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- Audrey Magazine - http://audreymagazine.com -
Queen For a Year: Miss Hawaii and Miss Teen Hawaii
Posted By Audrey Archives On May 28, 2013 @ 10:45 pm In Pop Culture | Comments Disabled
The new Miss Hawaii USA, Angela Byrd, being crowned.
This year's Miss USA Pageant, which will air in May on NBC, is a biggie: it's the 60th anniversary. And while we find too few Asian faces represented in the national competition, we can usually count on Hawaii to put up an Asian American contestant. Hawaii was the most recent state to join the Miss USA competition (in 1962), and four Miss Hawaii USA winners (including eventual Miss Universe winner Brook Lee) have gone on to win the national title of Miss USA, while Chinese-Filipino-Hawaiian American actress Kelly Hu went on to win the Miss Teen USA competition in 1985.
Here, we talk to two more Asian Americans who will be representing the 50th state in this year's pageants: Miss Hawaii USA 2011 Angela Byrd (who is of British and Korean descent) and Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2011 Courtney Coleman (who is of Filipino, Chinese and Caucasian descent).
Q: How has this experience been for you so far?
Angela Byrd: I grew up always watching Miss USA along with the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. When I was a little girl, I would have never expected this opportunity that I have now. It's been very exciting and it has pushed me to work even harder to represent our state at the Miss USA pageant.
Courtney Coleman: Having the title as Miss Hawaii Teen USA is truly a dream come true. I have grown a lot as a person from the appearances that I have attended as Miss Hawaii Teen USA.
Q: Why did you apply to participate in the pageant?
Angela: When I first moved to Hawaii three years ago, people kept telling me to run for Miss Hawaii and I was never fully aware of the opportunities and blessings it brings to the title holder. When I was approached in July 2010 by a professional acquaintance, I realized that this opportunity is exactly what I need in my life right now. There are different seasons in our lives and it felt like it was time for me to run for Miss Hawaii USA.
Courtney: I have always been interested in Donald Trump's Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and I always dreamt of being a beauty pageant winner. Having my dream actually come true is unlike any other feeling.
Q: How do you feel as an Asian American woman in participating in the nationwide pageant this year?
Angela: One of the most beautiful things about our country is that it is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities. I believe it's time and fitting for multi-Asian ethnic women to represent our Asian culture and that of Hawaii at the national competition.
Courtney: Angela will be competing for Miss USA this spring. Being able to watch a pageant this big makes me excited to participate in my national pageant in the summer. The Miss Teen USA pageant will be held in the Bahamas in the month of August, and I can't wait to compete for the crown and be able to represent Hawaii and its diverse community.
Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned throughout your journey so far?
Angela: The most important lesson that I have learned so far is to always be humble and thankful for the blessings in our lives and to work the hardest you have ever worked for a dream and a goal particularly for yourself as well as for the people you represent.
Courtney: I was raised to be loving, caring, and most of all honest. Throughout my journey I kept those morals besides me in everything that I do. I have learned to do everything through your heart and to give a hundred percent in everything that you do.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the future with your title as Miss Hawaii USA/Miss Teen Hawaii USA?
Angela: Being multi-ethnic as well as traveling from being in an army family has showed me that no matter what culture we are from and no matter what country we live in, we have the power to make a change and promote awareness to issues that we hold close to our hearts. I particularly feel the need to help in the medical field with those who struggle in underdeveloped communities which is why I plan to attend physician's assistant school.
Courtney: I will be graduating high school this year and continuing on with my education at Hawaii Pacific University. I plan on majoring in Biology and continuing on with Medical School to become a Dermatologist. Along the way, I would love to continue pursuing my modeling career to help pay for my education.
The Miss USA pageant (not to be confused with the Miss America pageant) is a beauty pageant organized in 1952 by the Miss Universe Organization. The Miss Universe Organization also operates the Miss Teen USA competition, which was organized in 1983. NBC Universal, Inc. and the Donald J. Trump organization own and operate the Miss Universe Organization. The 2011 Miss USA pageant will be televised live on NBC in May from Las Vegas, and the winner will move on to the 2011 Miss Universe pageant. Check your local listings for show times, and find out more about the organization at www.missuniverse.com [1].
Article printed from Audrey Magazine: http://audreymagazine.com
URL to article: http://audreymagazine.com/queen-for-a-year-miss-hawaii-and-miss-teen-hawaii-2/
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[1] www.missuniverse.com: http://www.missuniverse.com
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Copyright © 2013 Audrey Final Round. All rights reserved.


