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ^ a b The Sunday Gazette (June 5, 1994), p. G2.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Lower Hudson.com Eleanor Stroud Park
- "D-Day embarkation camp recalled in "minimuseum"". The Sunday Gazette (Schenectady, New York: The Daily Gazette). June 5, 1994. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piermont, New York.
- Mayor: Memorial on Piermont Pier a Tribute to All Our Troops
- Piermont Fire Department
- Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library
- Piermont Historical Society
- A Very Brief History of Piermont, by Piermont Public Library


text:
Women's Center
University of Idaho
Memorial Gym, Rm 109
Fax: 208.885.6285
Mailing Address:
Women's Center
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 1064
Moscow, ID 83844-1064
This academic year, the University of Idaho Women's Center is celebrating 40 years of working for gender equity!
The Women's Center was founded in 1972 to address the high attrition rates of female students on campus. Since then, the Women's Center's role and purpose has evolved to include a breadth of programming and outreach that addresses the contemporary issues U-Idaho students are now facing. Women's Centers exist because gender equity has not been achieved in any country around the world.
Women still earn less than their male peers, with women of color facing an even larger pay gap. Women hold fewer tenured faculty positions and continue to be underrepresented in many fields, which has a direct impact on female students within our own colleges and departments. During the Fall 2012 semester, we hosted a series of special programs honoring the hard work of the many individuals and groups who have been involved in creating and sustaining the Women's Center over the past four decades.
40th Anniversary Events:
For more information on the Women's Center, Gloria Steinem's visit and related events, please visit the Women's Center's website, or contact the Women's Center at (208) 885-6616 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
14th Documentary in Europe
July 7 - 10, 2010
Bardonecchia / Italy
The Documentary in Europe programme includes:
A pitching workshop & session with 15 international financiers present
Match making sessions for new talents
Master classes
Screenings and case studies on new international documentaries
Great networking opportunities
As part of its programme, the 2010 Documentary in Europe will screen 7 East European documentary films:
July 8, 2010 / 13:30 - 14:45 (Sala Giolitti)
Poland 2008, 25 min
D: Marcin Koszalka
The story of a lonely, 53-year-old psychiatrist living with his severely overprotective mother. When a woman steps into the picture, a bad conflict breaks out. After years of sexual abstinence, Ewa brings out the man in him. His mother yells, 'Wake up, you're fifty- three!". He answers in St. Paul's words, 'Children obey your parents, honour thy father and thy mother and ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.
East Silver 2009
Poland 2009, 18 min
D: Marcin Janos Krawczyk
Due to different life situations there are mothers who do not want or those who cannot bring up their children. They have the right to give the child away just after delivery. During the first six weeks of the newborn's life the mother has to make the decision about the definit resignation of her parental rights. She is free in making her decision however the decision she makes cannot be changed afterwards. A biological mother loses any contact with her child. She can only write a final letter to the child. The film shows in a poetical way the first six weeks of the small human being who was given away.
East Silver 2009 / Silver Eye Award 2009
Czech Republic 2009, 27 min
D: Jan Gogola ml.
The diary of a grandmother from the Prague neighborhood of Zbraslav as a diary of eternity.Using informal language, for five years grandmother Alena Němcová from Zbraslav has been writing down weather forecasts, dreams, morning exercise, cooking, regular house bustle, global events as well as notes concerning relationships, religion and the general spirit of the age – matters of a private, family, social, real and also surreal nature. The film captures the life in her house, as a place that could represent a slice of the world and merge various events and connections, both of a daily and timeless nature. It points out that banality can indeed be part of our perception but not of the world itself. The device is just a change of banality to singularity.
Breathless - Dominance of the Moment / Docu Talents From the East 2009 / East Silver 2009
July 9, 2010 / 13:30 - 15:00 (Sala Giolitti)
Hungary 2008, 20 min
D: Gyula Nemes
The life, demolition and reconstruction of the Kopaszi dam between 1998 and 2007. A mostly black & white 35mm documentary shot over ten years in a forgotten landscape in the center of Budapest. People living in houseboats and wooden houses, struggling against flood, snow and investors who want them to evict. The second part of The Dike of Transience.
Ex Oriente Film 2005 / East European Forum 2005 / East Silver 2008
Austria, Macedonia, Croatia, USA, 2009, 76 min
D: Atanas Georgiev
In Vienna, two immigrants from Eastern Europe go to any length to find an Austrian woman consenting to a marriage of convenience. In Vienna, two immigrants from Eastern Europe go to any length to find an Austrian woman consenting to a marriage of convenience. "Will you marry me?" is what is written on the slips of paper that Atanas and Marko are handing out to women in Vienna. These two enterprising Macedonians have hatched a plan to buy a bride and secure a passport to the European Union. Their journey is a delightful romp through Vienna's colleges, metro stations, and red light districts with poignant glimpses of what lies beyond the fringes. Eventually they meet Barbara, a young communist who is willing to marry Atanas on political and compassionate grounds, but pursuing a marriage without love proves to be more challenging than anyone expects. The bureaucratic and psychological barriers that these hapless heroes face only highlights how modern day Europe is struggling to be redefined by its burgeoning immigrant underclass.
Ex Oriente Film 2006 / East European Forum 2006 / Docu Talents from the East 2006 / East Silver 2009
July 10, 2010 / 13:30 - 15:00 (Sala Giolitti)
Slovakia 2009, 23 min
D: Miro Remo
The film is a story of a mother and her son Lubos who lives in a world turned upside-down, or, arsy-versy. Lubos broke free from the world as generally conceived by others to arrive at the supreme human-nature symbiosis; he flew away to a planet purely inhabited by butterflies - intelligent beings. The sole focus of his life energy, enriched by a great deal of empathy, is being chanelled into his amateur photography and film making, the climax of his fascination with natural phenomenona being his unique study of bats. By way of communicating with the upside-down creatures he is fascinated with, he attempts to achieve the utmost understanding between man and beast. He is assisted by his mother who has been a great support to him, but is now apprehensive about her son's future. "What will become of the kid?" she wonders. Those who "knew" him thought him lost up to the moment they saw the arsy-versy film; now it's them who are losing it!
East Silver 2009
Slovakia 2008, 77 min
D: Juraj Lehotský
It is very often difficult for us, those who can see, to find our true fulfillment and happiness in the world. The more complicated, but maybe the more interesting this journey might be for the blind. Their perspective of the world is much more essential and sincere in many ways, and it often uncovers the invisible dimensions of the world. This film is about love amongst the blind and about the different forms it can take. The main protagonists are people who were born blind and they have been living in a world of their own since ever. This world is often filled with unusual visions, perceptions and dreams. It is through the lives of four different characters in the film, through which we are presented different kinds of love experience.
Ex Oriente Film 2006 / East European Forum 2006 / East Silver 2008


