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Wilhelmsen happy to be this year's Mariners train
SEATTLE -- Tom Wilhelmsen hasn't blown a save this season and hasn't allowed a hit to a right-handed batter. But the primary topic of conversation for the Mariners' closer on Friday revolved more around his first big promotion.
Saturday night will be Tom Wilhelmsen Train Engine Night at Safeco Field, with the first 20,000 fans receiving the annual giveaway that has turned into a collector's item for Mariners fans. The annual promotion has been going on since 2000 and has included the "Gar Car" for Edgar Martinez, the Ichiro Express Engine, the Boonie Box Car, Felix Hernandez High Octane Gas Car and the Moose Caboose.
Wilhelmsen is happy to join the club.
"I've never had a train named after me," he said with a grin. "And in case anyone was wondering, I was not named after Thomas the Train. It's all good. My family will get a kick out of it. It's fun. It's cool that it's a tradition that has been happening for quite some time. I'm honored to be a part of it. And I didn't even have to dance or do anything."
Wilhelmsen has done plenty on the mound this season, where he's 9-for-9 in save opportunities heading into the A's series. He's retired the first batter he's faced in all 14 appearances and right-handed hitters are 0-for-25 against him.
"I'm getting strike one," he said. "You're going to be successful if you throw more strikes than balls, so that's what I'm trying to go after. Just fill up the strike zone."
As for his success against right-handers, he said nothing has changed in his approach.
"It's the same old thing," he said. "I'm approaching them the same way as lefties, really, just trying to get strike one and put the pressure on them. Most of the time we're in the lead when I come in. It's much easier to pitch when you've got the lead. The pressure is on them, and I want them to feel it even more with strike one. I've been able to find it pretty good so far and I hope it continues."
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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(UPDATED COVERAGE, 3 p.m.) River Ranch Fresh Foods is closing its Salinas, Calif., processing plant and moving those operations to Taylor Farms' foodservice and retail salad facilities in the same city.
River Ranch Fresh Foods and Taylor Farms are subsidiaries of Taylor Fresh Foods Inc.
River Ranch notified about 300 employees May 11 of the planned closure of its 44,000 square-foot plant at 1085 Abbott Street, which processes value-added salad and leafy greens products.
"Some of the production has already started transitioning to Taylor Farms, and the last of the lines should be moved by the end of this week," Kim St. George, River Ranch director of marketing, said May 14.
"Our hope is that the majority of the employees will be picked up by Taylor Farms," she said. "They won't have the people to run all of our value-added salads and vegetables. We've been working with Taylor and our union, Teamsters local 890, on that."
Sales staff are unchanged and all River Ranch products will continue to be shipped out of the company's Salinas docks and cooling facility.
"It really should be seamless for our customers," St. George said of the move. "River Ranch is still a viable operation servicing our customers like we always have, shipping everything out of our docks with the same services we've had in the past.
"Our products will be produced in newer facilities," she said. "Taylor Farms opened up their new retail facility last spring."
The closing plant is about 20 years old and needs renovating, she said, but no timeline is set.
"We're looking to upgrade and modernize that, but it is a long process," St. George said.
The decision to close was not affected, she said, by a March 27 letter from the Food and Drug Administration citing damaged concrete floors and standing water in parts of the plant. The letter outlines findings of an October 2011 FDA inspection that followed a voluntary recall of River Ranch bagged lettuce.
That recall was prompted by a random sampling in Ohio that tested positive for listeria. The FDA found listeria in samples taken at the plant, according to the letter. No illnesses were reported in connection with the recall or the inspection.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wheat harvest will begin soon in southern Indiana and some fields have high levels of Fusarium head blight (scab). It is important to be aware of the impacts of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, also known as DON or vomitoxin. DON is produced by the fungus that causes Fusarium head blight, and it is especially toxic to swine, but consumption of high levels of the toxin can impact the health of many animals. Reports vary on the disease and DON levels in wheat, but buyers may dock grain when contamination levels reach 2 ppm DON.
If wheat fields have not been harvested yet, check fields to determine if scabby grain is present. If the disease is present, increasing the fan speed on the combine at harvest can blow out the lighter scab-infected kernels, which contain most of the DON. There are many questions about how to handle and market scabby grain with high levels of DON, and we have attempted to answer the most frequently asked questions in this article.
1. What is DON or vomitoxin?
DON is a toxin produced by the fungus that causes scab. The toxin is referred to as deoxynivalenol and vomitoxin. The occurrence of scab does NOT automatically mean that DON is present, but high levels of scabby kernels in the harvested grain should be suspect. Conversely, high levels of DON can occur even when disease levels are low. DON can affect the health of animals that consume contaminated grain. DON also can affect flavors in foods and baking quality.
2. How does DON affect livestock?
DON causes feed refusal and poor weight gain in livestock. Hogs are most sensitive to DON, even at one part per million (1 ppm) contamination of hog feed. Cattle, sheep and poultry are more tolerant of DON. Diluting scabby wheat with normal quality grain may be a logical method of feeding wheat safely to on farm livestock.
3. What are safe levels of DON?
The Food and Drug Administration has established DON advisory levels as follows:
- 1 part per million for finished grain products for human consumption.
- Swine: 5 ppm (not to exceed 20 percent of ration with finished feed = 1 ppm).
- Ruminating beef and feedlot cattle, over 4 months old: 10 ppm (not to exceed 50 percent of diet with finished feed = 5 ppm).
- Poultry: 10 ppm (not to exceed 50 percent of diet, with finished feed = 5 ppm).
- All other animals: 5 ppm (not to exceed 40 percent of diet).
4. How can I determine if grain has DON?
The presence and amount of DON from infected grain can only be verified through chemical analysis. There are a variety of commercial laboratories and quick test kits for mycotoxin analysis. Testing facilities in Indiana that analyze grain for DON are listed in the Extension bulletin: Diseases of wheat: Fusarium head blight <http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-33-W.pdf>.
5. Will drying and/or storage reduce scab or DON levels in grain?
NO. DON is a stable mycotoxin and drying and/or storage will not reduce DON levels in the infected grain. If handled properly, DON levels will NOT increase once grain is harvested and stored. The fungus requires 22 to 25 percent moisture content to grow. At moisture levels below 18 percent, the scab fungus will not continue to grow. Moisture content of scabby grain going into storage should be below 13 percent. There is no evidence of DON from scabby grain continuing to increase, if grain is stored at appropriately low moisture.
6. How should DON-contaminated grain be stored?
When storing scabby grain, try not to mix it with good quality wheat. The light, thin kernels caused by scab tend to accumulate in the center of a storage bin, and hot spots may occur if higher moisture fine material is present in the core as well. Using a cleaner to remove fines from the wheat before binning and a grain spreader to distribute scabby kernels more evenly will minimize spoilage risks. If a cleaner and a spreader are not available, the wheat should be cored as soon after binning as possible.
Fields being double cropped with soybeans could be at higher moistures at harvest than in normal years. If the grain is being dried in-bin with unheated air, the grain moisture at harvest should be below 18 percent. With scabby grain, it may be necessary to increase the rate of air flow to decrease the drying time. This can be achieved by reducing the depth of grain in the drying bin below normal levels. For example, a grain depth reduction by 25% from 12 ft to 9 ft will increase the airflow through wheat from a 10 HP fan by 50%. If the harvest moisture is above 20 percent, it will be necessary to use heated air in either bin or column dryers.


