text: Study shows employee engagement is slowly returning, but it is still far below acceptable levels, according to the president of Modern Survey. Modern Survey, a human capital measurement and analysis company, has the released its Spring 2012 National Norms Survey on employee engagement levels in the U.S. workforce. Conducted in March 2012, the most recent


text:
just an old code snippet i found on one of my code backup cds. i removed the clipping parts from the code since they don't really belong to the snippet title
void SoftRasta::renderTriangleSolid16(RenderTriangle &t, unsigned char* buffer, unsigned short &pitch)
int i0 = 0, i1 = 1, i2 = 2;
// sort verts by height
if(t.coords[i0].y > t.coords[i1].y) mySwap(i0, i1);
if(t.coords[i0].y > t.coords[i2].y) mySwap(i0, i2);
if(t.coords[i1].y > t.coords[i2].y) mySwap(i1, i2);
int x0 = (int)t.coords[i0].x, y0 = (int)t.coords[i0].y;
int x1 = (int)t.coords[i1].x, y1 = (int)t.coords[i1].y;
int x2 = (int)t.coords[i2].x, y2 = (int)t.coords[i2].y;
unsigned short pitch16 = pitch >> 1;
// test for easy cases, else split trinagle in two and render both halfs
if(y1 == y2){
if(x1 > x2) mySwap(x1, x2);
renderFlatTriangle16(x1, y1, x2, y2, x0, y0, buffer, pitch16, t.color);
else if(y0 == y1){
if(x0 > x1) mySwap(x0, x1);
renderFlatTriangle16(x0, y0, x1, y1, x2, y2, buffer, pitch16, t.color);
// compute x pos of the vert that builds the splitting line with x1
int tmp_x = x0 + (int)(0.5f + (float)(y1-y0) * (float)(x2-x0) / (float)(y2-y0));
if(x1 > tmp_x) mySwap(x1, tmp_x);
renderFlatTriangle16(x1, y1, tmp_x, y1, x0, y0, buffer, pitch16, t.color);
renderFlatTriangle16(x1, y1, tmp_x, y1, x2, y2, buffer, pitch16, t.color);
void SoftRasta::renderFlatTriangle16(int x0, int y0, int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2, unsigned char* buffer, unsigned short pitch16, unsigned short color)
unsigned short* pixel = NULL;
// compute slopes for the two triangle legs
float dx0 = (float)(x2 - x0) / (y2 - y0);
float dx1 = (float)(x2 - x1) / (y2 - y1);
int yRange = 0;
float lx = (float) x0, rx = (float) x1;
if(y0 < y2){ yRange = y2 - y0; pixel = (unsigned short*)buffer + y0 * pitch16; }
else { yRange = y0 - y2; pixel = (unsigned short*)buffer + y2 * pitch16; lx = rx = (float)x2; }
for(int i=0; i<yRange; ++i){
for(int j=(int)(lx); j<(int)((rx) + 1.0f); ++j){
*(pixel + j) = color;
lx += dx0;
rx += dx1;
pixel += pitch16;
on a second thought the textured version might have been more interesting maybe i can dig them up, too
Very interesting indeed...is this part of a software renderer you made?
i guess. it was a seperate code file i backed up for some reason. it must be several years old. i was surprised that the cd still worked at all. i'm trying to find more pieces of that renderer
which reminds me, is there going to be an update on the software rendering tuts ? maybe i can be of help ???
That's a good idea! Or maybe you could write your own tutorial on rendering a triangle (with texturing maybe) as well as explaining the math and theory behind it. That would be an excellent tutorial.
i'll consider that
This reminds me something too.... i always wondered how the trick which Chris Hecker discusses in his article actually works. I mean the stuff that you can precalculate the slopes only once and use combinations of them during the rendering process. If someone can point me to an article/tutorials that discusses that in detail and with nice and clean explanations i'll give that person five virtual bucks!!!
i thought the trick he did was not interpolating 1/z every pixel but only every n pixels... anyway, it's also at least 4-5 years since i read that particular article. i'll reread it if i can still find it. a lot of the good old information seems to be disappearing these days. maybe you have a link to it ?