text:
'The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for
you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet
somewhere. They're in each other all along.'
-Maulana Jalalu'ddin Rumi
pt 1
"Let me take you back to the beginning, about six years ago," Duncan said to Nicci, sitting back in his chair.
Brougeshire had a summer program for the arts the year I graduated from university. I was on the aged end of the enrollees, but my agent suggested it to me. We were waiting on a few call backs so there was no point in getting rusty. I met Kaye on the bus ride there. She had a photography scholarship. She was a tall, thin ginger girl, a wee bit on the eccentric/immature side. Kaye recently graduated from secondary school and was using Brougeshire to segue to higher learning. Despite her general cleverness, her interpersonal relationship skills lacked considerably. At least that was the excuse I used for her when she dominated the conversation. Kaye was very nice, but lavished in attention.
We parted when the bus stopped. Her dormitory was set across the pond from mine. My dorm was in a renovated loft brownstone in the actor's villa. The multi-storied building kept four apartments per house with three to four flatmates. The main living area's walls were sectioned off. They were assigned to each resident for decoration. I had no desire. I came to visit Kaye several times that first week. She was staying in a pale purple Victorian. We were going through some portraits she had been taking. They were spread out all over the table. There was one girl I couldn't keep my eyes off. I was pretending to critique it, but I fancied stealing this one. Her housemates were gone this evening. I had some good news.
"How exciting," she squealed like a school girl.
"It's nothing." I laughed. I lied. My manager had called that afternoon. I won Touchstone in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company. We didn't have any champagne, but Kaye had a few cans of Tizer. The cans crackled and hissed as we popped them open. An unexpected balloon broke through the window. Blobs of green paint sprayed through Kaye's hair and the front of my shirt and all over the face of the picture. "What was that!?" I tried blotting it up some, hopefully there was no permanent damage.
She brushed out her hair. "The Art kids. They're having a paint fight." She jumped off the couch, slamming the Tizer on the floor. I followed, swatting at the muck on my shirt. She was out the door laughing. I lost her. I was a little put off by her erratic behavior. It was easy to forget how young Kaye was. Her intelligence concealed her callow nature. I took a few steps off the porch. A little green monster ran straight into me.
She giggled. "Oh, sorry. You're much too dry." She was short, not just shorter then I by comparison. "Lean down." I did. It was a clumsy feat, but she kissed my cheek, leaving green lips on my face. She drew stems from my own lips to hers from the paint dripping off her body. "Now you have two lips tulips." She dashed off. What was that? I touched my cheek.
"Why don't you hang something up?" Kaye asked, noting the blank wall in my dorm. Apparently the O in my last name was lacking in happiness. She drew a smile in it. I was sprawled out on the couch reading lines.
"I could hang one of yours." I offered.
"I suppose we could arrange something." Her face lit up "Oh! I have a cracking picture from holiday in Paris. It was from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I swear you can see the curve of the Earth." She clapped.
"I dunno," I rubbed my ear. I tried veering the conversation to that picture from last night.
"Right, I'll let you pick one out." She turned on her heel. "I've got to get to my next activity. Bye." All of our encounters seemed to start and stop abruptly. I had an activity myself, but waited a moment. I looked at my name on the wall. 'Duncan McDowell' was quite happy now. I imagined the girl from Kaye's portrait.
"Or as the Destinies decrees," I dog-eared the page and left. Lines ran in my head. I walked the skirt of the pond towards the open air theater. Dancers rehearsed on the opposite shore. An easel had been abandoned at the edge of the water further down from them. At least I thought it was abandoned until the student returned. It was her. The painter was the girl from Kaye's picture. I was intuitively drawn to her. She took my attention from the path. My foot planted in the water. It was cold.
Nolla DiCapri. She was just about five three, long curly brown hair, rich brown eyes. She was American. She was distracting. I drilled Kaye for anything about her. Kaye thought it was the funniest thing in the world. The two had one art class together, but Nolla dropped it. That was where the profile exercise came from. Luckily, Kaye lived in the dorm across from Nolla's. I began spending more and more time at Kaye's.
"Zo oo iz Kaye zuppoze do kwepkwezent?" Her French accent was thick. She asked 'So who is Kaye suppose to represent?' She looked over her sun glasses with a sly smile.
"It doesn't matter," Duncan looked around, shifting miserably in his chair. They were sitting in a little bistro outside of Versailles. His lunch remained untouched. "We're wrapping up next week."
"Gud, wee'll 'ave more time togkether." She took his hand. He pulled back.
"I'm going home afterwards. I don't think we should see each other again." She splashed water in his face. Nicci wasn't supposed to be a fling. It was the same old story. Life was already difficult being a recognizable actor. Every move made headlines. He was known for short relationships, they labeled him a playboy. The truth was more bizarre. For the past six years Duncan was very sure he was going insane. He feared becoming introverted, but couldn't help it. He dreamed the same dream night after night. It wasn't recurring, it was continuous. There was a story in his head that progressed with or without him. It was a second life. It was an ordinary life that mirrored his, but it was better. The better part was Nolladee. That was his nickname for her. All women were compared to her. Duncan wasn't in the habit of talking about his dream, but over the past year or so he had developed a strong, insatiable hunger for Nolla. It began dull enough, but the feeling exploded and expanded to a breaking point. Last night through the throws of passion Duncan called out Nolla's name. He thought it only fair to explain to Nicci why. Now he was soaked in his own conviction, contemplating professional help.
pt 2
He didn't think I noticed him. I did. How could I not? He towered over me about a foot. Duncan's hair was sandy brown, his eyes were light brown. He had a soft, warm Scottish accent. His smile took center stage. It could light up a room. He stumbled into the pond where my easel had been set up. I painted him, but didn't put him in the water. He was walking on it. Many times I wanted to approach Duncan, but was sure he was tied up with that Kaye girl. I noticed him quite often in passing, but we never spoke. He noticed me too. Whenever our gaze caught my eyes peeled away. Most of the time I think his didn't. He practiced what I could only imagine was Shakespeare at night on the stage outside. When I was feeling courageous I would sneak under the bleachers and listen. Lord knows I didn't understand the words, but I just knew he was perfect. On those nights I promised myself I would talk to him, but I never could.
I remember the first time we really talked. The end of the summer session was coming. I love autumn. The season was a feast for the senses. The trees were turning brilliant warm hues and wept cyclones of the happier side of the rainbow. The wind playfully tugged at my hair, pulling it in all directions. Sometimes I'd rather drift with the leaves. Flavored air rolled across my tongue. It was damp, crisp, and with a hint of nutmeg. Maybe not nutmeg, but I always associate that spice with the fall. The walk back to my dorm was beautiful no matter the season. The path was wooded with tall trees lined so closely they made their own corridor. During the summer the sky was completely blotted out, but now it fought its way through balding spots. The leaves crunched up under my feet. I kicked at them a little. I liked how they scattered. This was nature's red carpet. I was alone. I skipped a little. I was dancing with the wind. Duncan was leaning a shoulder against the tree. He was far enough away where the walk should have been awkward. I didn't feel that way though. I wanted him to watch me. My movements became more exaggerated. He smiled. My knees went to jelly and my stomach soured, so I walked straight by.
"Really?" He uttered.
I looked back at him, mustering courage. "You got rid of the two lips tulips."
He touched his cheek. "That was you?" I shook my head. "Sorry, you looked different back then. Did you do something different with your hair?"
"I dyed it back to brown, green didn't suit me." Humor faded to silence a moment. I wasn't sure what to do next.
"Can I walk you somewhere?" I hung from those words. His voice was sweet and smooth, unlike any I had heard before. It warmed me.
"What about your girlfriend? Kaye?"
"She's over there." He pointed over my shoulder. I looked back. A camera was glued to her eye and trained on us. "She's not my girlfriend."
"Are we being photographed?"
"Do you want it to stop?"
"No." I stuck out my hand to introduce. He took it. We both felt a little shock of electricity. It jumped through our hands to our hearts. It hit our stomachs like the apex of a roller coaster.
"My name is Nolla DiCapri."
"I know. I'm Duncan McDowell."
"I know."
She approached. My body compressed. It lied with cool composure. I begged to be special to her, notice me, please. Also, I wanted to run. I wanted to kiss her. My knees nearly failed, but I was pinned against the tree. My heart raced and swelled excitedly. I thought perhaps I'd die before she arrived. The feeling made my head spin in the best way. Nolla, my beautiful angel, with you I could own the world. I could fly to the highest atmosphere and sing your wonderful name and plummet to earth with only one tenth the ecstasy I feel when you are near. The early autumn leaves bowed to the lady of my dreams, ashamed with their own ugliness by comparison. A daring gust blew back her gorgeous tresses exposing creamy flesh on the most desirable neck in all of God's creation. A smile crept across my face. I couldn't help it if I wanted to. Our eyes connected through the space between her and I and the tree. My heart beat through my ribs to my throat. Her entire, eternal stride towards me our eyes were cabled. Nolla's movements were elegant. She sauntered through the leaves most eloquently straight by. Had I seen what I had? Was the connection simply a farce?
"Really?" I whispered out loud.
"You got rid of the two lips tulips."
I wanted to know everything about her. I pried beyond politeness. She always answered and never chastised. It was true that what first stuck me about Nolla was her beauty, but she exuded a beauteous nature as well. She was intelligent and kind, warm and loving. I wanted her to be warm and loving to me as well.
"Well, jelly beans are the king of all candy, and jelly bellies are the king of all jelly beans and black jelly bellies top them all."
"I'm glad you explained the hierarchy. I wouldn't want to offend any sweets."
"They do get nasty about being snubbed."
"If I could go back in time I would meet Shakespeare."
"I wouldn't know what he was saying. I did terrible in Brit. Lit." She chewed her lip, suddenly self conscious. "British Literature," she clarified sheepishly as though I'd be offended. I just chuckled.
"What's your favorite flower?"
Her face twisted while deciding. "I like how roses smell the best, but Tiger Lilies are my favorite to look at. They don't smell particularly nice though." We went on and on talking about nothing. It was the best conversation I ever had. I bowed to her once to kiss her. It was clearly unpracticed. I told myself we would get better in time.
It was the last day of summer session. Duncan and I were avid hand holders. I visited his dorm. It was much more modern than mine. I wanted to help him pack. He was done, I knew, but I needed to see him. Two of his roommates sat on the communal couch. I didn't understand what they were saying. They were speaking Welsh. I noticed the walls. One was plastered with my image. I walked up to it without having been invited. Most were taken by Kaye.
"Dichon fi help ti?" One asked. I bit my lip and shrugged. "Brythoneg?" He pressed.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"American," he concluded. "Can I help you?"
"Duncan?" I asked.
"Kitchen," he pointed to the next room.
"Thank you."
"You're pictures girl." The other piped in. I blushed. "He talk about you since one day." His English wasn't as good. "No stop." His hand opened and closed like a mouth. I smiled. "How you kiss?" The question was odd, but his hand gesture suggested it was related to our heights. I didn't answer, just left the room. Duncan leaned into the fridge.
"Ahem." I coughed quietly. He looked up and smiled.
pt 3
"Nolla, can you hear me? It's Andrew."
"The thing is, there is no such place as Brougeshire. It looked like a combination, park, university, and summer camp and I played Touchstone years after university. My flatmates were Welsh, but I've never studied in Wales. Even though it was summer it always looks autumn. I can smell nutmeg. It's been my favorite scent since the dream started." Duncan explained.
"Perhaps, the smell triggers your dreams."
"I don't want to lose these dreams." He looked desperate to the doctor.
"No one knows why we dream or what makes them up." His tone was clinical. For the past few weeks Duncan visited the doctor. Talking about Nolla made her feel real. He realized that with Nicci. He decided this was the safest format. "Unofficially, I can suggest carrying around a vial of nutmeg." He looked at his watch. "And, unfortunately, our time here is up, but I really do want to further this discussion with you next week." Duncan stood from the soft leather chair. He took his hat and coat from the back of the door. He unfolded sunglasses and slipped them on. They were to cloak his identity. The past few weeks ate away at Duncan. It started a few Thursdays ago. The day had been particularly stressful. The hour was late by the time he arrived home. He rushed off to bed for his favorite part of the day, but no dream came. When Friday morning came he lingered in bed. He tried to force a dream. He voiced internally what should happen next. It felt so artificial. Disgusted, he rolled out of bed. There were no dreams on Friday night either. He spent all of Saturday sitting on his couch. The TV was off. He was staring into space.
He rubbed his eyes. "Nolladee. Did we break up?"
Things seemed to balance for an hour. He caught a quick cat nap. Nolla was sitting on the beach at Stony Creek. She was sipping some coffee. Fresh ground Nutmeg spiced her drink. Duncan sat beside her.
"I missed you." She offered him her cup. He took a whiff and smiled. He didn't like the taste, but liked the smell.
Duncan awoke at four in the morning. He left the house and drove around to find any place that was still open. He needed to purchase some nutmeg. It was Monday by the time the dreams had come back.
She returned to America for her last year at University. Nolla promised to come back after that. It was a tough year, but we called once a week and wrote daily. She sent me a painting for Christmas. With my gift I enclosed a play bill I signed. She couldn't be there, but I always played to her. There were more productions and more roles. Mid-spring sprang. Nolla would be here any day. I was doing my final performance as Captain Jack Absolute in The Rivals. I accepted a role from the BBC. I wanted to branch out. I would never leave the stage for long. Hundreds of people showed up to see me off. I made a bit of a name for myself and enjoyed a small following.
There was no shadow in my mind when our eyes met. I felt that same spark from our first touch. Her beauty over threw me. The stage completely melted away. Nolla and I were alone. My chin rested on her head. Her cheek rested against my chest. We rocked back and forth as we embraced. I missed her so much. It was a feeling I began to cope with over the last year. I was angry I could adapt to it, because when Nolla was there, really there before my eyes, I knew how lonely this last year truly was. The hug was a fantasy. I had stopped the play. Nolla nodded slowly. She smiled. I cleared my throat and continued. Tonight is for you, I thought.
One year away from him absolutely killed me. Duncan was the most precious thing in the world to me, but in reality we lived on different sides of the world. I knew my heart would be true, but how miserable is a letter compared to a person? It wouldn't be fair to him. I couldn't move here. My whole life is in America. I couldn't ask him to move home. His life was here. He was also getting noticed on a regular basis. Girls asked him for his autograph. It would be no time before he would find someone more accessible. I came to England to tell him in person that we had no future.
I never had the courage to put him down and so I didn't, not on the first night. Seeing him on stage re-lit my feelings.
It was late. The sky was purple. We sat on the beach at Stony Creek staring out to the Thimble Islands. Our hands met. "I want you to stay here. I'll be so alone without you. I can only imagine how you feel."
"I want you to come home with me." I stated.
"I will."
"Don't tease."
"I'm not. I'll leave with you. When you go home, I'll come with you."
"You can't. You're gonna be on TV."
"I don't care. Marry me."
"What? Really?" I pulled my hand away. None of that statement was properly thought out. "You can't guilt me into staying." He took my hand back and kissed me. It was like a symphony swelling up.
"She told me she planned to leave me. The ocean was much too large." Duncan stared off.
"This is a terrible dream. You should have forced her to stay. You're in control aren't you?" Duncan's flatmate exclaimed.
"I don't think I really am. But, the thing is, I didn't have to force her."
It was the autumn after. He wore a kilt. He planned it out months ahead of time. It still made me giddy inside. I wore white. We stayed true to that. I held my breath every step. It's just Duncan. I reminded myself over and over, but I couldn't stop shaking. The room seemed faded in light browns. The moment was a memory I was experiencing for the first time. Soft white pedals drifted sleepily to the floor below. We were so nervous. His hands fidgeted, they didn't know what to do without pockets. We watched each other. As soon as our hands laced, my heart calmed. I glimpsed him out the corner of my eye. He was doing the same to me.
She was brand new and so was I. Nolla weighed nothing. I carried her up the stairs to the bedroom in our new home on Stony Creek beach. It was dimly lit. The silvery moon washed over her Cinderella dress. She was tiny in her decadent gown. Little white daisies were braided through her hair like fresh snow. She was so beautiful. I felt invigorated. Nolla giggled and cried all the way home. The ceremony was for show. No one could tell us how we already felt. We belonged together. I set her gingerly on the bed.
"I promise to laugh at all your quirks." I untied my tie.
"I will love you through your mistakes." She picked at the flowers.
"You will always come first," I promised.
"I will always stand by you." Nolla sat up in the bed, kicking off her shoes. We looked at each other. The gravity of the situation seemed to settle on her perfect face. She pouted pensively. Her eyes sparkled with concerned innocence.
I put my hands on her shoulders and hugged her close. My mouth was next to her ear. "You tell me when to stop, because I won't know how." I kissed her neck, sliding my hands down her arms to her back. My fingers found the zipper but stopped half way down. Our gaze locked. I searched for reserve in her eyes. She swallowed nervously. I kissed her while continuing down the interlocking way. The clean white clothes fell away. Soon she and I matched in pure original form. We were next to each other. Our bodies connected. Nolla winced. I held back. "Would you like me to stop?"
I slept across his chest. Duncan was awake through the wee hours, stroking my hair. Life was perfect.
A year had gone by. It was my first trip to America. We were in Seattle. It was ironic. I thought America would be less rainy. Nolla was so anxious, a mood I had hardly seen her in before. I lied across the edge of the hotel bed, chin in hand. My Nolladee sifted through the jewelry box. I could watch her for hours. Her shoes were brand new. Her dress was perfectly pressed. That wild hair she would usually let flow naturally around her neck and shoulders was now fastened as neat as a button to the back of her head. Nolla moved quickly, but never hasty. Of course I'm biased, but she never took a wasted step. My Nolladee knew what she wanted. Tonight, Washington was hers. She had a showing at a gallery, whose name I had already forgotten. I was sorry I couldn't make it. All her fretting took my mind off my flight home. It would be minutes after her opening. I was due in Cardiff, to shoot a short for the Children in Need campaign. It was a good charity, but I'd much rather be here.
Nolla slide on an onyx bangle with white enamel paisley designs all over. "What do you think?" She produced a slender wrist.
I smiled, missing the trinket all together. "I think you're gorgeous."
"Can you at least pretend to feign interest?"
I held her wrist and drew her in. "I know you're gorgeous?"
She kissed my forehead. "You're hopeless." She was so close. Her perfume filled the air. It swirled around my head making me half crazy. Her wrist remained my possession. I pulled her in. Our mouths met in a kiss. It was the most eloquent silence. Nolla fell completely into it. Her hands rubbed at my back and hair, but the kiss ended. We stared at each other contemplating our next move. Nolla decided. She sat next to me on the bed. "You're too good at that." I touched her hair. She folded into my side. "I want you to stay with me."
"I will."
"I know you would, but you have to go."
"Nolladee. you're more important."
She smiled. "I know." We kissed again. Nolla stood in front of the mirror and fitted black onyx studs to her ears. I watched this simple act. It drew the most sensual attention to her neck. I needed it on my lips. Nolla fidgeted with the clasp on her necklace. I immediately stepped in, hooking the loops together. I fingered the delicate chain to her supple skin and continued down her ribs.
"I'll never finish..." She began to protest. I nibbled at her neck a moment. "I'm gonna miss you." Nolla broke away. She entered the bathroom and closed the door.
"Is that where she is now? America?" Duncan had gone for a morning jog. Two teenage girls had recognized him and asked for an autograph. Duncan was always generous with his time for fans. They made him who he was. These girls were fans of his show on BBC1 and wondered if he would stay on for the next series. There were rumors he was leaving to return to the stage full time. Somehow Duncan had found himself going on about Nolla again. He looked at the bright eyed blond and crafted the answer carefully. "She's always with me." He touched his heart.
The two girls swooned. "How romantic, an artist girlfriend," the first girl said.
"Is that why we haven't heard of her in the papers? She lives in America?" The second one asked. The two girls looked at him doe-eyed. He began to unwind the scarf from his neck.
"I'll tell you what, ladies, take this." He handed the blond the scarf. They both made a grab at it. "Thanks for humoring me." They fought viscously over it. Duncan took off running.
"Do you have any colleagues in America?" He asked. It was no secret Duncan was looking terrible. There was a nightmare involved. The nature of dreaming cemented by six years of devotion broke down. His subconscious betrayed him. Duncan deprived himself of sleep for a few days. When his body exhausted, not even the most ambrosial nutmeg could bring them back.
"Why America?"
"I'm filming there for the next few months." Duncan paced.
"Are you sure?"
He slumped down. "I just want my life back. Nothing else compares."
"When you say your life...?"
"The lack of sleep... it's affected me."
"What about the accident?" Duncan rubbed his face.
"Duncan, it's time!" She clutched her swollen stomach. Her breath came in short bursts. She reached for the paper towels. I came running down the stairs. The overnight bag was strapped across my chest. I skipped the last few steps and jumped the banister. She was attempting to wipe the water from the floor.
"Nolladee, Maggie can get that, that's her job."
"I told her to get the car." I helped her straighten up. She screeched.
"Mr. McDowell, the car's out front." Maggie came walking into the kitchen. She handed me the keys.
"Thanks Maggie. Call Dr. Jones and please take care of the puddle." I eased Nolla down the stairs. It was a miserable day. The sky was sprinkling when I came home. Maggie called saying Nolla was in pain. Most of the cast was very supportive, but this was two weeks of me rushing off in the middle of the day. This time it was real. I just knew it. She began crying. "Just stick with me Nolladee." I took her hand.
"I can't. I can't." She screamed. The hairs on the back of my hand stood.
"It's OK." By now it was down pouring. I could feel the leaves under the tires. I hoped Nolla wouldn't notice the car slipping. Her excitement amplified my own. I didn't stop the car fast enough. We skidded under the red light.
"Watch the road!"
"Nolla, I have this. You just focus on you." We were OK. There was no one else at the intersection.
"Duncan!" She pointed out my window. Lights. I slammed the breaks. The car spun out. We were pointing the opposite direction. A lorry crashed through the passenger's side. My head planted into the air bag. Her's didn't deploy.
"Nolla." Blood drizzled from her brow. I couldn't move.
Duncan was fine minus a few bumps and bruises. I couldn't get out of bed. I couldn't look at Duncan. I wept at night away from his sight. I never blamed him on the surface, but couldn't stop the bitter thoughts. I lay catatonic through the day, never saying anything. It was torment for him. He spent the evenings lying next to me in the hospital bed. He stroked my cheek until he drifted off to sleep. One night I just snapped. Tears slid down same path his hand went
"I love you." I whispered taking his hand. He was awake. He kissed my eyes. I placed my hand on my hollow womb.
"She was beautiful."
We both cried.
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Carnegie Mellon University is one of the latest schools to be involved in the patent lawsuit battles. This time, it is a major win over Marvell Semiconductor for a whooping $1.17 Billion.
The latest reports is that a Pittsburgh Jury has found out that Marvell Semiconductor has infringed on two patents of Carnegie Mellon University. Nine jurors have held that Marvell should have to pay $1,169,140,271 in damages—the full sum that CMU's lawyers had asked for.
If the verdict holds up on appeal, it would wipe out more than a year of profits at Marvell, which made a bit over $900 million in 2011. It would also be the largest patent verdict in history, beating out this summer's $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung for infringing patents and trademarks owned by Apple.
The two CMU patents describe a way of reducing "noise" when reading information off hard disks. The jury found that Marvell's chips infringed claim 4 of Patent No. 6,201,839 and claim 2 of Patent No. 6,438,180. At trial, Marvell hotly contested that CMU had invented anything new; they argued that a Seagate patent, filed 14 months earlier, describes everything in CMU's invention.
Court documents showed that Marvell sold 2.34 billion allegedly infringing chips between 2003 and 2012, according to a report. About half of the chips were sold to Western Digital. Seagate is also a major purchaser of Marvell chips.
Marvell is based in Santa Clara and the company is one of Silicon Valley's success stories. Its founder Sehat Sutardja grew up fixing radios in his Jakarta home, ultimately getting his PhD in computer science from UC Berkeley before founding Marvell Semiconductor in 1995. Marvell stock is trading down more than 10 percent following today's verdict.
CMU's attorney also started to compare Marvell's alleged patent infringement to identity theft. "The invention in this case is like your electronic identity, your credit card numbers, your Social Security number," said CMU lawyer Douglas Greenswag. "It's that which [sic] are very personal and valuable to you. You devote years to building up your reputation, your credit rating, your standing. One day Marvell sneaks in—"
US District Judge Nora Fischer has set a schedule for briefing post-trial issues that requires both sides to file motions between February and April of next year, with a motions hearing scheduled for early May.
What do you think of this all-time record breaking patent lawsuit? Share your thoughts and comments below.


