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This Saturday (April 21) is the fifth annual Record Store Day, a retail holiday established to help support independent music vendors. With labels now issuing special releases each year, the event has piqued the interest of music fans, including in Hip Hop where this year's celebration includes unheard recordings by Atmosphere, The Pharcyde and Aesop Rock.
Looking at the sad economic reason why the holiday was put in place, two of HipHopDX's voices debate the need for physical music stores in the first place. Are they a critical component in Hip Hop/music culture, or the musical equivalent to the video rental shop?
Slava: Record Stores—Shut 'Em Down, Shut 'Em Shut 'Em Down
Before "True-Schoolers" and "Hardcore Heads" get all riled up, a few caveats: I am not advocating that brick-and-mortar stores be wiped out. I have nothing against a physical place where people can gather to buy records and wax about music. Quite the contrary – I've sought out record stores all over Europe and North America whenever I travel. They're some of my favorite places to visit. Further, I would never argue that record stores of cultural and historical significance (such as the late, great Fat Beats) be put out to pasture. That being said, the era of the record store is over—at least in its current incarnation.
I suppose this article's title is a bit of misnomer. Record stores aren't dying—they're already dead. There's no debating that online retailers give consumers access to larger quantities of music, often better prices, and provide greater convenience, so there's no real use in debating those points. However, online retailers are decried for not providing a sense of community that only the nearest mom-and-pop store can. This sentiment is a flawed one, however. While record stores have always been romanticized by crate-diggers and old souls, they're certainly not for everyone. There's nothing quite as discouraging for a young person trying to share and learn about music as a hostile record store employee or regular customer forcing their beliefs onto others or mocking their tastes. This isn't to suggest that the same thing doesn't happen online—just that your friendly neighborhood record store isn't necessarily so friendly.
The Internet, with its slew of websites and online communities, allows those otherwise turned off by such aforementioned hostility to consume and learn about music anonymously, never having to "defend" their tastes unless they so choose. And imagine: rather than being limited to the music made available or recommended by a single record store, those purchasing music online can read reviews made by thousands of consumers worldwide. This provides an infinitely more comprehensive feedback system than listening to the opinion of the guy behind the register.
So does this mean that every record store needs to pack up and make way for another Starbucks? Not at all. Record stores need merely to adapt. Rather than take up donations and spout anti-big business rhetoric when they become faced with going out of business, independent record stores need to realize that they don't need to be "saved." They can do it themselves.
Bailing record stores out is akin to bailing out the auto industry: why should you have to dole out your duckets to a business that's in trouble because lacks willingness to make institutional changes? Changes that will make it a viable business once more, while retaining its authenticity and furthers its mission to provide a quality product to the customer? Massive online retailers such as Amazon have largely made your local crate-digging haven obsolete. So how can your local record shops hope to "compete" with the Internet age? Simple: all they need to do is join it.
Amazon and iTunes can offer all the libraries of music they want—they still can't replace some necessarily physical aspects of the communal music experience. Rather than use their real-estate as a conduit for an archaic business model, I propose that record stores become the focal point of what happens after the music is purchased. Record stores should set up online shops, and offer those who purchase from them free admission into events such as in-store deejay sets, music signings, group discussions, and other interactive, in-person events. Sales could still be made in-store, but the majority needs to be shifted to the online shipping model.
Hip Hop fans should know all this better than anyone else. There's no genre of music that's taken to the internet quite Hip Hop. Whether it was Crooked I's "Hip Hop Weekly" series or Kanye West's "G.O.O.D. Fridays," artists have used the Internet to drum up excitement for their newest projects and keep their core audiences sated. Just look at the latest Paid Dues festival, which featured both Odd Future and the Wu-Tang Clan. The former has a tremendous Internet following, while the latter has slowly but surely increased their online presence through the years, evinced by the overlapping in audience members for both crews. Even Prince Paul deejays live on uStream. Simply put, the Internet has completely changed the Hip Hop experience. The rate at which we access ever-increasing volumes of information continues to grow exponentially. Fans know it, the audience knows it – so why don't record stores acknowledge this evolution?
Some say the Internet will water down the quality of music, and there's some truth to that. Now anyone with a laptop can record an album, and anyone with a flip-cam can make a music video. That being said, names like Lupe Fiasco, Hopsin, and Slaughterhouse have made their living off of the Internet, because they don't get radio play – the Internet has sustained their careers. Can fans really advocate that fewer choices can be a better thing? You might have to go through 10 or 15 garbage artists before you hear one that resonates you, but isn't that what being a discerning, critical listener is all about? More to the point, artists can still make artistic decisions about how they want to present their music. Jay-Z refused to sell his concept album American Gangster on a track-by-track basis; the album was sold in its entirety because Jay believed that the entire concept needed to be experienced, rather than just a single. The Internet is choice, and choice is freedom.
Interestingly, we always chide music labels for failing to adapt. Labels are constantly preventing artists from releasing free music online, despite the fact that it's far and away the best promotion they could hope for in this day and age. But, for some reason, it's taboo to look at music labels with a similarly critical eye. Why? The truth is, music labels and record stores are both a reflection of the counterproductive, stubborn thought processes that have the music industry on life support. There's no fighting the internet, even in the unlikely even that some of these idiotic bills get passed in Congress. It's not that record stores and music labels can't understand that; they just refuse to do so.
The particulars really don't matter; there are a thousand different ways record stores could adapt by using the internet to their advantage. But one thing's for sure: if they don't get proactive, they deserve whatever fate befalls them. The traditional, tangible "record store" is dead.
Jake: Stop Downloading & Start Diggin'
Jay-Z said it best: "Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't." Vinyl sales are indeed up year-over-year, and pressings continue to be made – and not just of Bon Iver and M83 albums either. If the record store (as we know it) is dead, somebody better check its heart, because I'm getting a pulse.
That being said, I think it's naive for Numark or Technics to go and ramp up turntable production (the aforementioned growth is in the 1-10% range). Unlike the vinyl renaissance that occurred in my teenage years in the late 1990s, early 2000s, I don't think there's a possible paradigm shift—especially for us as Hip Hop fans. Punk, Indie, and Electronic music fans are my guess at what's driving new vinyl-album sales, but that doesn't mean we cannot enjoy the party. Consider the limited edition vinyl that has helped build the mystique of labels like Stones Throw Records—who frequently use the archaic medium to release exclusive music, including "Fan Club 45s." Then there are cool-factor releases like Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II purple vinyl, Ras Kass' A.D.I.D.A.S. gold vinyl or Nike releasing De La Soul's 2009 Are You In? project. Records are cool, they're collectible, and there's a culture of nostalgic dinosaurs like myself who support these stores.
Like the comic book store, the sports card store and the hobby shop, the record store is a threatened species; but like so many in nature, I believe it will never go extinct. It is a meeting-place of music lovers, a time-kill, and a library for enthusiasts that iTunes and the like cannot compete with. Music is a social experience; that's a big part of why we go to concerts and why we tweet, post and share music on our Facebook walls or troll message boards. Like so many things in society right now (sex, entertainment, education, art), the Internet accommodates but often does not completely fulfill. Record stores – especially independent or carefully-curated ones (Amoeba, Newbury Comics, Record Exchange, etc.) around the country will thrive always for offering an experience that the Internet falls short of. I am seeing more and more teenagers in the stores just looking for an experience, asking questions, reading credits and liner notes and hoping to experience the culture as we (and those before us) did.
Another DX contributor, Kevin S. Gary (@FASmackhead) and I have a weekly meeting at one particular Philadelphia record store. We often laugh at the fact that some folks that show up just to talk about music—with the clerks, the fellow customers, and anybody who will listen. It's a community bound by interest, and often lured in by the possibility of the unknown. Recently, there were some college freshmen flipping through the Rap/Hip Hop racks in search of DJ Premier and Pete Rock-produced tracks. Neither had heard of Soul Survivor 2, which was sitting on sale at $5. Ever the eavesdropper, I jumped in their conversation to tell them how much I liked the Pete & C.L. Smooth reunion cut "Appreciate," and they listened, purchasing the LP. I know that type of conversation isn't necessarily happening in all stores, but it's happening.
Chances are, if I'm checking out Dr. Dre on iTunes, the tagging system may recommend me albums by Snoop Dogg, Eminem or 50 Cent. But typically, it's not going to drive an inquisitive mind towards recordings by DJ Quik, Above The Law or Kraftwerk. Growing up, that's what stores independent and commercial offered. They weren't always right, but that human aspect often made the art more interesting. Moreover, a 30-second snippet ruins some of the mystique. There is something cool about the unknown, the way Hip Hop fans recall ripping the wrapping off of classic albums for that first listen. As a crate-digger, I love purchasing things without much insight to them. Some of my favorite out-of-genre Rap albums (David Axelrod's self-titled album, Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack's 1972 album and so many others happened this way). People need excitement, and how many of us purchase or dismiss (or illegally download) an album based on iTunes snippets? I distinctly remember being a novice Roots fan in the early 2000s, when a clerk at one store showed me Philadelphia Experiment, a ?uestlove-involved Jazz project released on a small independent label. Things like Wikipedia have become useful tools in spreading the word, but a trusted source for music buying seems a bit more subjective—which is exactly what I want in something such as music.
Additionally, let's look at value. Half of the reason digital music stores are promoted is convenience. The other half is profit margin. The great thing is, you purchase a new digital album on Amazon and you have nothing but an album on your iTunes/iPod. You can't trade it in. You can't give it to a friend (in a meaningful way, anyway), you have disposable art – word to Masta Ace. I still purchase CDs and vinyl due to the fact that it's a commodity. People come over to my house to look at my music library like a book library or DVD collection. It says something about how I am, and where I spend my money. For as cool as we think our iPods make us, they say more about our tech-savvy than they do about what we actually collect – or what's worth our dollars. I've probably owned 10,000 albums in the last decade – all physical formats combined (vinyl, CD or cassette). I've kept less than a third of that. But each time I decided I wasn't going to keep something, I had something to sell, trade or give away. With digital music, you get none of that. The labels might have their fingers crossed that your laptop is stolen and you have to re-buy again later—why wouldn't they? I think that lost allure is part of the reason the record-buying community vanished. It's just not fun anymore. I can download this week's five new albums, check them out when I feel like it, and be quick to grab five more next week. Sounds like hell to me.
I also think vinyl says something about how much an artist or a label believes in themselves. Five years ago, I received 300-500 CDs a year – one of the fringe perks of being a music critic. I treated almost all of the mail I received seriously, because somebody had invested in themselves to press up a CD (or in rare cases vinyl) and mail it out to industry folks like me. Half of the reason there are so many rappers now is because there's no commodity to invest in. Just like the iMac replaced studio time, the MP3 replaced the CD. Everybody can rap and blow up my inbox (or yours) with 90, 120, 400 minutes of music. It's free to be a nuisance. More so than CDs, vinyl is so expensive and such a hard sell that it means your art must be great. You must be making music with the level of craft heard in a Roots or a Raekwon, a Kanye West, a Blu or a Homeboy Sandman – as subjective as I sound. With the exception of Killer Mike's sophomore album, Tech N9ne's All 6's & 7's and Kendrick Lamar's Section.80, nearly every album I loved in the last five years is available on vinyl. What's that say about the crap that fills up my inbox, and your Twitter timeline?
I agree with Slava in that record stores at the "big box level" are dying. How many times I saw R&B albums in the Rap/Hip-Hop section at Best Buy and Circuit City always baffled me. The same people selling you a digital camera rarely know anything about Digital Underground, and the apathy of the corporate stores showed. Word to Prodigy, Havoc and Charles Darwin—survival of the fittest. However, there are so many stores in every town and trust, their registers are ringing. For those of us who want to hold onto the experience we grew up with, stores are close by—and they're doing better than you think.
Slava Kuperstein is an Ellicott City, Maryland native by way of Odessa, Ukraine who has been writing for HipHopDX since 2006. Follow him on Twitter @SlavaHHDX.
Jake Paine is HipHopDX's Editor-In-Chief. He has worked for DX since 2007, after five years as Features Editor at AllHipHop.com. He has contributed to Forbes.com, The Source, XXL, Mass Appeal and others. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Follow him on Twitter @Citizen__Paine.