[EDIT] : nm, his own site is still active... [/EDIT]
hmmm, just pondered about this. if the difference between the z coords is small enough you might just use affine mapping. though it's not a very brilliant idea it might speed up rendering by a big margin...
sry, i completely misunderstood your post... anways, let me read through that article again...
well, the trick you are reffering to is just 9th grade trigonometry. you should take a piece of paper and work it out. it's quite simple actually... i don't even know how to explain it better than he does. it's all there in his paper.
I'm not having problems with maths but i'm having troubles to translate that article from english )) . Anyway i'll try some more. 10x
P.S. The stuff with the dissapearing knowledge is true!!!
sry, i didn't mean to be rude. anyways, if you can't understand the article we would have a hard time explaining it to you in englsih
Here's another way to sort vertices conveniently, without using indices:
void Rasterizer::drawTriangle(const Vertex *V1, const Vertex *V2, const Vertex *V3)
if(V1->y > V3->y) swap(V1, V3);
if(V2->y > V3->y) swap(V2, V3);
if(V1->y > V2->y) swap(V1, V2);
const Vertex &v1 = *V1;
const Vertex &v2 = *V2;
const Vertex &v3 = *V3;
Vertices get passed as pointers, then they are sorted by swapping the pointers, and finally the pointers are dereferences so you can work with . instead of -> all the time. All my other parameters are in a 'context' structure directly accessible for the Rasterizer class. This avoids passing all the arguments to the function.
Just a suggestion. Makes the code very clean in my opinion...
By the way, Chris Hecker's articles are worth gold when implementing a software rasterizer. I read each of them three times or more, and it was well worth it to understand every little bit he talks about.
Anyway, even though he presents the legacy method of rendering triangles, there are (better) alternatives. Triangle Scan Conversion using 2D Homogeneous Coordinates is more optimal for advanced rasterization...
yeah... the articles are great. i loved them.
maybe we could link both topics together. yours having a link to nicks, and nicks back to yours, to show the two possible ways 'as one'
well... i'd feel kind of embarassed to put my years old childrens code next to that
hehe. hey, whats the problem. it's a working scanline software rastericer. you deserve credit.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Casein and soy protein, on the other hand, have a different amino acid profile. They have a more moderate digestion rate and may have other antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, it might be of value to combine both these high quality protein sources with whey, or at least that is what researchers hypothesized.
Researchers had young healthy participants perform a single bout of resistance exercise and then 1 hour later consume either whey protein alone or a blend of whey, casein, and soy. The supplements both contained 19 grams of protein. The blend consisted of 50% casein, 25% whey, and 25% soy.
Both supplements equally increased muscle protein synthesis during the first 2 hour post-exercise time period. During the 2 to 4 hour post-exercise time period, only the protein blend increased protein synthesis. Thus, the effects of whey protein alone were not sustained over a 4-hour time period after exercise.
Does this mean you should change your protein supplement? Results of this study are consistent with the large amount of research supporting the superiority of whey consumed right after exercise. However, it highlights the limitation of using whey as the only protein source when examined over a longer time frame. Based on these new findings, it would be prudent to either combine whey with a slower digesting protein source like casein or soy, or consume a meal containing protein during the first couple hours after exercise. The protein in milk is about 80% casein and 20% whey, so mixing whey with milk may also be a good option to help extend the muscle-building window.


text:
A neighboring business owner, who was not identified, was using the empty storefront for storage and had found the women and called police, according to Fort Wayne Police Department spokeswoman Raquel Foster.
There were no obvious signs of trauma on either victim, and foul play is not suspected, Foster said. The Allen County coroner will determine the exact cause and manner of death of the one woman, and will confirm and release her identity, Foster said.
It's unclear if the women were living in the storefront or were employees or what the source of the odor was but a reporter smelled what seemed like natural gas. The storefront appeared to have an ironing board and bags of clothing inside, and what looked like a propane heater. One of the neighboring businesses is Empire City Clothing, on the other side is So Good Beauty Supply.
Fort Wayne Fire Department firefighters cleared the source of the odor and evacuated one of the neighboring businesses so police detectives could investigate.


text:
I?ve learn several good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you place to make such a magnificent informative website.
Sutter Home Summer: Food & Wine
Even though the days are getting shorter, we're still claiming it's a Sutter Home summer for at least a few more weeks! In honor of the end of summer, we want to share some fun food & wine pairing tips.