text: James Villas was too busy licking the icing bowl to sit at his mother's feet, but he sure learned to appreciate her fine southern ways in the kitchen. In My Mother's Southern Desserts: More Than 200 Treasured Family Recipes for Holidays and Everyday Celebrations, written with his mother, Martha Pearl Villas, he pays tribute to a legendary aspect of our southern culinary heritage. Martha Pearl has been making a staggering array of sweet masterpieces for over 60 years and, as most Southern ladies of her generation, she takes great pride in her dessert preparations for Thanksgiving-- Mecklenburg County Persimmon Pudding, Christmas-- Hootie's Eggnog Walnut Pie, birthdays-- Paw Paw's Birthday Caramel Cake with Caramel Icing, and for other major holidays and events. But Martha Pearl is among the rare and devoted few who still observe Father's Day, Kentucky Derby Day, Election Day, graduations, funerals, and more with a special treat. In chatty, helpful sidebars, James explains the origins and significance of each tempting recipe: the Boozy Mud Pie Martha serves for Valentine's Day comes from her Georgia forebears, Confederate Peach Cobbler, a superb example of a Southern staple, is gratefully gobbled up at Labor Day picnics, and The One and Only Authentic Southern Strawberry Shortcake, served warm, the biscuits broken apart, is a sacred part of every July 4th party. The affection that James feels for his mother and that his mother puts into all her divine desserts makes this book as satisfying as the confections you can produce from it.