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Feds look to build EOBR rule with trucker comments
OTTAWA -- Hoping to solicit feedback from the trucking industry, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators has authored a discussion paper on electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs).
In preparation for a possible Canadian rule on EOBR usage, the paper highlights issues of compliance, data requirements and implementation, and how they apply to carriers' business.
Following a "project charter" drafted last fall, this paper includes a brief discussion on each issue associated with EOBR compliance and concludes with questions to guide carriers' input.
Harmonization with the U.S., is perhaps the most critical point for discussion. Arguably, impending EOBR legislation is driving a Canadian mandate and with close to ten million truck trips a year across the border, Canadian authorities want to be careful of not drafting a rule in isolation of how U.S. authorities approach the issue.
CCMTA acknowledges that the U.S.'s final is expected to be broader in scope than originally proposed, and a subsequent rule is expected later in 2010 that would capture a wider population of carriers.
Among the other topics covered:
Exclusion under 160 km radius?: While commercial drivers must comply with the applicable Hours of Service regulations regardless if they operate long-haul or within the 160 km radius, drivers typically operating within this radius do not
have to maintain logbooks.
In-scope Vehicles: What is the cost-benefit of applying an EOBR requirement to all commercial vehicles or only those above a certain weight threshold? Making this determination is influenced by the HOS compliance rate of various vehicle classes.
Chronic Offenders only?: HOS conviction data is readily available in most jurisdictions. However, the paper notes that the viability of this option is predicated on the ability of enforcement personnel to detect non-compliance. "The extent to which noncompliance goes undetected is unclear."
Inspection process: With the advent of electronic devices, there are now many different ways that the information previously written in a logbook can be displayed and officers may find the presentation of the data difficult to examine. "There is a desire to have enforcement applied in a uniform manner that would maintain a level playing field for industry.
Economic Considerations: The paper notes two major economic considerations with respect to EOBRs: Cost and competitiveness. While cost of EOBR technology is a major concern for some carriers, particularly for smaller carriers and owner-operators, costs of EOBRs appears to be declining as the technology evolves and as the market for it continues to expand.
At the same time, the costs to smaller carriers will be proportionally higher than the larger companies, although many in the latter camp who currently use EOBRs insist that without a mandate the competitive advantage swings toward those who falsify paper logs.
Data Requirements vs Privacy: In order to ensure privacy concerns are addressed, CCMTA wants to ensure certain policies, practices and procedures in place that ensure the driver's personal privacy -- including non HOS information stored in EOBR systems -- is effectively protected while allowing enforcement officials to do their job auditing HOS.
The discussion paper and carrier response guidelines can be accessed by clicking the pdf link in the top right corner of the article.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bella Ruse performers in Orange City
(Orange City)-- Orange City native Joseph Barker returns to his home town
today (Friday) to celebrate the release of a new CD with fellow band member
Kay Gillete. The name of the group is Bella Ruse.
Listen here
The pair now lives in Minneapolis and have been playing together for almost
2 years. Joseph says that music has been part of their upbringing. He
started on piano and Kay has been singing since she was a kid.
Listen here
Under Kay's "control" Joseph's rock band style morphed into a folk/indie pop
Listen here
Bella Ruse has an interesting way of getting around. After outgrowing the
Kay's station wagon, she says they upgraded to a vegetable oil-powered van.
Listen here
Joseph said the van will be pulling up to The Old Factory Coffee Shop on 4th
Street SW in Orange City at 8pm tonight for their free show.
Listen here
You heard him right, the first 50 people in the door get a free Kazoo , as
the name of the album they are releasing is called Kuhzoo. To hear more
music or learn about Bella Ruse visit www.bellaruse.com. (Angela Drake, KLEM
News, Photo provided by Joseph Barker, Bella Ruse)
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Looking for our blog? We're now posting over athttp://blackcloudpinotnoir.wordpress.com/
We're about to go national.
With the passage of Bill C311, we're now in a position to sell wine to any customer in the country. There's a few minor details to be sorted out, but for all intents and purposes, the old rule about individuals not transporting wine across provincial borders is finished.
If you've been following the wine news in Canada lately, you may know that the federal government may allow the citizens of the country to transport wine across provincial boundaries. Currently, due to a law enacted shortly after the end of Canadian prohibition in the 1920s, alcohol can only cross provincial lines under the authority of liquor control boards.
You enjoy wine, you may even collect a few bottles to share with friends on special days. But if you're not ordering your BC wine directly from the winery, you're probably missing out on some key advantages.
One of the toughest transitions you'll ever make is the one from big city urban living to small city semi-rural living. I've been in Penticton for most of the last 16 years and it stillsurprises me at how hard you have to work to make 'off-season' life stimulating.
In the city we were used to everything being right at our doorstep. There were many times when we would just go 'out', to wander down a busy street and wait until something caught our interest enough to make us pause and perhaps engage. Restaurants, clubs, galleries, shops; all vying for your attention and wallet.
Not so much in Penticton and other small BC interior cities. You could wander around plenty but all you might engage is a little frostbite.
Now, in the depths of winter and at the end of January, we are at our most susceptible to periods of auto-pilot or Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) for the most extremely touched.
That's why when the invitation to participate in this new OkSUPPERClubat the Elite restaurant in Penticton came along was we jumped at it. The menu, prix fixe, looked adventurous and eclectic. And very reasonably priced at only $25 per person. Who doesn't love to experiment?
We're only a couple weeks from bottling the 2010 Black Cloud Fleuvage Pinot Noir. There have been some delays as we wait for the flavours to perfectly fall into place. We'll be looking at a spring release.
Fleuvage is our essential, fruit-driven Pinot Noir. It's $19.99 retail and a favourite among restaurants and lounges looking for a medium-bodied red to pour by the glass.
To be first in line to get some by making sure you're on our newsletter list. We encourage private customers and members of the trade to take advantage of this offer. Just fill out the form below.
Email Marketing You Can Trust
Here's what one of our fans just said about the Altostratus on Twitter:
@Blackcloudwine Brad...09 altostratus is outstanding! Very Burgundian...could be right out of the cote d'Nuits #bcwine #premiercru
Pretty great comment! Thanks, Tim!
The 2009 Altostratus is now available. It should be appearing in a few BC retailers soon. About 45 cases (including some magnums) are in Alberta and it's available at the Wine Shop on 16th SW in Calgary.
If you'd like to order some of the best Pinot Noir you've ever had, just drop an email to firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll get the ball rolling.
This is an exciting time of the year. The grapes are racing towards ripeness as unseasonably warm weather tries to make up for a very slow start.
Here at Black Cloud headquarters, we're preparing to release the 2009 Altostratus. We're starting with a free tasting and pre-release event at The Wine Shop in Calgary. The guys at The Wine Shop have been very good to us, easily our biggest reseller and spreading the word about Black Cloud to anybody who will listen. Winemaker Bradley Cooper (me) will be at the store from 2 to 5 this Saturday, September 10. We encourage our Alberta fans to drop by to taste and chat and maybe pre-order some Altostratus. A drop in crop levels in 2009 means we won't have as much available as before.
The BC release starts with an event in the works for Penticton (our home base) that coincides with the Okanagan Wine Festival at the end of the month. Watch this space for details.
My wife Audralee and I had a chance to drop in to Remuda Vineyard in Okanagan Falls last weekend and take a look at the Pinot Noir with the owners, Dwight and Arnie Gash.
Although a week or so late, just like last year, there is a lot more fruit. The damage from the 2009-2010 winter is just about resolved. We're looking for a longer ripening period for the Pinot and I hope the extra hangtime will result in the same rich and complex flavours we're familiar with.
This vineyard is on a 5 to 8 degree slope, with a southwest aspect. The soils are glacial till. Lots of gravels and boulders that allow excellent drainage. In the picture I'm in you can see some the large stones that have been cast up. Pretty typical for the whole property.
The vines, grown on a modified Scott-Henry trellis, are in great shape. A couple days after these photos were taken leaf plucking was started to give the fruit plenty of exposure. Colour is never an issue for the Pinot on this property.
All the Pinot from Remuda Vineyard goes to our Altostratus tier. We're currently selling the 2008 with the 2009 due for release in September.
After being in this industry for more than 15 years and observing how things work, I'm beginning to suspect that making wine for a living in this jurisdiction is an activity reserved for the rich.
And this kind of environment limits innovation, new blood and a free market.Considering the price of land in BC, it would require a minimum of $300,000 just for dirt for a land-based winery license. That's before equipment, agricultural costs and infrastructure. One could entertain a 'commercial' winery license, but that's just basically an extension of the BC Liquor Distribution Board's retail system. You'd miss out on the great system of kick backs given to land-based wineries that produce VQA products.
The point is: if you're a good winemaker who would just like to buy some grapes, make some wine and sell it on the open market: you're out of luck.Why should there be some arbitrary number for production? What has that got to do with great wine?
Welcome!: "I connected Blogger to my http://flavors.me page - http://flavors.me/bradley1"
A couple weeks ago I attended an industry forum in the Okanagan Valley. Growers, winemakers and other principals gathered to informally discuss and digest the year that was vintage 2010.
The consensus:
People that have grown grapes and made wine in the Okanagan Valley for 20, 25 and 30 years agreed it was the oddest year for weather. It was a growing season rife with unpredictable patterns and events.
Having said that, there was also consensus that some of the curveballs that were launched by Mother Nature were not impossible to hit. Look for more than a few home runs coming out this season.
I'll get more information out to you soon about the wacky weather in general. But first, I want to tell you about what is happening with Black Cloud and how we fared.
After 2009's short crop, I didn't want get caught with another small production year. The 2009 will only be around 125 cases. With our established vineyard source still recovering from 2008 and 2009 winter damage, we chose to engage an additionalnew vineyard that's just coming on-stream to guarantee 250 cases.
We're excited to start working with this young fruit and look forward to what flavours evolve as the vineyard begins to mature. Keith Loveridge has started a number of different Pinot Noir clones on his Naramata Benchranch and from all appearances it looks like a promising site. We took delivery of his first commercial pick in mid-October. Being so young, there's not a lot of balance or expression of terroir established yet. But the fruit did get some great red berry flavour. At this time, we anticipate the Loveridge Ranch lot to end up in our Fleuvage tier.
The Remuda Vineyard in Okanagan Falls came through with flying colours. Not quite the crop load when it is at it's best but with all the rich, structured flavour we've come to expect. I'm confident we're going to have another remarkable Altostratus.
Both wines are now finished alcoholic fermentation and are completing malo-lactic fermentation. Now we let the wines naturally clarify and the barrels to work their magic.
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May 30, 2016
A local man was killed in Alabama over the weekend when the truck he was driving crashed.
ABC 33-40 television in Birmingham says the accident happened just before noon on Sunday on I-59 North in St. Clair County. The station says the victim is Bryan Cook of Chunky. Cook was apparently traveling one mile north of Asheville when the wreck happened.
Newscenter 11 checked and video of the crash site is not available.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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KSDK Sports - Fresh off their A-10 Tournament victory, the Saint Louis University Billikens netted a 4 seed in the midwest region of the 2013 NCAA Men's Tournament.
PRINT YOURS: USA TODAY Bracketology
The Missouri Tigers receive a 9 seed in the midwest region.
The Fighting Illini garner a 7 seed in the east.
The play-in games begin Tuesday, March 19 and the first round of the tournament tips-off Thursday, March 21.
KSDK Sports


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|Next Previous Contents Search UA
Professor Ida M. Johnson, Chairperson
Office: 104 Manly Hall
WS 200 Introduction to Women's Studies. Three hours.
An interdisciplinary course examining the roles of women in patriarchal society, with emphasis on how factors such as race, class, gender, and sexuality contribute to the oppression of women and ways they can be challenged through feminist critical practices.
WS 205 Women's Autobiographies. Three hours.
Through an examination of women's autobiographical writings, the roles women have assumed in different cultures and periods are considered. Analytical techniques from the study of art, literature, and psychology are used to discover issues inherent in women's experiences.
WS 220 Mothers and Daughters (previously WS 120). Three hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the director.
Investigation of the institution of motherhood, the forces shaping it, and the significance of mother-daughter relationships.
WS 234 Women and Spirituality (same as REL 234). Three hours.
WS 240 The Culture of Southern Black Women. Three hours.
The history and culture of black women in the South are examined through essays, creative writing, film, music, first-person narrative, and field research.
WS 300 Women in the Visual Arts. Three hours.
Women's creative expression in fine art and domestic arts and crafts is examined from historical and contemporary perspectives; slide lectures offer examples of women's art work. Consideration is also given to professional and social roles of women artists.
WS 310 Special Topics. Three hours.
Examination of selected issues in women's studies.
Changing topics: for example, women and work, women in the world.
WS 340 Women and Law. Three hours.
This seminar's major focus is the impact of law on the status and lives of women.
WS 402:403 Internship in Teaching Women's Studies. Three hours.
Prerequisites: WS 200, WS 430, and permission of the director.
WS 410 Essential Readings and Writings in Women's Studies. Three hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Essential readings and writings for female equality. Assignments focus on the publications and activities of feminist pioneers from the Enlightenment through the suffragist/abolitionist movement and contemporary period.
WS 430 Women in Contemporary Society/Feminist Theory. Three hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the director.
Considers major economic, sociological, psychological, and philosophical approaches to the study of women. Emphasis is on the formulation of theories.
WS 440:441 Seminar in Women's Studies. Three hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
Courses under this rubric are designed to meet a specific need and supplement regular offerings.
WS 450:451 Independent Study in Women's Studies. One to six hours.
Prerequisites: Permission of the director and arrangement in advance of the semester in which enrollment is planned.
Independent study on any subject pertaining to women, under the supervision of a professor in the chosen field and/or the program director.
WS 470 Gender, Race, and Class. Three hours.
Prerequisite: WS 200 or permission of the instructor.
A cross-cultural approach to the study of gender, race, and class discrimination. Focuses on the mutually reinforcing forces of oppression.
|Next Previous Contents Search UA