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Tyler J Frederick wrote:There was a 30 foot opening on both sides. However, I'm looking at the picture or Aquitania taken in 1948 in a book on Cunard. I'm looking at the same area, & it looks like the 3rd class stern promenade has been enclose some. I only suggestion is to look at the 3rd Class Promenade on D deck as it looked in 1914, & the same area, same deck in 1948.
Tyler J Frederick wrote: I read again on The Picture History of Cunard that the paino on the Aquitania almost fell though the floor when the piece of flooring fell . What deck was the paino on when it almost fell though.
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Another dispute between the former owner of a car dealership and a former Charleston city councilwoman has ended up in court.
Pete Lopez filed a lawsuit last week against Ditty Markham in Kanawha Circuit Court, claiming letters she wrote to 19 people in June damaged his reputation and ruined future business opportunities.
Lopez previously owned City Motors Inc. in Kanawha City. Markham represented Kanawha City on city council for eight years.
Markham allegedly sent the letters after learning of a potential business deal between Lopez and one of the people she wrote to, according to the complaint. The alleged letter was intended to thwart Lopez in his business dealings by disparaging him to a potential business associate and others in the community, the lawsuit states.
"At one point, Lopez literally came after me," Markham wrote, according to the lawsuit filed Aug. 25. "I saw two large men at my door and opened it slightly (something I would never do today) to see what they wanted. Lopez pushed the door open and me aside, and he and the other man entered my living room. He threatened me to stay out of his business. I was very frightened and ordered him to leave immediately, or I would call the police."
Lopez alleged that Markham wrote that he was "truly a thug who ignores respectful behavior," and wrote, "I can assure you that his business will not be an asset to Kanawha City." Markham also wrote, according to the suit, that Lopez's wife didn't have an easy life, "being married to this bully."
All of the statements are false, according to the complaint filed by Lopez's attorney Stephen Gaylock. Lopez has lost business prospects and suffered emotional distress, among other things, according to the suit. He wants to be compensated for those losses and awarded an amount that would punish Markham.
Markham, a retired Kanawha County school counselor and former Kanawha school board member, said last week the conflict developed when she recently rejoined the Kanawha City Community Association. She added she would love to talk about the allegations in the lawsuit, but her attorney, Jim Cagle, advised her not to. She has not filed a response to the lawsuit.
The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.
Lopez said last week that he was surprised to be in another conflict with Markham — 12 years after he accused her of stalking and intimidating him. That charge was dismissed by a magistrate.
In 2002, Lopez filed a magistrate court complaint, alleging Markham "repeatedly stalked and intimidated" him, his wife and employees while disrupting his business, according to Gazette reports at the time.
Lopez, whose business was in Markham's district, wanted a "peace bond" to keep Markham from coming near him or his business.
Markham had consistently complained about the way the cars are parked at Lopez's business, saying many are illegally parked and block drivers' views. Lopez said in the 2002 complaint that he had seen Markham on his property after business hours inspecting the vehicles. She denied visiting his business.
Magistrate Tim Halloran dismissed the charge.
This is the first time since 2002 Markham and Lopez have dealt with each other, they both said.
Reach Kate White
at firstname.lastname@example.com,
304-348-1723, or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.


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While no one is ever prepared for disaster to strike, a local air ambulance company is taking steps to help Solano residents make the unthinkable a little easier to deal with.
In an effort toward emergency preparedness, individuals and groups can buy an annual CALSTAR family membership for $50, which provides coverage for anyone living in the household, according to CALSTAR spokesman Gene Hall, who has been doing public relations for the air ambulance company for the past seven years.
According to Hall, a typical CALSTAR flight can cost anywhere between $25,000 and $30,000, which he noted may seem expensive, but in light of the $6 million-plus aircraft that the company staffs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days each year, "it makes sense."
While some insurance companies pay for air medical transport in full, the average insurance company typically pays 50 percent to 60 percent of the bill, leaving the patient to pay the balance.
If anyone in the family is a CALSTAR member, the air ambulance will accept insurance reimbursement as payment in full. If the individual doesn't have insurance, CALSTAR will not bill the member.
Additionally, Hall said, if a minimum of 15 individuals from the same company or organization sign up as members, the family membership drops to only $35 annually.
CALSTAR responds not only to accidents, but also provides inter-facility transports, Hall said.
Both Kaiser Permanente and NorthBay Healthcare frequently have patients transferred to other medical facilities, such as University of California, Davis, Medical Center, in Sacramento; Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland; Stanford; and University of California, San Francisco, to name a few.
Importantly, if a Solano County resident has a stroke or certain types of critical injuries, Hall said it is extremely likely they will need to be transported out of the county for medical care.
"That's where the golden hour comes in," he explained, referring to the first hour of the injury, in which proper care -- or a lack thereof -- can be crucial in determining the patient's outcome. "Physicians believe that if a victim of illness or trauma can get treatment at the right facility within one hour, his (or) her chances of survival, or a much better outcome, go up dramatically."
"A CALSTAR flight crew can have a patient in Vacaville at Queen of the Valley in Napa in under 8 minutes," Hall said.
"Truly," Hall emphasized, "CALSTAR flight crews have saved hundreds upon hundreds of lives over the years."
For more information, visit www.
calstar.org /membership/.
Follow Staff Writer Catherine Bowen


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Dear Members,
Today my daughter called from her top-secret Air Force Base, no bad news made me/Tep feel so good. Tep always emails her how to meditate and I email her Buddha's verses. I used to cry each time she called when she was in Afghanistan for 6 months(years ago). Now I don't cry anymore, Buddha's dhamma truly helps me how to cope with departing from someone I love the most.
So today I would like to share this exquisite Buddha statues/Shwedagon Pagoda with my daughter and you all (YES..I'll email this post to my daughter..she loves Dhamma Wheel too) ...Many many pictures in this post!
Please click: http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=11199
Buddha Statues/Shwedagon


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Did You Know?
A female lemur carries her newborn to a new nest site in her mouth.
It's easy to forget that the Zoo is open during the winter (and that admission is FREE through February!), since walking around outside isn't exactly top of mind for everyone in Mid-Michigan on a brisk February afternoon. But the Zoo is open and almost all of our animals are still on exhibit thanks to plenty of indoor spaces for them to stay warm in. Nice weekends during the off-season draw lots of people out of their hibernation and provide plenty of viewing opportunities of some animals that are less active during warmer weather. Have you seen the video of Ramir playing in the snow over on our facebook page?
From November to March a lot happens behind the scenes as well. Our keepers still work their regular schedules to come in and care for the animals. In fact, the work they do doesn't really change at all regardless of the weather. Our animals still need to eat of course, but enrichment becomes even more important when some of our warmer climate species don't get to spend as much time outdoors as we would like them to. I must admit, before I worked at a Zoo, I assumed that the staff didn't work a regular schedule in the off-season. Seems pretty silly in retrospect!
Aside from our keeper staff, our events team has been hard at work planning plenty of improvements to favorite annual events like the Wild 1-Mile, Wine & Stein, Zoo Days and the return of the Big Zoo Party! The education department is, as always, busy putting together another excellent year of the Big Zoo Lesson (ok, so we're not a terribly creative lot when it comes to naming things…). Last, but certainly not least, our grounds crew is not only clearing our pathways each and every day, they are getting ready for the start of the spring season by grooming the grounds… when the grounds aren't covered by snow.
If you haven't been to the Zoo in a while, winter is a great time to check it out! Just remember what your mother said and wear a hat.
Also, I had to include that bit about the grounds crew because they threatened to bury my car the next time it snowed ;)


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STOURBRIDGE notched up their first win since the end of May by beating third-placed Brewood in Division Two of the Birmingham League.
The well earned 20 points mean Stour go up just one place to seventh on 144 points.
Penkridge (189) and Leamington Spa (218) head the field.
Richard Bradley won the toss and put the home side in to bat on a dry track. Brewood soon found themselves deep in trouble losing the top order on a sound batting pitch.
Stour had put the squeeze on grabbing six Brewood wickets for just 79 runs, Ikram Mudassaq doing the damage bagging five in his opening spell of 11 overs for 43.
He had both the openers, Richard Hewitt and Lewis Jelfs, caught for a duck and three respectively.
Once number three Andrew Day was trapped lbw by the Audy Alexander for 15, Brewood's middle order tried extravagant shots to rescue them.
That strategy worked until Mussadaq struck again in his seventh over as he bowled skipper Cameron Fox for 22 and in the same over had Chris Tranter smartly caught in the deep for 23. For his fifth wicket he had Richard Rawlinson lbw for 7.
Late order batsmen Luke Bird (12), Dave Wedge (31), and Robbie Byrne (12) played out valuable overs but still gave away five extra overs as they left Stour to chase 139.
Stourbridge opener Alex Bingham gave his side a perfect start by smashing the first ball from Dave Wedge to the off-side boundary.
Bingham then despatched the third delivery between cover and mid-off for a second four. With the extras on offer the first over produced 11 runs making Brewood effort look insignificant.
Wedge had his revenge when Bingham was trapped lbw on 10 with the team score on 21 in the fourth over.
Steve Game once again looked in superb nick with his skipper consolidating the score. Bradley looked equally calm as he hit a magnificent six only to be out to a soft dismissal caught in the covers off Robbie Byrne soon after. Game carried on with Audy Alexander taking his personal score to 40.
He was eventually caught in the covers from the bowling of Byrne to leave Stour with an awkward 43 run deficit with three wickets down.
Alexander, as aggressive as ever, kept the score ticking over but wickets tumbled around him. Josh Banks (2), Matt Bradley (6) and Jitesh Patel (6) all fell cheaply.
With pressure building, Alexander continued to chip away at the target with the occasional boundary to relieve the pressure.
There was still on moment of drama when, with just three runs required for victory and Brewood needing three wickets, David Wedge shattered Alexander's stumps.
However, the umpire ruled that Wedge had clipped the bails off in his bowling stride and declared a no ball. Alexander took advantage of the next ball scoring a boundary to seal the win.