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No school bus transport equals no after-school program
By MELODY JAMESON
BALM – No longer served by school busses, an after-school program here with low attendance may fall victim to the tight budget ax.
That prospect concerns local residents who wonder if elimination of the program could foretell closure of the park that is a center of their community life. And, the situation has taken on a "chicken or egg" aspect that especially bothers some among them.
Continued after-school activities at the county park in the apex of C.R. 672 and the Balm-Wimauma Road now is " under review," Mark Thornton, head of Hillsborough County's Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, acknowledged this week. There are just four young people remaining in the program now, Thornton pointed out. He said he did not know the savings in dollars that would be realized if the program were eliminated.
In past years, local youngsters by the dozens were transported to the park with its open playground and enclosed civic center seating to do homework, engage in athletics, play board games, enjoy arts and crafts, all under supervision from 2 to 6 PM when working parents returned home. Their school busses came from as many as a half dozen area schools to drop them off at the park entrance.
But, beginning a couple of years ago as Hillsborough's public school system budget grew leaner, bussing students outside their school zones gradually was eliminated, Thornton noted. The result has been that fewer and fewer youngsters found their way to the park to take part in the after-school program, causing the participation level to fall drastically.
Thornton's perspective, though, does not square with other information. Marcella O'Steen, the community's civic association president, said this week she understands that a Summerfield Elementary School bus passes within yards of the park each school day afternoon. Letting off youngsters who would participate in the after school program if they were allowed to exit the bus could increase the program population to 20 or more, she suggested.
She also noted that a Wimauma Elementary school bus still transports youngsters from that community to its Bethune Park for after-school care.
Another aspect of the situation is a for-profit school-related transport system. An entity known as Recreation Express, for example, fills just such voids as that now developing in the Balm Park program. Recreation Express transports children from their schools to after-school supervision in places like county parks for a fee. The charge is in the $60 per month range, per child, with a discount available for multiple youngsters from the same family.
Asked if county school busses no longer service the Balm Park program in order to make way for the profit-making systems, Thornton emphatically replied that it's just the opposite. It's not that the school bus system has given way to provide openings for entities such as Recreation Express, but rather that the for-profit systems have come into existence to provide service no longer available through the school system, he asserted. Thornton also emphasized that he is not associated in any way with Recreation Express.
"That's something of a which came first, the chicken or the egg, isn't it?" O'Steen asked rhetorically. "And, if there's a county school bus passing our park each school day anyway, it simply does not make sense to me."
As for the additional transportation costs to a family using a for-profit system, she noted that the justified increases in after-school program fees, when coupled with higher transport charges, put the after-school care out of reach for some families. "Then, children forego after-school care entirely and become latch-key kids," she added.
There is one point on which O'Steen and Thornton do agree. Both point to the importance of the park to a community that also hosts a county landfill, a state prison and number of open pits where dirt for construction projects in other areas was mined. Both mention the community's investment in the park and its building.
O'Steen ticks off year around uses of the park: where children come with parents or grandparents or older siblings to play outside; where residents get together for a pickup game under the basketball hoop or a friendly softball contest; where farm workers gather to share lunch in the picnic area; where community socials are held; where the civic association meets regularly, where one of the area's top candidate forums is conducted each election cycle – and where a highly successful summer youth program is held.
Plus, she adds, community members donated the land for the park as well as put up money to furnish the civic center building. "We don't have many county services here, but we do have these and value them greatly," she summed up, referring both to the park and to the after-school program.
Thornton, acknowledging the community's justified attachment to the park, said that other than possible elimination of the after-school program there, "no other changes are contemplated."
Copyright 2011 Melody Jameson