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The Sporting Kansas City forward will be with the Canaries until May 6 after getting his international clearance to join the Premier League side.
Kamara will be available for selection for Norwich City's clash with Fulham at Carrow Road on Saturday. He will remain on loan until May 6, at which point Norwich can either opt to purchase his contract outright from Sporting KC and MLS or have him return to the club where he has found his footing and emerged as one of the league's top attacking talents.
Kamara scored 30 goals in the last three seasons in Kansas City, including a career-high 11 last season.
The 28-year-old Sierra Leone international joins a Norwich side that has managed just 25 goals in 25 games, a scoring rate that is fourth-worst in the Premier League. Only Stoke City (24 goals), Aston Villa (23) and Queens Park Rangers (18) have found the back of the net with less frequency.

subset: commoncrawl


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Passerelle Investment Co.'s Community Development Director Brooke Ray Smith told the Town Crier that her company has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to study Foothill Expressway's intersections at Main Street and Edith Avenue.
The goal of the study is to determine a way to make it safer to cross the Santa Clara County roadway, which could encourage more residents to walk or bike to downtown. Smith announced the company's intentions at the Dec. 20 Los Altos City Council meeting and said she hopes to kick off the study sometime in January.
"We're interested in seeing all the different ways people can come in and out of downtown without using a car," said Smith, who added that the study will examine each intersection's level of service, and Passerelle will likely schedule public meetings for input.
Smith, who expects to have the study completed by the end of March, said she crafted the RFP with feedback from city and county staff prior to its release. She plans to lean on their advice more as proposals roll in so that the study can meet the level of scrutiny typically required by public agencies.
"Anything that has to happen with the city and county has to run to their standards," she said.
Smith described the study as "pretty open" in terms of approaches the company's yet-to-be-hired consultant will take in examining the intersections. Among other things, Smith noted that the study aims to develop creative solutions that enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety without the unintended consequence of negatively impacting an already congested expressway for motorists.
"The intent isn't to be completely prescriptive about what this study has to say. … This should kind of be considered a living document," Smith said. "We just want the best study possible. … What we wouldn't want to have happen is to have the study go through, finish and have someone say that the consultant wasn't effective."
Smith noted that improving the intersections in the future could lead to "more feet on the street" in downtown Los Altos via increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic, among other benefits. In addition, Smith said the act of residents walking or riding bikes together into downtown builds community based on common interests.
According to Smith, the study's findings could also lead to public-private partnerships to fund intersection improvements in the future and encourage alternative modes of transportation that could potentially alleviate another current concern for downtown visitors – the lack of parking.
"Everyone's always talking about parking and congestion problems," she said. "If we can get people within one-quarter of a mile to walk and bike to downtown, that would be a huge offset."
For more information, visit passerelleinvestments.com.


text: If I recall correctly, in that particular Steve Mcqueen picture, Steve is wearing a Barbour International, though he was known to be a big fan of Belstaff. Also, the jacket Will Smith wore in I Am Legend is a Belstaff Trialmaster, not a Roadmaster. I know, it's a similar jacket to the roadmaster, just longer. The picture was to ilustrate how it really looks the the same waxed fabric. I'm pretty sure a lot of people watched that movie and thought the jacket was cool or at least they didn't hated it like in this thread.


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The common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms.
Upper respiratory infection - viral; Cold
It is called the common cold for good reason. There are over one billion colds in the United States each year. You and your children will probably have more colds than any other type of illness.
Colds are the most common reason that children miss school and parents miss work. Parents often get colds from their children.
Children can get many colds every year. They usually get them from other children. A cold can spread quickly through schools or daycares.
Colds can occur at any time of the year, but they are most common in the winter or rainy seasons.
A cold virus spreads through tiny, air droplets that are released when the sick person sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose.
You can catch a cold if:
People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. A cold is most often not contagious after the first week.
Cold symptoms usually start about 2 or 3 days after you came in contact with the virus, although it could take up to a week. Symptoms mostly affect the nose.
The most common cold symptoms are:
Adults and older children with colds generally have a low fever or no fever. Young children often run a fever around 100-102°F.
Depending on which virus caused your cold, you may also have:
Most colds go away in a few days. Some things you can do to take care of yourself with a cold include:
The fluid from your runny nose will become thicker and may turn yellow or green within a few days. This is normal, and not a reason for antibiotics.
Most cold symptoms go away within a week in most cases. If you still feel sick after 7 days, see your health care provider to rule out a sinus infection, allergies, or other medical problem.
Colds are the most common trigger of wheezing in children with asthma.
A cold may also lead to:
Try treating your cold at home first. Call your health care provider if:
To lower your chances of getting sick:
The immune system helps your body fight off infection. Here are ways to support the immune system:
Fashner J, Ericson K, Werner S. Treatment of the common cold in children and adults. Am Fam Physician. 2012;86(2):153-159. PMID: 22962927. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22American+family+physician%22%5BJour%5D+AND+2012%5Bpdat%5D+AND+Fashner+J%5Bauthor%5D&cmd=detailssearch
Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD001364. PMID: 23775705. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22The+Cochrane+database+of+systematic+reviews%22%5BJour%5D+AND+2013%5Bpdat%5D+AND+Zinc+for+the+common+cold.+&TransSchema=title&cmd=detailssearch
Turner RB. The common cold. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 369.