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The chairman of a leading firm of auctioneers, estate agents and valuers, which has 10 offices in Worcestershire, Shropshire and Mid Wales, is optimistic about business prospects in 2013 after a busy and successful year.
Peter Willcock, from Halls, is looking forward to an exciting year, which will see the company move across Shrewsbury from the Welsh Bridge to new headquarters at Battlefield, with the opening date set for March 1. The new headquarters has two fine art salerooms, dedicated offices, storage space, 110 parking spaces and much easier access.
"We are upbeat about business prospects in 2013, in terms of the sectors in which Halls operates," said Mr Willcock. "Prospects in agriculture look reasonably good, the fine art market remains strong and the residential property market ended the year on a positive note.
"We are always looking to expand and develop the business, which is demonstrated by the move to our new headquarters and our recent investment in doubling the size of our residential property office in Ellesmere.
"Our new headquarters is going to promote and enhance the fine art department greatly," said Mr Willcock. "The fine art market has remained strong during 2012, largely driven by Asian buyers, which is why fine art director Jeremy Lamond and senior auctioneer and valuer Andrew Beeston recently spent six days in China meeting buyers at Beijing Art Fair.
"We are also looking forward to diversifying our agricultural professional services and developing the planning services that we offer."
Reflecting on Halls' business performance during 2012, he said the company had experienced unprecedented demand and prices for farms and agricultural land, which was illustrated by the £4.85 million sale by auction of Marrington Cottages Farm at Chirbury, near Montgomery, a 384-acre arable farm with two cottages and a grain store.
"I don't expect to see a great rush of farms coming onto the market in 2013," he added. "Sometimes farmers sell when they sense that the market is starting to slide and that isn't currently the case.
"We have a database of potential buyers for all types of agricultural properties, ranging from small parcels of land to large estates. We have also experienced an unprecedented demand for farms and agricultural land to rent due to the shortage of supply.
During the year, the company's workload relating to countryside stewardship schemes, whereby landowners receive grant support for managing and preserving the countryside, has increased. He expects this trend to continue as landowners seek professional advice to maximise grant potential.
"Improved livestock prices have benefited our auction centres in Shrewsbury and Bishops Castle," he added. "More farmers are bringing their livestock to market because they want to be sure that they are getting the best price for their animals and we can provide that."
Halls reported a welcome upturn in residential property sales in the last three months of the year and the company's portfolio of rental properties increased greatly. "We saw a lot more activity in the residential property market at all our offices in the last quarter of the year, which is encouraging as we enter 2013," said Mr Willcock.
"Throughout the year, the lack of available mortgage funding has been a major problem, but we have expanded substantially our portfolio of rental properties to let and expect this trend to continue. Due to stamp duty, many people are opting to rent rather than buy if there is a chance that they might not be staying in a property for that long."


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The smart combination of light and design
A range of petite, precision engineered spots that produce a surprisingly large amount of bright, sparkling light from three high power LEDs.
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The new residual Fierce herbicide has received EPA registration in corn and is now available for no-till and reduced-tillage field corn growers looking for a consistent, long-lasting solution to tough weeds.
Why is Fierce an excellent option for corn growers looking to control tough weeds?
1. Based on years of research Fierce provides long-lasting residual control -- up to eight weeks -- of tough broadleaf weeds and grasses.
Fierce on corn.
2. Fierce provides consistent control of a broader spectrum of weeds and grasses, than any other residual in the trials.
3. Fierce contains two modes of action-Valor herbicide (a trusted residual herbicide) and pyroxasulfone (from a new chemical family). Researchers say that using more than one mode of action is key in resistance management.
4. Fierce provides residual control of glyphosate-, ALS- and ACCase-resistant weeds.
"By combining Valor with pyroxasulfone, growers will now have a single herbicide to tackle even the toughest weeds and grasses," said Trey Soud, Valent product marketing manager. "Fierce consistently provides this superior broadleaf and grass control that growers need to help manage resistance and protect their yield."
Fierce is also pending EPA registration for use in soybeans and is anticipated to be registered in time for the 2013 season.


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Hamels optimistic for a late-April return to rotation
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Cole Hamels remains about a month behind schedule, but the Phillies hope he can rejoin the rotation before the end of April.
The left-hander threw a live batting practice session Saturday morning at Bright House Field, tossing two simulated innings of 15 pitches each. Earlier this week, Hamels said he'd need to have two bullpen sessions under his belt before he would be ready to pitch in a game.
"I feel great," Hamels said. "Just all the progressions I've been able to make for the last week and a half have definitely been positive. … I think we're just looking kind of how I respond in the next couple days and getting bullpen reps and seeing where and what they want to do."
Hamels opened camp in February, about two weeks behind schedule because of inflammation in his left shoulder. He had been progressing nicely until he suffered a setback March 1, saying he felt fatigue in his left arm. That pushed him back further, but since restarting his throwing program recently, he has been fine.
"Oh, of course," said Hamels when asked if he is more optimistic he could be back earlier than he thought two weeks ago.
Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure seemed encouraged with what he saw Saturday.
"[The] ball was coming out of his hand really well," McClure said. "Crisp, real clean; [he] didn't hold back on any pitches, had velocity and life. I was really happy with it. He's had no issues of late. I don't expect any either. We're pretty stoked about it."
If Hamels can rejoin the rotation before the end of April, it would be a big boost for the Phillies. They need plenty of things to go right to compete this season.
"If everything goes as scheduled, I would think towards the end of [April] there," McClure said of Hamels' potential return. "Somewhere in the last week, I would think so."
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Ethier looks to put Mattingly's comments behind him
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier said he does not want to become a distraction following manager Don Mattingly's criticism this week of the team's play.
Ethier was benched Wednesday in Milwaukee, when Mattingly said he wanted to field a team "that is going to fight, to compete the whole day."
Ethier, who spoke to Mattingly on Wednesday, said he would again seek out feedback from his manager, but doesn't want it to drag on.
"I don't think we need anything else to pop up amongst all the things we've got going on here anyways," Ethier said before Friday's game against the Cardinals. "We know it's stressful and intense enough to be going through what this team is going through and figuring out how to get things going in the right direction. We don't need to create another issue."
Mattingly said on Friday that his intention was not to single Ethier out.
"It's not just about Andre," Mattingly said. "It's about us as a team, the way I feel like we should play the game. It's not about Andre."
Still, Ethier said he reached out to teammates for feedback on anything he needs to change in his approach to the game.
"I just asked them what I can do to better myself," Ethier said. "It's a grind every day to show up and do this. You're not going to feel your best. You're not going to feel the greatest. You've got to figure out a way to tough it through and play that game. Sometimes you're not going to look your best, not going to look the greatest. It doesn't mean you're not going out there and playing hard. I try to do my best. It's tough to do on a daily basis."
Austin Laymance is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Peruvian Hairless Dog On Board Tank Top
Product Color:
Product information
The Tank Top Peruvian Hairless Dog On Board is the no-sleeve version of the popular favorite t-shape, ladies style. Perfect for use in sports where you are bound to sweat and need wide range of movement as well as on hot and sunny days, to avoid those tan-lines across your biceps.
Put Peruvian Hairless Dog On Board on the finest combed jersey which feels soothing against your skin. Peruvian Hairless Dog Tank Top is available in 10 different color options. Heather Grey: 80% Peruvian Cotton/20% Polyester. Remaining Colors: 100% Cotton.
Sku: TT1SG0000011500606060246BL0000000


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Media Guardian reports that the Marmite "Love it or Hate it" Blob spot was pulled from kids' TV. The ad, created by DDB London, spoofs the classic 1950s sci-fi horror film The Blob has been banned from kids' TV and TV shows kids' might be viewing (like Pop Idol) because it gave children nightmares. And it terrified two- and three-year-olds into refusing to watch television, the Advertising Standards Authority said.
The ad shows a large blob of Marmite squelching its way through the center of a busy main street, with some who try to out run it and others who happily run towards it and dive in head first. The ad can be viewed here at Marmite's web site.


