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The opportunity
We believe every individual and organization has the potential to become great—it involves putting people first, tapping into your purpose, and harnessing the transformative power of technology. We help with all three.
At the intersection of your organization's leadership, marketing and IT teams, Domain7 helps you pursue not just the digital opportunity, but the human one.
What we do
Through a highly collaborative process, Domain7 creates innovative, empathetic digital experiences that help organizations grow and communities connect. Our process is designed to change our clients for the better, by bringing empathy and human-centered thinking to everything we do. Which is this:
Business, brand and marketing strategy
Consulting, research, naming, ideation and planning
Digital design
UX design, responsive design, logo and identity services
Content creation
Story advising, film production, photography, copywriting
Workshops and facilitation
Prototyping and concept workshops, discovery workshops
Web platforms
Digital user experiences, web accessibility and user testing
Systems integration
Cloud applications, custom web software tools
About Domain7
Founded in 1997, by Shawn Neumann
Offices in Vancouver & Abbotsford
Approximately 40 team members
Serving clients in Canada, USA and the UK, across industries including higher education, non-profit, startups, retail, technology and more
Featured in FastCompany, Applied Arts, The Globe & Mail, Communication Arts, CNBC, BC Business, BC's Fastest Growing Companies
Pick your favourite term: We're alternately called a web agency, a software company, a user-experience design firm, a digital transformation agency, a digital consultancy, or simply (and hopefully), your partner.
Domain7 means 'perfect place.' It's the word that describes our vision of a nearly impossible goal: of an entire world made better. It stands alongside terms like utopia, shalom, world peace. But it's the journey we're all on, the one we may never get to—that never-ending quest to find greatness—and it's what keeps us constantly moving forward.
Empathy, depth and purpose: why we're different
With the variety of digital agencies, innovation consultancies and web talent available to choose from, why would Domain7 make your shortlist?
1. Our digital depth: Some agencies are new to the web game; they've bolted on "digital services" as an afterthought. Our roots are in the web: full-stack development for the browser was our first focus, we were first-movers in the responsive design trend, and we've built a trusted, competent, technical team that delivers.
2. Our disciplined project management: A 2011 Harvard Business Review article pointed out that "IT projects are now so big, and they touch so many aspects of an organization, that they pose a singular new risk...they have sunk whole corporations." We recognize the value and worth of your projects, and match that with rigorous, transparent project management.
3. Our empathy creates results: We create emotionally-resonant work that makes an impact. It comes from thoughtful research and active listening to help us understand our clients' real needs, their customers, their cultures, their pain points. It translates to sensitive and sound business strategies, powerfully emotive design, and human-centered user experiences.
4. Connect with something bigger: We're an organization that seeks the bigger picture. We want the web and the world to be a better place, and our whole culture exists in pursuit of human betterment. When you work with us, you become part of that tribe and movement, too.
5. You'll really like being part of our team: You can meet them here. We're a friendly, fun, fascinating team, and we don't hide our people behind executives. You'll become part of our team when you work with us: we believe real, attainable transformation happens when we collaborate closely together.
6. We help build your capacity to do more. We believe the best digital strategies don't involve blowing up your website every 2-3 years. Instead, you should be iterating based on user feedback and continuous testing. This can happen with a healthy digital culture paired with smart systems. Our process of close collaboration helps you build both. It's what we mean when we say, "change is in the making."
I loved working with your project managers. The project was a lot more technical than we had anticipated but they explained complexities in easy to understand ways. It meant they quickly gained my trust. Honestly they exceeded my expectations at nearly every turn.
Our approach
If you want transformation, it doesn't come from simply strategizing, it comes from making. Doing. Building. Executing. Launching. Shipping. It doesn't come from buying a product or service—it comes from creating. Our approach invites you to be part of the creation process. Change is in the making.
We do our best work (and you do your most significant changing) when you are deeply involved with entire process, in a real partnership. It's our goal for each collaboration: that our clients leave with healthier cultures and greater capacity.
Imagine what's possible, together
Our partnerships are designed to adapt your business to compete in the digital age. Imagine what's possible: a completely custom cloud application to run your enterprise. A seamless web user-experience for desktop, tablet and
smartphone devices. A powerful, emotional storytelling experience to re-inspire your audience. A transformed organization.


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A's option OF Taylor to Sacramento
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's optioned outfielder Michael Taylor to Triple-A Sacramento following the game tonight, the club announced.
Taylor was recalled from Sacramento May 4 for his second stint with the A's this year and went 1 for 17 with two walks in six games, including five starts. He was also with the A's from April 13 to 22 and is batting .043 with no RBI in nine games overall with Oakland. Taylor has a .329 average, five home runs and 16 RBI in 18 games with the River Cats.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Just wanted to let everyone know that near the top of the site you will now see yellow tabs labeled podcasts, tips, and videos. These are new sections we have created for you which we think you will really enjoy and really benefit from. Better Outdoor Does First Podcast The podcasts are going to be rolled out as frequently as we can through our "LawnSite Podcast Series". The very first one is with a long time member and supporter of this forum, Gary Patridge. The podcasts will be different each time and I actually hope to interview some of our very own members here at the site to discuss their business. Wright Mfg Brings The Very First Tip of The Trade The tips tab will lead to our "Tips of the Trade" section which will coincide each month with our magazine, Turf. There will be different tip categories including commercial mowing, hand held equipment, irrigation, bidding and estimating, lighting and a lot more. These tips are designed to help you grow and improve your business. The very first tip as you will see is a stand-on mower tip and it is brought to you by Wright Mfg. Be sure to check that out. Finally, our new video section is something we have been working on for awhile. This is our very own version of youtube.com. It is your opportunity to post your own videos or videos of interest from places like youtube.com. It is very easy to use and upload videos. Right now I am the only one who has added a video but feel free to add videos in the different categories we have set up. If you cannot find the category your video fits into, place it in the miscellaneous section for now and we will keep creating categories. We are really excited about these new features we are bringing you - afterall, these are the options we have been asked for by you - our members here at the site. LawnSite.com is the largest, most visited business to business web site in the entire lawn care and landscaping industry, with more members and more traffic than anywhere else. The reason is because of our members and our sponsors who make new features like this possible and necessary. Enjoy and let us know if you have any questions, problems, or other suggestions.


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- Watch: Wagner and Me - Can Stephen Fry salvage the music he loves from its association with Adolf Hitler?
BERLIN: The heirs of the composer Richard Wagner have promised to open private archives to researchers who are seeking to establish the extent of the family's collaboration with the Nazis.
On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth on Wednesday, his great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner said her father's correspondence would be handed to a state archive to which historians would have access.
The letters that will be released are those of Ms Wagner's father Wolfgang Wagner, a former member of the Hitler Youth and a Wehrmacht soldier, who ran the Bayreuth festival from 1951 to 2008. His mother Winifred was an admirer and close friend of Hitler, and her children were encouraged to call him "Uncle Wolf".
Ms Wagner, who is now co-director of the festival with her sister Eva Wagner-Pasquier, said : "I have decided to hand Wolfgang Wagner's estate to the Bavarian state archive, in the near future, so that access by researchers to these documents is made possible."
She said she had rarely spoken to her father about the Nazis. "He always said, 'We can be very happy that we lost the war,' " she said in an interview with Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. "He had a very negative attitude to the Nazi regime and was happy that he was injured as a young man, and therefore got sent back from the front and survived."
The composer's family has come under intense pressure to be more transparent. Last week, a prominent German historian accused them of blocking access to archives.
Hannes Heer said Ms Wagner had declined to let him examine her father's estate. Ms Wagner said this was, in effect, due to an organisational error. "Despite intensive efforts it was not possible to arrange contact at the right time. Therefore Mr Heer could not get access, which he justifiably complained about," she said.
The historian said there were still "huge gaps" in the Wagner family's historical record, particularly during the Nazi era when the festival was run by the composer's British-born daughter-in-law, Winifred.
"The facts must come out about the negative role of Richard Wagner and his heirs," Mr Heer said. "Then you can approach the great artist Wagner with a clear conscience. The whole Wagner, with different aspects to his personality, the terrible anti-Semitic side and the great artistic side."
Winifred, who was born in Hastings, England, as Winifred Marjorie Williams and married Wagner's son Siegfried, was an ardent Nazi. Correspondence between her and Hitler is held by a family member who belongs to a separate branch of the family from Ms Wagner.
Ms Wagner said: "It is very difficult to make all the scattered documents publicly accessible, because parts are owned by all four branches of the family, and their heirs must all agree."
Wagner's reputation has been sullied by the use of his music in Nazi propaganda; the Ride of the Valkyries was used in newsreels to accompany footage of air attacks, while Siegfried's funeral march was played on German radio to mark significant deaths, including Hitler's.
Mr Heer said: "Hitler knew all the operas, he knew the musical scores, he really got it. He treasured Wagner as the propagandist of a racially defined German-ness."
Telegraph, London
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Hikari Marine A Fish Food
|Hikari Marine A is a well-balanced diet with vitamins and minerals formulated to enhance the brilliant, vibrant color of your fish while it helps reduce fading. Extremely palatable & highly nutritious Promotes proper growth & desirable form Great for larger marine fish It contains the proper nutrition such as stabilized vitamin C to help reduce stress and improve resistance to diseases.Marine A are slow-sinking pellets that will not dissolve and cloud water, pellets are easy to digest helping to reduce waste.Ingredients consist of fish meal, krill meal, spirulina, dried seaweed meal, clam extract and more.
Hikari Seaweed Extreme Marine Herbivore Food
|Hikari Seaweed Extreme is a scientifically developed diet for all types of marine herbivores that contains more than 67% natural seaweed. The aromatic sinking pellets are highly flavorful and packed with nutrition, and soften rapidly in water to instantly attract herbivorous species. Uniquely blended to offer desirable growth & form A rapidly softening pellet herbivores love Contains more than 67% natural seaweed The rich nutrient mix of Seaweed Extreme supports rapid growth and enhances immune system health while helping maintain vibrant coloration. This is an ideal daily diet for all marine herbivores and a great supplemental diet for most marine omnivores, including clownfish, damsels, and butterflies.Feeding Guide: Feed no more than your fish can consume within 2 minutes, 2-3 times each day. Hikari Seawees Extreme absorbs water rapidly and takes on a soft texture similar to wet Nori Algae, making removal of uneaten food difficult. For this reason and to avoid overfeeding, we recommend smaller feedings until you find the ideal amount for your fish population.Ingredients: Dried Seaweed Meal, Wheat Flour, Fish Meal, Krill Meal, Cuttlefish Meal, DHA Oil, Hydrolized Vegetable Sucrose Polyesters, Sodium Alginate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Lecithin, Clam Extract, DL-Methionine, Astaxanthin, Vitamins (including Stabilized Vitamin C) and Minerals.Guaranteed Analysis:Crude Protein (min) - 33.0%Crude Fat (min) - 5.0%Crude Fiber (max) - 4.0%Moisture (max) - 10.0%Crude Ash (max) - 17.0%Phosphorous (min) - 0.5%
Hikari Marine S Fish Food
|Hikari Marine-S Pellet Fish Food is a nutritionally balanced diet that promotes rapid growth and desirable form in a wide variety of smaller marine (saltwater) aquarium fish and most crustaceans, including damsels, clownfish and wrasses. Expect rapid growth & desirable form Highly balanced for optimum utilization Great for smaller marine fish This protein-rich staple diet supports excellent coloration and sinks slowly to facilitate healthy feeding. It is high in stabilized vitamin C to reduce stress and build disease immunity. Pellets are highly porous, causing them to immediately become soft, spongy and easy for your fish to eat when added to the water. They will not dissolve or cloud the water, and are easy to digest for less waste.Ingredients: Fish Meal, Krill Meal, Whole Crushed Silkworm Pupae, Brewers Dried Yeast, Starch, Dried Seaweed Meal, Fish Oil, Wheat Flour, Chitosan, Spirulina, Dl-Methionine, DHA Oil, L-Lysine, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Stabilized Vitamin C), Inositol, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Oil, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Cobalt Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate.Guaranteed Analysis:Crude Protein (min) - 48.0%Crude Fat (min) - 8.0%Crude Fiber (max) - 4.0%Moisture (max) - 10.0%Crude Ash (max) - 19.0%Phosphorus (min) - 1.0%


