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Drivers with Poor Credit Pay 91% More for Car Insurance than Drivers with Excellent Credit
SAN FRANCISCO--Oct. 24, 2013: Drivers with poor credit-based insurance scores pay almost twice as much for car insurance (91% more) than drivers with excellent scores, according to a new insuranceQuotes.com report. Drivers with median credit pay 24% more than those with excellent credit.
Credit is one of many factors that insurance companies use to evaluate risk and calculate premiums. Other examples include driving records, age, gender and past claims. Rather than FICO credit scores (which are commonly used by mortgage lenders, among others), insurance companies generally use a proprietary scoring model.
Insurance scores, like credit scores, are calculated using information in credit reports (including late payments, credit card balances and credit inquiries). However, they're used to predict the likelihood of a future insurance loss, instead of a consumer's creditworthiness.
"Considering all of the factors that go into car insurance rates, credit is actually one of the easiest to control," according to Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst, insuranceQuotes.com. "Responsible habits, such as paying your bills on time and minimizing debt, pay off in many ways, including paying less for car insurance. Consumers should monitor their credit reports at least once per year, get errors corrected and notify property insurers about positive changes. This could lead to hundreds of dollars in annual savings."
Three states (California, Massachusetts and Hawaii) prohibit the use of insurance scores in setting car insurance rates.
Click here for more information:
Credit Scores and Car Insurance
insuranceQuotes.com also released a free resource that educates consumers regarding credit-based insurance scores and explains how consumers can improve their scores and ultimately lower their insurance costs. The document answers key questions such as:
What is a credit-based insurance score? Why do insurers use credit-based insurance scores? What is the difference between a credit-based insurance score and a credit score? What factors affect a credit-based insurance score? 10 tips to improve your credit-based insurance score How to obtain free credit reports and insurance quotes
The free resource is available here:
insuranceQuotes.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to examine how credit affects car insurance premiums. Quadrant calculated rates using data from six large carriers in all 50 states. Assumptions included policy limits of $100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage.


text: The River Side Hotel is part of a modern recreation and entertainment complex located in a quiet and cozy area of Kaliningrad. The complex is set within enclosed landscaped territory not far from the compact historical quarter. A drive from the central square will take 10 minutes; from the airport - half an hour. Accommodation is available in 23 rooms of various categories. All rooms have TVs; telephones; bathrooms and Wi-Fi Internet access. The River Side Hotel facilities and services include - bath complex with two baths; sauna; swimming pool and massage room; cafe with European cuisine; childrens playground and pool; parking and laundry and dry-cleaning services. Summer terraces; swimming pools and water rides are open during the warm season.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mr. Elephant Shredder and Sharpener
This friendly little fella will not only sharpen your pencils, but also shred your receipts and scrap paper - all while looking completely adorable! Four suction cups will keep your new buddy firmly in place while he does your dirty work, until it's time to clean him out; simply lift open the top! No batteries required.
With this nifty day planner, you can not only keep track of all of your appointments, hot dates and star appearances, but also have fun writing quirky lists!
I love this little pink cat! Be done with staple refills forever! This staple-free kitten stitches paper together like magic, and looks super cute doing it. Gifting-ready, in a cute box with instructions!


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DETROIT - Wading into the inner workings of Wayne County is like Chinese water torture. It's a slow steady drip, drip, drip of financial trouble.
With every drop of water the point is also driven painfully home that unless something major changes soon an emergency manager will be in the Guardian Building.
Wayne County, much like its next door neighbor the City of Detroit, is incapable of staying within its budget, and is uninterested in doing the requisite cutting that would stave off emergency management.
That was the conclusion that came out of today's audit committee meeting inside the Guardian towers. The committee spent quite a bit of time lamenting the fact County Executive Bob Ficano and Sheriff Benny Napoleon essentially ignore the newly rebuilt and approved County Benefit Enrolled Ordinance. That requires "the County of Wayne shall not provide a benefit to an elected official, employee or contractor without prior approval, by a majority vote, of the Wayne County Commission."
Auditor General Willie Mayo wrote in his audit report discussed at the meeting today: "Our office finds it difficult to understand how the County Benefit Enrolled Ordinance can be passed by a majority of the commissioners and the administration can elect not to follow Ordinance 2012-096."
The commissioners and Mayo made it abundantly clear in their discussions today the County Executive and the Sheriff have decided they can hire and fire at will and don't need anyone's approval. They apparently also do not feel it necessary to work especially hard on cutting budgets, costs or employees. Mayo started a discussion on something in municipal finance called a "fringe factor."
That is what is paid to an employee beyond regular pay.
Mayo reported in his audit: "We determined from budgeted information for Fiscal Year 2014, the percentage of benefits provided to county employees were as follows: hospitalization (44%); retirement (40%); (9%) payroll taxes and others. These calculations represent the 93% fringe factors being paid for each dollar in wages paid by Wayne County."
Translation: for every dollar paid a Wayne County employee, the county also pays 93 cents more in legacy costs. To put that into a proper perspective, municipal finance experts I have spoken with say a good number would be 30 cents. Bankrupt Detroit is somewhere between 60 and 70 cents. Mayo pleaded with the audit committee to consider pressing the Sheriff and the Executive for cost cutting alternatives like changing the pension to a defined contribution plan [like a 401k], privatizing the jail and others. He calls this kind of benefits load unsustainable and will surely bring in an emergency manager without dramatic and swift change.
Now one might say, and the County Executive usually does when you ask him about such things, that this is only one audit report that is overstating the problem. Well let's do some math here. In just the past few months we have chronicled here on this blog the following: Sheriff's Department car and transport vehicles have had their BP gasoline credit cards turned off twice this year for lack of payment. They remain that way tonight. The vehicles have to drive a half hour from downtown out near the airport to a Wayne County maintenance yard to gas up and drive back. It's coming from the maintenance budget. It's not bad enough the sheriff's office can't pay its bills; the fix is more expensive than the original problem.
We showed you how the auditor general wants the Sheriff to do everything he can to reduce the million and a half dollar a month overtime budget at the jail including cancelling a contract with the Wayne County Community College larded down with appointees doing "community outreach" for the Sheriff's Office along with several deputies who do campus patrols. Mayo said they are better used in the jail. Napoleon convinced the Wayne County Commission to approve that contract instead.
The auditor general is looking into the Sheriff Department's tether program. Tethers are what inmates released inmates from the overcrowded jail wear so the county can keep track of them by GPS technology. We showed you the Lieutenant in charge of deciding which vendor to use for that program getting flown to Denver for a golf outing on county time by the very vendor he had already chosen on a million dollar contract. [That vendor wanted in on another contract]. The tether program has four vendors on the contract, and each has a capped limit of how much it can be paid. The Sheriff is openly continuing to use Michigan Tether equipment, to the exclusion of the others in open violation of the contract. Willie Mayo is looking into all of this.
We showed you the Wayne County Jail Commissary program. It's a small store inside all three of Wayne's Jails that sell sundries and snacks to inmates. The store and its pay phones bring in two million dollars a year. That money is supposed to be funneled to inmates to help them get GED's and fund other programs. A Mayo audit there showed there are no financial or inventory controls of any kind, Sheriff's deputies are buying things with cash when it uses only an electronic payment system, there is no accounting of that cash, and no one knows how much money is coming in, going out or whether anything is being stolen.
Mayo also noted the Sheriff and Bob Ficano put appointees on the oversight committee watching the commissary; the jail director and his chief financial officer. Mayo declared it was a conflict of interest considering they were the ones who set up a store that could easily be pilfered from and were the ones voting on whether to keep the operation going that way. Mayo also pointed out the Sheriff was buying non inmate related items like computers for the tether program, floor washing machinery and paying employees out of that commissary money when the law states it could not be.
Of course Bob Ficano is no shrinking violet. The albatross around his neck this week is the failed new Wayne County jail project that went roughly $100 million over its budget. That was discovered after $120 million went into the ground and the half built jail project will have to be torn down and moved out to a vacant state prison on Detroit's east side. We still do not know who is criminally liable for that disaster and prosecutor Kym Worthy is withholding an audit report that would tell us who to blame for that boondoggle. And by the way Wayne County's pension fund is 50% underfunded. You get the idea.
Now we in Metro Detroit are well aware of the emergency management process. It's driven by the Treasurer and the Governor in Lansing so politics play an important part. There are trip wires that have to be tripped before a financial emergency is declared. Included on that list is missed pay days or bond payments. Must I mention that Detroit did neither of those and wound up in bankruptcy? Wayne County has been working with the Treasurer's office on a deficit reduction plan that would buy some time and keep an emergency manager away for at least a little while. The county continues to struggle with finding a plan the Treasurer can live with. Do not think for a minute they are not aware of these numbers in Lansing.
They are watching closely and are probably not at all anxious to pull the EM trigger anytime soon. But it is clear with each passing day the possibility grows larger.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Some of you may not know, but in high school I was known as the girl with rainbow hair. About every couple months or so, I would dye my hair a completely different color, wowing my classmates the following Monday morning with a brand new, fluorescent-colored hairdo that frankly, felt more "normal" to me than your standard normal-hair colors.
Dyeing my hair felt like one of the few ways I could safely express myself and stand out from the crowd, aside from wearing costume-y clothes and just being a total self-proclaimed weirdo 🙂 While everyone else was getting highlights, I was also highlighting my hair — but only so I could slap on some hot pink hair dye on top of it!
If you've ever dyed your hair or have gone to a salon to do so, chances are you've been exposed to bleach. Typically, bleach is pretty bad for your hair – it strips your hair of its natural color and lightens it to a lighter, often whiter color. In order to get highlights, bleach is used. In order to have rainbow hair, bleach is definitely used! And with the crazy-amount of bleaching I did on my hair, you would think my hair would be virtually nonexistent.
One of the ways I protected my vibrant, rainbow hair was by using the right bleach to get it that way: Jolen! Jolen Creme Bleach has been around since 1964, aiding women in safely and effectively lightening their unwanted facial or body hair with their special bleach formula…and it's now the #1 selling bleach in the world! And now, 50 years later, it's still one of the top bleaches because it works! And after being recommended to me by another dye-hard friend named Geena (hi Geena!) I was hooked on Jolen and never looked back to the harsher bleaches on the market.
Jolen would effectively lighten my hair in a simple one-step process so I could get the newest, craziest colors I desired without a stretched-out waiting time. My hair would pale to a light blonde – light enough to apply another color over top without it diluting the intended vibrancy. Yet because Jolen's formulas tend to be gentler than others, my hair wasn't straw-like or dull but rather shiny, soft and healthy — almost as if I was born with naturally teal colored hair 🙂
So to help Jolen celebrate their 50th birthday (and really, Jolen's never looked better!) and their newly-launched Go Confidently! Campaign, Jolen asked me to share some of my favorite hair moments from using Jolen Creme Bleach. Because my rainbow hair was my identity, it made me feel the most comfortable, confident version of myself I could be… and for that, I thank Jolen for inspiring and allowing me to be myself during my younger years which shaped me to be the strong, confident woman I am now!
Let's take a look at my hair dye-ary, shall we?
This was me, junior year of high school. Do you think hot pink and teal-blue hair dye would appear this bright without bleach? I don't think so! I remember my classmates affectionately calling me "cupcake" for this wacky 'do.
This sophomore-year hairdo was not an easy one! It required bleaching my entire head to that stark, platinum color, then dividing my hairline in half so I could dye the back of my hair turquoise. If you think dyeing it was bad, washing it was even harder! But without a strong bleach like Jolen, my naturally mousy-brown hair would never have gotten that bright of white in the first place!
Even though Ariel has a mane of red, I was dubbed the Mermaid Queen for this hairstyle in school. It was almost iridescent – appearing a soft lavender-y violet in certain lights and a rich, teal-y turquoise in others with soft wisps of ballerina pink throughout. It was a result of my non-strategic approach to dyeing my hair: simply smattering the various purple, blue and pink dyes around my head and hoping for the best. While I don't typically recommend doing that, here it worked – and it was one of my favorite hair colors!
Okay, so my generation was known for the selfie long before camera phones, okay? I still remember setting up my Kodak camera so I could take pictures in my room for my MySpace profile, and this was one of them. However eerie and fake-model-y my expression, it shows my fantastic hot pink hair! The coolest thing about dyeing your hair hot pink is that your base color (prior to applying the pink dye) doesn't need to be stark white. It could even be a dirtier blonde or a brassier orange to apply. So if there are any brunettes reading this who have had a hankering to add a nice pop of pink to your mane, you're in luck! Jolen would make it even easier for you 🙂
Oh, and you'll never guess, but for awhile I was actually platinum blonde… and for a long while, may I add. For about 4 consecutive years I was a straight-platinum color and loved it. Even though platinum can be debated as to whether or not it's a "color", it was one of my favorites. Why? Because I felt like it complemented my porcelain skin beautifully and it was so easy to maintain! While colors will forever live in my soul, platinum was so simple: just bleach my roots when they grew out, and tone the allover color to match. I always had Jolen on hand so I could easily touch it up, then finish my homework. It was so easy, it was almost second nature. I sure do miss this hair!
While I use Jolen for my hair touch-ups and changes, Jolen is still the most popular creme bleach in the world for lightening unwanted facial hair, like on the upper lip or chin, or even on larger body parts like arms and legs. Jolen even has a sensitive formula with aloe vera, which is ideal for those who have sensitive or more delicate skin. You can find Jolen Creme Bleach at many retailers, including Walmart, ULTA, CVS, Harmon, Rite-Aid and Walgreens! Jolen also recommends using Conair's 3X/1X Illuminated LED Mirror to help aid you in lightening your unwanted hair, especially in delicate spots like on the face. The mirror zooms in on hard-to-see spots with a lighted feature to help you get every pesky hair.
And again, since Jolen is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year, they're having a fantastic giveaway on their Facebook page! Simply LIKE their Facebook page for glam tips and beauty tricks from makeup artists and be entered to win $50 gift cards to Jolen retailers as well as Jolen Creme Bleach products, now through November 14, 2014. More than 50 winners will be selected, so ENTER NOW!!
And be sure to follow Jolen's #GoConfidently hashtag on Twitter and Facebook for more tips, testimonials, and info about Jolen Creme Bleach!!
If you could dye your hair any color, without repercussions from your work or anything, what color would you dye it? Tell me in the comments below!
Have a beautiful day!
xo, Hayley
In the interest of full disclosure, I was generously provided with Jolen Creme Bleach formulas and a Conair 3X/1X Illuminated LED Mirror for my own personal use. All opinions, texts and experiences are 100% my own. This posts contains affiliate links.
Stay connected to Jolen for offers, giveaways and the latest in beauty tricks from celebrity makeup artists at https://www.facebook.com/jolen.
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. I received both Jolen Creme Bleach formulas and a Conair 3X/1X Illuminated LED Mirror for my own personal use. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.


