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Useful Links
Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
- Date submitted: 1 Nov 2011
- Stakeholder type: Major Group
- Name: Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
- Submission Document: Download
Full SubmissionAn Asia-Europe Environment Forum Submission for the ―Rio+20 Outcome Document Zero Draft
The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) convened the Asia-Europe Strategies for Earth Summit 2012: 1st and 2nd Scenario Planning Workshops in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on 16th to 18th July and Uppsala, Sweden, on 10th to 12th October respectively.
The Asia-Europe Strategies for Earth Summit 2012 is a series of three informal consultation workshops to be held among stakeholders of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)1 process in the lead up to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) or ‗Rio+20? in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 4th to 6th June 2012.
The series is an initiative of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum), a partnership among the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies, the Swedish Environmental Secretariat for Asia, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme.
Please note that this document reflects the views and opinions emerging from group discussions and does not necessarily represent the views of the institutions involved. The group of over 55 international experts represents different sectors such as policy makers, academics, civil society activists?all being involved extensively in sustainable development and environmental governance.
A. Recommendations for Asia-Europe Meeting governments
The initiative focuses on one of the two Rio+20 themes: Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD) and the need for strengthening environmental pillar as a part of IFSD framework. As such, based on the outcomes of the two workshops, participating governments of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) are encouraged to:
- participate in Rio+20 at the highest levels by the heads of state or government;
- pledge to produce a politically-binding outcome document that secures a renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges that include the themes of IFSD and green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development;
- agree on measures for strengthening IFSD through fundamental and incremental changes including those that go beyond the current IEG structure.
- ensure greater participation and accountability from civil society in the entire policy process for sustainable development, from agenda setting to decision making.
The failure to come to decisive action in Rio 2012 will be a missed opportunity and the lack of commitment might result in the perpetuation of an undesirable status quo or at best, progress at incremental--but inadequate?steps.
ASEM governments and civil society are furthermore exhorted to forge closer co-operation at bilateral, regional and inter-regional levels.
B. Rio+20: Conference Objectives
The following recommendations are made with regard to the Rio+20 conference objectives.
- Securing political commitment for Sustainable Development
To secure political commitment for Sustainable Development, the creation of a Sustainable Development Council (SDC) is necessary at all levels: international, regional and national that will integrate three pillars of sustainable development: economic, political and environmental.
The SDC should work to achieve broad goals of sustainable development, subject to assessment in terms of transparent indicators through monitoring mechanisms to further allow and facilitate global reporting on sustainable development.
- Acknowledging the need of addressing gaps in already agreed commitments as well as to ensure the overall coordination of sustainable development within UN system and Bretton Woods institutions
To effectively address gaps in existing commitments and ensure the over-all coordination of sustainable development in the international system, the SDC should map and address any overlapping areas and use available funding in an efficient and transparent way.
- Addressing new and emerging challenges
To address new and emerging challenges, scientific and technological innovations should be integrated as an integral part of the decision-making process. This should include the use of a future-oriented, foresight approach and long-term planning to ensure flexibility and preparedness for the uncertain challenges that the SDC will need to address in the years to come.
C. Horizontal integration
Human activity has seriously affected planet boundaries that directly endanger ecosystem stability and all countries, especially developing countries, need access to the resources required to achieve sustainable development. The 2011 Solo Message resulting from the High Level Dialogue on IFSD2 called for an international body to promote the integration of the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The SDC should therefore be established by building upon the precedents and useful lessons to be drawn from relevant institutional reforms, including recent experience in establishing the UN Human Rights Council.
The SDC should:
- ensure horizontal integration and become a central body for sustainable development coordination and coherence;
- be spearheaded by the high level UN representative such as the UN High Commissioner for Sustainable Development or the UN Ombudsman for Sustainable Development;
- address sustainable challenges to be environmentally, socially and economically most effective, based on regular scientific and technical assessment;
- monitor how States adjust policies, reform institutions and enact legislation to meet the achievement of sustainable development targets, adjusting the requirements to their economic and social situation;
- accommodate the need for meaningful public participation and contributions at all levels;
- enhance human security to mitigate the risks of a food, energy, water and climate change nexus, especially for developing counties;
- safeguard the earth?s ecosystems for present and future generations.
D. Vertical Integration
The horizontal integration of the economic, environmental and social pillars should be replicated vertically, according to the principle of subsidiarity throughout the international, regional, national and sub-national levels in the implementation of sustainable development goals.
A multi-level SDC should facilitate the creation of sustainable development bodies, where they do not exist, and complement, where they do, the existing structures at the international, regional and national levels to provide a strengthened mechanism for sustainable development. The legacies of the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development?in terms of institutions, mechanisms and good practices?should be mapped and built upon. Fully accounting for National and Local Councils for Sustainable Development that have continued to thrive, for example, could be a first step in this process.
In line with Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration, these structures and mechanisms should furthermore be constituted as multi-stakeholder platforms. These platforms can furthermore provide support to (1) synergy among scientists, policy-makers and field researchers; (2) innovative actions for policy development, technology application, social mobilization and partnership building; (3) strategic research; and, (4) higher education, training and capacity development.
With the perspective of a vertically-integrated sustainable development institutional framework, further emphasis is given here to regional-level SDCs and International Environmental Governance:
1. Regional-level SDCs The regional SDCs should: - review existing mechanisms for Sustainable Development pillars and map best practices; - promote complementarity between the UN system (including the regional commissions and offices) and the regional organisations; - produce a regional report on the achievement of sustainable development goals based on a clearly-defined set of indicators; - monitor the performance and implementation of national and regional goals based on long-term sustainable development strategies; - initiate actions and distributing resources for programmes at the different levels, in order to meet the targets set; initiate mitigating measures if targets are not met; and, propagate a model(s) for regional bodies that work under similar principles and functions albeit tailored to regional needs, realities and institutions; and, propagate a model for national bodies to best organise existing institutions for sustainable development or mandate appropriate agencies as needed, tailored to the needs, realities and institutions at the national and sub- national levels; - support the peer review of national policy performance; - allow the individual petition/communication and administer a mechanism for complaints and redress. The national mechanism for SDSs should be integrated within the SDC and regional SDCs system. The structure is to be decided by national governments based on the best practices models, possibly in the consultation with the appropriate regional SDC. 2. International Environmental Governance Additionally, there is a strong need for strengthening the environmental pillar within UN system for better balance. It is therefore vital to strengthen IEG through the measures that will enhance overall coherence, effectiveness and efficiency. To do so requires the reform of the UNEP within the UN structure. It is recommended to upgrade UNEP to an agency that: - has full and universal membership of member states and other stakeholders; - has a mandate to oversight environmental strategies and programmes and to cluster similar issues; - is legitimate to partner with Bretton Woods institution and can: ensure the contribution of financial bodies to environment enhancement; facilitate high-level dialogue between Bretton Woods decision makers and stakeholders; ensure the involvement of the market in environment protection through market-based incentives (eg. subsidies and taxes); - plans programmes that deliver tangible outcomes in order to receive increased funding; - has a mandate to require environmental assessment of the projects, especially in case the project will have a - transboundary effect; -works with a panel of inter-disciplinary experts representing relevant stakeholders groups such as governments, - international organisations, major groups and academia to enable knowledge sharing as well as technology transfer; - includes stakeholders input via organizing meetings and conducting research that enables the agency to act as an - interface between policy and science, developing practical actions for the environmental pillar; -provides indicators and general framework for measurement of sustainable development that is unified and allows to - build up capacity to report at the regional and national level and compare regions progress; -operationalizes planetary boundaries3 in terms of regional limits and biosphere carrying capacity; -conducts regular assessments on carrying capacity using the available scientific knowledge and communicate results to public; -enables mechanisms to share good practices and knowledge; - safeguards finances for environmental aid, guided by a bottom-up approach based on local expertise and local needs; - supervises mechanisms for project assessment which include guidelines on Environmental Impact Assessment at down to the local level for international projects and local consultations; - has a reinforced role in addressing the securities Nexus, with a mandate to synergistically address energy, water and food issues. A strengthened IEG could include the creation of a Court for Environmental Justice that: -takes into account existing environmental law; -can evaluate the efficiency of development aid and technology used across the needs of local communities seeking assistance. E. Access to information Access to information, public participation and environmental justice is needed in order to promote compliance that ensures transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness at all levels. Based on Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development, the Aarhus Convention could be enlarged into a global convention. Governments must ensure the effective implementation and adequate compliance with the national freedom of information acts or relevant legislative measures on the public access to environmental information. Transboundary environmental management programmes and bodies should reinforce and institutionalize measures for ensuring the public access to environmental information and public participation in environmental decision-making. To foster and ensure compliance with Principle 10, it is vital that the bilateral and multilateral aid agencies and organizations incorporate Principle 10 objectives; particularly the public access to environmental information, environmental information disclosure and public consultation on the projects funded by the aid and/or Investment programmes. Failing a global convention, other regional instruments?such as for the Asia-Pacific region?could be considered. An Asia? Pacific regional convention on Principle 10 should include the following features: -compliance mechanisms through the peer review of national level convention implementation; - individual/non-state actor?s communication on non-compliance issues. The proposed regional convention should also include the provision that will ensure the effective implementation of impact assessment at the project level (EIA: environmental impact assessment) and at the planning level (SEA: strategic impact assessment) taking into account the UNECE Espoo Convention on SEA. Such assessment must include social and environmental impact assessments and follow the public consultation procedures. F. Civil society accountability framework Civil society participation in the IFSD, particularly the SDC at all levels, must be assured. Conversely, civil society representatives need to be accountable to their constituents through a democratic, self-managed mechanism that ensures transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in CSO participation in the Council?s deliberations. Developing an accountability framework for civil society should, as a first step, review the major group participation system to assess its representativeness and accountability. The principle of subsidiarity concerning representation (from local to national, regional, and international levels) may be relevant but the aggregation of representation must be complemented by direct access to the international level. Guidelines could be developed along these lines. G. Legal framework In order to pave the way for the establishment of the SDC that would integrate the three sustainable development pillars ? social, economic and environmental ? and promote sustainable development governance at the global, regional, national and local levels, it is recommended to consider the following options: -UN Charter change; - an international convention for sustainable development; or - decisions and resolutions at the UN and other relevant bodies. III. CONTACT ASIA-EUROPE FOUNDATION Ms. Sol Iglesias, Director Intellectual Exchange Department Secretariat for the ENVforum Ms. Grazyna Pulawska Tel: +65 6874-9738 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com The Aarhus Convention refers to the UN Economic Commission for Europe 1998 Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-