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Gothitroplois action figure gets closer to release...
For a great selection of action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, MonkeyDepot.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
The Four Horsemen announce that SCARABUS has finally gone into production. Scarabus is the long-awaited winning character of the 2008 FANtastic Exclusive vote, and the main character from the Four Horsemen's property - Gothitroplois.
Pictured is a look at the first tooled samples showing Scarabus' size in relation to past FANtastic Exclusives and the amount of articulation the figure will feature.
As production moves along, the Four Horsemen should have a better idea of when Scarabus will be finished and ready to ship, but they expect to have things ready to go around the beginning of 2011.
Source: fourhorsemen.biz


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It's nice to be playing in nice weather again! I have been a regular reader of this site for a couple years now, and have worked some on my form. In the past year or so I've even managed to develop a pretty decent forehand game so I got one of those on the end of the video. However, I've been plateau at about 350'(best guess) or so for quite some time and am really wanting to add some distance to that this summer.
Anyways, I got this new pocket Kodak Zi8 and I think it takes pretty good video (720p 60fps) so I got some pretty good slow motion.
What can I do better?


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Hi friends and venerables,
I'm interested in learning more about the different Buddhist Councils. I've read the wiki entry and my general understanding is that a main purpose of those councils was to address various practical matters relating to the preservation of the teachings and vinaya.
But would it be reasonable to assume that those councils also had a more ritualistic and symbolic purpose--that is to bring the sangha together in a spirit of camaraderie, as a kind of affirmation (performed through joint recitation, etc, etc) of fellowship and commonality?
It seems to me that this is very likely but I would like to know if any author has written about this symbolic aspect of the council?


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COR IBR650 DataSheet
Note: The CradlePoint COR IBR650P is available for activation on the AT&T network and comes with a 1 year warranty.
Propel your business, company or project into overdrive with the IBR650P 3G by CradlePoint. With its powerful, M2M integrated broadband router and 3G HSPA+ embedded modem, the IBR650P blends high-speed connectivity, precision and reliability to offer a variety of mission-critical industrial, retail and M2M solutions. In situations where wired connections prove unreliable, this device is capable of handling support for wired networks, such as, DSL or Cable.
The IBR650P provides incredible versatility and is ideal for use portable or fixed applications which include, ATMS, kiosks, surveillance and vehicles. The IBR650P facilitates secure and reliable VPN functionality by giving users the ability to manage, create and terminate up to 5 simultaneous IPsec VPN sessions. This allows networks greater and more secure access for enterprise applications and provides a safer method of transmitting sensitive data from a remote site. A list of this device's additional advantages and benefits include:
IBR650P Advantages and Benefits:
With its unique features and flexible connection options, The IBR650P is a prime solution for all your connectivity needs.
Product 6/23


text: we have to beat the lesser teams now. We can beat golden state...Then cleveland...might be a loss, but then we got utah who we all know is very beatable esp. on our home floor. Then we got the lakers which might be a loss. But then back 2 back games against a nets team that isn't very good outside of kidd and carter...(Who else do they have?) Then the spurs which we will probably lose. Then I think the defining trip of the season. 3 game road trip with detroit (must win) chicago and millwaukee. Have to win those games if we want playoffs. Miami at home...we have proven we can beat miami so that should be a win. HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG MONTH


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What a life! The man experienced it all— the good, the awful and remained an optimist into his 93rd year…
a sign of the times elizabeth taylor,shirley temple and now mickey rooney. Not many child actors left from when television began.
Mickey Rooney was such a great guy! I had the pleasure of meeting him when I moved to Cal. the 1st time in the early 80's! I was dating one of Mickey's sons best friend & we went to Mickeys house to meet him! It was truly a honor to meet him & will always think fondly of that day! He was so funny & down to earth. I'm sad that he is gone now, but Mickey has left us with so many great movies to watch! Thank you Mickey Rooney for the happy memories, you will be missed. RIP!
Ann Lulich's comments are perfect and so accurate.
What a great performer! What a talent. We saw him in Sugar Babies. And when that first spot light hits the dark stage and Mickey pops up off the floor my mother jumped up from her seat and screamed MICKEY and the house came down! It is a sad day in Ireland today, but a happy day in Heaven. Being of part Irish descent we were proud, so proud of Mickey.
One of the finest moments in movie history was when Rooney's character of a young man small town California, read the letter sent home from his older brother, and American soldier in WWII in "The Human Comedy" from 1943. It was exquisite acting in a wonderful film written by William Saroyan. No doubt it aptly reflected the inner struggle most Americans were dealing with as they worried about loved ones engaged in the theatre of war. Combining the determined spirit of hope and optimism with the fear and anger that the war had wrought, Rooney spoke the beautifully scripted words with the perfect measure of combined emotions with striking poignancy.


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Posted 5 years ago
(40 items)
Bet you have not seen these in 50 years. Bet you do not have the player to play them on eather. Wonder how I could get one again. The old fun from yesterday and it is now gone.
Never know what someone will find when going through things.


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Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. But too much coughing may mean you have a disease or disorder.
Some coughs are dry. Others are productive. A productive cough is one that brings up mucus. Mucus is also called phlegm or sputum.
Coughs can be either acute or chronic:
Common causes of coughing are:
Other causes include:
If you have asthma or another chronic lung disease, make sure you are taking medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Here are some tips to help ease your cough:
Medicines you can buy on your own include:
If you have seasonal allergies, such as hay fever:
If you have allergies year-round, cover your pillows and mattress with dust mite covers, use an air purifier, and avoid pets and other triggers.
Call 911 if you have:
Call your doctor right away if a person with cough has any of the following:
The health care provider will ask about your cough, including:
The health care provider will examine your ears, nose, throat, and chest.
Kraft M. Approach to the patient with respiratory disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 83.


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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ Duvet Cover
- Overview
Showcasing vintage graphics, this cotton percale duvet cover features Star Wars™ characters Darth Vader™, Boba Fett™, Luke Skywalker™, Han Solo™, Princess Leia™, Chewbacca™, C-3PO™ and R2-D2™ against a snowy Hoth™ landscape.
- Pure cotton percale interwoven with 5% organic fibers.
- Easy-Care finish.
- Sham has an envelope closure.
- Duvet cover has interior ties and a hidden button closure.
- Inserts sold separately.
- 200-thread count.
- Printed with vintage The Empire Strikes Back™ designs.
- Imported.
- Dimensions & Care
Duvet Cover
- Twin: 68" wide x 86" long
- Full/Queen: 90" wide x 88" long
- Standard: 20" wide x 26" high
- Euro: 26" square
- Flange: 2" wide
- Wash bedding before first use.
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only non-chlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping & Return Info
Standard UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 4-5 business days.
Next Day Delivery and Processing
We can arrange for next day delivery to most destinations within the contiguous 48 states, for an extra charge of $17.50 per address. If we receive your order by 6pm PT Monday through Friday, you'll receive your order the next business day; orders placed on Friday after 6pm PT through Sunday will arrive on Tuesday. Note: Next Day Delivery service is not available for some oversized items, Premium In-Home White Glove Delivery, out of stock items, personalized items or for items shipped directly from the manufacturer.
Select oversized items have an additional delivery and processing surcharge; this charge is listed below the item price.
View the complete Shipping and Delivery.
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
Final Sale
Delivery fees are non-refundable and prior purchases are not eligible for a price adjustment. The following items are non-eligible for returns or exchanges:
- Personalized/Monogrammed items
- Mattresses
- Gift cards
- Special-order items (including made-to-order upholstery and custom items)
- Final Sale items (identified by a price ending in $.X7 or $.X9)
- Items damaged through normal wear and tear.
Questions? See our full Returns Policy.
Duvet Cover
Standard Sham
You May Also Need
Duvet Bedding Basics
Duvet Cover Insert
Select Size: Twin
Select Fill:
- Eco Friendly
Pillow Insert
Select Size: Standard, 20 x 26"
Select Fill:
- Eco Friendly