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Had Wimbledon's Sophie Hosking stuck with her first love she may have been coming to terms with Olympic heartache this week.
Instead the 26-year-old former Kingston Grammar School student is basking in the glory of winning women's lightweight double sculls gold at Eton Dorney last Saturday.
Former AFC Wimbledon Ladies footballer Hosking gave up football to concentrate on her blossoming rowing career and has not looked back having won medals at a host of World Cup and World
Championship regattas.
Her Olympic gold meant British athletes – including Molesey Boat Club's Andrew Triggs Hodge and Tom James, and Twickenham's Mo Farah – collected six golds in one Super Saturday.
By contrast, Team GB's women's footballers crashed out of the Games with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat to Canada less than 24 hours earlier.
Now Hosking is soaking up the high life as the country's sportsmen and women enjoy their most successful Olympics in more than a century, safe in the knowledge she made the right choice after
"It's still a bit unreal, but it has been a massive rush since we crossed the line. I keep having to remind myself what we have done. It will sink in over the next couple of weeks," she said as she
prepared to return home to normal life after her heroics in Windsor.
"When the Olympics is all over I will head back home and spend time with my family. It has been a lot of hard work so it will be nice to have time to chill out.
"Football is my first love, but once I started with the rowing, it takes up a lot of time, so I had to leave the football behind.
"I'm still a massive fan of AFC Wimbledon and I go down as much as possible and they have given me a lot of support.
"Obviously I have lived in Wimbledon on and off all my life, seeing everyone get behind me was amazing, I'm a bit over awed by it all.
"I can't wait to get back home to Wimbledon and I want to thank everyone for their support
"It meant a huge amount. I'm really proud to be from London and be part of it all."
Durham University graduate Hosking, a member of Putney-based London Rowing Club, made her senior GB rowing debut in 2006 having impressed at U23 level.
She won World Cup silver with partner Kat Copeland in the stroke seat in the first regatta of the summer, but the 21-year-old Teesider's switch to the bow ahead of the Olympics turned that to gold
at the highest level.
But Hosking insisted the move was no surprise to her.
"We have been working on this project for over four years now, I have been in the double since 2009 and the same coach since 2007. This was always our aim," she said.
"We swapped the line-up, but we still had all that experience to draw from and we were very focused on what we needed to do each session to put ourselves in the best position for the Olympics."


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Police: We wouldn't be surprised if Chang has other victims
PENDLETON, Ore. -- Police say they wouldn't be surprised if Lukah Chang had other victims.
They say the attacks may not have been on the same level as the murder of Amyjane Brandhagen or attack on Karen Lange. But someone in Chang's state of mind could definitely have assaulted someone else.
Chang previously went by the alias Danny Wu. He appeared in court Thursday in a bulletproof vest facing murder and attempted murder charges.
Pendleton police are working with police departments up and down the west coast to see if there might be unsolved crimes linked to him.
Chang is suspected of a murder at the Travelodge Motel last summer and the attack of a woman on the Pendleton River Walk.
He might never have been caught if it weren't for security cameras. Action News reported on the cameras added to the river walk four years ago as an effort to deter crime.
It was one of those very cameras that caught Chang's image on tape.
Police recognized him and were able to match a name with their suspect.
There are nine cameras in all, posted in high-crime areas in downtown Pendleton.


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The pirate site plans to ignore the lawsuits from Elsevier and the American Chemical Society.
The Bionic Eye
October 1, 2014|
Using the latest technologies, researchers are constructing novel prosthetic devices to restore vision in the blind.
October 1, 2014|
Using the latest technologies, researchers are constructing novel prosthetic devices to restore vision in the blind.
September 1, 2014|
Now showing clinical progress against liver diseases, the gene-silencing technique begins to fulfill some of its promises.
August 1, 2014|
Nearly 30 years after the discovery of tiny barrel-shape structures called vaults, their natural functions remain elusive. Nevertheless, researchers are beginning to put these nanoparticles to work in biomedicine.
August 1, 2014|
From bioimaging to drug delivery and therapeutics, nanotechnology is poised to change the way doctors practice medicine.
August 1, 2014|
Research on the human microbiome is booming, and scientists have moved from simply taking stock of gut flora to understanding the influence of microbes throughout the body.
June 1, 2014|
Scientists are creating viruses that naturally home in on tumor cells while simultaneously boosting the body's immune system to fight cancer.
May 1, 2014|
Researchers unravel the biology of beauty and art.
April 1, 2014|
Using patients' own immune systems to fight cancer
April 1, 2014|
A dramatic loss of copper in key brain regions may be central to Alzheimer's disease. Could restoring metals in the brain help?
April 1, 2014|
In the face of bacterial threats that can evade modern medicines, researchers are trying every trick in the book to develop new, effective antibiotics.


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The Almartin brings a new level of style and comfort to your workday with practical, yet modern design for day-to-day wearability. Part of the Proper Place Collection, this dress shoe's traditional design will pair flawlessly with any ensemble.
- Sponge EVA footbed conforms to the shape of the foot to help provide a personalized fit
- Leather uppers are easy to clean and maintain to extend product life
- Padded collar and tongue help to prevent blisters and lace bruising
- Polyurethane outsole helps provide durable shock absorption to help reduce foot fatigue
- ADIPRENE® by adidas sport technology for all day comfort with shock absorption in the heel


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Dope Boy Magic is a super chill line of streetwear that offers a trendy collection of clothing and accessories, including women's hats and beanies. The vision for this brand is rooted in its catchy name: Dope Boy Magic. This catchy phrase draws upon the striking similarities between street-level hustling and street fashion. Chicago based co-founders Terrel Jones and Joe Freshgoods started Dope Boy Magic with only an $80 investment and quickly capitalized on it. Evidently, the two businesses aren't that far removed. Dope Boy Magic is perfect for the gal with a clever sense of street style and can easily make any "gangster" ensemble look glam.
No products match your selections. Try clearing your filters.


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Norcross, GA (August 26, 2011) – The Salvation Army Georgia Divisional Emergency Disaster Services ("EDS") team has alerted all units in the state to be on standby as Hurricane Irene approaches the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina. The Salvation Army Georgia EDS teams, having recently served 13, 463 meals during the April 2011 Tornado Outbreak are ready and prepared to serve Hurricane Irene survivors and other first responders when called. Currently, The Salvation Army Georgia Division has 24 canteens that include one field kitchen unit to be notified to stock and be ready to provide materials as well as emotional and spiritual assistance to survivors. Mobile kitchen and canteen units are capable of serving 1,500 meals per day.
Once damage reports have been received and local needs have been determined, EDS teams will serve throughout the impacted region. In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will focus primarily on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families.
While forecasts have cleared Georgia for major storm impact, reports point to North and South Carolina for receiving severe storm effects with the possibility of flooding and several tornado warnings. The Salvation Army's mobile feeding units (canteens), staff and volunteers are vigilant as they wait in standby mode in anticipation of support for our neighbors.
The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors.
The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Hurricane Irene to visit www.salvationarmyusa.orgor call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). Donors may also contribute $10 via their phone bill by text messaging the word "STORM" to 80888, and confirming the donation with the word, "Yes." Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief and mailed to Disaster Gift Processing Center, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301. Please designate "2011 Hurricane Season" on all checks.
At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted. Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident. However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).
For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.organd follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyEDS. Interested parties may also visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia, and follow us on Twitter @tsageorgia.
# # #
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.About The Salvation Army


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Andrews Logistics' 210-tractor fleet includes Kenworth T800s with sleepers. This rig operates out of the Deer Park TX terminal, which is experiencing impressive growth in cargo volume and variety.
Most of the 11 terminals in the Andrews Logistics system have small maintenance shops equipped to handle routine preventive service and minor repairs.
Veteran driver Terry Henrion pre-trips a tractor-trailer rig at the Andrews Logistics terminal in Hartford IL. Pre-trips are among the activities that get a lot of attention in the company's safety program
Andrews Logistics' safety program includes participation in NTTC's tank truck rollover prevention and awareness program.
Andrews Logistics Inc, Irving TX, has achieved distinction as one of the safest tank truck carriers in the United States by winning the Heil Outstanding Performance Trophy in the National Tank Truck Carriers annual safety contest. That achievement came just 13 years after the carrier was established. Peterbilt tractors are a big part of the Andrews Logistics fleet operation, and the carrier just bought 32 2010-model-year 386s for expansion.
J Darron Eschle and Griff Odgers accepted the Heil Outstanding Performance Trophy during NTTC's annual meeting in Chicago IL.
Roper product pumps predominate, but the fleet also runs a few Ranger pumps.
Andrews Logistics selected Dixon Bayco bottom-loading adapters and discharge outlets for the newest DOT406 trailers in the fleet.
Stainless steel chemical trailers have Betts unloading outlets and domelids. Pressure-relief vents are from Girard Equipment.
Andrews Logistics chose Dixon Bayco's FloTech overfill protection for its newest DOT406 trailers.
New tank trailers are specified with Bridgestone tires, Alcoa aluminum disc wheels, and Hendrickson's Tiremaax inflation system. Andrews Logistics as a national account with Bridgestone.
Related story: Building a winning safety program was no accident for 13-year-old Andrews Logistics Inc
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D.C. budget: Gray proposes new spending on affordable housing, libraries, emergency vehicles
WASHINGTON (AP) - District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray is proposing a $10.1 billion budget that includes new spending on affordable housing, libraries and police and fire department vehicles.
The district ended the last fiscal year with a more than $400 million surplus. While most went into the city's reserve fund, Gray is proposing new spending because the city's income, corporate and sales taxes are expected to keep growing.
The budget includes no new taxes or fees. It also includes no tax reductions beyond eliminating an unpopular tax on municipal bonds from other states.
Major new initiatives include a $103 million renovation of the city's central library and $100 million in new spending on affordable housing.
Gray also is proposing $8 million for new fire department vehicles and $7.2 million for police vehicles.