Sutter Home Sweet Red with veggie burgers & sweet corn salad
Sweet corn salad: Frozen sweet white corn (defrosted), black beans (drained), red onion, lime juice, cumin, hot sauce like Tabasco, tomatoes. Serve both the Sutter Home Sweet Red & the salad chilled!
Sutter Home Zinfandel & BBQ Ribs
If you're making a BBQ sauce or glaze, add some Sutter Home Zin and reduce it down. Brush onto your ribs while they're grilling - perfection.
Sutter Home Bubbly Moscato & any occasion you want to celebrate!
Pop open a bottle of our Bubbly Moscato and raise a glass to friends, family, health, happiness and the average Tuesday night.
What's your favorite summer dish & Sutter Home wine pairing?
Got a recipe to share? Post it here!
Hi Teresa! That is a FANTASTIC suggestion....mouths are watering over here just thinking about it! We're going to post your suggestion on our Facebook page. Let us know when you try Bubbly Moscato! Cheers.
Just saw the facebook post and comments after it - awesome! Cheers! ;)
Well, besides burgers and the wide variety of wines you can pair *those* with (depending on toppings, meat choices, etc., ALL of which are Fab-u-Lous!), I love, love, love grilled fruit and Riesling...YUM (or Moscato, or Bubbly Moscato now that I still need to try but sounds Mmmmmm)!


text:
ByChester Dawson
"We Are Driven!" That was the memorable 1970s-era slogan for the once-and-future Datsun brand of budget cars sold by Nissan Motor Now, the Japanese automaker wants Madison Avenue to rework its magic for a new generation of car buyers.
Nissan said Wednesday that it awarded New York-based ad agency TBWA Worldwide, a unit of Omnicon Group Inc., with the global contract for publicizing the Datsun sub-brand's revival. TWBA has handled other Nissan campaigns in recent years.
That comes as Nissan seeks to build momentum for the full-fledged roll out of the new line of vehicles, some of which it wants to sell for as little as $3,000.
Nissan announced plans last year to dust off the retired nameplate and re-launch it as an emerging markets-focused brand. The first Datsuns won't hit showrooms in India, Indonesia and Russia until 2014.
But Nissan says it will show what the first of several Datsun-branded models will look like later this year. In preparation for that debut, TBWA is being brought in to help crank up the orchestral music.
"The world is changing and we take tremendous pride in having been chosen to help Datsun engage the rising markets of Russia, Indonesia and India," Tom Carroll, President & CEO at TBWA Worldwide, said in a statement. "To win an automotive account is always an honor, but when that involves the return of such an iconic brand, it is truly inspiring."
Datsun's roots date back to 1914, but it didn't become a global brand until it was introduced to the U.S. in 1958. For nearly 25 years, it attracted a loyal generation of carbuyers looking for affordable, zippy cars and trucks—until Nissan mothballed the brand name in the mid-1980s. The famous "Driven" campaign was created by the William Esty agency.
Datsun of yore had a presence in Indonesia, but the name is largely unknown in India and Russia. "The company is counting on the Datsun brand to once again resonate with consumers in high-growth markets," Vincent Cobee, the Nissan executive in charge of the budget car brand, said in a statement.
Nissan officials say the ad campaigns for emerging economies is unlikely to be a rehash of its heyday in the 1970s when most Datsuns were sold in the U.S.
"We feel a certain kindred spirit, but the cars of old Datsun and new Datsun are totally different," Syogo Souma, Datsun's marketing manager, said in an interview last year. "The markets are also vastly different, so we can't use a 30-year old campaign from the U.S."
Follow Chester Dawson on Twitter @DeliverTheFirm


text:
Runners talk race day, ready for Sunday's Broad Street Run
Broad Street Run runners turned out at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday to pick up their race bibs and packets for Sunday's race and to check out health and sport exhibits. Outside the Linc, the Eagle's Pep Band jammed on "Eye of the Tiger," while a few of the excited runners shared their motivations with NewsWorks and their concerns in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings.
Ingrid Schmiederer, a first-year Medical Student at Drexel and a first-year Broad Street runner, said she started to train for the race in January when she realized she could raise money for Child Family Health International, an organization that supports health professionals and students who work to provide health care around the world.
She said she was shocked by the Boston tragedy, but that it won't stop her from running, because then "they've won."
