text:
Custom 1994 Toyota 4Runner - Floor Runner
The Low-Rolling Family Type
Going low and getting floored down to the pavement is not a trait limited to trucks. SUVs can get just as low, even though they are harder to work on because suspension components are hidden under a rear floorboard. On the flip side, a well-built SUV can fit more friends and family members than a little mini-truck. If you're traveling out to a show in your ride and need to bring everyone along with their gear, a vehicle like this '94 Toyota 4Runner will get the job done. SUVs have their advantages when it comes to the usability of a show truck.
For Glen Magrino, owner of Magrino Innovations in Middletown, Ohio, he shared a love for the body styling of this everyday truck. Glen wanted to make the rocker panels of one hit the ground so much that he bought a completely stock 4Runner for his project. Within 30 days of ownership, Glen had this four-door beauty gutted and ready to be cut. Once it was ripped apart, Glen decided that he should go with an independent rear suspension, as opposed to any rear linkage. With the independent rear, there was going to be zero driveshaft travel to affect the interior space.
At the junkyard, Glen found most of the working components for the 4Runner from wrecked vehicles. Since the front frame clip of the SUV was like a Toyota PreRunner, it was too tall and would not work as a lowered adjustable suspension. He purchased a '99 Tacoma front clip because it was the closest in comparison to the stock frontend, and it worked with the steering. Once that was set, Glen picked out a rearend from a non-turbo '86 Nissan 300ZX because it matched the five-lug bolt pattern of the front, and the width was correct.
With the parts back at the shop, it was on to swapping out the suspension. The new Tacoma front clip went in and was Z'd 5/8-inch. Then, it got 8-inch-tall hydraulic cylinders for adjustability. The brake booster was in the way of the 19x7.5-inch Racing Hart wheels when it was laid out, so Glen picked up a smaller version from a '93 Ford Mustang Cobra. At 1-1/2-feet behind the front clip, the frame was cut for the custom back half that would host the 300ZX rear. Then, the new rear clip was reworked to fit the matching 8-inch hydraulic cylinders. Behind the rearend, Glen made a custom fuel tank with baffles to prevent all the gas from sloshing around.
The frame was set to lay out, but there was more work ahead for the body to hug gravel. To fit all of the new frame space in the rear, the floor from behind the front seats to the rear hatch was cut out and discarded. Then, what was left of the front portion of the floorboard was channeled 3-1/4 inches. With the wheels back on, the rear wheelwells were cut, and the rear doorjambs were modified for tire clearance. To cover the modifications, custom wheeltubs were welded in over all four corners, and a new floor was made for the rear section.
The 4Runner was reassembled, and to Glen, it was done. Once he showed it with its incredible new stance, it was old to him and decided to sell it. Then came Samuel Robinson, an experienced mini-trucker who was looking for a cool SUV because his wife told him to find a show vehicle big enough to haul their family. Samuel discovered the 4Runner and knew it was the perfect truck for his family to roll in. Once it was under his name, Samuel had the roof rack, antennae hole, and door handles shaved clean off by Chilico Hart of Continental Collision in Austin, Texas. After that, the truck was put in the paint booth and top-coated with DuPont primer black by Shaun Harrison. Samuel has picked up the truck from where Glen left off and has plans to finish it off with some cool tricks to boot. As this low family hauler reaches its finishing stages, we sit and wait in anticipation for the results.


text:
Send your mother-in-law packing.
If you like, we'll even bring her back. Enter our Mother's Day contest and you could win one trip for two anywhere WestJet flies.* Nominate your mother-in-law, your mom or even yourself. It's that simple.
The contest has now closed.
*No purchase is necessary. See official rules and regulations for prize restrictions and terms and conditions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
why does this JSON not validate in JSON Lint?
callback({
"stores": [
{
"name": "sites",
"content": [
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store1.com/"
},
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store2.com/"
},
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store3.com/"
},
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store4.com/"
},
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store5.com/"
},
{
"link_text": "link",
"link_src": "http://www.store6.com/"
}
]
}
]
});
thank you....
Because it's wrapped in a callback, which is valid JS but not JSON:
// Valid JSON
If you strip away the callback code, everything else validates correctly.
ok.. thank you very much..
I still find JSON so confusing... I wish we were all still just using XML....;-)
so: is this "callback" thingie relevant for when I pull this JSON with jQuery/AJAX?
You don't need the wrapper for normal JSON, but if you want to request data from a different domain to the one your JS is running from, you have to use what's called JSONP. It's a way of getting around the same origin policy. There's a good explanation over at wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSONP
ok, so JSONP is only for when you're pulling from a remote domain?
that "callback" thingie is only necessary for JSON feeds that will be accessed remotely?
I've dabbed a bit in pulling from public JSON feeds..... for example...
it's wrapped in parenthesis, is this what you mean? (it doesn't have the world "callback", but it looks like it's the same thing.. is this correct?)
thank you...
Yeah, you can call the function whatever you want.. some people name it callback, but that's just a matter of preference. In the flickr URL you gave, you can change the name of the callback function by changing this part of the query string: &jsoncallback=foobar (try this and you'll see that the returned JSON is wrapped in a call to the function foobar).
actually, this public JSON,
is not wrapped in a "callback" thingie... it's not wrapped in parenthesis.....
so I guess I'm confusing the "callback" that's part of JSON address url (when you call it with JSONP) and this "callback" word that, in some cases, I guess, wraps public JSON feeds.......
thank you.....
JSON is nothing more than data contained within an object notation, so that different types of data structures can be represented.With JSONP, that wraps the same data with a function name of your choice, so that once it has been retrieved in to a script tag, that function name executes with that data. As said before, it's a work-around to allow you to obtain that data from some other origin.
It's no more complex than that
yes..... it's data contained within an object notation, that can get very complex as you can nest arrays in objects and objects in arrays... yes?
here are three JSON examples:
"users": [
"firstName": "Ray",
"lastName": "Villalobos",
"joined": {
"month": "January",
"day": 12,
"year": 2012
"firstName": "John",
"lastName": "Jones",
"joined": {
"month": "April",
"day": 28,
"year": 2010
{"skills": {
{"name": "html",
"years": "5"
{"name": "css",
"years": "3"
{"name": "Oracle",
"years": "3"
{"name": "MySQL",
"years": "4"
this one doesn't have a name.....
"header": "List of Books",
"theBooks" : [
{ "title": "title-1",
"author": "author-1" },
{ "title": "title-2",
"author": "author-2" }
this is the fundamental problem I have with JSON: each JSON is structured so differently, that I can't find a formula for parsing them that servers for all of them...
$.getJSON('json/skills.json', function(data) {
"data" is always the entire JSON, right? the entire object? just as I posted them here?
but then, how you parse is very different for each one of the three examples I have posted here.... yes?
I do know that objects are lists of key-value pairs and are always wrapped in '{}'; and that arrays are just lists of values and are always wrapped in '[]'(but you can have arrays inside objects and vice-versa, right? the nesting can be endless.....;-)
would very much appreciate some comments and insights from folks much wiser than I am.......:~)
thank you very much.....
It's no different from XML in that respect - you still need to know the schema of the data that is returned, and each API tends to be different.
This is why there tends to be a standard schema that each one uses. Flickr for example, has documentation on how they would expect you to interpret the information from them.http://www.flickr.com/services/api/response.json.html
thank you Paul.....
ok, I think I'm FINALLY starting to GET IT.....:-)
the KEY is whether you're looping thru an array or thru an object.... I'm very clear about that now...(at least as it works with jQuery $.each() method....)
and: and array is not always just a list of values, it can be a list of objects too... as in this example:
in which "users" contains just one array that contains two objects....
I just parsed this on my own from scratch...
I would appreciate some comments on my code.......:-)
(I don't get why the
 is appearing after the JSON content..... (??)
thank you very much....
Because you're calling $('body').append() which is adding the H1 as the last item inside the body tag (after div#users). To insert the H1 before the content, use $('body').prepend()


text:
Alleged poachers arrested with bloody carcass in an SUV
November 27, 2012
Two Sacramento men were arrested Nov. 18 after they reportedly shot and stabbed a deer and drove through Shingle Springs as blood dripped from the back of their SUV.
Like the scene in the 1990 mobster movie "Goodfellas," as the alledged pochers fled, the deer regained consciousness and began to struggle, police said. One or both of the men then stabbed the deer until it finally died, an action that left the car and both men spattered in blood, and blood seeping out of the back of the car.
Scott Lee, 46, and Nai Saechao, 32, both of Sacramento, were arrested by Department of Fish and Game officers and charged with violating multiple laws related to hunting, poaching and animal cruelty.
According to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento California Highway Patrol received multiple calls reporting that blood was coming out of a tan Toyota SUV driving near Ponderosa and North Shingle roads near Shingle Springs at 2:18 p.m. Callers reported the two men were trying to hide their faces as the driver was speeding away.
Police responded to the area and the Toyota was spotted speeding westbound on Highway 50 by an El Dorado County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit, police said. Sheriff's deputies and CHP officers conducted a felony stop on the car and detained the men. They reportedly discovered the carcass of a recently killed deer, with an extensive amount of blood strewn about the interior of the car and on the two suspects. DFG officers arrived and conducted an investigation, which reportedly revealed that the two men illegally shot the male deer with a shotgun off Ponderosa Road and threw it in the back of the Toyota after it collapsed.