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Drive 'Em To Drink: Guy In Breathalyzer Costume Busted For DUI On Halloween
Remember how I warned you about 22 costumes that wouldn't get you laid, and one of them was this here Breathalyzer? Well, what I forgot to mention was you also shouldn't get wasted in this get-up and then attempt to drive home. Unfortch, 19-year-old Nebraskan Matthew Nieveen didn't see the hilarious irony of getting arrested for a DUI on Halloween dressed like this … or maybe he did. He was pulled over and thrown in the detox slammer with a French maid and naughty border patrol agent. Wait, that's a punishment? Sounds like the makings of an awesome porno! Well, I guess young Mr. Nieveen should just be especially glad that unlike the costume Breathalyzer, the police one isn't in someone's crotch. [Best Week Ever]


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Hi all,
Travelling Europe this summer; France, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Nedtherlands and Belgium.
I love waterfalls and just finding somewhere, you can sit and take all the beautiful surroundings in.
I have seen examples of such in Croatia (e.g. Plitvice Lakes); are there any other suggestions people would make?


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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Koko, Super Hamster
When we first got Koko in September, she was a tiny ball of fluff that regarded us as something that would quite possibly eat her alive. It took awhile but now she is this bundle of hyperactive fluff that throws herself around her cage, chews on anything she can get her teeth on, and runs to the door into a waiting hand should you offer. Just don't smell like food, or she'll mistake you for lunch.
Although with her newfound cuddliness, comes a false sense of security. The other day Hubs thought he'd give her a tour of the living room and brought her out to see me. Koko, in her quest for freedom, decided to leap a full three feet from my hand to the side of the couch, and then again to the top of the couch, and again into mid air. I think she thought she could fly.
Fortunately Hubs is a good catch or we'd have a loose Hammie in the house.
Posted by Karen Humphrey at 8:50 PM Labels: wee furry beasties


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Condom Critter by Nikol Lohr
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 67 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
Condom Critter
This pattern is available for $3.99 USD
buy it now or visit pattern website
buy it now or visit pattern website
She's darling and whimsical—and look, she's safeguarding your condoms in her little pouch! What a dear. But that's not all. This cuddly creature is also a clever cozy. Her goofy legs are drawstrings for a hidden compartment, sized to stash a bottle of lube, small vibe, or your iPod. A friend, indeed! Like Dirty Secrets, she's designed to showcase gorgeous one-of-a-kind handspun. The meager yarn requirements make this perfect for those little hanks of handspun yarn you often see but don't buy because they seem too small to actually yield anything. She's knit in reverse stockinette stitch so you want very irregular yarn—the more slubs and bubbles, the better!
For more information, see: http://naughtyneedlesknitting.com/


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AKR Public RelationsAKR Public Relations will be handling press coverage for both "Leather & Laces" Events.
Entertainment, Pop Culture, Local Newspapers, TV, Radio, Fashion/Lifestyle, Sports News, online Shows, etc. will be invited to cover the event from inception to conclusion.
AKR Public Relations
Contact: Amanda K. Ruisi
Office: (917) 445-2371
Twitter: twitter.com/akrpr
Facebook: facebook.com/akrpr