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Brewer at the Legislature: Mob rule
North Platte Seventh-day Adventist Church to discuss liberty, life of Constantine the Great
More opinion
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
Goat Expo set first October weekend
More Ag News
DiAnn Kolkman has gone above and beyond in contributing her time and talent to the community, and will receive honors for it.
Community Foundation president Bob Spady praised the personal qualities of Kolkman along with her long-time commitment to the community foundation and charitable causes.
Everyone associated with the Community Foundation greatly values the many ways that DiAnn has supported our mission to help worthy causes in this area, Spady said.
Kolkman served on the Community Foundations Board of Directors, including two years as president. She has served on many Community Foundation committees and always been willing to help when needed, Spady said.
She helped develop the John Russell Applegate Fund for Teachers, from which more than $1 million has been disbursed for grants to area schools and for scholarships for area teachers.
DiAnn and husband Rick also established a charitable fund at the Community Foundation.
Serving the Community Foundation was truly enjoyable and rewarding, she said. I remember when the Community Foundation started with so little, yet it continued to grow into a wonderful organization that makes a big difference with grants and scholarships.
People help this area with large and small donations to the Community Foundation as well as with time given to review scholarship applications and serve on the Board and committees.
Kolkman grew up in Sutherland and moved to North Platte with her family at age 14.
She began working for First National Bank in North Platte in 1975, filing checks and running errands.
Since then, she has worked and led many departments at the bank. She currently manages retail banking operations for the banks locations in North Platte, Alliance, Chardon and Scottsbluff. She has been recognized as one of North Plattes Women of Achievement for her business accomplishments.
Kolkman has helped the United Way, Connection Homeless Shelter, Community Day Care Center, Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center, Salvation Army and Great Plains Regional Medical Center. She is a former president of Sertoma Club and a long-time member of North Platte Chamber Hostesses.
She also served on the State of Nebraskas Investment Council and the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness.
DiAnn is a wonderful champion of the North Platte community, said Eric Seacrest, executive director of the Community Foundation. Again and again, she has played a role in making things happen in this community typically without any desire for recognition. DiAnn is known for handling difficult tasks with professionalism and grace.
DiAnn and Rick have three children: Lisa (Jeff) Hill of Wymore, Aaron (Jacki) Kolkman of Maple Grove, MN and Dr. Paul (Marcy) Kolkman of Omaha.
On Friday, Feb. 1, the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation will hold a wine and cocktail buffet recognition event at the Holiday Inn Express. Founded in 1978, the Community Foundation will celebrate 35 years of philanthropy.
During the event, there will be recognitions and musical entertainment. For reservations to attend, call 534-3315. The cost is $50 per person.
The Community Foundation administers 250 charitable and scholarship funds, each with its own charitable purpose and specifications. In the most recent fiscal year, $773,000 was paid out in scholarships and grants to worthy causes, made possible by donor generosity and investment earnings.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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JUPITER, Fla. (May 10, 2013) – Jupiter Medical Center's Clinical Research Department is extending its relationship with TEI Biosciences (Boston, MA) through an upcoming research collaboration studying the effectiveness of SurgiMend PRS in two populations of women undergoing mastectomy. The new clinical trials will be headed by Jupiter Medical Center surgeons David Lickstein, MD, Plastic Surgery, and John A.P. Rimmer, MD, General and Breast Surgery and Medical Director of the Kristin Hoke Breast Health Program.
The partnership originated as Dr. Lickstein and Dr. Rimmer recently completed a study with TEI Biosciences as principal investigators in a "Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) in Tissue Expander or Direct-to-Implant Reconstruction: A Retrospective, Observational Study." Additionally, TEI Biosciences chose Jupiter Medical Center as a clinical research site due to their level of expertise and commitment to leading-edge research.
The purpose of the retrospective ADM study was to compare the effectiveness of TEI Biosciences' SurgiMend PRS to other comparable products currently being used in women undergoing breast reconstruction with expanders and/or implant after mastectomy. These ADM products are used as a soft tissue repair matrix to support the patient's own breast tissue, sustaining the healing skin around the breast expander or implant, and promoting the patient's own cells to rebuild healthy tissue.
As part of the study, women who underwent the surgeries due to breast cancer or as a preventative measure had a follow-up visit with Dr. Lickstein or Dr. Rimmer within six weeks post-operatively. They were assessed for side effects such as hematoma (a collection of blood within the tissue), seroma (a pocket of clear fluid that develops in the surgical site), necrosis (the death of tissue cells), infection, and/or the necessity to remove the implant or expander.
The results of the assessment of the women who had SurgiMend PRS were compared with women who had Strattice, Alloderm and other ADMs used in reconstructions. These products are FDA-approved and assist surgeons in many settings such as emergency reconstruction, hernia repair and wound healing. SurgiMend PRS and other ADMs have shown positive results when used during the breast reconstruction process. However, they must undergo clinical trials in order to make specific claims about patient benefits.
As a result of the retrospective ADM study, and upon FDA-approval of the new clinical trial protocols, the research collaboration studying the effectiveness of SurgiMend PRS in two populations of women undergoing mastectomy will begin. The first clinical trial will compare two-stage reconstruction following mastectomy with and without the use of SurgiMend PRS in patients with pre-mastectomy radiation therapy, studying the product's potential to reduce capsular contracture (tightening of tissue around the breast implant). The second clinical trial will determine the clinical outcome and effectiveness of SurgiMend PRS when used during single-state breast reconstruction following mastectomy compared to immediate, two-stage breast reconstruction following mastectomy without ADM, studying the potential reduction in number of operations to achieve a desirable appearance.
Jupiter Medical Center's Clinical Research Department is excited to begin work on the new clinical trials, in partnership with TEI Biosciences. For more information on this future collaboration, please contact Jupiter Medical Center's Clinical Research Department at (561) 263-5791, Dr. David Lickstein at (561) 881-8800 or Dr. John Rimmer at (561) 748-1242.
About Jupiter Medical Center
A not-for-profit 283-bed regional medical center consisting of 163 private acute care hospital beds and 120 long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation and Hospice beds, Jupiter Medical Center provides a broad range of services with specialty concentrations in oncology, imaging, orthopedics & spine, digestive health, emergency services, lung & thoracic, women's health, weight management and men's health. Founded in 1979, the Medical Center has approximately 1,500 team members, 520 physicians and 700 volunteers. Jupiter Medical Center is the recipient of the HealthGrades 'America's 50 Best' Award™ for three years in a row (2011-2013) and the Distinguished Hospital Award - Clinical Excellence™ for nine years in a row (2005-2013). For more information on Jupiter Medical Center, please call (561) 263-2234 or visit www.jupitermed.com.
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Home > Communities > Geographic Activities > Awards > Recipients
To recognize the accomplishment judged to be the most significant and effective in fulfilling one or more of the goals and strategic objectives of Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) as related to transnational activities. This award is made in memory of Dr. Larry K. Wilson.
The accomplishments of the candidate(s) should be of "significant performance" and should have made a distinguishing contribution to IEEE. The focus should be on volunteering for IEEE, MGA, or its organizational units, not on professional achievement.
Review the nominator guidelines
A few examples of the contributions for which past MGA Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award recipients have been recognized include:
View all previous MGA Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award recipients with citations
A candidate:
The selection and award instrument include:
Please email MGA Awards at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have questions about the MGA Larry K. Wilson Transnational Award or the MGA Awards Process.


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Topic: Double stent
I have my appointment next week to have my ERCP/plastic stent replaced. Over the last year I have had a few episodes of fever, chills and bilirubin going up which indicates an obstruction. I go on antibiotics as a precaution and it resolves itself and usually only lasts about 12 hours but there was one time where I was pretty sick and was in the hospital for 3 days. Because of this, the doctor is suggesting they put in 2 stents side by side. The doctor said to expect some pain. My other stent replacements have been very routine. Never even know they did anything so I am a little nervous about this. Has anyone had side by side stents?