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
October 12, 2012
Playoff Prospectus
NLDS Game Five Preview: Cardinals at Nationals
Four division series, four Game Fives, and this one between the Cardinals and Nationals should decide the last team to advance—unless, of course, the Yankees and Orioles play extra innings again. If the Cardinals win, the no. 2-seeded Giants will enjoy home-field advantage in the NLCS; if the Nationals win, they will host Game One on Sunday as the senior circuit's top regular-season team. First things first, here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for this evening's contest:
Cardinals (Adam Wainwright) at Nationals (Gio Gonzalez) – 7:30 p.m. ET
PECOTA Odds of Winning: Nationals 52.2 percent, Cardinals 47.8 percent
Odds if Nationals were starting Strasburg in this game: Nationals 57.4 percent, Cardinals 42.6 percent
Projected Starting Lineups:
For the first time in this series, we can directly quantify the Stephen Strasburg effect—the decrease in the Nationals' odds of advancing to the NLCS as a result of their decision to shut down the flame-throwing righty in September. PECOTA views the downgrade from Strasburg to Gonzalez as costing Davey Johnson's team 5.4 percent of its win probability, a significant hit, but not enough to turn the favored Nats into underdogs.
Of course, Gonzalez did not exactly inspire confidence with his Game One effort, when he more closely resembled the pitcher the Athletics traded away than the one the Nationals traded for. Epitomizing what it means to be "effectively wild," Gonzalez issued a season-high seven walks in five innings of work, but was charged with only two runs, because he only coughed up one hit. (Oddly enough, the hit—a Freese single—came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Cardinals did not score.)
As shown by the Brooks Baseball plot above, Gonzalez's seven walks were entirely his own doing, as home-plate umpire Paul Emmel handed him more undeserved strikes than he took away by calling pitches in the zone balls. Furthermore, for such an effectively wild effort, Gonzalez induced relatively few whiffs—only six on 110 pitches, and none on his 19 curveballs—a factor equally as worrisome as his lack of control, because it could portend a shellacking if he pitches more aggressively in Game Five.
The Cardinals, who ranked among the best hitting teams during the regular season, were particularly adept at handling left-handed starters, placing second in the National League with a .787 team OPS. That's not surprising, considering that most of Mike Matheny's best bats are right-handed, including each of the two-through-six hitters in the first-year skipper's postseason lineup. But after managing only one knock off Gonzalez in Game One, the Redbirds were baffled by Ross Detwiler on Thursday, netting only three hits in six innings, during which the 26-year-old St. Louis native held them to one unearned run.
One-hit, seven-walk outings are exceedingly rare, so something's got to give in Game Five. Either Gonzalez will rediscover his much-improved control and dominant stuff, or the Cardinals will shed their slumps. And whichever it is may well decide the outcome of the series.
But St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, who fanned 10 in 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the opener, will also get a say. And so will the Nationals offense, which was bailed out by a Kozma fielding error in Game One, but has scraped across only nine runs in the first four games combined.
Werth's walk-off home run, on the 13th pitch of his ninth-inning battle with Lance Lynn, may serve as a wake-up call for the dormant attack. Besides Werth, only two other hitters—Zimmerman and LaRoche—have a home run in the series, and only the cleanup-hitting first baseman has two. Those two big flies are his only hits in 13 at-bats, and since he has also drawn four walks, LaRoche now has a wacky .154/.313/.615 triple slash through four games.
That earns him a spot in today's Matchup of the Game. After reaching base in each of his first three plate appearances against Wainwright this year, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 28, LaRoche has only a walk to show for his most recent five. He is 7-for-33 lifetime against the Cardinals righty, with one double, one homer, five walks, and seven strikeouts.
After attacking LaRoche with a variety of pitches earlier in their careers and in their first meeting of the 2012 season, Wainwright has since relied solely on his fastball, sinker, and changeup, throwing only one curveball in their last seven head-to-head showdowns. That's notable, because the bender is Wainwright's bread-and-butter pitch.
The 31-year-old northpaw spun 28 curveballs in his Game One outing, and the Nationals flailed helplessly at half of them. Many of those were two-strike offerings in the dirt, and those swings-and-misses enabled Wainwright to post his second-best strikeout total of the season, trailing only his 12-punchout, five-hit shutout over the Astros on Aug. 21.
If Wainwright is similarly sharp tonight, the Nationals could be in for another arduous struggle, and banking on a late defensive miscue isn't a sound strategy. Washington succeeded in running Wainwright's pitch count up to 100 in the sixth inning of Game One, and it will likely need to do so again to back Gonzalez in the rematch.
Daniel Rathman is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @danielrathman
8 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
"Besides Werth, only two other hitters—Harper and LaRoche—have an extra-base hit in the series"
Oct 12, 2012 08:37 AM
David Jackson
With Jim Joyce no longer behind the plate to call his "Wacky Wild Strike Zone-like Experience" we should get something more resembling a baseball game tonight.
Oct 12, 2012 08:40 AM
In the first game, Wainwright seemed to have figured out that his curveball was basically unrecognizable and thus unhittable given the shadows. A two-strike count meant the at-bat was over. This time will be night time, and that advantage will dissipate. It's a good curveball but not that good without a little help.
Oct 12, 2012 08:56 AM
This is a good point overall, although I question calling Wainwright's curveball "not that good without a little help." His curve is - by both reputation and more sophisticated analytic tools - among the very best in the game.
Oct 12, 2012 13:08 PM
The shadows probably played a role, but I don't think they tell the whole story.
Oct 12, 2012 13:21 PM
Certainly Carlos Beltran is a lot happier being behind it rather than in front of it.
Oct 12, 2012 15:07 PM
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text:
BSO and Lauderhill PD Host Gun Buyback
Gun Buy Back Collects 68 Firearms
A gun buyback held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Lauderhill Park made the streets safer with the collection of 68 guns, including a Marlin Commemorative 30/30 rifle. The event, hosted by the Broward County Sheriffs's Office and the Lauderhill Police Department, is an efficient means of combating gun violence and illegal gun ownership.
Posted At: 05/15/2013 03:46 PM
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For many companies, outsourcing some or all of internal audit is the most effective approach to achieving a high performing internal audit function.
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text:
In an 8-7 vote Thursday, the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a ban on affirmative action in Michigan public colleges that was enforced in a 2006 state constitution amendment.
The court's decision in The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Regents of The University of Michigan repealed Proposal 2, a statewide initiative which amended Michigan's constitution to dictate that public universities could not give special consideration to ethnic minorities in the admissions process.
The Cincinnati circuit court said that the appeals that were before it Thursday were just a few in the long-running saga over the use of race-conscious admissions policies at Michigan's public colleges and universities.
Among the entities filing suit were the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) and the law firm of Cravath, Swaine and Moore, LLP, who started the legal process in 2006 after Proposal 2 was passed.
The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, or BAMN, is also included in this consolidated lawsuit.
These bodies challenged the constitutional amendment of Proposal 2, which eliminates the consideration of race in university admissions policies despite the fact that some of these policies have been upheld by U.S. Supreme Court.
The decision essentially declared Proposal 2 unconstitutional.
The majority opinion, written by Judge Guy Cole Jr., detailed a scenario in which a student seeking to have her family's alumni connections considered in her application to one of Michigan's top public universities had a number of avenues to persuade the school to adopt a legacy-conscious admissions policy.
"She could lobby the admissions committee, she could petition the leadership of the university, she could seek to influence the school's governing board, or, as a measure of last resort, she could initiate a statewide campaign to alter the state' constitution," said Cole.
"The same cannot be said for a black student seeking the adoption of a constitutionally permissible race-conscious admissions policy."
He said the only thing that student could do would be attempt to amend the Michigan Constitution, "a lengthy, expensive and arduous process," to repeal the consequences of Proposal 2.
The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (BAMN), the lead plaintiff in the case, considers the repeal a tremendous victory for "hundreds of thousands who have fought for affirmative action for decades."
Attorney George B. Washington was one of the lawyers representing BAMN in this trial. He said Friday that quality of political rights is what this decision was all about.
"What this says is that racial minorities have the right to petition for special admission programs the same way every one else does," said Washington.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette Thursday announced his intention to request that the Supreme Court review the appellate court's decision on the affirmative action ban, which was also known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI).
"MCRI embodies the fundamental premise of what America is all about: Equal opportunity under the law," said Schuette in a Thursday release following the decision.
Schuette legally has 90 days to file a petition of certiorari -- or re-examination -- with the Supreme Court.
Joy Yearout, press secretary for the Michigan Attorney General's Office, said she expects Schuette will file much sooner.
"We're optimistic that the Supreme Court will agree that when you treat everyone equally like we do here in Michigan, you don't violate the Constitution," Yearout said.
Attorney Michael J. Steinberg said Friday that while it's clear the Attorney General will request a review, it's unclear what the Supreme Court will decide, as it only accepts 1 percent of all requests to hear cases.
Steinberg is the legal director for Detroit-based ACLU.
"We hope that the Supreme Court will not hear this case so universities in Michigan will again be able to admit a diverse student body, in order to enhance the learning experience for all students," said the ACLU attorney.
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak issued a statement Thursday showing his disdain for the 6th Circuit Court's decision.
"Today's decision by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals is a slap in the face to Michigan voters and we applaud Attorney General Bill Schuette for his announcement to challenge and defend Michigan's Constitution which ensures all people are treated equally," said Schostak.
�Steinberg, who counts Thursday's litigation as a landmark decision, said the likelihood that the Supreme Court will hear the case is increased because of similar conflicting proceedings in California, in which the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the West Coast state's affirmative action ban.
BAMN's Washington office says that there are other states where affirmative action is an issue. He said Michigan and California, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington and Oklahoma -- which together hold about 22 percent of the nation's population -- are all grappling with this same issue.
"Obviously, it's a case of crucial national importance," said Washington.
A Texas case dealing with the limits of affirmative action at a local university, Fisher v. The University of Texas, was filed when Abigail Fisher sued the school after it rejected her application with race as a factor.
Washington says the Fisher trial will not affect the Supreme Court's decision. He believes the federal court will, in fact, review BAMN v. Regents of The University of Michigan.
"And we will win," he said.
Contact staff writer John Turk at 248-745-4613 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Steve Cooper Theconservativemonster.com UPDATE
Published on: Apr 30, 2013
UPDATE – This post got over 2,000 shares on Facebook. Thank you so much for helping to stand up for the hateful attacks against Tim Tebow.
The NY Jets cut Tim Tebow and I am wondering what all of the hate and bashing is really about? I posted a copy of Tebow's 2012 stats and he ONLY HAD 8 passing attempts for the entire 2012 season. Does the criticism and hate sound fair to you? EIGHT ATTEMPTS? I suspect there is more behind the hatred that I am seeing from NFL fans.
The NFL is preaching tolerance towards any football players that come out for being gay, but they are silent about the hate towards Tim Tebow? Has the NFL come out to call for tolerance for Tebow's religious beliefs? Double standard here? I know the answer to that question…
I think NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan is an excellent coach, but he purposely sabotaged Tim Tebow's 2012 season by not giving him a chance to prove himself. I really like to know what the real motives were here.
I wrote this article to combat the hateful comments that I have seen by NY Jets fans on the Internet. Tim Tebow Stats The NY Jets cut Tebow
"Inside the NFL" analyst and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Cris Collinsworth concluded that much of the hatred against Tebow was based on his religious beliefs.
Read more: NFL Analysts: Tebow hate is due to his religious views
NFL calls for tolerance with gay players
Tebow bashed for speaking at a Church
CBS Sports 'Blogger' upset by backlash
Donate to The Conservative Monster via Paypal.com
Please use the link below to share this post on Facebook and Twitter…THANKS