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
tigel wrote:By those links alone, that clash dvd looks like shit. I'm sorry, but extremely boring, holes weren't that interesting, and the second part of that video was basically all on one hole 300 ft away zoomed in. No thanks.
JohnnyB wrote:What dvd's would people here suggest as a MUST HAVE. I'd like to have something around to pop in when the "What are all these frisbees for?" conversation pops up.
Anode|ION|JOKERi|MD2|FD|TD|PD|LEGENDaParks wrote:If the posts on this forum are any indication, the PD is like a Teebird with sunshine coming out of its butthole so hard that it flies faster.
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Here is a very rare 1979 EMS Synthi E that is for sale on eBay. There are a few very beautifully designed synths in this world. In my mind this one takes the number 3 most pretty synth right behind the Minimoog Voyager and Waldorf Wave. What a stunner! If I had $10,000 in disposable income I would quickly click the Buy Now button. So pretty! The videos are not the particular Synthi E on sale.
"For your consideration is this vintage 1979 Electronic Music Studios (EMS) Synthi-E analog synthesizer. Experts have estimated that this incredibly rare synth was produced in limited numbers, in fact, most approximate that less than 200 were manufactured. Of those that have been documented, it is difficult to find a better example, especially such a fine specimen with the original matching DKE keyboard (serial number 7137) and original patch cables. While highly collectible Synthi-A versions are somewhat accessible, the Synthi-E is virtually E-xtinct. Do not miss this opportunity own one of the coolest and rarest synths ever made, because it is possible another will not appear available on eBay for years to come." – los.angeles.guitar.shop
For the eBay listing: ebay.com/itm/1979-EMS-SYNTHI-E…
via Matrixsynth


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Analgesic Effect of Preoperative Dexamethasone in Gynecological Laparotomies - a Dose-ranging Study
- Full Text View
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The objective of the study is to examine the effect of the addition of intravenous dexamethasone 1.5 hours prior to induction of anesthesia on the post-operative opioid consumption, pain scores, fatigue, and recovery in patients undergoing gynecological surgery with laparotomy under general anesthesia.
This is a dose finding study with two different doses (0.1 mg/kg vs. 0.2 mg/kg) of dexamethasone to find out the optimal efficacious dose of dexamethasone with minimal side effects.
Dexamethasone has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and analgesic effects; and is superior to placebo in providing post-operative pain control, lower analgesic consumption, prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting, lesser post-operative fatigue, and better recovery profile. No dose response study has been done. The investigators hypothesize that a higher dose of dexamethasone may have an incremental beneficial effect.
|Postoperative Pain Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Fatigue
|Drug: Dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg) Drug: Dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg) Other: Saline
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
- Total cumulative morphine consumption via the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump in the first 24 hours
- Total cumulative postoperative morphine consumption after 48 hours
- Numerical Rating Scale at rest (supine) and on movement (on sitting) at baseline, 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery
- Total fentanyl administration intraoperatively and in the PACU
- Time to first analgesic request in the PACU
- Time to discharge from the PACU
|Study Start Date:
|March 2009
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Experimental: Dexamethasone
Drug: Dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg)
Other Name: Dose = 0.1 mg/kgDrug: Dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg)
Other Name: Dose = 0.2 mg/kg
|Placebo Comparator: Saline
|Other: Saline
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 65 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must be non-lactating
- 18-65 years of age
- ASA groups I-III for elective total abdominal hysterectomy (with or without salpingo-oophorectomy or minor bladder repair)or myomectomy through a lower transverse or low midline incision under general anesthesia. Incidental appendectomy and /or abdominal lipectomy were allowed as collateral surgical procedures if the same incision was used
Exclusion Criteria:
- Emergent procedures
- Diagnosed malignancy
- History of allergy to dexamethasone
- Allergy or contraindication to drugs used in study and anesthesia
- Patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, recent history of gastrointestinal bleeding or ulceration within 30 days before the study)
- Patients who have taken drugs in the 12 hours preceding the surgery that could confound the analgesic response (specifically analgesics, neuroleptics, corticosteroids, NSAIDs)
- Patients who have been on long term oral steroid therapy
- Patients with BMI>40
- Serious organ disease/ dysfunction
- Chronic pain patients requiring >30mg morphine per day or equivalent
- Severe psychiatric disease
- Drug Addiction
- Pregnancy
- Language barrier
- Inability to cooperate with the use of the intravenous PCA morphine pump
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01022528
|Canada, Ontario
|Women's College Hospital
|Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1B2
|Responsible Party:
|Women's College Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01022528 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 27, 2009
|Last Updated:
|October 15, 2013
Keywords provided by Women's College Hospital:
Elective total abdominal hysterectomy (with or without salpingo-oophorectomy or minor bladder repair) or myomectomy
through a lower transverse or low midline incision under general anesthesia
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Pain, Postoperative
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
Signs and Symptoms
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Postoperative Complications
Pathologic Processes
Signs and Symptoms, Digestive
Dexamethasone acetate
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Autonomic Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Gastrointestinal Agents
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
Antineoplastic Agents
Protease Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Minerva Data Cloud IT Service Management is an ITIL based, enterprise class, full-featured SaaS ITSM.
While most of ITSM products built by technology driven process, Minerva Data ITSM is built by user driven process, the result is a system that communicates simply with user, eliminates business complexity through flexible processes and higher productivity for both customers and users.
Minerva Data ITSM modules scalable and flexible:
- Service Desk.
- Request Fulfillment.
- Incident Management.
- Problem and Known Error Management.
- Change and Release Management.
- Service Management.
- Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
- Self Service Help Desk.
Minerva Data ITSM Features:
- ITIL based SaaS ITSM.
- Web 2.0 modern interface.
- Simple and clear.
- LDAP integration.
- SaaS customized security, email, user interface, reports, processes and business rules.
- Flashback query and As-of-Time ago data.
- Subscription and email sent HTML version of reports at designated intervals.
- Interactive selecting columns, applying filters, highlighting, sorting, breaks, aggregations, charts, group bys and computations.
- User ability to create multiple variations of a report and save them as named reports, for either public or private viewing.


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Was listening to a very interesting Dhamma talk by Stephen Batchelor today. In it he discusses how the Buddha didnt mean "there is no self", how awakening doesnt mean perfection or a getting rid of greed hatred and delusion and puts forward a case that the Buddha still exp. these things, in a sense Buddha never defeated Mara
He also discusses the Buddhas vision of society, the meaning of Sangha and the institution of Buddhism as not a set but changing thing. He also makes a good point about the danger of the "two truths" doctrine
He also breifly mentions engaged buddhism and rebirth doctrine
Its a really good talk with some interesting points i would recommend it
N.B. The bit about mara and nibbana not being perfection is at 22:00 and the bit about, the two truths being dangerous is at 49:00 onwards and engaged buddhism and rebirth at 55:44 but i would say the whole talk is worth a listen
would love to know what your thoughts are
http://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/wimpy/w ... y/2306.xml


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Manatee Information
Habitat, feeding, reproduction, social structure, anatomy and all the information about manatees.
Types of Manatees
There are only three living species of manatees and one of dugong being the only four species of the order Sirenia.
Manatee Conservation
The pacific nature and the careless behavior of manatees, made them victims of many dangers.
Facts about Manatees, West Indian Manatee, Amazonian Manatee.
Manatee Information, anatomy, feeding, reproduction, habitat and conservation
Introduction to Manatees
One of the most unusual of all the aquatic life out there is the manatee. You may also hear them called by the name of sea cows due to the resemblance they have to such land animals. They lead a very solitary life in the water unless they are mating or they are female with young to care for. They are plant eaters so they really don't bother any other creatures in the water.
The manatee does have some natural enemies though to worry about when they are in the water. Most of the time it is the young and the weak that are the most vulnerable to such predators though. They include crocodiles, alligators and sharks. What predators they have to worry about depends on the location where they live.
Of course their biggest threat comes from humans. They continue to destroy the natural environment. They also pollute the waters and this has lead to a significant number of them being killed in the past couple of decades.
You will only find manatee's where they water is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They tend to like it much warmer than that. This is why so many of them migrate towards Florida in the winter time. They do communicate among each other at this time as well as time part in the mating rituals. Many tourists from around the world head to Florida during this time of year to observe the manatee's as they migrate. In fact, there are some areas that allow the humans to swim with them.
The manatee spends most of its time either eating or sleeping. They spend their entire lives in the water. They are herbivores and enjoy a variety of many different plants that are found towards the bottom of the body of water they happen to be in. They tend to stay close to the coastal areas that are shallow to search for food unless it is scarce. Then they will move to deeper waters.
Top Manatee Facts
A great deal of what we know about the manatee comes from satellite tracking devices. They are in place by many different agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership. Due to their dedication we are able to see patterns of migration and other behaviors of this mystifying animal.
In the wild, a manatee can live up to 60 years of age with the right condition. They do seem to do quite well in captivity. However, the females can show signs of stress by not mating for several years after they are placed in captivity. Right now the oldest living manatee in captivity is 51 years of age. His name is Snooty and he was born in captivity in 1948.
While there is evidence that the manatee evolved more than 60 million years ago to survive in water, their time may be running out. They are considered to be vulnerable for extinction at this time. This is due to a combination of things including humans in the water, swallowing fishing line, natural predators, and even global warming. There are many conservation efforts in place though so hopefully these amazing mammals will be able to continue being a part of the Earth for millions more years.
There are three manatee species, still alive today:
Manatee Species
There are a couple of drawbacks involved with such conservation efforts though. First, since an accurate count of them can't be given we can't tell if things are getting worse or better until there has been a significant change one way or the other. The second problems is that the number of manatees around the Florida area does seem to increase. This gives the false indication that overall numbers are up. Yet they are really down due to the other populations decreasing in estimated numbers.
Manatee Information
- Manatee Information