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Donovan Philips Leitch, the singer/songwriter simply known as Donovan, is born in Glasgow, Scotland.
Donovan makes his first demo recordings at the behest of managers Geoff Stephens and Peter Eden, in a London studio.
Donovan signs to Pye Records in the U.K.
Bob Dylan meets Donovan in a London hotel room. The encounter is excerpted in D.A. Pennebaker's documentary film, Don't Look Back.
Donovan's first single, "Catch the Wind," peaks at #4 on the British charts.
The headline in Britain's Melody Maker reads: "Dylan Digs Donovan."
Joan Baez and Donovan lead a march against the Vietnam War in London.
Donovan's second single, "Colours," hits #4 in the U.K. "Catch the Wind" simultaneously peaks at #23 in the U.S.
Donovan makes his first U.S. visit, during which he appears at the Newport Folk Festival-- as does Bob Dylan, who is booed when he performs a set with drums and amplified instruments.
"Sunshine Superman" hits #1 in the U.S. Its release in the U.K. is delayed because of a lawsuit with his former managers, though it will reach #3 when it finally appears there.
Sunshine Superman, Donovan's third album-- a masterpiece of exotically tinged psychedelic pop-- peaks at #11 on the U.S. chart.
Donovan records "Sunshine Superman" with his new producer, Mickie Most, in a style that departs from his roots as a solo folksinger.
"Mellow Yellow" reaches #2 in the U.S. Arranged by John Paul Jones (later of Led Zeppelin), the somewhat controversial song is alleged to have drug and/or sexual themes.
Donovan's "Epistle to Dippy" enters the U.S. charts, where it will peak ar #19.
The Beatles' recording session for "All You Need Is Love" is filmed at EMI Studios, with Donovan among the all-star guests joining in on the chorus.
"There Is a Mountain" reaches its U.S. peak of #11. The song's riff will become the basis for the Allman Brothers Band's "Mountain Jam."
Donovan commences a three-night run of shows at San Francisco's Fillmore West.
A Gift from a Flower to a Garden, a double-album box set by Donovan, enters the Top 200, where it will reach #19 and eventually be certified gold.
The Beatles, joined by Donovan and others, travel to India for a meditation retreat with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
"Hurdy Gurdy Man," by Donovan, enters the U.S. singles chart, where it will reach #5. In Britain, it will reach #4.
Donovan's Greatest Hits is released. It will reach #4 and remain on the charts for more than a year, making it his most popular album.
Donovan's "Atlantis" enters the singles chart, where it will reach #7, becoming the singer's fourth Top 10 hit in the U.S.
Donovan's "Goo Goo Barabajagal," recorded with the Jeff Beck Group, enters the singles chart. It will reach #36, becoming his 12th Top 40 hit.
Open Road, a spirited "unplugged" album, is released. It will reach #16.
Donovan marries Linda Lawrence, his longtime girlfriend and muse.
"I Like You," from Cosmic Wheels, enters the singles chart, where it will reach #66. It is the singer's 17th Hot 100 single in the U.S.
Slow Down World, by Donovan, enters the Top 200, where it will peak at #174. It will be the last recording by Donovan to make the U.S. charts.
Donovan, the singer's self-titled 14th studio album, is released on Epic Records. It marks the end of an association with the label that began 11 years earlier.
Donovan's Lady of the Stars-- produced by Jerry Wexler and featuring Graham Nash, Dave Mason and other guests-- is released on the Allegiance label. It is the fiorst Donovan album to appear in the U.S. since 1977, as neither Neutronica (1980) nor Love Is ONly Feeling (1983) were issued here.
Donovan's Rising released on Permanent Records. One day later, Happy Mondays' Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, which includes "Donovan," a song of tribute to the singer/songwriter, is released, triggering a modest resurgence of interest in Donovan in the U.K.
Donovan's Greatest Hits is certified platinum (1 million sold) by the RIAA.
Sutras, produced by Rick Rubin fo rhis American label, is released.
Beat Cafe, the artist's first CD in eight years ( not counting a children's CD issued in 2002) -- is released on Appleseed Records.
Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan, a four-disc box set, is released on Epic/Legacy.
The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man is published.
Donovan is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 27th annual induction ceremony. John Mellencamp is his presenter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rated 5 out of 5 by 4 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Susan41 great cover-up for nursing in public I bought this scarf almost 4 years ago, because of its style. I found it's length and width so convenient when I needed to nurse in public (I've had three babies since then). The scarf is light weight and doesn't get too hot to use in warm weather, and opaque enough to conceal underneath! I toss it in the washing machine with other delicates and hang to dry- I recommend this for other nursing mothers! September 17, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by nanners39 I wore my scarf to a Kirtan last evening. A friend read it for me. Awesome! Greet value, beautiful. I will order more colors in April. thaqnk you and bless you. Nancy ~*~ March 23, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jannie Love this shawl ! My yoga teacher gave me one of these and I absolutely LOVE it !! Even though it says 'dry clean', we both wash ours and there is no problem with washing this white one. It just got softer and more comfortable! Such a good price on these too ! January 29, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by LED79 Great prayer's shawl... I love this prayer's shawl. It look's good with a coat or with out one, great color as well. I did buy many of these shawls in different color's for gifts and for my self as well. January 24, 2013
1-4 of 4


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Organizing the Start menu can make it easier to find your favorite programs and folders.
Some of the following steps do not apply if you're using the Classic Start menu.
If you use a program regularly, you can create a shortcut to it by pinning the program icon to the Start menu. Pinned program icons appear on the left side of the Start menu, above the horizontal line.
Right-click the program icon you want to pin to the Start menu, and then click Pin to Start Menu.
To unpin a program icon, right-click it, and then click Unpin from Start Menu.
To change the order of a pinned item, drag the program icon to a new position in the list.
Removing a program icon from the Start menu doesn't remove it from the All Programs list or uninstall the program.
Right-click the program icon you want to remove from the Start menu, and then click Remove from this list.
Right-click an empty space on the taskbar. If Lock the Taskbar has a check mark beside it, click it to remove the check mark.
Click an empty space on the taskbar, and then hold down the mouse button as you drag the taskbar to one of the four edges of the desktop. When the taskbar is where you want it, release the mouse button.
To lock the taskbar into place, right-click an empty space on the taskbar, and then click Lock the Taskbar so that the check mark reappears.
Clearing the Recent Items list does not delete the items from your computer.
Right-click Recent Items, and then click Clear Recent Items List.
Windows displays shortcuts on the Start menu for the programs you use most frequently. You can change the number of program shortcuts displayed.
Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
Click the Start Menu tab, and then click Customize.
In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, in the Number of recent programs to display box, enter the number of programs you want to display on the Start menu, and then click OK.
You can add or remove items, such as Computer, Control Panel,
and Pictures, that appear on the right side of the Start menu. You can also change some items so that they appear as links or menus.
In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, select the options in the list that you want, and then click OK.
You can restore the Start menu to its original, default settings.
In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, click Use Default Settings, and then click OK.
In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, scroll through the list of options to find the Run command check box, select it, and then click OK.