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SkipLock let's you bypass the lockscreen (and pincode) when your phone is connected to either a trusted WIFI network or a trusted BT-device (carkit!).
As soon as you get home you'll turn on your screen and you the lockscreen as usual, but from that point on it's lockscreen free until it disconnects with your wifi network.
So when you turn off the screen the screen goes black, but as soon as you turn it on again you'll see either the homescreen or your last opened app.
It works really GREAT!
Gravity screen is not needed but makes it even easier. It automatically turns your screen on when you pick up the phone, and turns it off when you place it down (configurable). It also features Pocket Mode so it will turn the screen off when you put it in your pocket and on again when you take it out. Worst part was getting used to NOT press the power-button anymore


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New Zealand Embassy Tokyo, Japan
Student Visa Applications
There is no end-of-year deadline for receipt of student visa applications. The processing of student visas over the period December - March may take up to 4 weeks excluding Embassy holidays.
The processing of visitor and work visa applications may also take longer than usual during the December - March period due to a large number of applications received at this time.
Of interest
United Nations Handbook
The UN Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the UN system and how it works. Read more
New Zealand wins Security Council seat
New Zealand has secured a place on the UN Security Council for 2015-16. Read the Prime Minister's media release
Registering your overseas travel made easier
New Zealanders travelling or living overseas, registering your travel online now made easier. Read more
The official travel New Zealand website
The hardest part of planning your holiday will be deciding which to do first! Read more