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The Handmaid's Tale
I finally read The Handmaid's Tale, which has been on my "to read" list pretty much since it was first published in the United States in 1986. With the TV series out, I thought that some parents might wonder if/when the novel would be appropriate for their kids. I'm also going to assume that if … [Read More...]
The Sleeper and the Spindle
The Sleeper and the Spindle, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell, is a picture book inspired by Sleeping Beauty and some other fairy tales. But don't let the picture book format make you think this isn't a wonderful book for older readers. In fact, I think it's probably best for … [Read More...]
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Review written by Jennifer Lewis. Everyone knows that Grandpa Portman's stories about the peculiar children are just that, stories. There's no such thing as children with special powers—a levitating girl, a boy with bees living in his body, a girl who can conjure fire, or a boy who can animate … [Read More...]
When You Reach Me
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. "The trip is a difficult one, I will not be myself when I reach you." In When You Reach Me, Miranda is the daughter of a single mom who got an invitation to be on the $20,000 Dollar Pyramid. She's dealing with the strain of helping her mom train, as well as … [Read More...]
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. The Sensationalist is unhappy with his lot in life. Born Andrew Macon Bean, he was recruited into H.E.R.O., a superhero sidekick training program, because of his incredibly heightened senses. H.E.R.O aims to take young people with extraordinary talents and … [Read More...]
The Door in the Hedge
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. The Door in the Hedge came on my radar as I was trolling through the Toronto Public Library ebook website. It was part of the Big Library Read program where the company that handles ebooks for the library, Overdrive, decided to let everyone borrow this book … [Read More...]
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
The graphic novel of A Wrinkle in Time hews so closely to the original novel that this review will in many ways serve for both. But first a quick story. I was one of those kids (mostly girls) who discovered A Wrinkle in Time on her own and fell madly in love with it. I read all of the books about … [Read More...]
Akata Witch
Akata Witch is the story of Sunny, an albino Igbo girl who recently moved to Nigeria from the United States. As if she doesn't already feel enough like she doesn't fit in, she learns that she's a Leopard person, which means she is capable of juju and other magical type things. She becomes friends … [Read More...]
Winter brings The Lunar Chronicles to a satisfying close, so it shouldn't be a surprise that it's a bit sprawling as all of the threads get tied up. However, unlike some final books to a series, it feels complete, well thought out, and not rushed. It's just going to take over 800 pages to get to … [Read More...]
Smuggler's Run
Review written by Clark Valentine. Wrapping up the first trio of Star Wars YA novel reviews is Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure, a fast-paced adventure starring Han Solo and Chewbacca, set between the films Star Wars (A New Hope, as it's now known) and The Empire Strikes Back. … [Read More...]
As Old as Time
As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale is the Beauty and the Beast entry in the A Twisted Tale series from Disney Press. Like A Whole New World, this retelling pretty quickly veers off from the familiar plot of both movies, reimagining characters and adding lots of new characters and plot twists. If you're … [Read More...]
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. Michael Marion Magadlene Morn Edson was found in a White Castle by St. Mary of the Woods School for Wayward boys when he was just a baby. There was no tearful goodbye on a doorstep, or anything like that for Michael. What he discovered there, as he got older, … [Read More...]
Pennyroyal Academy
Pennyroyal Academy is a story of a young girl who joins a military academy where girls study to become princesses who can fight witches while boys study to become knights who can fight dragons. You just have to accept the terms princess and knight—they're titles conferred upon completion of the … [Read More...]
Lumberjanes is a comic book series about a summer camp for "hardcore lady-types." Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy is a collection of the first 4 issues, which introduces the characters and gets them started on their adventures—it certainly doesn't bring a story arc to a close, so expect your young … [Read More...]
Don't Look Back
Review written by Jennifer Lewis. Don't Look Back begins with Samantha not knowing where she is, how she got there, or why she is in such a disheveled state. This confusion is due to a traumatic event that resulted in the loss of all of Samantha's personal memories. To make matters worse, her … [Read More...]
A Whole New World
A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale reimagines the Disney movie Aladdinby working from the premise that Jafar maintained ownership of the lamp at the Cave of Wonders. This, as you can probably imagine, does NOT go well for the Sultan, Jasmine, the genie, or Agrabah. It doesn't make things worse for … [Read More...]
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. Jinx can see it happening, the hunger in the clearing, the fact that his step-parents just had a new child. He's going to be the one abandoned in the woods. So, when Jinx is taken into the Urwald he isn't shocked. Just resigned to his fate. That's when he … [Read More...]
Manners & Mutiny
It's always nice when the highly anticipated ending to a series is satisfying. (I still haven't forgiven you, Mockingjay!) Manners & Mutiny, the final book in the Finishing School series, delivers on that front. The book assumes you've read the other three novels, and likewise I will assume … [Read More...]
Moving Target
Review written by Clark Valentine. Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure is another in the young adult series of Star Wars novels that fill in some of the main characters' stories between the movies of the original trilogy. (You might be interested in my reviews of other books in the same … [Read More...]
Poison starts out in the middle of things, with our protagonist, sixteen year old Kyra, on the run because she tried to assassinate the princess. Kyra needs to finish the job of killing the princess because this will somehow save the kingdom, but of course she's now public enemy #1. Luckily she's a … [Read More...]


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After years of late night shows like The Daily Show and The Late Show competing against one-off music specials and awards shows in the Emmys, the TV academy announced this week that the writing and directing categories for said programs are being split into two: one writing award for variety series, one for specials, one directing award for variety series, and one for specials. In March, the academy eliminated the award for "outstanding performance in a variety series or special"--thereby enraging the always-a-bridesmaid Stephen Colbert--but by dividing up the directing and writing categories, the Emmy folks have now eliminated a problem that TV fans deeply cared about for roughly two minutes every year.
Submit your Newswire tips here.


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Now that — ahem — the economy has totally recovered, there's just one plan for the holidays: spend like crazy. Waste a big wad. Alternatives? Sorry, there aren't any. You're a man. So come January, it's back to domestic beer. But for now, you can at least hope that a certain loved one will make your season jolly, too. Start clicking below to make your list, and remember to show yourself some holiday love.
Author Archives: Osprey Packs
Adventure-Journal.com features The Raptor 14 – November 12, 2010
There is nothing like the freedom of cycling. The grin that grows on a kid's face when the training wheels come off never fades, whether you're five or 50. And then there's the gear: Cyclists are as geeky as iPhone zealots, with tribes and sub-tribes facing off to debate the tech. But regardless of frame or wheel size or style, here are four items any cyclist would find as welcome as their first Rock Hopper.
Men's Health features The Quantum – December 2010
Adventure Sports Journal Features Aether series
BikeWorldNews.com Features The Momentum, Metron, Viper and Verve – November 16, 2010
Interbike Vendor Spotlight : Osprey
Osprey has been selling hydration packs for some time now, but 2010 sees significant growth in their cycling line. Spring/Summer 2011 will see a new line of commuter packs as well as an expansion of their Hydraulics™ collection. They now offer something for every kind of cyclist, from the casual commuter to the hardcore mountain biker.
Versus.com Features Osprey Backpacks – October 14, 2010
Osprey Packs — There's lot of competition in the casual wear and hydration pack market, but the 36-year-old independent Colorado company stands out. Its offerings are diverse, functional to fashion-oriented, high quality and with color options unmatched.
Osprey's new spring 2011 line is the pack for everyday use or for the avid commuter called the Momentum. It has 14 features, including a raincover, reflective print front panel and well-designed cluster of pockets, organizers and zippered compartments.
Macworld.com Features Osprey Flare Packs – October 29, 2010
Osprey's Flare offers the advantages of a bag designed for the great outdoors, while still addressing the needs of the urban warrior. If you find yourself frequently straddling these two worlds, this bag might make the journey between them more enjoyable.
BikeRumor.com Features Osprey Raptor 18 Hydration Pack – October 18, 2010
I'll be the first to admit having a bag problem. Over the course of a season of mountain biking, I'll cycle through an embarrassing number of bags in search of the perfect combination of fit, capacity, and features. Though I do have a handful of standbys that I rely heavily on, when word of Osprey's first mountain bike specific range of packs began popping up last fall, I had to have a look. The Raptor range (6, 10, 14 and 18) has a whole bunch of shared features that makes the bags stand out from the large number of 'me too' hydration packs on the market. Excited by the Raptors' potential and positive early reviews, I managed to get my hands on a Raptor 18 for review.


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FAW Cup - Third Round
The New Saints 3, Conwy Borough 1
(After extra-time)
TWO goals in extra-time from New Saints striker Matty Williams helped him to exorcise his demons and shunt the Oswestry side through to the fourth round of the Welsh FA Cup after surviving a scare from Conwy Borough.
Williams suffered a serious knee injury which kept him sidelined for almost 12 months in the corresponding fixture against Bryntirion last season, but he proved the difference against the Cymru Alliance side this time around after Alex Darlington's 75th minute strike was cancelled out by a stunning effort from Scott Beckett.
TNS avoided a potential upset to get the defence of the trophy up and running however, leaving fans and coaching staff to breath a deep sigh of relief around Park Hall as their side stuttered into a home tie with Rhyl in the next round.
New Saints singer Craig Jones had a shot superbly palmed away by debutant Conwy goalkeeper Kristian Rogers on seven minutes.
But the visitors almost went ahead when Lee Davey fired wide before Eddie Jebb saw a free-kick deflected beyond Paul Harrison's right-hand post.
Jones was again denied by another smart reaction save by Rogers at the other end and Greg Draper faired likewise as both teams sensed an opening goal.
Jebb again failed to hit the target for Borough on 37 minutes after being set free by Lloyd Ellams as did Steve Evans with a header as Saints threatened from a corner soon after the break.
A 54th minute effort from Darlington was again saved by the Conwy stopper and Chris Seargeant could only find the side-netting when he ghosted onto a through ball from Ryan Fraughan midway through the half.
Darlington finally made the breakthough for TNS however when he met Simon Spender's cut-back to net from eight yards out but Beckett equalised six minutes from the end of normal time.
Fraughan saw a header held with extra-time looming but the introduction of Williams finally eased the tension for The New Saints when he sent a drive into the bottom corner 10 minutes into the first period.
And he put the result beyond doubt four minutes from the end of the second after getting the better of Rogers in a one on one to set up the tie with Rhyl on January 26.
See picture on page 71
TNS return to league action this Saturday when they travel to Port Talbot for a 3.45pm kick-off.
See full story in the Advertizer