text:
Note: This item is more than 12 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
March 14, 2005
Spring Turkey Hunting Prospects Excellent
AUSTIN, Texas – If predictions by state wildlife biologists hold true, there will be plenty of gobbling going on as conditions around the state bode well for the upcoming spring turkey hunting season.
"It should be a good season because we've gotten a lot of rain for two, three or four years in some places," said T. Wayne Schwertner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's turkey program leader. "Rain equals production."
This spring marks the first month-long hunting season for eastern birds, a testament to the success of TPWD's East Texas turkey restoration efforts. Eastern turkey hunting in Texas opened 10 years ago in Red River County and has expanded into more than 40 East Texas counties as turkey populations grew and expanded. Schwertner said the time had come to expand hunting opportunity. During these years of restoration, beginning in the mid-1980's, TPWD had a very productive partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation, headquartered in Edgefield, SC, and with the Texas Chapter of NWTF. According to a cooperative agreement with NWTF, that organization's staff worked with TPWD biologists to coordinate with other states to have eastern wild turkeys trapped and shipped to East Texas. A combination of hunting license and turkey stamp dollars paid for the more than 7,000 birds released across East Texas.
"As far as lengthening the season, we don't have a lot of concerns because it's still a one-bird, gobbler-only bag limit," he noted. "Once you kill your one bird you're done for the season, except for those who love to take others turkey hunting and enjoy the calling experience and introducing others to this great sport. I expect the harvest to increase a little bit, but I don't expect it to be much. The additional days should allow hunters to go out more and scout around and pick and choose when they want to go. It also gives hunters a few more bad weather days to stay in bed and still know the season isn't about to end."
The spring eastern turkey season is open in 42 East Texas counties from April 1-30 and is limited to shotgun, lawful archery equipment or crossbow, with a one-gobbler bag limit.
All harvested eastern turkeys must be taken to a check station within 24 hours. To find the check station nearest you, contact a TPWD field office or call (800) 792-1112.
Those hunters hoping to try their skills in some of the national forest lands in East Texas should note some prescribed burns have been taking place that could create new challenges and opportunities for hunters.
"As turkey habitat is improved by these burns, birds may spread out over a greater area, making them more challenging to find," Schwertner observed. "But it should make prospects better in the long term."
Hunters are urged to contact the U.S. Forest Service's district ranger office for each National Forest or Grassland before heading afield. Here is the contact information:
- Sabine Ranger District (409) 787-3870
- Angelina Ranger District (936) 897-1068
- Davy Crockett Ranger District (936) 655-2299
- Sam Houston Ranger District (936) 344-6205
If you intend to hunt in the national forestlands, an Annual Public Hunting Permit (available for $48 wherever hunting licenses are sold) is needed and provides access to several hundred thousand acres of public hunting lands in East Texas.
In the Post Oak Savannah, where some eastern turkey hunting has begun to spread, district biologist David Sierra noted, "I think we're going to have a good season, we had a good year for the hatch, and there are a lot of jakes out there if someone wants to take one. We never got that cold this winter so the birds shouldn't be stressed out. I've heard good reports out of Lamar, Red River and Hopkins counties."
Rio Grande spring turkey hunting season opens March 26 in South Texas and runs through May 1. In the remaining 119 counties having spring hunting for Rio Grande turkey, the season begins April 2 and runs through May 8. Statewide regulations allow the use of shotgun, rifle, handgun, legal archery equipment, or crossbow to take Rio Grande turkey; however, individual landowners and public hunting areas may further restrict the devices to be used. The bag limit for Rio Grande turkey is four turkeys per license year. However, regulations and bag limits vary by county, so check the regulations for the county where you are hunting. Only gobblers are allowed to be harvested during the spring hunting season. Consult the 2004-05 outdoor annual for season dates and bag limits in your area.
Hunters are reminded that a Texas turkey hunting stamp is required in addition to a valid Texas hunting license. The stamp endorsement is included in the Super Combo and Lifetime Hunting license packages. Non-residents who purchase the Non-resident Spring Turkey License are exempt from this stamp endorsement requirement.
Hunters in the southern part of the state will get first crack at strutting toms this spring, and TPWD biologist Joe Herrera in Pleasanton predicts the birds will be out in force.
"We're in our fourth year with conditions being excellent and the second consecutive spring of good rain conditions," he noted. "Consequently, our turkey population is on the rise so hunters should see quite a few birds. The conditions in South Texas remain lush; all the folks I've talked to cannot recall conditions as lush as we have today. I think hunters can look for an excellent season."
"We've had tons of moisture so it ought to be plenty good," echoed Max Traweek, TPWD biologist for the Hill Country. "We're already seeing some activity two weeks before the season. The hatch wasn't as good as we would've expected last year; we still have a lot of birds, but there will probably not be as many jakes running around this spring because of that."
On the Net:
- Check stations: http://tpwd.texas.gov/hunt/regs/2005/stations/
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Get MBA Entrance Exams Updates on Whatsapp & Email!GET UPDATES NOW
MBA aspirants must be updated with General Awareness on current topics. General awareness topics with analytically drawn conclusions will benefit you in Essay writing / GD & PI. Today, you will read General Awareness Topic:
Multifaceted Applications for Tablets
Soon after winning the 2014 general elections, the Indian Prime Minister (PM) asked the countrymen particularly the youth to gear up for manufacturing boom.
Pollution in India has recently reached unprecedented proportions forcing the government to take unprecedented steps like road space rationing through odd-even scheme in Delhi.
The Indian economic history can be divided into three phases - Pre Independence Period (Before 1947), Pre Reform Period (1947-1991) and the Post Reform Period (1991 to present).
Though the real estate is not considered as one of the basic industries in India but it is indeed an important industry as it delivers one of the very basic needs of the people of the country i.e. housing.
On February 29, 2016, the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely presented his third budget in the parliament which took care of the every section of the society while the opposition parties called it a pro-rich and anti-poor budget.
The French President Francois Hollande arrived in Chandigarh on January 25, 2016 on a three day visit to India. He was also the guest of honour at the Republic Day Parade, the highest honour, India can bestow to a foreign leader


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Income Taxes Got You Down?
Well, if perfessir Daniel Altman (an adjunct associate perfessir of economics at NYU, and former member of the New York Times editorial board) gets his way, your problem is solved – shelve the darned income tax – not to mention the estate and gift tax – at least for now.
That's the good news, though Altman has another idea, to solve "the real menace for our long-term prosperity" which he thinks is "not income inequality – it's wealth inequality…" And does he ever have a way to fix that – how about a "wealth tax of just 1.5 percent on financial assets and other wealth like housing, cars and business ownership"?
In his recent New York Times dissertation, Altman wrings his hands over the Gini coefficient – a number between 0 and 100 that rises with greater disparities. "From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, the Census Bureau recorded Gini coefficients for income in the low 40s. Yet by 1992, the Gini coefficient for wealth had risen into the mid-70s," quoth Altman. And since then, "it has risen steadily, to about 80 as of 2010. In 1992, the top tenth of the population controlled 20 times the wealth controlled by the bottom half. By 2010, it was 65 times. Our graduated income tax system redistributes a small amount of money every year but does little to slow the polarization of wealth."
We wonder how long it will take Obama to latch on to this dude for a czarship, or cabinet post.
Espousing wealth tax rates ranging from zero (for those with as much as $500,000) to 2 percent (for wealth above $1 million), Altman propounds that "these tax rates would garner a small portion of the extra wealth America's richest families could expect to accrue simply by investing what they already had." How nice of the good perfessir to deign that the "richest" among us only be charged a "small portion of the extra."
Give credit to this pointy-headed shlub for at least paying a little lip service to the "complication" which would arise from phasing in a new scheme such as this, given that "people who already paid income tax on the money used to buy their assets would not want to pay a new tax on them. Yet a reduced wealth tax – perhaps 1 percent in the top bracket to start (emphasis added) – would collect less from many of them than the current income tax."
Need we say more about the musings of this presumptuous snob?
CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR – This article contains general information about various tax matters. You should consult your CPA regarding the implications to your own particular situation.
Jeff Quinn, the author of this article, is a shareholder in Ashley Quinn, CPAs and Consultants, Ltd., with offices in Incline Village and Reno. He may be reached at 831-7288, welcomes comments at firstname.lastname@example.com, and invites readers to consider his other commentary at http://blog.nolo.com/taxes.