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07/25/2008, Beaufort, NC
Departed from Oriental around 9:00 a.m., found our way to the intercoastal waterway, and cruised 20.8 miles south. It was heavenly. Idyllic cruising for several hours just watching the shoreline go by. Jake and Anne slept the whole way. It got sunny as we left Oriental and we had perfect weather the whole day.
07/23/2008, Whitaker
07/23/2008, Whitaker (I know I'm missing a k, and I'm leaving it that way)
07/23/2008, Whitaker docks
I was looking for a place to store some new books and I came across my onion and potato collection. It wasn't pretty. Evidently they need a place with more ventilation. I salvaged what I could into a cooked breakfast, which was only mediocre. Kept me full until dinner, which ended up being a run to the pizza joint for some spaghetti and meatballs, also only mediocre. I can't complain considering that my heroes from Wind Dancer (The Burns Family) have lost their refrigerator altogether and are limping to Samoa for repairs. They report experiencing 20 foot seas but confirm that their older model Catalina 36 has handled the heavy weather fine.
07/22/2008, Whitaker Docks
Among today's projects was the inflatable dingy. I floated it around a few boats and under the dock, then hoisted it using the lift, cleaned it from top to bottom, de-flated it, re-assembled the floor boards like Richard (S/V Roxy, from Titusville, FL) showed me, attached the seat, pumped it up, and christened it with its new nick-name. She now sits proudly at the stern of the mothership.
In case you were wondering, it appears the dogs can go at least 24 hours at one time on the boat (at dock) without complaining. I think I was more worried about how they were doing then they were. They mostly slept. That we were all together seemed to make them perfectly content. They didn't even run to the grass when we went out this morning. I think they could go longer, not that I'd want that. After a day on the boat, we will need to start working on how they will... you know... on the boat. All in due time.
07/22/2008, Tropical Dreamer, Whitaker docks
My internet connection is so spotty tonight that all I can hope to upload is text. I don't know if the picture will go through. We're two nights back on the boat since returning from the necessary but emotionally difficult trip west. Now we're parked in Oriental (again) waiting for the blades to be installed tomorrow and for that court hearing on Wednesday. It is for the best, however, because there are still so many items on my to-do list. I did laundry this morning after taking the dogs for a long walk, spent a few hours in the afternoon updating ads for the truck, the other sailboat, the house for rent. Got a lot of other things done. I didn't feel like napping late this afternoon and enjoyed a two hour reading session before happy hour and dinner. Yes, we're enduring this arduous cruising lifestyle. When it's not raining, it can get powerful hot here in North Carolina (as I've written previously). The air conditioning in the boat is only ok. It got up to 81 degrees in the cabin during the hottest part of the day, which was still a lot cooler and less humid than outside. I had to turn the temperature several degrees warmer when I awoke just now - it was freezing in here. The lower and more centered you go in the cabin, the cooler it gets. That's where the dogs settle. They've taken quite well to the dog place I set up in the pit sofa. So have I. It's a great spot to relax. Speaking of which, I think I'm starting to. Things will liven up in a few days.


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More New and Used
from Private Sellers
Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
The Interpretation of St Matthew's Gospel 15-28
ISBN13:by Lenski, R. C. H.
Augsburg Fortress Pub
Questions About This Book?
What version or edition is this?
This is the edition with a publication date of 10/1/2008.
What is included with this book?
- The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any CDs, lab manuals, study guides, etc.
This item is part of: Lenski New Testament: In Twenty Volumes. Pastors and students of the Bible who seek deep and detailed engagement with the text of the New Testament have long relied on R.C.H. Lenski's classic text now available again. Even though its historical-critical work has been surpassed, the strong narrative quality, accessibility, and "holy reverence for the Word of God" (Moody Monthly) of Lenski's work have allowed his commentary to continue as an excellent resource for serious study of the New Testament and sermon preparation.


