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Transport all types of bikes with Saris' Freedom 4-Bike hitch rack. Its innovative design adjusts to fit most bikes and sizes, including kids' and even some recumbents, thanks to the adjustability of its center upright supports. It uses quick-adjust trays and ratcheting straps to secure four bikes of up to 35 pounds each, and loading is made easy by the low tray height. The center upright supports even tilt down to allow trunk access.
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Best Uses
Easily fits 4 bikes: Mountain bike, women's hybrid bike, and 2 kids bikes (one with training wheels).
Best Uses
This is the sturdiest rack I have seen for 4 bikes. It is simple, strong, and durable. It provides the perfect amount of adjustability to accommodate all different bike types and sizes. Rating would have been 5 stars but one of the washers on the posts broke as I was tightening it during installation.
Best Uses
After YEARS of using racks from one of the big two (one rhymes with Tool and the other with, uh, Rackima?), and being somewhat disappointed, we decided to try something different. We were unfamiliar with the Saris brand and a little hesitant at first. After doing research and finding a whole mess of positive, we decided to give the Freedom 4 a try. The rack comes roughly 70% assembled and only requires the two cross bars and two uprights be bolted to the main beam. Fifteen to twenty minutes tops. As easy as assembly was, initial bike setup took considerably longer. Its not difficult, it just takes time to make sure all your bikes are where they should be. Once this is done, they can be put on and taken off the rack in a couple minutes (makes pre and post ride ridiculously easy).
Best Uses
I had a two bike rack from saris until my children's bikes no longer fit in the trunk. I now have the four bike rack and am just as pleased. Well made and stable. I would, and do, recommend them to anyone willing to listen to me.
Best Uses
Tighten this unit up so that it fits ALOT better inside the 2" receiver hitch. Too much play - even with their special part that is very hard to come by if you lose the first one... The minute you hit dirt; it bounces all around and the bikes become very loose in their saddles.
Best Uses
I have had my freedom 2-bike for a little over a year now, and I want to say that I really like it. It's worked well, I can open my hitch with it on (and no bikes loaded) which is why I wanted this model, and it overall gets the job done. I've used it a fair amount over the past year, and on it's most recent voyage something happenned that is causing me to rate this lower than I would like to. On the inside of the square tubing that goes into your hitch receiver there is a nut kinda maybe welded on. This is what allows the bolt to thread into it and secure very nicely to your hitch. On the last trip I went on (washboard dirt roads), that nut broke free from whatever was securing it to the inside of the tubing. Unfortunately what this meant was that I had no way to un-thread the bold, and consequently could not remove the rack from the car. It does appear that somewhere along the jostling the bold had cross threaded as well, whether that was my doing or the rocking back and forth of the rack once the nut broke free. I had to do quite a bit of surgery to remove the bolt without damaging either the hitch receiver on my car or the bike rack itself. 6 hours later, alot of blood and sweat, mission accomplished. I really like this rack, and I like how (when it's functional) it secures itself against your hitch receiver for stability, but the way it's designed creates some pretty ridiculous issues that are causing me to question if I want to try to repair this at all now, or if I just want to scrap it and find a new rack. overall, a little disappointed saris :(
I looked around for a while to find the best rack and deal for a hitch mount tray style rack. Love the light weight of this rack and the ability to fit all different size bikes on it. It works great with my carbon road bike and my kids 20" bike. It works great and is easy to setup. The tilt feature works awesome. On a recent trip everyone was jealous of the ease of loading the bikes and the stability once the bikes are loaded. My wife especially likes it as it's much easier to load than a roof style rack and and she no longer has to set things in front of the garage so she doesn't pull in with the bikes on top. Also as a follow up I just received a hand written note in the mail from customer service with a business card and some stickers. Haven't had to use customer service but it was a plus to see how accessible they are.
This rack is as good as it gets! It is easy to load/unload, and (when the bikes are not loaded) allows easy access through our SUVs rear hatch. And while it allows easy access while attached, it is light-weight enough to easily remove when not needed. We love it!
When searching for a multi-bike rack, a friend recommended that I look at Saris. The Freedom 4 certainly fits the bill. Easy to use and very stable. Excellent customer service and warranty. I would recommend Saris to anyone looking foe a bike rack.
Bought this unit almost a year ago and used it almost daily until winter arrived. Bought it so we could take Grandchildren riding with us. For a 4 bike rack it is considerably lighter than other racks and very stable. Would like to see a revised hitch bolt setup. This threaded piece only just sits in the hitch throat and will slide out of place if tilted a little. I installed a set screw on the rack to keep the adapter in place until the hitch bolt was installed. Makes life and installing eqsier.
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text: Does anyone have any info regarding the bouys and when they are expected to be up and running again? Are we looking at months, weeks, years? So annoying to not be able to check bouy 44025. I'm no longer able to do the ol' 530 in the morning wake up call to check the bouy.

subset: commoncrawl


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Exploring the World of Vapor
The goal of next month's Vapor World Expo is to illuminate this booming business.By Renee M. Covino, Convenience Store News
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The inaugural Vapor World Expo "will bring the world of vapor together for two days to meet, do business and learn what to expect as the vapor phenomenon continues to expand across the globe," said Ed O'Connor, president and CEO of Tobacco Media Group International (TMG), the show's organizer.
The new business-to-business conference and exposition at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., will take place May 7-8. TMG is the company that also organizes the annual Tobacco Plus Convenience Expo, held in January.
"The market for electronic and vapor devices is growing worldwide as more smokers are turning to these products as an alternative to the traditional tobacco products," O'Connor told CSNews Online as he discussed what attendees can expect from Vapor World Expo.
Electronic cigarettes and related vapor devices have reached the "tipping point," according to O'Connor. "Having passed through the fad stage, the market is trending substantially higher and rapidly becoming a tobacco behemoth. It is innovative, unique and capturing enormous consumer appeal," he said. "Once a market reaches the tipping point, there is no stopping it. It moves from a fad to a trend, and we are on the trend line given the growth of a market that many experts in the industry believe will overtake traditional cigarettes at some point within the next decade or two."
Vapor World Expo will be all-encompassing of non-combustible vapor devices that include disposable and rechargeable e-cigarettes -- sometimes referred to as "cig-alikes" -- which some say are being embraced more by an older demographic/traditional smoker, as well as personalized devices refillable with e-juice or e-liquid and sometimes referred to as "mods" or "tanks." The refillable products typically seem to capture a younger demographic and those willing to embrace a different way of taking in nicotine.
The show intends to provide a forum for the exchange of information and goods for the entire market, as well as a current state-of-the-industry update on the changing trends, technologies, and regulatory proposals and initiatives.
The conference program includes educational sessions consisting of an association panel on the first day and a tobacco analyst and legal consultant on the second day.
Representatives from three of the industry's top associations and one of its earliest pioneers will offer their perspectives and address questions about the future of electronic cigarettes and vapor products in a first-day panel entitled, "E-Cigarettes Today and Tomorrow." The panelists include Cynthia Cabrera, executive director of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association; Tom Kiklas, director of operations for The Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association; Linc Williams, co-founder of the American E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards Association; and Bill Bartkowski, president of VapAria, an e-cigarette research and product development company.
On the second day, Bonnie Herzog, managing director of Wells Fargo Securities LLC, will offer her analyses of e-cigarette sales trends, the retail landscape of traditional channels vs. vape shops, the types of devices — cig-alikes vs. tanks — and tax trends from the local and federal levels. Following Herzog, Bryan Haynes, partner with Troutman Sanders law firm, will provide an overview of the e-cigarette regulatory environment, including an update on Food and Drug Administration proposals and state regulatory initiatives.
Vapor World Expo is expected to have approximately 100 exhibitors, and O'Connor noted how "huge" a number/percentage that is considering there are approximately 300 e-cigarette/vape vendors in the United States currently (and approximately 2,000 in China).
Show attendees are expected to come from all corners of the marketplace, including tobacco shops, mass retailers, wholesalers, distributors and convenience stores.
"The changing of the product guard is critical for tobacco marketers to get a handle on," O'Connor said.