text:
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Lorenzo McCloud scored 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting including an 8 for 9 performance from the free-throw line to lead Pacific past Saint Mary's 76-66 on Friday afternoon.
The Gaels will play the loser of tonight's Cal vs. Georgia Tech contest in the consolation final tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. (PT). The game will be televised live by ESPNU. A live audio stream will be available via Gaels Live on SMCGaels.com.
McCloud was one of four players in double figures for the Tigers. Ross Rivera scored 14 points, Khalil Kelley had 12 and Sama Taku chipped in with 11.
Pacific (3-2) shot 53.1 percent from the field and was 21 of 26 from the free-throw line compared to the Gaels which made only 9 of 10.
The Tigers led 32-29 at the break and opened the second half with a 26-10 run capped off by Andrew Bock who sunk two free throws with 6:06 to play to make it 58-39, giving Pacific its largest lead.
The Gaels outscored the Tigers 27-18 the rest of the way, keyed by six 3-point field goals. Beau Levesque scored nine points and three treys during that span.
Matthew Dellavedova had 16 points for Saint Mary's (4-1) while Stephen Holt and Levesque each had 15. The Gaels were 11 of 27 from beyond the arc.
"As a coaching staff, we knew this was going to be a tough game and it was," said SMC head coach Randy Bennett. "They are a good team and they are tough to defend right now. I thought we lost our composure because we didn't score early in the second half. We let that affect us defensively. I think overall they out hustled and out-competed us.
"It is a concern. You can't lose your composure and quit competing. You have to play through it. Pacific is a good team and they have a good program. We need to identify what kind of team we want to be. We need to do a better job even if are down by one or two. We need to compete at all times."


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What Is SWC?
The Spirit West Coast festivals are the two largest and only multiple-day Christian music festivals in the southwestern United States. The festivals rank as two of the premier Christian music festivals in the country, drawing fans from many states, especially from the Western region including California, Arizona, and Nevada. The event's combined "unique visitor" attendance is typically about 20,000 and the combined 6-day cumulative attendances are 40,000.
Spirit West Coast – Monterey debuted in 1997 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, located in the Central Coast region of California. 2012 will mark year number sixteen in Monterey, and many Christian music insiders claim the Monterey festival is the absolute highest-quality Christian festival in the country. The annual Southern California festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County on Memorial Day weekend provides Christian music fans and event goers from Southern California and the Southwest (Arizona, Nevada) a closer opportunity to experience the same dynamic combination of music and ministry that is enjoyed by thousands in Monterey. Each festival has its own nuance and character, so it's not surprising that many people attend both events.
Spirit West Coast features concerts by many of the top artists in the encouraging genre of Christian music. Beyond the music, the events feature contemporary Bible and life application teaching by well-known and gifted speakers, action activities for all ages, camping, action sports and games, shopping and various activities, all in a county fair atmosphere. Well over 50 artists appear at each festival, presenting a wide variety of music styles on anywhere from 6-8 performance stages. The speakers and teachers provide ministry for all ages. While each event shares many common aspects, including world-class popular resort coastal locations, each event has unique distinctions.


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SHEPHERDSVILLE - Keith Griffee is pleased with the strides made by the Bullitt County Chamber of Commerce over the past few years.
But the bank executive entering his second year as president of the local business organization wants more.
And he believes many in the community also want more.
However, he's looking for members of the chamber to step forward and meet the challenges that lie ahead.
That was Griffee's message to those assembled at the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner.
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anon. M3 Lens Case
anon. Warranty
anon. Warranty
All Anon products are backed by a one-year warranty from date of purchase. Anon helmets are also backed by a two-year crash replacement policy. Our W48 Warranty Program ensures that should you have a problem, we'll have your claim repaired or replaced and on its way back to you within two business days of receiving it.


text:
Tory Burch
Thea Smart Phone Wristlet
EUR http://schema.org/OutOfStock
150,00 €
US Size: Size Chart
Style Number22139298
Color:Tailored meets tassels: a refined shape, an embossed logo — and a little charm. The perfect two-in-one, our Thea Smart Phone Wristlet is made of pebbled Italian leather, and does double-duty as a chic wallet with a compartment for your phone. The zip closure and strap make it secure and convenient for those on the go.
Please note Black remains full price.
- Classic pebbled leather.
- Pom-pom detail at zip around closure.
- Removable leather wristlet strap.
- 2 main compartments; smart phone compartment.
- Center zip compartment; 3 card slots.
- Leather logo at front.
- Tonal leather and nylon lining.
- Fits all iPhone versions, Samsung galaxy & Droid models.
- Height: 3.75" (9.5cm)
- Length: 6" (15.2cm)
- Depth: .9" (2.3cm)
Thea Smart Phone Wristlet is rated out of 5 by 5.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Pearlz from I Love It This Wristlet fits my Blackberry Z10 smartfone and I can carry it as a wristlet as it is intended or put it in my hobo bag and pull it out when I need it. It is convenient, light weight and does not look bulky or over stuffed when filled with coins, cards and bills. I really it a lot.
Date published: 2014-02-11
Rated 5 out of 5 by Magda from Awesome wallet/wristlets I bought this to use as a wallet and it is the perfect size. I also really like that I can use it as a wristlets. Very well made and the leather is super soft.
Date published: 2013-12-10
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Date published: 2013-10-21
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Date published: 2013-10-18
Rated 5 out of 5 by Viv7 from Love my new wristlet!!! This is just what I wanted - something to hold my phone, cards and cash so I don't always have to carry a heavy bag on my shoulder. I feel so free and unburdened when I carry this wristlet! I love the size, the leather, the pompom and it has all the quality I love about Tory Burch! Highly recommended! I just placed an order for another bag and a bracelet!
Date published: 2013-10-13


text:
Many homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments will soon be offered loan modifications to reduce their monthly payments without having to submit financial documentation to the lender.
Starting in July, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, will require servicers to offer streamlined loan modifications to borrowers who have loans that are owned or backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and are eligible for the program.
In order to qualify for the streamlined modification program, homeowners must:
- Be at least 90 days delinquent but no more than 2 years.
- Have a mortgage that was taken out at least a year ago.
- Owe 80 percent or more than what the property is worth.
The offer
Borrowers who qualify will receive letters specifying their new monthly payments based on an extended repayment term of 40 years and a reduced interest rate of about 4 percent. On average, payments will be reduced by about 30 percent, according to the FHFA.
The modification requires a three-month trial period and becomes permanent once the borrower makes three payments under the new terms. To accept the offer, borrowers can simply call their servicers to say they will make the first trial payment by the due date.
According to the FHFA guidelines, the modification doesn't waive the late payments that have accumulated over the months when you weren't paying the mortgage. The past-due balance will be added to the back of the loan. But since the loan is being stretched to 40 years, it is likely your monthly payment can still be reduced.
Borrowers who owe more than 115 percent of the value of their homes may receive a forbearance on part of their loan balance. The FHFA says it can put up to 30 percent of their total mortgage balance on forbearance, without interest, until the end of the 40-year term or until the house is sold.
Should you say yes?
This streamlined program sounds like an easy option, especially if you have heard about the amount of paperwork required for a loan modification and the numerous complaints related to documents getting lost during the process.
"The paperwork on today's modification is overwhelming," says Howard Ullman, an attorney and owner of Family Counseling Law Firm in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
The streamlined program is a quick way to skip the hassle, avoid foreclosure and reduce your monthly payments.
But you could likely get better terms and incentives if you qualify and can provide the financial hardship documentation required for a loan modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP.
However, entering one program doesn't hurt your chances of being approved for the other.
If you apply for HAMP and are rejected, you could still participate in the streamline program. You may also start the streamline program while you submit the paperwork to your servicer to see if you qualify for an alternative program such as HAMP.
Will the streamline program work?
This program will likely help homeowners who have loans owned by Fannie and Freddie, but many struggling homeowners don't have loans owned by one of these entities, Ullman says.
"However, there has to be a starting point to resolving this continuing crisis, and if this is that start, then wonderful. Of the hundreds of people we see, there is a growing desire to retain properties only if the financial restructuring makes sense."
Follow me on Twitter @Polyanad.