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Chateau Cantenac Brown in Margaux announced that it was releasing its 2008 wine at 18 euros ex chateau, a drop of just over 43% from last year.
Parker called it the best wine he has tasted from the property, so well done to them for not letting that go to their heads and raise, or even keep the prices the same as last year (step forward Chateau Clinet yesterday and La Gaffeliere today).
My review during the primeurs said:
Chateau Cantenac Brown, Margaux
Like the elegance on the nose and the lovely restrained but rich colour. Much better than many of the samples in this tasting – good weight of fruit but the lovely acidity makes it seem light. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, and will spent its ageing in 60% new oak. One of the nicest so far. I have now tasted this twice, once at the chateau and once again during this blind tasting, and have been very impressed with each sample. They harvested from October 1 to 19. Now let's see what they do with the price this year, as it has pretty much dropped off the radar due to its crazy pricing strategy. 92-94.
There are a lot of prices coming out this week after the Parker scores, and a few other interesting ones are Chateau Yquem down 59% at 160 euros, Chateau Figeac 35 euros (42 last year so down 16.67%). Overall, biggest price drops so far Lafite 45%, Margaux 45%, Mouton 50%, Latour 45%, Angelus 41.18%, Haut Brion approx 41%, La Conseillante 28.57% and now Cantenac Brown 43%.
Besides Clinet, others who have gone the wrong way are Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc 19.30 this year (up from 16.8 so 14.88% rise) and Chateau Forcas Hosten (very unfortunate for them as they brought their price out last week and then got a very low Parker score of 79-81...)
Great story that was picked up in the Wall Street Journal last week about global cheese and wine parties to be held on June 4, courtesy of the French government...
An excerpt here (article by Max Colchester):
'France has long played up its culture of culinary excellence. But now the government fears the country's highbrow food traditions may have alienated the average consumer. So, in an effort to boost sales of wine and cheese -- two of France's more lucrative exports -- it is trying to promote the laid-back ap�ritif, a moment before dinner when the French kick back with a glass of wine and some finger food.
To get the message across, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, along with various wine and cheese producers, is spending around €1.6 million ($2.1 million) to sponsor cocktail parties in 19 countries across the world, including the U.S., Canada and Spain. The French government will cover 60% of the overall cost of the program, and the wine and cheese companies involved are underwriting the rest.
"Some people are terrorized by French gastronomy, especially French wine," says Marie-No�lle Guerin, head of external relations at Sopexa, a food-marketing company hired to organize the events. "We want to show that French cuisine can be relaxed too."
(... successful applicants...) will receive a hamper of French-themed party gear, including a corkscrew, an apron and a CD featuring pop singer Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In return for the gifts, the hosts must hold a party, take photos and blog before and after, in an effort to help create a buzz about French wine and food. After the party, they will have to answer a questionnaire seeking their opinion of the products they tasted.'
Robert Parker at The Wine Advocate ( http://www.erobertparker.com/ ) has finally released his 2008 scores. They went online late last night, and everyone is of course talking about them here in Bordeaux today.
He has scored a huge number of wines this year (compared to last, when he gave scores but no notes, and merely summed up his view of each appellation). Over 400 red wines have been noted for 2008, and many of them have received very high scores.
In his opening remarks, he says, 'It did not take me long to realize that the 2008 vintage was dramatically better than I had expected. It had all the qualities that make an excellent and in some cases, a great vintage so special: exceptionally dark opaque colors, gorgeously ripe fruit, stunning purity almost across the board, great freshness (because it was a cool year), slightly higher acids than normal, and remarkable density as well as concentration.' He compares many of the wines to the 2005 and to the 2000 vintages - something that many producers had reported him saying during the tasting week, and which they must have been relieved to see translated into print.
His top scores went to Lafite Rothschild (98-100), Ausone (96-100), Petrus (98-100) and Trotanoy (96-100). Also doing well are Pavie (96-98+), Pontet-Canet (96-98+), Ducru Beaucaillou (96-98), Troplong Mondot (95-97) and Le Dome (95-97). He gave Montrose a very high 95-97 also.
My tastes don't always coincide with Parker, but I do always enormously enjoy reading his highly intelligent reviews, and of course the inevitable digs that he gets in at other journalists in his opening remarks are worth the price of subscription alone. This year particular vitriol is reserved for blogs 'authored by anybody who can string a noun and verb together, and by many who can't' and those who are 'totally obsessed with breaking the Bordelais, and demanding that prices come down, irrespective of quality.'
It will be interesting to see whether those well-scored wines that are yet to release will seize upon those remarks...
I went to a really interesting food and wine matching evening last night at the boutique in Chateau Pape Clement, where Magrez (not actually in person, as he was in London at a tasting) was pairing his range of white and rose wines with some of the best Japanese food in Bordeaux from SushiShop ( www.sushishop.fr/ ). Magrez is running these food and wine matching evenings regularly at the shop and his wide range of international wines make them quite different than many in Bordeaux. There is one coming up in June for example on his Spanish wines.
On display were the Pape Clement Blanc (we were lucky enough to be given a fantastic vertical of the 2002 to 2008, the second vertical of this wine that I have had in the past month and confirmed again what a seriously impressive wine it is, personal favourites being the 2004, 2005 and 2007), the Rose version of the Prelat de Pape Clement, Domaine des Songes sweet wine from Bergerac and Magrez's joint venture in Japan, Magrez-Aruga, which is dry white from the koshu grape.
One of the reasons that I wanted to go last night was because I have visited Katsunuma Winery in Japan (in the Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot of the Japanese Alps in the Kofu Valley which is becoming a mini Napa - ie the centre of the Japanese wine industry). I was writing a piece at the time for Wine and Spirit magazine, and had heard that Yuuji Aruga was one of the leading quality winemakers in the country, so headed out to see him at his very traditional wine shop, complete with rice-paper sliding doors in a low-rise wooden framed house. The winery itself is far more modern, and located in a different part of the town. He had just signed up to do a joint venture wine with Bernard Magrez, but at the time I tasted his own wines, but not this one as it was still on the vine!
This is a review that I wrote for Business Destinations about a rival French-influenced Japanese wine that gives a hint of the difficulties quality Japanese wine is up against:
Cuv�e Denis Dubordieu 2005, Millesimes Koshu Project
Japanese wine hasn't exactly set the world alight until now. Partly because of the climate (up to 2,500mm of rain annually in some parts of the country), partly because of the viticulture (wine in Japan was traditionally made from the leftover table grapes that had been deemed unsuitable for consumption and then, once made, sold to people who couldn't afford sak�). But the Koshu Project is looking to change all that – this wine is the first to be made from 100 percent Japanese grapes, and is hoping to receive a 'Certified for Export' stamp, making it the first Japanese wine to be suitable for sale in the EU. Unoaked and very delicate, this has pale green hints and a fresh, citrus nose. Just 11 percent alcohol means this goes perfectly with fresh dishes such as sushi or even a mozzarella and tomato salad.
And the review that I wrote last night for Magrez's wine:
Magrez-Aruga Koshu, Isehara 2007
The first vintage of this collaberation between Bernard Magrez and Yuuji Aruga, and a very good example of how far Japanese wine has progressed in recent years. This is slightly richer and rounder than the Denis Dubourdeiu Japanese wine that I tasted a few years ago. Although still pleasantly light in alcohol at 11.5%, there is good mouthfeel, weight and texture to the wine. Isehara is the name of the plot, which has deep gravel, and the grapes are trained in pergolas traditional to the area known as Tanashiki-saibai - the height is important as there is high humidity through much of the year, so keeping grapes well aerated and far off the ground lowers the risk of rot. There is a light floral nose, good citrus flavours and a lovely minerality on the finish.
After Haut Brion coming out yesterday (125 euros exit price, see http://www.decanter.com/news/281329.html ), everything has gone very quiet today. Waiting for Parker scores? Just wanting to take advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather before the rain comes back tomorrow?? Who knows...
It gives me time, however, to share with you a very interesting visit to a foie gras farm that I made earlier this week. I am going back there this afternoon to watch the ducks being fed, as I have been assured that it is totally humane and I want to see for myself.
This foie gras farm is nestling in a beautiful valley by the village of Cocumont in the Lot-et-Garonne, and they still work entirely traditionally. At Ferme Gassiot, ducks are given large fields to roam around, and are hand-fed rather than forced into an individual cage when undergoing the gavage (a French word meaning to gorge, where the ducks are given a meal of vitamins and softened-up corn that will swell up their livers to up to five times their usual size). This traditional method means that they can feed 70 ducks in one hour, unlike the usual method where 200 ducks can be fed in an hour.
(picture above of a traditional cage used for holding the ducks while feeding them, not used here)
'It is slower, and you need patience,' says Francis Menville, the foie gras producer, 'but the ducks are not stressed, and that comes through in the flavours. This method of farming is a noble part of our heritage, and we are proud to do everything here on the farm; from growing the maize to make the feed, to rearing the Pyrenean ducks from just one day old (there are only male ducks here, as the livers of the females are not smooth enough), to producing the many final products.'
A look in their farm shop shows you that they really do make use of every bit of the duck - you can find rows of everything from pate du terroir, foie gras, confit de canard and garbure soup of vegetables and duck meat, to cassoulet, a stew of beans, pork and duck products that is one of the signatures dishes of the Lot.
It's tough farming in this traditional manner – up for the first gavage at 5am, then the second 12 hours later, for weeks at a time and with only two months' break through the year – but Menville sees the work as part of the heart and soul of the region. 'There's no secret to this work, just respect for the animals and a lot of hard work. But the privilege of working close to the land, and of being part of a tradition that has continued unbroken since Eygptian times, is something I will never tire of sharing.'
(Rather than individual cages, the ducks are put into these larger cages for around one hour twice a day for two weeks, while the gavage takes place. To be fed, each duck is taken and held by hand, and then fed for 30 seconds).
I am going to see the feeding for myself tonight, and can't pretend that it isn't an uncomfortable idea (not just for the ducks). I don't eat much foie gras personally, but I can appreciate that many people see it as a great delicacy, and I was very happy to find a producer who at leasts nods towards the welfare of the animals... of course, however happy they are during their lives, at four months they are done and dusted, so I'm not sure Ferme Gassiot is going to be winning any great awards from the RSPCA.
I was surprised to hear about the release price of Chateau Palmer yesterday - an average consumer bottle price of €115 (I think exit price was just over €80, bringing it very close to Chateau Mouton Rothschild at €100).
Although it is a gorgeous wine this year, and I gave it an excellent review, this seems to be crazy pricing compared to what everyone else is doing. As Farr Vintners say on their website: '2008 Palmer is now available at �1020 case, which makes it rather hard to recommend with a number of good and mature vintages available today at well below this level.'
I wonder what their reasoning is - I guess they really are cash-rich and don't feel the need to sell this year.
The other bit of strange pricing this year has come from two English merchants - Berrys and Farrs, so two highly significant players, who offered Lynch Bages at well under other merchants, and well under the 'recommended resale price'. So where most merchants (according to Liv-ex) were offering it at arund �385 per case, Berrys and Farrs offered it at �360. Doesn't sound like a big difference, but it meant smaller guys were not able to compete, and is exactly what the chateaux are supposed to avoid during the first tranche of en primeur releases.
A look at Liv-ex today tells you that �360 has now become the standard selling price of Lynch Bages 2008, because everyone readjusted their pricing to the lowest point. A good thing for consumers of course, but I wonder if anyone is making any money on this wine at all now? Would love to hear from any merchants!
Fine Wine Exchange Liv-ex have been surveying their members in recent years about the perceived quality of Bordeaux vintages, and have just published their 2008 results, which make for pretty interesting reading:
According to their clients:
Lafite Rothschild is the wine of the 2008 vintage.
Pontet Canet tops the "value for money" category.
Montrose was the most disappointing wine.
The vintage scored 91 (out of 100) on average.
Release prices are expected to be down on 2007 by 38% on average.
Their questions:
List in order of preference your top wines from Bordeaux 2008.
1. Lafite
2. Latour
3. Ausone
= 4. Cheval Blanc
= 4. Mouton
6. Haut Brion
7. Lafleur
8. Le Pin
9. Leoville Las Cases
= 10. Petrus
= 10. Palmer
The results above show the top 10 wines of the vintage according to the experts irrespective of price.
List in order of preference your top value wines from 2008 (value wines are wines with an expected release price of less than �350 per case)
1. Pontet Canet
2. Leoville Barton
3. Leoville Poyferre
4. Talbot
5. Dom. de Chevalier Rouge
6. Malescot St Exupery
= 7. Calon Segur
= 7. Langoa Barton
= 9. Armailhac
= 9. Grand Puy Lacoste
List your most disappointing wines from 2008 with the most isappointing first.
1. Montrose
2. Margaux
3. Gruaud Larose
4. Pichon Lalande
5. Giscours
6. Beychevelle
7. Mission Haut Brion
8. Pape Clement
9. Pavie
10. Pavie Macquin
Using the Parker scoring model, what score would you give to the Bordeaux 2007 vintage overall?
91 points (average out of 100)
The average score attributed by the membership for the vintage was 91 points, with a range of 86 to 94.This is significantly higher than last year's 88 and on a par with the 2006 vintage.
6. At what prices, in Euros per bottle, ex-negociant, do you expect (not want!) the following wines to e released in Bordeaux?
Based on their
expectations, prices will be down by 38.3% on last year's levels, and 56.1% down on 2006.
My latest wine column for American Express magazine Business Destinations has just gone up online... thought I would post a copy here also.
Wine should be an exciting experience from beginning to end – from the packaging to the story to the taste." This comment, from the owner of an excellent new wine shop in the centre of Manchester, England, started me thinking. It can be so easy to fall into the habit of drinking the wines you know you like, from producers you know you can trust. I'm certainly guilty of that far too often. And if we do step out of our comfort zone, we tend to look to the New World for the most exciting young winemakers.
But one of the perks of my job is discovering wines that I might never have come across if they hadn't been lined up in tastings run by importers or retailers, so I am highlighting here some of the most exciting young winemakers from old Europe. Some are from well known regions that can often be dismissed, such as Beaujolais, and others from emerging areas that deserve to be better known.
Vilosell, Tomas Cusin�, Costers del Segre 2006 (�12.50)
A great label, like a Paul Smith shirt, and definitely a wine where the taste is as exciting as the presentation. Wonderfully fragrant from the first sniff, this comes from a small DO located at 2,300 metres above sea level in the Catalonia region of Spain, Costers del Segre. It was the spot that Tomas Cusin�, a winemaker who has been quietly gaining plaudits over the past 20 years, chose when he decided to found a winery under his own name in 2003. The wine itself has new oak, plenty of vanilla, and it is sweet and smooth but with a really spicy edge. Its silky tannins make it highly easy to drink, without belying the clear quality of the winemaking.
Domaine Jean Marc Burgaud, Morgon Cote du Py, Beaujolais 2006 (�11.50)
If ever there was a wine region that needed to listen to a more dynamic, younger generation, this is it – and growers like Jean Marc Burgaud are exactly what Beaujolais needs. Young, talented and ambitious, Burgaud has mae a wine with a finesse that is more typically associated with Burgundy. But that is not to say that this is a difficult wine to enjoy – it still has the classic sour cherry taste of a Gamay from this region, and at 13 percent it has a light-weight mouthfeel that makes it a great early evening livener.
La Legua Roble, DO Cigales 2006 (�7.10)
Emeterio Fernandez's winery is located in DO Cigales, in the Castella-Le�n region to the north of the more acclaimed Ribera del Duero. This is by no means a start-up winery – they have been producing wine here for around 300 years, but all the same, things are changing fast. A modern winery has recently been built on top of the old underground cellars, and the chief winemaker, Adolfo Gonzalez is one of the youngest and most acclaimed in the area. On the palate, there is an attractive toast from the new oak that is never overpowering, and it is packed full of bright brambly fruits. A mix of Tempranillo and Grenache, this is a sleek, vibrant wine that is asking to be shared with good friends.
Martin Codax, Cuatro Pasos, Bierzo 2005 (approx �10)
A slightly unusual wine from a co-operative cellar in Leon in northwest Spain. Mencia is the indigenous grape variety of the region, and it makes up 100 percent of this wine, from 80-year-old vines set at altitude in the Bierzo mountains. But enough background – this is a wine that you want to get on with drinking, right from the moment you see the distinctive paw prints on the label. It is almost black in colour, and at 14 percent does pack a punch, but it is so smooth and soft that you barely notice the alcohol. This was again a very popular choice in the tasting, full of rich plums and vanilla from the American oak.
Chante Cigale, Vignes D'Alexandre, Vins de Pays Mediteranee 2007 (approx �9)
Winemaker Alexandre Favier took over the family estate in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape from his father Christian when he was in his early 20s, and is now just 27 years old. In five short years, he's managed to win the regional Rhone trophy at the International Wine Challenge and clock up numerous other garlands from various critics and competitions. Definitely a young winemaker to watch. There is a slight red blush to this, from the red-skinned Roussane grape, blended with Clairette and Grenache Blanc. It is well restained and unoaked, rounded out with rich apricots and white pears. A real slugger, this was perhaps the most popular wine around the table during this tasting.
GD Vajra, Dolcetto d'Alba, Piemonte 2007 (approx �14)
Proving that even the established appellations can hide some of the most exciting new winemaking, this is a seriously wonderful wine from the Barolo region of Italy. Right now it is way too young to really do itself justice, but there is such depth and opulence in this wine that it will be worth the wait. The son of the current winemaker is taking over here from this vintage, and he's extremely passionate about the future. The wine itself is vibrantly purple, full of brambly fruits, with tight dense tannins and plenty of layers to unpick at your leisure. Definitely one to leave open for a few hours before tucking in.
Podere 414, Morellino di Scansano 2006 (�13.50)
Podere 414 is an estate that straddles a river in the western part of Tuscany towards the sea and near the town of Scansano, with a rocky soil where pretty much nothing would grow but vines. Owned by Simone Castelli, the son of a well-known Tuscan oenologist, with his wife Mara. Just over 85 percent Sangiovese (the name of the DOC is in fact a synonym for the grape variety), with the balance made up of Ciliegiolo and Grenache. The first thing that strikes you is the quality of the fruit – this is full of ripe young blackberries and whole clusters of luscious black cherries. The tannins here are very light, so it's ready to be drunk despite being so young, and at just 13.5 percent alcohol, a highly seductive wine.
La Casita, DO Arribes 2006 (approx �12)
Also known as Little House (a direct translation of La Casita) the first vintage of this wine was bottled in 2005. Owned by Englishman Jon Dowson and his Spanish partner Jesus Bartolome, this wine is from the Arribes region (which is now a DO as of 2007). The area has excellent levels of sunlight and temperature that make it a high quality red growing area. It also has a number of indigenous grape varieties that are used in the wine, mixed with Tempranillo, namely Juan Garcia (the dominant variety in the area), Rufete and Brunel. It is a charming wine, with plenty of cherry and summer fruit flavours. Easy to drink but with real character.
La Casita – buy direct from the winery www.lacasita-wine.com
Le Legua - Berry Bros and Rudd - www.bbr.com
Chante Cigale, Cuatro Pattos, GD Vajra - Reserve Wines – www.reservewines.co.uk
Vilosell, Podere 414, Domaine Jean Marc Burgaud - The Wine Society, www.thewinesociety.com
Second week of the en primeur campaign, and you could be forgiven for thinking it's all over! Four of the five first growths out (just Haut Brion to go, although I just heard that it might be out this afternoon), and other big hitters such as Lynch Bages (down 20%), Angelus (down 40%), Leoville Barton (down 10%), Pichon Comtesse (down 40%), L'Evnagile (down 25%)... all already out. In a usual campaign, you are having to wait til at least the end of May for these guys, often until June.
As Simon Staples at Berrys just told me, 'We usually come back from the en primeurs week in Bordeaux, get our customers all excited about what we have tasted... and then wait... and wait... and waste three months of our lives waiting for the chateaux to make up their minds.'
Some of the biggest price drops this week have been 40% for Pichon Comtesse, and of course 50% for Chateau Mouton Rothschild, releasing at 100 euros, exactly half of its 2007 price, making it, according to Jancis Robinson, the wine of the vintage.
From what I hear, some wines have been getting a great reaction (Leoville Barton as always, that released 85% of their production and have already sold out), while others have found it a big more difficult - even Chateau Angelus at 40% down has been criticised for still being too expensive. I read an interesting comment on Twitter yesterday from a Californian wine merchant (sorry, can't remember who, please enlighten me if you know): 'Now do you believe that these wines are over-priced??' - it's a good point, if they can all come down this much, who were they kidding at the prices over the past few years?
I finally got to Cos d'Estournel last Friday, a week after the primeurs finished. The new cellars had been the talk of the week (along with, but of course, the golf buggies at Mouton and a rumoured - but not witnessed by me - Nespresso room at Brane Cantenac), so I was excited to see them.
It's quite an adventure getting into Cos at the moment, as the general landscaping of the gardens isn't going to be finished until the summer, and nor is the tourist entrace to the cellars. But the musuem is open for business, and looks great, and the cellars themselves were every bit as impressive as I had heard.
Covering around 2,000 m2 of floor space, with 1000 m2 of passageways, it is quite hilariously high-tech (well, in a low-tech way, since everything is gravity-fed, no use of pumps anyway for the wines). 72 stainless steel vats, 48 of them from 100-150 hectolitres big, and 12 that are from 19-60 hectolitres, but with two-floors in each, so effectively 24 small vats. All conical in shape, and double-lined for the thermoregulation no interior heating coils. For the vats that are on two floors, there are two 'chimneys' so you can vinify them both at the same time at different temperatures etc. Apparently this is the only vat-room in Bordeaux with this capacity.
After the (manual, naturally) grape sorting, the grapes are frozen down to between -40 and -60 degrees, so they can have the stalks taken off without releasing any juice or damaging the grape skins. They then go onto another sorting table and into little stainless steel wagons, where they are wheeled off to the vats and gently poured in (still cold, so still intact).
But the really interesting bit is the pumping over (which is in fact delestage, or 'rack and return'). No pumps are used for this, and it is all done by gravity. To achieve this, the juice comes out of the vat into a little vat on wheels (the marc stays in the big vat), this is then trundled over to a glass elevator (there are four around the cellar) which goes up one floor, and the juice is trundled back over to the original vat and poured back in over the marc.
Down one more level, and you're in the barrel cellar, that can store 2,000 barrels. An inner chamber that I wasn't granted access to contains barrels for the white wine, that is kept at a lower temperature throughout ageing. The barrels are all underground, and the whole cellar reaches 30 metres at the highest point, and goes 10 metres below ground at the lowest point.
At the wine tasting before the visit, Prats told me that they had made 78% first wine this year, compared to 55% first wine last year, and that he ascribes that (besides a better quality vintage) to the precision possible with the new winery. It certainly tasted good - my review of the wine is here:
I spent a very enjoyable easter weekend in Cap Ferret at Maison du Bassin www.lamaisondubassin.com - a lovely New England style hotel that is minutes from the beach and has a great bar and restaurant (home made rum which is very dangerous).
Anyway, a quick roundup - Latour out this morning down 45%, Forts de Latour out this afternoon down 20% (have they come out early to get their wines to market before news of a sale becomes definitive??)
And I have put up pretty much all of my primeurs scores now, finishing up with Maltus, Pomerol and Cos d'Estournel.
I include here my La Conseillant notes, for its 'co-innoculation'...
Chateau La Conseillante, AOC Pomerol
Big, fruity nose, exuberant, more new oak and fresh fruit. 86% merlot, 14% cabernet franc. 90% new oak, but all the cabernet franc in tanks, giving a lovely juicy character. Harvesting from September 26 to October 1 for the merlot, October 7 for the cabernet franc. This underwent a four-day cold soak, and four days total maceration, from harvest to running off – quite long for this property, but they were very happy with the quality of fruit this year. Small amounts of micro-oxygenation during early fermenation, just to feed the yeasts (pumping over also just on first phase, then stop to keep freshness). For the first time this year, they also did co-innoculation, adding yeast and bacteria at the same time to carry out alcoholic and malolactic fermentation at the same time (a technique that is far more popular in the New World than Bordeaux, and I have only heard of one other estate in the Medoc that does it). Whatever the techniques, this is an enjoyable wine. On the palate, there is firm red fruit, redcurrants and black cherries, very textured, very big but successful. A pleasure. 94-95.
And finally, please picture the scene... I am researching for some Flavours from France articles at the moment, one of which is on foods from the Gironde Estuary. In search of a good story, I went out at lunchtime today to look at the oyster farming in Cap Ferret, walking across the mudflats with my six year old daughter to meet Yoan and Matthieu the oyster farmers.
'Stick to the water channels' said Catherine Roux, the only female oyster farmer in the Cap. Got there no problem, had great interview, then turned round to walk back. Which channels exactly were we supposed to be following?? First one boot, then the next, gets stuck in the mud. Poor old Lauren started panicking slightly as we were stuck fast, but my dad was on hand back at base to wade through and carry her home. I had to use hands and feet to get through the mud... and both of us sat down in it more than once...
After the flurry of early releases on Monday, most notably Chateau Angelus at 59 euros ex-negociant, or 40% down on 2007, everything seems to have gone eerily quiet.
I heard that L'Evangile came out on Tuesday morning, but don't have confirmation (apparently it makes such small quantities that very few negociants get it, so the price is not sent out widely).
I have been on a number of chateaux visits this week, including to Phelan Segur, Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, Teyssier in Saint Emilion and Siurac in Lalande de Pomerol. I've also called a number of negociants and UK merchants, and the story seems to be the same everywhere - that while de Bouard should be congratulated for setting the tone with a big price drop, he came out too early, before anyone was really back in the ofice and ready to think about buying.
It seems that noone really took up the offer (still too high?? even at 2004 prices?), and other properties have been scared off releasing. Are they now planning to wait for Parker to bring out his scores?
I have also heard that some merchants are happy with the Angelus price, but because they expect a quick campaign, and because they know that demand is not going to be enormous this year, they are waiting until everything is out before deciding what to buy. Others are saying that key chateaux are closer and closer to thinking they will not release any wine this year (obviously they have acess to some rosy vision of the economy in 2010 that the rest of us aren't party to). I read a statistic in the excellent Bordeaux book by Stephen Brook, that after the 1973 oil crisis, Bordeaux prices dropped by 70% - so maybe certain property owners are being overly optimistic that the drop in prices is just a momentary hiccup.
Personally, I hope that chateaux continue with sensible price releases as of next Tuesday, after the easter bank holiday... but Bordeaux always has the capacity to surprise...
I was really happy to hear that one of my favourite Graves white wines, Chateau de Seuil, has been chosen as winner of the "Trophee Des Crus Des Graves". This is a competition in which all wines produced in the Graves appellation are submitted. The Chateau du Seuil Graves Blanc 2007 picked up the top prize, as best Graves white from the excellent 2007 vintage.
The owners of this 7 hectare property are Welsh-New Zealanders, and the wine is 60% semillon, 40% sauvignon blanc. Despite this very classic Bordeaux blend, I've always found a slight Kiwi signature in the wines, in their extreme fruit-forward freshness and minerality. I feature them as one of the chateaux to visit in the Southern Graves and Sauternes chapters of Wine Travel Guides: http://www.winetravelguides.com/regions.asp?id=1#4
The same chateau has picked up several medals in recent wine competitions. The top two scoring wines were the Chateau du Seuil 2006 C�rons (late harvest sweet) from the 2006 vintage and the Chateau du Seuil Graves Blanc 2007.
I was teaching at the Ecole du Vin today, so annoyingly missed the first price releases of this campaign... unbelievably Chateau Angelus coming out at 59 euros (price sold by negociants)...
I'm teaching again tomorrow, so let's hope the first growths dont come out!! (went to Pape Clement this afternoon, and tasted a more enjoyable en primeur sample. Will put up Pessac Leognan notes tomorrow. Also saw a an oak barrel that Magrez is using for his 2007 wine, that was planted in 1681, cut down in 2003, and apparently was used by Marie Antoinette for shade while she lived in Versailles).
As it happens, I have just put up my review of Chateau Angelus, and the rest of the du Bouard properties/consultancies onto http://www.newbordeaux.com/documents/angelus_and_de_bouard_08.html
Here is Angelus:
A fairly large vineyard for Saint Emilion, at 23.4 hectares, on clay limestone and clay-sand-limestone. This year was 58% merlot and 42% cabernet franc. Beautiful rich colour with glass-staining vibrancy. Very, very nice. This is so juicy, so beautiful perfumed with strong notes of violet that you rarely get in such concentration. Mouth-watering finish, terribly elegant, tight tannins, and gorgeous acidity. This is a very successful wine, with no let-up in mid palate, and a very long, controlled finish. Excellent. Picking dates from Oct 6 until Oct 26. De Bouard on the vintage, 'Had good ripeness, but not over-ripeness, especially on the skin. Ripe berries but very fruity and fresh skins.' To maximise this, they worked on punching down, pumping over to work with the skin from the beginning until mid-fermentation, but they slow down to avoid over-extraction. With cold maceration below 10 degree, then very long maceration, but static, with no battonage. 94-95.
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Firstly, all is up to date, OS X Server 10.4.3, no outstanding updates in software update. It is a relatively new OS installation.
Logging in as root, I have had the same problems as others, the postinstall script failure.
I used workgroup manager to create a zimbra user with no password - still no joy.
I downloaded and installed the java 5 SE - still no joy.
Any next steps I should try?