Patty Zepp's sister is a cancer patient and Zepp is her bone marrow match. After her sister's initial diagnosis, she decided to run Broad Street and will be running for her fourth year.
"I'm running for my sister," she said, "and I can't worry about terrorists."
Joseph Conroy who is running the race for the 10th time, said he runs because it's fun. "The course is a good cross section of Philadelphia from toe to tip," he said.
He said he'll be leaving his children, 2 and 4, at home this year but he's not concerned for himself.
"Nothing beats coming in and hearing the Rocky theme song, I mean that's so Philadelphia; it really carries you home."


text:
The college application process
Like hot cocoa and apple pie, some things can be counted on to bring comfort every fall. Unfortunately, the college application process isn't one of them. In fact, for your child, it probably ranks right up there with going to a new school or wearing that first pair of eyeglasses. It's easy for your child to feel overwhelmed while trying to manage numerous applications, each with varying deadlines and requirements. Just imagine if you had to fill out multiple tax returns this year--and your future job depended on it!
But filling out college applications properly is crucial. After all, you and your child put a lot of time and effort into choosing schools--now it's time to complete that process. Your child should allow plenty of time to work on the applications, and you'll want to make sure that you're available for help. Here are some things to keep in mind before your child gets started.
What's required in the application?
Most college applications have standard requirements, such as:
- Biographical and family information
- List of extracurricular activities, hobbies, and interests
- Reference letters (usually from teachers but occasionally from someone in the community)
- High school grade transcript
- SAT scores
- Personal essay
- Application fee
The key is for your child to present all of this information in the best possible light. Though your child won't have any flexibility in the presentation of his or her personal information, grades, or SAT scores, he or she will have an opportunity to stand out from the pack with reference letters and the personal essay. Not surprisingly, then, these two items are very important.
Your child should spend some time thinking about the teachers whom he or she wants to write the recommendation letters. Also, your child should allow plenty of time for the teacher to write the reference, and tell the teacher what to do when finished (i.e., send the letter directly to the college--in which case a prestamped, preaddressed envelope should be provided--or give it back for inclusion with the rest of the application).
The personal essay is often the heart and soul of the application. It helps the admissions team distinguish your child from many other applicants and, in some cases, may be the deciding factor. To write a thoughtful, coherent essay, your child should choose a topic that is especially meaningful to him or her. As a parent, you'll want to refrain from actually writing the essay (it's also unethical for your child to hire a professional ghostwriter). However, you can certainly brainstorm for ideas with your child, offer editing suggestions, and proofread the final product for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
If your child needs help getting started, most college guidebooks devote a chapter to writing a good college essay. Ideally, your child should browse through this material early in senior year to get familiar with the process, before he or she faces the terror of writer's block the weekend before the application is due.
The total package--what colleges look for in prospective applicants
Beyond grades and SAT scores, it's no secret that colleges will be looking at your child's extracurricular activities to see what interests and abilities he or she can bring to the campus. And as colleges have become more competitive, the quest of parents to find the "right" mix of activities has intensified. Many parents have spent countless hours (and dollars) driving their children to every extracurricular activity imaginable in an effort to ensure their child's entry into a prestigious university. Yet this isn't necessarily the magic elixir.
Instead, admissions officers generally say that they favor applicants who have demonstrated a real passion in one or a few areas, as opposed to those who participate in a long list of activities just for the sake of putting it on their application. So, instead of forcing your child to dabble in everything (e.g., music, art, theater, sports, community work, religious work, business internships), it's better to let your child focus on those pursuits that he or she truly enjoys. And if your child doesn't get accepted at a particular college, don't take it personally--your child's path to success doesn't depend on just one college.
Timeline for applying
Generally, college applications are submitted in the fall or winter of your child's senior year of high school, with acceptance or rejection letters arriving in the spring. However, if your child applies for early admission, the application deadline is earlier--the spring of your child's junior year, with an acceptance or rejection coming in the fall of senior year. It's important to note that the college application timeline isn't the same as the financial aid timeline, which is usually later.
Each college has its own application deadline, as well as its own application requirements. To stay organized, write each deadline on a central calendar, and then create an individual folder for each college to keep track of applications, correspondence, reference letters, essay requirements, and other items. If the paperwork is too overwhelming, many colleges now allow applications to be submitted on-line; check with your child's college to see if this is an option.