text:
Helping Lay Missionaries bring the Word of God to everyone.
MEXICO CITY, JULY 31, 2002 (Zenit.org).- With the canonization of
Juan Diego, witness of the Guadalupe apparitions and an evangelizer
of the Aztecs, John Paul II highlighted the role Indians
have in proclaiming the Gospel.This is, in fact, the objective
of the Full-Time Lay Missionaries program of Mexico and Central
America, which trains and supports lay catechists, including many Indians.Alejandro
Pinelo, director of the program, spoke with ZENIT about the
program, which has 1,000 Indians dedicated full time to evangelization,
and 35,000 part-timers.Q: When did you begin this initiative?Pinelo: In
1994 I began to dedicate myself to the formation of
pastoral agents who are committed full time to evangelization in
Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Venezuela, through a program of
formation that begins with five intensive weeks of study and
prayer, and continues with one-week semester updates.Q: How did the
idea arise?Pinelo: Initially, the work was conceived for rural areas
where priests cannot carry out all their activities because of
the vast territorial expanse of Mexican parishes. Some have up
to 20 or 30 chapels. One can only respond with
the laity to the great demand for formation, liturgical services,
pre-sacramental courses and preparation of catechists.Q: The great majority of
the missionaries are Indians. Today they have a saint who
is very close to them.Pinelo: Indeed, many of them are
bilingual, because in Mexico there is a great quantity of
dialects and Indian languages. There are more than 27 different
ones among our missionaries and catechists.They are people as native
as Juan Diego himself, with whom many of them identified
with before he was beatified. The one who is now
a saint is very much loved throughout Mexico. Now he
will be able to be a more effective model and
intercessor in the new evangelization.Q: Does this mean that they
only work in rural areas?Pinelo: No. Our work is carried
out both in cities as well as the country, wherever
the bishop indicates a priority.Q: On which bishop does the
program of evangelization depend?Pinelo: On each one of the dioceses
where we are invited. The one who requests and authorizes
the program is the bishop. Often, it is he, himself,
who brings together his priests to make a general presentation
of the program. Each one of the parish priests chooses
the candidates among those agents who already have three or
more years of pastoral service.Following the example of Juan Diego
Cuahutlatoatzin, we do what the bishop tells us, with the
certainty that in doing so we please God and will
attain excellence.Q: What is its specific charism? What is novel
about the program?Pinelo: Apostolic effectiveness. We have St. Paul and
St. Peter as patrons. The former enlightens us with his
capacity of missionary work; the latter compels us to maintain
unity around the Vicar of Christ, giving us the guarantee
of going on the right road.St. Augustine advises paying attention
to the road you take, because if you are mistaken,
the more you run the farther away you are from
the goal.We regard effectiveness as reaching the greatest number of
brothers, in a profound way, in proclamation and formation, in
the least time possible.Q: This sounds like business language.Pinelo: Yes.
The fact is that the program is carried out by
the laity, many of whom are professionals and, needless to
say, we have wanted to put the best methodology at
the service of the Church. The latest fashion in the
16th century was the printing press, and the Franciscans worked
to bring it over; we use current tools.Q: How does
the program work in practice?Pinelo: We give in-depth formation to
full-time lay missionaries so that they can form others who
will be dedicated, even though part time, to catechesis, liturgy
or human development. In this way, we have been able
to prepare 35,000 part-time lay missionaries.Q: Who accredits the formation
of these agents?Pinelo: Our programs are based on the methodology
of the pontifical School of Faith, a university institution directed
by the Legionaries of Christ.Q: Who pays for the scholarships?Pinelo:
They are paid for by committed laymen who finance the
project.Q: Juan Diego´s canonization is a very special moment for
you. Have you prepared a special activity?Pinelo: Of course. We
In return for any donation to support the lay missionaries, receive a copy of this book FREE!
have been preparing ourselves for over a year. Twelve hundred
of our missionaries were able to attend the canonization in
the basilica of Guadalupe, as the space was very limited,
but almost all of them were on the streets.The congress
we hold every two years, will take place on Aug.
2 and 3. Obviously, on this occasion we have dedicated
it to St. Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe
as the first missionaries of America. The motto is "Go
out into the world and preach the Gospel." To make
a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation to support this program, you can make
donations to "Catholic World Mission." Go to www.catholicworldmission.org and
donate on-line or send to: Catholic World Mission33 Rossotto DrHamden,
CT 06514To celebrate the canonization of St Juan Diego--the first
"full-time lay missionary"--Catholic World Mission has published a one-of-a-kind coloring
book, "Fresh Flowers in Winter: the Story of St Juan
Diego." In return for any donation to support the
lay missionaries, receive a copy of this book FREE! A
Spanish-language site at www.evangelizadores.org has more details about
the Full-Time Lay Missionaries program.


text:
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On June 18, 2008, T. Kevin DeNicola was named the new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of KBR, Inc., a leading global engineering, construction, and services company. In this position, DeNicola's responsibilities will include oversight of KBR's treasury, accounting and finance, investor relations, tax and internal audit operations. DeNicola's diverse experience in financial and business operations spans 30 years. Most recently, he served as CFO for six years at Houston-based Lyondell Chemical Company (now LyondellBasell Industries.) His 16-year tenure at Lyondell included numerous executive positions in corporate development, investor relations, and finance. Prior to joining Lyondell, he was an Associate at Criterion Venture Partners and a Tax and Audit Accountant in the Entrepreneurial Services Group at Ernst & Young. His career began at Monsanto Company in operations and engineering support roles. DeNicola is an active member of the Jones School community. In addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor of Management, he has an endowed scholarship in his name, and is Chairman of the Jones Fund, the annual fund that supports the school. DeNicola has an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Management, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and a B.S. in chemistry from High Point University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Board of Directors of Comerica, Inc. where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Audit Committee.


text:
Sales of single-copy magazines dropped about 10 percent in the first half of 2012.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations said Tuesday that overall circulation, including subscriptions, remained at a steady flat rate since this time last year. But single-copy sales, which are more lucrative and therefore more closely watched, continued falling.
The trade group said the single-copies which blanket newsstands totaled 26.4 million copies in the first six months of 2012 — down from nearly 30 million in the same period last year.
The women's interest glossy magazine Cosmopolitan remained the top-seller, but its sales fell nearly 16 percent. Most of the top 25 magazines saw sales sink.
Weight Watchers magazine saw the biggest decline — down almost 28 percent to 325,950 copies sold.
Magazine sales across the board were relatively stagnant. Total circulation, including digital sales on the iPad, were flat at 297.1 million. Paid subscriptions, counting those on the tablet, grew one percent to about 260 million from 257.2 million.