text:
|HHS qualifies 8 for state FBLA
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
During the Thursday, Feb. 7 FBLA District Leadership Conference at NJC in Sterling, eight HHS members qualified for the 2013 state conference in Vail April 21-23.
Those who qualified are AJ Brandt, Jesus Hermosillo, José Jaquez, Ben Martinez, Chris Pell, Alyssa Cordova, Brett Cumming and Molly Brandt.
The theme for the conference was "Igniting Innovation—May Success be Ever in Your Future." That is exactly what the Holyoke students did by placing 25 students in the top 10 in their events. Over 500 students from 11 different schools competed at the District IV Leadership Conference.
Students participated in competitive events and attended workshops on networking, identity theft prevention, personal saving and the "Millionaire Next Door," a study and book by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.
Students also competed in the annual NJC SIFE Knowledge Bowl. This was similar to a quiz bowl, but questions focused on business topics.
Two Holyoke teams competed against other schools. They demonstrated their extensive business knowledge and took first prize for the second year in a row. They received $50 that will help offset some of the costs of attending the state leadership conference.
The keynote speaker was Grant Baldwin, an engaging communicator whose message helps students prepare for life after high school. Baldwin is author of the book "Reality Check" and has spoken to over 250,000 people in 42 states.
Holyoke Enterprise February 21, 2013