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Spotlight for Career Services ProfessionalsNovember 13, 2013
by Gary Alan Miller
As career services professionals, we often find ourselves acting as quasi-marketing professionals, and it is an area of our work in which we can be very creative. Why should we ruin it with something as dreary as analytics? To use a well-worn business cliché, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." Obviously, we need to manage our marketing and continuously improve our efforts to reach students effectively.
At the macro level, you should connect your marketing analytics to your broader assessment plans and learning outcomes. But, those very important topics are beyond the scope of this article. Here, I will give you a few considerations to take you down the path toward better measurement of your marketing efforts.
For the purposes of this article, let's use a career fair as a running example. For a career fair, you may have a marketing mix that involves sending out e-mails, advertising in the student paper, using social media channels, distributing handbills, posting signage, and more. With these efforts, you are hoping to increase attendance at the fair. But, even if your attendance goes up, how can you know what factors contributed to attendance and which were not effective?
Hearing directly from the source is one approach. If you do a post-event survey, it makes a lot of sense to ask the attending students. There are many ways to ask, but I recommend at least these two approaches:
There are certainly other questions you could ask, but these are the baseline in my view. You can also use existing technology to collect useful data in other ways. Your social media platforms can provide you with beneficial data, and there are a lot of resources available to help you understand best practices and approaches. Here are a few:
But, what about those activities that are not electronic? How else can we know if our posters, handbills, and newspaper ads are having an effect? In the previous article in this series, I introduced the idea of using a "call to action" with your marketing efforts. If your print materials for your fair call for a digital act, such as an RSVP or visiting a webpage, you can use a link-shortening tool to track those efforts. You want to put a unique URL on each of your types of physical materials—one for the handbill, one for the poster, and one for the newspaper ad—so you will be able to determine which was most effective in driving action. Additionally, from this data, you can begin to piece together which of your efforts are worth repeating and which are lacking return on investment.
I have saved e-mail for last. You rely on it heavily. Your students likely loathe it. But, it can still be effective. However, most of us are not using systems that can tell us whether or not it is working. I am a strong advocate for career centers using tools that allow for tracking of actions in response to e-mails. There are a variety of e-mail marketing platforms on the market that allow you to know how many students opened your e-mail and which of them clicked links within the message. Many of these systems will allow you to segment recipients by these actions, allowing you to send appropriate follow-up messages. After all, should a student who opened and clicked on a previous career fair message receive the same follow up as someone who never opened it?
Recognizing that such systems are not free in most cases, another approach is to treat e-mail the same as your print materials. By including unique URLs, you will at least have the ability to track how many click actions were taken as a result of a specific message. Additionally, you can refine your marketing e-mails by doing A/B testing with unique URLs in each. In A/B testing, you send one set of students a message written one way and another set of students a message written another way—the distinctions between the two messages can be in approach, in content, in subject line, and more. There are a lot of interesting articles to be found regarding A/B, or split, testing. So, read more if this is a new concept for you.
Of course, there are many other avenues for collecting and analyzing metrics related to your marketing efforts, so consider this a brief introduction more than a comprehensive set of approaches. The key takeaway is for you to find the metrics that are most related to your overall assessment and learning outcome plans, and then take the time needed to gather appropriate data.
Investing in the analytics can take time, which we all lack. However, by devoting resources to some of these actions, you will find that you can begin to "work smarter, not harder" with your marketing. Making better marketing decisions as a result will allow you see greater effects from potentially fewer actions in the long run.
If you have questions or interesting approaches to your marketing analytics, I would love to hear from you. Send me a tweet @garyalanmiller!
Gary Alan Miller is co-founder of the Innovation Forum for Career Services, is director of external relations and communication for SoACE, and currently serves as a senior assistant dean at UNC Chapel Hill. Find him on twitter @garyalanmiller.
JobplaceNACE Blog: http://blog.naceweb.org/
NACE's Tweets: @NACE.org
Contact NACE Staff
NACE's Newsletter: Spotlight
©2016 National Association of Colleges and Employers. All rights reserved.


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|Keo on Thorpe Award Watch List
University of Idaho safety Shiloh Keo is one of 35 defensive backs nationwide on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The Thorpe Award, named in honor of the legendary Jim Thorpe, recognizes on-field performance, athletic ability and character.
Keo, a defensive captain as sophomore and a special teams captain this fall, is 11th on the Vandals' all-time total tackles list with 293. Last fall, he had the second highest total tackles tally with 113 in the Western Athletic Conference. He led the league in 2009 in solo stops with 72.
A native of Everett, Wash., and a graduate of Archbishop Murphy High School, Keo was injured early in the 2008 season and redshirted the final eight games.
The process to determine the Thorpe Award winner is as follows:
A screening committee of Jim Thorpe Association members follows these players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee meets on the first Monday in November to narrow the field to 10 or 12 semi-finalists.
The committee meets again on the Monday before Thanksgiving to select the three finalists. The names of these finalists are submitted to a national panel of about 50 sports writers, sportscasters, coaches and former players who vote to determine the winner. The three finalists are invited to the ESPN College Football Awards Show, and the winner is announced during the show.
Formal presentation of the Jim Thorpe Award takes place at ceremonies in Oklahoma City on the first Tuesday in February following the national signing date for college football recruits.


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Panthers rank No. 2 sports franchise in South Florida according to ESPN
Move over Dolphins, the Panthers have passed you by!
Team release
Florida Panthers Rank No. 33 in ESPN Ultimate Team Rankings
Panthers rank No. 10 in NHL and No. 2 in South Florida
SUNRISE, Fla. – Sunrise Sports & Entertainment today announced that the Florida Panthers ranked No. 33 in ESPN the Magazine's Ultimate Team Ranking of the 122 NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL franchises.
The Panthers – coming off a Southeast Division Championship and with their RED Rising marketing campaign signifying one of the NHL's hottest franchises – ranked No. 10 in the NHL and No. 2 in South Florida behind the NBA Champion Miami Heat, who came in at No. 31 overall. The Cats rose the most of any franchise from 2011 to 2012, improving from No. 111 to No. 33.
The ranking was based on eight different factors including: Bang For The Buck, Fan Relations, Ownership, Affordability, Stadium Experience, Players, Coaching and Title Track.
"This ranking is indicative of the incredible success and growth the Florida Panthers organization has experienced in nearly every facet of our business," said Panthers president & COO Michael R. Yormark. "With the support of our owner Cliff Viner and his partners, we have worked hard not only to achieve success on the ice, but also to improve our customer service, in-arena experience and community outreach. So this great ranking is a testament to the hard work of many people throughout our franchise.
"I'd also like to congratulate the Miami Heat on their No. 1 ranking in the region and the success they have achieved in representing the incredible sports market we have here in South Florida."
The Panthers improved in every single category utilized by ESPN highlighted by solid increases in Coaching, Fan Relations, Players, Ownership, Affordability, Stadium Experience, and more.


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Larry Johnson back with the Miami Dolphins: What's it mean?
Here's the story, if you haven't read it. If not, and if you haven't heard already: Larry Johnson is back with the Miami Dolphins.
Johnson was at practice when it began earlier on Thursday, and back in the No. 23 jersey he wore during his previous stint with the team.
Of course, the Dolphins cut Johnson on cut-down Saturday. That, to many, was a surprise move given the team kept just three other running backs: Reggie Bush, rookie Daniel Thomas and the veteran Lex Hilliard.
After all, Johnson did run for a 22-yard touchdown run in the Dolphins' final preseason game. And he do a good job of stating why he still has a lot in the tank – mainly because, he said, he hadn't had a lot of work in recent seasons.
But out Johnson went. And then, in Johnson came.
So what does this move indicate? A couple things.
For one, it's likely not coincidental that Johnson returns on a day when Thomas spent the initial part of practice working with the training staff (practice is ongoing, and is now closed, so I can't tell you what he's doing now – but it's not likely, I'd guess, that he'll get much work in). With Thomas hobbled, and with his status perhaps in doubt for the season-opener on Monday night against the Patriots, the Dolphins had to do something to address the running back situation.
Another thing this move indicates: The Dolphins indeed liked Johnson.
If they didn't they'd be bringing in another guy. It was surprising that the team didn't keep Johnson because coach Tony Sparano and the Dolphins seem genuinely impressed with how Johnson was coming along in the preseason. He wasn't great. That 22-yard touchdown run was really Johnson's only highlight. But that was understandable, if not expected, given that Johnson had been out of the game for a while and then was brought into camp more than halfway through it.
We'll catch up with Johnson after practice. Stay tuned …


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Dallardsville and Polk County in Texas. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Dallardsville, TX today!
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This 5,000 square foot natural history museum is located on the lower floor of the Arts and Sciences Commons on the Ferris State University campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. The nearly 200 wildlife specimens in the Card Wildlife Education Center have been donated by Ferris alumnus Roger Card and his late wife, Debra. Their worldwide travels and their generosity have resulted in the creation of a unique educational experience for visitors to the center. Exhibits include specimens from Michigan and North America, Central and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. Experience, Explore, Educate, Enjoy!
Last updated: 07-24-2012


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UH Calendar
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7:00 am
Registration Deadline Dec. 16th. Escape the big city with Outdoor Adventure to go skiing in New Mexico. Price includes lift ticket, transportation, lodging and most meals. Additional fees will be charged for ski/snowboard rental and instruction. Whether you ski greens or blacks this trip is for you.
Trip will be January 3rd - 7th, 2014.
For more information visit http://www.uh.edu/recreation/


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The Catholic Charities federation of 90 agencies provides a wide range of human services throughout the Archdiocese of New York. Some are sponsored by religious communities, while others have grown from parish communities. Still others were founded by charismatic clergy, religious, or lay leaders. Together they form the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York: a federation of administered, sponsored and affiliated agencies touching almost every human need.
This summer offers a great time to spotlight their impressive histories and the unique, unparalleled services they offer. Today, let's learn about Abraham House.
This Catholic Charities sponsored agency traces its origins to two Roman Catholic clergy, Sr. Simone Ponnet, a Belgian nun of the Little Sisters of the Gospel order and Fr. Peter Raphael, a French priest who volunteered as a chaplain and celebrated mass with inmates at Rikers Island maximum-security prison.
Alarmed by the continuing cycle of repeat offenders, they founded Abraham House in 1993. Located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, Abraham House offers the incarcerated, ex-offenders and their relatives, regardless of their religion, a place of hope and community where lives can be rebuilt, families mended, lessons learned, and men, women and children deeply marked by crime can receive the spiritual, social and practical tools to become productive citizens.
Their innovative programs include an alternative-to-incarceration program for first-time offenders, especially those convicted of nonviolent crimes. Sponsored by the Catholic Charities Alliance, Abraham House offers extensive services to hundreds of adults and children affected by incarceration or other social factors like poverty, violence and truancy.