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ONTARIO >> Beth Les flipped through a thick manila file while rattling off items of note in its contents.
"Contacts of the general manager, the vet, the vet tech, emergency contacts, dates and times of performances," she said, as she continued flipping through the pages.
She went on: "Checking to see if the animals are alert and active, if they're the adequate weight, if their feet and hooves are trimmed, if their vaccines are up to date."
Pages of charts and texts fly by.
"Housing conditions, enclosures, water and food, enrichments, any special needs… ."
A small tabby cat sauntered into Les' office and nuzzled Les' ankle.
While her typical work is as the supervisor of animal services at the Inland Valley Humane Society, Les also serves as an inspector when circuses like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey come to town. Since they arrived Thursday, Les has conducted impromptu inspections every day and will continue to do so until she watches them leave.
"Personally, I don't believe in circuses because you have animals doing a lot of unnatural things," Les said. "But if it has to be, we're making it the best we can. I've been inspecting for five years and I have not seen anything that was abusive or unhealthy. That's what we're here for — we want to make sure the animals are healthy and safe."
Under the Animal Welfare Act, circuses are inspected at least once every year by the federal Department of Agriculture, the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife and on the municipal level, by local animal control and humane societies. Inspections are unannounced and each state and local government has their own set of rules and regulations.
According to Janice Aria, director of animal stewardship for Ringling Bros. and elephant conservation, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey owns three traveling units, a trunk unit and also the Center for Elephant Conservation, all of which are inspected at least once a year. Inspections are so frequent that the circus operates as if inspectors will show up each day, Aria said.
"Every time a citizen makes a complaint, there are folks whose full-time jobs and agencies are required to come out and inspect regarding the complaint," Aria said. "Bureaucracy is an amazing thing. A lot of folks have changed their parameters, concentrating on expansive requirements so we actually have a couple of people whose full-time jobs are to stay abreast of what those parameters are."
Because some cities and states require additional licensure or permits beyond that from the USDA, Aria said their team is responsible to be informed about any changes, which often occur throughout the year.
"The 21st century Ringling Brothers is not the Ringling Brothers of old," said Stephen Payne, vice president of Corporate Communications. "Clearly we have evolved over the 144 years of Ringling Brothers, and as we've learned more about the animals in our care, we've been able to provide even better care for them than 50 years ago."
Those animals range from Asian elephants and tigers to horses and lamas.
However, animal rights activists heartily disagree with the idea of wild animals in a circus and are pushing for legislation that bans the use of wild and exotic animals in traveling shows.
"These shows are on the road for 10 to 11 months out of the year and by the very nature of that travel and them needing to be in temporary accommodations and collapsible-type environments that are set up and taken down every week or every couple of days, it creates a lack of space and situations that make it impossible to meet the complex needs of these animals," said Matt Rossell, campaign director for Animal Defenders International, who was protesting at the Citizens Bank Arena on opening night Friday.
This week is called "the week of action," which encourages people to write to their representatives in support of the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, which would end the use of wild and exotic animals in traveling circuses.
Regulations are not enough, activists say. The only appropriate action is to have non-animal circuses.
"We consider the use of animals for entertainment to be unethical," said Jeshanah Chapman, 28, of Rancho Cucamonga who is part of the Inland Empire Vegan Meetup group. "We don't think it's ethical to use animals in any way, shape or form. Our job is to help animals and take care of them, not to harm them in any way. We want to minimize sufferings and show compassion whenever possible.
In May, the Humane Society of the United States and their co-defendants paid a $15.75 million settlement to Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling Bros.
It ended a 14-year legal battle initiated over unproven allegations of mistreated elephants.
And Feld said it was a vindication of its animal care, adding that animal-rights groups abused the legal system,
The initial lawsuit was filed in 2000 by a former Ringling barn helper. Ultimately, he was found to have been paid at least $190,000 by animal-rights groups that helped bring the suit. That made him what the judge called "essentially a paid plaintiff" who lacked credibility and standing to sue.
The case involved the care of Ringling's elephants and garnered much scrutiny from both the public and the media. Because of the spotlight on Ringling, Les believes that Ringling has "stepped up their game," in maintaining up-to-code conditions.
"Ringling has a big name and has been under scrutiny, so their conditions are actually above and beyond for the standards regarding circuses," Les said. "I've never seen anything even remotely substandard. Our hope is to strive for seeking out and maintaining the best situation for the animals."


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20 Cheap Summer Date Ideas
If most of your vacations invariably include a stop at a winery, you are going to love the new site, TastingRoom.com, which offers everything you'd get in a traditional wine tasting, delivered straight to your door. Choose from a range of their unique wine samplers — six mini 1.7-ounce bottles that have been filled using "taste technology" so that it's the genuine flavor of what you'd get in the full bottle — so you can taste, say, a few Napa Valley reds before deciding which one you want to add to your collection. And, right now, they have an amazing selection curated by everyone's favorite chef-slash-wino, Mario Batali. Cheers! $33 at TastingRoom.
When giving a gift that tugs at the heartstrings, it's all about the personal touch. This simple-yet-charming work of typographical art (Samantha & Michael not included) will brighten up any room. We love the large stretch canvas one, but they've got tons of sizes and styles to choose from. $149 at Red Envelope.
How to Avoid a Money Meltdown


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A MOTORCYLIST is critically ill in hospital after a crash with a car in Westhoughton.
A Toyota Corolla and a Yamaha motorbike crashed in Wigan Road near the junction with Coverdale Road, Westhoughton, at 11.20pm last night.
The 39-year-old motorcyclist, believed to be from Westhoughton, suffered life threatening injuries and is said to be in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
The driver of the Toyota, a woman, was not hurt.
Cllr Christopher Peacock, for Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, said: "Like all straight roads, there will be people breaking the speed limits.
"The current government have changed the rules regarding speed cameras, because some people thought of them as a cash cow, so it is virtually impossible for a local authority to put a new one in.
"All we can do is remind people that they must obey the speed limit at all times.
"I actually think the most problematic area of Wigan Road is the long stretch through Hart Common.
"I don't know how this happened but we all hope the cyclist is ok."
Liberal Democrat town councillor and former member of Bolton Council's planning committee Cllr
David Wilkinson added: "This is nothing new. Wigan Road is a dangerous spot, because people are driving down it too fast.
"If you come out of any of the surrounding roads, you put your life into your own hands.
"There needs to be a safety review of the area. I've asked for safety features to be included between Southfield Drive and Cricketers Way, but nothing was done."
Residents in the area said that, while the incident was tragic, it did not surprise them.
A resident of Wigan Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I didn't hear anything but last night, but you hear bangs round here all the time.
"We have petitioned and petitioned and petitioned and petitioned for speed cameras on this street. There are so many accidents and I'm getting quite sick of it.
"I'm not surprised someone has suffered serious injuries on this road and I don't think many other residents will be either."
Jeffrey Heaton, aged 52, of Broad Walk, which is opposite Coverdale Road, said: "I was taking my daughter to school when I saw the sign up saying an accident had happened.
"Something should definitely be done to make Wigan Road safer. There was talk about a pelican crossing and that never materialised.
"The bends are too narrow and there's been a few accidents. It's happened too much round here."
Any witnesses are asked to call the police's serious collision investigation unit on 0161 8564741.


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Get an overview of this hotelIntimate 19th-century palazzo in central Florence
Collecting Nectar Points
Special Offer: Book by 2 August 2017 and collect double Nectar points!
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Gothic palazzo
This palatial hotel is centrally located in the historic district near the Piazza della Repubblica, Ponte Vecchio, Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, Uffizi Gallery and Palace, and Galileo Museum. The hotel's turn-of-the-century architecture blends with the Gothic-style architecture of its typically Florentine surroundings.
Breakfast and bar
A full buffet breakfast is served each morning in the hotel's dining room, while after a day of sightseeing guests can relax into armchairs with a drink in the lobby bar overlooking the street.
Marble meets parquet
Guestrooms are characterized by a blend of Florentine and Venetian-style furnishings and hardwood parquet floors; bathrooms are clad in marble and include telephones and complimentary toiletry sets. Conveniences include free WiFi, flat-screen TV's, minibars, phones, as well as safes and desks.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Hotel Pierre
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
After enjoying a complimentary buffet breakfast in the morning, guests can organise tours of the city with the help of the knowledgeable hotel concierge at the 24-hour front desk. There is free high-speed wireless Internet access in public areas. At the end of a day's sightseeing guests can unwind with a drink in the lobby bar, or order up refreshments from room service.
Guests arriving by car can make use of the hotel's valet parking services (surcharge), and a porter is on hand to assist with luggage.
- Concierge services
- Free breakfast
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 50
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Television in common areas
- Elevator/lift
- Number of floors - 5
- Business center
- Coffee shop or café
- Free WiFi
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Luggage storage
- Laundry facilities
- One meeting room
- Multilingual staff
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Porter/bellhop
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Premium bedding
- Room service (limited hours)
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Phone
- Minibar
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Bidet
- In-room massage available
- Shower only
- Satellite TV service
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Flat-panel TV
- In-room safe
- Free cribs/infant beds
Where to Eat
Guests of the Hotel Pierre enjoy a complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast each morning.
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
- Accessible bathroom
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at 5:30 AM
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! One child 2 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 4.50 per person, per night, up to 7 nights. This tax does not apply to children under 12 years of age.
Optional extras
- Valet parking fee: EUR 30 per day
Hotel Name
- Hotel Pierre
- Hotel Pierre Florence
- Pierre Florence
We should mention
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport. Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation. One child 2 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


text: Rob Dyrdek, star of MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, 7-Eleven stores and Los Angeles District 4 Councilmember Tom LaBonge have partnered with street skateboarding's biggest stars to open a state-of-the-art Skate Plaza at North Hollywood Park. The theme of the Skate Plaza includes Rob Dyrdek's authentic street skateboarding cartoon and Wild Grinders toy line. As