text:
All that electricity mumbo-jumbo is just quack medicine anyway.
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All that electricity mumbo-jumbo is just quack medicine anyway.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
Something tells me this is one of the plaques Geezer had to have Spicoli take down off the wall while he was showing the house......
This part really sold it for me.
The Jugs are manufactured with high quality components
Now that's funny.
LOL - reminds me of something I saw somewhere (for all I know it could have been here) where a Jr High Class was given a health pop quiz where they had to give five benefits of breast milk.
The kid comes up with 4, can't get a fifth and finally writes,
"Served in attractive containers."
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
Yeah it was on here, and I couldn't quit laughing.
When I was in fourth grade they went around the room and asked what we wanted to be when we grew up.
I said Playboy photographer and the entire room busted up including the female teacher.
In 10'th grade history we did a group project reviewing American History - 5 or 6 in a group. Each group was given a time period - maybe 40 year blocks or something and were supposed to cover several different aspects, one of which was medicine.
So this kid, Dave Francavilla is reviewing with us what he's found out on medicine which was his area. He was talking about the smallpox vaccine and - this is a direct quote because I remember it like it was this morning - says, "He created the smallpox vaccine by scraping cowpox pustules off cows' udders." He looks up, "What's an udder?"
Now Dave was a recent NYC import - but not THAT recent. And the county I'm from at that time had 30,000 dairy cows and 18,000 people. And I'm a farm kid.
Anyway, this girl, Debbie Reef, is in our group - cheerleader who after every game had to put steaks on both eyes. I point at her chest (conveniently supported by a desk) and say, "Those."
Evidently enough people heard that to throw the room into chaos. Bob Lawyer who was in our group fell on the floor laughing, Mr Bernocco - I thought he was about to have a stroke - he was trying not to laugh and couldn't help it - it was like the gym teacher in Porkies.
I was 2nd team all-conf in basketball my sr year - two years later - and got more people signing my yearbook talking about "udders" (including Mr Bernocco) than anything else.
You had to be there, but it was classic.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
So many places you could go with that one.
Very nice. Especially the "steak on each eye".
I had a young knockout teacher in high school that wasn't much older than us. I used to crack her up in class all the time and ran in to her in a bar one night and told her she had nice tit's. Oh man she did too.
Drinking age in Wisconsin was 18 at the time and the drivers license didn't have pictures.
Well, the gas stations had regular pumps and unleaded pumps and the guy would come out and check your oil.
So it was almost that long ago.
Dierdre used to sit next to me in chemistry, wear something low cut and lay them babies right on the desk - I KNOW she did it so if I got called up to answer a question I'd do it with a hard-on.
This is no lie - in Dierdre's "action" cheerleading picture you can't see her face. I am dead serious. I don't know who from the yearbook comm picked that one to put in but it was great - I was pretty early in line to sign her yearbook and there was no room to put anything else on that page.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
For just being a little sugar and protein, you can't get that stuff out of your armpit.
This thread really is enlightening. Whenever I have a moment where I think to myself, one day I'm going to mature, I just come here and it reaffirms that no matter what I'll always be a teenager at heart. (Or maybe in another place of my anatomy, but point is I know my teenage spirit will always be with me.)
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
I wonder how many back surgery's she's had.
If we live long enough some of us will probably be logging in to a Random Thought thread and throwing feces in a home somewhere.
You can't get more mature than that.
I told you not to sit behind this kid on the roller coaster.
May those that love us, love us.
For those that do not love us may God turn their hearts.
And if he cannnot turn their hearts may he turn their ankles
so we will know them by their limping.
I just had a professor refer to something I did as "truly excellent." And for once, it wasn't a double-decker poop. I'm cracking open a beer TONIGHT.
Had one myself just now.
Went out to mow some pasture - tractor wouldn't start so I stuck the battery on the charger.
Then I mowed part of my lawn.
Why is it I like mowing my pasture riding a tractor but hate mowing my lawn - riding a smaller tractor?
Same friggin' job - just with one I sit a little higher off the ground.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
As I read this I'm thinking, did he poop in the tractor seat. Then I realized you meant beer.
Thank God.
I wish it would make up its mind and either rain or not - got another 4 acres to mow. If it would just friggin' rain I'd go do something else.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
I had a special experience today.
Went to the gas station - $162.00
I was filling up gas cans to take home too but still - had a quarter tank left on the pickup.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire


text:
Featured Business & Finance Magazines
More About Business & Finance
Business Magazines provide something for everyone. Forbes and Fortune are written with big business in mind. While Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company feature stories on up and coming businesses and extraordinary business people and their ideas. Money, SmartMoney, and Kiplinger's cover the financial aspect of your corporate experience and financial management needs.


text:
SCALE Establishes Lecture Series
This semester, the SCALE Lecture Series was established to bring in experts on everything from white collar crime to homeland security to human rights, and allow them to share their insight and experiences with students and faculty. Professor Harriet Rolnick, Director of the SCALE Program, said, "The Lecture Series adds another dimension to SCALE, providing greater exposure to substantive areas of law not covered in the curriculum, an international perspective, and further insights into the realities of law practice." In its inaugural series, speakers included Gordon Greenberg, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Paul Irving, former Assistant Director U.S. Secret Service (Ret.); and Professor Irene Banias, Assistant Professor of Human Rights, Bogazici University, Istanbul.
In his talk, "The Flat World of Money Laundering Enforcement," Mr. Greenberg spoke about how the money laundering laws have evolved and expanded to become valuable to the Department of Justice, allowing U.S. prosecutors to invoke extraterritorial jurisdiction over former foreign leaders and multinational corporations to a degree unheard of in non-colonial times. He also discussed conflicts of laws and foreign policy concerns.
Mr. Irving presented, "Homeland Security: One insider's account - The creation of a new department, related issues, and a look at an established, yet emerging, area of law. Are we any safer today?" In addition to the early history surrounding the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, this lecture provided an inside view of executive and legislative branch action that created a new department. This action entailed the reorganization of 22 agencies, 180,000 employees, and $34 billion in federal spending. The discussion also briefly touched on related issues of immigration; dealing with foreign governments, foreign nationals, and terrorist financing; supply chain security, border and transportation security, and infrastructure protection; export control; and cyber security.
Professor Banias provided "Highlights from the European System for the Protection of Human Rights," a lecture that focused on the most advanced and successful regional human rights system, which the Council of Europe implemented in 1949. Her speech explored the legal sources of this system, its evolution, the institutions it created and the rights it guarantees. It also analyzed a landmark case from the European Court on Human Rights.


text:
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- The highway patrol says a 24-year-old eastern Ohio man has died after the all-terrain vehicle he was riding collided with a deer.
WTOV-TV (http://bit.ly/WfxW7c ) reports that Justin Pytlak of St. Clairsville died Sunday from head trauma following the crash the previous day.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Pytlak and a 19-year-old passenger were ejected from the vehicle when the collision with the deer occurred on State Route 118. They were not wearing helmets or seat belts.
His passenger was treated at a hospital and released.
The patrol said Pytlak was illegally riding the all-terrain vehicle on a public road when the accident happened.
Information from: WTOV-TV, http://www.wtov9.com


text: Broken-in long-sleeve pocket T-shirt Item 71464 Color: HTHR CHROME Size: All sizes are US sizes. X-SMALL SMALL MEDIUM LARGE X-LARGE XX-LARGE Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit Product Details Specially washed for softness and a broken-in appearance, this T-shirt (that's been part of our line since 2004) looks and feels like the well-worn favorite you had in college. Cotton jersey. Rib trim at neck and cuffs. Chest pocket. Machine wash. Import. Online only. Item 71464.


text:
Though the market has ticked up a bit more since the open, it's one of those gap-up-and-sit days. There has been very little intraday action after the first hour of trading and most stocks are holding up and treading water.
Breadth has slipped slightly but is still running better than 5-to-1 positive with all sectors green. Volume isn't anything special, which isn't what you want to see technically, but low-volume bounces have not been that much of a negative in recent years.
Trading on days like this can be a bit frustrating even if you book good early gains. It's very easy to sell down a stock like Apple (AAPL) too early after catching a 20 point or more move and trying to find new buys when up this much is not easy. Traders simply don't trust that there will be sustained momentum, especially as we start heading into more severe overhead.
The market had produced many V-shaped bounces in the last few years, but I attribute that to the power of quantitative easing. That is no longer the fact it once was, which makes me much less confident that this is one of those bounces that will keep on running.
I've sold down my positions aggressively and I am not finding much new to buy. Stocks like US Silica Holdings (SLCA), my stock of the week, just aren't easy entries here and I'm not going to force it. Stocks need some basing action to give better entries.


text:
Photo Gallery: Michael Angus Interiors
See the designer's timeless style.
Symmetry reigns in this designer's hallway.
An 1853 Dutch portrait with wandering eyes greets visitors at the top of Michael's stairs (which feature a custom iron balustrade). Antlers and a zebra-upholstered bench complete a first impression that's elegant but not uptight.
Marrying old and new keep this contrasting space fresh.
Designer Michael Angus painted the two inexpensive builder doors at the end of his living room black, making them look like vintage metal. A master of the mix, he paired a contemporary teak coffee table with an antique leather stool and slipcovered furniture. The focal point of the room is a simple fireplace which Michael installed to give the sense of being in a house, rather than an apartment.
Find more inspiration in our Traditional Living Rooms photo gallery. Or, for more of Michael's designs, see our photo gallery. Also, follow us as we tour Michael's apartment.
Glossy dark wood floors balance the clean white walls and ceiling in this traditional and multifunctional space.
Playing with a contrasting black and white palette, Michael keeps it classic and fresh with traditional wood furniture and simple upholstery. Beautiful mouldings create the look of a grand century home.
An ornate frame sits atop a wooden chest of drawers, creating a dramatic display.
Known for his artful vignettes, Michael placed a new bleached-wood framed mirror atop a Louis Philippe walnut bureau. The grouping is layered in front of a long mirrored wall.
Soft green walls and crisp white bedding contribute to a perfectly elegant, neutral space.
Designer Michael Angus's Toronto Apartment has character. In the principal bedroom, Michael painted the crown moulding a high-gloss version of the grey-green wall colour to visually extend the ceiling height. To create an air of calm and serenity, fabrics and surfaces were kept simple, free of patterns or bright colours. Crystal balustrade lamps, heavy flowing drapes and subtle gold accents make this hotel-like space luxurious.
For more of Michael's designs, see our photo gallery. Also, follow us as we tour Michael's apartment.
Dramatic walls look regal in this home office.
In Michael Angus' Toronto apartment, a rich green hue covers the walls for a masculine, luxurious look. A ceiling-height gallery wall — including paintings by Angus's nieces — helps break up the dark colour. In keeping with the rest of his home, the room is decorated with an old world aesthetic, featuring an antique wood desk with worn leather chair.
For more, see our gallery of Michael Angus' Interiors or tour his apartment. Plus, see more Rooms with Jewel Tones and 10 Cosy Dark Rooms.
Shutters and exotic accents make a tub area spa-like.
Michael's apartment boasts a beautiful ensuite bathroom. The neutral colours and classic furnishings keep the look timeless while large windows allow for tons of natural light.
An elegant dark wood piece makes a statement against dove-grey walls.
For Michael's ensuite bath, an antique chest was retrofitted as a taller-than-usual vanity with a contemporary faucet. Gold accents complete the old world mood, although the room itself is new.
Modern furniture meets traditional style in a fresh, handsome space.
In this low-key living area — which Michael designed for an Oakville client — a mid-century modern Noguchi coffee table is paired with a set of 1940s chairs and a custom sofa. The slate floors are warmed up with a rich Persian rug.
Metal designer chairs are a fun, unexpected touch in this country space.
This eat-in kitchen space offers an edgy juxtaposition of antique and modern, cool white and rich wood. A traditional banquette and 19th-century Canadian pine table are paired with chrome Bertoia chairs.
Brown and gold tones create a sumptuous atmosphere.
This principal bedroom is defined by its chocolate brown walls, which look especially rich when lit and set off by crisp white bed linens.
Patterned wallpaper creates the backdrop for a traditional vignette.
A blue-and-white Chinoiserie print sets the tone for this dining room's eclectic design. An antique sideboard anchors the grouping while a Chippendale mirror adds glamour. Two Chinese crackle lamps create symmetry and offer a cosier alternate source of lighting.