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Zhejiang Aobeisi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
|Business Type:
|Manufacturer, Trading Company
|Main Products:
|Zhejiang, China (Mainland)
|Year Established:
|Number Of Employees:
|101 - 200 People
|Total Annual Sales Volume:
|US$10 Million - US$50 Million
|Main Markets:
Zhejiang Aobeisi Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. is located in the Chinese hardware city - Yongkang, is one of the subsidiary company...
Zhejiang Aobeisi Industry & Trade Co., Ltd. is located in the Chinese hardware city - Yongkang, is one of the subsidiary company of ABS GROUP.
ABS GROUP is the most professional manufacturer combined with development, design, production and sales. Our main product is solar panel, solar battery, and Aluminum non-stick cookware. Our ABS products are with excellent workmanship, rigorous craft and artistic design.
We supply our customers with high quality products, competitive prices and fast after-sales service. Our products are mainly sold in Asia, Europe, the USA, South America, Australia, and the Middle East. We develop new products each month and pay great attention to quality control. With excellent development ability, we can provide OEM service.
If you are interested in our products, please contact us now to get more information. We are looking forward to cooperating with you in the future.
Company Capability
Trade Capacity
South Asia : 10.00%
Southern Europe : 10.00%
Production Capacity
Factory Size : 10,000-30,000 square meters
No. of Production Lines : 3
R&D Capacity
No. of R&D Staff : 5 - 10 People
Email to this supplier


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The Champ returned to prominence in Phoenix with a very impressive ride through the field. The gap between Ryan Villopoto and his competitors is not very big right now, but if he starts to get on a roll it won't be long until he is leaving them scratching their heads.
Each week, The Power Rankings will recognize the movers and shakers in Monster Energy Supercross. Villopoto's rise to the top last week not only secured his first win of 2014 and the points lead, but also the top spot in this week's rankings.Chad Reed, James Stewart, Justin Barcia, Justin Brayton, Ken Roczen, Phoenix, Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, Supercross


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The Best In Utah Air Conditioner Installation and Replacement Call Today
Buying an air conditioner is not like buying a tv. You don't just come home and plug it in and have it work correctly. The most important factor in getting an efficient and comfortable air conditioner is the company doing the installation. At the risk of being negative about our own industry, we have to tell you that heating and air conditioning contractors as a whole do a very poor job of installing heating and cooling systems! Every year there's a new study showing what a bad job some companies do.
Advanced Energy, formerly North Carolina Alternative Energy Corporation, a non-profit organization, examined air conditioner published efficiencies versus their actual running efficiencies after they were installed. What they found was that about 90% of the systems tested had some kind of an energy-wasting, comfort-robbing problem! Many other studies* have revealed problems such as an average of 93% of systems have unacceptable duct leakage that causes indoor air quality problems, drafts and excessive energy bills; an average of 47% of systems are oversized causing short cycling, excessive noise, shorter equipment life and poor humidity control; an average of 54% of systems have an incorrect amount of refrigerant causing excessively high operating costs and early compressor failures; and an average of 70% of systems have incorrect air flow causing uneven temperatures, excessive noise and excessive energy bills.
*American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Texas A & M University, Lakeland Electric & Water, Louisiana State University & Gulf States Utility, Pacific Gas & Electric.
To make sure that your system is in the top 10% of efficiently running systems in Utah we test it! Every system we install passes a rigorous quality inspection upon completion.
All of your comfort problems are not solved by just replacing the equipment…
Your equipment is part of a complete comfort system made up of many components. To make sure that your system components all work properly together, we go the extra mile.
Here are some of the unique performance packages that are included with our installations:
Sound Reduction Package
To have your system operates even quieter than the manufacturer's design:
- Vibration elimination pads
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To make you as comfortable as possible:
- User friendly comfort controls
- Correct air velocities to control drafts
- Proper registers to distribute the air evenly
- Double deflection diffusers where needed
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To save you the most money on operating cost:
- Double leak check system before start-up
- 45 point quality audit
- Duct sealed with lifetime sealant (no duct tape!)
- Insulated refrigerant lines
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Your health and safety are our top priority:
- Double insulated copper wire
- Ultra violet resistant conduit and wire ties
- New low voltage wiring as needed
- Breakers and electrical switches clearly marked
Reliability Package
To assure that your system operates trouble free for years to come:
- Install new condensate drain
- 45 point quality audit
- Consumer care education
- Equipment sized to reduce short cycling
Temperature Balance Package
To make sure that every room is the right temperature:
- Install balancing dampers
- Ducts sized to "Manual D" standards
- Air volumes set to manufacturer's requirements
- Install double deflection diffusers
Indoor Air Quality Package
To help you breathe easier:
- Ducts are sealed to be leak free
- Automatic filter change reminders
- High efficiency air purification as needed
- Install sealed combustion gas furnaces


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- Filed Under
Margaret B. Simpson
Margaret Mae (Bradley) Simpson, 95, passed away Tuesday, March 18, 2013, at the Augusta Health Shenandoah Hospice House.
Born May 22, 1917, in Nelson County, she was the daughter of the late Otey B. and Alice (Robertson) Bradley.
Mrs. Simpson was a faithful member of West Waynesboro Church of Christ. Margaret was employed by the former Safeway Grocery Store where she worked in the meat department until her retirement. She found great pride in always taking care of her family and when time permitted she enjoyed reading.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Sterling O. Simpson; two great-grandchildren as well as two brothers and three sisters.
Survivors include her three loving children, Leo Simpson and wife, Betty, of Bedford, Paul Simpson and wife, Kathy, of New Kent, Va. and Alyce McAllister and husband, Bennie, of Waynesboro; 12 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; brother, Eldon Bradley and wife, Marie, of Titusville, Fla.; sister, Alice Ann Huffman and husband, Houston, of Waynesboro.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 22, 2013, at Augusta Memorial Park with Phil Forehand officiating.
The family received friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21, 2013, at the Waynesboro Chapel of Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes, 618 W. Main Street.
Those desiring may make memorial contributions to Augusta Health Hospice of the Shenandoah, P.O. Box 215, Fishersville, VA 22939 or West Waynesboro Church of Christ, 2212 Cortland St., Waynesboro, VA 22980.
Relatives and friends may share condolences and memories with the family online by visiting www.reynoldshamrickfuneralhomes.com.


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Green Acres Sustainable Agriculture in Old North St. Louis will host the 13th Street Community Garden and Farmers' Market Walking Tour. The leisurely and informative outing will focus on how the Old North St. Louis neighborhood is transforming the way it thinks about fresh, healthy food; registration required. 314-533-8586
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If you have questions or need to contact KDHX, visit our answers portal at answers.kdhx.org.


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text: A l Porter is a native of Lexington, MS, and moved to Louisville in 1978. He has been in the funeral business since that time. Al holds a B.S. degree from Mississippi State University, and a Mortuary Science degree from East Mississippi Community College. He is licensed in funeral service and embalming. Al is a member of First United Methodist Church, where he has served in many leadership positions. He is active in the Louisville Rotary Club, the Louisville Businessmen's Club, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is married to the former Rhonda Bookout, and they have three daughters: Sally, Mary Claire, and Olivia.