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Harvest time: Montana wheat harvest late but protein rich
Ashley Green and daughter Sommer rounded the corner in their John Deere combine and rolled to the semi awaiting their load. The mother swung the boom of the unloader over the truck trailer and let the grain spill.
The boys were right behind. Dallas Green, son Rory, and nephew Kyler Venable moved as fast as threshing speed would allow. It was a good day to be custom cutting winter wheat in Rosebud County. There were combines trundling through grain in just about every field east of Pompeys Pillar. The Greens, from Whitewater, were seeing some better-than-average wheat.
"The protein is about 14 percent and we're averaging about 50 bushels an acre, which is good for this area," Dallas Green said.
Wheat farmers pump a year's worth of sweat into the slot machine hoping for a late summer payout. This year, decent rain across most of the state and light hail damage has made the harvest less of a gamble.
"So far, it's looking very good," said Cassidy Marn, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee marketing director. "We've had reports from the state grain lab, early reports, very early, about 15 percent in with samples over 13 percent protein and test weights over 63 pounds per bushel."
Protein is what makes Montana wheat valuable to foreign buyers looking to blend it with ordinary wheat to create flour good for making pasta. Montana farmers normally receive a premium payment for high protein levels, which aren't usually found in wheat from other parts of the country. Ordinary winter wheat has a protein level of no more than 10 percent. A 13 percent protein level is on the higher end.
Test weights are a good indicator of flour extraction for wheat, with 60 pounds per bushel being the highest grade. Early test weights suggest Montana has a high-quality wheat crop, which it might need to clear the $1 billion value mark for the sixth time in seven years.
There is a lot of wheat on the global market, which is driving prices down. There's also a lot of protein in U.S. wheat because in regions like the Southern Plains, drought stress drove up wheat protein levels. That means high-protein Montana wheat has unwanted competition and that protein premiums might be lower or nonexistent. It's the second year in a row that states not known for high-protein grain are crowding Montana's niche market.
Gulf State wheat protein levels in some cases are above 12.5, Marn said, which isn't good news for Montana payouts. Roughly 85 percent of the Texas crop has protein levels above 12.5 percent.
There is still a lot of Montana wheat yet to be harvested. Through last week, roughly 65 percent of Montana winter wheat was cut, but just 6 percent of the state's spring wheat has been harvested, according to the Montana Agricultural Statistics Service. Cool, wet spring weather delayed winter and spring harvests by several weeks.
There were exceptions, like farmer Phil Steinberger, who cut his grain July 13, weeks ahead of his Forsyth neighbors, though his protein levels were closer to 9 percent.
In the extreme northeast corner of Montana, farmer Gordon Stoner said spring wheat and durum crops in his area were still too green to cut and may not be ready until September. Rain in nearby Plentywood is 4.5 inches above average for the year and the summer temperatures have been mild.
"Durum and spring wheat, there hasn't been any harvested, but the crops look very good," Stoner said as he harvested peas Wednesday.
Not everyone benefited from a wet 2014 growing season. Dallas Green said it was great to be cutting such abundant wheat near Forsyth after suffering drought conditions in Whitewater, where drought fissures were opening in the parched ground.
"You could lose a 32-inch crescent down those cracks," Green said.


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Optimizing the Shape of a Horn
Application ID: 4353
A plane-wave mode feeds an axisymmetric horn radiating from an infinite baffle towards an open half space. The radius of the feeding waveguide is assumed to be fixed, as well as the depth of the horn and the size of the hole where the horn is attached to the baffle. By varying the curvature of the initially conical surface of the horn, its directivity and impedance can be changed.
This model shows how to apply boundary shape optimization to an axisymmetric horn. For the sake of simplicity, the far-field sound pressure level is maximized for a single frequency and in a single direction. The focus is on the optimization procedure, which involves parametrization of the geometry, choice of objective function and optimization solver settings.
The results from this analysis shows that by changing the shape of the horn within the limits of the selected parametrization, the on-axis sound pressure level can be raised by about 1 dB compared to the simple cone. The optimal shape with respect to on-axis SPL however leads to deep undesirable minima in other directions.