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The season finale of VH1's "Basketball Wives" didn't fall short of delivering on the catfights, tears, accusations and overall drama.
Gloria Govan, the wife of Orlando Magic forward Matt Barnes, and former Orlando Magic dancer Royce Reed made it crystal clear a friendship would not be in the cards.
During an arranged dinner in Los Angeles, Shaunie O'Neal asked the ladies about how they are getting along to which Royce Reed responded she did not like Gloria Govan. And then, the sparks flew.
"Let me tell you something honey. You will never be in our shoes. You will never be a wifey with a ring, you're just a twitter-crazed cheerleader," Gloria Govan told Royce Reed. "For you to think that I would jeopardize Matt's image and friendship with his teammates for you? You're very silly."
"Gloria to me is a lost cause, bye-bye," Royce Reed said in a taped confessional.
Other highlights:
The pink elephant in the room was finally addressed when Shaunie O'Neal became upset while talking to Gloria Govan about the alleged affair Govan's sister had with her soon-to-be ex-husband Shaquille O'Neal. Curious to know why these two agreed to be on a show together in the first place…Evelyn Lozado accused Matt Barnes of cheating on Gloria during the arranged dinner. Evelyn Lozado asked Gloria "do you really think Matt is faithful?" Maybe that's why Matt Barnes was so upset with Lozado and said "don't corrupt Gloria in an earlier episode. Wow…Jennifer Williams, wife of retired basketball player Eric Williams, announced she would stay in her marriage for now…Shaunie O'Neal said she and Shaquille O'Neal are "so cool now and that gave me confirmation it was right" to divorce…On a complete side note Shaunie O'Neal's hair looked fabulous.


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IT Benchmarking
Automated Analysis Engine
At the core of the VMware IT Benchmarking offering is the industry's first Automated Analysis Engine. The engine contains purpose-built benchmarking methodologies reflecting deep IT finance expertise and thought leadership. The result: standardized, repeatable, actionable results at a level of detail and value unsurpassed by other traditional solutions. This unique automated system compares your IT infrastructure costs to those of your functional and industry peers and provides relevant benchmark information and actionable intelligence about where you are and where you could be. The Automated Analysis Engine:
- Performs both industry and functional peer selection for the most reliable comparisons.
- Rapidly verifies the integrity of submitted data.
- Automatically analyzes all data and provides results in minutes.
- Produces two fact-based, out-of-the-box reports with actionable intelligence.
Superior Peer Selection for Relevant and Objective Comparisons
Most benchmarking engagements rely on industry-only data as the basis for comparison. This approach often leads to incorrect conclusions about where you really stand because it doesn't take into consideration critical factors like comparative workload and complexity.
Functional peers provide a strong comparative by matching your IT footprint based on workload and complexity with an organization having a similar IT footprint. For example, in the Midrange Tower, the metrics listed below provide a strong indication of an organization's IT footprint and a consistent way of viewing and comparing workload and complexity between organizations.
Workload - Quantifies the scope of labor being performed by an organization to support end users or the IT environment. Workload parameters are unique to each VMware tower being benchmarked and are critical in determining functional peers.
Complexity - Measures an organization's unique requirements, which drive the relative ease or difficulty in supporting end users or the IT environment. Complexity parameters are also unique to each VMware tower being benchmarked and are critical in determining functional peers.
The Automated Analysis Engine engages multiple filtering processes to identify 5 to 15 functional peers based on these workload, complexity and aging factors. Peer averages are then normalized to your environment to achieve a true apples to apples comparison. When combined, industry and functional peer benchmarking provide the most reliable and actionable data for zeroing in on where to cut and where to protect.
Out-of-the-Box Reports for Actionable Intelligence
VMware Benchmarking engagements include robust, out-of-the-box reports that show the true cost and quality performance against industry and functional peers and provide actionable recommendations to close performance gaps. Results include peer comparison, functional peer top and bottom quartiles, industry average, industry top and bottom quartiles and database average.
The Standard Report
This Standard Report is an executive rollup of the benchmark results for each Tower covered in the benchmark. It contains powerful graphs and dozens of key metrics for each area compared against five different peer groups. This Standard Report is ideal as a baseline for informing recommendations, next steps and implementation plans.
The Extract Report
The comprehensive Extract Report Results are provided as a fully editable XLS document with hundreds of metrics for each Tower compared against workload, industry and global peer reviews across multiple areas. In addition, Extract Reports:
- Facilitate the importing of data into client reports and systems.
- Provide the ability to build custom reports from the data.
- Have data mining capabilities not provided by traditional benchmarking companies or those provided at extremely high price points.
- Enable granularity for drilling down and understanding the "why" of specific cost and performance metrics.


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Live performance by rockabilly artist Rosie Flores, film screening, and Rock and Roll Night School course will focus on Women Who Rock
CLEVELAND (January 5, 2012) -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will kick-off the new year with a set of educational evening programs offered free of charge this month surrounding the Rock Hall's latest exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power. The month will begin with a special film screening of PBS presents Women Who Rock, followed by a Rock and Roll Night School course devoted to women in punk, and culminate with a live performance and tribute to Janis Martin by rockabilly artist Rosie Flores. The Museum's award-winning education department will lead the events, which are geared towards adults interested in gaining more knowledge about rock and roll history, and take place in the Rock Hall's Foster Theater.
Rosie Flores: A Tribute to Janis Martin
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7 p.m.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will welcome contemporary rockabilly artist Rosie Flores for a live performance in the Foster Theater. The evening's performance will pay tribute to Janis Martin, one of the early pioneers of rock and roll. Because of her enthusiasm, brilliant stage presence and rocking vocal style, Martin was also known as "the Female Elvis" and had a hit with "Will You, Will Yum"/"Drugstore Rock and Roll" in 1956. In 2007, near the end of Janis's life, she and Flores worked together with Bobby Trimble to produce 11 new songs. Sadly, cancer cut Martin's life short, and she never got to tour behind the long awaited CD, which will be released later this year. Rosie will be taking this opportunity to share Janis's great legacy of songs and stories at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Flores and Marti Brom will tell Martin's fascinating life story through songs, discussion, photographs, and video. Backing Rosie and Marti will be a stellar band from Austin, Texas featuring T Jarrod Bonta on keys, Bobby Trimble on drums, Kevin Smith on bass and Tjarko Jeen on guitars.
Rosie Flores whips rock and roll, honky tonk, early rockabilly, blues and jazz with the traditional sounds of her roots in San Antonio, TX. She took flight in Southern California, and has been a figure in the Los Angeles, Austin, TX and Nashville music scenes – as well as Europe and Japan.
Rosie's reputation as a high-octane rockabilly and country star is well established, and recent accolades have only made her musical bouquet fuller. Her 1995 album Rockabilly Filly garnered her most attention, reintroducing rockabilly pioneers Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin to audiences worldwide through their duets with Flores and a successful tour with Jackson.
More recently, Bloodshot Records, together with Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers) at the wheel as producer brings her latest release, Girl of the Century, which was recorded with ace Chicago based band, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts.
This event is FREE with a ticket reservation online at http://tickets.rockhall.com, in-person at the Rock Hall Box Office or calling (216) 515-8426. Tickets will become available to Members on Thursday, January 12 at 10 a.m. EST and will become available to the general public on Friday, January 13 at 10 a.m. EST.
Additional educational evening events this month include:
Screening of PBS presents Arts from Cleveland: Women Who Rock
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 7 p.m.
From Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin to Lady Gaga, this performance documentary vibrates with energy as it traces the indelible mark that amazing women musicians have made on America's soundtrack. Inspired by the Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Women Who Rock reveals new insights into what it means to be female in the male-dominated world of rock and roll, while exploring how those dynamics between the sexes have changed with time. The film is produced by Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein with assistance from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This event is FREE with a ticket reservation online at http://tickets.rockhall.com, in-person at the Rock Hall Box Office or calling (216) 515-8426. Tickets will become available to Members on Friday, January 6 at 10 a.m. EST and will become available to the general public on Saturday, January 7 at 10 a.m. EST.
Rock and Roll Night School: Revolution Girl Style Now! Punk Glory
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Self-consciously rebellious and defiant, punk rock emerged in the 1970s as a subculture that rejected what it saw as the overblown and outdated mythology of rock and roll history dominated by male performers. This new punk attitude opened doors for women to actively engage rock and roll culture in fresh and exciting ways. From Patti Smith to Bikini Kill, Siouxsie Sioux to L7, this class will examine the female musicians who claimed punk as their own into the 1980s and 1990s and created music that challenged listeners to listen in a new way, to challenge long held beliefs and to redefine the position of women in society.
This event is FREE and reservations are not needed. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information on these and other Rock Hall educational programs, visit rockhall.com/education.
About Rock and Roll Night School
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum presents Rock and Roll Night School, a monthly series of educational, discussion-based evening classes offered free of charge from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month. This series will focus on Women Who Rock for the 2011-2012 season. The award-winning education department leads the classes, which are geared towards adults interested in gaining more knowledge about rock and roll history. The program explores the history of rock and roll from its roots to its current incarnations. Unless otherwise noted, RSVPs are not needed to attend Rock and Roll Night School.
Special attention is given to the music's impact on society, its reception by fans, and its most innovative practitioners. Each class includes a presentation, music and video clips, and group discussions. Unless otherwise noted, RSVPs are not needed to attend Rock and Roll Night School.
For more information, visit rockhall.com/events/rock-and-roll-night-school.
About Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a groundbreaking and provocative new exhibit that illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today. Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the best, the celebrated -- and sometimes lesser-known women -- who moved rock and roll music and American culture forward.
The interactive exhibition spotlights more than 70 artists and fills two entire floors of the museum. The exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations, as well as a recording booth where visitors can film a short story or moment of inspiration related to women in rock. The exhibit moves through the rock and roll eras, weaving a powerful and engaging narrative that demonstrates how women have been the engines of creation and change in popular music, from the early years of the 20th century to the present. Women Who Rock is sponsored by PNC, Time Warner Cable and Biography. The exhibit is open through February 26, 2012.
For more information, visit http://rockhall.com/exhibits/women-who-rock.
About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.
The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 and Museum Members are always free, for information or to join the membership program call 216. 515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK (7625) or visit www.rockhall.com. The Museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.