Early admission vs. regular admission
Some students favor early admission because it lets them relax and enjoy their senior year. There are actually several ways to apply for early admission:
- Early action: Your child applies by the early deadline but has until the college's normal deadline to decide whether to attend.
- Early decision: Your child applies by the early deadline but then must commit to attending immediately.
- Early notification: Your child applies by the early deadline and receives notification of his or her acceptance as the admissions office makes its decision. Your child then has until the college's normal deadline to make a decision, though some colleges may try to pressure your child to decide earlier.
- Early read: The college performs an "early read" on your child's financial information to estimate his or her financial aid award.
If your child's heart is set on a particular college and the match is a good one, it might be worthwhile for your child to apply for early admission. However, a note of caution--it's easy for your child to wind up with less financial aid than a regular applicant. This is because colleges know that your child is already committed to attending the college; thus, they figure they can offer a less attractive financial aid package. And although your child can rescind an early decision acceptance if the college doesn't offer adequate financial aid, he or she may be rushed in applying to other colleges.


text:
Ford: Mock expansion draft for Bobcats
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Bobcats (finally) are in the house. After a year of planning, scouting and
strategizing, the Charlotte Bobcats will begin adding the first key pieces of
their franchise tonight in the NBA expansion draft.
Charlotte actually got a head start Monday night when it shipped its No. 4 and
No. 33 picks in the regular draft to the Clippers for the No. 2 pick and Peja
Drobnjak. By virtue of the trade, which was completed last night, Drobnjak
officially becomes the first Bobcat.
On Thursday, the Bobcats will cap the week with the No. 2 pick. It's no secret
Bobcats general manager Bernie Bickerstaff prefers the Magic take Dwight Howard
and leave Emeka Okafor for Charlotte. But if Howard falls to them, the Bobcats
can live with it.
Tuesday night's expansion draft should add anywhere from three to six pieces to
the Bobcats' puzzle. While they must select a minimum of 14 players, the Bobcats
are expected to select a number of restricted free agents, who will
automatically become unrestricted free agents and won't play for the Bobcats
next season.
For the most part, the work is already done. Charlotte must submit its list to
the league no later than noon ET on Tuesday. Several league sources told Insider
on Monday that the Bobcats already have agreed to two trades and have decided to
select and keep at least three players on the list.
Bickerstaff reiterated Monday evening that the team would not select any
"big-money players." That means names on the expansion list like Antoine Walker,
Penny Hardaway, Eddie Jones and Jerry Stackhouse can rest easily.
Bickerstaff also made it clear what he is looking for in his expansion players.
"We're looking for young players who need an opportunity to play, to get
minutes," Bickerstaff said. "They've got skills, athleticism and talent, and we
just feel they need the opportunity. That's how you get better. You don't get
better through osmosis. You have to get on the court, and you have to
participate. What we like about it also is that a lot of these young men will
come into the situation and they will be hungry, simply because a lot of them
are in the last year of their contract also."
That means the Bobcats are going to be looking for deals that land them draft
picks, young players with a chance to develop, and/or players with low-priced
contracts or team options whom Charlotte can clear off the books quickly to make
room for free agency.
Before we begin, just a quick reminder of the rules of the expansion draft:
Unrestricted free agents are ineligible for the expansion draft.
Each team can protect up to eight players. A team with fewer than eight players
on its roster to protect (because of pending free agency) still must leave at
least one player unprotected.
The Bobcats must select a minimum of 14 players and can select a maximum of 29
The Bobcats can select only one player from any one NBA team.
The Bobcats are not bound to the salary cap during the draft. They can take on
as many contracts as they choose. However, once the draft is over, any players
they've drafted and kept on the roster will count toward their cap (which should
be around $29.5 million next season, 66 percent of the full cap number).
If the Bobcats waive a player selected in the expansion draft before the first
day of the regular season, the player's remaining contract will not count
against the team's salary cap. Of course, Charlotte still would be on the hook
for the actual salaries of waived players, but there would be no cap effect.
Restricted free agents selected in the expansion draft automatically become
unrestricted free agents.
Teams are allowed to entice the Bobcats to select players by offering cash (up
to $3 million), draft picks or agreeing to additional trades in return.