text: Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc., a marketer of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry in North America, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Finkle Distributors Inc. (FDI) for approximately $43 million. FDI is a regional convenience wholesaler servicing customers in New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Dan Finkle,


text:
Romance, dating, sex and - Muslim women? In this groundbreaking collection, 25 American Muslim writers sweep aside stereotypes to share their search for love openly for the first time, showing just how varied the search for love can be - from singles' events and online dating, to college flirtations and arranged marriages, all with a uniquely Muslim twist.
These stories are filled with passion and hope, loss and longing: A quintessential blonde California girl travels abroad to escape suffocating responsibilities at home, only to fall in love with a handsome Brazilian stranger she may never see again. An orthodox African-American woman must face her growing attraction to her female friend. A young girl defies her South Asian parents' cultural expectations with an interracial relationship. And a Southern woman agrees to consider an arranged marriage, with surprising results.
These compelling stories of love and romance create an irresistible balance of heart-warming and tantalizing, always revealing and deeply relatable.
©2012 Ayesha Mattu, Nura Maznavi (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
I'm Audible's first Editor-at-Large, the host of In Bed with Susie Bright -- and a longtime author, editor, journo, and bookworm. I listen to audio when I'm cooking, playing cards, knitting, going to bed, waking up, driving, and putting other people's kids to bed! My favorite audiobooks, ever, are: "True Grit" and "The Dog of the South."
"Sex, Love, & Feminism, in the Muslim Women's World"
Romance, dating, sex, and—Muslim women talking for themselves! Talk about taboos broken and stereotypes torpedoed.
This book has made a huge impression everywhere it's been discussed-- and there's not a book critic in America who hasn't weighed in. The title sounds titillating, but these real-life stories are frank, earnest, and real.
Nura Maznavi and Ayesha Mattu made fantastic selections, there's not one repitition or predictable exposition.
Kelli A
"Fascinating Stories"
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Mr. Needleman said that the offering is well suited to small and medium size Biotechs, CMOs and clinical CROs with limited research capabilities. He stated that these companies also benefit from Aptuit's extensive regulatory experience and compliance with FDA and EMA mandates.
Biodistribution Studies are conducted by scientific specialists in the Preclinical Biosciences group at The Aptuit Center for Drug Discovery & Development in Verona, Italy.
Corrado Corti, PhD, Head of Molecular and Cellular Biology at The Aptuit Center for Drug Discovery & Development, said that the Preclinical Biosciences group has extensive experience with GTMPs and viral vectors. They are accustomed to a large pharmaceutical working environment and have a strong record in quality molecular studies.
Dr. Corti emphasized that customers have unique advantages when they choose Aptuit's fully integrated services for the development of GTMPs. "The benefits are numerous when biodistribution studies are combined with general toxicity studies, allowing for the integration of biodistribution evidence with toxicity study endpoints. Indeed, the high integration of the molecular and in vivo studies conducted in parallel allows data comparison in real time, offering the possibility to fine tune ongoing studies. Aptuit's fully integrated offering means that Biodistribution studies might also be performed on large animal species with a reduced number of animals, thereby bridging the preclinical development of GTMPs to FIM. Of course, we offer Biodistribution services on a standalone basis as well (e.g. clinical derived samples) in order to provide customers full access to our technical platforms to meet their needs and expectations.
The fact that our preclinical development studies include immuno-assays, in vivo models and post mortem evaluation, all conducted in parallel from one site in a fully integrated approach, is a real advantage to customers."
Mr. Needleman summed it up by saying, "The single site advantage is the springboard for multiple benefits. We offer the flexibility in running studies under both GLP and non-GLP parameters; the possible use of non-human subjects from new facilities; flexibility, rapid response and adaptation during development and real time parallel data for the entire preclinical development study package."
For more technical information, please contact Corrado Corti by phone at +39 045 8219576 and by email at firstname.lastname@example.com. For press information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Maria Garvey, Delfino Marketing at 914-747-1400 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Aptuit LLC provides the most complete set of integrated early to mid-phase development services
in the pharmaceutical industry. Drug Design & Discovery, Preclinical Biosciences,
API Development and Manufacture, Solid State Chemistry, Sterile Fill Finish & Formulation Development, Oral Dosage Form Development & Manufacture, Clinical Sciences, Consulting
and Aptuit INDiGOÒ (a program that accelerates drug development) are offered as
stand alone or integrated services. Fully integrated drug discovery & development services
are available from a single site at The Aptuit Center for Drug Discovery & Development in
Verona, Italy. The company maintains five global facilities with approximately 800 employees in Europe and the United States, and has a strategic relationship with Laurus Labs in India. Aptuit LLC is partnered with Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world's leading private equity investors.
For more information about Aptuit, visit www.aptuit.com