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My Session: Volume 1 Kiteboarding DVD
Item # 3471459
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Product Details
Learn to kiteboard with style as Leading Edge coaches you through the key steps to riding upwind. By focusing on fundamental skills like kite control and body position, My Session: Volume 1 helps speed up the learning curve and prevent bad habits before they start. Learn to be independent and safe while still having fun!
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- Languages: English
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- Length: 40 minutes + bonus features


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A Statement from Robert Klein, Chairman of the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine On the Vote by the U.S. Senate on Legislation that Directly Impacts Progress of Stem Cell Research in the U.S
SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 2006—Robert Klein, Chairman of the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee for the California Institute for the Regenerative Medicine, today issued this statement:
Passage of HR 810 represents an historic moment for patients and their families. Congress has affirmed of the will of the American public that complements California's decisive action in passing Proposition 71 almost two years ago. Today's vote demonstrates that the majority of people support stem cell research and realize this science holds great promise for potential treatments in the future.
I applaud the leadership of Senators Frist and Reid for bringing this vote forward, and the advocacy and co-authorship of Senators Feinstein, Hatch, Specter, Kennedy, Boxer, Smith, Harkin and other courageous Senators. I also commend the passion of patient advocacy organizations around the country, including the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, and individuals such as Nancy Reagan, who continue to be very persuasive in their communications about the importance of funding stem cell science. We urge the President to follow California's example in moving a new more expansive stem cell research funding program into law.
Thanks to the vision of California voters, we are already implementing strict regulations for governing the research that incorporate the strongest medical and ethical standards in the country, developed in cooperation with the National Academies of Science, and committing millions of dollars to the most meritorious stem cell research. California continues to lead the way—we hope our nation's leaders will join us.
|Nicole Pagano: 415/396-9132
|Michelle Vega: 916/442-2331
CIRM Stem Cell Blog
Media Contact
Kevin McCormack
Sr. Director Public Communications & Patient Advocate Outreach


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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - It's hard for Carlos Gonzalez to reflect too much on his forgettable 2012 season. The Colorado Rockies star has moved forward and is ready for a fresh start with a franchise counting on a new manager to turn things around fast.
So much has happened to Gonzalez since last fall. He got married and adopted his wife's young son. He traveled home to Venezuela to see family and friends.
He is eager this spring training to find a groove that will carry him through a consistent season and avoid another second-half fade.
Also gearing up to play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Gonzalez hopes to improve his defense this year.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)


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About this font family
Following the huge success of Legendary, Manuel Corradine proudly introduces his new ornamented script font. He remarks: "Designing Plebeya was a very tough and exhausting process, but learning to use it correctly and harnessing its whole potential is equally a job demanding great skill and dedication".
Plebeya is a font with an elegant and decorative style. Its calligraphic strokes are full of minute imperfections evoking real hand writing and provide it with a rustic and natural touch. Because of this we advise to preferably use it in the smaller sizes and only in larger ones when consciously you want to highlight its rustic characteristics. More…
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Live search
TÜV NORD Group vacancies: the fast way to find a job
An organisation like TÜV NORD Group can only be successful if it has committed, very well trained and experienced staff. This is our avowed philosophy and it applies from the very youngest trainee up to employees with long years of professional experience.
Our online application procedure helps us to achieve this goal, and you can be sure that all the information you send us will be handled personally and with discretion. The benefit to you: we can process your electronic applications fast and respond to you within a short time.
A tip for your search: you can click on as many criteria as you like. All the search results will be automatically upgraded to reflect your entries.


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I had a fairly large zdb file (about 7GB). Cleaned out a lot of stuff into pst files.
Then compacted. This got the zdb file down to 5GB, not great, so *lots* more cleaning out.
Now I have Outlook reporting a total folder size of about 300MB.
But compacting does not reduce the zdb file below 5GB and it returns suspiciously quickly.
What can I do to get the 5GB down to something that is similar to the 300MB that is actually being used?


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Wedding Dress by Austin Scarlett Follow
Featured in Austin Scarlett Does a Bride's Body Good! See the Debut Wedding Dress Collection.
Austin Scarlett Wedding Dress 2013 Bridal AS07.
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Plan, book and shop for your wedding with inspiration as your guide. Plus, save photos to your favorites!


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Notable Areas / Shopping Districts
Who says you can't sightsee with a couple of shopping bags in your hands? In Boston, you can see nearly the entire city just jumping from store to store: from the tree-lined sidewalks of Newbury Street to the lively Downtown Crossing, and finally through the historical center of Boston at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Mashpee Commons is styled after an old New England town center, but offers a modern open-air shopping experience. In central Massachusetts, the Brimfield Antique Show brings thousands of dealers, and hundreds of thousands of shoppers, to this picturesque community. And while Harvard Square in Cambridge has its fair share of interesting shops, nothing is more curious than the Curious George Store, the only one of its kind in the world.
Charles Street, Boston
Bearskin Neck, Rockport
Girls Getaway: It's All Here
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North Adams Artists' Co-Op Gallery
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Member-run fine art and fine craft gallery featuring works from the region's best in various painting/2D media, photography, clay... more+ 3 saves
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Girls Getaway: It's All Here
Looking for fun things to do and see in Massachusetts?


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Dillon Gee (shoulder) hasn't reported any setbacks in his offseason throwing program.
David Peralta (wrist) expects to begin playing in extended spring training games next Wednesday.
Diamondbacks placed RHP Rubby De La Rosa on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 26, with a right elbow inflammation.
Diamondbacks placed RHP Shelby Miller on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 25, with a right index finger injury.
Justin Upton (quad) is back in the Tigers' lineup Friday.
Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) will be activated from the disabled list to make his season debut on Tuesday in Baltimore.
Red Sox manager John Farrell announced Friday that Clay Buchholz has been moved to the bullpen.
Brandon Belt (ankle) remained out of the Giants' lineup Friday.
Hunter Pence (hamstring) remained out of the Giants' lineup Friday.
Troy Tulowitzki (quad) is back in the Blue Jays' lineup Friday.
Michael Brantley (shoulder) will take some dry swings and possibly hit off a tee on Friday.
Dodgers purchased the contract of LHP Julio Urias from Triple-A Oklahoma City.


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Tipping Point 4
by Dan Russell-Pinson
Return to the mysterious jungle island in Tipping Point 4 and continue the online adventure. Explore your surroundings and solve new puzzles to unfold the story and help the strange visitor from episode one! Click on items you find to interact with them. You can't do anything wrong. How will this adventurous story continue? Play the fourth episode to find out.
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Individual Counseling for Disordered Eating
Staff at the Albert J. Stunkard Weight Management Program are highly experienced with treating binge eating, night eating, bulimia nervosa, body image dissatisfaction and other forms of disordered eating. Our staff includes psychologists and dietitians who use empirically validated treatments to treat these problems. Many of our patients find great benefit from co-therapy with a psychologist and dietician. We offer a combined comprehensive evaluation in which the psychologist and dietitian use a team approach to develop a patient's individualized treatment plan.
Individual dietary counseling through the Stunkard Weight Management Program also is available at Penn Medicine at Radnor.
Click for article - Night Eating Syndrome: What Is It and What Can Be Done About It?


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See the top 20 most helpful scuba gear reviews
Average Customer Review: based on 13 reviews.Rating: Upgrading to Ultraclear glass
Do the lenses come in bi focal?
Hello Steve, this is not an optical lens mask. They do not make this mask with optical lens. If you are looking for an optical lens mask this link: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-53/Masks-Masks-w--Optical-Lenses.html. Those are all the mask we carry that take optical lens. If you have any other questions or would like to place an order please feel free to give us a call at 1.800.347.2822.
Please advise me what is the appropriate mask for me I am a big gay weight 270 p big face of course and i am not a professional diver i only snorkel on shore
Hello Angel, Thank you for your inquiry! The Atomic ARC mask is meant to fit Medium-Large Faces (110 lbs+). http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-32/127015/Atomic-Venom-Ultra-Clear-Scuba-Dive-Mask.html If you have any questions or wish to place an order, please call us at 1-800-247-2822 or 949-221-9300.
I am looking for a good quality mask that has a soft flexible skirt. which is better crystal silicone or 100% high quality silicone? I mainly snorkel and the mask I have bought before seem to have less flexible skirts. We snorkeled last November at Xel Ha Park in Mexico and the mask the had had very flexible, almost rubbery skirts. I am looking for a good affordable mask like that.
The photo on the website seems to show a tinted lens. I want a clear lens, but there doesnt seem to be an option box to choose that. And Atomics web page for this item doesnt mention a tinted lens. Whats going on?
Hello Curt that is just the angle the lens is sitting at. This mask has the ARC technology: http://www.scuba.com/video/video-popup.asp?vid=402&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=400&width=550.
How long dose the mask last
Hello Jimmy, depends on how well you take care of your gear. This mask should last you for years. My current mask I have had for almost 7 years and has over 3000 dives on it and it looks like new. If you have any other questions please feel free to give us a call at 1.800.347.2822.
The Atomic mask (and all other masks), just needs to have the internal glass surface cleaned. There is a thin layer of silicone that is allied tot he interior glass during manufacturing. Visit the Scuba.com instructional video on how to prepare your mask: http://www.scuba.com/video/43/How-to-Prepare-Your-Scuba-Diving-Mask-Like-a-Pro.html
i got this mask for my husband and now i want one but am wondering if it will fit my face as i am a woman and about 120 lbs? i am digging the idea of great visability but leakage would be a drag. what do you think?
One of the other reviews stated that its not that easy to attach a snorkel to the mask. It was a different mask, but very similar. Am I going to run into any problems attaching a snorkel to those wacky buckles on the side?
Is there a mask out there that you can wear over eye glasses. I have double vision without my glasses and need the prisms in my glasses to see a single vision.
Unfortunately no. You can put lenses into a Oceanreef Full Face Mask with the use of the optic frames. http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-124/028083/Ocean-Reef-Optical-Lenses-Support.html
looking for a mask for an XL head that doesnt press against my forehead.
Hello Sef, here is a mask that I think will work for you: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-32/027449/H2O-Tri-View-Frameless-Mask.html.
The new Atomic Aquatics VENOM dive mask…
After all, the main reason you dive is to SEE what's down there! The new VENOM dive mask lets you see more…and you'll look great doing it.
New UltraClear Schott Superwite glass lens with exceptional optical clarity.
Patented SubFrame design with hydrodynamic styling and no external frame.
Double-layer, dual-color silicone skirt keeps the mask comfortably secure.
One-window / low volume design for unobstructed forward vision and wide viewing angles.
Simple squeeze-to-adjust mask strap
Lifetime warranty against frame breakage.
What makes our New UltraClear Schott Superwite™ glass so special?
Atomic Aquatics revolutionized the dive industry with "UltraClear" lenses. Before UltraClear, all dive mask lenses were made from low-quality float glass with a visible green tint caused by iron particles remaining in the glass after processing. These green iron particles significantly block light transmission through the lens.
All Atomic Aquatics masks utilize a higher quality optical glass that significantly improves underwater vision allowing up to 96% of light transmission-UltraClear glass.
Our NEWEST UltraClear lens in the VENOM dive mask is made by the Schott Glass Company in Germany. The VENOM gives you the highest purity grade UltraClear glass available. That means you get incredible clarity and high light transmission that isn't available in other masks-even those who claim to be ultra-clear.