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A sick child—could anything be worse for a parent? As your child sniffs, sneezes, and runs a fever, you often feel helpless. But there are things you can do to help your child get on the path to recovery.
The first step is to ask questions at the doctor's office, especially regarding prescribed medications. It is your right and your responsibility to be an informed parent. You may want to bring a notepad so that you can write down all the information.
A child should never be left alone to take medication. An adult should always be involved. Here are some tips to help you give medication to a child safely:
Make sure to keep all medications in child-proof caps, and store them in a locked cabinet out of your child's reach.
Note: Aspirin is not recommended for children with a current or recent viral infection, such as a cold or the flu. Look at labels to make sure that any over-the-counter (OTC) medication doesn't contain aspirin. OTC cough and cold medications are not recommended for children under 6 years old. Always check with your doctor before giving your child any OTC medication to make sure it is safe to do so.
Sometimes your child will need to take medication while at school. Each school has a policy on how it deals with delivering medication to students. Make sure you call the school and speak with the school nurse or principal to find out the school's medication policy. Here are a few standard guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Remember, you and your child's doctor are working toward the same goal—your child's health and well-being.
Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics
The National Association of School Nurses
About Kids Health—The Hospital for Sick Children
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
How to give your child medicine. American Academy of Family Physicians Family Doctor website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/drugs-procedures-devices/over-the-counter/medicine-and-your-child-how-to-give-your-child-medicine.html. Updated October 2013. Accessed July 20, 2015.
Medication safety tips. American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website. Available at: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Medication-Safety-Tips.aspx. Updated June 30, 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015.
Medications: using them safely. Nemours Kids Health website. Available at: http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/medicine/medication_safety.html. Updated January 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015.
Murray RD, Gereige RS, Lamont JH. Policy statement—guidance for the administration of medication in school. Pediatrics. 2009;124(4):1244-1251.
Last reviewed July 2015 by Michael Woods, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
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August 23, 2013 — Welcome to the latest in our series of #WomenCan profiles, highlighting executives and experts who are Catalysts for change within their companies and fields. This week, the spotlight is on Cecy Kuruvilla, Global Director – Leadership Development/Diversity,
Sodexo Remote Sites & Asia-Australia (AMECAA), Coimbatore, India.
Meet: Cecy Kuruvilla, Global Director – Leadership Development/Diversity, Sodexo Remote Sites & Asia-Australia (AMECAA), Coimbatore, India.
Early leadership lessons: I grew up in South India with very strong, authentic parents who showered us with love and also instilled in us a love for community and social justice. My father's mantra, "privilege comes with responsibility," resonates in my work in diversity. I look back at his leadership model that brought incremental change in societal behaviours towards people of different caste and socio-economic status, at a time when that sort of socializing was taboo. His courage, risk taking, and authenticity have been an inspiration to me in my leadership role. My gutsy nature is truly a case of the apple falling not far from the tree!
My "Women Can" mentor: My first mentor in undergraduate school was a nun who saw potential in me and was instrumental in developing my comfort level with communicating in public forums! Folks who know me today will be surprised to know that I was once a shy, insecure, naïve young woman who owes a great deal to this mentor. She instilled in me great pride in being a woman. My interest in gender issues was heightened during this period and continues to be an area of focus in my work.
Career path: I graduated with a Masters in psychology and taught at a women's college in India before emigrating to the United States, where I decided to work in a corporate setting. I was shocked and amazed to find that gender equality in the United States was truly an illusion. So I was determined to prove that I could succeed. I received another Masters in OD/HR; moved into sales, marketing, operations, and finally into human resources and diversity. Since diversity was at the early stages, I volunteered for various task forces. I took on additional assignments that focused on gender and race discussions to learn and understand the issues better, and was able to take the formal assignment in this field at a major corporation. With over 25 years of D&I experience, I returned to India to work on gender diversity work in that country.
I am a Catalyst: As I see it, India is a country of contrasts on a collision course between the old and the new. For example, successful women entrepreneurs continue to deal with stereotypical notions of their abilities. Women, both educated and illiterate, are being exploited, harassed, and treated as chattel. And there remains in India the steadfast belief that God, not man, has created the separation of castes. Corporations are a microcosm of society, and so my challenge has been to influence, persuade, and convince the leadership that gender balance is truly a business imperative, by encouraging dialogue to reduce "fear of the unknown" and expanding opportunities for collaboration across gender. I believe in "inspiring change, one person at a time."
Best advice: Have strong support systems both at work and in your personal/family life. Network as much as possible both within your workplace and in the community. Seek out mentors and sponsors who you see as role models to ground you on the unwritten rules in organizations. I learned to cultivate strong relationships with people at work who would speak of my performance to those who mattered. But I also had to learn how to "toot my own horn"—something that was culturally inappropriate in my upbringing! I had to learn how to provide details of my job performance without being seen as "boastful." If a position does not give you growth opportunities, move on—your talents are in great demand. But also take time to smell the roses outside your professional life.
Read our other #WomenCan profiles:
See how one mom and daughter shared a #WomenCan moment.
Watch and share our #WomenCan Video.
Learn how others are Catalysts for change at IAmA.Catalyst.org. Sheryl Sandberg is a Catalyst. How about you?


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Vibrating tattoo alerts patent filed by Nokia in US
Vibrating magnetic tattoos may one day be used to alert mobile phone users to phone calls and text messages if Nokia follows up a patent application.
The Finnish company has described the idea in a filing to the US Patent and Trademark Office.
It describes tattooing, stamping or spraying "ferromagnetic" material onto a user's skin and then pairing it with a mobile device.
It suggests different vibrations could be used to create a range of alerts.
The application lists Cambridge-based Zoran Radivojevic as the innovation's lead inventor. It was filed last week and was brought to light by the Unwired View news site.
It suggests a magnetic marking could be attached to either a user's arm, abdominal area, finger or fingernail.
"Examples of... applications may be low battery indication, received message, received call, calendar alert, change of profile, eg based on timing, change of time zone, or any other," the filing reads.
"The magnetic field may cause vibration of one short pulse, multiple short pulses, few long pulses... strong pulses, weak pulses and so on."
The filing also suggests that the magnetised marking could be used as an identity check. It says that by picking a certain shape the user could create a "specific magnetic impedance" - effectively their own magnetic fingerprint.
It says this could act as a "password" and gives the example of a laptop refusing to display content on its screen unless it verifies its user is close by.


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conebeckham wrote:Agreed. I hope the Tibetan Community in exile can successfully transition to a true democratic process. HH Gyalwa Karmapa has made it clear that he is not interested in a politcal role, and I think HHDl's recent position statements clearly indicate that, even if there is a 15th DL, he will likely not be primarily a political figure.
I think it is best for us that HH. Dalailama continues just as a spiritual teacher in both this and the next lives. For example, when he comes to my region, large portion of his time is taken by negotiations and meetings with local politians and so no Dharma teachings are given, just a general public talk. Of course this is also due to our karma, because HH. Dalailama does give teachings, when he comes elsewhere, but his position and occupations are also a condition adding to this. Another thing is how this will influence situation of Tibet. Lets hope that health of His Holiness remains good and his life stable.


text: AMERICAN CUSTOM YACHTS & BAUSCH AMERICAN TOWERS purchased naming rights to two of four steel towers scheduled to become Martin County's newest artificial reef. This new reef is composed of four 33-foot-tall steel towers donated by the U.S. Navy and modified for reef deployment at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce. The ACY and BAT Towers were dropped in 200 feet of water south of Wickstrom Reef and parallel to Eight Mile Reef on June 27. Each tower features its sponsor's name proudly displayed on a steel plate. The other towers were sponsored by Dr. Robert Baratta and Debbie Schmidt.


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Going to college improves your life-long earning potential, opens up intellectual worlds that you'll explore your whole life and can even help you live longer!
Certificates are a great tool for your building and expressing your expertise in a specific area of specialization. Credits earned may be applied toward a degree if you decide to continue your education.
Enhance your career, empower employees, explore new personal interests and enrich your children's education through lifelong learning. No grades or exams! (except for licensure courses) Just learning and enjoyment. Businesses can also arrange customized training for staff groups.
NVCC offers a wide variety of learning opportunities to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
If you're a new student or looking to settle on an area of specialization, you may find it helpful to browse our course offerings by subject to see what matches your interests. If you have a specific degree or certificate in mind, you can also browse by program to see if we have what you're looking for.
If you already attend NVCC or you want to learn more about specific program requirements, use the columns to the right to navigate to your program. If you don't find what you're looking for, don't be discouraged! Contact our Admissions Office to discuss specialized degree options.