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"You need an attitude adjustment," Samantha Logan told Adam Rourke.
She didn't care that he was rich, she didn't care that he was handsome, and she didn't care that her boss was his surrogate father.
She tried to ignore the fact that his deep voice hit her behind the knees and made her feel oddly off balance. And she was sure those heart palpitations were the result of drinking two five-hour energy drinks in less than 30 minutes and definitely not from a pair of broad shoulders, green eyes, and a sexy stubble.
He was way too cynical, thought he knew it all, and had her reaching for three Excedrin and a couple of Tums in less than five minutes!
Samantha Logan, he decided, was the proverbial sexy librarian fantasy - with dancer's legs and a curvy ass. Her blonde hair was piled precariously on top of her head, held in place by a bright yellow pencil. A few flaxen wisps had escaped, teasing against a softly rounded face. Square blue-tinted eyeglasses highlighted even bluer eyes. She was smart, sassy, way too funny - and she had no idea she was all that.
When she pulled the pencil from her topknot, he watched her hair untangle and drift down to her shoulders, in a sexy-just-out-of-bed, mess-me-up-more tumble. Adam hadn't realized he was even holding his breath, until he coughed in relief.
Right now, she was mad! Her bare foot angrily tapping against the carpet. And way too sexy - he tried to blink that observation away. There was nothing left to do but apologize. But she had looked him straight in the eye and insulted him!
Even after two tours of duty in Fallujah, Adam wasn't sure he could handle a woman who: wrangled a team of SEALS for the Wounded Warrior Project; was banned from singing, humming, or playing golf, had an oven timer that played Beethoven's Fifth; loved all things chocolate way too much; preferred puppy kisses over his; and owned a moose named Morti.
There was only one thing for this Marine to do - man up, take her down and demand a zerbert - whatever the hell that was!
Mature adult content. Over 18 please!
©2012 updated ebook edition, 1980 print published edition Elaine Raco Chase (P)2012 Elaine Raco Chase
Mom, blogger, and lover of books.
"Light, fun romance with steam"
Great, likeable characters and lots of fun. I love Sam. She is fun, sassy, and quirky. She keeps Adam on his toes. I liked when he told her he needed to download Urban Dictionary to understand her. She's not afraid to tell him when he needs an attitude adjustment. And he takes it all in stride, which is why they are a great couple. If you like light, funny romance with some steam, I definitely recommend.
As for the audio, it was great. The narrator, Rachel Logan, was easy to listen to and she was just fantastic. I would look for other books narrated by her.
pretty high
yes i was on my laptop
I love Sam and Adam is was amazing store
Tell us about yourself!
"OK story; poor performance"
Characters were interesting
This narrator mispronounced many words. Maybe that's poor production??? Don't know names of better narrators.
Glad to have found audible. I listen all day long while I work in my glass studio. Melting glass on a blowtorch is visual and the books allow me extra stimulation while I am working.
"There is more in the description then in the book"
The narrator for starters. She does not even take a breath in between the switch of male to female. No difference in the sound of the voices. I don't think she even understands a period. She goes from one sentence to the next without a breath and I kept having to repeat to understand who was talking. After the first hour, I just didn't bother. I thought it is such a short book, might as well finish it.... waste of time.
As for the book, lots of ramblings....
This was my first review after purchasing about 50 books. I was expecting an interesting book after reading the preview. I wish that is what I got...
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If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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President Obama's announcement Thursday that Americans can keep canceled health insurance policies for a year has left insurance companies and state officials scrambling to figure out how to respond to the latest twist in the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act.
The President's tweak will affect insurance companies, many of which have already dropped certain plans in order to comply new standards under federal health reform.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, for example, was ready to notify 66,000 of its members with individual policies that they would have to enroll in a new plan. The company is the state's largest underwriter of this kind of coverage, with 106,000 members total enrolled in individual plans.
Now, the company will hold off on any type of action until it fully understands the implications of the rule change. The insurer issued a statement Thursday saying:
"Since 2010, we've been committed to complying with the health care law. We're continuing to monitor these developments to understand the president's new direction. We'll seek guidance from our state and federal regulators before we can clearly define any actions we may take."
Meanwhile, state officials, specifically those at the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, should have a statement on the matter tomorrow.
According to Obama's announcement, insurance companies must also notify customers in the coming weeks of what those previously cancelled policies lack, and of options consumers have for better coverage under the new law.
"Americans whose plans have been canceled can choose to re-enroll," he said.
However, insurance companies are not mandated to offer the policies again, and the decision about how to carry out the change will be left to individual states.
Administration officials have said policies have been canceled because they do not comply with new coverage requirements prescribed by Obamacare, and that the new system offers consumers better, higher quality options.


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Autumn trademarks in San Diego — dense fog and Chinese flame trees
November is our real fall
8:30 a.m., Sept. 24
The theme of NWEAMO 2013 is Emotional Circuits: Electric animal. Friday, April 26, at 8:00 p.m. will feature NYC's the IMPetus trio making their first West Coast appearance.
Saturday, April 27 at 8:00 p.m. Dr. Panksepp will open with a pre-concert talk on his groundbreaking research and ideas, which are reshaping how we think of ourselves and our felt fellow creatures.
The concert will then feature premieres by San Diego composers Bob Kostlan, and Bill Bradbury, and conclude with a new work by Joseph Martin Waters, in which IMPetus will rejoin the stage with the SWARMIUS-Hausmann Project and friends to create the SWARMIUS-Hausmann Tsunami Orchestra, to finish off the festival with a new six movement work created in consultation with Dr. Panksepp and applying new ideas about emotions.
General admission is $20, seniors $15, and admission for students and children is $10.
4190 Front Street, San Diego, 92103
Get directions
Please log in to submit event corrections


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Video: Harmony Universal Remotes
Most of the people appearing in our videos are employees at Crutchfield. We pull in folks from around the company to share their expertise. A lot of our on-camera stars come from our Advisor Group — they help people choose the right gear via phone, email and chat every day, so they're good at explaining the products and technologies.
Heads up!Welcome to this article from the Crutchfield archives. Have fun reading it, but be aware that the information may be outdated and links may be broken.
Our experts check out a Harmony remote and share their impressions.
Video Transcript
Ken: Hi, I'm Ken.
Amanda: And I'm Amanda. And Ken, if you have a TV and surround sound system at home you probably have a pretty impressive collection of remotes, like we've got right here.
Ken: Well that's right. To watch a movie with this system, I'd have to press six or seven buttons on four different remotes. Heck, I'd probably have to write myself out a cheat sheet.
Amanda: I've actually had to do that before for guests. But with the Harmony remote, it actually replaces all four of these remotes, and all you have to do is press an "Activity" button labeled really intuitively, like "Watch TV" or "Watch a DVD." And it sets everything properly, it turns on the system and that's it — one button.
Ken: Well that sounds good, but what about programming? I've heard of remotes that are so complicated people pay to get them programmed.
Amanda: Right, well fortunately, it's a whole lot easier here. All I had to do was connect this remote to my computer with the included USB cable, go onto Harmony's website, answer some really simple questions, like how my components are connected and what's in my system. And then it sent the shortcut commands to my remote and that was it.
Ken: Cool. What if somebody comes in and starts playing with your system — you know, kids pressing buttons, in-laws turning knobs.
Amanda: Yeah. Normally it could be a frustrating situation. But fortunately there's this "Help" button here. So, if something's just not working the way you think it's supposed to, you just press "Help," and it asks you again some really simple questions like "Is the DVD player on?" or "Is the receiver set to DVD output?" for example. And just works through it till it figures out what's wrong and fixes it.
Ken: Wow, step-by-step help right?
Amanda: Exactly.
Ken: And you said this model has a touchscreen?
Amanda: It does. And I like that, it's slick and easy to use. Other models include the ability to work with Harmony's RF wireless extender so that they can actually control components that are locked away, hidden inside a cabinet or even in another room.
Ken: That's cool. Can I borrow it?
Amanda: Ah, not too likely, no. Sorry.