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Accommodating Disabled StudentsThe college is obligated to make accommodations only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified student with a disability. It is the student's responsibility to notify the college of disabling conditions and to request accommodations.
The procedure for doing so is as follows:
Students who are requesting disability accommodations need to send appropriate documentation to the Disabilities Services Coordinator.
When the student contacts the office, they are alerted to their obligation to provide appropriate documentation, provided they have this information. This information includes any psychological evaluations, previous Individual Education Plans, medical records, etc. If the student feels that they may have a condition which would warrant consideration for accommodation but has no documentation to that effect the Disabilities Services Coordinator, with the consent of the student, then makes a referral to an appropriate agency for an evaluation. The student then bears the responsibility for any fees that may be incurred during this evaluative process, as assessed by the agency.
The Disabilities Services Coordinator will maintain a separate, confidential file of this information which will be used for the exclusive purpose of arranging the necessary accommodations for the student. Accommodations will be arranged by the Disabilities Services Coordinator and will be coordinated with the persons (e.g., individual faculty instructors, residence hall directors, director of the physical plant, etc.) who will carry them out. The Educational Counselor will also maintain, in the student's separate file, a complete record of the accommodations provided.
Students with disabilities who elect not to identify themselves immediately, or who develop disabilities after being admitted, may identify themselves and request accommodations at any time. They may do so by contacting the Disabilities Services Coordinator.
If testing is required to document the disability, the Disabilities Services Coordinator will refer the student to an appropriate party to be tested. NOTE: any costs of such testing will be borne by the student requesting accommodation.
Upon submission of the Self-Identification Form, a meeting is then scheduled with the Disabilities Services Coordinator and the student to assess and discuss their individual needs. This meeting may also include the students' parents or guardians, if the student chooses to have them present.
Identified Students
Students who have already self-identified and who are currently enrolled in the Student Disabilities Services program at Glenville State College are alerted to the necessity to reactivate their enrollment at the beginning of each semester. Students are sent a notification in which it is requested that they contact the Disabilities Services Coordinator to schedule an appointment.
This appointment serves more than a single purpose; it serves as a means to assess the student to determine if there are any changes that need to be made in accommodations, and it allows the Disabilities Services Coordinator the opportunity to assess academic progress. If a student is being successful, then few adjustments may be necessary. However, if the student is experiencing academic difficulty, it may be necessary to make adjustments for that student on a variety of levels. The adjustments may come in the form of further assessment to determine need for accommodation or teaching the student new skills, such as study skills, time management, test taking skills, etc.
Next, the appointment gives the student the opportunity to make personal contact with someone who can act as a liaison between the student, faculty and staff. This personal contact provides a healthy proportion of humanity to what could otherwise potentially be perceived by the student as nothing more than an exercise in bureaucracy.


text: Blogs Here's NIVIS' WirelessHART entry from Monday night. #pauto #HART #wireless Category: Field Device Firmware Stack Gateway HART NIVIS Radio STG WirelessHART Submitted by waltboyes on Wed, 06/23/2010 - 15:51 I reported yesterday about the fantastic performance of the NIVIS gateway and the Software Technology Group field device and the MACtek Bullet WirelessHART Adaptor on Monday evening. Login or register to post comments Read more 3977 reads Permalink


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Nord Stream completes phase II financingZug/Berlin
Financing for the Nord Stream project is secured: Today, the company together with its shareholders in the consortium, OAO Gazprom, E.ON Ruhrgas AG, BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie, and GDF SUEZ S.A. announced the successful signing of Phase II financing of the pipeline project. The project financing for Phase II amounts to 2.5 billion euros.
Please consult Nord Nord-Stream website for further information.


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Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement following Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's press conference previewing the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Budget:
"I was pleased to hear that the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Budget will maintain the Navy's current aircraft carrier fleet at 11 ships and enhance the Virginia-class submarine program. However, I am concerned with the Secretary's announcement that the President will request a Base Realignment and Closure process so that the Defense Department can meet the spending caps enacted in the Budget Control Act of 2011. Unfortunately, these cuts are a predictable consequence of passing and extending unaffordable tax cuts. Budgeting is about making difficult choices. If we want to continue to extend the Bush-era tax cuts, we will have to pay for them with cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and other vital functions of government, including defense. If we choose to end these tax cuts, it is unlikely that a new round of base closings or any of these other cuts would be necessary."
Source: http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=713&Itemid=62


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Hundreds of workers are needed at once in Bnei Brak, Herzlia, Petach Tikvah and other settlements, the Jewish Labor Organization has announced.
Building is being hampered by the lack of artisans in the various construction crafts. There is also a heavy demand and an insufficient supply of mechanics familiar with American and English automobiles.
The organization has signed contracts for this year amounting to £150,000 and will probably surpass its 1934 figure of £270,000—if the workers can be found. The shortage is causing deep concern.


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This is a topic most would not bring up but I'm going to do it real quick while the Moon in Aries squares Venus and Pluto…with Saturn in Libra. The other day, I posted about deathbed photos, warning that some might find it ghoulish. I explained that my sister and I both have a strong Saturn Neptune signature and we know all about sharing a burden. We can dissipate our burden, or take yours on, as easy as we can breathe. It's one of the reasons that sensitive people who arei n pain, call me. I can relieve them.
Today I was talking to my sister and mentioned someone we know to point out that they do not have this skill. It's important to know this stuff, to realize it when you are dealing with something as profound as the death of your mother. If either of us call this person they will place another brick on our cart. It doesn't have to be intentional. It doesn't have to be malicious, it just is.
I don't think it makes a person bad to be this way. I have no idea idea how common it is to be one way or the other but I have definitely been hired by friends or family of a person in agony with the specific hope that I can relieve their pain because they see that they cannot.
Can you steal someone's burden? Is it easy? It's easy for me though sometimes I have to rest afterwards. Usually though, I can just do it.
pictured – The Laundress, (The Burden) c. 1860-61. Oil on panel.


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Boeing announced today it has closed on the deal to acquire Vought Aircraft Industries' interest in Global Aeronautica, the South Carolina fuselage subassembly maker for the Boeing 787. Under the terms of the transaction, Global Aeronautica becomes a 50-50 joint venture between The Boeing Company and Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Alenia Aeronautica.
Vought continues to produce the aft fuselage for the 787 at its facility adjacent to Global Aeronautica in North Charleston.
Closing occurred following receipt of regulatory approvals on June 3. Although it would not disclose the terms of the transaction, Boeing said it would not affect its current financial guidance.
Global Aeronautica employs more than 300 people and is responsible for joining and integrating 787 fuselage sections from Alenia and other structural partners. Along with joining the majority of the mid-body fuselage sections, the joint venture company also installs and tests associated systems and applies primer on the sections. Vought produces aft fuselage sections 47 and 48 in a new 342,000-sq-ft building and employs about 300 workers at its South Carolina plant.
Alenia builds the center fuselage sections 44 and 46 in Italy and delivers them to the Global Aeronautica facility for integration. Alenia also manufactures the horizontal stabilizer of the 787 in its plant in Foggia, Italy.


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Beppe Sannino has said in the past that Luke O'Nien "lives his life for Watford". So it can't be easy for the young midfielder as he waits to find out if the Hornets will offer him new deal.
From my own experience, O'Nien conducts himself incredibly well and is someone, as an Academy product, the club should be proud of.
He obviously has an emotional attachment with Watford. However, if caring for the club was all that mattered then everyone in the Rookery would have had a stint with the Hornets.
Sentiment doesn't have much bearing in football and it's still to be seen if the young prospect can deliver on the pitch.
Personally, I hope O'Nien does get another deal with Watford. Not just because he's a likeable personality but because his presence paves the way for more Academy graduates to actually 'make it' at the club.
As we know, the Harefield Academy partnership with Watford was, and still is, a pioneering system which for a long time was the envy of many clubs.
In the past, the long term stability of Watford was based on the success of the Academy.
And our academy graduates should continue to be at the core of the club - just in case our current, seemingly reliable, owners decide to leave and take with them important members of our squad.
O'Nien's possible departure wouldn't mean the end for our scholars coming through but it may start an unfortunate trend of talented youngsters failing to make the grade due to an overcrowded Hornets squad.
And what a waste it would be for our Academy scheme to go to waste. It's sad to think Luke and many others may not get their chance and the Academy could lose its influence.
Keeping O'Nien adds another young home grown prospect to the playing squad and would, once again, fully endorse the functionality of the Academy.
I hope O'Nien doesn't become yet another Academy statistic and goes on to make a genuine impression at the club.