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Suite Success
Las Vegas Hotels
I could have nodded off in the bathtub with a bottle of Opus One. I could have been sprawled atop the dining room table. I could have been busy on the toilet--any of the five--or fiddling with the touch-screen control on the oversized television in the entertainment area. With 22 telephones spread throughout my 3,800-square-foot suite at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, my wake-up call still wouldn't have been more than an arm's reach away.
When it did come, I happened to be sleeping peacefully in the master bedroom, as opposed to one of the other two bedrooms. I pushed aside a pillow and answered the extension on the nightstand on the right side of the bed, though I just as easily could have turned over and answered the extension on the left side.
A few strategically placed portable phones would have been more functional, but Caesars wasn't looking to maximize functionality. The guiding principle of the best hotel rooms in Las Vegas is excess, and the more gratuitous the excess, the better.
Staying in such a suite at Caesars, or a similar accommodation at any of the top hotels on the Strip, is a benefit of being a high-volume gambler, what's known in the casino business as a whale. There's rarely a charge for these suites, almost never for whales, who get them free as a reward for previous play at a given casino and as an incentive to continue playing.
The competition for such gamblers is as spirited as anything that goes on across the felt. If you can get a whale to put his Rolex on your nightstand and hang his Zegna sportcoat in your closet, the theory goes, you'll get most of his gaming business, too.
"People play a lot more where they stay," says J. Terrence Lanni, chairman of the board of MGM-Mirage, which owns the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Treasure Island and Mirage, among other properties. "They start there at the beginning of the night, and they end up there at the end."
In the case of guests who typically stay in the suite I had, repeat business can mean as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars of profit to the Caesars Palace casino over a given weekend, depending on the luck of the cards or the dice. One frequent Vegas guest plays enough to have been accorded a suite at three of the Strip's top hotels simultaneously. Another arrives at the same casino twice a month with a $4 million cashier's check, ready for action. SpectraVision in his hotel room and a chocolate on his pillow aren't likely to be enough to excite him.
My suite at Caesars had raw silk fabric on the walls, a stylized rotunda entry hall, marble end tables, alabaster light fixtures, motorized curtains operated by the flick of a switch, and a genuine Berber rug. But it wasn't the hotel room of my dreams--neither figuratively nor literally.
The previous afternoon, I'd been shown one rated a category higher. These have been dubbed "Rain Man suites" because Tom Cruise's character cavorted in one of them in the 1988 movie as he put the mathematical capabilities of an autistic savant, played by Dustin Hoffman, to an avaricious end.
The 5,000-square-foot, split-level number I saw had a $25,000 hand-commissioned throw rug lying innocuously on the ground, artwork by Salvador Dalí's former protégé Claude Boeltz, a three-screen entertainment center that included a karaoke machine, and twin master bedrooms. There are other suites, a Caesars representative hastened to add, done up in motifs such as Egyptian and Pompeiian, and a modest little Italian villa of 12,000 square feet with a lap pool and a putting green that has an elevator with direct access to the high-stakes gaming area. They'd have shown me that one, too, but evidently the king was resting.
When my wake-up call came, I was dreaming about the Rain Man suite. Once awake, I'm ashamed to say, my own tasteful and elegant rooms seemed something of a letdown. I said as much to Dean Harrold, Caesars president and chief operating officer, and to my surprise, he agreed. "As nice as those suites are, they're not adequate," he says. "There's a necessary decadence that those rooms are missing, and we're well aware of that."
Harrold described it as the difference between a hotel mindset and a casino mindset. Hotel companies follow a logic we're all familiar with, so they build terrific rooms and charge a lot of money for them. Casinos have a logic all their own, one that wouldn't necessarily work in any other business. Casinos build outlandish rooms, rooms that cost far more money than a hotel room would anywhere else. Then they give them away.
The suite I stayed in and about 20 others, all located at the top of the Palace Tower, were built during the mid-1990s, when ITT Sheraton owned the property. As hotel rooms, they're all exquisite. As over-the-top experiences, they don't compare to what Tom Cruise had.
"The people who stay in that kind of suite aren't paying $259 a night or $359 a night, they might be paying a million dollars a night," says Harrold, who started as a blackjack dealer at the Dunes Hotel & Country Club in 1968 at age 21 and worked his way up the industry ladder. "We have to give them a product they're not getting at home. Believe it or not, in some of these people's homes, they have waterfalls in the bathroom, they have fish swimming through the living room. We have to give them all that and more."
Harrold seemed embarrassed by the tastefulness and comfortably human scale of my rooms. "You can bet we'll be putting money into those suites," he says. "We have to. Our customers demand more." Just how good a customer do you have to be to get invited to stay at such a suite at a top Las Vegas hotel? It depends on how much you bet, what game you're playing, how long you bet for, and where you play.
Whether you win or lose is immaterial, except in extreme cases. If you're a regular customer--a whale--and you have a terrible run of luck and squander your money beyond all proportion to the law of averages, you are likely to be invited back even before you've left the premises. You'll be offered an even bigger and better suite, with more valuable meal comps and other amenities, because the last thing the casinos want is to send a heavy player home with a bad feeling about the property.
And if you win beyond all proportion more than infrequently, suffice to say that you won't be a regular customer for long. What the casinos are looking for is volume. The house has time on its side. The more you play, the better the chance that your margin of return will approach the average, which may be 5 or 6 or 10 percent in the casino's favor, depending on the place and the game. If the casino can make gaming in Las Vegas a pleasurable enough experience, the whale will keep playing. That means free drinks, free gourmet meals, free boxing tickets, free shows. And free suites--the more opulent, the better.
All the casinos use the same mathematical equation to determine what you're worth, but not all have the same margin in their product. You have to spend far more money to be considered a high roller at a high-end casino than at, say, the San Remo or the Lady Luck. "Show up at Lady Luck with $1,000 in your pocket to bet over a weekend, and you can have a limo, comped meals and the run of the place," says one casino executive. "Do the same at Bellagio, and they won't even know your name."
Paris Las Vegas, a theme park of a hotel with a half-scale Eiffel Tower designed to appeal to middle-class American tourists who might never get to see the real thing, isn't considered as upscale a property as, say, Caesars Palace or the Bellagio. But its unique faux-French ambience--even the executives of this American-owned and -run hotel greet guests with a hearty "Bonjour!"--adds a sense of novelty that appeals to certain high rollers. That's why the hotel, which is not known for posh accommodations, has a small number of upscale suites.
Danny Davis, the casino manager at Paris Las Vegas, describes a typical occupant. "A half-million-dollar credit line or above, betting 20 to 30 thousand dollars a hand. Of course, there's competition for these people with the other hotels," he says. "Sometimes we put guests in a suite not because they've earned it with us yet but because they demand it. We don't want to lose them to, say, The Venetian. These people are very, very intelligent people, and they know what's out there and what to ask for. They didn't get hold of all this money by being stupid."
The suites on the top two floors of Paris Las Vegas are all the more impressive when compared to the mass-market chaos below. When I stayed in the 4,800-square-foot Napoleon suite recently, I waited 25 minutes to drop off my car for valet parking. (Not to retrieve it, mind you. Just to drop it off.) But the average whale, who pulls up in his limo, doesn't have to worry about such indolence, nor about the buffet lines that snake their way into the mock Parisian street that serves as a hallway.
It doesn't matter to our high roller that newspapers, instead of being distributed outside hotel room doors in the morning, are available for purchase at the gift shop with stickers saying "Compliments of Paris Las Vegas" magic-markered out. He'll never even know. The high roller will simply dispatch a butler, courtesy of the hotel, to fulfill such needs.
At the same time, if he--or she, though high rollers are overwhelmingly male--is ensconced in the Napoleon suite, he can play his favorite Mozart sonata on the jet-black Kawai piano in the drawing room, or request that someone come play it for him. He can host a dinner party in the formal dining room and pad over hardwood oak floors made in the Versailles style through rooms adorned by handmade wool rugs of French design. He can admire the historically accurate resin molding, and lather up with Faberge shampoo in bathrooms fitted with gold-leaf brass fixtures. It's a Disney World version of France, with high-stakes blackjack and baccarat just an elevator ride away.
"It's very impressive, and people really enjoy looking out of the windows and seeing the Eiffel Tower," says Ronan O'Gorman, the vice president of hotel operations. "This is a unique experience."
The night I stayed there, I ensconced myself in the entertainment room, opened the bottle of wine that had been waiting for me upon my arrival (curiously, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon), fired up the 48-inch, rectangular-shaped television, and ordered an omelet and a salad.
The salad's vinaigrette dressing failed to materialize, and I clicked through the hotel's cable system in vain for ESPN2, which was telecasting a baseball game I'd bet on. Still, I did have my choice of three bedrooms, all with custom-made Strauss crystal chandeliers, and that fetching Eiffel Tower just outside my window.
I had arranged to stay at the Sky Villas at the Las Vegas Hilton as a climax to my recent visit. These suites have been renowned as the most extravagant rooms on the Strip since their construction in 1996. Before that, the Hilton had other legendary high-roller rooms on the 29th and 30th floors, including a four-bedroom suite that Elvis Presley lived in during the early 1970s.
One of the Sky Villas, the Villa Verona, meanders through 15,400 square feet, which is the equivalent of four nice-sized houses. You may have glimpsed it during last season's finale of the television show "Nash Bridges," which was taped there. The Tuscany, 13,200 square feet, has a contemplation hallway made entirely of Italian marble. The Conrad suite is 12,600 square feet and includes a rooftop view of the Strip. Hustler magazine's Larry Flynt has been a customer.
But the week before my visit, Park Place Entertainment--which also owns Bally's and Paris Las Vegas--sold the Hilton to Los Angeles businessman Ed Roski Jr., pending approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission. Roski immediately announced plans to replace the Sky Villas with a revenue-generating restaurant open to the public, while reserving a portion of the villas for a private club.
To lovers of unfettered extravagance, however, it's a tragedy. For a brief time, the Sky Villas have represented the state of a certain kind of garish art, a snapshot of the soul of Las Vegas, as well as a tangible link to the hotel's wild past. "What they had in the Hilton was always outlandish," says Don Payne, the former head of the Las Vegas News Bureau and an unofficial historian of the Strip. "I remember the Elvis suite, and it was weird and ostentatious. Not dissimilar to Elvis himself, I must say."
In a sense, the transformation of the Hilton to a middle-class property marks the end of an era. Hotels used to fly in high rollers on chartered jets, press their clothes upon arrival, even provide pliant women. Frank, Sammy and Dean thought they were living well on the Strip, but it was nothing compared to what the top gamblers were given, according to Payne.
All that generosity had a purpose, of course. "The player knows they're going to lose some money, but if they can go home and say 'I knocked 'em over in Vegas, I stayed at this fabulous place and they gave me this and that and the other,' then the whole thing seems worthwhile," he says. "They say, 'I had it for free.' Of course, they wrote a $49,000 check for the gambling, but they don't think of that." That mindset still exists, but players have become savvier. They know precisely what they're spending, and what they get in return. "I'm glad I'm out of it," Payne says. "It's different now."
Nevertheless, a classier form of the good life lives on at the Bellagio, which is controlled by the business-oriented Kirk Kerkorian. Instead of the Hilton, I checked into one of the nine third-floor villas that Steve Wynn built two years ago for his most devoted customers. My two-bedroom suite contained a full kitchen, including a drawer of Christofle silver. It had a rain-head shower and Hermès cologne in the bathroom, and sinks finished in 24-karat gold.
The suite had its own sauna and exercise room, stocked with a treadmill, stationary bike and massage table. It had cedar-lined closets, hand-carved marble and a formal dining room that seated eight under a chandelier of Murano glass. It had a 3,500-square-foot terrace with soothing green pine trees, a small but perfectly appointed private pool, and a canopied sitting area complete with cool-water mist at the push of a button.
I gazed out through French doors at the pool and the pine trees. I touched a screen and saw a television rise from the cabinet at the foot of my bed. I accessed hundreds of channels of DirecTV and a menu of six dozen music channels. Another button on the screen turned on the waterfall that flowed over marble in my courtyard. Propped up against my plush pillows, I could see it there, cascading into the pool. Above it loomed the top third of that Eiffel Tower.
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Standing in the RainbowAuthor:
Flagg, Fannie
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Summary: Elmwood Springs Almost everyone in town that had an extra room took in a boarder. There were no apartment buildings or hotels as of yet. The Howard Johnson was built a few years later but in the meantime bachelors needed to be looked after and single women certainly had to have a respectable place to live. Most people considered it their Christian duty to take them in whether they needed the few extra dollars a week ...or not, and some of the boarders stayed on for years. Mr. Pruiet, a bachelor from Kentucky with long thin feet, boarded with the Haygoods so long that they eventually forgot he was not family. Whenever they moved, he moved. When he finally did die at seventy-eight, he was buried in the Haygood family plot with a headstone that read: MR. PRUIET STILL WITH US PAID IN FULL The homes on First Avenue North were located within walking distance of town and school and were where most of the town's boarders lived. At present the Smith family's boarder is Jimmy Head, the short-order cook at the Trolley Car Diner; the Robinsons next door have Beatrice Woods, the Little Blind Songbird; the Whatleys up the street have Miss Tuttle, the high school English teacher. Ernest Koonitz, the school's band director and tuba soloist, boards with Miss Alma, who, as luck would have it, has a hearing problem. But soon the Smith family will take in a new boarder who will set in action a chain of events that should eventually wind up in the pages of history books. Of course they won't know it at the time, especially their ten-year-old son, Bobby. He is at the moment downtown standing outside the barbershop with his friend Monroe Newberry, staring at the revolving red and white stripes on the electric barber's pole. The game is to stare at it until they are cross-eyed, which seemed to them to be some sort of grand achievement. As far as amusements go, it is on a par with holding your breath until you pass out or dropping from a rope into the freezing swimming hole outside of town named the Blue Devil, so cold that even on a hot day when you hit the water the first shock jolts you to your eyeballs, stops your heart, and makes you see stars before your eyes. By the time you come out your body is so numb you can't feel where your legs are and your lips have turned blue, hence the name. But boys, being the insane creatures they are, cannot wait to come crawling out covered with goose bumps and do it all over again. These were some of the activities that thrilled Bobby to the core. However, for Bobby just life itself was exciting. And really at that time and that place what red-blooded American boy would not wake up every morning jumping for joy and ready to go? He was living smack-dab in the middle of the greatest country in the worldsome said the greatest country that ever was or ever would be. We had just beaten the Germans and the Japanese in a fair fight. We had saved Europe and everyone liked us that year, even the French. Our girls were the prettiest, our boys the handsomest, our soldiers the bravest, and our flag the most beautiful. That year it seemed like everyone in the world wanted to be an American. People from all over the world were having a fit trying to come here. And who could blame them? We had John Wayne, Betty Grable, Mickey Mouse, Roy Rogers, Superman, Dagwood and Blondie, the Andrews Sisters, and Captain Marvel. Buck Rogers and Red Ryder, BB guns, the Hardy Boys, G-men, Miss America, cotton candy. Plus Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen, Amos 'n' Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, and anybody could grow up and become the president of the United States. Bobby even felt sorry for anyone who was not lucky enough to have been born here. After all, we had invented everything in the world that really mattered. Hot dogs, hamburgers, roller coasters, roller skates, ice-cream cones, elec [read more]
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Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
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text:
Follow-through key to Lincecum's smooth session
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum declared himself "ahead of where I was last year" after throwing a 10-minute bullpen session during Wednesday's opening workout for pitchers and catchers.
Lincecum began feeling out of sync early last Spring Training, due largely to his physical condition.
"Last year, coming into it, I was trying to lose the weight from the prior year," Lincecum said. "This year, I feel like I'm strong on my legs again."
Mechanically, Lincecum felt like anything but the starter who struggled to a 10-15 record and a 5.18 ERA last year.
"I felt like my front leg was actually stabilizing my motion when it comes to an end," said the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, who threw only fastballs and changeups. "I'm actually following through instead of falling out of it or wheeling off. My follow-through is a lot better and on target."
By sheer coincidence, Lincecum found himself throwing to catcher Buster Posey, who was rarely paired with the righty last season; the two have been rumored to be at odds. After Lincecum finished throwing, he and Posey met for the customary pitcher-catcher handshake. They spoke briefly, with Lincecum gesticulating as he mimicked a couple of throwing motions. As they parted, Lincecum patted Posey on his lower back with his left hand.
Manager Bruce Bochy insisted that Lincecum and Posey weren't ordered to work together. Echoed Lincecum, "There was no plan. I just kind of walked over and he was the only one left." Lincecum noted that throwing to Posey "kind of makes you feel like you're in a game-type atmosphere."