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A woman has died and a one-year-old girl is in a critical condition after they were pulled from a backyard pool in the Illawarra region.
A police spokeswoman said the woman, a 50-year-old Korean national, died at the scene.
Paramedics were called to an address in Dapto, south of Wollongong about 2.30pm on Tuesday after reports the woman and the toddler had been pulled from the pool.
The girl was resuscitated and was at Wollongong Hospital waiting to be airlifted to Sydney, the spokeswoman said.
Agencies reported that the woman was the child's grandmother and is believed to have fallen into the pool while carrying the child during a family lunch at her daughter's home.
She reportedly suffered from a medical condition.


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Greek debt is heading back towards a ''sustainable'' path, IMF head Christine Lagarde says after a deal to ease the long-term repayment burden and start releasing long-blocked loans in December.
''The IMF wanted to make sure the euro partners would take the necessary actions to bring Greece's debt on a sustainable path,'' Ms Lagarde told a press conference after 13 hours of talks in Brussels that paved the way for a writing down of some Greek debt. ''I can say today that it has been achieved.''
The eurozone said overnight it will be in a position to re-start the paying out of 43.7 billion euros ($54.6 billion) in loans to Greece from December 13.
A statement after 13 hours of Eurogroup talks gathering finance ministers, the IMF and the ECB said would be paid in four instalments through until the end of March, but conditional on the implementation by Athens of tax reforms agreed with creditors.
After their third meeting on the issue in as many weeks, Greece's international lenders agreed to reduce Greek debt by 40 billion euros to 124 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020 through a package of steps.
The deal opens the way for a major aid instalment needed to recapitalise Greece's teetering banks and enable the government to pay wages, pensions and suppliers in December.
However, discussions were continuing on details of the measures to reduce Athens' debt burden.
The euro strengthen slightly against the dollar after news of a deal was reported by Reuters.
"It's going very slow, but we have financing and a Debt Sustainability Analysis. We've filled the financing gap until the end of programme in 2014," one official said.
Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said earlier that Athens had fulfilled its part of the deal by enacting tough austerity measures and economic reforms, and it was now up to the lenders to do their part.
"I'm certain we will find a mutually beneficial solution today," he said on arrival for the marathon talks.
Greece, where the eurozone's debt crisis erupted in late 2009, is the currency area's most heavily indebted country, despite a big "haircut" this year on privately-held bonds. Its economy has shrunk by nearly 25 per cent in five years.
Negotiations had been stalled over how Greece's debt, forecast to peak at 190-200 per cent of GDP in the coming two years, could be cut to a more sustainable 120 per cent by 2020.
The agreed figure fell slightly short of that goal, and the IMF was still insisting that eurozone ministers should make a firm commitment to further steps to reduce the debt stock if Athens implements its adjustment programme faithfully.
The key question remains whether Greek debt can become sustainable without eurozone governments having to write off some of the loans they have made to Athens.
A source familiar with IMF thinking said the global lender was demanding immediate measures to cut Greece's debt by 20 per centage points of GDP, with a commitment to do more to reduce the debt stock in a few years if Greece fulfills its programme.
To reduce the debt to 124 per cent by 2020, the ministers were putting together a package of steps including a debt buyback funded by a eurozone rescue fund, reducing the interest rate on loans and returning eurozone central bank 'profits' to Greece.
Germany and its northern European allies have so far rejected any idea of forgiving official loans to Athens.
Debt relief "not on the table"
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told reporters that a debt cut was legally impossible, not just for Germany but for other eurozone countries, if it was linked to a new guarantee of loans.
"You cannot guarantee something if you're cutting debt at the same time," he said. That did not preclude possible debt relief at a later stage if Greece completed its adjustment programme and no longer needs new loans.
The source familiar with IMF thinking said a loan write-off once Greece has established a track record of compliance would be the simplest way to make its debt viable, but other methods such as foregoing interest payments, or lending at below market rates and extending maturities could all help.
The German banking association (BDB) said a fresh "haircut" or forced reduction in the value of Greek sovereign debt, must only happen as a last resort.
Two European Central Bank policymakers, vice-president Vitor Constancio and executive board member Joerg Asmussen, said debt forgiveness was not on the agenda for now.
The options under consideration included reducing interest on already extended bilateral loans to Greece from the current 150 basis points above financing costs.
How much lower was still being debated -- France and Italy wanted to reduce the rate to 30 basis points (bps), while Germany and some other countries sought a 90 bps margin.
Another option, which could cut Greek debt by almost 17 per cent of GDP, was to defer interest payments on loans to Greece from the EFSF, a temporary bailout fund, by 10 years.
The European Central Bank could forego profits on its Greek bond portfolio, bought at a deep discount, cutting the debt pile by a further 4.6 per cent by 2020, a document prepared for the ministers' talks last week showed.
Not all eurozone central banks are willing to forego their profits, however, the German Bundesbank among them.
Greece could also buy back its privately-held bonds on the market at a deep discount, with gains from the operation depending on the scope and price. Officials have spoken of a 10 billion euro buy-back at around 30 cents on the euro, that would retire around 30 billion euros of debt, although since the idea was raised the potential gain has fallen as prices have risen.
Forgiving official loans
German central bank governor Jens Weidmann has suggested that Greece could "earn" a reduction in debt it owes to eurozone governments in a few years if it diligently implements all the agreed reforms. The European Commission backs that view.
An opinion poll published on Monday showed Greece's anti-bailout SYRIZA party with a four-per cent lead over the Conservatives who won election in June, adding to uncertainty over the future of reforms.
German paper Welt am Sonntag said on Sunday that eurozone ministers were considering a write-down of official loans for Greece from 2015, but gave no sources, and a eurozone official said such an option was never seriously discussed.
Reuters, AFP


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With immediate access to Moreton Bay, Manly is a boat lover's dream. The centerpiece of Manly is Manly Harbour, a marina crowded with magnificent yachts and quality eateries.
Manly is renowned for its relaxed yet sophisticated nautical atmosphere. And there's so much to do - from seaside family picnics to bike riding, from water sports to markets, it's all here. To get a real taste of the seaside location, why not take a sailing cruise out on Moreton Bay, or try boom-netting off the back of a boat with Manly Eco Cruises.
About 17 kilometres from the Brisbane Central Business District, Manly is perfect for families. There are good bikeways and walkways, a community swimming pool and a seawater wading pool. In the summer, outdoor activities such as canoeing and rollerblading are also very popular.
Spend some time in this wonderful waterfront precinct with its inspired streetscape and you will want to stay forever.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Most Romantic Valentine's Day Stories
Not sure what to do on February 14? Get inspired with these very romantic (and true!) stories.
-Faye Brennan
Valentine's Day is the ultimate opportunity to show your significant other just how much they mean to you. Whether you're in a long-term relationship or still getting to know each other, there's plenty of pressure to do the right thing. At the end of the day, the most meaningful gestures are usually also the most personal and original, as the following stories illustrate. Looking for inspiration? Read on!
"Last year, my boyfriend told me to pack an overnight bag. We drove to a local mineral spa resort where he dropped me off for an hour-long massage. Afterwards, he brought me to a luxury suite with our own private mineral spa. The room was decorated with fresh flowers and he'd prepared a picnic dinner for us to share on the patio, complete with champagne and fresh strawberries for dessert. Later, we curled up together and listened to a playlist of our favorite love songs on his iPod. What made the evening even more special was that it was completely unexpected. He was a student at the time and had saved up for months in order to pamper me like that."
—Katy McGrath, California
Read How to Score a Date By Valentine's Day
"A few years ago, right before Valentine's Day, my husband did something that really pissed me off. Looking back, it wasn't a big deal but at the time I was really upset. Anyway, I came home from work on Valentine's Day to discover that he'd cut a bunch of giant hearts out of red wrapping paper and posted them all over our bedroom walls. Two years later, they're still up!"
—Genie Godula, Paris, France
"My first Valentine's Day with my fiancé was in 2004 and it was amazing. That January, I'd been looking online for a puppy and found a little Chihuahua I loved. I wanted more information about the dog but had to work, so my now-fiancé said he'd call and talk to the breeder for me. Later, he called to tell me the puppy had been sold. I was crushed.
A month later, on the day before Valentine's Day, I walked into his apartment and found a card waiting for me. As I was reading it, his dog came running towards me. I started playing with him and then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this tiny little dog run past me with several bows around his neck. I started squealing as my fiancé said, "Do you recognize him?" He had not only bought my Chihuahua, Tony, but had arranged for him to be driven from Missouri and had picked him up at 1 a.m. Tony is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me – and that Valentine's Day remains the very best one of my life."
— Brenda Della Casa, Chicago, IL