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DAS Foods, makers of the DAS Caramelini that I reviewed last year, have recently unveiled a line of new all natural gourmet lollipops. There's been a big buzz about them, especially since they were one of the main product spotlights of the All Candy Expo which took place in Chicago two weeks ago.
The lollipops have a cute tag line of "What's your Flava?" and come in four unique flavors. One of which, the Man Bait flavor, has bacon in it. This isn't my first time having a bacon lollipop, so I was interested to see how it compared to my previous experiences.
Each lollipop is small and delicate, about the size of a quarter and remind me of the pops I see at various candy bowls in doctor, dentist and bank offices. The wrappers are colorful with bold lettering and modern-looking black and white illustrations of the ingredients involved.
Man Bait: maple bacon: It looks like a very light, almost completely opaque, brown color with flecks of the red brown bits of bacon. So yes, there is real bacon in this. The flavor is first of the authentic flavor of the maple base: sweet and toasted. Then, a smokiness from the bacon shows through. It's meaty, salty, and has that nice honey-ham flavor to it. It reminds me more of jerky than bacon, but its wonderful sweet/salty flavor is addicting.
Naughty Ginger: lemon & ginger: Also delicate in color it's a light yellow brown color that's opaque until held to a light. The flavor is softly sweet, with a hint of ginger. But don't let it fool you, as the ginger flavor grows and gets quite spicy and powerful. The lemon sits right under the ginger taste, with a sharp tartness that compliments the ginger nicely. The whole lollipop is spicy and gives your mouth a good warm burn. It's not for those who aren't into eating ginger straight because of its intensity.
Caramel Me Happy: salty caramel: Opaque and a pretty dark brown color. The flavor is of sweet, toasted milky flavors, a little burnt sugar, and at the finish a good light kick of salt. The flavors are nicely balanced with neither one overpowering the other, and the saltiness is nicely mild so it doesn't overpower the sweetness. I also gets notes of gingerbread at moments. It's a really simple concept, yet complex flavors.
Fab-O-Pom: orange & pomegranate: This one is especially beautiful! It's light pink in color, like grapefruit juice. You can see pomegranate seeds, dotting all over inside the candy. The flavor is immediately fresh and juicy. It tastes lightly of orange at first, almost like orange flower essence because it's a very light and floral flavor. The pomegranate is hard to identify exactly, but it adds a distinct tartness to the lollipop which is very nice. It's so similar to a refreshing fruit lemonade. Out of them all this one is my favorite.
A nice line of lollipops, especially for those who crave something unique. I bought a couple of the Man Bait and Caramel Me Happy for a gift a couple of months back when they were first released, and the recipients were totally smitten with them.
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Das Foods Website


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San Juan Range > Handies Peak > Climber's Log
Handies Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Brian Kalet
|North Ridge (ascent), East Face (descent)
Date Climbed: May 6, 2006
|From Whitecross. Skied from the summit!
|Posted May 8, 2006 2:47 pm
|Gotta Love the San Juans
Date Climbed: Aug 28, 2005
|Slogged up the grizzly gulch since we were camped there after tackling Redcloud and Sunshine the day before. Descended the American Basin. What a beautiful place!
|Posted Apr 26, 2006 4:09 am
|Lot o' Snow
Date Climbed: May 24, 2003
|Used snowshoes and crampons...very high on the fun meter!
|Posted Apr 23, 2006 11:48 am
|Mountain Jim
|Grizzly Gulch
Date Climbed: Aug 30, 1969
|A friendly 14'er.
|Posted Apr 5, 2006 3:30 am
|Grizzly Gulch
Date Climbed: Aug 16, 1998
|Uneventful hike up this beautiful valley.
|Posted Mar 3, 2006 1:03 am
|Full Moon!
Date Climbed: Sep 18, 2005
|Incredible sunrise from above American Basin. Moon, lake, colored sky, and all.
|Posted Feb 16, 2006 12:12 am
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: September 2003
|American Basin, what can you say? Absolutely beautiful!!! Remote and no people! One of the most beautiful places I've seen in Colorado.
Had the basin and mountain all to myself.
Quite a bit snow.
|Posted Jan 28, 2006 1:32 am
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: September 8, 2005
|Started from beautiful American Basin. Great views all around.
|Posted Dec 30, 2005 12:26 pm
|Route Climbed: American Basin trail Date Climbed: 10-sep-2005
|See the trip report here: http://distantpeak.com/web/mountains/n-america/handies_peak
|Posted Dec 26, 2005 4:51 pm
|Bob Sihler
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: July 10, 2004
|awesome views the whole way
|Posted Sep 30, 2005 9:41 pm
|Michael Crofford
|Route Climbed: G.G Up, A.B down Date Climbed: September 9, 2005
|Fun hike with nice views.
|Posted Sep 13, 2005 12:49 pm
|Route Climbed: Grizzly Gulch Date Climbed: August 21, 2005
|First 14er for our teenager son and daughter & son's friend. Beautiful day. Awesome views. Odd seeing deer so high above timberline!
|Posted Sep 12, 2005 10:21 pm
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: 25Aug99
|Short and sweet. Good views. This was the start of completing the Lake City five. If you are a flatlander(TX) like me, this is a good one to start on.
|Posted Sep 12, 2005 1:50 pm
|Route Climbed: West trail Date Climbed: Sept '02
|First on summit. Great views. With my "Bro" Paul Dowdy.
|Posted Sep 5, 2005 2:15 pm
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: August 21, 2005
|On our way from Lake City to Silverton via Cinnamon Pass, my family didn't mind hanging out in the basin while I enjoyed this nice hike. 1:22 to the top.
|Posted Sep 1, 2005 3:03 pm
|Route Climbed: Grizzly Gulch Date Climbed: 8/10/2005
|Just followed the tourist route without incident. After summiting, we headed over and climbed Whitecross Mountain, which was interesting.
|Posted Aug 31, 2005 10:10 am
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: 08/20/2005
|Nice hike, nice view, busy trail
|Posted Aug 24, 2005 12:17 pm
|Route Climbed: American Basin Date Climbed: August 20, 2005
|Our men's group from Pinon Hills Community Church, Farmington, New Mexico, reached the summit on the morning of August 20, 2005. The members of the party included: Phil Miller, Jathan Cantu, Sterg Katirgis, Todd Schauer, Eber Crossley, Lee and Tyler (8 yrs. old) Cothern, and Richard Menning. Wayne Oberg reached his highest hiking elevation to date (approx. 12,900') along with buddy, Chris Booth, who had previously reached the summit. Overcast skies turned clear briefly while on the summit as we all took pictures and met many others also enjoying the views. The well marked trail provided a fairly easy hike for a 14er, even though the last part was quite steep. Light sleet followed us down to the trailhead along with one attention getting lightning--thunder clap. All made it back tired, satisfied and completely enchanted by the beauty of the American Basin.
|Posted Aug 22, 2005 1:49 pm
|Route Climbed: from American Basin Trailhead Date Climbed: July 7th, 2005
|Excellent day hike. Did Redcloud and Sunshine the previous day.
|Posted Aug 19, 2005 12:43 am
|three different ways
|3/19/13- winter summit with matt via boulder gulch. the normal avalanche trap wasn't present and made for safe, efficient travel to reach the southeast ridge. felt really good to get this summit!
6/2/07- hiked the south ridge after couloir climbing on american. nice, long glissades down the west face got us back to the car quickly.
7/9/05- a spectaular valley. i'm not a big flower person but this is a great hike to view flowers. summit is great, no civlization in sight. excellent, fast glissade off the east face.
|Posted Aug 14, 2005 4:54 pm


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Gardening Articles: Landscaping :: Yard & Garden Planning
by Charlie Nardozzi
The persimmon is one of the most widely grown "exotic" fruits. But why exotic? Perhaps it's the Latin name, Diospyros, which literally translates as "food of the gods." What could be more exotic to any mortal than to sit at the table of the gods? Or perhaps it's because enjoying a ripe persimmon makes one feel graced as a god. Either way, the combination of brilliant orange color, succulent texture and intense flavor make for an unforgettable culinary experience.
In a more practical vein, the tree is graceful and beautiful all four seasons of the year. It is slow-growing, round-shaped and 15 to 20 feet tall. Smooth, lustrous dark green leaves turn a blaze of orange and red in fall. Branches tend to weep from the heavy fruit load -- be prepared to lend some support with a 2-by-4s. Once leaves drop, the colorful fruits hang more gloriously on the bare branches than any shiny globe on a Christmas tree. Since persimmons have few serious pest and disease problems, this underutilized tree is a prize to grow in any gardener's backyard.
Persimmon Types
The fruits are the biggest treat in growing persimmons. They range from the size of a half dollar to a small grapefruit, with colors from yellow to deep orange-red.
The Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) has been widely and wildly popular in Asia for centuries. In the United States, it grows anywhere south of USDA Zone 7 or anywhere the winter minimum temperature stays above 0°F. Asian persimmons are grown commercially in California and Florida and to a lesser extent in southeastern Texas.
The hardier American persimmon (D. virginiana) grows as far north as zone 5, or where winter minimum temperatures are -20° or higher. It is a larger and faster-growing tree, but produces smaller (11/2 inches in diameter), richer-tasting fruits than its Asian cousin.
Astringent or nonastringent? These are important terms in the lexicon of persimmon aficionados. Asian varieties may be either, while American varieties are only astringent. Astringent varieties contain alum, which makes your mouth pucker when the fruits are eaten before they're fully ripe. Eat astringent persimmons only after they turn soft and mushy and have developed full color. Nonastringent persimmons can be eaten while they are still hard, like an apple, or after they soften. Both astringent and nonastringent fruits are versatile in cooking; use them fresh in salads and puddings or dry them.
Planting and Care
You can plant a persimmon tree in early spring or in fall, depending on your climate. Most mail-order trees are bare root, harvested December or January and shipped December through March. Plant these as soon as you receive them. Since bare-root trees shock easily when transplanted, it's important to keep the roots moist. Transplanting containerized plants is usually more successful.
Both Asian and American persimmons grow best in well-drained and slightly acidic soil. Locate trees in full sun and space them 20 to 25 feet apart or 12 feet from a structure. American persimmons will tolerate a little shade and a wider variety of soil types than their Asian relatives. Roots are slow growing, so keep the tree well watered all season. A typical tree should begin bearing regular crops of persimmons at three to five years of age.