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DEAR JOAN: At the Lafayette Reservoir, my walking companion and I recently saw a small lobster crossing the asphalt loop path on a journey away from the lake. We decided it was a crawdad. As a gilled creature that lives in freshwater, why was it out for a stroll on land?
DEAR T.H.S.: Crawdads are not like fish and can live out of water. In fact, when the area they're living in gets too crowded, they head inland and live in burrows.
We thought we had problems with raccoons and grubs. Imagine having mudbugs in your lawn.
Holiday hazards
As we head ever closer to Christmas and New Year's, most of our homes have been transformed to celebrate the season.
It's great for us, but it's not the safest environment for our pets. So take heed of these tips offered by East Bay SPCA veterinarian Gwen Gadd, and avoid any emergency trips to the vet's office.
Missing dog
A man is looking for his 9-month-old pit bull, Daisy, who ran into a neighborhood near Arthur Road in Martinez after a car accident Dec. 10.
The man's car had broken down on Interstate 680 and was on the shoulder of the highway waiting for a tow truck. Another vehicle struck it from behind, injuring the man and his friend.
In all the chaos, Daisy ran away and hasn't been seen since. Daisy is brindled brown in color with erect ears. She is microchipped but lost her collar.
If anyone has seen her, please call Martinez Animal Services at 925-335-8330.
Contact Joan Morris at email@example.com; or P.O. Box 8099, Walnut Creek, CA 94596.


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December 18, 2012
The Lupus Research Institute's Coalition of patient groups throughout the country were among 150+ groups that presented this joint letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today. The letter requested improvements to the proposed Essential Health Benefits (EHB) rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month. In its November 26 issuance, the HHS had outlined the types of benefits that insurance plans must cover beginning in 2014.
Responding during the 30-day open comments period allowed by the HHS, we requested several stipulations to protect patients including:
- Increased coverage of all or nearly all drugs in each class.
- Guaranteed coverage of new drugs, but not at the expense of older ones.
- Defined process for patients to petition for coverage of non-covered
- medications.Limited cost-sharing of expenses to patients.
- Defined framework for enforcing measures that prevent denial of coverage based on discrimination against particular conditions.


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Ive been looking for a disc close to a wraith with a little more stablilty, kinda like a longer teebird. I was gonna use a star teerex but they are having issues with stablity so im thinking about the DD.
Are they straight with a little fade for a 450 throw? like a champ teebird for a 375-400 throw? i want the S-Line right it is the star type correct?


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I have two Shure wireless microphone systems I use during my live performance. I bought one in Berlin and it's 220V for the shows I play in Europe. It's rather new and working fine. The other one I own is pretty old, 120V/USA power based and the original wall wart power supply became frayed and stopped functioning. I replaced the power cable/unit with a cheapo Radio Shack multifunction device. On it's face you can select multiple amp settings to match your product. Long story short it's causing some line hum and I think it's time to just buy a new wireless mic system for the USA. I really like the Shure SM58 systems because you really don't get any feedback with them. I jumped online to buy one the Shure PGX/SM58 combo that I decided will work for me. However, I noticed the following warning:
"Consumer Alert: Most users do not need a license to operate this wireless microphone system. Nevertheless, operating this microphone system without a license is subject to certain restrictions: the system may not cause harmful interference; it must operate at a low power level (not in excess of 50 milliwatts); and it has no protection from interference received from any other device. Purchasers should also be aware that the FCC is currently evaluating use of wireless microphone systems, and these rules are subject to change. For more information, call the FCC at 1-888- CALL-FCC (TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC) or visit the FCC's wireless microphone website at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones."
On further inspection I also noticed that the same Shure PGX24/SM58 system came in three options: H6, J6 or L5. I continued my Google searching to see if these microphones were about to be obsolete and discovered the FCC page discussing why and when the 700 MHZ spectrum was taken from consumer mic use and put to use for emergency services: fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones
So here's my questions: Does the current hure PGX24/SM58 systems for sale use the 700 MHZ spectrum or are they safe to buy? I believe they are. But then why the warning on every page they are for sale on? In addition is there any difference in the options H6, J6 or L5?


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Jeans never go out of style. And we've got a lot of different jeans styles. And fits. We're talkin' stretch, cropped, high-waisted, mid-waisted, 90s mom jeans. You're looking for it? We probably got it.
Find new arrivals in New In
Find your new favorite jeans in the jeans guide
For the latest news, get on our list


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Dare to believe in our common humanity.
Six years ago, Shannon Galpin walked away from her career as an athletic trainer and used her own limited funds to launch Mountain2Mountain and "be the change" she wished to see in the world. Today, Shannon and the M2M team, are just returning from their latest trip to Afghanistan where they launched the Streets of Afghanistan project and rode bicycles through Kabul to raise awareness of cultural barriers and empower women and girls in conflict regions.
We believe in the power of voice as a catalyst for social action.
Here at Osprey, we are proud to support Shannon and M2M's work, both in the US and in Afghanistan. This year in particular, we're incredibly proud of Shannon, who is one of the National Geographic Adventure's Adventurer of the Year nominees—and you can vote for her throughout all of November and into January! To celebrate and stoke the fire of Shannon's work, we're highlighting this incredible organization for the entire month of November. Please join us and spread the word about M2M.
Here's what you can do:
- Use your voice. Share a photo or video from M2M with your online network on Facebook. Make sure to tag M2M and Osprey Packs in your post.
- Tell a story. Post a photo of your own on the Osprey Packs Facebook wall. Your photo can be of someone that inspires you, or an image that you believe exemplifies our common humanity. Just make sure to write a short caption that tells us about your image.
At the end of the month, we will be choosing three people at random to highlight right here on our blog and Facebook page and we will also award each winner with an Osprey Raptor Hydration Pack!
Please share your stories between November 7 and 29. We will choose three winners on Friday, November 30. You can share and submit from anywhere in the world, but we will only ship prizes to addresses within the United States and Canada.


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Avon Walk Weekly Update
It's time for my weekly checkin for how my Avon Walk training. If you'd like to see my full training calendar, check it out here or on the left sidebar of my blog.
Thoughts on training so far: I didn't do very well with my training this week. I had a lot going on and it was hard to get to the gym. But I made a lot of progress on my fundraising. I also talked with my friend A, who is doing the walk with me, and we decided on when we're coming and going to SF, so that was progress as well.
Miles walked last week: 0
Minutes doing cardio: 66
Minutes doing cross training or weight lifting: 0
Total $$ raised: $795
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! If you'd like to donate to support my walk, you can make a donation on my Avon Walk page.
And now, I'd like to announce the winner of the cute Avon tote… The winner is a local blogger – Boston Chomper!! Send me your mailing address and I'll get the tote out to you ASAP.
2 Responses to "Avon Walk Weekly Update"
Yay! It's a bonus to be rewarded for supporting a worthwhile cause. 🙂
Just got my bag today and it is very cute! Thanks again and I hope your fundraising continues to be successful.


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(UPDATED COVERAGE, Aug. 22) DNE World Fruit Sales is flexing its Florida marketing muscle by adding a large Indian River grower-shipper.
It's also adding a central Florida grower-shipper.
This fall, the Fort Pierce, Fla.-based DNE plans to market fruit for Premier Citrus Packers LLC, Vero Beach, and John Stephens Inc. Frostproof.
During the 2012-13 season, Premier packed about 1 million cartons of grapefruit, oranges and honey tangerines, making it the state's 11th largest single citrus packinghouse, according to statistics from the Florida Citrus Administrative Committee, Lakeland.
Stephens packed around 420,000 cartons of mostly oranges and tangerines while Premier focused primarily on grapefruit, according to the citrus committee.
Kevin Swords, DNE Florida citrus sales manager, said the company marketed for Premier, which understands DNE's needs.
He said DNE will sell Premier's fruit domestically; the company uses to market its own fruit. Stephens sold fruit through other marketers.
"With Premier, their volume is such that we will have a lot more Indian River grapefruit to offer our current customer base and allow us to expand with some new accounts we're not currently doing business with," Swords said.
"Stephens is a nice addition in that it will give us a nice mix of grapefruit, juice oranges and tangerines," he said. "Combined, it gives us a bigger critical mass."
DNE also markets for Fellsmere, Fla.-based Sun-Ag, Haines City Citrus Growers Association and Orange Ring, both in Haines City, Fla., and Vero Beach-based Indian River Exchange Packers and Quality Fruit Packers of Indian River Inc.
DNE plans to market more than 5 million cartons of Florida fruit this year.
DNE is the sales arm of Fort Pierce-based Bernard Egan & Co.