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Lohse off his game as Crew loses fourth straight
Lucroy goes yard, but not enough to pick up right-hander in Cincinnati
CINCINNATI -- The Brewers' losing streak reached four games Friday, in a place that always seems to give them trouble.
Purportedly light-hitting leadoff man Billy Hamilton hit another homer while Reds starter Alfredo Simon silenced Brewers bats in Milwaukee's 4-2 loss at Great American Ball Park on Friday. The loss perpetuated the Brewers' Queen City quagmire; they are 1-4 here this season and 39-58 since the Reds moved into their new ballpark.
The Reds have also taken two of three games this season at Milwaukee's Miller Park.
"I feel like we always play them well, they just seem to have our number this year as far as beating us," said Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, whose solo home run in the eighth inning helped keep the game close. "We have to figure out a way to come out on top. We have to find a way to get it done tomorrow. They're in our division, we're going to play them all the time, so we've got to be able to get them."
If they are unable to get it done Saturday afternoon, the Brewers will have their first five-game losing streak. Their current four-game skid matches a similar one from May 17-20 in Chicago and Atlanta.
"I just think sometimes there's matchups," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We've only played them eight times and they have an outstanding team. Right now we're 6-2. We certainly have a great deal of respect for their ballclub and the way they play. They have great starting pitching, a dynamic offense. They do a lot of things, they put a lot of things in motion. So we're 6-2. We're 1-5 against San Diego. It's hard to figure these things out sometimes."
Brewers starter Kyle Lohse recorded five of his first six outs via strikeout in his first two scoreless innings, but Hamilton hit a misplaced changeup for two-run home run in the third inning and Lohse was out of the game after the fifth, matching his shortest start this season.
Lohse was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits, with one walk, eight strikeouts and two bad breaks. In the fourth inning, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco hit a deep drive that hit the heel of leaping center fielder Carlos Gomez's glove and popped out for a double. Skip Schumaker followed with another double to the same spot to make it 3-0. In the fifth inning, Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay's fielding error preceded Joey Votto's RBI double, making it 4-0.
Lohse lamented throwing Votto a fastball in a 3-1 count, but the errant changeup to Hamilton really stood out. Three of the speedy rookie's five home runs this season are against the Brewers, each on what Lucroy and Brewers manager Ron Roenicke characterized as a mistake.
"We're making bad pitches," Roenicke said. "We're making bad pitches and he's not missing them."
Lohse confirmed as much.
"I'm trying to throw a changeup down, maybe get a ground ball or a weak fly," he said. "I just pulled it and pretty much laid it out there for him."
The Brewers scored on Jean Segura's RBI infield single in the seventh inning and Lucroy's solo home run with one out in the eighth, but Simon was able to deliver his seventh consecutive quality start before Jonathan Broxton and Aroldis Chapman (17th save) finished it. Simon, a right-hander who won a spot in the Reds' Opening Day rotation only because Mat Latos was on the disabled list, became the third National Leaguer to reach 11 wins, holding the Brewers to two runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. Hamilton helped by making a leaping catch in center field to rob Ryan Braun of extra bases leading off the sixth inning.
"[Simon] did what he's been doing all year," Lohse said. "He's got a good, lively fastball and he mixes in some other stuff. You know going into it it's going to be a tough one; you just pitch your game. I didn't do very well doing that today. It's on me. We scored a couple of runs, but if I'm on top, maybe I can hold them to one or none. I just didn't do it."
The Brewers fell to 15-30 on Independence Day, including five straight losses.
A more pressing matter is their recent record against the Reds.
"We give them good games," Roenicke said. "They are a good team. It's not surprising they win ballgames -- they are a really good team."
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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May Thanksgiving never be behind us as we move toward the new holiday season. I hope you all had a wonderful day.
Sellers will soon be preparing their home for holiday showcasing. This season, above all, seems to lend itself toward goodwill. So sellers need to keep in mind some general safety precautions that are easily overlooked with all the distractions and festivities.
Don't let in random people who knock on your door claiming to be buyers. Tell them to return with their agent or broker. If they tell you they do not have one, tell them to call your listing agent or broker. Most Realtors do some screening of buyers before taking them to look at property.
If you are home when agents bring their clients, ask them to use the lock box before entering. The Realtor's Supra lock box is equipped with an electronic record-keeping device. It keeps track of the owner of the electronic key used to enter the lock box, along with the date and time of entry.
Keep valuables that can easily be picked up and pocketed in a safe place. You may have to make some concessions when putting out your decorations or presents. Jewelry, cash, checkbooks can be forgotten in the hurried routine. Your jewelry box or drawer needs to be locked or secured. Make yourself a reminder note if necessary.
Please do not leave personal documents and information in plain sight. It may stimulate the curiosity of some buyers. Keep those bank statements, credit-card notices or anything with personal information out of sight and secure.
Do not forget to keep your prescription drugs out of sight and secure. The medicine cabinet in the bathroom will not suffice. Buyers can be nosey.
I wish you all a safe holiday season filled with joy, peace and a successful escrow.
Davis, a broker/Realtor, may be reached at 714-504-7200 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The hard road to our competitive edge, Part II
In Part II of his Lessons Learned column, Béla Lipták describes one of the many small steps process control professionals should take on the difficult, but necessary road to recapturing our competitive edge.
he lifetime operating cost of a pumping station is about a hundred times its initial cost, because pumping is a very energy-intensive process. A great deal of competitive leverage can be created by driving cost out of production through process optimization. Pump optimization is a great place to start because the returns on pump optimization can be substantial. In Part II we continue the discussion. (See Part I, The Hard Road to Our Competitive Edge.)
A pumping system is optimized when it meets the demand for the distributed liquid with the minimum investment of energy. When the pump station feeds a distribution header, and from that header each user meets its needs by throttling its own control valve, the total energy use will be minimized when the pressure drop across all user valves is at minimum. This occurs when the openings of all user valves are maximized and they are maximized when their inlet pressure is minimized.
Therefore, in such an optimized control system (Figure 1) the valve position controller (VPC-02) keeps lowering the set point of PC-01 and thereby, keeps opening all user valves until the most open valve reaches a 90% open. In addition to saving energy, this control system also guarantees that no user can receive less distributed fluid than required, because no user valve is ever allowed to reach 100% open.
This control system minimizes energy and reduces valve maintenance.
Parallel Pumps
When multiple pumps operate in parallel, their combined head-capacity curve is obtained by adding up their capacities at the same discharge head. The total capacity of multiple constant-speed pumps is found at the intersection of their combined pump curve with the system curve. The same is the case with multiple variable-speed pumps, except that they have a pump surface instead of a pump curve, because velocity is also a variable and it adds a third dimension to their personality.
The pump station in Figure 1 can consist of two or more variable-speed pumps. When only one pump is in operation and the pump speed approaches 100 %, the pump speed switch (PSH-03) is actuated and the second pump is started by interlock #1. When both pumps are in operation and the total flow demand drops to 90% of the capacity of a single pump, the second pump is stopped after a time delay. This 030-in. delay (TD-04) guarantees that the second pump will start only if the drop in flow demand is permanent and therefore the pump is not cycled on and off.
Figure 2 (see below) illustrates that when multiple pumps (A&B) operate in parallel, their combined head-capacity curve is obtained by adding up their capacities at the same discharge head. The total capacity of multiple constant-speed pumps is found at the intersection of their combined pump curve with the system curve. The same is the case with multiple variable-speed pumps, except that they have a pump surface instead of a pump curve, because velocity is also a variable and it adds a third dimension to their personality.
The top portion of Figure 1 shows the system curve and pump curves. As the capacity demand rises, the speed of the operating pump increases until (at point A) it reaches 100% and PSH-03 starts the second pump. However, if, at the time of starting the second pump, the speed-control signal was unchanged, an upset would occur, because the speed of both pumps, and therefore their discharge pressure, would instantaneously jump from point A to point C. To eliminate this temporary surge in pressure, PY-03 is provided, which drops its own output signal to x which value corresponds to the required speed, when two-pumps operate at point A.
Therefore, when interlock #1 is actuated, the low signal selector selects signal x for control and thereby provides a smooth transition. After the switching, the output signal of PY-03 slowly rises up to full scale and consequently, as soon as it exceeds the output of PIC-01, the low signal selector returns the control back to PIC-01.
Once both pumps are operating smoothly, the next control task is to stop the second pump when the load drops below the capacity of a single pump. This switching is controlled by the low flow switch FSL-05, which is set at 90 % of the capacity of one pump (point B on the systems curve).
Using the coordinates of flow, pressure and speed, pump characteristics can be described by a three-dimensional surface and the process system the pump serves can be described by another surface. When multiple variable-speed pumps operate in parallel, their characteristic surfaces are summed in the direction of the flow coordinate to obtain their combined characteristic surface.
The operating line of a multiple-pump pumping station which is serving a particular process can be found where the two characteristic surfaces meet. A power consumption surface corresponds to the operating surface of the pump or pump station. When the pumping station consists of a large number of pumps (both constant and variable speed), the goal is to meet any load with a combination of pumps that will consume the least amount of power.
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Water World: Shopping for Spas and Whirlpools
To Keep from Taking a Bath, Shop for Spas and Whirlpools with Your Mind and Not Your Passions
(continued from page 5)
She's not alone, however.
In the hot water world of hydrotherapy, where every spa and whirlpool manufacturer claims to be "Mr. Magic Touch," there are scores of vixens in splashy brochures. All sport only a towel, smile provocatively, and while pointing to the latest "revolutionary" air jet or control panel, promote a unit that supposedly delivers a perfect massage.
While soaking in your own warm, bubbling spa is ideal for kicking back and relieving muscle tension, buying one can still mean taking a bath in the most pejorative sense. Even though today's portable spas and inground units are technologically superior to their leaky 1960s counterparts, it's easy to be dazzled by shiny-colored spa shells, dual high-powered motors and a multitude of air jets. Navigating these waters demands a few self-imposed reality checks and guidelines.
"Instead of thinking about how they're actually going to use a spa, too many buyers get soaked because they get too excited by the visuals, the sexy nonsense like the number of contoured bucket seats and air jets," bemoans Gary Kudisch, a Hot Springs Spas of South Florida salesman who's been in the spa business for 30 years.
Standing in an alley behind his Fort Lauderdale, Florida, showroom, near a work area dubbed the "cemetery," Kudisch points to several unusable units from various manufacturers, and adds, "This is what's left after people buy spas that are just good looking. They get hammered by 'slam, bam, thank you ma'am' salesmen mainly because they didn't take the time to answer that first big question: whether they're buying a spa for relaxation, hydrotherapy or partying."