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=2/3. Space Cruesader takes the classic bedlam of dual-stick Robotron-style shooting action into space and adds nail-biting, scream-at-the-screen twists to challenge you. Fight through six increasingly hectic levels, each with custom music and new enemies, then brace yourself for the 7th circle of bullet hell on the final level as you blast your way to the alien mothership for a showdown to save Earth.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Dental Hygiene
Bleeding from gums
Hi,I am 26yr old female.My main problem with gums is they are reddish,swallen,bleed whenever i brush(even with a soft tooth brush) and last but not the least now my front gums are leaving thier position,tarter also produced.I have gone through scaling process several times but that only last for a coouple of weeks only.Moreover I can`t drink very chilled drinks and also sweets like chocolates,dates also bother my teeth.Please help me in this regard.
I would see a gum and bone specialist called a periodontist. There may be something more going on within your body that is affecting your oral health.
Michele P Carr, RDH, MA
Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene
Associate Professor of HS Nursing Quality & Research
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University


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Deliver beneficial oxygen and aeration during summer or winter with the highly-efficient KoiAir Aeration Kit. Designed for larger ponds with fish, this aeration kit bridges the gap between the amount of oxygen supplied by fountains or waterfalls and the level required to keep koi ponds healthy. Silent, energy-efficient compressor ensures reliable water circulation that eliminates dead spots and improves overall pond wellness.
Proper aeration and oxygenation encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, which boosts your biological filtration. An aeration kit also promotes gas exchange at the surface to minimize toxic gases in your pond. Pond Logic KoiAir Aeration Kit is the easy to install and energy-efficient solution to proper pond aeration.
Kit, available in two sizes, features a continuous-duty SilentAir compressor (air pump) great for summer and winter operation. 6-1/2 ft power cord. For best results and to prolong the life of the compressor, protect your compressor with a Faux Rock Cover.
KoiAir 1 includes KA-20 high-efficiency compressor (air pump), 25 ft weighted airline and (one) 2-membrane stick diffuser plate* (12-1/4" x 10-1/4" x 1-3/4" high) .
KoiAir 2 includes KA-40 high-efficiency compressor (air pump), 50 ft weighted airline, (two) 2-membrane stick diffuser plates* (12-1/4" x 10-1/4" x 1-3/4" high) and a control valve to balance airflow between diffuser plates.
*Manufacturer recommends 4 feet maximum depth placement for airstones for KoiAir 1 and 5 feet maximum depth placement of airstones for KoiAir 2.
Shop all Pond Aeration Products.
Please click on "More Information" for installation and operating instructions.


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ANDY Williams' late goal at Bournemouth ensured Town's near two-month unbeaten record remained intact.
Unfortunately the weather played a huge part last Saturday and ruined a potentially great match between two of the best sides in League One.
As much as Williams' strike earned the point, an incredible save from Wes Foderingham was just as important.
Ever since Paolo Di Canio somehow managed to convince then-Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freeman to sell Foderingham to Town, he's been by far the club's most consistent performer.
I'm surprised and thankful that so far we've not had any offers for the talented youngster.
But with great keepers in short supply, it can't be too long until the club's resolve will be tested.
So far it's been a very quiet start to the transfer window at the County Ground.
Due to the club having to spend a large chunk of the transfer budget on getting the transfer embargo lifted in November, any permanent deals look very unlikely this month.
Through the exit door, we've had John Bostock returning to Spurs, Oliver Risser leaving the club and Lee Cox, Luke Rooney and Paul Benson all trying to be moved on this month.
The money that was spent on paying them can go towards a few new players joining on loan.
Due to Town's Christmas schedule being wiped out, the club now faces a daunting prospect over the next few weeks, playing four away games in a row after this Saturday.
Every club in the country has a certain period in their season that decides where they end up in late April.
If Town can take at least nine points from those four games we could potentially see Di Canio's side comfortably sit in top spot.
Struggles and the promotion dream could end, leaving the club sitting in mid-table.
Before that, on Saturday it's Shrewsbury Town at the County Ground.
Graham Turner's men may sit 18th in League One but they have been on an unbeaten run which started at the same time as Town's in early December.


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The UK's Leading Office Chairs & Furniture Specialists
Under desk drawers are a great way to gain extra space for filing and general storage space. We offer fixed desk drawers and a mobile desk pedestal range, including 2 and 3 drawer pedestal units, in a range of materials and wood veneers.
Many of our desk drawers include useful and practical features, such as locks, fitting for foolscape hanging files, and robust drawer runners. All products in our desk drawer and mobile pedestal range are priced competitively, saving you up to 60% off the recommended retail prices. All of our desk pedestal units are designed to withstand general wear and tear, making them suitable for everyday use in the office and at home.
A large number of drawers in our catalogue can also be matched with other products in the same range. For more information about purchases, specific products and extra discounts on large volume contract orders, call our UK-based Sales Team today on 0845 838 3616. Prices listed are exclusive of VAT.
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Delivery charges vary for non UK mainland and Scottish highlands addresses, office chairs are usually delivered within 1 to 3 days and larger items of office furniture 10 to 14 working days of order unless advised otherwise.