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Interlachen lifter repeats state title
Published: Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 12:35 a.m.
KISSIMMEE — There was little drama this time around for Interlachen's Jared Makatura in winning his third straight state weightlifting championship.
After winning his first two titles by a combined 15 pounds over former Baker County lifter Jeremy Wannamaker, Makatura became the 18th lifter in state history to win three straight titles, as he rolled to a 55-pound win in the 219-pound weight class in the FHSAA Class 1A State Boys Weightlifting Meet on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center.
"This one felt a lot better," said Makatura, who totaled 720 pounds in the win on Saturday. "It feels exhilarating to win.
"I got a lot of power from God and I feel great (about winning)."
Next season, Makatura will have the opportunity to join former Palatka lifter Eugene Foster, as the only four-time state weightlifting champions.
Foster won his titles from 1993-96 in weight classes ranging from 123 to 154 pounds.
After bench pressing 380 pounds, Makatura clinched his third title with a 300-pound clean-and-jerk, before setting his personal best by 10 pounds with a final lift of 340.
"The clean-and-jerk is where my passion is," he said.
"It's more difficult than the bench and that is what I focused on."
Meanwhile, Bradford's Phillip James placed second at 199 pounds after totaling 645 pounds, 25 behind Bradenton Southeast's Gage Takacs.
James and Takacs were tied after posting lifts of 355 on the bench press, but the BHS lifter missed 290 on his second try, before nailing it on his final attempt.
Takacs, who battled back from knee surgery, clinched the title on his second lift and opened up his margin of victory with a 315-pound lift on his third attempt.
Other area lifters to place included: Fort White's Kellon Snider (610-pound total at 219), Williston's Brandon Cunningham (605-pound total at 219), Union County's Dustin Griffis (640-pound total at 238).
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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We're gonna continue the roll here and have our third Live Stanley Cup Final Chat today at noon. Be there. Or else.
Here's my column from The Journal News and lohud.com:
By Rick Carpiniello
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – With two days off between Game 1 and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings didn't skate Thursday.
The Rangers kicked back at their resort hotel just yards from the Pacific Ocean. But the warm breeze they felt was the breath of coach Alain Vigneault.
Vigneault didn't use the phrase "big boy pants" as he did before Game 3 of the Rangers' second-round series against Pittsburgh, perhaps because after he did, they were shut out in Game 3 and played their worst game of the playoffs in Game 4.
The Rangers had every chance to win Game 1 of the final Wednesday night in Los Angeles, yet Vigneault — and many who watched — wondered if they indeed deserved that opportunity that was squandered when a two-goal lead turned into a lopsided final 20 minutes of regulation, and eventually a 3-2 overtime loss on a bad bounce/bad decision by Dan Girardi.
"One thing that's real evident to me, and it should be to our whole group, is we're not going to beat this team if we do not all bring our 'A' game," Vigneault said. "It is that strong of an opponent that we're playing against.
"We had (Henrik Lundqvist) that brought his 'A' game (Wednesday). We had a couple guys. I don't want to name who I think brought their 'A' game. But our 'B' game won't do it. We're not going to win if we bring our 'B' game to the table."
Not to put words or names in the coach's mouth, but the Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash line didn't do enough — Stepan's turnover led directly to the first Kings goal, though Kreider took full responsibility for his earlier chance to get the puck out of the zone. The Brad Richards-Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay connection didn't do much at all, though St. Louis had a chance to win it late, and their left winger, Carl Hagelin, was by far the best Rangers forward. The Rangers' usually reliable fourth line gave up the tying goal. The power play did everything but score, and the penalty kill did score (Hagelin).
And the top four defensemen — well, all six really, but the top four especially — had some woeful moments.
You could argue that a lot of that had to do with the big, heavy Kings and the physical punishment they doled out.
"Yeah, we knew they were going to push, test us physically," Ryan McDonagh said. "I thought we matched it pretty well. I thought especially the early part of the game there, we were able to break their forecheck, get out of our zone. They got a few more opportunities in the third because of their forecheck."
If you're looking for a reason for the Rangers to be worried, the Comeback Kings felt they were out of gas, physically and mentally, after their third Game 7 road win of the playoffs, Sunday in Chicago. They felt they played poorly the entire first period. They truly believe they are better than they showed in Game 1.
So are the Rangers, who played their best game of the playoffs their previous time out, Game 6 vs. Montreal.
"When we played Game 6 against Montreal, each and every player brought his 'A' game," Vigneault said. "It's not an easy thing to do. But against this opponent, I do believe our expectations are to win; got to find a way to do it."
Time for the big boys to show up.
Dan Girardi had the puck bounce over his stick, then lost his footing. Soon he was turning it over, his Rangers teammates were leaving the zone, and Los Angeles Kings forward Justin Williams was firing an uncontested shot past Henrik Lundqvist for the overtime winner Wednesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Girardi's defense partner, Ryan McDonagh, said he completely understood, having once shot the puck over the glass for a playoff-game-costing penalty in Washington. So McDonagh talked to Girardi right away in the locker room, and "that's how we work through things as a group.
"If it was flip-flopped and it was me," McDonagh said Thursday, "he would have come to me and asked me, 'What could we have done differently; what could we have done better?' "
McDonagh also shared some of the blame.
"It's an unfortunate play," he said. "In those situations, especially at that point of the game, we've got to understand that when a guy is in trouble, maybe it's not the right time to leave the zone. I was one of those guys that left the zone, anticipating a play that we were going to get it out. But at that point in the game, we just need to help him and be supportive and be close there in case it happens; be 100 percent on our plays before we know what happens."
Former friend a foe: Marian Gaborik admitted it was "a little weird," at first in Game 1, to play against the Rangers for the first time since the 2013 trade that sent him to the Blue Jackets.
Gaborik, who has spent 13 seasons in the NHL, is playing in his first Stanley Cup Final. He said he was present for Cup-attended celebrations for Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara and Chicago forward Marian Hossa, his neighbors in Slovakia.
"That maybe gives you that extra motivation to see those guys winning the Cup. And, no, I didn't touch it, by the way."
This and that: Teams winning Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the championship in 57 of 74 seasons (77 percent) since it became a best-of-seven series in 1939. … The game was the 14th multigoal comeback victory of the playoffs, setting a single-year NHL record. … The Kings have erased 2-0 deficits in three of their last five wins.
Twitter: @RangersReport.
Photo by Getty Images.


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Welcome to the Suie Lodge Hotel near Crianlarich
Scottish Accommodation – An 18th Century former hunting lodge set in 5 acres. Relaxed or Action Packed breaks in the Trossachs "The Gateway to the Highlands"
The Suie Lodge Hotel is situated in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in beautiful Glen Dochart near Crianlarich and Killin. The Glen runs eastwards for 15 miles from Crianlarich towards Killin and follows the course of the River Dochart which arrives spectacularly in Killin at the Falls of Dochart and on to Loch Tay.
Suie Lodge is an ideal base for a holiday in Scotland where Muddy Boots and Muddy Paws are most welcome as we are only a few miles from the long distant walk The West Highland Way which passes by Crianlarich and the Hotel is also very close to Ben More and the other Munros (mountains over 3000 ft) located to the north of Loch Lomond. Rooms are available on a bed and breakfast basis and evening meals are available in our cosy bar or restaurant. We are a pet friendly hotel and well behaved dogs are most welcome at no extra charge.
The hotel derives it's name from its association with St Fillan, who had his seat ("suie") of learning at this place. Across from the hotel is an ancient Clan McNab burial site where lies a stone on which is carved a Latin cross which may well go back to St Fillan himself. St Fillans bell (Bearnan Fillan) was kept at Suie for centuries but now rests in the Scottish National Museum of Antiquities.
The Hotel is family run and offers a warm, relaxed and friendly atmosphere and comfortable rooms with all facilities. Enjoy a hearty home cooked meal with a drink from our well stocked bar. The hotel benefits from central heating throughout and an open fire in the bar. Suie Lodge has nine bedrooms with views over the mountains or down the Glen. Most rooms have en-suite facilities and have tea and coffee making facilities, televisions and hairdryer. The hotel is arranged over three floors with the bedrooms on the 1st and 2nd floors, with the bar and restaurant on the ground floor. The hotel has free WIFI access available in the bar, ample free parking and secure storage for bicycles.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Suie Lodge Hotel.


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|Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Newport Beach, CA
Huntington Beach, CA
Laguna Beach, CA
Dana Point, CA
|Costa Mesa, CA
Seal Beach, CA
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Long Beach, CA
Lomita, CA
|Laguna Niguel, CA
San Clemente, CA
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Fountain Valley, CA
West Carson, CA
The center of each city listed is within 65 miles of San Clemente Island.
Scroll down the page to find a list of big cities if you're booking a flight between airports, or a list of smaller surrounding towns if you're doing a road trip.
This is a list of large cities closest to San Clemente Island. A big city usually has a population of at least 200,000 and you can often fly into a major airport. If you need to book a flight, search for the nearest airport to San Clemente Island.
This is a list of smaller local towns that surround San Clemente Island. If you're planning a road trip or exploring the local area, make sure you check out some of these places to get a feel for the surrounding community.
Travelmath helps you find cities close to your location. You can use it to look for nearby towns and suburbs if you live in a metropolis area, or you can search for cities near any airport, zip code, or tourist landmark. You'll get a map of the local cities, including the distance and information on each town. This can help in planning a trip or just learning more about a neighboring city so you can discover new places.


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I'm so busy right now I feel like I don't even have time to write this post! But the really crazy / alarming thing is, I'm drafting this at the tail end of a comparatively lazy, peaceful summer. I know I'm going to be even busier in the blink of an eye, once autumn is in full swing! My life as a working mom gets a jump-start into crazy town in the beginning of September, when Fashion Week coincides with Back to School, and from there life just seems to go faster and faster, barreling through into the holidays and right into the new year. AHHHHH! The one thing that we definitely NEVER have time for? GETTING SICK!
Alas, that's pretty much the one thing that we have to make time for, whether we want to or not, right? However, though it's inevitable that someone in my family will need to see a doctor a few times in the upcoming months, it's not always possible to get to our regular healthcare professionals. I love my daughter's pediatrician, and I have an excellent GP myself, but sometimes it's just not possible to get in to see either of them when we need to, whether it's because of their limited office hours or our jam-packed schedules. It's important to have a really great, trustworthy alternative for when you need healthcare, but can't get to your doctor's office and you don't need to visit the emergency room, right?
That's why I was really happy to hear that all of Walgreens' super accessible and handy Healthcare Clinics (available at select Walgreens locations) are staffed with licensed and board certified Nurse Practitioners (some of them are also staffed with physician assistants). I think of these Walgreens Healthcare Clinics as sort of "outposts" of our regular doctors' offices, where we can get high quality, trusted, reliable care and medical advice when we really need it, not only when we're able to schedule a Dr's appointment.
Open 7 days a week with weekend and evening hours, Walgreens Healthcare Clinics take most forms of insurance, which is awesome. You can make an appointment, but YOU DON'T HAVE TO! Also, they're great if you need to pop in for a quick, routine visit (say, if you or someone in your fam has a chronic condition that needs monitoring, like hypertension, diabetes, asthma or high cholesterol). They can write prescriptions, give back to school and sports physicals, and give vaccines right in the clinic. ALSO — so cool: You can go online and check the wait times of the clinic nearest you!
For regular health check-ins, click here to find a Walgreens Healthcare clinic near you.
Annnnnd to support awareness of this great resource … we have a $100 gift card to give away! To enter to win, just answer this question in the comments below: "When would you use the Walgreens Healthcare Clinic?"
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
- Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
- Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.


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Quote:Yes I have that book and enjoy it a lot. Two other books by Deng Ming-Dao that are very good one is "Chronicles of Tao" my favorite book and the other is "Scholar Warrior".Chronicles of Tao is a book about a Taoist master's life.Kevin
Artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom missing since WWII.
Visit www.ShisaLion.Org
to view pictures
Stun Guns
Self Defense Products-stun guns, pepper spray, tasers
and more
Complete surveillance systems for covert operations
or secure installation security
Asylum Images
Book presents photo tour of the Trans-Allegany Lunatic Asylum. A must if you're going to take a ghost tour!