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Crime Prevention
Campus Crime Prevention Guide
The safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors are a priority at McNeese State University. Through the assistance of several other university departments, every effort is made to better serve the university community and provide a safe environment in which the mission of the university may be attained. However, a truly safe campus can only be achieved through the cooperation of all students, faculty, and staff.
Although MSU does not experience serious crimes often, it is a large, university campus on which serious crimes may occur. In any given semester, MSU has some 8,000 students and 1,000 full and part-time employees on campus - more than the size of most small cities. In addition, MSU is located in the city of Lake Charles - a leading petrochemical city with a population of more than 80,000.
Reporting Crimes or Emergencies
The MSU Police Department is a team of professionals working to provide a safe environment in which the educational mission of the university can be fully realized.
If you are involved in an emergency situation, are the victim of a crime, witness any criminal activity, and/or in need of assistance, you are urged to notify the MSU Police Department as soon as possible by dialing 911 or 475-5711. Off-campus crimes may be reported to the Lake Charles Police Department or the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. Both of these law enforcement agencies can be reached by dialing 911.
The MSU Police Department is located in the University Police and Information Center at 4327 Ryan St. The department operates 24-hours a day and is staffed by commissioned police officers. Students have 24-hour access to emergency phone lines to University Police as well as 911.
University police officers are vested with all of the powers, authority, and responsibilities of any police officer of the state on property owned or operated by the university, including adjacent public streets. Police authority is derived from Section 17:1805 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.
In addition, this law grants officers the authorization to carry concealed weapons, power of arrest on and off campus, jurisdictional boundaries, and authorization for the investigation of crimes occurring within one's jurisdiction to include the entire state.
The MSU Police Department cooperates fully with all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in cases which involve both on-campus and off-campus jurisdiction or when the resources of another agency can be used to facilitate the resolution of an investigation.
MSU police officers must successfully complete 280 hours of basic training at an approved police academy. The training curriculum is mandated by the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission and includes such topics as criminal law and procedures, patrol and investigation practices, techniques, firearms, first aid, and physical training.
Safety Programs
To help protect students who need to reach a particular destination on campus after dark, the department provides an escort service. The service operates seven days a week, 24-hours a day. Call 475-5711.
Police Bike Patrol
The department utilizes a bike patrol to supplement vehicle and foot patrol as part of its overall effort to make the campus safe. The bike patrol enables officers to cover more areas and allows for quick response should the need arise. Officers are also better able to talk with students, faculty, and staff on bike patrol.
Crime Stoppers
MSU works in conjunction with the Calcasieu Parish Crime Stoppers program. Crime Stoppers serves the community as an informant interaction system whereby the public is invited and encouraged to provide valuable information that might lead to the arrest and possible conviction of criminals. Participants who call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 439-2222 remain anonymous. The value of rewards range from $25 to $1,000 depending on the crime.
Safety Policies
The university makes every effort to ensure that the campus facilities, buildings, and grounds are designed and maintained in such a way as to promote safety and reduce criminal opportunity. Particular attention is paid to the design of landscaping and exterior lighting.
Use of University Facilities
With the exception of events that are open to the general public and advertised as such, the university's facilities and programs are generally reserved for accomplishing the objectives and programs of the university. Visitors and non-university affiliated groups seeking to utilize university facilities are expected to make prior arrangements with the appropriate university office. Authorization to use MSU facilities is determined by university regulations then in effect. Visitors and guests to MSU residence halls must be registered by their hosts while in the residence halls.
Residence Halls
Procedures to ensure safety within residence halls include 24-hour-a-day staffed desks in each building or complex. All residence halls have limited access through main doors only. Procedures for guest visitation have been established in accordance with MSU residence hall guidelines. Residence halls are equipped with fire safety equipment that includes smoke detectors and/or heat sensors that activate the central fire alarm system. In residence halls, emergency exits are equipped with alarms that sound whenever opened. Residence hall staffs are trained to maintain security and to summon police, fire, medical, and maintenance assistance when needed. Criminal activity observed within or in the vicinity of buildings is reported to the MSU Police Department. Firearms, explosives, fireworks, or other hazardous materials are not permitted in or around residence halls or university apartments.
Academic and Administrative Buildings
Academic and administrative buildings are secured by university personnel. Hours of security may vary from building to building, depending on use. Like the residence halls, these buildings are equipped with fire safety equipment that includes smoke detectors and/or heat sensors that activate the central fire alarm system.


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Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create an account.
List of Errors in Charcuterie by M. Ruhlman
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I've cooked several recipes from Keller's "Bouchon" the last couple of weeks, and have loved them all! At the moment (as in right this minute) I'm making the boeuf Bourguignon, and am a little confused about the red wine reduction. After reducing the wine, herbs, and veg for nearly an hour now, I'm nowhere near the consistancy of a glaze that Keller specifies. In fact, it looks mostly like the veg is on the receiving end of most of it. Is this how the recipe is meant to be? Can anybody tell me what kind of yield is expected? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, kindly.
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This unfortunately titled book changed my life. I always enjoyed cooking and idealized Julia Child &
Jacque Pepin. But I was a typical home cook. I would see a recipe and try to duplicate it little understanding about what I was doing.
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The recipes are very approachable and you can make them on a budget from grocery store ingredients. I read it as a grad student in Oregon, in the late 80's I had access to lots of fresh ingredients. And some very nice wines, cheap! I was suppose to be studying physics but I end up learning more about wine & cooking.
By Smokeydoke
Here is the discussion thread.
Here is the Amazon link.
My first recipe was Mushroom Mapo Tofu p. 132 I was blown away by how good this tasted. Very spicy! Very authentic. I didn't miss the meat at all. I told Mr. Smokey I'd add ground pork next time and he said it didn't need it. Mr. Smokey refused pork? Ha!
Definitely a keeper and maybe a regular rotation spot.
If I had anything negative to say, it would be the dish wasn't very filling. The recipe is suppose to serve four but the two of us finished it off, no problem, and Mister wasn't full afterwards. A soup, or an appetizer could be paired with the dish to make a heartier meal.
Note: I did receive a complimentary copy of the book to review, but all opinions of the book and recipes are mine.
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Is there anyone in the forum that can suggest me how to cook this kind of Portuguese sausage?
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Started in on Rob's book tonight. Nice pictures, interesting philosophy. The bit about grapevines reminded me ever so much about my balcony. My grapevine has been growing ten or twenty years, planted by the birds. Never a grape, ever. Only recently did I learn that unlike European grapes, the native grapevines are sexual. This one is undoubtedly a boy. He provides lovely leaves and shade, and something for the tomatoes to hang onto.
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Jan. 12 Board of Supervisors Meeting Features 6 Presentations
Jan. 8, 2010
News Highlights
More Information
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., will make the following presentations to residents and county staff. For more information, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711. More information on the Jan. 12 meeting, including an agenda, can be found online.
Westfield High School
The Board of Supervisors will recognize the Westfield High School Golf Team for winning the 2009 Virginia AAA State Golf Championship.
Shawn Akard
The Board of Supervisors will recognize Shawn Akard for receiving the American Horticultural Society 2009 Annual Great American National Award for Youth and Children's Gardening. Akard created a magical garden with students at Hollin Meadow Elementary School that applies the Standards of Learning as students create and maintain Native Virginia Wildlife Habitats and working vegetable and fruit gardens.
Sydenstricker United Methodist Church
The Board of Supervisors will recognize Sydenstricker United Methodist Church for its 100th anniversary. The church started in a dance pavilion in 1909 and has grown to a six-building campus on Hoos Rd. in Springfield.
Mentoring Month
The Board of Supervisors will designate January 2010 as Mentoring Month in Fairfax County. Mentoring is a proven, effective strategy that matches a caring adult with a child to provide guidance and build confidence, stability and direction. Residents of the county are urged to volunteer as mentors and also promote awareness, involvement and support for the mentoring of all youth.
Year of Appreciation for Older Adults
The Board of Supervisors will designate 2010 as the Year of Appreciation for Older Adults in Fairfax County. Older adults contribute to their community in numerous ways as volunteers and models for younger generations on facing the realities and difficulties of natural aging with courage and equanimty.
Verdia Haywood, Ken Garnes and Jimmie Jenkins
The Board of Supervisors will recognize Verdia Haywood, Ken Garnes and Jimmie Jenkins for their years of service to Fairfax County.
- Haywood, a deputy county executive, led the Fairfax County human services system for more than 30 years.
- Garnes was the director of the Department of Administration for Human Services. In addition, he has served with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
Jenkins served more than 33 years in the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, most recently as its director.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