If a team has a player selected by the Bobcats, it receives a trade exception
equal to the player's 2004-'05 salary. This allows teams to replace a player
lost in the expansion draft with another player of comparable salary.
Here's Insider's take on what could go down tonight. Insider has learned that
some of these players on the expansion mock draft will be taken by the Bobcats.
Others are speculation. The comments detail which is which.
C Peja Drobjnak Clippers 2 years, $4.7 million As part of the trade that
sent the Clippers' No. 2 pick to the Bobcats, Charlotte agreed to select
Drobjnak. According to Bickerstaff, it looks like the team plans on
keeping him on the roster this season.
C Jahidi White Suns 1 year, $6.2 million According to several league
sources, this deal is basically done. How did the Suns convince the
Bobcats to swallow this contract? They offered $3 million in cash and a
future first-round pick, perhaps the one Cleveland owes them (that pick is
lottery-protected, so Phoenix won't get it until the first year the Cavs
make the playoffs). The Bobcats likely will either turn around and trade
White to a contender or waive him to get his salary off their cap. Getting
White off the books gives Phoenix roughly $14.1 million in cap space to
make a run at a free agent this summer.
PF Malik Rose Spurs 5 years, $32.8 million Call this one "informed
speculation." Bickerstaff has been in heated talks with Isiah Thomas about
selecting Rose and sending him on to the Knicks. Here's how it would work
if the three teams make a deal: The Spurs, who are trying to clear cap
space to make some noise in the free-agent market, would send the Bobcats
$3 million and their first-round pick (No. 28) in return for Charlotte
selecting Rose. The Bobcats then would ship Rose to the Knicks for Dikembe
Mutombo, who is in the last year of his contract, and the Knicks'
second-round pick. Mutombo would end up costing the Bobcats a little more
than $1 million once you factor in the Spurs' cash payment.
C Primoz Brezec Pacers 1 year, $1.5 million Bickerstaff revealed Monday
night he would be taking one of the players the Pacers left unprotected.
The word out of Charlotte was the team had settled on Brezec -- a 7-foot-1
center who has played very sparingly over the past three seasons in
Indiana. It's likely the Bobcats will keep Brezec.
PF/C Jamal Sampson Lakers 1 year, $695,000 (team option) Sources claim
Sampson -- young, athletic and inexpensive -- is another player the
Bobcats will draft. That doesn't mean they'll keep him, however.
SG/SF Aleksandar Pavlovic Jazz 3 years, $4.3 million This is a no-brainer
for Charlotte, and sources claim it's very likely he'll be on the team's
list. The question is, will the Bobcats keep him? There are several teams
around the league who covet Pavlovic. Expect one of them to offer a
first-round pick (either this year or in the future) for the Bobcats to
take Pavlovic in the expansion draft and ship him off in a trade.
PG Troy Bell Grizzlies 2 years, $2.8 million From here on out, this is all
speculation. Bell is one of the most attractive names on the expansion
list. Sources claim Charlotte has been debating between Bell and
Washington's Juan Dixon. It's likely one of the two will be on the
Bobcats' list. The Grizzlies have several other players, including Dahntay
Jones and Theron Smith, that also have some appeal to Charlotte.
SG Gerald Wallace Kings 1 year, $1.7 million Wallace fits the description
of the type of player the Bobcats want more than anyone on this list. He
is another player with huge upside who just never really found his groove
in Sacramento. At one time he was considered the best high school player
in the country. The Bobcats could give him a starting role and lots of
shots next season.
SF Jason Kapono Cavs 1 year, $620,00 Kapono is a skilled, big-time shooter
who got some valuable playing experience in Cleveland last year. He's
likely to make the roster given his minimum salary.
PF Brandon Hunter Celtics 1 year, $620,000 (team option) Hunter had a
stretch in late February where he looked like a real keeper. Obviously
this list isn't littered with serviceable big guys. He's a little
undersized for the position, but Hunter is worth a gamble.
SG/SF Tamar Slay Nets Restricted FA Slay is a promising talent whom the
Bobcats like. However, he'll become an unrestricted free agent if the team
drafts him, making him eligible to sign with any team in the league.
G Jeff Trepagnier Nuggets Restricted FA He'll become an unrestricted free
agent, and the two sides likely will part ways.
PF Marcus Fizer Bulls Restricted FA Fizer becomes an unrestricted free
agent if he's selected. The Bobcats can either dump him off the books,
faciliatate a sign-and-trade or re-sign him if the price was right.