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Toys for Tots collections are up and running at the Farmers State Bank of Hamel, 21st Century Bank of Loretto, Medina City Hall and the Medina Police Department.
Bring new, unwrapped toys to the above locations by Wednesday, Dec. 19. Donated toys will be delivered to KARE-11 TV in Golden Valley.
Here are some toy gift ideas from the KARE-11 web site:
• Birth – 2 Years — Bath toys, blocks, board books, stacking toys and stuffed animals
• 3 – 4 Years — Arts and crafts, books (story and activity), dress-up/pretend play, games and puzzles, musical instruments and outdoor toys
• 5 – 7 Years — Action figures, construction toys, dolls, accessories and puzzles and brain teasers
• 8 – 11 Years — Arts & crafts, building and models, gadgets, electronic toys and remote controlled vehicles
• 12 – 16 Years — Collectible dolls, figures, games, MP3 players, radios and sports equipment.


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By FRED KERBER
Eddie Griffin, with history of substance abuse, left Nets yesterday and returned to Houston to seek "additional help' for unspecified problem, the team said.
- Getty Images
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January 29, 2004 -- ORLANDO - Four days after an incident at a Rutherford, N.J., hotel - during which, police said, they responded to calls from alarmed guests concerning Eddie Griffin going to the wrong room - the troubled Net forward, who has undergone treatment for emotional problems and substance abuse, told the team he was seeking "additional help" for an unspecified problem.
"Eddie Griffin has informed us he's going back to Houston for additional help, rehab. There's no timetable at all for his return," Net senior vice president of basketball operations Ed Stefanski said yesterday.
"He doesn't feel he's ready for the rigors of the NBA life right now, so he's going back."
Stefanski said the sudden turn of events was Griffin's decision. There is heavy speculation he will not play for the Nets this season.
Griffin is a free agent at the end of the year. He remains a member of the team and has not been released.
Griffin flew here with the team following Tuesday's victory in Philadelphia. Following a meeting with Stefanski, he left to return to Houston, where he has been treated for clinical depression and substance abuse at the Menninger clinic.
Teammates were told before a late-afternoon practice in preparation for Game 2 of the Lawrence Frank regime tonight against the Magic.
"There's a lot going on that he has to face off the court," said Jason Kidd. "As a family member, we want to make sure he gets everything situated."
Griffin, 21, has a long history of emotional and legal issues. Nine days ago, he was convicted of a misdemeanor marijuana-possession charge in Houston. He still faces a felony assault charge that will be heard Feb. 13, when sentencing on the pot rap also is set.
His latest run-in occurred Saturday into early Sunday. Initial reports indicated a confusing mix-up at the Renaissance Hotel, not far from the Meadowlands - but police were summoned.
"He was invited by a girl up to a party in the hotel," said Sgt. Patrick Feliciano of the Rutherford Police Department's Detective Bureau.
"Somehow, he went to the wrong room, was knocking on the door and frightened the guest who called police. The person didn't know who he was."
Officers responded but there was no arrest made, Feliciano said.
Griffin, stemming from his past legal woes, remains under a court-ordered curfew where he is closely monitored through telephone calls. A Houston court eased the restrictions if Griffin were traveling with the Nets, but he was still bound on off days.
"Eddie Griffin obviously is an NBA talent, he's a quality person . . . but at this point the most important thing is Eddie Griffin rehabilitating himself," Frank said.
"In the NBA, where there's so much time spent off the court alone, you really have to have a lot of self discipline, and it's hard especially as a 21-year-old kid."
Griffin, who was suspended and then waived by the Rockets, signed a one-year deal worth $371,000 for the Nets.