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When using a Category 6 system, the full specification includes the testing of each part individually and in an end-to-end-channel. Because CAT6 is an open standard, products from different vendors... more/see it nowshould work together.
Channel testing includes patch cable, bulk cable, jacks, patch panels, etc. These tests cover a number of measurements, including: attenuation, NEXT, PS-NEXT, EL-FEXT, ACR, PS-ACR, EL-FEXT, PS-ELFEXT, and Return Loss. Products that are tested together should work together as specified. In theory, products from all manufacturers are interchangeable. But, if products from different manufacturers are inserted in a channel, end-to-end CAT6 performance may be compromised.
Component testing, on the other hand, is much stricter even though only two characteristics are measured: crosstalk and return loss. Although all CAT6 products should be interchangeable, products labeled as component are guaranteed to perform
to a CAT6 level in a channel with products from different manufacturers.
For more information on cable, channel, and component specs, see below.
Buyer's Guide: CAT5e vs. CAT6 Cable
Standard — CAT5e: TIA-568-B.2; CAT6: TIA-568-B.2-1
Frequency — CAT5e: 100 MHz; CAT6: 250 MHz
Attenuation (maximum at 100 MHz) —
Cable: CAT5e: 22 dB; CAT6: 19.8 dB
Connector: CAT5e: 0.4 dB; CAT6: 0.2 dB
Channel: CAT5e: 24.0 dB; CAT6: 21.3 dB
NEXT (minimum at 100 MHz) —
Cable: CAT5e: 35.3 dB; CAT6: 44.3 dB
Connector: CAT5e: 43.0 dB; CAT6: 54.0 dB
Channel: CAT5e: 30.1 dB; CAT6: 39.9 dB
PS-NEXT (minimum at 100 MHz) — 32.3 dB 42.3 dB
EL-FEXT (minimum at 100 MHz) —
Cable: CAT5e: 23.8 dB; CAT6: 27.8 dB
Connector: CAT5e: 35.1 dB; CAT6: 43.1 dB
Channel: CAT5e: 17.4 dB; CAT6: 23.3 dB
PS-ELFEXT (minimum at 100 MHz) — CAT5e: 20.8 dB; CAT6: 24.8 dB
Return Loss (minimum at 100 MHz) —
Cable: CAT5e: 20.1 dB; CAT6: 20.1 dB
Connector: CAT5e: 20.0 dB: CAT6: 24.0 dB
Channel: CAT5e: 10.0 dB; CAT6: 12.0 dB
Characteristic Impedance — Both: 100 ohms ± 15%
Delay Skew (maximum per 100 m) — Both: 45 ns
NOTE: In Attenuation testing, the lower the number, the better. In NEXT, EL-FEXT, and Return Loss testing, the higher the number, the better.
Delivering superior technical support is our highest priority. Depending on the products or services we provide for you, please visit your appropriate support area.
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One of Marina's most popular menu items is the Deluxe Pizza. / Samantha E. Williams/DNJ
The Summer Shrimp Pasta dish is served with sauteed shrimp and angel hair pasta in a spiced chicken stock with mushrooms, tomatoes and fresh basil. / Samantha E. Williams/DNJ
Marinas On the Square
125 N. Maple St.
MURFREESBORO — An iconic eatery in the downtown area, Marinas on the Square has remained a favorite local dining spot for years.
It has remained so because of the unique atmosphere, consistently good food and great customer service, according to Tara Syester, manager at Marinas.
Our menu has been pretty consistent. One of the biggest draws is that diners consistently get good food, Syester said. Its just so good. If its not broken, dont fix it.
Syester said that about 75 percent of the restaurants clientele are return customers, and the majority of them are regulars.
They will come in and not even need a menu because they already know what they want, and they come in looking for servers by name, she said. People have commented to me that you cant find the Marinas atmosphere anywhere else. Its like a big family.
Add the exposed brick of an old building built in the 1800s, black and ivory color scheme with ivy green accents, and you have a comfortable dining experience that is one-of-a-kind to Murfreesboros downtown.
I come, oh, two or three times a week. I love it here. The food is great and the service is great, said Sharon McGinness, who works downtown and said she loves to stop in for a quick meal.
They are quick and consistently good, McGinness added. The staff is always cheerful.
Its the best job Ive ever had, Syester said.
On the menu: There are traditional Italian entrees such as lasagna, baked ziti and pasta, but Marinas also is known for its calzones and pizzas. Loaded with fresh ingredients, the dishes make for a warm and filling meal.
And the bread is great, Syester said. Thats why people come. (Its) for the bread they tell me.
Also on the menu are chicken and seafood options, such as the shrimp pasta, which has sauteed shrimp and angel-hair pasta tossed with mushrooms, tomatoes and fresh basil in a lightly spiced chicken stock, or the baked salmon in a lemon-pepper cream sauce that is sided with penne pasta and steamed asparagus.
The pizza is great, said McGinness. During the week I love the spaghetti marinara.
Meatless plates are available, such as the cheese ravioli, eggplant parmesan, fettucini alfredo and veggie pasta.
Whats the cost: Appetizers, such as foccacia bread and spinach artichoke dip, are less than $7. Traditional Italian favorites are $13 or less, and calzones are about $9 per serving. Pizzas start at around $8 and go up depending on size and choice of toppings.
What to know: From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, Marina's offers an express lunch menu with a few favorite Italian dishes, calzones, and oven-baked subs. These meals are less than $10, and can served quickly.
Dont forget about Date Night, which offers two glasses of wine, an appetizer and two entrees for about $30. Dont do vino? Swap it for dessert. This special is only available on Thursday night.
The restaurant also has a full wine list, and it does cater, so call for details.
A full menu is available at the restaurants website at www.marinasonthesquare.com.
Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday