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Latino Film Festival Film Screening: Dos Hermanos
07.11.2012 7:00 pm
See a special screening of Dos Hermanos presented by the San Diego Latino Film Festivals, as part of their annual Jewish Latino Film Series. Marcos and Susana, both in their sixties, are brother and sister. Their lifestyles and temperments are completely different, but they feel obligated to mend their tatterted relationship due to the death of their mother.
For more information call 619-230-1938 x 102 / firstname.lastname@example.com or visit: www.sdlatinofilm.com
Read more about the film on MOPA's blog.
Purchase Tickets Online, here.
$12 General admission and $10 for Members


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A MAN who molested a five-year-old girl when he was drunk after a Christmas party has been jailed for two and a half years.
And Daniel Reid's solicitors have also been blasted for telling him his intoxicated state could be a defence to the charge.
As a result of their advice, the 29-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge meaning the youngster was told she would have to give evidence at Swindon Crown Court.
But just days before the trial was due to take place a new lawyer spotted the error and told him he had to admit what he had done.
Reid had been drinking heavily at the works do on Tuesday December 11, 2012, when he stayed over at the home of the little girl.
After going to bed he got up during the night, went into the child's room and got into her bed.
The youngster woke when he was there and he removed her pyjama bottoms and pants and indecently touched her.
He went back to where he was sleeping and in the morning the child told him what had happened during the night.
Chris Smyth, prosecuting, said although Reid told the girl's family what she had said, he insisted he could remember nothing because of his state.
When he was questioned by police he refused to answer their questions and pleaded not guilty when he first appeared before a judge.
But before a jury could be sworn in on the first morning of a trial Reid, formerly of Haydon Wick, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under 13.
Lauren Soertsz, defending, said her client was appalled at what he had done but said it had been an isolated incident.
"It was an aberration, clearly a criminal aberration as it has led to him being in the dock of court one at Swindon crown court," she said.
"He talks of his disgust at his behaviour. He is aware of the consequences. It was committed while he was drunk. The way he behaved towards the child is not indicative of the man he was and still is."
She said he should be entitled to full credit for pleading guilty as he had been given incorrect advice by his solicitor that being drunk was a defence.
"He went to a solicitor in order to obtain advice. The advice he was given, essentially, it was thought that this was a specific intent case and that therefore the defence of intoxication was available to him and he was given that advice.
"Against the background of a man who was disgusted that he could indulge in this type of behaviour, in being told that he had a defence that would go in some way to enable him to accept in someway what he had done and cling to."
She said a letter was also written to tell prosecutors that the young girl would not be cross examined, but it never arrived.
When she took over the case she said he explained he had no defence and a letter was written to the court by the solicitors explaining their mistakes.
Judge Douglas Field said: "I am going to sentence you on the basis that you are a man of hitherto good character and that this was an isolated incident and that you have shown considerable remorse.
"The effect on this little girl has been profound, the effect on her family has also been profound and it is all at your door. You are responsible."
He added: "Never in my career have I had a letter from a lawyer explaining I should be giving someone full credit because they haven't advised a client properly.
"It was made quite clear to you from your first appearance in court that the judicial view was you had no defence. I was expressing myself plainly at the ground rules hearing.
"I think it would be wrong for me to give you full credit on the basis that your lawyer gave your wrong advice. You had the choice of taking that advice."
He also told him he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.


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This would be the year when the global economy finally regained its vigor. At least that's what many had hoped.
It didn't happen.
The three largest economies - the United States, China and Japan - struggled again in 2012. The 17 countries that use the euro endured a third painful year in their financial crisis and slid into recession. Emerging economies slowed.
President Barack Obama defied predictions by sailing to re-election. And his landmark health care plan surprisingly survived Supreme Court review. Obama's re-election triggered a face-off with Republicans over averting the "fiscal cliff" - the drastic spending cuts and tax increases that were set to kick in Jan. 1.
The tech world dueled over smartphones and tablets and saw Facebook's IPO sour as fast as it had sizzled. The housing market inched toward recovery. And Americans suffered both a catastrophic drought and a catastrophic superstorm.
Here are the biggest business stories of the year:
1. The global economy
Worldwide growth was slack again in 2012. The global economy grew just 3.3 percent, down from 3.8 percent in 2011 and 5.1 percent in 2010, the International Monetary Fund estimates. The U.S. economy, the world's largest, failed to gain traction. Five years after a recession seized the economy and more than three years after it ended, growth in the United States was only about 2 percent. Unemployment remained a high 7.7 percent.
Europe fared worse. Its financial crisis did stabilize, thanks in part to the European Central Bank's plan to buy government bonds to help countries manage their debts. But the euro alliance sank into recession. Europeans, in turn, held back China, the world's No. 2 economy, by cutting back on Chinese goods. China's economy grew at a 7.4 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter.
2. Presidential election
Obama vaulted to a re-election victory over Mitt Romney, who had staked his bid on the weakest U.S. economic rebound since the Great Depression and had pledged to slash taxes. Unemployment under Obama topped 8 percent for 43 straight months.
Yet he won despite the highest unemployment rate of any president seeking re-election since World War II. Voters assigned him higher marks on the economy as the year progressed, perhaps encouraged by job gains.
3. Obama's health care law is upheld
The Supreme Court caught many by surprise when it backed the Obama administration's health care reform legislation in a 5-4 vote. The law requires Americans to buy insurance or pay a tax, while subsidizing the needy. Hospitals and health insurers will likely benefit from 30 million new customers. Medical device makers, though, will face a new sales tax. And some small businesses say the law will discourage hiring because it requires companies to provide health care once they employ more than 50.
4. The fiscal cliff
A dreaded package of tax increases and deep spending cuts to domestic and defense programs loomed over the economy in the year's final months. Negotiators struggled to forge a budget deal to avert those measures. If they failed, the tax increases and spending cuts would kick in Jan. 1. That threat was intended to be so chilling that it would force Congress and the White House to take the painful budgetary steps needed to avoid it.
5. Facebook's IPO
Years of anticipation led to Facebook's initial public offering of stock - the hottest Internet IPO since Google's in 2004. Many of the billion or so users of the world's largest online social network craved a chance to buy in early. On the eve of its first trading day, Facebook's market value was $104 billion - more than Amazon.com's or McDonald's at the time. Yet the IPO bombed.
6. Housing recovery
After a six-year slump that sent more than 4 million homes into foreclosure and shrank home prices about one-third nationwide, the U.S. housing market began to recover in midyear. Modest job gains and record-low mortgage rates fueled demand. And the supply of available homes sank. Housing boosted economic growth this year for the first time since 2005.
7. The return of big oil
Domestic crude oil production achieved its biggest one-year gain since 1951, driven by output in North Dakota and Texas. The United States is on pace to pass Saudi Arabia as the world's top oil producer within two years. Credit goes to drilling improvements, like those that have fed a boom in domestic natural- gas production - horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
8. Banks behaving badly
It was a banner year for bank drama. JPMorgan Chase lost $6 billion in a complex series of trades. And one of its bankers in London grew famous for big bets and became known as the "London whale." Morgan Stanley was accused of botching Facebook's IPO. An ex-banker trashed Goldman Sachs for putting profits ahead of customers and for mocking clients as "muppets."
9. Mother Nature
There wasn't enough rain in much of the nation. Then, suddenly there was much too much. The nation suffered its worst drought since the 1950s, covering 80 percent of U.S. farmland. Grain and food prices soared. Then a storm so destructive it was dubbed a "superstorm" walloped the Northeast.
10. Mobile-gadget wars
Competition in mobile technology intensified. Apple maintained its worldwide dominance. But the use of Google's Android software on competing smartphones and tablets spread faster than Apple's market share.