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Australian shares were sold off today, posting their worst day of the year, as European election results that threaten the region's debt plans weighed on sentiment.
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Disappointing US jobs growth and European election results have clobbered the markets and sent the Australian dollar down, Chris Zappone reports.
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Markets plunge after weak overseas data
Disappointing US jobs growth and European election results have clobbered the markets and sent the Australian dollar down, Chris Zappone reports.
4.55pm: That brings our live coverage of today's market session to an end. Thanks for reading this blog and posting your comments. We'll be back tomorrow morning at 9.30am.
For a wrap of today's session, click here.
4.45pm: The growing uncertainty about the eurozone's future following elections in Greece and France over the weekend, saw investors rush to safe havens such as Australian government debt today.
The three-year contract leapt 0.17 points to 97.330, its highest since 1992, while the 10-year contract exploded 0.15 points to 96.650, a fresh all-time high. Likewise, 10-year government cash bond yields hit new 60-year lows at 3.40 per cent. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Australian bonds have been enjoying strong support from investors across the globe worried about Europe and the United States. Australia is one of the few remaining AAA-rated countries in the world.
4.41pm: The Australian dollar is hovering close to the year's low after a broad retreat from risk on renewed economic concerns in the United States and Europe.
The Aussie dollar is trading around $US1.0157, having earlier touched $US1.0111, its lowest so far this year.
"We have a falling interest rate environment Down Under, global growth concerns and a situation in Europe. It's all far greater than whether retail sales for one month were better than expected," says a trader at a European bank in Singapore.
4.35pm: French government bonds have opened lower, driving the five-year yield three basis points higher to 1.63 per cent in early trade.
The 10-year yield rose four basis points to 2.86 per cent, while the two-year yield was little changed at 0.61 per cent.
We've got what may well prove to be the next wave of instability from Europe.
Meanwhile, German 10-year bond yields fell as low as 1.552 per cent in early trade, while Spain's 10-year yield jumped to 5.828 per cent, bringing it close to 6 per cent, which is considered an unsustainable level.
4.27pm: Arafura Resources has struck a deal with a mystery South Korean conglomerate to potentially co-develop its Australian rare earths project, as Korea is forced to look beyond major producer China for its supply.
The name of the "Korean multinational organisation" involved with Arafura was not released in an Arafura announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange today, although, Arafura did tell the market a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the pair.
Rare earths are a combination of key minerals needed in high tech products from smartphones to missile guidance systems. China accounted for nearly 80 per cent of South Korean's rare earths imports last year, according to Korean Customs Service data.
Arafura's shares closed flat at 25 cents, easily outperforming the rest of the materials sector.
4.19pm: Here's how some of the blue chips performed today:
- Rio: -4.5%
- Fortescue: -6%
- Westpac: -0.8%
- Woolies: -1.15%
- Wesfarmers: -1.4%
- Telstra: -1.4%
4.15pm: All sectors closed in the red but losses were led by the materials sector, which plunged 3.6 per cent. Energy fell 3.4 per cent, consumer discretionary lost 2.6 per cent and consumer staples were down 1.3 per cent despite better than expected retail sales numbers and financials fell 1.4 per cent.
4.12pm: The market has closed just above the day's lows. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index slumped 94.7 points, or 2.2 per cent, to 4301.3, while the broader All Ords fell 97.8 points, or 2.2 per cent, to 4361.6.
4.07pm: As the ASX does the final calculations for today's close, European stock index futures are signalling sharp losses, as election results in Greece and France spark worries over public support for austerity measures seen by most investors as key to fixing the euro zone's debt crisis.
Futures for Euro STOXX 50, for Germany's DAX and for France's CAC are down 2.3-2.7 per cent. The UK market is closed for a holiday.
S&P500 futures are down by a bit more than 1 per cent, indicating lower losses when Wall Street opens later today.
4.01pm: With the government carrying on the time-honoured tradition of leaking, we already have some idea of how tomorrow's budget will look. Here's what we've gleaned so far:
- The introduction of a 'loss carryback' option for small business.
- A company tax cut of 1 percentage point to 29 per cent, assuming it gets through Parliament.
- Cash payments for parents. The 'Schoolkids Bonus' will give $820 for parents with teenagers at school and $410 for parents of primary school students.
- It will be given to recipients of Family Tax Benefit and does away with the need to keep education-related receipts.
- Pushing 100,000 sole parents off parenting payments and on to Newstart when their child turns eight, delivering $700 million in savings over four yeas.
- Welfare payments for people travelling overseas for more than six weeks will be cut.
- Billions of dollars in savings from the Defence budget.
- The superannuation contribution tax will be doubled to 30 per cent for people on incomes above $300,000.
- The living-away-from-home allowance for executives will be cut, saving $1 billion.
- Funding for the national disability insurance scheme, earmarked to start next year. Changes to aged care funding, as detailed in its recent aged-care report.
- About half a billion for dental care.
- Cuts to green schemes, to avoid duplication with the carbon tax.
- $3.5 billion in funding to finish the Pacific Highway dual carriageway.
And what is speculated:
- Support for the manufacturing industry.
- An end to the 32¢ a litre diesel fuel rebate.
- A skills package encompassing apprenticeships and vocational skills.
3.49pm: WTI crude oil has dropped well below the $US100 mark, falling more than $US3 a barrel, while Brent crude fell more than $US2.50 after the European election results and poor US jobs data.
US crude was last at $US97.04 while Brent was at $US112.42.
Oil prices may fall further on ''lacklustre'' macroeconomic conditions, easing geopolitical tensions and bearish fundamentals, says Morgen Stanley head of commodities research Hussein Allidina.
3.43pm: Greece's election results increase the risk of the country leaving the euro within the next year to 18 months to as high as 75 per cent, Citi says.
The probability of such an event within the next 12 to 18 months is between 50 per cent and 75 per cent, Guillaume Menuet and Juergen Michels write in a report. They previously attached a 50 per cent likelihood to the risk.
''However, even after the elections in Greece, France and Germany, we regard the probability of a broad-based break-up of the monetary union as very low,'' the economists write. ''We continue to expect that in reaction to Greece leaving the euro area, more far-reaching measures from governments and the'' European Central Bank ''would be put in place.''
3.34pm: The ASX200 has just dropped below 4300, for the first time in three weeks. The current 2.2 per cent plunge is also the biggest drop in the market since December 19.
3.27pm: Metals and mining stocks are down 4 per cent, financials are down 1.4 per cent and the industrials sector is down 2.1 per cent.
3.22pm: A bad day on the market just keeps getting worse. The ASX200 has sunk to another low - it's now down 88 points, or 2 per cent, to 4307.8.
3.15pm: An early test of the new Franco-German relationship will be whether France's next president, Francois Hollande, backs Wolfgang Schäuble to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, says the FT.
French and German officials say however that a compromise on the fiscal discipline treaty agreed in March, despite Hollande's threats to reopen negotiations. But two-round parliamentary elections in June mean Hollande will be reluctant to concede too much.
3.08pm: Leighton shares have dipped after the construction giant said that the completion date for Brisbane's Airport Link toll road has been pushed back by almost two months.
The company said this morning that the Airport Link should be open to traffic on or before August 20, instead of the previous forecast of June 30.
Leighton shares are down 2.8 per cent at $19.41.
3.04pm: Financial spreadbetters expect Europe's main stock indexes to sink today, adding to the previous session's selloff as investors dump risky assets following elections in Greece and France that revived fears over the euro zone debt crisis.
Spreadbetters expect Frankfurt's DAX to open around 152 points lower, or down 2.3 per cent, and Paris's CAC 40 to open around 65 points lower, or down 2.1 per cent. The market reaction will be exaggerated by a public holiday in Britain.
Losses on Wall Street are expected to be lower, with S&P500 futures down about 1 per cent.
3.01pm: NAB has weighed in on the European election results and their affect on the euro:
''The Hollande win in France is not necessarily a surprise. However, it brings home the reality that incumbents following the (European Union's) prescribed austerity measures are going to find it difficult to remain elected,'' National Australia Bank says in a note.
''What happens to these austerity measures now is what is weighing on (the euro)."
The euro skidded to $US1.2954 in early trade, its lowest level since late January, while also slumping to 103.22 yen at one stage. It's currently buying $US1.2978 and 103.53 yen, still well down from $US1.3082 and 104.50 yen late Friday in New York.
2.56pm: Looking ahead to tomorrow's federal budget, St George Bank chief economist Hans Kunnen says non-means tested benefits are likely to bear the brunt of cuts.
- Some of the target seems to be middle-class welfare and higher-income welfare, where benefits have not been means tested and people on high incomes are still getting benefits.
- We saw some of the aged care issues a month ago, when they changed funding for aged care, and there have also been changes to superannuation.
- It will be those sorts of things, not massive cuts. It's possible for them to find $2-3 billion relatively easily without crippling the economy.
2.48pm: David Llewellyn-Smith in his piece Asset bust in slow motion argues that Australian asset prices face a slump - the question is just will it be short and painful or steady and manageable.
For the answer, he looks at the US and Japan as two countries that have experienced major asset price deflation.
The US model is one: swift and painful house price falls, rocketing unemployment, as well as big falls in labour costs and a big jump in productivity and a temporary surge in public borrowings.
The other model is that of Japan. Japan's asset price falls were paced over a much longer time period than those of the US or Europe.
The resulting economic shakeout was different too, with a much longer time frame of subdued economic growth, a more slowly rising unemployment rate and a steady but longer rise in public borrowings to offset the private sector's slower paced deleveraging. In short, in Japan, collective private losses were socialised over a much longer time frame.
Here's an interesting house price chart by Steve Keen showing the US and Japanese paths, and an emerging Australian one:
2.40pm: Two years ago, Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens gave punters a very public warning not to bet on house prices rising, writes Michael Pascoe.
It turned out to be good advice.
Now the RBA is pointing to housing remaining subdued until lower purchase prices, higher rental yields and population growth get us building again.
2.33pm: If futures markets are on the money, markets in Europe and the US could be in for a wild ride.
FTSE futures are down almost 2 per cent, while US futures are down about 1 per cent.
2.25pm: More on Holden... the car maker says its local operations are viable and sustainable but it doesn't expect to grow imports while the dollar remains high.
The company says car producers in Australia continued to face tough conditions with disrupted supplies of components, unfavourable exchange rates and stronger competition from importers.
Holden has a limited ability to compete with import companies that continued to chase aggressive pricing in the local market, chief financial officer George Kapitelli says.
But he says Holden has made fundamental improvements to its cost base over the past two years, and the savings reflected in a brighter longer-term outlook for the company.
''Plant utilisation has increased considerably and local production is viable and and sustainable with two car lines at Holden vehicle operations.''
2.16pm: Despite today's better than expected economic data, which has given the dollar some respite, the bond market is continuing its remarkable rally.
Yields on the 10-year bond dropped as low as 3.407 per cent this morning, and were recently at 3.418 per cent.
It was only last week that the yield dropped below 3.5 per cent, plumbing lows last seen in the 1950s.
2.11pm: CommSec's Craig James says the clear conclusion from today's economic data is that the Reserve Bank can cut rates again.
"However the RBA is likely to take a few more months to weigh up all the influences. CommSec is pencilling in a rate cut in August after the next inflation data."
2.05pm: Locally, gold stocks are down 1.6 per cent. Among the bigger participants in the sector, Newcrest is down 1.2 per cent, Evolution Mining is down 3.6 per cent and St Barbara is down 1.6 per cent.
1.57pm: Gold prices are also lower, pressured by a stronger greenback after elections in France and Greece cast doubts on whether the euro zone will be able to battle the debt crisis.
Spot gold fell 0.2 per cent to $US1638.45 an ounce, off the low of $US1626.50 hit on Friday.
"We really need to see economy much weaker before the central bank steps in," says Dominic Schnider, head of commodity research at UBS Wealth Management in Singapore.
"For now the market is in risk aversion mode. With inflation threat out, oil prices coming off and QE hurdles really high in developed economies, gold is in a vulnerable position."
1.49pm: ANZ head of Australian economics and property research Ivan Colhoun says the job advertisement figures were essentially in line with what was expected.
''I think there are two issues - firstly, our estimates for this month suggested that job adverts were weaker in April,'' he says.
''That was pretty much across the board - every state, every territory, except for the Northern Territory.
''However, there's been strength in WA in the last couple of months, so I wouldn't overplay weakness there.
''The second issue is that we have one data provider who may have been giving us inaccurate data. We're investigating that at the moment,'' he says.
''ANZ is confident that the estimated drop in advertising of around three per cent reported in April is broadly correct.''
1.41pm: Another company feeling the pinch today is Japanese electronics giant Sony.
Sony has dropped to its lowest level in 25 years on concerns that a weaker euro may hit Japanese exporters' sales in Europe.
Its stock dropped as much as 4.4 per cent to 1214 yen - its lowest level since April 25, 1987, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average is down 2.6 per cent.
Others on the slide include Canon which has fallen 2.9 per cent and Panasonic which is down 3.5 per cent.
1:33pm: Oil prices are extending losses in Asian trade.
New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in June stayed below the psychological $100 threshold, falling $US1.92 to $US96.57 a barrel in morning trade.
Brent North Sea crude for June shed $US1.48 to $US111.70.
''Oil has gone down sharply because the election results have raised concerns about whether the eurozone can beat the debt crisis,'' says Nick Trevethan, senior commodities strategist at ANZ Research.
''There is a worry about a rejection of austerity and people are also worried about a eurozone recession,'' he added.
1.28pm: Here's an update from markets across the region:
- Tokyo stocks are down 2.6 per cent
- Hong Kong stocks are down 2.4 per cent
- Shanghai stocks are down 0.14 per cent
- South Korea's Kospi is down 1.6 per cent
- New Zealand stocks are down 0.6 per cent
1.23pm: A change of pace from the small business desk....blogger Tony Featherstone questions the favourable coverage of entrepreneurs.
Does the media focus too much on successful ventures?
"Entrepreneurs are partly to blame: they are only too happy to talk when things go well, but rarely want to talk about failure or their insecurities for fear it will damage their brand.
Consequently, we don't gain genuinely valuable insights into how they deal with failure, and recover."
1.18pm: HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham says today's data shows conditions in the retail and building sectors are improving.
Following that rate cut, both sectors are likely to continue to strengthen, he says.
''These are the sectors, retail and housing, that are most interest rate sensitive; these are the parts of the economy that, when you get the effects of the RBA's cut, will see the most significant improvement.''
''So they are already looking like they are picking up and bit and they will get an extra fillip from that rate cut.''
1.10pm: HIA Economist Geordan Murray says while the latest building data is positive, it follows an 8.8 per cent decline for the previous month.
"The volume of building approvals in March still implies an annual rate of around 130,000 homes per annum which leaves the industry teetering on the verge recession," he says.
"The positive update in today's building approvals is driven by a rebound of 49.3 per cent in New
South Wales which reclaimed some of the ground lost by the 41.4 per cent observed last month. The
resurgence in NSW primarily occurred in the 'other dwelling' segment."
1:04pm: Commonwealth Bank will cut about 100 jobs in Melbourne as it makes changes to its mortgages business to deal with weak demand.
CBA says it will close its mortgage services processing site in Melbourne at the end of 2012, and move some of the processing services to interstate centres.
Some staff will be redeployed, but the restructure is expected to result in around 100 redundancies, the bank saiys.
''Our priority remains to redeploy the majority of the staff who work in that centre and we have been successful in identifying alternative opportunities for many of our staff,'' the bank said in a statement. ''We will continue to work our staff over the next six months.''
12.52pm: The dollar may is trading above the day's lows after receiving some support from the economic data, but it's much too early to call it a recovery. The Aussie is buying $US1.0135, up form a low of $US1.0110 this morning but still well below Friday's local close of $US1.0264.
JPMorgan's Ben Jarman says that weak US jobs data were the first catalyst in pulling the Australian dollar down, followed by the success of anti-austerity leaders in European elections.
- It started with a disappointment in US payrolls, which didn't bode well for the currency,'' he says. ''Then we had the French and Greek election news, which has given markets some outcomes that they're not viewing too favourably.
- Hollande's victory looks like it could make relations with the Germans and the other policy-makers in Europe a bit more difficult.
- There could be more political ructions as they try to find a path between keeping the economy on-track and also delivering the austerity that markets want.
12.45pm: Economists say the surprisingly strong retail sales and building approvals numbers mean there's less of a chance of a rate cut in June.
Macquarie senior economist Brian Redican says the retail numbers are the ones that really stand out:
- It certainly reduces the chances of a follow-up move by the Reserve Bank in the next couple of months.
- I don't think policy makers are going to be doing cartwheels in the street and saying its all up from here.T
- Two things that could be going here is firstly difficulty in finding that right balance between price cuts and volume increases. Secondly the month of March can be affected by the timing of Easter.
JPMorgan economist Ben Jarman says the retail and building approvals numbers show the economy is in a better position than previous data had suggested.
- In retail trade we have the strongest number for at least a year, which is surprising given the context we're looking at, with falls in consumer confidence and growing concerns about the global economy again.
- So it runs contrary to that, but if you look at the breakdown, there are some broad-based improvements.
- We don't think this means that consumers are getting excited, it's just a bit of stabilisation.
12.39pm: Moving back to local news: Holden is feeling the pinch, posting an $89.7 million after-tax profit for 2011, with the result impacted by a softening large car market and a shortage of some imported vehicles.
Holden's revenue was $4.3 billion for 2011, down from $4.4 billion in 2010. Its profit result compared to the $112 million net profit the company reported in 2010.
Local vehicle production was up 36.8 per cent in 2011, with 90,424 cars built at its assembly plant in South Australia, compared to 66,061 in 2010.
12.35pm: One US researcher says global markets, which are jittery following European elections on the weekend, are likely to give France's new president a chance.
"Markets will not attack France right away," Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, told the New York Times. "But there is a risk that if Mr Hollande does not act early on, France will become the next sick man of Europe."
Mr Hollande vowed to unwind some of the austerity measures that his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European officials.
12.33pm: Not sure if investors are agreeing with Mr Krugman's assessment, as the ASX200 falls even lower...
What do you think: is it a good thing that Europe is likely to move away from its austerity commitments. Send us your comments.
12.30pm: Paul Krugman, on the other hand, writes in an op-ed piece for the NYT that the European election results show time is clearly running out for the strategy of recovery through austerity — and that's a good thing:
Mr. Hollande's victory means the end of "Merkozy," the Franco-German axis that has enforced the austerity regime of the past two years. This would be a "dangerous" development if that strategy were working, or even had a reasonable chance of working.
But it isn't and doesn't; it's time to move on. Europe's voters, it turns out, are wiser than the Continent's best and brightest.
12.23pm: A key reason for today's market fall, Francois Hollande's victory in the French presidential race, has caught the attention of Coalition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey.
In Canberra today, Mr Hockey said he was concerned about Mr Hollande's proposal to renegotiate the austerity package, adding that Europe's shift to the left would "have an impact on the world":
- The fact that the new president of France is advocating a rollback of austerity measures, and they are very modest measures compared to what we have in Australia, is of concern.
- As I said in London, the Europeans need to make sacrifices if they expect the rest of the world to provide support.
- When Wayne Swan committed a credit line of $7 billion to the IMF, I urged that we get something out of the Europeans in return.
- Now the Europeans are turning to the left, and they are turning to the left in a rather dramatic way. It will have an impact on the world.
12.20: And that's despite some rare good economic news (retail sales and building approvals), which may actually boost local growth as the following economists have tweeted:
The retail sales for the March qtr provide a great foundation for Q1 GDP ...— Stephen Koukoulas (@TheKouk) May 7, 2012
Great data today and rate cuts done. Supports my view that growth prospects, already strong, about to get stronger— adam carr (@AdamCarrEcon) May 7, 2012
12.19pm: Today's heavy losses are putting the local market on track for its worst day since mid-February.
12.15pm: Regional markets have opened sharply lower, adding to the pressure on local stocks (and explaining why we've just hit the day's lows):
- Japan (Nikkei): -2.4%
- Shanghai: -2%
- Hong Kong: -2.4%
- Taiwan: -2.1%
- Singapore: -1.6%
- South Korea: -1.7%
12.11pm: Mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are among those under pressure - down 3.5 and 3.8 per cent respectively.
12.06pm: Despite some positive economic news - the market has dropped to its lowest point for the session. The ASX200 is now down 76 points, or 1.7 per cent, at 4318.2.
12.02pm: Conditions for businesses worsened in April, as the gap between the mining and non-mining sectors widened.
The National Australia Bank monthly business condition index fell to zero in April from a reading of 3 in March.
"Conditions deteriorated across all industries in April, with the exception of mining and retail - with the latter's sales boosted by further aggressive discounting," says NAB's chief economist Alan Oster.
Business conditions for mining stood at 53 points in April up from 31 in March, while conditions for retail rose to minus-3 in April from minus-15 in March.
11.58am: More on the ANZ jobs data... the bank has noted that recently reported tentative strength in the labour market may have been overstated because of unreliable data it has received.
"ANZ is currently investigating the reliability of data provided by a small internet website, which has been driving the recent improving trend in overall job advertising," the bank says.
11.54am: AMP Capital Investors head of Investment Strategy and chief economist Shane Oliver says the positive result in the retail sector is "being driven by price discounting rather than underlying strength".
11.45am: The economic data continues to roll in... Australian residential building approvals rose 7.4 per cent to 11,501 units in March.
This compares to a downwardly revised 10,710 units in February, seasonally adjusted.
In the year to March, building approvals were down 15.0 per cent, the ABS says.
Economists' forecasts had centred on a 3 per cent rise in approvals in March.
11.40am: In bad news for job seekers, ANZ job ads dropped 3.1 per cent in April. The bank, meanwhile, has acknowledged that it has had reliability issues with one of the data providers for the forward looking reading on the labour market.
11.37am: Retail trade rose in the month to a seasonally adjusted $21.231 billion, compared to a upwardly revised $21.032 billion in February the ABS says.
For the three months to March, retail spending rose 1.8 per cent.
11.34am: The dollar has gained on the release, rising to $US1.0130.
11.30am: Retail sales data from the ABS is in - and there's finally some good news for the beseiged sector. Sales for March rose 0.9 per cent, well above the expected 0.2 per cent gain.
11.25am: The dollar, meanwhile, continues to be under pressure. It's now at its lowest point for the session, trading at $US1.0111.
11.18am: Investors don't like the outlook for Australia's retailers, stripping more than 1.5 per cent from the some the major names so far:
- Wesfarmers - down 1.73%
- Harvey Norman - down 1.37%
- David Jones - down 2%
- Myer - down 2.48%
- Woolworths - down 0.78%
11.14am: The big banks are weathering the storm today and remain well ahead of the general market. An hour into today's session they are outperforming both the mining sector and the major retail stocks:
- CBA is 0.53% lower to $52.34
- ANZ is 0.81% lower to $23.25
- NAB is 1.1% lower to $24.86
- Westpac is 0.65% lower to $22.76
11.08am: We'll also have a rush of economic numbers to digest in the next few minutes.
Retail sales for March will tell us how much the general consumer gloom has translated into actual spending (or the lack of it). The market is still tipping a 0.2 per cent increase for the month, matching the gain in February
Building approvals for March will also be out. A 3 per cent month-on-month gain is tipped by economists, but the year-on-year number may look ugly – off 18 per cent.
And we'll get business conditions from NAB and job ads from the ANZ ... so it's a big pre-budget day of economic stats.
11.02am: While we're on the subject of polls, Australians are lowering their hopes for the dollar. A Fairfax online poll today of about 3000 people tipped the Aussie would end the year below parity, and 75 per cent tip it will be at parity or lower. Have you say.
10.55am: Looking at this morning's poll, which just closed, 59 per cent of today's 2074 voters reckon the ASX200 will close more than 1 per cent lower. That's a pretty safe bet at this stage with the ASX200 back to a loss of 1.5 per cent.
Still, spare a thought for the contrarians. Seventeen per cent predicted the market would close more than 1 per cent higher. Here are the full results.
10.54am: Whitehaven Coal is continuing its expansion, launching a $172 million offer for NSW coal explorer Coalworks.
Whitehaven took a 17 per cent share in Coalworks when it bought Aston Resources for $720 million in April. Now, Whitehaven has offered $1 for each remaining Coalworks share in an off-market takeover bid, well above the 85.5 cents the shares last traded at.
Earlier this year, Whitehaven became the nation's biggest independent coal miner when it agreed a $2.5 billion takeover of Aston and a local coal explorer, both controlled by electrician-turned billionaire Nathan Tinkler.
10.46am: Rio has clawed back some its early losses. Its shares are 3.02 per cent lower to $62.95. That's well ahead of the general market, which hit bottom at 1.5 per cent lower but has edged back to a loss of 1.3 per cent down.
Why is it suffering such a rough start to the week? As resources writer Peter Ker notes, it could have something to do with one of its mines in Guinea, West Africa.
Investors could be reading reports out of London that a Chinese consortium is trying to swoop on Rio's Simandou iron ore project in Guinea. Perhaps more significantly, the benchmark iron ore price into China was slightly lower over the weekend, falling $US2 to $US145 per tonne. This was largely due to an increased amount of Brazilian iron ore coming onto the market.
Perhaps punters are also taking some cover ahead of a Federal Budget tomorrow which could hit miners in a couple of places.
10.39am: ANZ has weighed in on interest rates, reviewing its forecast of how many rate cuts the RBA has in store this year. In a note this morning, ANZ writes:
- In Australia recent anecdotes on the mining sector have not been positive, and we have upgraded our forecasts to now look for an additional 75bp of rates cuts this year, on top of the 100bp already delivered so far this cycle.
- The tightness in fiscal policy likely to be formalised in tomorrow's budget will likely keep domestic sentiment under pressure, with consequent implications for the AUD.
How much of those cuts ANZ decides to pass on is another question altogether.
10.35am: One reason for the dollar's retreat is that a weaker global economy is likely to prompt the Reserve Bank to cut official interest rates again soon.
This morning, investors were viewing the likelihood of a rate cut of 25 basis points when the central bank next meets on June 5 as a four-in-five chance. In one year's time, the cash rate will be down to 2.75 per cent, according to Credit Suisse.
If true, that 2.75 per cent would be below the 3 per cent mark during the depths of the global financial crisis.
As noted a few moments ago, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 share index is down 2.8 per cent. Easy to see why: money is flooding into the yen as that currency resumes its haven status.
10.32am: "We've got what may well prove to be the next wave of instability from Europe," says Sean Callow, a senior currency strategist in Sydney at Westpac Banking Corp. "There's a clear voter rejection of austerity evident."
The Australian dollar has continued losing ground, hitting $US1.0121 just a few minutes ago, but falling as low as $US1.0110, the lowest since December 29. It lost 0.4 per cent to 80.95 yen, after trading at 80.57, the weakest since January 30.
10.30am: Japanese stocks are also sharply lower, with the Nikkei 225 heading for its biggest decline in six months, amid growing concern over Europe's debt crisis.
The Nikkei 225 sank 2.7 per cent to 9122.97 as of 9:03am in Tokyo, set for its steepest drop since November 10.
10.27am: S&P500 futures down about 1 per cent, pointing to another tough day on Wall Street at the start of trade later today.
10.24am: It's a real mixed bag leading the market lower. Here are some of the biggest losers early on:
- BHP - down 2.5%
- Rio - down 3.22%
- Macquarie - down 3.22%
- Santos - down 2.83%
- Woodside - down 2.01%
- David Jones - down 2%
10.17am: Only nine companies in the top 200 are trading in positive territory. Losses on the ASX200 are now at about 1.57 per cent, or $19 billion. Looking at how the sub indices on the ASX200 are going, all are trading well into the red:
- Materials - down 2.3%
- Energy - down 2.04%
- Industrials - down 1.87%
- Consumer discretionary - down 1.47%
- Consumer staples - down 1.1%
- Financials - 1.08%
10.12am: In early trade, the All Ordinaries index is 66.9 points lower, or 1.5 per cent, to 4392.5, while the benchmark S&P/ASX200 is also 66.9 points lower, or 1.5 per cent, to 4329.1.
10.08am: Early losses now 1.1 per cent. Not all companies trading yet.
10.05am: Early take - shares have lost 0.8 per cent as the market opens. How low will they go?
9.55am: Latest figures show Australian building activity has continued to slide, due to weak demand and lower workloads.
The Australian Industry Group-Housing Industry Association's performance of construction index fell 1.3 points to 34.9 in April. A reading below 50 indicates a contraction in activity and it means the index has been in contraction for 22 months.
The figures show most of the weakness is due to a sharp drop in apartment building activity, but house building is also weak.
9.51am: We've got a busy day of economics releases ahead:
- Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association performance of construction index (PCI) for April - more on this in a moment
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade data for March
- ABS building approvals for March
- ANZ job ads for April
- NAB business survey for April
9.48am: Where does that place markets today? IG Markets analyst Stan Shamu said he believed shares would fall as much as 1.8 per cent.
"This basically erases all of last week's gains and leaves the market right near the support (level) from a few weeks ago," he said.
"Several traders are likely to attempt buying this market after the sharp drop we have seen from last week's high.
He added that there was likely to be "significant volatility in today's session as traders look to reposition themselves."
9.44am: The US jobs news sent SPI futures down sharply, points to a loss of about 1.2 per cent at the open. The Australian dollar has also taken a battering since Friday. The Aussie dollar shed 1 US cent when trading resumed this morning, sinking to as low as $US1.0145 - its weakest point since since January 9 this year.
Robert Rennie, Westpac chief currency strategist, said he expects the dollar to test parity against the greenback soon.
"It shouldn't be any great surprise that Hollande was going to win and the Greek elections were going to be extremely fractured," he said.
"But we awaken Monday morning and it feels as if suddenly the financial markets have woken up and begun to realise the potential implications."
9.41am: Meanwhile in Greece, election results have raised fresh concerns about that nation's willingness to stick to tough austerity measures as parties opposing more cuts, including neo-Nazis, won almost 60 per cent of the vote support at the polls.
9.38am: But worries are also coming from Europe where election results over the weekend threaten to undo recent progress on the eurozone debt crisis.
France has elected Francois Hollande as its first socialist president in 17 years. Mr Hollande warned that Germany would be the first nation to be told that Europe must put growth, employment and prosperity before austerity.
9.35am: One of the main reasons for the weak local outlook for shares today is jobs data released in the US on Friday. US markets lost 1.5 per cent on Friday on data showing employers reduced hiring for the third straight month, adding 115,000 workers in April, well below forecasts of 170,000. Traders' expectations had fallen during the week, but the softer jobs number missed even more pessimistic forecasts.
It was the third straight month in which hiring slowed, intensifying fears that the US recovery is losing momentum and opening the door a bit wider for the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy.
"The bottom line is you don't have evidence that this economy has reached escape velocity," said Robert Tipp, an investment strategist at Prudential Fixed Income.
9.32am: Aussie shares appear to be in for a rough start to the week. We'll look at the main reasons for the negative leads in a moment. For a comprehensive look at this morning's business news, check today's need2know. Here are this morning's key market links:
- AUD slides toward parity
- US stocks slide on weak jobs data
- Euro shares slump on weak economic data
- Steep fall in oil price on recovery fears
- Gold rises as QE3 talk intensifies
- Australian finance calendar: May 7-11
- Wall Street week ahead: All eyes on Europe
9.30am: Good morning folks. Welcome to the Markets Live blog for Monday.
This blog is not intended as investment advice
Contributors: Thomas Hunter, Peter Litras, Peter Hannam, Jens Meyer
BusinessDay with agencies