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Nov. 30 Public Record
Published: Friday, November 30, 2012 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 5:24 p.m.
The following larcenies more than $1,000 were reported to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and the Lexington Police Department:
• A men's gold wedding ring valued at $1,500 was reported stolen from a home on Oakview Road in Linwood between Nov. 22 and 7:25 p.m. Wednesday.
• An air conditioner valued at $3,500 was reported stolen from a home on Deer Crossing Lane between 3 p.m. Tuesday and 9:37 a.m. Wednesday
• A laptop, safe, passport, two birth certificates, two checkbooks, vodka, PlayStation 3 game, cash, PlayStation 3 and Nikes valued at $2,301 were reported stolen from a home on Choyce Street between 7:33 a.m. and 4:27 p.m. Wednesday.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Trinity Harpswell is a cursed Black Widow-death and mayhem are all part of the job description. If she can manage to go just one more week without accidentally killing someone, she'll break this killer curse and put her Black Widow days behind her.Publisher: Sourcebooks, January 2011
When sexy Blaine Underhill III shows up at her door and asks for her help rescuing his friend from the clutches of Death's evil grandma, Trinity gets pulled into a daring high stakes adventure. As Blaine and Trinity join forces to take down a series of underworld assassins, they may just learn that love is the deadliest game of all.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Single Title/Series: KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK is Book One in the Soulfire Series.
Cover Thoughts: Love it! The fiery blaze is super eye catching as well as the quote from J.R. Ward. *wink* And I like the tag line "Should she kiss him... Or kill him?"
Why I Read It: I received an Advanced Review Copy from the Publisher.
My Review:
The Plot:
KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK boasts a convoluted and topsy-turvey plot making for one hell of a thrill ride. Trinity Harpswell is in quite the predicament. Just a few short days remain before she'll beat her killing Black Widow curse and resume the normal life she's always wanted. Of course nothing can be easy and Trinity soon finds herself contracted to kill not one but two people or her beloved father dies. Having had the two most understanding parents in the world, what with having to relocate during the course of her life after four unplanned murders, there's no way that Trinity is letting her father die at her expense and she'll gladly loose her soul to the Black Widow to save him.
You see, Trinity is not a bad person. She wants to fall in love, get married and have babies one day but her blasted curse always manages to get in the way. Once Trinity looses her heart to a man, she can't stop her curse from unveiling the perfect way to kill him and then following through with sickening glee. For the last five years she's done her best to look totally unappealing to the opposite sex, dating only the most disgusting of men to have some kind social life in the interim as she waits for the clock to tick down to the final moment. If she makes it five whole years without killing, the curse is broken. And her plan has been a success thus far but Trinity soon becomes number one on the Otherworlder's Most Wanted List and talk of being between a rock and a hard place is a universal understatement.
Blaine Underhill is in desperate need of a Black Widow and Trinity Harpswell is on his list as the most powerful and better yet, the closest. After he and his team of warriors escaped a centuries long imprisonment, they were forced to leave a good man behind but Blaine has every intention of rescuing his friend and killing the black witch that gleefully tortured them. Problem is, Angelica is one seriously whacked out bitch of witch and so far she's proved to be impervious to all murder attempts hence Blaine's need for Trinity. Her Black Widow will show them how the witch can be killed and he has plans of making very good use of Trinity's curse.
As lusciously hot as Blaine might be, Trinity doesn't find it all too hard to resist the bad ass warrior. The man wants to selfishly use her and then kill her! Yup, no heart-stopping, Black Window inducing attractive qualities there but Blaine's her only chance at potentially saving her father without having to succumb to her spider. Taking whatever boon she can get, Trinity agrees to help Blaine kill Angelica if he helps her save her father in return. Now it's just a waiting game to see who will renege first....
The Heroine:
Despite the fact that the girl has murdered four men, Trinity is immediately endearing. She doesn't want to kill and being stuck with her Black Widow curse has been nothing short of a nightmare. Imagine murdering the man you love the moment you realize you're in love? It helps that the reader is immediately introduced to a small but important group of people that care deeply for Trinity. She's surrounded by people who love her no matter what and there's obvious and deserved comfort in the arms of her parents and best friend Reina. But still, Trinity suffers understandably from low self esteem and a crippling sense that she's just as evil as the spider that crawls around her psyche. She just wants to be normal and find a wonderful man to spend her life with. She has every day dreams just like every day women making her incredibly easy to relate to and root for.
The Hero:
Blaine is rather ruthless but understandably so. He's also got a healthy complex where women are concerned and again, it's understandable. But the man has a heart and despite his immediate distrust of Trinity, her blunt honesty and sad self image quickly endears her to him. It might take the man a while to admit it, but he likes her and he feels pretty awful about using her but just like Trinity, Blaine's in a tough spot where he has to make a choice.
The best aspect of this hero is that Blaine fully and unquestionably accepts Trinity for who she is, curse and all. If there's one thing this warrior understands its death and her curse makes sense to him in a way that has Trinity striving desperately to see herself in the same light Blaine does without succumbing to the burgeoning love she's beginning to feel for him. There's something about Blaine's acceptance that make love the next step. It's not a given like with her parents and Reina, instead his acceptance is completely optional yet he offers it freely and without a second thought.
My Final Thoughts:
KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK hosts a throw-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink plot that feels a bit contrived and over the top on numerous occasions but still made for a pleasurable but often times confusing reading experience. Fast paced and more than a little overwhelming, the author throws it all at you time and again reminiscent of an automatic machine gun. Pow! Pow! Pow! In addition to the ping ball plot, the humor felt a bit forced and too rehearsed as though everything is said after much thought and while made to look witty and random, instead it comes off as pre-planned and robotic. Buuuuut, there's a lot of page time here and a lot going on so I found that there was a teetering balance between what I liked and what I didn't. Upon closing the last pages, I felt both disappointment and pleasure making this rating an easy smack dab in the middle.
Trinity and Blaine are enjoyable characters and surprisingly perfect foils for one another. If you didn't notice already, I'm quite enamored with Blaine and his easy and unquestionable acceptance of Trinity. He helps her believe in herself as no one else can nor has. I think that's what we want from people we're close to, acceptance, and more often than not it's the hardest reciprocating emotion we can achieve both within ourselves and from others. Besides, the already burdened plot would have collapsed if Blaine was unwilling to accept Trinity along with her curse.
Finally, I was left with some unanswered questions. This is somewhat weird and doubly disappointing considering the complex plotting but I never once understood the how's or why's Blaine and his band of warriors were immortal nor was there any explanation for their "gifts". For instance, Blaine can light his whole body on fire, throw fire balls, and create numerous weapons out of flames but why??? There's no origin for anything, no back history. This is only one example but there's many questions as to why certain people have certain paranormal abilities. I would have liked more. Perhaps a slowdown on the quips and more detail on the how.
For Paranormal Romance lovers that crave snarky and abundant humor, constant no-time-to-rest action, and a whole lot of hunky man flesh, KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK might be worth all the peril and doom that the title implies. For you, it just might be worth the risk. Enjoy!
More Reviews:
Froggarita's Bookcase
Debbie's Book Bag
Star-Crossed Romance
Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
Booked On A Feeling
Smexy Books
Michelle's Book Blog


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Community TV:
Speaking of Lupus
Lupus advocate Christine Miserandino offers tips, advice, and coping strategies for living with lupus.
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Fending off aging (with sunscreen, sleep, retinol, etc.) is one thing. Looking better as you age is another. If you're one of the women who pull off that trick, we're jealous—and curious to know how you do it. Did you stop coloring your hair and find that silver is far chicer than medium brown? Did you take up running and find that it whittled away the saddlebags you thought you were, well, saddled with for life? Or do you simply look in the mirror, admire your many assets and tell yourself, "Girl, you look good!"? Whatever you're doing, we want to know (and so do your fellow MORE readers).
Spill your secret here, and then, if you have time, answer the multiple-choice questions that follow by July 10, 2012. Your answer(s) may appear in a future issue of MORE.
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The 16 Tailgaters You Meet In College Football
The Student Vote: How You Can Influence Future History Textbooks
16 Students You Meet In Colleges
A Look at Celeb Twitter Followers
A Look at Students Using eTextbooks
Textbook Rentals are Taking Over at eCampus.com
Are You Headed Home For the Holidays?
How Much is Student Loan Debt Costing You?
How Would You Spend the Money You Saved?
College in America
Where Does All the Money Go?
10 Things That Have Shaped Our Last 10 Years
Is the Cost of College Really Worth It?
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to College
Where Do You Use Your Smart Phone?
The Truth About College Drinking
Need Help?
Copyright © 1999-2016


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As you can see the competitive workshop has been cleared out of all the old clutter. The question is, what do we do now? I personally am going to make a few guides to competitive battling, like threats in black and white, team building, stall ect. But outside that I don't know. I doubt we should make analyses as well... we need more people, and if we did we should probably stick to OU only.
One other thought I had in mind is to host a pokemon league again for BW2, last time that got a ton of new members here, and unlike Hicky, I lack a life, so I can probably keep it running.
If anyone has any other ideas please share them in this thread.