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Garden Of Eden's Baby Oil & Baby Soap
- Eco friendly ingredients
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Garden Of Eden's Baby Oil is a combination of 14 skin nourishing and protecting herbs and 9 plant oils which are formulated to create extreme moisture to the babies and children's skin, whilst helping combat skin problems.
Garden of Eden's Baby Soap, a mild soothing soap that is suitable for all skin types and conditions.
Some of our members have had the opportunity to try the Baby Oil and Baby Soap, here is what they thought of if:


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The Cart and the Horse
Amanda Marcotte makes note of a study that indicates religious homophobia is the primary force driving the young out of the church, with 60% quitting religion when they leave home. The claim, she concludes, that morality comes from religion is precisely backwards:
The church needs people in the pews to survive, and while those people are constantly told their role is to submit and obey, if they just decide they don't want to, the church is shown to be an emperor with no clothes. Thus, religion throughout history has had plenty of takebacks. The churches that used to preach segregation and white supremacy don't do so anymore, at least as openly. A lot of churches, especially more mainstream ones, are giving up on the argument that women are just support staff, and many are even letting them be ministers and priests. Either they get with the times on gay marriage, or they find their ability to exert power diminish. Since churches are about power, most of them will adjust over time. That's why they're freaking out now; they know what's coming.
While the "common wisdom" is that the church creates and maintains a moral code, the reality is that the chuch adapts the moral code of the majority in order to maintain the largest cohesive flock (for continual fleecing).
Religious doctrine is simply the encoding of popular morality, both the good, doing unto other an'at; and the stone evil, usually sanctifying existing hierarchies. As Amanda observes:
the historical purpose of religion is not to comfort but to control. Religion's primary function is, if you look at the whole of history, about creating rationales for unjust power hierarchies. Kings have used "god" as their excuse for absolute power, and religion is the primary reason that men in a diverse array of cultures over cite as the reason they should be the lords of their wives and daughters. Even liberal Christians are tied to the long history of power-grabbing through religion, using the language of submission and calling believers a "kingdom".
As humanity shakes off the various barbaric hierarchies of our past, religion has had to adopt. It gets dragged kicking and screaming into modernity. In the future, of course, religious adherents will highlight the work that some christians somewhere have probably done to advance gay rights and claim that christianity and its message of all encompassing love lead the way to a more perfect equality.
Most of us–the historically literate anyway–will call bullshit. We can cite the nearly infinite counter-examples where red faced douchebags stomped around waving the bible around and screaming about the evils of homosexuality.
Like the myths that the German catholic church opposed Hitler, or that American churches opposed slavery, only believers will, well, believe.
The timing of this article is interesting. Coming, as it does, the day after Barack Obama publicly supported gay marriage. Government is the other stone-aged human superstition that humanity has dragged along through the centuries. Very much like religion, it has always claimed to be a bringer of order in the midst of chaos.
Rest assured that, like future religious hagiographers, future historians will tell a convincing tale of how the government, with its commitment to civil liberties, boldly legislated marital freedom for everyone–in between pacifying the borders and protecting the world from terrorists. We're hearing the first draft of the story right now. The one your grandkids learn, should they fall into the hands of government schools, will be far more epic.
Which really is the only difference between the chuch and the state in this regard. I'd wager it's the only reason there are more atheists than anarchists: the state has 15,000 more hours to propagandize children than the church. The state's stories aren't remarkably more believable, and a few hours of research on a particular issue will reveal the nature of both church and state as reactionary anchors against human progress.


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Address 21025 Starflower Way
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A. Harrison Barnes is a well-known attorney throughout the United States. As a member of the Malibu community, Harrison is committed to serving the needs of Malibu residents and businesses in legal matters.


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This print Ideal Bookshelf 102: Cooking by Jane Mount on art site 20×200 caught our eye, and made us realize that we haven't had a good cookbook round up in a while…
She's curated a heavy-hitting list of winners and greats, but does Jane's vision reflect your ideal cookbook shelf? Are you as hooked on Thomas Keller and Jamie Oliver as she? Which titles are you loving that her shelf lacks?
We're planning future cookbook posts and choosing which we want to investigate more deeply, so we'd love your thoughts.
Let us know in the Comments below.
And if you like Jane's print as is, check out 20×200. The gist of the site — that art doesn't have to be expensive to be good — sounded pretty smart to us. They have a variety of cool, eclectic works for art lovers which start around $20, so you won't necessarily break the bank.
Cooking Channel Chefs in Jane's Print:
- Jamie Oliver: Jamie At Home
- Mark Bittman: The Minimalist
- Julia Child: The French Chef with Julia Child


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February 24, 2005
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
By JIM DOHERTY
Spring Green, Wis.
WHEN the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created a little more than four decades ago, the aim was to preserve, intact, what one of the original planners called a "completely undisturbed" cross-section of northeastern Alaska's spectacular mountains, rivers and tundra. Ever since, oil companies have been eager to tap the rich formations they believe lie under its ecologically fragile coastal plain. This spring, the struggle between conservationists and developers over the nearly 20-million-acre refuge promises to heat up as Congress considers an energy bill that would open it for exploration and drilling.
But aren't the creatures whose welfare the refuge is supposed to protect - all those grizzly bears, caribou, musk oxen and wolves - entitled to participate in the process, too? Don't they have a right to be heard? I started thinking about this one summer day a few years ago after a bush pilot deposited my wife and me with our backpacks on a bumpy meadow not far from the refuge's border with the Yukon Territory. We were making camp late one afternoon beside a fast-running stream where two valleys came together. Although it was mid-August, the barren peaks of the Brooks Range were already dusted with snow and the willows bunched up here and there along the stream had turned bright yellow.
I was boiling water for tea when I had the feeling I was being watched. Sure enough, we had company. A grizzly and her two burly youngsters were shambling toward us through the brush.
By then we had encountered a number of grizzlies. Each time they had fled. These were not so inclined. As they approached on all fours, the fur on their humps glowed with the fiery hues of the sunset behind them. When they stopped, we held our breath. They seemed perplexed, perhaps angry. Had they been planning to spend the night there? It would have appealed to them for the same reasons it did to us: good water, nice view.
Then they plodded off, settling down on a hillside a hundred yards away. Through binoculars, I watched the mother recline against a boulder. The cubs curled up beside her. All three peered intently in our direction.
Decisions, decisions. Should we risk cooking a meal? We decided against it. What to do with the food pack? I hid it under a pile of rocks nearby. It contained only enough provisions for breakfast; we had cached our main pack elsewhere.
It was the longest night of our lives. After the wind picked up, it was impossible for us to hear what was going on outside the tent. I lay awake pestered by second thoughts. We should have brought a guide. We should have brought a cellphone. We should have brought a gun.
Then I recalled a conversation I'd had the previous week in Fairbanks with Ave Thayer, a tall, taciturn outdoorsman who had been the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's first manager. Mr. Thayer frequently took solitary treks in the Alaskan wilds, unarmed and unafraid. When I asked why he didn't pack a pistol or rifle to guard against bears, he said that he was better off without one. People who carry firearms, he explained, are apt to feel overconfident and behave in an incautious manner that bears may perceive as threatening.
Mulling Mr. Thayer's point over in my tent, I concluded that, if he was right, grizzlies must have a kind of sixth sense that enables them to divine human intentions, and react accordingly. In which case, I reasoned, my wife and I were safe because, as any bear could tell, we meant no harm and were scared half to death. Thus reassured, I fell asleep.
In the morning, our neighbors were gone. So, it turned out, was our food pack - a small matter. The important thing was, we were still there. The creatures had given us the once-over and left us alone. Unwilling to push our luck, we broke camp, moved on to other adventures and then returned home to regale family and friends with our story about sleeping with bears. But it's more than a story. It's a blueprint for giving the refuge's wildlife a vote on oil production there.
Call it the grizzly test. Require all would-be developers to take it. If you want to drill for oil in the refuge, first you have to spend a couple of weeks roughing it there. No guns, no phones, no guides. Just you and the bears. Let them look into your heart. If they're reassured by what they see, you pass; if they feel threatened, well, according to Ave Thayer, there are worse ways to go.
Those who survive the grizzly test earn the right to submit their drilling proposals to Congress. But who knows? Perhaps a solitary stint in the refuge is enough to make even the most avaricious developers think twice. Once they've discovered for themselves how magnificent the refuge is; once they've watched caribou lope across the tundra, listened to wolves howl, beheld the mesmerizing effects of light and shadow on limestone mountains riddled with caves and turreted with hoodoos - once, in short, they understand why so many folks consider the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge sacred ground, they might undergo a change of heart and decide to leave it the way it is. Which is to say, undisturbed.
Jim Doherty is a former editor at Smithsonian magazine.
The answer to my quandry lay close at hand ; after consulting the AHD , I discovered, to my surprise, that this noun has a fourth sense - one unconnected, at least on the surface (but who really knows ?) with that old black magic that somebody or other weaves so well. But let the AHD's entry speak for itself :
hoo·doo [ ... ]
n. pl. hoo·doos
1. a. Magic healing and control, especially in African-based folk medicine in the United States and the Caribbean. Also called conjure. b. A practitioner of hoodoo.
2. Voodoo.
3. a. Bad luck. b. One that brings bad luck.
4. Geology A column of eccentrically shaped rock, produced by differential weathering.
tr.v. hoo·dooed, hoo·doo·ing, hoo·doos
1. To practice hoodoo on; affect with a charm or curse.
2. To bring bad luck to.
[ Of West African origin, possibly from voodoo.]
活到老, 學到老 !