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Each month, Rated People connects over 50,000 homeowners with quality tradesmen - simply enter your job details in the form above to get started.
We'll match your job to the relevant tradesmen in your area - those interested will pay to see your contact details and call you to quote.
As each tradesman expresses interest in quoting on your job, we'll send you their profile and ratings to help you choose the right one for you.
After the work is complete, return to the site and rate your tradesman based on their quality of work, reliability and value for money.
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Really great friendly team. Left the place neat and tidy - nothing was too much trouble. We had to wait a while for them to fit us in but then again I would be worried if the turned up the next day! Value for money yes - not the cheapest but by no means most expensive. Would be happy to have them back again.
Did a great job, on time, easy communication, good value. Will use Flamur again.
Managing your job is easier with the Rated People Homes App, download it today.


text:
JIM LEHRER: And now: Two days after Iraq's parliamentary elections, our newsmaker interview with the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, General Ray Odierno. I talked with him earlier today from Baghdad.
General, welcome.
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO, commander, Multi-National Corps-Iraq: How are you, Jim?
JIM LEHRER: Just fine, sir. Thank you.
How confident are you that the political leaders of Iraq can now peacefully form a new government?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, what I'm confident about is, they know that they're going to have to form a government using several different coalitions, because not one coalition will have a majority.
And, so, they know that they're going to have to work together to build this coalition. They know that. And I think they will work towards that over time.
JIM LEHRER: How long do you think it will take, sir?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, it's unclear. I think it depends on the final results. If they are close, it will probably take a little bit longer. If someone has a bigger lead, it might happen a little bit quicker. But I believe we're talking about a couple of months.
JIM LEHRER: A couple of months?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: That's correct, sir.
JIM LEHRER: There's been the suggestion that the people of Iraq are really getting the hang of democracy. In other words, the ordinary folks have gotten the hang of democracy, but maybe some of the leaders are not quite there yet, and particularly when it comes to compromise.
What's your reading of that situation?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, I think you're absolutely right, that the people of Iraq have embraced democracy. They proved it again on Saturday as they came out to vote. Twelve million Iraqis came out to vote. So, they clearly want to have a say in their country's future.
I believe the politicians are learning about democracy. They're learning about how a minority works with a majority government. They have to learn how you do work through tough issues. We saw them make improvements over the last year. And I expect they will continue to improve. But they're learning about this new process.
JIM LEHRER: What is your level of concern about the possibility of a power vacuum setting in, if it takes too long to form a government and violence could erupt again?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, clearly, we understand that this is a transition time. And transitions are always a time of risk.
But we have worked very hard with the government of Iraq during this caretaker government to try to ensure that security will remain. We have worked very close relationships with all the security elements, the minister of defense, the minister of interior, in order to ensure that safeguards are in place in order to sustain security. And I believe we will be able to do that through this critical period.
JIM LEHRER: How would you describe your own relationship between you and your immediate aides and fellow officers in the U.S. military and the civilian leadership, as well as the military leadership of Iraq?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Over the last several years, we have built extremely strong partnerships with many Iraqis. And we have done that through very difficult times, during the surge of forces in 2006 and '07, and now as we have implemented the security agreement in 2009.
We have built strong partnerships. We have built trusts with all the senior leaders, military and civilian across all parties. We engage with them on a regular basis. And we work very hard to continue to develop those relationships as we turn more and more responsibility over to them over time.
JIM LEHRER: Are they 50-50 partnerships, or is it now growing, where the Iraqis have more control than — than the U.S. did? Or how could you — how would you describe that?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, what I would say is, obviously, in 2006, '07, and '08, the United States clearly had a much larger role, when we were under the U.N. Security Council resolution.
In December 2008, when we signed the security bilateral agreement with the government of Iraq, we recognized Iraq's sovereignty. So, clearly, they became responsible for their own decisions, and we are a partner with them in helping them to move forward.
So, clearly, they make the decisions. We support them. We try to help them in order to provide security throughout Iraq, in order for them to continue to build their political base, their economic base, and to develop the democratic system. And, so, they clearly have more of a say than we do now.
That's the way it should be, and that's the way we want it to be. And that's how they will develop their capacity.
JIM LEHRER: So, you don't have a veto power?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: No, we do not have a veto. They clearly make their own decisions. We — we — again, we have discussions about issues. We talk about these issues. And we give them our opinions, but, ultimately, they make the decision about their government.
JIM LEHRER: Now, the — the timeline for the troop withdrawals, for the U.S. troop withdrawals, are they on track as a result of the elections?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: I believe so. I was very pleased with the elections. I thought the Iraqi security forces did a tremendous job. They planned and executed the security plan all by themselves.
Although there was some violence, most of it was low-level violence. We had no suicide bombs, no suicide vests. I thought, for the most part, it went very well. Unfortunately, there were some buildings that were destroyed that killed some Iraqis. But, for the most part, security was very good.
All of the polling stations remained open during the entire election. And the people felt comfortable enough to go out. And 60, 62 percent of the people voted. So, I think that's a good sign. So, based on that, I believe we're on track. I believe we will get to 50,000 by the 1st of September.
Only a catastrophic event would keep us from doing that now.
JIM LEHRER: Define a catastrophic event.
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, it's unknown. It would be something that would maybe turn the government or create some significant amount of violence.
But I don't know. It's very difficult to determine, because we would have to just work our way through it, do an assessment. And then we would — in Washington, we would make an assessment, give our recommendation to Washington, and have them make a decision.
But I really don't see anything like that on the horizon right now.
JIM LEHRER: Meanwhile, what do the 100,000 or so troops there that are remaining right now until September, what are they doing?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, we have 96,000 on the ground today.
They remain very busy. They are out every single day, partnering, training, and working with their Iraqi counterparts. We do it across the country, from Basra to Mosul, from Anbar to Diyala Province. They continue to work and do partnered operations across Iraq.
We are outside of the cities now. Iraqis control all security inside of the cities. We're — we're attempting to continue to build their capacity. So, it's still very busy. We will start to draw down here over the next several months. And — and, when we get down to 50,000, we will have a change of mission. We will end combat operations.
We will move to a more training-and-advise mission. And we will still conduct some partnered counterterrorism operations as we move forward.
JIM LEHRER: What kind of combat operations are U.S. troops involved in now?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: In reality, Jim, very few. I would argue that, really, we're more into stability operations now.
We support Iraqi operations, but almost every — every operation is — is — Iraqis are involved in. Every operation is led by Iraqis. We provide support and we advise them during operations. So, I would argue, in reality, we have really moved very close to where we think we will be on the 1st of September already.
JIM LEHRER: General, just — you have been at this a while. You have been in Iraq a while. And does the progress and particularly the time it's taken to get where you are now, to get where Iraq is right now, is this about what you expected? Are you surprised that it's gone so slowly or gone so quickly? What's your level of — your own expectations, have they been met?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, I would say, you know, depending on when you ask me that question, I would probably give you a different answer.
But, having been here since now 2006, almost continuously, back in 2006, if you asked me that question, I would not have thought we would have gotten here as quickly as we have. That was at the height of sectarian violence, moving towards civil war. And things were fairly dark here in Iraq.
And if you told me, just three years later, three short years later, we would be where we are today, I would have thought that would be a very optimistic viewpoint. So, I think we have made some really good progress here in the last three years. Security is better. There's still violence here. There are still groups that are attempting to try to influence the political decisions through violence, but they're much more — they're much less than they ever were.
So, I think we're better off. We still have room to grow and develop in military — in — excuse me — in economic and diplomatic areas, but we have seen movement here in Iraq over the last year. We hope, with the new council of representatives, that will continue to move forward.
JIM LEHRER: And I take it you're comfortable with the — the role the U.S. has played and the way it's played it since 2006?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Well, I think we have — we have — we have done a fairly good job. You can always do better, obviously.
But I think I have been very pleased with the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines here, what they have done in order to reduce violence, how we have been able to partner with the Iraqi security forces.
And I think the real surprise has been the exponential growth and improvement in the Iraqi security forces over this time. And I think I have been very pleased with that. And I now it's now set us up to turn more responsibility over to them in the coming — in the coming year or so.
JIM LEHRER: Was there a secret — when you look back on it now, was there a secret or any particular approach to the training that has made this possible, for the United States military to transfer their knowledge in a way that you're now comfortable with the — with many elements, or most elements, of the Iraqi security force?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: The bottom line is, when we surged forces in here, it not only gave us the opportunity to eliminate safe havens and sanctuaries and protect the population. What it did is, it gave us more troops to partner with the Iraqi security forces.
And what I mean by partner is, they did everything together every day. And them being with us, them working with us, I think, exponentially improved their capabilities much quicker. They have a natural — in Iraq, they have a natural bent towards their army and towards serving in their army.
And they learned. They wanted to learned, and they learned very quickly through these partnerships that we developed at the lowest level up to the highest levels. And I think that's what has served us well here.
JIM LEHRER: General, finally, let me ask you this. Have you seen the movie "The Hurt Locker," the one that won the Academy Award the other night as the best movie of the year?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: They actually sent me a copy of it about a year — about six or eight months ago. And I have had a chance to look at it.
I think what I like about it is it shows, first, the camaraderie that is required here, the tension, the — the risk that's involved in some of the jobs that we do here.
I'm sure many people would say it could be a bit more accurate in some areas. But I — I believe it's a good representation of the sacrifice, dedication that it takes here in order to combat such a very difficult mission of terrorism and fighting a war on terrorism.
JIM LEHRER: In general — in general, General…
JIM LEHRER: … are you — are you pleased with the way the — the fighting at the boots level has been portrayed to the American public through movies and other media?
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Not really.
I think people don't understand how complex the environment has been here over the last several years. I don't think they understand what it takes for these young men and women to operate in this environment. They have done extremely well balancing nonviolence and violence, having to be able to determine who is bad and who is good, who is trying to kill you, who is not.
It's a very complex environment. And they have been able to maneuver through this with expert — with expert — with expertise. And I think, sometimes, people don't understand how difficult that is, and how dangerous it is, and how brave these young men and women are operating in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
JIM LEHRER: General Odierno, thank you, sir.
GEN. RAYMOND ODIERNO: Thank you, Jim. It's been a pleasure being with you tonight.