Use is partially influenced by the size of a buyer's backyard, budgetary constraints and the permanence of his residence or lifestyle. Constructing an in-ground spa, with its elaborate wiring system, makes financial sense only if a buyer plans to live in a particular house awhile and doesn't mind the inconvenience of pre-heating the unit before every use. Portables, which account for 85 to 90 percent of spa sales, offer far more spontaneous soaks. They should be viewed as simple home appliances, needing only to be plugged into an electrical outlet to maintain a continuous flow of hot water. While portables require no plumbing and can be easily transported, built-in spas need a separate shelter for their support system. Since the wiring has to be buried, installation is costly, disruptive and time-consuming. All spas require some maintenance, and yet they're user-friendly, as they only have to be drained periodically, and can be easily kept clean by using automatically dispensed water sanitizers.
Many buyers still prefer built-ins, since they often double as fountains or ponds in gardens and courtyards. In stark contrast to cascading waterfalls and the other visually exciting possibilities of a built-in, portables are boxy-looking tubs. Though they can be covered by gazebos and other decorative structures, many still seem out of place sitting next to richly landscaped swimming pools.
But no matter what route is taken--a $3,000 to $25,000 in-ground or a $1,800 to $8,800 portable--a spa's size and styling are the most important factors affecting its daily use. With portables, the design and seating configurations are so limitless that "with all these new colors and contours, it's as if Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani are all plunging into these waters at the same time," says one northern California dealer.
From the intimate two-person, 200-gallon "Jetsetter," to the six-adult "Chair-man" and even roomier shells with an arsenal of 50 jets and "zones" for individualized massages, portable spas come in a dizzying array of colors, exterior finishes and seating capacities.
So how does a buyer wade through this water world and choose a suitable portable?
Above all, don't get distracted by the food service bars, rainbow colors and other enhancements. Ask dealers for documented information regarding operational costs, servicing and warranties, and most importantly, assess your true needs.
Larger 400- to 500-gallon spas, while costing more to heat, are practical for families with children, or with a lot of friends. Besides allowing bathers to move around, these units have so many individual jets and multitiered seating configurations that they prompt one dealer to exclaim, "They're heaven, the equivalent of having six masseuses simultaneously working on your body."
These roomier units offer seats at different depths as well as lounges and recliners of various shapes. In larger spas the jet system is also diversified, offering a variety of distinctive "feels" (or water pressures and patterns), which is key when soothing different parts of the body.
"I love larger spas; they represent true freedom," says Steve Baum, the owner of All Baths and Spas in Yonkers, New York, who has been selling spas and whirlpools for 27 years. "The cost to operate a deluxe large spa is only a few pennies more than a small unit, but the roomier ones are the only way to go. They epitomize comfort and the good life."
Yet in some instances, buying one of these models is inspired more by fantasies than by sound judgment. For even though some buyers associate these roomier spas with Bacchanalian parties and reveling, they are more realistically akin to seldom-used guest bedrooms. As Kudisch cautions, "The reality is that one to two persons generally use a spa. Sure it's great to have a large spa when entertaining. But how many parties do average people have a year? While I'm not suggesting buyers should only get two-person units, they must forget their fantasies, be flexible, and allow daily use to dictate what's purchased."
Opinion is also divided about the current "Indy 500" rage, which has manufacturers increasingly styling their shells with deeply contoured bucket seats and lounges. Some spa dealers say these seating arrangements give the shell a futuristic look, and add to the feeling that a spa is a multidimensional environment with "comfort zones." One Florida salesman insists "a lot of people like pre-assigned seats, being in one place for a specific jet system. Most spas are compartmentalized today, and these comfort zones, all offering a different jet experience, are the future."
Yet others in the industry throw cold water on the bucket seat trend. As one industry analyst contends, the deeply recessed sculpturing can weaken the strength of fiberglass shells and reduce the spontaneous movement inside a spa.
"While bucket seats are great in a Maserati, in a spa they create barriers between people," insists this critic. "These big buckets and lounges lock you into one position, and so the jets only hit certain parts of your body. That is, if your body can even fit into these restrictive contours and buckets."
Spas can be custom-built to fit your body's specifications. A local pool contractor-turned-spa maker might have a few molded shells in his showroom and be equipped to "customize" them with jets and pillows. But beware! More accustomed to building swimming pools, he'll usually offer a one-year warranty, while most established spa manufacturers (with a network of dealerships) give five and seven-year guarantees. Plumbing outlets and home centers also sell spas. But the safest approach is going to a specialist, a spa dealer.
The next step is choosing seating arrangements and other comfort features, and the only strategy to accomplish that is the "test soak." Too many people just sit in a dry spa, thinking this will help them determine if a unit is comfortable or not. But a spa has a completely different feel when your body is immersed in water, so when comparative shopping, bring a swimsuit, enter a "mood room" that dealers generally offer to provide privacy, and get wet.
"You can only tell if a cigar is good by smoking it, and it's the same with spas; buyers must try them to really judge the different soaking experiences," says Baum. "What's comfortable for a 6-foot-2-inch guy could feel terrible for a 5-foot-2-inch woman, so buyers have to move around in the water and try all the different positions and jets. It's a frightening statistic that 90 percent of all spa buyers don't take a wet 'test drive.' But even before I sell a brand, I go to the factories and soak."
Seating arrangements are a consideration when assessing feel. Though many spa manufacturers boast that their lounges and recliners are "ergonomically engineered," these "pre-assigned" and deeply recessed seating zones are confining to many bathers. At its most relaxing best, soaking is a moving experience, and it shouldn't demand the contortions of a Harry Houdini.
Enjoying ease of movement is one of Baum's comfort priorities. But he also advises buyers to take the "agitation" test, to feel the jet action in their trial soaks, and to distinguish comfort from water-pounding punishment.
Spas today are equipped with all kinds of jets, from Hot Springs' "soothing sevens for 1997" and Sundance's 14-nozzle Accu-Ssage system for upper body massages, to Dimension One's AquaPed jets that "customize foot, ankle and leg therapy needs" (many dealers will also customize jets to suit specific hydrotherapy needs). Most of these water-spouting devices can be personally adjusted, depending on a bather's preference for a simple relaxing soak or for a more intense bout of hydrotherapy.
Yet Baum, who has recently begun selling high-performance Artesian spas, still insists, "Forget all the fancy talk about 'jet systems' and 'multidirectional movements.' The only way to judge water flow--what's comfortable and what's an extreme firehose--is to get into a wet spa and feel the action. Companies are now playing a numbers game, adding more and more jets. But the only thing that counts is how these jets feel."
Pumping up jet firepower isn't the only sales trick these days. Spa manufacturers are also playing the horsepower game.
Hot water is magical only when it surges through those hydrojets at great force--and to create this heat and circulation, portables rely on equipment systems known as "skid packs." These support systems, comprising pump, filter, heater and, frequently, air blower, are built into a portable unit; generally at least two 1.5- or two-horsepower pumps are needed to propel the water in a 400-to 500-gallon spa, says Baum.
But to jazz up even their smaller spas, companies are now offering three and four-horsepower pumps. While in-ground spas usually need extra power to circulate their larger amounts of water, it's Gary Kudisch's contention that this horsepower craze is just another example of manufacturers "getting off on more gongs and whistles."
"Companies like to list a unit's 'peak,' super horsepower figures, but that's misleading the public," says Kudisch. "The only important factor is the continuous-duty, 1.5, 1.65 horsepower. That's what actually turns the water. All those fancy numbers are a lot of bull."
Having a unit with two pumps may make sense, however, if a spa is equipped with scores of hydrojets. Typically in deluxe spas, an energy-efficient small pump continuously circulates, filters and heats the water, while two other pumps activate the jets.
The average buyer might not want to take the time to study such specifications as the square footage of filters, the kilowatt ratings of electric heaters and the RPMs of a blower. But before you start thinking about a shell's color (remember, most spas are covered during the day, and used at night when those vibrant greens and sapphires can't be appreciated), it's still vital to check out how that skid pack fits within the spa cabinet. In other words, "open the hood."
Kneeling down on a showroom floor to display the guts of a Coleman spa, Mike Kimmerly, a service technician with Crystal Pools and Spas in Madison, Wisconsin, says, "Heaters do cause a lot of problems because they're coming into contact with old, chemically treated and aggressive water. So you want a flow-through heater, meaning the jet pump is moving water through it at a high speed. That will alleviate corrosion and stagnant water pockets. Buyers should also stay away from all mechanical switches. Instead, you want soft-touch electronic controls. Finally, top-loading filters are the only way to go. That way there's no plumbing to remove, no draining to change the filter."
Besides buying good equipment, Kimmerly adds, the best way to avoid expensive repairs is making sure that the water's pH remains balanced (not too acidic or alkaline).
Paying attention to a spa's insulation is also a priority. Here a debate rages as to what lining will best keep water hot and also muffle the sound of the motors. While Sundance and Hot Springs utilize a fully foamed liner, Coleman touts a "thermal lock" insulation method that essentially employs less foam to trap air into contained areas. Each company predictably insists its insulation is preferable. But they all emphasize avoiding plastic and wood liners, as these materials crack, shrink and rot.
"I've sold them all, and I still like the full foam, especially in northern parts of the country where it gets awfully cold," says Steve Baum. "Full foam is just better because it's more resistant to heat loss. It's also quieter. Sure, when you don't have full foam, repairs of leaks are easier. Leaks, though, are rare in top-flight spas. But what's guaranteed, and never a variable, is that cold weather."
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A black widow spider was found in a container of fresh grapes in a Milwaukee, Wis.-area Aldi Supermarkets store Nov. 7.
Aldi pulled all grapes from its Milwaukee area stores and said it will beef up inspections following the find, according to a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper.
The spider was found in a container of red grapes in an Aldi store in Wauwatosa, Wis. A consumer saw the spider in the container, put the container in a plastic bag and gave it to a store employee.
In recent months, black widows, which are poisonous, have been found on grapes in stores in Missouri and Michigan and at a school in Minnesota, according to the story.


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Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppession
Mail: Thanks for helping Aiden
More opinion
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
More Ag News
The holiday season is here and its time to nominate your favorite yard decorated with Christmas cheer.
Residents can nominate yards Nov. 23-Dec. 12.
Awards will be given to homeowners with the most festive yards.
One winner will be selected in each of the four city wards and one within 10 miles of North Platte. Judging will be based on curb appeal, balance, theme, and maintenance. Winners from the past four years are not eligible to win.
Nominations can be submitted by e-mailing keepnorthplattebeautiful.org or by calling the KNPLCB office at 534-8100.
Information that needs to be submitted includes the address, brief description of the display and any directions that might assist in locating the property. You do not need the home owners name that youre nominating. Feel free to nominate your own home.
KELN Radio will donate $50 in each winners name to the charity of his or her choice during a special banquet.
Nominated yards will be featured during the North Platte Recreation Centers Tour of Lights Dec. 17-20. Winners will be announced Dec. 18.
Those interested in going on the tour can call the Rec Center at 535-6772 after Dec. 1 to reserve a bus seat. Admission is a paper product, such as Kleenex, paper towels, or toilet paper, which will be donated to the Rape and Domestic Abuse Program.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101