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Fossil-Starck watch
Simple layout with striking aesthetic, without a lot of the business of the other stark watches and taking cues from a variety of designers with the layout, Phillipe Stark manages a very bold watch with a high contrast display
I'd like to congratulate Fossil for recognizing the #1 school in the country! It's Trojan time!!!Tags: accessories, watches, mens, silver, red, wrist watch, time pieces, USC, men's giftsAdded 9 Years Ago from Fossil


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Demand for land, but not in MelbourneSimon Johanson
Published: November 26 2012 - 3:00AM
DEMAND for residential land is set to rise around the country, but not in Melbourne or Adelaide, a respected forecaster says.
And despite tough conditions in the construction sector, work is expected to pick up next year, according to quantity surveyors.
Low interest rates and home shortages will underpin residential land sales in Sydney, Perth and south-east Queensland in coming years, according to BIS Shrapnel's Outlook for Residential Land, 2012 to 2017.
''The recent protracted weakness in the Sydney, Perth and Brisbane markets - and to a lesser extent the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast - has created the conditions for an upturn,'' it says.
Lending for new homes and to first-time buyers was on the rise in the resource states Western Australia and Queensland.
''Although the data is being muddied a little in New South Wales by changes to first home buyer incentives, activity there also appears to be trending upwards,'' the report's author Angie Zigomanis said.
"The rise in loans for new dwellings, although modest so far, suggests that a recovery in demand for new houses and land is beginning to emerge in these states."
But any improvement may be some way off.
New home sales posted their third consecutive monthly decline in September, sinking by 3.7 per cent.
And despite the Reserve Bank's 150 basis points cut to official interest rates since November 2011, capital city home prices fell in October after four months of gains.
A survey of members of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors supports a turnaround in construction next year.
"Although 2012 has proven to be a tough year, our members are forecasting an increase in escalation [of activity] of between 1 to 2 per cent for 2013,'' the institute's chief executive, Michael Manikas, said.
Resource sector activity is high in Queensland, WA and South Australia, while NSW is seeing the highest activity in the residential sector, Mr Manikas said.
BIS Shrapnel said any upturn in Sydney, Perth and south-east Queensland would be slow.
''Concerns about the outlook for the local and world economy, as well as employment prospects, are expected to make potential new house buyers hesitant.''
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/business/demand-for-land-but-not-in-melbourne-20121125-2a1gg.html


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Commission on the Status of Women: Statement by Ambassador Thoms on "Review of the implementation of the Beijing Programme of Action and the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly"
"Madam Chair,
I congratulate you on your appointment as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.
2015 – the final year of the Millennium Development Goals – is approaching quickly. This is both an incentive and a challenge! We can demonstrate and build on remarkable progress - for example significantly lower poverty rates. But we have less than two years left to fulfill our commitments and several goals, especially for women and girls, will not be achieved in time.
Madam Chair,
Germanyis strongly committed to the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, to poverty reduction and to inclusive and sustainable development.
We believe that gender equality, women's empowerment and the promotion of the rights of all women and girls are a universal priority and should therefore be integral to all our efforts.
Madam Chair,
"Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal power for women and men" is a key principle of our policies.
Let me assure you that we still have a lot of work to do, as gender equality is not yet a reality in Germany! Gender-based discrimination and inequality also occur in my country.
The first report on gender equality in Germany 2011 shows clearly that women still have limited economic opportunities and less decision-making power in public and private spheres than men. The gender pay gap is another example.
The Federal Government of Germany will therefore remain highly committed to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men, as well as for girls and boys. Domestically we will introduce a quota to improve the representation of women on executive boards of companies. We will also enhance our policies and services which facilitate the compatibility of women's professional and private lives. We know that the freedom of our society depends on how equally men and women work and live.
At the international level, German development cooperation will continue to support the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in partnership with governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.
We will put a special focus on the enforcement of women's and girls' human rights. We will also continue to address gender-specific discrimination which has been overlooked by the current MDG framework including the role of women as active agents in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts and conflict management, violence against women and girls, access to and control over productive resources, as well as gender-specific challenges of climate change.
Madam Chair,
Germany is convinced that ending gender-based discrimination and inequality is not only an important development goal in itself, but it will also significantly contribute to poverty reduction, improved livelihoods, food security and a more inclusive and sustainable development.
Therefore, Germany would like to underline the importance of sending strong signals which emphasize our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in general and for the empowerment of women and girls in particular. We hope that we are united in striving to first and foremost achieve the Millennium Development Goals, before focusing our attention on designing a new development framework.
Nonetheless, we all know that consultations and actions are well under way to define a new development agenda. Germany fully agrees with the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, of which Germany's former Federal President Horst Köhler was a member, that business-as-usual is not an option anymore. We cannot leave anyone behind!
We are strongly committed to designing an ambitious and transformative, human rights-based, as well as impact-oriented post-2015 agenda.
We will therefore support UN Women in advocating a process which reflects gender equality, the empowerment of women, and the enforcement of women's and girl's rights as a goal in itself.
In addition, we will stand up for systematic and comprehensive gender mainstreaming across all other goals, both through specific targets and by applying indicators, which are disaggregated by gender.
We will support a post-2015 agenda which focuses on:
- the promotion of women's voice, leadership, and participation at all levels
- the promotion of women's economic opportunities and their equal access to services and resources,
- the prevention and eradication of violence against women and girls and
- the strengthening of women's and girl's human rights through laws, regulations and policies.
Madam Chair,
Germany is convinced that achieving gender equality and women's and girls' full enjoyment of all human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, is more than just a slogan. It requires political will, resources, as well as specific and concrete actions not only for women and girls but especially withthem. With all their potential, knowledge, and experience, women are drivers of social and economic development!
Therefore, Germany remains committed to ensuring that their voices, especially the voices of those facing multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion, are heard, that their participation and leadership is acknowledged, and that their opportunities are increased.
I thank you."