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Powder Stance
With Jeremy Jones
Height: 5'8″
Stance: Goofy, +21 front, -3 back
Stance width: 21.5 inches
Board: Rossignol Jeremy Jones 158, 162, or 166
_Generally you'll see more degrees of forward angle on the front foot.
_It's still common for freeriders to have forward angle on their back foot, but almost no pro riders use it. Jeremy prefers a slight duck-negative-three.
_Narrow that stance up-you need to be able to turn quickly.
_Set your stance back on your board to keep your weight back and your nose up. Jeremy says, "The deeper the snow, the more I move my stance back."
_Consider some forward lean in the pow. Jeremy says, "Too much hurts my calves and my legs are bent too much-too little and my heelside turns become gutless."
Park Stance
With Jeremy Jones
Height: 5'10"
Stance: Goofy, +15 front, -10 back
Stance width: 24.25 inches
Board: Burton Jeremy pro model 151 and 156
_A centered stance like Jeremy's is ideal to keep your weight centered on rails and for doing switch maneuvers.
_Widen your stance for better balance in the park, easier nose- and tailpresses, and solid jump landings.
_Use less angle on the front binding to keep things more symmetrical for switch tricks.
_Set up a ducked-out stance-this makes riding both ways comfortable and riding switch way easier.
Jeremy Jones in the Alaskan backcountry. Photo: Adam Clark
Jeremy Jones in the Minnesotan rail country. Photo: Andy Wright/Follow Me Around