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Andrew Zacharakis; Reuben Zacharakis-Jutz
|Format: Hardcopy Black & White
|Also Available In:
|English PDF
|List Price: $7.46
|Source: Babson College
|Publication Date: May 1, 2009
|Product #: BAB156-HCB-ENG
|Discipline: Entrepreneurship
|Length: 16 p, English Hardcopy Black & White
Shane Eten is passionate about being an entrepreneur and finds an opportunity in managing food waste; a Clean Technology startup. Shane develops a plan for an anaerobic digester that will convert grocery store food waste into energy and organic fertilizer. The case explores Shane's entrepreneurial journey, from working in a high tech startup, a low tech candle maker, an MBA student to gaining recognition in business plan competitions for the anaerobic digester. At the point in time of the case, Shane needs to raise some capital to develop a prototype and prove his concept. Shane struggles in identifying sources for the $250,000 he needs to launch his dream. Although Shane has garnered lots of interest from potential investors during his success in business plan competitions, his venture is too early and the capital needed is too small for venture capitalists. He could seek angel capital, but how can he identify these "hidden" angels? Friends and family are a possibility, but Shane isn't sure that his contacts have enough capital available for him. Besides, he would like to preserve as much ownership as possible at this point in time, because he recognizes that he'll need to raise more capital to build out the company if the prototype is successful. This is a good case to explore alternative sources of capital.
To search for alternative sources of capital for launching a new venture.
Energy; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Start-ups; Waste disposal


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With more than 50 years of experience, Pearl Izumi knows a thing or two about making cycling clothing. They blend stellar performance with stylish designs to keep any cyclist happy in the saddle. At Nashbar, we're big fans of their lineup, because no matter what the conditions are, they've always got something to keep us comfortable. Pearl Izumi clothing provides an incredible fit and enhances your mobility so you can focus on what's really important: your bike ride.
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text:
Financial Aid Information Night
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Where and When
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Gateway Auditorium
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Event Information
As the cost of higher education keeps climbing, Bucks County Community College can help you reach your goals with Financial Aid Information Night. The free forum takes place Wednesday, February 6, at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Auditorium on the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown. In case of inclement weather, the program will take place Wednesday, February 13. Registration is suggested please call 215-968-8200 to confirm your attendance.
The Program will include:
- Overview of Foundation Scholarships
- Financial Aid: programs, eligibility, deadlines
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), using the Web application and the FAFSA worksheet
- Question and Answer period
At the forum, parents and students will learn how to complete federal forms to apply for financial aid at any college or university, according to Donna Wilkoski, Director of Financial Aid.
"We'll go over the FAFSA line by line," Wilkoski said, referring to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. "People look at the form and feel it's overwhelming the first time they do it. But it's the best way to find out if you qualify for aid, and the earlier you file, the better."


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NOVI - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Services announced today that Farm Rich products is voluntarily recalling 196,222 pounds of product because of possible E. Coli 0121 contamination.Ā At this time, the recall only affects 22 oz. Farm Rich Mini Pizza Slices, with a "Best Buy" date of May 15 or May 16, 2014, in the Kroger Michigan Division. The product UPC code is 41322 35643.
"All Kroger customers who purchased the recalled product using their Kroger Plus Card will receive a phone call and a message on the bottom of future receipts stating the recalled product was purchased," said Dale Hollandsworth, customer communications manager, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. "We have pulled the product from our store shelves, and customers who purchased the product can expect a full refund for the recalled product."
The Kroger Co. encourages all of its customers to always use proper handling, storage and cooking practices to protect against food-borne illness. According to the USDA, bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on hands, cutting boards, knives and countertops. Frequent cleaning can keep that from happening.
A full product list of recalled items and affected areas is available on their website www.kroger.com/recall and is organized by name and UPC code.


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What would have been the largest dairy in Illinois may close before it ever opens.
Following four years of legal and environmental issues, owners of Tradition Dairy near Nora, Ill., have reached a proposed settlement with the state's attorney general's office, which apparently will put an end to the project.
"We've agreed they would not seek permitting to allow the dairy, and they've decided to dismantle and be done with the project," Scott Mulford, spokesman for the attorney general told the Chicago Tribune.
Read more from the Chicago Tribune.
California dairy developer A.J. Bos originally sought to construct the 5,500-cow dairy, but quickly faced protests by community members. At one point, a local group – Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards – obtained a temporary injunction. See "More Environmental Hurdles For Proposed Mega Dairy."


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Topic: please give me your experience
my husband ercp went fine, except the klatskin tumor is there, inoperable, his onc never even called us. i just called the office and was given a message to come back in two weeks and they'll check his levels and maybe do chemo then. he is very uncomfortable and getting yellower. he's going to freak when he finds out the doc just put him off for two weeks, but i did insist on an appt with him just to regroup.
meanwhile, i am going to broach the subject with my husband about sending his reports and images to other doctors. i've gotten some good names from this site. does it sound reasonable for me to do this now? or any other ideas.
thanks so much


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WannaNicki's Blog
Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Freedom video, the best
Fri, Nov 16, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Queen is the title
Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 11:58 PM
I endorse these strippers
Your text to link here...
Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 11:38 PM
Pink Friday Fragrance
hey guys, today i'm here to talk about the pink friday fragrance which must smell awesomely good. I haven't smelled it yet cos it doesn't sell here in brazil:(, wish i could be lucky to be an american! What do you guys think about it?
Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 1:44 AM
Nicki's relationships
So guys what do you think bout nicki dating someone? I really think she should date Drake, they're mad cute together, he always say cute things to her and she answers back. When they were together they were so in love i got jealous of their love. I don't think she and Wayne match, like he's just a big bro for her, what do you guys think?
Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 6:03 PM
just me
hello guys, i know nobody nows me, but i'm from Brazil, i'm a barb since may or something and i really love Onika. I've been to her concert in Ohio, cried when she started singing and cried also when it finished. Just can't explain my feelings for her, but i have 3 words that can say a little of what i feel for her. I love you, i love you and i won't stop loving you Nicki. I always talk to you...


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Thursday Thirteen with Anne HopeThe Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it. One week you may list 13 things on my mind and maybe the next week youd list my top 13 favorite movies. Back in early 2007, Janet came up with the idea of going through the alphabet; 13 Things I Love that begin with the letter A, etc. That gives you 26 weeks of ideas! Each new 13 will be posted at approximately 8PM EST every Wednesday evening.
Click HERE to join Anne Hope


text: OverviewBack to top Savon et Cie - Triple Milled Bath Soap Verbena - 7 oz. Item# :126349UPC# :891356000611 Brand:Savon et Cie Size/Form:7 oz. Ship Weight:0.40 Savon Et Cie Triple Milled Bath Soap Verbena 7 oz. (200 g) Savon Et Cie Triple Milled Bath Soap Verbena is enriched with Shea Butter. Savon et Cie natural, vegetable soaps are made in the South of France, crafted by an age-old process using only the finest ingredients. Free of parabens and animal fats, they are triple milled and enriched with moisturizing Shea Butter to ensure a long-lasting bar with a luxurious lather. These exquisite scents are derived from flower and plant essences created by distinguished perfumers in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. Verbena is a crisp, bright, citrusy scent that will leave your skin feeling refreshed and energized. Made in France 100% Vegetable Natural Ingredients Enriched with Shea Butter No BHT No Parabens No Phthalates No SLS Luxurious Lather Recycled Packaging Cruelty Free Encompassing bath, beauty and home, Ton Savon products are manufactured in France using a blend of tradition and advanced technology to develop the finest lines in the beauty industry. Ton Savon has formulated many prestige brands sold in boutiques, such as Sephora and Anthropologie, as well as high-quality private label natural and organic HABA products for market leading natural food stores, grocery, drug, and club chains, including Trader Joe's and Costco. Ton Savon also services customers in Europe and Asia. Started in 1992 in the heart of Provence, France, and with North American headquarters in Southern California, Ton Savon's expertise, innovative formulas, and use of only the finest ingredients, has enabled them to provide their customers with high quality products for an excellent value. Ton Savon's wide range of products include world renown 100% vegetable triple milled soaps, liquid hand soaps, shower gels, exfoliants, bubble baths, sugar and salt scrubs, lotions, hand creams, face creams, face cleansers, candles, incense, solid perfumes, eau de toilette, room sprays, and much more. Ton Savon has a strong focus on their growing category of safe, natural earth-friendly products and have helped bring a number of natural and certified organic soaps and bath product brands to the marketplace. Ton Savon offers products free of BHT, parabens, phthalates, SLS, EDTA, and gluten, with a selection of natural colors and fragrances or essential oils.