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The Brando
The Brando defines the private island dream. Occupying its own island, Tetiaroa, in French Polynesia, The Brando is reachable only by private plane. Once there, prepare to experience the meaning of breathtakingly beautiful. Comprised of 35 villas dotted along the white sand beaches, the all-inclusive The Brando lives within nature's masterpiece. Sea turtles amble up to your private villa, exotic birds take vigil in the tree canopies, and manta rays dance along the shores. Enjoy the surroundings from your personal plunge pool, your private outdoor eating terrace, and your own stretch of untouched beach knowing that The Brando runs on clean, renewable energy. As stewards of Tetiaroa, The Brando is dedicated to preserving the environment, but spares no luxury: The two restaurants feature Polynesian-inspired dishes, East/West fusion, and classic French cuisine; the spa and wellness center, Varua Polynesian Spa, surrounds a lily pond, and organic fruit and vegetable gardens that supply the restaurants; also on the property is an expansive infinity pool, tennis court, library, cultural center, boutiques, environmental research center, and lagoon-view bar in the tree canopies. On the property, guests will find no shortage of activities between snorkeling, diving, sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and guided marine, bird, and cultural excursions.


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Half a million additional frontline police hours
Hon Anne Tolley
Minister of Police
13 February 2013 Media Statement
Half a million additional frontline police hours
Police Minister Anne Tolley says the introduction of smartphones and tablets for frontline officers across New Zealand will deliver around 520,000 additional frontline Police hours every year, with more Police work and less paperwork, to further prevent and tackle crime.
6,500 frontline officers will be issued with a smartphone by mid-2014, with 3,900 staff also receiving tablets, so they can access, input and share important information immediately, without having to travel back to their station to access databases or write reports.
Each Police district will begin the initial three-month rollout to 6,086 staff in April. Police are planning to widen the rollout to 6,500 officers by mid-2014.
"This is an exciting day for the New Zealand Police and the communities served by our officers," says Mrs Tolley.
"Our Police will be able to provide a better, more efficient and more visible service for the public, while keeping one step ahead of criminals.
"Having access to this new technology means around 520,000 additional frontline hours will now be devoted to crime prevention and keeping the public safe.
"An 11-month trial last year involving over 100 officers in four Police districts showed that these mobile devices allow each officer to spend, on average, an extra 30 minutes per shift on the frontline. When rolled out across the country to 6,086 officers that will equate to 520,000 additional frontline police hours – equivalent to about 345 additional frontline staff.
"The new technology allows officers to quickly feed in and access information, view offenders' photographs and details, and perform a wide range of tasks without a return to the station - a giant leap forward from the Police radio.
"Having prompt access to up to date information on people, places and vehicles will also reduce safety risks for officers and the public, with staff better able to make decisions on the ground."
The initial capital expenditure for the devices is $4.3 million, with operating costs of $159 million over the next 12 years. All devices are password protected and can be tracked and remotely locked or wiped if they are lost or stolen.
"The Police are completely focused on having the right people in the right places at the right time to prevent crime, and these mobile devices will be fantastic tools to help achieve even better results," says Mrs Tolley.
"Thanks to great policing, we've seen consecutive annual falls in the crime rate, which is at its lowest for over 30 years.
"But we are determined to do more, and to achieve the Better Public Service targets of a reduction in the total recorded crime rate by 15 per cent, the recorded violent crime rate by 20 per cent and the youth crime rate by 5 per cent.
"This new technology, along with
the 600 additional frontline officers delivered by the
National-led Government, and a 70 per cent increase in
Police foot patrols, will mean more Police are out on the
streets for longer, to keep our communities safe."


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Does Ebates offer a mobile app for iPad, iPhone and Android?
1 answer
Add an answer to this question
Ebates has mobile apps for both Android and Apple products. These are great. They allow members to enter products they buy away from home through their cell phones. With a smart phone you can use bar codes to add to your Ebates rebate amounts. The mobile apps can be downloaded from online web stores for these cell phones.
More Ebates Discussions
Does Ebates offer discounts to military families and veterans?
Yes, Ebates currently offers discounts and special offers to veterans and military families. They have a page with information on their veteran discounts here. You might also check out their homepage to see if they've posted any additional information about their military discounts. You can also sub...
Ebates's military discount policies are rated:
5.0 - 1 rating
What payment methods does Ebates accept? Do they accept PayPal, debit cards, e-checks, or BillMeLater?
That is absolutely no help at all. Ebates works faster with credit and debit cards.
Does Ebates offer a mobile app for iPad, iPhone and Android?
Ebates does not yet have a mobile app for Android, iPad, or iPhone. However, they do offer a toolbar browser app to assist you in finding cash-back deals online. Cash Back amounts are displayed in your search results so you can be sure you're always getting the best deal.
What is Ebates's return / refund / exchange policy?
Ebates does not have or really need a refund policy. The company keeps track of the rebates earned by a member. These rebates are paid out quarterly. A payment is paid out when the amount earned has reached $5.01. It is relatively easy to reach this amount with just normal pu...
Does Ebates ship internationally? Which countries do they ship to?
Ebates does not ship internationally. The company only ships payments out to customers and these payments are handled electronically or a check is sent out drawn on a United States bank. Ebates does not sell any merchandise that needs to be shipped. The company gives rebates on cer...
Is Ebates available in Asian countries?
Yes Ebates.com is available in Asian Countries. You can join ebates.com for free even if you are from Asia. But to earn money or cash back on this site, you need to shop on their suggested websites where you earn everytime you buy something. So the problem now is, if you are not from the US or...
How do Ebates users earn monetary bonuses?
When you become a member of Ebates, you have access to thousands of affiliated stores. Many of these stores are merchants you already do business with. By shopping these same stores online through Ebates, you will not only save from their online discount offerings, you will rack up a percentage of C...
What is the minimum payout for Ebates members each month?
The minimum payout amount is $5.01, however, the pay period is 3 months, not one month. Purchase Period Payment Date Jan 1-Mar 31 May 15 Apr 1-June 30 Aug 15 July 1-Sept 30 Nov 15 Oct 1-Dec 31 Feb 15
Does Ebates accept debit cards or personal checks?
Ebates is not the typical online business. Rather than requiring its users to pay the company, the company pays its users in return for shopping through the website. Ebates is the original for online Cash Back Shopping. Users can choose to be paid by personal checks if they wish. Another payment me...
Does Ebates accept PayPal?
Ebates does not take money from its site users but instead gives money back to them in return for shopping through the website. Ebates is the pioneer of online Cash Back Shopping. Consumers can choose to be paid back by PayPal as the payment method if they do choose. Other alternatives are pa...


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Syracuse releases pre-spring depth chart
Syracuse released its 2014 pre-spring depth chart Tuesday. The chart does not include injured players.
-Left tackle Sean Hickey is the only returning starter currently practicing in the same position on the line. Center Macky MacPherson graduated, left guard Rob Trudo has taken over at center, right guard Nick Robinson is out with a lower-body injury and right tackle Ivan Foy is suspended due to academics.
-Ashton Broyld is staying at wide receiver and Brisly Estime is the first-team H-back. Broyld bounced back and forth between the two positions last year after seeing time in the backfield as a freshman. Estime gradually saw the field more and more throughout the season before breaking out in the Texas Bowl with a late punt return.
-Freshman Corey Cooper is listed as an H-back. Enrolled early with classmate A.J. Long, the dynamic receiver appears to be the next in line (after Broyld and Estime) to take H-back 100 this semester.
-Defensive tackle Ryan Sloan is practicing with the first team. He's lining up next to returning starter Eric Crume, and has big shoes to fill with sack leader Jay Bromley graduated.
-Rising sophomore Marqez Hodge is taking over for Marquis Spruill as the starting middle linebacker. He broke out in SU's blowout loss to Georgia Tech last season, and showed more promise than arguably any other freshman on the defensive side of the ball.
10 Terrel Hunt Jr.
5 Austin Wilson So.
4 A.J. Long Fr.
7 Troy Green So.
Running back
23 Prince-Tyson Gulley Sr.
27 George Morris II So.
29 Devante McFarlane So.
34 Adonis Ameen-Moore Sr.
20 Greg Tobias Sr.
31 Clay Cleveland Sr.
32 Travon Burke Sr.
Wide receiver
1 Ashton Broyld Jr.
2 Quinta Funderburk Sr.
22 Adrian Flemming Sr.
84 Ben Lewis Jr.
Left tackle
60 Sean Hickey Sr.
65 Jamar McGloster Fr.
Left guard
57 Omari Palmer Jr.
71 Alex Hayes So.
70 Jesse Wolf-Gould Sr.
55 Rob Trudo Sr.
78 Jason Emerich Jr.
Right guard
76 Kyle Knapp Jr.
56 John Miller Sr.
74 Seamus Shanley Jr.
Right tackle
67 Michael Lasker Jr.
73 Jon Burton So.
Tight end
89 Josh Parris Jr.
87 Kendall Moore So.
80 Tyler Provo So.
42 Jacob Green Jr.
90 Cameron MacPherson Jr.
Wide receiver
88 Jarrod West Sr.
82 Alvin Cornelius Jr.
25 Jeremiah Kobena Sr.
16 Keenan Hale Sr.
20 Brisly Estime So.
13 Corey Winfield So.
83 Sean Avant So.
6 Corey Cooper Fr.
43 Frank Santos Sr.
Defensive end
94 Robert Welsh Sr.
13 Ron Thompson So.
98 Trevon Trejo Sr.
Defensive tackle
52 Eric Crume Sr.
99 Ryan Sloan Jr.
Defensive tackle
99 Ryan Sloan Jr.
55 Marcus Coleman So.
75 Wayne Williams Jr.
Defensive end
93 Micah Robinson Sr.
51 Donnie Simmons Jr.
91 Isaiah Johnson So.
Outside linebacker
38 Cameron Lynch Sr.
49 Alryk Perry Fr.
Middle linebakcer
33 Marqez Hodge So.
7 Oliver Vigille Jr.
58 Hernz Laguerre Jr.
Outside linebacker
35 Dyshawn Davis Sr.
10 Josh Kirkland Sr.
46 PJ Batten Fr.
4 Brandon Reddish Sr.
19 Joe Nassib Sr.
42 Joe Stanard So.
Strong safety
6 Ritchy Desir Sr.
24 Jaston George Jr.
26 Josh Mims Jr.
Free safety
18 Darius Kelly Sr.
15 Chauncy Scissum Fr.
39 Eric Anthony So.
21 Julian Whigham Jr.
2 Wayne Morgan Jr.
25 Eric Jackson Jr.
81 Alex Schoen So.
12 Ryan Norton Jr.
36 Alex Hodgkinson Sr.
92 Riley Dixon Sr.
Published on March 11, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Contact Stephen: firstname.lastname@example.com | @Stephen_Bailey1