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International Research Travel Award Program
Applications are now closed.
Following the initiative of the APS Forum on International Physics (FIP), the sponsors of the APS International Research Travel Award Program (IRTAP) (formerly the International Travel Grant Award Program, i.e., ITGAP) recognize that funding for collaborations between developed and developing country scientists is often insufficient to meet existing needs and opportunities.
While the needs are great, and though we have only limited resources to stimulate growth of longer-term collaborations, we believe that an International Research Travel Award Program, even a modest one, may make a significant difference.
Promote international research collaborations between physicists in developed and developing countries.
Award Amount
Up to $2,000 U.S. for travel and lodging expenses for international travel while visiting a collaborator.
- Time Limit
Once awarded, the time limit on the use of the award will be a maximum of 5 years.
- Report
A report with a 300 word public abstract is required after the award is completed. APS may post some of the information from your report online.
Report instructions
- Bi-Directionality
The trip can be in either direction. Preference given to travel from developing countries to developed countries.
- Preference
Support for the growth of existing collaborations will be given preference over new ones. An example of an existing collaboration is joint publications.
Conditions and Criteria
- Collaborative visit must be for a period of at least one month
- One or both co-applicants must be an APS member and a member of at least one of the APS units that sponsors IRTAP
- One co-applicant must be from a developing country, and the other must be from a developed country
When rank-ordering applications, consideration will be given to:
- Merit
Past record of research accomplishments and promise of future accomplishments
Invited talks to be delivered during the trip, particularly at APS-sponsored meetings
- Need
Under-represented countries and ethnic groups will be given priority
- Other Funding
Resources from other sources with matching funds (leverage) is a positive factor
Not seeking other available potential support is considered a negative factor
Application Guidelines
Applications are submitted online and should include the following information:
- Narrative proposal of 5,000 characters (maximum), including:
- Explanation in detail of the role of the principals in the collaboration
- Explanation of the expertise or facilities that each co-applicant brings to the proposal
- Description of how the collaboration became established
- Lists of up to 5 of the most relevant publications of each of the two co-applicants, including papers co-authored by the co-applicants, if relevant
- Statement of financial support from an appropriate representative of other sources (leverage)
- Indicate which co-applicant is a member of one of the APS units that sponsors IRTAP (specify which unit)
- Outline of benefits to junior scientists, students, or post-docs from a developing country (2,000 characters maximum)
- Description of the travel plan and budget (2,000 characters maximum)
Applications received will be considered active for the current cycle without restricting re-application in subsequent cycles. The Executive Committee of FIP, with assistance from CISA, the APS Office of International Affairs, and other sponsoring APS units, will be responsible for managing the review process. Confidentiality of the reviews is assured.
Awards are made on 6-month competitive cycles. Since 2004, 79 grants have been awarded.
IRTAP Program Funding
FIP and the APS Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA) invite funding partners to either continue this program or co-develop new programs that meet our combined objectives. We especially seek support of additional APS units. Larger awards with broader aims and relaxing the restriction on APS membership are anticipated.
Financial Supporters
- APS Forum on International Physics (FIP)
- APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP)
- APS Division of Astrophysics (DAP)
- APS Division of Biological Physics (DBIO)
- APS Division of Chemical Physics (DCP)
- APS Division of Computational Physics (DCOMP)
- APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP)
- APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD)
- APS Division of Gravitational Physics (DGRAV)
- APS Division of Laser Science (DLS)
- APS Division of Materials Physics (DMP)
- APS Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP)
- APS Division of Physics of Beams (DPB)
- APS Division of Particles and Fields (DPF)
- APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP)
- APS Division of Polymer Physics (DPOLY)
- APS Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications (GMAG)
- APS Office of International Affairs
- U.S. Liaison Committee of IUPAP
Units Sponsoring IRTAP
Applicants must be current APS members and a member of a sponsoring unit.
IRTAP Sponsoring Units