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- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -
Paraguayan President Faces First Major Test as Citizens Prepare for a General Strike
Written by Jazmin Acuna On 25 March 2014 @ 20:30 pm | No Comments
In English, Feature, Governance, Human Rights, Latin America, Paraguay, Politics, Spanish, Weblog
March 26, 2014 will be a historic day for Paraguay. The country will live its first general strike after two decades since the last one took place. United in a common front, workers, peasants, teacher unions and students will give Horacio Cartes his first major test as president only eight months after he has taken office.
The recently approved public-private partnership law, ongoing violence against peasants, and the rise of public bus fares are some of the reasons why organized citizens have decided to take their demands out on the streets. Although he has sought to put a stop to the impending strike by raising minimum wages by 10%, Cartes has failed to curtail growing discontent among the populace. Some regard him as a staunch neoliberal who will only harm those who are already most disadvantaged with his policies.
Demands are varied, but they all come down to issues of justice and social welfare. Labor workers request price control over basic food items, a 25% rise in minimum salaries, and respect for trade union rights. Peasants, on their part, demand the long-awaited agrarian reform and an end to the repression that they suffer daily for protesting against the monoculture model of production. Throughout the democratic period, 130 people have been murdered as a result of the dispute for land in rural areas. Peasants also ask for the immediate release of five of them who are on hunger strike [2]. Without much convincing evidence to prove their guilt, the peasants on hunger strike are accused of taking part in the killing of eleven farmers and six policemen during a land eviction procedure [3] in 2012 in Curuguaty.
Teachers, high-school and university students have also joined the strike. The first are mobilizing for free, quality education. The latter demand better oversight and distribution of resources allotted for educational purposes, a reduction in bus fare prices and the removal of university fees.
Paraguayans have started using the hashtag #26M [4] to tweet about the strike.
Meanwhile, artists have voiced their solidarity with the general strikers by putting together a music festival and sending out messages of support:
President Cartes and his close circle of allies have expressed their disapproval, saying that the strike damages Paraguay's international portrayal precisely when it is in much need of direct foreign investment. Furthermore, they claim that the general strike has been "politicized", alluding to the role that opposition parties such as Frente Guasu [5]are playing in it.
Their views however have been largely dismissed by the public. Allegations from the minister of Interior that there are plans to destabilize the government proved to be unsubstantiated until now. His most compelling evidence – a recorded chat between unknown men who discuss how to create chaos during the strike, and even re-enact another bloody "Marzo Paraguayo [6]" – has been ditched after those involved in the conversation came forward to explain that the recording had been rehearsed and subsequently edited.
In his weekly post for Ultima Hora [7] [es] newspaper, journalist Luis Bareiro summarizes his opinion regarding the governments reaction to the strike:
No sé si es su esencia de patrón, pero hasta ahora lo único que mostró Cartes con relación a la huelga es irritación y una notable torpeza"
I do not know if these are the natural leanings of a boss, but until now the only thing that Cartes has shown is annoyance and remarkable ineptness in relation to the strike
Civil society organizations assert that if there is anyone who is embarrassing Paraguay's stance in the world arena it is Mr. Cartes himself. During the weekend, Brazil's daily Gazeta do Povo [8] [pt] and El Tiempo [9][es] from Colombia have published a series of investigative reports which blame the President's businesses for the large scale smuggling of cigarettes across Latin America. According to the reports, this serves criminal organizations and even the FARC [10] guerrilla for money laundering purposes.
It remains to be seen whether strikers will achieve their goals. What is clear for now is that stuck between a rock and a hard place at home and abroad, Cartes will have to rethink his maneuverings if he strives for a governable environment for the rest of his presidency.
Article printed from Global Voices: https://globalvoices.org
URL to article: https://globalvoices.org/2014/03/25/paraguayan-president-faces-first-major-test-as-citizens-prepare-for-a-general-strike/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: https://www.facebook.com/events/716060411772721/724979427547486/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity
[2] five of them who are on hunger strike: https://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/03/16/peasant-hunger-strike-is-cry-out-for-justice-in-paraguay/
[3] during a land eviction procedure: https://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/12/03/curuguatys-deadly-clashes-continue-to-resonate-across-paraguay/
[4] #26M: https://twitter.com/search?q=%2326M&src=hash
[5] Frente Guasu : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guas%C3%BA_Front
[6] Marzo Paraguayo: http://labournet.de/internationales/py/jahrestag.html
[7] Ultima Hora: http://http://m.ultimahora.com/la-torpeza-un-presidente-patron-n777380.html
[8] Gazeta do Povo: https://globalvoices.orggazetadopovo.com.br/vidaecidadania/especial-imperio-das-cinzas/
[9] El Tiempo : http://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/cigarrillos-del-presidente-de-paraguay-nutren-a-la-mafia_13709999-4
[10] FARC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FARC
Click here to print.
This site is licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0. Please read our attribution policy: http://globalvoicesonline.org/about/global-voices-attribution-policy


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Two dozen crewmen aboard a sinking cargo ship bound for China were rescued last weekend, with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam.
The Coast Guard Sector Guam Command Center received a report of flooding on board the 500-foot ship Rich Forest on Sunday morning, according to a Coast Guard press release.
Two Coast Guard cutters, Assateague and Sequoia, were deployed, but were 18 hours away. ...


text:
The iconic wrap dress marks 40 years of classic style
In a fashion world full of changing trends, the wrap dress hasn't unraveled.
This one-piece statement dress, created by one of the world's most successful fashion designers, Diane von Furstenberg, is timeless. As it celebrates its 40th birthday in 2014, the iconic wrap dress still looks as fresh and modern as ever.
"The wrap dress has survived 40 years because it is the most classically inspired garment in today's world," says David Zyla, Emmy Award-winning stylist and author of "Color Your Style: How To Wear Your True Colors." "There is something powerful and sensual about it. Knowing that something can wrap, we also know it can unwrap. It also has a wonderful knack for accentuating a woman's body, because it moves with a woman's body."
In 1970, von Furstenberg arrived in New York with a suitcase full of jersey dresses that she made at her friend Angelo Ferretti's factory in Italy. Encouraged by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, von Furstenberg began to make her everlasting print on the fashion world.
In 1974, she created the wrap dress, which launched a liberating style for women around the globe. By 1976, she had sold more than a million of her signature dresses.
"I was 26 when I created the wrap dress," von Furstenberg says in a news release. "I had no idea it would become such a phenomenon."
The beauty of the wrap dress is that you can customize it to fit your figure, says Gregg Andrews, Nordstrom fashion director. Fit is one reason a lot of women avoid buying dresses, but the wrap dress will look good even if you go up or down in size — the dress will go with you, Andrews says. It's a style that fits well across the bust and on the waist and hips.
A woman can add a little bit of her own personality to the dress by wearing favorite footwear or accessorizing with key pieces, Zyla says. "It fits so well that it becomes about the woman and not the dress," he says.
The wrap dress also is feminine, but not girly, Andrews says. It's very sophisticated. The V-neck is flattering on most women, and the fabric usually has a little bit of draping and stretch. "The wrap dress is timeless, which is why it has not gone out of style in 40 years, and it most likely won't go out of style in the next 40 years," Andrews says.
It is a dress women can wear year-round, because it is usually made from a medium-weight fabric. It's easy to layer with a blazer or jacket for cooler weather. The wrap dress also can go from weekend to the office to an evening out, because you can dress it up or down, Andrews says.
A good look for spring is a wrap dress in a small- to medium-size geometric pattern, which gives the dress texture, he says. Designers who have been inspired by the wrap dress have created versions of it, but the one to own is a true Diane von Furstenberg, Andrews says.
"It will be worth the investment because of its versatility," he says. "It's like a (Emilio) Pucci print or a Burberry trench coat. It's the real thing."
Von Furstenberg's message has always been, "Feel like a woman. Wear a dress!" And there is nothing more feminine and graceful than a wrap dress, says Suzanne Mauro, a stylist from the East End who is producer of "Style Everyday with Suz," on PCTV Pittsburgh. The wrap dress hugs, skims, conceals and reveals your curves, all so effortlessly, Mauro says. "(It's) an easy throw-on for those days when you're looking to add a bit of spring to your step."
The wrap dress provides an incredible silhouette, says Dana Avidan-Cohn, senior market editor and digital correspondent for InStyle magazine.
"It's the perfect power dress that every woman can wear, because it is easy to wear and looks great on a lot of different body types," Avidan-Cohn says. "Cinching the waist helps this dress show a woman's curves. Cinch right below the rib cage, which usually is the narrowest part of a woman's body. It's the perfect chameleon closet piece that always looks good."
Silhouettes change, but the wrap dress is like the perfect pencil skirt — it's always going to look good, Avidan-Cohn says.
"It's also a silhouette that your mother wore or your sister wore, and there is some emotional attachment to it, because there is a story behind it," she says.
Carmella Heverin, design director of eShakti, an online women's apparel company, says women search for the perfect dress that allows them to feel confident as well as accentuate all of their best features, and the wrap dress accomplishes that. "The wrap dress has sex appeal on its own, so when it comes to accessorizing, less is more," she says.
A simple, long-stranded necklace draws just the right amount of attention to your neck without drawing attention away from the dress, Heverin says. Additionally, pair this classic style with a classic pump. Avoid chunky heels, as a thinner heel will elongate your legs and dress up the look, she says.
"I think what makes the wrap dress so popular is that it's a classic and flattering cut with endless options to modernize through color and pattern," says Nancy LeWinter, editorial director of onestopplus.com, a women's fashion website. "Whether it's a figure-flattering, orange, patterned dress perfect for spring, or a classic black-and-white pattern that can transition from work wear to weekend, there is something for every size, shape and style."
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-320-7889 or email@example.com.
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