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Microsoft fait marche arrière
Next video starts in : 7 Play
Microsoft fait marche arrière
Moments That Mattered This Week
1:13Now watching Up next
Microsoft fait marche arrière
20/06/2013 Annoncées par Microsoft la semaine passée, les limitations autour de la Xbox One, attendue cet hiver, sont finalement abandonnées par le groupe.
1:03Now watching Up next
Moments That Mattered This Week
A quick look at the week's biggest headlines.
1:10Now watching Up next
Injured Rushed to Hospital After Somalia Attack
Police say the attack on a hotel in the Somali capital has ended, with at least 14 people killed, including two of the gunmen. Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the assault. (June 25)
1:11Now watching Up next
Convicted Felon Charged in Officer's Shooting
A convicted felon is being charged with shooting a police officer seven times and prompting a manhunt that shut down Amtrak service near Philadelphia for two hours on Friday. (June 25)
1:38Now watching Up next
UK Labor Leader: 'We Must Bring People Together'
Britain's Labor Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Saturday he will run again for the top role if the party holds a new leadership contest. Corbyn made the statement amid pressure from Labor lawmakers trying to rally support to unseat him. (June 25)
1:36Now watching Up next
Today in History for June 25th
Highlights of this day in history: The Korean War begins; Custer meets his end at the Battle of Little Bighorn; John Dean testifies before the Senate Watergate Committee; Author George Orwell born; Deep-sea explorer Jacques Cousteau dies. (June 25)
0:38Now watching Up next
Raw: PM Cameron Attends Military Parade
A day after announcing his resignation, British Prime Minister David Cameron attended a military parade on Saturday at the seaside English resort of Cleethorpes. (June 25)
2:49Now watching Up next
'Zero Belly Smoothies' Offer a Refreshing and Healthy Summer Treat
ABC News' Dave Zinczenko discusses his latest book and the benefits of a good smoothie.
8:11Now watching Up next
Is there room for a girl in the Boy Scouts?
Sydney Ireland, 15, has wanted to be a Boy Scout since about the age of 4 years old. However, she can't officially join the Boy Scouts of America because she's a girl. She's now petitioning the Boy Scouts of America to change its male only charter. Her change.org petition has received nearly 5,000 supporters. Ireland and her father, Gary, spoke to Yahoo Finance Anchor Alexis Christoforous about her petition and her hopes of becoming a Boy Scout.
2:22Now watching Up next
The Impact of the 'Brexit' Vote
Stock markets took a hit after Britain voted to leave the E.U., and Donald Trump praised the move during a trip to Scotland.


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Excursion to Capri (from Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento): general information
The 8th wonder of the world. An island that has different sides with the same incredible charm.
The natural beauties, the landscapes, the blue sea with more than 100 grottos, the incredible history, the archaeolocal sites, the elegance, the nightlife all this and much more makes a visit to Capri a must for the tourist of Sorrento area.
The blue grotto is a natural grotto with a small entrance from the sea where just a rowing boat can fit inside. Also the less popular Green and White Grotto are very very beautiful seen by the seaside. The Faraglioni rocks with natural arch is just amazing.
Villa san Michele was the house of Axel Munthe, and nowadays a mauseum located in a wonderful place with an incredible view. Villa Iovis was the biggest residence on he island of emperor Tiberio that lived in Capri his last years of life. The house is situated on a cape and overlooks Sorrento and Naples bay.
Capri is very easy to reach from Sorrento. There is the an hydrofoil (25 min) every hour during the high season. The island has 2 towns, Capri and Anacapri far 20 minutes by car or bus one from the other. The most panoramic points are often hidden, reachable just walking or by boat.
To visit the island a full day is enough; for a very complete tour also 2 days are fine. On the island is no possible to bring scooter or cars. With the famous "funicolare" is very easy to reach the Piazzeta (main square) from the harbour.
Usually the classic excursion to the island is with a group tour (available everyday during the high season). The only problem is just that the island is very touristic so the most popular places as well as the hydrofoil and the buses can be very crowded.
Concierge suggestion: the ideal to visit Capri is with a boat tour that gives you also the opportunity to go ashore to give a look to the town.
For information mail to: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The holidays juxtaposed with local and international artworks equal A Gallery's annual holiday event. Take a break and peruse this respected fine arts gallery. See paintings and sculptures in all media. Revel in the brilliance. Consider giving real art, instead of trendy tchotchkes, this year. The event is one day only, but exhibits are up all year. 1321 S. 2100 East, SLC, 801-583-4800.
Happy Holidaze 12/02
Dec 02nd 2010
Join us on our day-by-day tour of the holidays with events and things to do all over Utah. From the lights at Temple Square to the Santa Pub Crawl, Salt Lake magazine celebrates every day of the holiday season. Be Merry.


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Baseball Suffers Saturday Sweep at UNC-Greensboro to Open Series
Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two
The Princeton baseball team suffered a Saturday sweep at UNC-Greensboro to open the three-game series. A late effort was not enough in the opener, as the Tigers were edged 11-10 in extra innings. The Spartans added another 11 runs in game two to earn an 11-1 win to close out the day.
The Tigers and UNCG will conclude the series on Monday at 6 p.m.
Princeton tallied 26 hits versus the Spartans, led by Alec Keller's six and Paul Tupper's five. Keller paced the offense going 6-for-12 with three runs and an RBI, while Tupper added two runs and two RBI.
Game One
The Tigers used late runs to get back in the game, but ultimately fell by a run in 12 innings to UNCG to open the weekend.
It was a back-and-forth battle with Princeton taking a 1-0 lead in the second, before the Spartans added seven runs and held a 7-1 lead entering the seventh inning.
With two outs, back-to-back doubles by Danny Hoy and Nick Hernandez set up a five-run seventh and eighth innings for the Tigers.
Down 8-6 entering the ninth, Princeton mustered momentum and forced its first extra inning game of the year off pinch hitter Andres Larramendi's two-RBI single.
Both sides added a pair of runs on identical two-hits and an error in the 10th, but it was UNCG to break up the tie in the bottom of the 12th to earn the win.
Princeton finished with 16 hits, led by Keller's team-high four. Tupper added three, with two runs and two RBI, and Billy Arendt and Zack Belski each had a pair of hits.
Starter Michael Fagan pitched 4.0 innings with four strikeouts and only gave up two earned runs.
Game Two
Despite tallying 10 hits, a pair of multi-run innings by UNC-Greensboro were too much to overcome in Princeton's 11-1 loss to close out the twinbill.
The Tigers established the early advantage, 1-0, off Hernandez's RBI single in the top of the first.
The Spartans added two runs in the second and then capitalized on a seven-run burst in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
Princeton did have a hit in the final four innings, but was unable to create something further.
Making their Tiger debut was sophomore catcher Andrew Christie who played the final three innings. He recorded his first career hit in the ninth, a single through the left side.


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Share what you love with your friends or followers & See the videos your friends want to share
One of the most renowned comedy clubs in the world, the Laugh Factory Hollywood is the #1 comedy club on the famous Sunset Strip.
We supply the most in demand comedians every Wednesday night at 8pm. We mix the super famous with the next big thing for 90 minutes of crushingly funny comedy.
It's all in the name. Come join us tonight when we host a full line up of the hottest comedians in the country. It's the weekend so head out and catch some laughs courtesy of LA's top comics!
The Laugh Factory Hollywood offers a VIP room for our customers who need a bit more privacy or want to hold a party at our club.
See who's trending in comedy! Hosted by John Campanelli and featuring an all-star line up.
Laugh Factory gift cards are a perfect present for any occasion: birthday, anniversary, thanks, congratulations, I love you, I'm sorry, get well soon, or just because.
Comedy Bazaar is an eclectic assortment of the best & brightest up & comers as well as legendary comedians with a splash of Middle Eastern flavor. A show for everybody! Don't miss this hot Hollywood show every Monday; you never know what might happen or who might show up!
Don't miss our night celebrating the women of comedy on June 29th
8001 Sunset Blvd.
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(323) 656-1336 Ext. 1
Sponsored By


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Years ago I had the privilege of eating lunch at Miss Belle's tea room in Cameron, North Carolina. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting Cameron, picture a small blink of a Southern town in the image of To Kill A Mocking Bird. Sand sidewalks wrap around gingerbread houses turned into antique/treasure shops, and Miss Belles, a rambling Victorian, held court over them all. My lunch buddy and I looked over the daily specials — corn chowder, yes, please! Tomato pie, yes please! Curried Rice-A-Roni salad, sure why not! And homemade coconut cream pie, but of course! We were enthralled with every bite, and after a little coaxing, we left Miss Belle's with the coveted recipes for all four items.
Flash forward to the present. For years now, I have paved my way toward good will and friendship with caregivers and administrative staff at my parent's retirement community by regularly distributing pieces of Miss Belle's coconut cream pie. I even go so far as giving whole pies away when extra gratitude is merited. Fellow residents of my mother's skilled nursing floor also enjoy my pie.
About eight months ago, a new resident (a victim of Alzheimer's) was having difficulty settling in to her new (unasked for) living accommodations. Her name is Isabelle, and although she may be confused about her surroundings, she is spot on with her piano playing. She fills the dining room daily with beautiful hymns and folk classics that brighten everyone's day, and she has become instantly beloved. I always make it a point to compliment and thank her for the gift she shares with us. One afternoon, she was extremely agitated and begged for me to take her home. I considered giving her a piece of pie to soothe her, but not knowing her dietary restrictions, thought best not.
This past week I was standing near the nurse's station on my mother's floor and someone mentioned my pie. I explained the recipe came from Miss Belle's Tea Room in Cameron (which closed several years ago), and an aide pointed out to me, "Well you know, Isabelle used to be the mayor of Cameron!" I looked at Isabelle. Isabelle? Miss Belle! I looked again and discovered that yes, she was the proprietor of the tea room, and it was her recipe I had been passing out all around her these past months. Needles to say, the next day I invited Isabelle to my mother's room for pie.
I held my breath as she took her first bite. She looked at me very seriously, shook her head, and said, "Now that's reeaaal good" in her low, Southern drawl. I was elated. As I walked her back to her room, we chatted about the tea room. I asked her if she remembered making corn chowder and she said, "Yes." Tomato pie? Her response a little more pensive: "Maybe a long time ago." Curried Rice-A-Roni Salad? She looked at me as if I was absolutely batty. Perhaps a fellow kitchen worker had snuck that in.
Little did I know how drastically my world would change after our visit to Miss Belles'. Shortly after our visit, my vibrant mother would become a prisoner in her body due to the cruel twists of Parkinson's, and the tea room would close due to Miss Belle's failing mind. And now we find ourselves literally and figuratively miles away from our former lives and brought together as strangers but leaving as friends through the simple pleasure of sharing a piece of pie.