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Gary Numan In Conversation from Machine Music on Vimeo.
I've always thought Gary Numan was highly underrated. Go back today and listen through his albums and see if you don't agree. Honest loud real analog synths and interesting vocals. They don't make them like they used to.
"Gary Numan (born Gary Webb on 8 March 1958) is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (with Tubeway Army) and "Cars". One of the first musicians to use electronic synthesizers successfully in rock music, his signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals. Commercially unsuccessful for many years of his career, Numan is nevertheless considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music. His use of themes from science fiction, and his combination of aggressive punk energy with electronics, have since been widely imitated." – Wikipedia.org
The official Gary Numan homepage: http://www.numan.co.uk


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Children at Lovelace School have celebrated a successful year in sport after getting into the London Youth Games.
Students at the Chessington school beat schools from across the borough to win a place at the London Youth Games playing basketball, netball and cricket in recent weeks.
The school also holds first place in the borough for participation in sports competitions.
Lisa Cropley, sports leader at Lovelace, said: "We are massively proud of all the children involved. We hope it leads them to a life of sport - we want to engage children and make them love sport.
"To qualify for the London Youth Games, it is a massive achievement and something we have never done before."
Other clubs at the school include tennis, rounders, rugby and swimming as well as the running club.


text:
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I got a 173g DX Teebird about a month ago. I have probably only 20 rounds of golf with this disc. It was turning into my favorite disc. Great glide, super strait and long disc. Just in the past couple days I have noticed its flight patterns have totaly changed. Ill throw it back hand with a little anhyzer. It takes off going to the right slightly, then all the sudden it goes way right. I used to be able to count on it returning to the left. Or if I throw it with a little hyzer it will turn real hard to the left. It will do the same things when thrown side arm. It was a really predictable long, strait, easy disc to throw. It seems like its got really touchy. Its turning harder and faster than my orc or when i throw my buddies Wraith.
Is this the way teebirds are supposed to fly once they get worn in?


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GreenTown hosts session on lighting
GreenTown Los Altos has scheduled the presentation "Shedding Light on Lighting" 7-9 p.m. today in the Program Room of the Los Altos main library, 13. S. San Antonio Road.
The discussion is designed to help attendees understand the changes in light bulbs and light fixtures as they have evolved over the past decade, including energy-efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent lights, LEDs and hybrids. A lighting expert will describe new lighting options available on the market and offer tips on how to retrofit or replace existing high-energy-use lighting.
Admission is free and open to the public.
For more information on GreenTown Los Altos, visit greentownlosaltos.org.
For more information on library programming, call 948-7683 or visit sccl.org/losaltos.
MROSD schedules January hikes
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has scheduled two docent-led group hikes Jan. 18:
• "Tafoni Trek," 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at El Corte de Madera Creek.
• "Winter in the Watershed," 10 a.m. to noon at Picchetti Ranch.
Some hikes require reservations.
For reservations, directions, a complete list of hikes and more information, call 691-2150 or visit openspace.org.
LA/LAH offer seniors tech training
The cities of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills have partnered to sponsor technology training for seniors 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Hillview Community Center, Room 8, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.
The free session is designed for seniors who acquired new tech devices, services or programs over the holidays and want to learn how to use them.
Tech-savvy community volunteers will be available to tutor seniors. Attendees should bring their new devices with them.
Local artists display work at museum
The Los Altos History Museum's contemporary art exhibition, "Los Altos – Moving Art Forward," runs through March 23 at 51 S. San Antonio Road.
The project celebrates local artists with a juried exhibition in painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media. The display complements the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's off-site exhibition, "Project Los Altos: SFMOMA in Silicon Valley," scheduled to run through March at various venues across the city.
Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is free.
For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org.
Homestay program needs host families
The International Student Placements program at Foothill and De Anza colleges needs host families for international students.
The program has placed students with local families for more than 20 years. Host families are asked to provide a private or double bedroom and share meals and kitchen privileges.
The arrangements start in August and end in June. Hosts are paid between $825 and $1,000 per month in two installments. Families may include singles or couples with or without children, retirees or empty-nesters.
Annual clothing drive supports Career Closet
Option 1 Staffing Services Inc., a Los Altos staffing agency, is partnering with Career Closet for its third annual women's clothing drive.
Option 1 is collecting gently used clothes, shoes, jewelry, handbags and accessories to donate to the nonprofit Career Closet, which enables women to re-enter the workplace with the clothing and accessories they need to make a good first impression and land the job they want.
Drop donations at Option 1 Staffing, 4410 El Camino Real, Suite 110, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
For more information, call 941-5115.