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The former boxer champion was accused of punching photographer Antonio Echavarria with closed fist.
Former boxing champion Mike Tyson is facing a $25 million lawsuit from the photographer he allegedly beat up at Los Angeles International Airport last year. Tyson was involved in an altercation with snapper Antonio Echavarria as he landed in L.A. last November.
Both men made citizen's arrests on each other and were later hauled off to a police station, where they were booked for identical misdemeanor battery charges. The charges were later dropped due to "insufficient evidence".
But the case is far from over - TMZ.com reports the snapper has filed a civil lawsuit, claiming Tyson hit him with a closed left fist, and broke his camera. Echavarria also claims he suffered a concussion and strain to his spinal cord.


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I just got the Sony 50es a couple weeks ago. I upgraded from a JVC RS45. I'm wondering if I should of stuck with the JVC brand and went with the x55r. I have a 100" SI Black Diamond g3 1.4 gain fixed screen. What do you think?
JVC DLA-X55R 3D D-ILA Projector Page 2
The e-shift2 MPC can now be turned off from the main menus, something missing from last year's models. You'll find more about our recommended settings and calibration results in the lab write-up, but I will say the DLA-X55R needed very little work to produce a solid picture.
Visual Ace
Once a full calibration was complete, I had the opportunity to spend a few weeks with the DLA-X55R viewing a variety of different material. I did all of my viewing on a 120-inch-diagonal Stewart StudioTek 130 white screen with 1.3 gain. Playback was via an Oppo BDP-103 Blu-ray player fed through an Anthem Statement D2V3D preamp. I used AudioQuest Coffee HDMI cables and Better Cables Silver Serpent HDMI cables for all connections.
JVC always impresses with its 2D performance, and the DLA-X55R is no exception. I didn't see a lot of difference from what I viewed with its DLA-X30, but that certainly isn't a bad thing given the performance I raved about last year. Blacks were every bit as good this time around, and the JVC line continues to be the king of the hill in terms of dynamic range and black levels. The image has a very punchy quality thanks to the new lamp, which delivered a very bright image even in the Normal (low) lamp mode. Of course, you can always trade off some brightness for even deeper blacks using the manual iris controls. I like to have about 12 to 14 footlamberts on my screen for most viewing, and this wasn't an issue with the lamp in Normal, even with the iris nearly half shut. High lamp mode cranked up the fan a bit louder than I prefer, but it did produce some superbright images on my screen. During most movies, noise in the High setting wasn't an issue, but I noticed it in the films' quieter moments. Sony still has the quietest projectors I've heard in high lamp mode, and I hope this is something JVC can work on in future models, especially since high lamp is really a necessity for 3D playback.
Using a Minolta T-10 light meter, the highest contrast ratio I could measure from the DLAX55R at a mid-throw distance was about 43,000:1. This was in Normal lamp mode with the iris fully closed down. In High lamp mode, I could achieve about 36,000:1 while still maintaining a pretty bright image. But the lowest contrast ratio I measured was only 23,000:1 in High lamp mode with the iris fully open. This is better than we see from most other display technologies, even when they incorporate a dynamic iris system. My default ended up at about 35,000:1 in Normal lamp with the iris in its mid position, which gave me about 14 ft-L on the screen. This is pretty similar to what we saw with last year's model, which is what I was expecting.
I was lucky enough to get the JVC at a great time for Blu-ray releases, so I had a nice assortment of material to view during the course of this review. Some of my favorites for 2D playback were the recent re-releases of Lawrence of Arabia and Finding Nemo on Blu-ray. Both of these titles provide jaw-dropping imagery that tested the projector's abilities in so many ways. Lawrence of Arabia is one of the most beautifully shot films ever, and the new restoration from Sony is a testament to just how good this Blu-ray can look.
I also thought this would be a perfect film to test out JVC's new e-shift2 technology. Among the improvements JVC made to the e-shift function we tested in last year's DLA-X70R is a new optical lens in the e-shift2's light path, and scaling is now performed with more data points being sampled before the upconversion. Unfortunately, I didn't have one of the older projectors on hand, so I can't make direct comparisons. The DLA-X55R features five different modes for the e-shift2 function, including the ability to turn it off completely for standard playback. As suggested earlier, to shut it off in last year's models, you had to either enter a topsecret code into the remote control or use one of the Clear Motion Drive's settings (for more on this, and more detail on e-shift, see our review of the DLA-X70R (April 2012 Home Theater or at HomeTheater.com).
Each of the e-shift2 modes offers its own sharpness, contrast, and smoothness adjustments. The presets for these controls were pretty aggressive. I found myself using the Film mode for 99 percent of my viewing. It lacked the harder edges seen with the other modes and offered the most natural-looking images.
I didn't get much time to look at JVC's e-shift technology last year, although I got a few days to try out the DLA-X70R in my system after my colleague Tom Norton finished his review. My home theater screen isn't the biggest around, but at 120 inches diagonal I'd still say this is a large screen overall. My seating distance ends up being about 1.6 times the screen width in my setup, and I've never had any issue with pixel structure from D-ILA-based projectors. My vision has consistently tested better than 20/15.
Engaging e-shift on the DLA-X55R (or in my brief time with the DLA-X70R) revealed no apparent increase in resolution for me in my setup. The image looked slightly smoother with e-shift2 on compared with it off, but perceptual sharpness and detail didn't look any better. JVC is doing more tricks here than just upsampling the image, however, and I found the sharpening and contrast enhancements reminiscent of what I saw with the Darbee Darblet video processor that I reviewed in Home Theater's January 2013 issue. While I didn't find the results using e-shift2 to be quite as consistent as the Darblet when it came to sharpening and contrast enhancement, they were pretty close when dialed in. Since JVC lets you totally defeat e-shift2 this year, ultimately this just becomes another image processing mode that can be activated and tailored to your preference. But in my system, the image looked just as good without e-shift engaged. I can certainly see how this would be a feature you'd want if you sit very close to an extremely large screen, but that simply isn't the case for me.
One of the biggest improvements I see with this new JVC is its performance with image banding. My DLA-RS35 throws a spectacular 2D image, but any banding artifacts in the source material seem to get exaggerated a bit, which can be distracting. This was certainly the case with the new Blu-ray release of Finding Nemo. The undersea sequences are some of the finest highdefinition imagery I've ever seen, but my DLA-RS35 tends to show quite a bit of banding with the light variations in the water. Switching to the DLA-X55R completely eliminated this issue, causing some serious projector envy on my part. Gradients were entirely devoid of any signs of banding, and the image looked incredibly dimensional. The native high-contrast performance of JVC's imagers was on full display in the fish tank sequences as well, with amazing blacks and shadow detail. I can say without hesitation that this was the best 2D picture I've seen from any projector in my room to date. I'd love to see what JVC's upper-end models can deliver with their new wire-grid polarizers and higher contrast numbers.
The biggest improvement I saw this year from JVC was in its 3D performance. I gave the DLA-X30 some hard knocks on its 3D performance last year, and rightfully so—ghosting was prevalent in almost everything I watched, and it was a distraction that completely killed the 3D experience for me. Thankfully, it seems like JVC got the message, and this year it's taken a big step forward in 3D performance that's more in line with what I saw during my review of the Sony VPL-VW95ES SXRD projector. Now, I won't say that JVC has completely eliminated the crosstalk issue, but the company has managed to get it to a level where it is hardly ever a distraction, and you definitely have to go looking for it now to really see it. Even with difficult material like Despicable Me or A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures, ghosting was rarely a problem.
As with last year's models, you can get a boost to the image brightness by going into the 3D settings and adjusting the crosstalk cancellation adjustments. Boosting the value gives you some added brightness at the expense of more prevalent ghosting, but I found that there was usually a sweet spot that would allow me the best balance. Most of the time I could get away with a setting of 6 or 7 with minimal ghosting artifacts and have an image that was noticeably brighter than the default. Measuring through the glasses showed about 3.5 to 4 ft-L of brightness depending on where I set the crosstalk cancellation. If you opt to buy one of these projectors, don't miss this opportunity! Also like last year, the e-shift function does not work with 3D. You can adjust which preset you're using to take advantage of the other image processing going on, but the pixel shift to simulate 4K is not used.
The Best Keeps Getting Better
JVC has made some very worthwhile improvements this year to its already spectacular projector line. The refinements in 3D performance alone would make me want to upgrade from last year's model. While it can't match the flawless 3D performance of some of the DLP projectors I've reviewed, it is a big step in the right direction. Couple that with 2D playback performance that's second to none, and you have one of the most complete packages out there. I'm still skeptical of the real-world benefits of the e-shift technology for all but the most enormous screens, but I'm happy that JVC gives you the ability to tinker with the settings to make the most of it or simply turn it off if you don't want it. The DLA-X55R is truly a reference-level projector in every sense of the word, with very little room for improvement. If you're looking for the pinnacle of image perfection, you'd be hard pressed to find a better projector, especially at its price.