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PPG Industries
PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG)
Website: http://www.ppg.com
Company Description
PPG is the largest US paint company and has been a major producer of glass. (Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.) It is a leading supplier of glass and paints to the automotive industry and is especially well known for its Uniprime electrodeposition primers. It also offers a full range of paint products including Olympic Stain and Lucite house paint, Liquid Nails and auto refinish enamels, used in auto repair, as well as PPG Pittsburgh Paints sold through PPG Paint Stores. PPG is a global player with subsidiaries and/or operations everywhere.
In December, 2012 PPG announced the acquisition of the North American consumer paints business (usually called "trade sales") from Akzo Nobel. Akzo presumably got it with the portion of ICI they acquired. This includes the Glidden brand name, which has a long history (at one time owned by SCM, but makers of Smith Corona typewriters and Durkee dressing). Dulux, Sico, and CIL (Canada) are additional brand names acquired. According to a Wall Street Journal article, this will make PPG the world's largest paint company followed by Akzo and Sherwin-Williams. Sherwin-Williams is still the largest in the North American architectural paints business, followed by PPG and then Masco, maker of Behr paints. Sherwin Williams has 3500 company paint stores; PPG will have 1000.
In July, 2012, Georgia Gulf announced plans to merge with the commodities chemicals business being spun off from PPG Industries. The PPG products are primarily chlor-alkali. The combined companies will be the third largest producer of chlor-alkali in the US after Dow Chemical and Occidental. PPG will own 50.5% of the combined companies.
Chlor-alkali consists of the production of chlorine and usually sodium hydroxide (aka caustic soda or lye) by electrolysis of salt. Chlorine is used primarily to make PVC plastic; caustic soda is a major source of sodium in a variety of industries. This is the classical co-product situation in that chlorine cannot be stored and the two products have different demand/growth cycles. Keeping them in balance is usually accomplished by raising prices on one and cutting on the other, but it's a roller coaster for all involved.
The prospectus indicates that PPG also makes chlorine derivatives including calcium hypochlorite (aka chlorinated lime), chlorinated solvents, and phosgene derivatives. These businesses too are going to Georgia Gulf. Glass, fiberglass, optical plastics, and silica are being retained.
The new company formed from the chemical division of PPG combined with Georgia Gulf is to be called Axiall Company.
The 2013 Annual Report indicates PPG acquired Deft Inc in May enhancing its aerospace coatings portfolio. A new electronic materials division will market conductive inks and coatings and manufacture materials for organic light emitting diodes (OLED). Will divest its 51% interest in Transitions Optical lenses (jv with Essilor International).
Groups include--
Performance Coatings consisting of Aerospace (electrochromic window systems, transparent armour), Architectural Coatings, Automotive Refinish, Protective/Marine Coatings (Amercoat, Freitag, Sigma Coatings).
Industrial Coatings: Automotive OEM, Industrial Coatings (appliances, construction equipment, electronics, auto parts, wood flooring, doors and windows), Packaging coatings (plastic tubes and metai containers for food and beverages)
Optical products/Specialty Materials: CR-39 monomer for light weight plastic lenses as well as coatings. Silicas.
Glass: Fiber glass and flat glass


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Click www.ticketreturn.com/49ers, the official ticketing site of Charlotte 49ers Students, to REQUEST & CLAIM or RESERVE your Football or Men's Basketball ticket.
UNC Charlotte students are eligible to receive a FREE ticket for each regular season home game on campus, based on availability. Continue reading below to learn more on securing your ticket for 49ers Athletic Events. For up-to-date game schedules, click on SCHEDULES in the menu bar above.
*2015-2016 Charlotte 49ers Online Student Ticketing
(procedures subject to change)
Students MUST utilize the online ticketing process for football and men's basketball tickets at https://www.ticketreturn.com/49ers (you will be redirected to a separate website where your 800# is your User ID and the initial password is guest). If you have questions, email email@example.com or call the 49ers Ticket Office at 704-687-4949.
FOOTBALL - after REQUESTing & CLAIMing your ticket, your Student ID will be loaded with your student ticket. Therefore, you will only need to bring your Student ID to the Student Gates 4 & 5 for entry. You DO NOT print your student ticket for football games, though guest tickets will still need to be printed so your guests can enter.
MEN'S BASKETBALL - Reserve your tickets now for November and December games at https://www.ticketreturn.com/49ers. Lottery process is not currenlty used for men's basketball games. After reserving ticket, your Student ID will be loade with a game ticket.
The short tutorial video below shows the intitial REQUEST phase for football, but remember to complete the additional CLAIM step to finalize the process and load your game ticket to your ID. Your User ID is your 800 Student ID #. Please become familiar with when the Claim process ends. If you forget to claim, your request will be canceled. However, if tickets still remain in the student allotment, you can log back in to reserve a ticket On Demand which will load your ID. If you have questions, please call 704-687-4949.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I get my student ticket?
How do I get Niner Nation Loyalty Points?
How can I find more student ticketing information?
How can I help or give input on student ticketing?
How can I join Niner Nation Gold?
How do I get my student ticket?
The athletic department utilizes a dedicated student ticketing website which provides access to tickets and priority seating for the most loyal students of Niner Nation. Students are rewarded with Niner Nation Loyalty Points (NNLPs) for their attendance through established policies and procedures.
For the following sports, all students are asked to visit the Official Ticketing Site of Charlotte 49ers Students at http://ticketreturn.com/49ers and sign-in to utilize their personal ticketing account. Your User ID will be your 800 Student ID #.
- FOOTBALL at Jerry Richardson Stadium. You MUST follow these steps for online student ticketing:
1) Request your ticket (now open)
2) Claim your ticket, if awarded in lottery (see full schedule for deadlines)
3) If done properly, your Student ID will be loaded with your game ticket. Simply present your Student ID at the Student Gates for entry. To verify a ticket is in your account, click 'Review Your Ticket' option.
Later options: if you do not utlize the request/claim process an On Demand phase may open on Tuesday of game week if all of the student tickets haven't been requested or claimed. Just visit the same ticket link and click 'Reserve Ticket' which will load you Student ID if done properly. Also there is a stand-by line at the student entrance where remaining tickets will be distributed with presentation of a valid student ID. All tickets are based on availability.
This is the best opportunity to acquire a student ticket for football. Visit http://ticketreturn.com/49ers for more details and to ensure you have properly secured a ticket prior to each game.
- MEN'S BASKETBALL in Halton Arena. Follow the online student ticketing process (Subject to change for 2015-2016 season):
1) RESERVE your ticket (online reservation schedule can be found at http://ticketreturn.com/49ers)
2) If done properly, your Student ID will be loaded with your game ticket. Simply present your Student ID at the Student Gates for entry. To verify a ticket is in your account, click 'Review Your Ticket' option.
Note: stand-by lines will be at the student entrance if your student ID isn't working. Tickets are based on availability. Please note, student tickets picked up at the student entrance stand-by line may not be awarded a loyalty point. For questions, call 704-687-4949.
For the following sports, simply present your University Student ID at the respective venue's ticket office beginning 1 hour before the start of the game:
- MEN'S & WOMEN'S SOCCER at Transamerica Field
- VOLLEYBALL & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL in Halton Arena
- BASEBALL at Hayes Stadium. Pleae note the games played uptown require purchase of a ticket through BB&T Ballpark (www.CharlotteKnights.com) where discounted tickets are available to UNC Charlotte Students.
How do I get Niner Nation Loyalty Points?
49ers Students receive Niner Nation Loyalty Points by attending various varsity sporting events throughout the year. These NNLPs will help identify our most loyal student supporters who may be reward with better seating and reward opportunities. Students are eligible to receive a Niner Nation Loyalty Point if they attend a game and get their ID scanned.
Earn extra NNLPs by joining NINER NATION GOLD. Students interested in joining Charlotte's student booster club and earning 8 extra NNLPS with many other benefits, may join or renew their membership at Niner Nation Gold Sign-Up. Visit Niner Nation Gold for more information.
How can I find more student ticketing information?
For more student ticketing & loyalty point policies visit the Official Ticketing Site of Charlotte 49ers Students at www.ticketreturn.com/49ers, call 704-687-4949 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
How can I help or give input on student ticketing?
You can always call 704-687-4949 or email email@example.com. Additionally, if you are interested in helping to identify the needs of students and assist with promoting the ticketing policies, consider joining the Student Ticketing Committee. This partnership between students and the athletic department provides a channel of communcation to gain feedback, provide creative ideas and improve Niner Nation. If interested, call 704-687-4949 or email email@example.com.
Note: NNLP rankings and special ticketing instructions may be placed on this page throughout the year. Students are encouraged to visit www.ticketreturn.com/49ers and this page regularly.