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I would just like to know what all of the forum members think of my bag what i should get what i should toss and why. Im open to any idea. I throw RHBH and am decent at RHFH which i use only when necessary.
Esp Nuke 172g
OS Nuke 170g
Star Valkyrie 169g x3
Pro Destroyer 169g
Champ Destroyer 166g
Champion Beast x2 168g
KC Roc 180g
Star Roc 179g
Z line Buzzz x2 178g
Banger GT
Magic SSS
I am trying to narrow down the molds in the putter area.
Like i said any help or insight on what i should get/get rid of/keep would be great thanks


text:
Posted 5 years ago
(198 items)
A friend of mine has asked me to share some of his collection of fine Loetz here on CW. He owns several hundred pieces of Loetz and most are in storage. I will be posting some of the better, more seldom seen pieces here over the next few days or weeks. Many of these have never been seen by the public outside of reference books. The photos in some cases were taken many years ago and the quality is often lacking. I tried to fix them a bit where I was able to. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did when I saw them for the first time.


text:
Zeeland Store Owner Pressured To Remove "Spice" From Store Shelves
When I first read this story I was thinking thinking, why would a store owner be forced to remove a spice from his shelves? I guess I'm too out of touch, and since I don't have any children, I wouldn't know about these things.
Apparently "Spice" is a fake marijuana. Wikipedia gives a definition of "Spice" as being synthetic marijuana that does not cause one to test positive for marijuana. Makes me wonder if chemicals are involved in this? Marijuana is a plant but how does "Spice" become fake marijuana?


text:
The Beauty of Bella
DVD Release of Pro-Life Film Saving Babies
Register Senior Writer
June 1-7, 2008 Issue | Posted 5/27/08 at 6:47 PM
Little did they know the profound difference their first film — Bella — would have beyond the theater, specifically in the lives of at least 15 women and their children.
The film has not only made a difference in their lives, but it has saved them.
Just ask 21-year-old Leigha Lawrence of Derry, N.H. When she was a junior in college last June — and known as Leigha Leary — she discovered that she was pregnant. Frightened and uncertain what to do, she made an appointment at an abortion business. Her boyfriend, Ramsey, went along.
The abortion counselor presented Leary with all the options — adoption, keeping the child and abortion.
Leary had hoped to graduate and open a day spa. A child wasn't part of her plans.
"I was so indecisive. I was caught pretty off-guard," said Leary. "I had my life plans made."
Leary met with a pro-life counselor with the San Antonio-based Operation Outcry who shared her experience of abortion in college.
When Bella opened in theaters last October, Leary and her boyfriend attended with his parents. She said that watching it was like watching a movie of her life.
"The movie struck close to home," said Leary. "With their walks on the beach, it reminded me a lot of us. I was like Nina — shocked. Ramsey was like Jose — so supportive and really strong. The movie was healing and therapeutic."
Within weeks of seeing the film, Leary decided to name the child Isabella if the baby was a girl.
Leigha and Ramsey were married on Dec. 14, 2007. On March 29, 2008, they gave birth to a daughter, Isabella Grace, whom they call Bella.
Lawrence's story isn't unique. Directors at crisis pregnancy centers across the United States have spoken of the impact the film has made on young women choosing life for their children. In fact, those involved with the film have taken to calling it "the entertainment ultrasound," referring to the statistic that between 90%-95% of women who are able to see an ultrasound of their unborn baby ultimately make a decision for life.
To date, the filmmakers are aware of 15 cases where women considering abortion have decided for life after seeing the movie.
"Pregnancy centers have fallen in love with Bella," said Kristin Hansen, vice president of communications with Care Net, the national pregnancy center network. "They love how it captures the heart of their ministry. In the character Nina's face, they see every client who walks in the doors of pregnancy centers — often scared, alone and convinced that abortion is their only option."
Sylvia Johnson, executive director of the Houston Pregnancy Help Center, saw a 23-year-old abortion-minded client last November after the film's opening.
"She told me, 'This weekend I saw my favorite Mexican soap opera star. I went to see Bella,'" Johnson recalled the woman telling her. She then said that she didn't think she could have the abortion.
"I didn't have to do any counseling," said Johnson. "The movie did it for me."
Bella, however, has shown that not only that there are alternatives, but also that they aren't alone.
Anne Lotierzo, executive director of Pregnancy Care Center in Fort Pierce, Fla., said she saw the impact of the film immediately after they started playing the DVD in their waiting room.
The first evening Lotierzo had the DVD, she played it in the center's waiting room. That night three teenagers came into the center, two girls and a boy.
"Both of the girls wanted to take pregnancy tests," said Lotierzo "By the time I had finished seeing one, the other girl had gotten through a good part of the movie. As I walked her back to the counseling room, I casually asked her what she thought of the film."
"She said, 'Now I know I'm not alone,'" said Lotierzo. "It impacted me and brought back the fears and the loneliness that young teens feel when they come in for a pregnancy test. We see the same-case scenario over and over, but for each of them it's like they have blinders on. They only see what's in front of them."
The film offered the teen the opportunity to address the fears and worries that she had — fears about her parents, about her boyfriend's parents, about returning to school pregnant in the fall. She knew her parents' feelings, because an older sister had gotten pregnant and ran away from home to live with her boyfriend because of pressure from her parents to abort the child.
"I felt the film was the key to opening the door to the session," said Lotierzo.
Based on the powerful effect the film is having on young women, one of the film's co-executive producers has launched an ambitious charitable foundation effort to get a copy of the film into the hands of any client who wants one.
Jason Jones recently unveiled the Bella Bogo (bellabogo.com) and Bella Hero (bellahero.com) program. Both are designed to accept charitable donations in order to purchase copies of the film and donate them to crisis pregnancy centers across the country.
"Our prayer during the theatrical release was that young women in a crisis pregnancy would buy a ticket to the movie," said Jones. "Now, we can bring the film directly to them."
Both Care Net and Heartbeat International have agreed to participate, making the DVDs available to their clients at more than 1,800 crisis pregnancy centers. Heartbeat International, Jones noted, provides 60,000 pregnancy tests annually.
Jones' goal is to distribute 60,000 DVDs by January 2009. Through the websites, donors can specify where they want their DVD to go, or they can contribute to the general fund. Through the BellaBogo (based on Buy One Get One) website, for $35, donors can purchase one copy of the film for themselves while giving another to a crisis pregnancy center.
Through the partner BellaHero.com campaign, Jones is asking men to sponsor a center.
One in three men has been responsible for an abortion in this country," said Jones, who himself is a post-abortive father.
"The goal is about changing how a woman's family and friends respond to her," said Jones. "It's about helping those around her to help her make a choice for life. Women may not ask their family to watch an educational video, but they will ask them to watch Bella."
Those responsible for the film aren't taking credit.
Said Alejandro Monteverde, the film's director, "I know it wasn't me or anyone else in the team. I'm amazed, and it gives me encouragement to keep making films like this."
While the film didn't receive any Oscars, producer Leo Severino said it's received far more.
"The living Oscars have been the babies saved and the babies adopted," said Severino. "I'm just happy the Lord let us be part of it."
Tim Drake is based in
St. Joseph, Minnesota.
For More Information: Bellabogo.com


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Image: Throatspot Blenny, Nannosalarias nativitatus
A 3 cm long Throatspot Blenny, Nannosalarias nativitatus, (Family Blenniidae), collected at Ndendo Island, Solomon Islands. The species is found on reefs exposed to high surge throughout the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans.
It can be recognised by the green, brown and whitish colour pattern. Along the sides are a row of dark brown spots and dusky bars extending ventrally. On either side of the throat of the male is a large black spot.
- Photographer:
- Jeff Williams
- Rights:
- © Jeff Williams
Last Updated:
Tags Throatspot Blenny, Nannosalarias nativitatus, Solomon Islands, 1998, Blenniidae, Fishes, Ichthyology,


text:
Product Summary
Combining an exceptional inkjet printable surface with professional grade, Metal Azo, recording performance and reliability, Verbatim DataLifePlus White Inkjet Printable DVD-R 8x discs are the ultimate choice for developing, customizing and distributing DVD content. Certified for 1x-8x
General Information
|Product Type
|DVD Recordable Media
|Manufacturer Part Number
|Manufacturer Website Address
|Packaged Quantity
|Verbatim America, LLC
|Product Model
|Product Name
|DVD-R 4.7GB 16x DataLifePlus White Inkjet Hub Printable 50pk Spindle
|Product Line
|Brand Name
Technical Information
|Storage Capacity
|Print Technology
|Maximum Write Speed
|Media Formats
|Standard Warranty
|Lifetime Limited
This product is shipped only within Canada and Warranty valid for Canada only.
Computer Valley makes every effort to provide accurate specifications, descriptions, images and price on all products that are found on www.computervalley.ca
However for complete and updated descriptions, compatibilities, specifications and actual photo we recommend our clients to consult with manufacturer's websites or simply call us for proper clarifications. Computer Valley is not responsible and will not accept returns for items purchased that are not compatible with your system. Please ensure that you have verified compatibility and actual photo with your system by visiting the manufacturer's web site prior to purchase or give us a call to make sure what you are purchasing.
For more information, visit our Shipping and Return policy.
Computer Valley wants to provide you with the best and fastest possible service. We try to ship in stock orders placed before 2:00pm EST the same day. For in stock orders placed after 2:00pm EST they are usually shipped the next business day. However there are always exceptions. Please contact us prior to placing your order if you need your purchase by a certain date.
We ship by UPS, FEDEX, USPS, CANADA POST , PUROLATOR and LOOMIS from the nearest locations possible based on stock in hand.
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|Read Reviews Write Review


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text:
Jack McInerney moved top of the league scoring charts with his seventh goal of the season, securing a 1-0 road win over Chicago.
After a scorless first 75 minutes, Philadelphia scored against the run of play. Sebastien Le Toux took a quick free kick before the Fire were ready. McInerney zipped between the central defenders and scored his league-leading seventh goal of the season.
McInerney moves ahead of Mike Magee and Claudio Bieler, each with six, in the Golden Boot race.


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TOR gets:
Dahntay Jones 3 yr, $8.10M
Soloman Jones 1 yr, $1.50M
Cash - ~$2.80M
IND gets:
Reggie Evans 1 yr, $5.08M
This trade just barely works under the 125% rule. We take on an extra $1.08M this year, while the Raptors take on the next two years on Dahntay's deal. We would have to throw cash their way to offset one of the extra years of Dahntay's deal probably. That or throw in a second rounder instead.
Reggie Evans is basically a one trick pony. He is a brute force PF that can help our young guys get better. He probably won't see much playing time no matter where he is. He rebounds extremely well. No real offensive game to speak of. Solid defensively, and is a real work horse type of player.
They get help on the wings, where they need help. They also need depth at center and Solo helps that. Toronto has a ton of PF's and minimal options at center. Bragnani isn't much of a center. Alabi is a rookie that is raw. David Anderson is a bench player. Solo is as well, but they can use all the help they can get at center.