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|All Pikes Peak Reads- Rockrimmon Mostly Fiction Bookclub
Event Type: Adult Library Programs
Date: 10/1/2013
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 3:00 PM
Join this free book discussion that meets the first Tuesday of every month from 1 to 2 pm. This month we are reading APPR Selection. Please stop by the library to pick up your copy.Library: Rockrimmon Library - 832 Village Center Drive
Location: Rockrimmon Meeting Room


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Franklin Classic Badminton Set
Product Information:
Whether you are just having fun or going for the win, the Franklin ® Classic Badminton Set includes everything you need to keep the game going. The official sized net is easily assembled and is supported by a top net cable to keep the net tight while in use. Propel the cork-tipped nylon shuttlecocks over the net using the graphite rackets and when not in use store everything in the included steel-framed carrying bag.
For additional information relating to the Manufacturer's Warranty, please contact 781-344-1111.
- 1.5'' telescoping octagon virgin PVC poles
- Official sized 20' x 2' x 1.5'' net with deluxe binding and top net cable for increased net tension
- 4 graphite rackets with contoured padded grips
- Complete preassembled mounting hardware
- 3 pro style, cork tipped nylon shuttlecocks
- Includes classic-style steel frame carrying bag and equipment for 4 players
- Limited manufacturer's 90-day warranty
- Franklin
For additional information relating to the Manufacturer's Warranty, please contact 781-344-1111.
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 12634034
Customer Reviews:
Rated 1 out of 5�by 1 reviewer.
Rated 1 out of 5�by Jeff Piece of Junk We thought we were getting a decent level badminton set for our 12yr old son's birthday. 1). The directions were incomplete. 2). It was very difficult to set up the net and we could never get the net taught. 3). Two of the three supplied shuttlecocks snapped within the 1st ten minutes of play. 4).One of the rackets was warped right out of the box. 5). The grip wraps came unravelled within the 1st few minutes of play. The best thing about this experience was we packed-up the set (purchased from Dicks on-line) and returned it to our local Dicks store. They were very helpful, took back the unit on the spot and refunded our money. September 23, 2012
1-1 of 1


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Clients Kind of Blue Over IBM's 401(k) Surprise
Starting next year, Big Blue's match will be contributed as a lump sum on Dec. 31.
News that International Business Machines Corp. plans to make its contribution to workers' 401(k)s on an annual basis—rather than with each paycheck—has non-IBM workers spooked.
Reports of IBM's change to the frequency of its contributions, typically amounting to 6 percent to 10 percent of workers' pay, were initially published by The Wall Street Journal and heralded as an example that other employers would follow. Starting next year, Big Blue's match will be contributed as a lump sum on Dec. 31. Workers who leave IBM before Dec. 15 won't be able to get that year's match unless they are retiring, according to the Journal.
Not surprisingly, advisers working with IBM employees say the change has hurt morale. "They're disappointed," said David L. Blain, president of D.L. Blain & Co. LLC. "Psychologically, it's a big deal for them."
The concerns are not limited to IBMers. Advisers say some of their clients are worried that the move will be aped by other employers.
Indeed, one such client reached out to R. Alan Dossett, an adviser with Waypoint Financial Planning LLC. "I told the client that his worries are probably justified," Dossett said. "I told him that he is right, and other companies will follow suit."
Advisers note that this might be a good time for workers to think about the role they play in shaping the outcome of their own retirement—particularly if they lose the benefit of having an employer match at each paycheck and have to contend with a large lump sum at the end of the year. One obvious problem: Workers lose the benefit of dollar cost averaging under such a setup.
Suzanne Krasna, president of Krasna Financial Group LLC, suggested that employees holding a lump sum could benefit from creating their own dollar cost averaging system. The lump-sum match could go into a money market fund or other cash alternative in the plan, and the worker can have a set portion of that money allocated to funds selected within the plan over the course of the year.
"I would implement this for employees immediately," Krasna said, adding that workers could supplement IBM's match with an increase in their own contributions—to the maximum amount allowed, if possible.
Blain disagreed with dollar cost averaging the lump sum into the market, noting that investing the money immediately with everything else in the 401(k) was less labor-intensive and avoided charging commissions with each trade.
"We will likely invest the match with everything else that's in the 401(k), so it depends on where the market is," he said. "If stocks are up a lot and bonds are down when the money comes, we'll put the money in bonds."
With the lump sum coming in at year-end, employees could end up a year behind in overall growth if they miss out on a year of gains preceding the match's arrival, said Kent Kramer, an adviser with Foster Group Inc. But he noted that in terms of long-term retirement security, "this loss isn't necessarily a panic button issue."
Still, it might be a good time to talk to clients about other areas where they can ramp up retirement savings. Socking away money outside the plan, particularly if the client will already be contributing at next year's 401(k) limit of $17,500, is a good conversation to have, Kramer added.
That way, the client is preparing for a tax-efficient income withdrawal strategy in retirement and ensuring that the bulk of savings isn't stashed in the 401(k).
"The client could choose to save money in the same way outside the plan," he said. "We think having a mix of after-tax and pretax savings is great: You get to retirement and you have a combination that allows you to manage your taxes more efficiently when you get there."
Darla Mercado writes for InvestmentNews, a sister publication of Workforce Management. Comment below or email email@example.com.
Stay informed and connected. Get human resources news and HR features via Workforce Management's Twitter feed or RSS feeds for mobile devices and news readers.


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|Phillips County property values do not follow national trend
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
Phillips County Assessor Doug Kamery reports, in early May 2009, Phillips County real property owners will receive a 2009 Notice of Valuation. This document is the result of a countywide reappraisal and reflects changes in market values over a two-year period.
"Will property values be decreasing due to the current economic slowdown?"
The short answer is, unlikely; in most cases valuations will be increasing or remain constant. To understand why, a basic explanation of how the Colorado property tax system works needs to be addressed.
Under Colorado law, county assessor's offices throughout the state conduct a complete reassessment of all properties in their county every two years. The Colorado legislature sets the appraisal date and the annual calendar for the assessment process. As a result, property tax assessments are always lagging behind current market conditions.
The previous reassessment was done in 2007. These valuations were based on a June 30, 2006 level of value, using market sales data from Jan. 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. The 2009 valuations will be based on a June 30, 2008 level of value, using market sales data from Jan. 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008.
Any recent downward market conditions that have occurred between June 30, 2008 and today will not be taken into consideration when establishing the new 2009 valuations. These factors will not be recognized until the 2011 reappraisal cycle.
Another important factor to understand is the difference between a decrease in the volume of sales activity versus a decrease in the selling prices of property. During the two-year period between June 2006 and June 2008, there was a definite decrease in the overall number of transactions; however, the sale prices of these transactions did not decrease.
In most cases, prices actually increased or remained stable. The Commercial market in particular took an increase this appraisal cycle.


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ATLANTA -- It's hands-down one of the most popular Ways 2 Save deals I've ever done and it sold out so quickly last time that I barely got a chance to share it with you.
Today, a $35 laundry solution that lasts all year is in stock and jam-packed with savings.
The Product
Earth's Berries are known around the world as cleaning agents, thanks to their high concentration of foaming saponin. They're completely natural, yet potent and effective. They're a tremendous alternative to the harsh chemicals found in detergents and in addition to the savings they bring, they're also perfect for people with allergies or sensitive skin. This product works in conventional and high-efficiency laundry machines.
The Savings
A typical 50-ounce bottle of Tide with a touch Downy is between $10 and $14, which gives you 26 loads.
Now imagine spending $35.25, but getting 350 loads. With Earth's Berries soap nuts (plus $5 shipping) you get $0.10 per load compared to $0.30 to $0.35 per load using conventional detergents. On top of that, Earth's Berries (1) soften so you don't need to use fabric softener, (2) can be used as a stain remover and (3) can be used in replacement of other kinds of cleaners (I use them to clean glass for instance).
Basically, it reduces spending on other kinds of cleaning products. From an environmental perspective, Earth's Berries also replaces nine 32-load plastic bottles of detergents.
The Review
Although I was very skeptical when I tried this product, I've been using Earth's Berries soap nuts for more than a year, as have thousands of our viewers. These products actually leave my clothes softer, just as clean as Tide and smelling great. In fact, the soap nuts (not an actual nut, and completely safe for people who have nut allergies) are scent-free once they're put into laundry mode.
How To Buy
When you log on to today's website (which requires a quick signup process), you may notice a "sellout" message at the top of the screen. Don't worry, this refers to a different size and the product size I've reviewed is in stock.
CLICK HERE. A $5 shipping charge will be added at checkout.


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Need Help? Call 1.866.472.4001
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Guys Phone Cases
$19.50 Sale $6.99
- Overview
Give your iPhone® a style of its own while keeping it safe inside our durable design.
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- Wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
- Shipping Info
Please allow approximately 5-7 business days for delivery of in-stock items. Delivery estimate includes monogrammed and gift-wrapped items.
- Final Sale
Final-sale items, identified by a price ending in $0.99, cannot be returned. Once placed, your order for any final sale items cannot be canceled.