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Cassidy Jewelry
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We've partnered with Roadtrippers to provide a great way to plan a trip around Oregon. So start planning your next road trip to here, there or pretty much anywhere in Oregon.
Combining the tastes of two very different sisters, they have captured almost every jewelry style. Vintage pearls, hand-forged telescopes, and affordable chains, hoops and rings abound.
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So you grew up running with your siblings?
Yes, and my siblings and parents were better runners than I was. My mom and dad were marathoners, and one of my sisters is a marathoner. Dad ran Boston a couple times, Mom would win her age group or at least get a ribbon in the big races, and I would just try to keep up.
Sounds like your skills were more suited to basketball?
Well, I appreciated the fact that in running I needed guts more than anything. I could do fine just being really determined. I was thankful that I didn't need a whole lot of skills to run.
And running was your first athletic activity, even before basketball?
Yes. My parents instilled in us that fitness and running were going to be a part of our lives growing up. My siblings and I are all still very active. A lot of days I look forward to getting out to run and think and plan.
Was there ever a period when you didn't run?
Only when I was too pregnant to run. During each of my five pregnancies, I worked out until right before the babies were born. A few summers ago I trained hard and ran a sub-four-hour marathon [2005 Humpy's Marathon in Anchorage]. That was a pretty intense summer of running. There have been other periods where I haven't had the time to get out there and run as hard, so it's waned on and off over the years.
If you go a day or a week without running, what do you learn about yourself?
I feel so crappy if I go more than a few days without running. I have to run. No matter how rotten I feel before or during a run, it's always worth it to me afterwards. Sweat is my sanity. A great frustration I had during the campaign was when the McCain staff wouldn't carve out time for me to go for a run. The days never went as well if I couldn't get out there and sweat.
Did you raise that issue, and put the ultimatum down that you needed to run?
Absolutely, and they would say, "Yes, in a couple of days we're going to start carving out that half-hour or hour to run," and too often it never happened, and that was frustrating. But then it also made it sweeter when I did get out. I would run with the Secret Service and Todd [Palin's husband], if he was on the trail, and it was just such an amazing thing to be running in so many states and communities with such different things to see and experience. But it should have happened more often.
Tell me about a memorable run during the campaign that really stands out.
Oh, my gosh, the one that really stands out I'm embarrassed to death to repeat. I went for a run at John McCain's ranch a couple of days before the debate with Joe Biden. My favorite thing in the world is to run on hot, dusty roads. I don't get enough of that in Alaska, so I was in heaven. And there were plenty of hills, so I knew my thighs were going to just throb and my lungs were going to burn, and that's what I crave.
I like running alone, and having the Secret Service with me added a little bit of pressure. I'm thinking I gotta have good form and can't be hyperventilating and can't be showing too much pain, and that adds a little more pressure on you as you're trying to be out there enjoying your run. Then I fell coming down a hill and was so stinkin' embarrassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me. My hands just got torn up and I was dripping blood. In the debate you could see a big fat ugly Band-Aid on my right hand. I have a nice war wound now as a reminder of that fall in the palm of my right hand. For much of the campaign, shaking hands was a little bit painful.
I don't remember news reports about it.
Heck no! I made those guys swear to secrecy. And I probably should have gotten a couple stitches. But I was insisting with these guys, "Absolutely not, let's just wash it out." I appreciated how much care they took to help me out. So anyway, I have a little scar on my hand, and I've seen a couple of pictures from the debate or of me waving to someone on the campaign trail with that Band-Aid and I think, nobody else knows about it.
So the Secret Service guys kept silent?
They did! And I have this great respect for them that they've kept silent all these months later.
Tell me about running in Alaska.
It's so cool to go out on a summer night at 10 or 11 o'clock with the sun still shining and the beauty of Alaska right there at my feet. Winter isn't as much fun, but even when it's 20 or 30 below and pitch black, I still try to get out. I just put on tons of layers and bigger shoes so I can wear two pairs of wool socks. There are runners all over our state. I'm just one of hundreds of thousands out there getting that good clean Alaskan air whether it's 20 below or 60 with the sun shining at midnight.
What was your coldest run?
Would have to have been when I traveled to Fairbanks for hockey games and tournaments all through [eldest son] Track's childhood. I'd get out and run while he was at practice or there was a game. Those had to be 20 or 30 below.
How do you prepare for a run when it's that cold?
After all these years you know what to wear. Just covering all the exposed skin on your face, we're used to doing that anyway when going outdoors in Alaska. My husband's a snow machine racer, and they live by duct tape covering every exposed portion of skin. We do the same thing while running, not with duct tape like the snow machine racers, but with different fleece, different layers to cover every exposed part. To me it's not as much fun because you have to concentrate on your footing and you have the cold conditions to worry about. That's why anytime I travel or it's summertime in Alaska, I capitalize on any opportunity to run because it's so freeing.
Even still you try to get in a run every day, even in Fairbanks?
I wish it were every day. I don't like to go more than a few days without running, but yeah. And when I travel outside of Alaska, everybody knows, whoever's traveling with me, that no matter what, I'm going to find that time to run. I don't like running early in the morning, although I'll do it if I have to. Taking a lunch-hour run works for me logistically as a mom. Getting out after work means being away from my kids for another hour, which makes me feel guilty.
Do you ever run on a treadmill?
I do, and I don't like to. I have one in my garage at home, and I do the treadmill when I must. What I need to get is an elliptical. I enjoy it more than the treadmill, and it's easier on my knees.
Any shoe preference?
I'm into Asics right now. I was into Nikes forever because the way the shoes fit was so predictable. But then a friend of mine put me in a pair of Asics—Gel something, I don't remember what they're called—and I loved them.
Ever been attacked by an animal out in the wilds of Alaska?
Never been attacked, but one time I walked into a mama black bear and her cubs in a tree by the governor's house. On the routes I run in Wasilla and Anchorage, I see moose all the time. I've just learned to leave them alone.
Do you wear jingle bells or is that just a tourist thing?
[Laughs] You know it can't be just a tourist thing because my parents wore the bells when they did trail runs years ago, and they're the furthest thing from a tourist you'll ever encounter in Alaska. I've never worn them. I get spooked once in awhile when I'm running a trail and I hear a rustling in the woods, but it just makes me run faster and get the heck out of there. What kind of scenery do you like running by there in Alaska? Is there a particular mountain or glacier that stands out?
Oh my gosh, here in Juneau there's a beautiful route you can run right along Mendenhall Glacier. You see it right there. In Anchorage we have a coastal trail that takes you along Cook Inlet. You can see the largest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, and active volcanoes on the horizon. You can see whales out in the water. It's absolutely heaven. I see God's hand all over this place. As I get out there and run, I see the most beautiful signs of this evolutionary process that has created the mountains and the glacial retreats that have left the valleys and the rivers
You pretty much prefer to run alone?
I do, I do.
And why's that?
I don't like to talk while I'm running. It's the only time I really am alone, so it's a precious time. If I do a race with friends, they know I'm not going to run alongside them, but it's fun to start and finish together. Running with [1-year-old son] Trig in the baby jogger is nice since I don't have to say anything. He likes to hear me sing.
But the most precious experience I've had running was a few summers ago when I was training for a marathon and my son Track—and I named him Track for running—would drive out in front of me and plant water bottles along the route. I felt so spoiled, like the queen of the running world to have a kid who was all cool with his pickup truck, dropping off water for me on my long runs. And he'd put a note on the bottles, saying, "Love you, Mom" and "Run hard, Mom." It was just the most precious summer of my life to have that and then to cap it off with an all-time marathon best [3:59:36]. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world.
What did your parents teach you about running?
They taught me self-discipline and goal setting. The self-discipline it took for my dad to train for and qualify for Boston, eating healthy and getting up in those Alaskan morning conditions where it would be 20 below. To see that example of what it takes to accomplish a goal, the determination it took, taught me so much. He used to tell us to call on the rock during a race when we were hurting and we were tired and wanted to quit. He always told us to articulate what it is we've trained for, what it is we're prepared for, and hold onto it when it hurts so bad in a race. We all have a different rock, but Dad inspired us with the knowledge that we could reach down deep and get strength from it. And that's not just a lesson when you're out there dying on the 23rd mile of a marathon but one for getting through daily life. Sometimes you've got to call upon your rock to get through the tough times.
And so what's your rock?
First and foremost, like my Mom's inspiration has always been, I have my faith in God. Then I have all the preparation, so I know I can get through it. It's kind of like I've been there before and the best part of the rock I can call upon is the preparation that allows me to know that I can get through it. Looking back, I'm really thankful for all my less-than-pleasant running experiences because I learned through each one, and I can put it all to good use being the CEO of a state full of diverse views and personalities and issues. My social fabric was forged through running. We like to be active and outdoors with friends and family, whether it's running or skiing or snow machining. We live on a lake, so it's awesome to play in the water in the summertime and to build an ice rink in the wintertime. We like to have other people participate in these activities with us because, as Plato said, "You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Todd has had businesses all these years, and he's brought potential employees with him out on snow-machine rides and up to our cabin so he could see what they're made of. So we've put that love of sports into how we run our businesses, and that's worked well, too.
So are you one to invite political friends or foes out for a run or a game of basketball?
Yes, mostly, though, with my kids. When my three teenagers have their friends over, we play one-on-one or H-O-R-S-E and I like to see if they're going to whine and hack and cuss and foul or if they're going to be out there having a good time and working hard.
In terms of wanting to get out there with political friends, I used to joke around with John McCain during the campaign about coming jogging with me. And once I asked him what his favorite exercise was, and he said, 'I go wading.' Wading. He lives on a creek in Arizona, so he goes wading. That cracked me up.
So he didn't take you up on your offer to run together?
No, but we still want to get him up to Alaska to take him skiing or snow machining. He'd have a blast doing that.
Have you run with other famous people or politicians?
I have not because I usually sneak out to go running, or if someone offers I usually shoot straight with them and say, "I gotta go run by myself, I'm sorry." What has running taught you about politics?
Same thing it's taught me about life: You have to have determination and set goals, and you don't complain when something's hurting because no one wants to hear it. You get bummed and burned out sometimes in running and in politics, but if you're in for the long haul and you're in it because you know that it is a good thing, then you get out there and you do it anyway. You know, [former RW columnist] George Sheehan really could articulate what running means in terms of applicability to life. During the campaign, when people asked me about my favorite authors, I said C.S. Lewis, John Steinbeck, and Dr. George Sheehan, and people would look at me, these reporters, like, "Who in the world is that?" But his books and columns so inspired me 10, 15, 20 years ago, and still do. I remember what he wrote about applying the lessons of running to relationships and families and businesses and, in my case, running a state. He was a brilliant man.
Can you think of some specific passages you remember or lessons learned from his work?
I remember reading one of his columns about the beauty of where he was running that day. And I thought how lucky I am to be in a place that has these protections of our environment and that has stuck with me ever since—to not take for granted that Alaska has such beauty to offer.
If the campaign had turned out differently, you would have been in Washington D.C. much of the time. Was there a part of you that was a little reluctant to leave behind the landscape of Alaska for four or eight years?
Alaska would be hard to give up because it is such a part of who I am. So much of my life revolves around the great outdoors that that would be kind of tough. But on the other hand, I think of being in D.C. and in a position to promote physical fitness and the benefits of making good decisions healthwise and being an example to others, and I know that could do some good for our country.
Favorite running movie?
"Chariots of Fire," of course, is absolutely beautiful. My favorite movies are sports movies, "Hoosiers," "Rudy". They both were about the underdog working hard and being successful because preparation met opportunity at the right time. I love those movies.
The day you were picked for to be the vice-presidential candidate must have been quite world-shaking. Did you feel like running or did you go running that day?
I had gone running earlier that day, and when I got the call from the McCain campaign, I was at the Alaska State Fair walking with my kids. And, yeah, those earth-shattering times of life for runners, isn't it funny that going for a run is one of the first things we think of doing? For me it's like, right on. I like to go celebrate by taking a long, hot run.
So running is celebratory when good things happen in your life?
In May, Todd asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. I said, "Give me an hour for my run and I'll be happy."
What's your thing with liking heat so much? It's a little contrary to being such a devoted Alaskan.
I don't know. I'm always running about 10 degrees colder than everyone around me; I'm always cranking up the heat. I think because we do have so many cold days here, it's such a luxury and a pleasure to go somewhere warm. I think you guys who get a lot of warm weather take it for granted and you shouldn't. I thought that was a great part of the campaign—we'd be out there at events or up there on stage just sweatin' like pigs, and I loved it.
When you run, what do you imagine you look like to passersby?
When I run, I'm totally incognito because I'm not wearing the trough full of makeup. I can go running through a mob of tourists and they don't recognize me.
So you're almost another person because you look so different and people don't recognize you as the person you are the other 23 hours of the day?
Yes, without my makeup on. What I've been doing lately is bringing Piper—she just turned eight, and she's really starting to get into running. We do a goal-setting thing where we pick a spot on the road up ahead and that's our goal, then we set another goal. It's been a blast bringing Piper into this these last couple of months.
Has running gotten harder as you've gotten older?
For me it's getting harder just because my life is much busier. But physically I go through stages of having some bum knees and then the knees will heal up if I ratchet back a bit on the miles and maybe do the elliptical for a few weeks. I have a really bum ankle from a high school basketball injury. It still swells and gives me some grief, and the older I get, the worse it feels. I don't know if I attribute it to age or having five kids. That takes a little bit of a toll on one's body, too. Have you kept running through your pregnancies?
Um-huh, I do. But like with this last one with Trig, I was pregnant with him in the wintertime, so I didn't run as much. But I still went to the gym and did the elliptical and lifted and did a couple different classes. With each of the kids, I worked out until they were born.
How long after giving birth before you're running again?
It wasn't like the very next week, it would be weeks. With Trig, it was relatively soon because I felt so good throughout the pregnancy and so great recovering, it was just a couple of weeks later and I was running again.
What's the funniest thing that happened on a run?
In Anchorage on the coastal trail there have been many times where I've had to stop right in my tracks and turn around because there's been either a moose standing there staring at me or a moose's butt plopping on over into the trail. I have to turn around and leave, or I'm going to get clobbered.
Is running nonpartisan?
Oh, thank God, it's nonpartisan. It doesn't matter your background, your demographics, your race, your political affiliation—it's such a uniting, healthy, fun, awesome activity. It cracks me up going to some running event and seeing some dude who campaigned so hard against me, or a lady who's been blogging some mean comments about me. But we're all there together and we're smiling and we're having a good time because we're going to do something healthy and active. We need more of that. That's what sports are able to do. It's a wonderful kind of diversion from the divisiveness that is politics or that is life. And my parents, they've got so many friends from so many different political bents because of all their years participating in races and organizing races. I was lucky enough to have been brought up in that atmosphere where I see the value in that.
Our president, I'm told, is a runner. Would you ever run with him?
I would, absolutely. I would and people have asked if I'd ever challenge him to one-on-one because we both love basketball. But look, he towers over me and I wouldn't be complaining about an unfair advantage there, but maybe I'd do better playing H-O-R-S-E with him than one-on-one.
What about in a race? Could you beat the president?
I betcha I'd have more endurance. My one claim to fame in my own little internal running circle is a sub-four marathon. It wasn't necessarily a good running time, but it proves I have the endurance within me to at least gut it out and that is something. If you ever talk to my old coaches, they'd tell you, too. What I lacked in physical strength or skill I made up for in determination and endurance. So if it were a long race that required a lot of endurance, I'd win.
In Alaska or D.C.?
I'd like him to come to Alaska so he can see the beauty of this 49th state.
Do you listen to music during your runs?
I go through cycles there, too. Right now I'm not listening to anything, but probably in a month or two I'll start craving music. That's the way it's been for 35 years. Parts of the year I want to listen to something, parts of the year I don't. When I do listen, I crank up old Van Halen, old AC/DC. I have a nice routine: I kick off my runs with the old Van Halen and AC/DC, then I get into my country music, then I always wrap it up with a couple of mellow Amy Grant songs.
You program the music into your iPod?
Yes, I finally stopped carrying around the clunky CD player. The kids finally convinced me, not only was it not cool, but it also wasn't practical.
Is there anything else the world should know about you as a runner?
The only other thing I'd like to add is I've been very fortunate to be a recipient of all the efforts people put into Title IX all those years ago where girls got equal opportunity to participate in sports and extracurricular activities because sports growing up were my world. I'm so thankful for Title IX allowing equal access to these opportunities, and I'm a huge proponent of girls being able to realize what they're made of by participating in sports, and whatever I can do there I'm going to be doing.


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About the author: Lauren Weisenthal has logged many hours working in restaurant kitchens and bakeries of Brooklyn and Manhattan. She is a graduate of the Artisan Bread Baking and Pastry Arts programs at the French Culinary Institute and holds a CS Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. You can follow her on Twitter at @evillagekitchen.


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In yesterday's column I discussed some of the arguments for and against additional monetary stimulus. On balance, I'm for it–and I wouldn't bet against it happening in the next month or two. The August 9th FOMC minutes released today confirm what we already knew: since QE2 ended in June, the Fed has learned that the recovery is slower and more fragile than it previously thought, and that inflationary pressures have eased. There you have it: what else does the Fed need to know before it embarks on QE3?
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