SG Courtney Alexander Hornets Restricted FA He becomes an unrestricted
free agent if he's selected and will be in the same situation as Fizer --
he'll either be dumped off the books, be part of a sign-and-trade or they
could keep him if he's willing to work cheap.
Phase One
With the first three picks, the Bobcats are dealing with an eye toward picking
up draft choices and moving veteran players to other teams in trades. They've
already picked up the No. 2 pick as part of the Drobnjak trade. The Suns'
first-rounder is a future pick. The Spurs' pick, if that deal actually happens,
would give the Bobcats the 28th and 43rd pick in the draft this year.
In the three trade scenarios, the Bobcats gain $6 million in cash to offset the
$13.4 million cost of those players next season. Under the rules of the
expansion draft, Charlotte could waive White immediately and clear his $6.1
million salary completely off their cap. Chances are, they'd do just that.
There's also a good chance the Bobcats would trade Pavlovic if he was selected.
That deal also could include a first-round pick and cash.
The next group of players are those the Bobcats are likely to keep. This group
includes Bell, Brezec, Wallace, Hunter, Kapono and Sampson. If the Bobcats kept
all six, the total cap hit comes to just $6.4 million. Add in Drobnjak's $2.6
million salary and Mutombo's $4 million (assuming again they make this trade)
and the Bobcats have spent $13 million of their projected $29.6 million cap.
That's not a bad core. Bell is capable of playing point. Wallace is a young,
athletic two. Kapono can play the three. Hunter and Sampson can play the four.
Drobnjak, Brezec and Mutombo can all play the five.
The last four players -- Trepagnier, Slay, Fizer, Alexander -- become
unrestricted free agents and wouldn't count against the cap unless the Bobcats
re-signed them.
Phase Two
Next, the Bobcats turn to the regular draft. With the No. 2 overall pick,
they're looking at either Okafor or Howard. The Bobcats prefer Okafor, but can
live with either one. Either way, they'll get their starting four in the first
Bickerstaff also has been trying to acquire a late-lottery or mid-first-round
pick in an effort to draft Jameer Nelson. Given all the deals the Bobcats are
looking to do, it seems possible they could get that done.
If the Bobcats pick up a late first-round pick from the Spurs, they could use it
on another point guard. They're said to be fond of both Beno Udrih and Chris
Duhon. However, if they somehow find a way to get Nelson, they instead could
focus on a big man like David Harrison.
Phase Three
The Bobcats won't find everything they need in the draft, but given the extra
cap space they'd save in the expansion pool as outlined above, the team would
have roughly $13 million to fill in the holes via free agency.
With young players such as Kenyon Martin, Mehmet Okur, Jamal Crawford, Quentin
Richardson, Stromile Swift, Rodney White and Hedo Turkoglu available, Charlotte
might be able to land a couple of nice, young free agents.
If I were Bickerstaff, I'd conserve cash and offer nice deals just above the
mid-level exception to restricted free agents Swift and Crawford. Both are
young, immensely talented and really need a change of scenery. If you offered
both a starting salary around $5.5 million to $6 million a year, chances are
Memphis and Chicago wouldn't match.
I'd use the rest on a few well-placed veterans who know how to win and play
hard. Players such as Brian Cardinal, Bob Sura, Bruce Bowen, and Michael Curry
would all be good fits on an expansion team.
If the Bobcats follow that blueprint -- and if other teams and players cooperate
-- here's what their lineup could look like come October.
Point guard: Jamal Crawford, Troy Bell
Shooting guard: Gerald Wallace, Bob Sura
Small forward: Jason Kapono, Brian Cardinal
Power forward: Stromile Swift, Brandon Hunter, Jamal Sampson
Center: Emeka Okafor, Peja Drobnjak, Primoz Brezec
That's a pretty decent team to put on the floor in year one -- high-octane, fun
to watch, with a real eye toward developing some young stars for the future.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com's Insider.


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The Royal Oak man charged with three misdemeanors in an accident that injured Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has pleaded guilty to a civil infraction and will not face trial or jail time.
A trial against Anthony Prainito was scheduled to begin this morning in front of 52-3 District Judge Lisa Asadoorian. Prainito formally agreed to the plea deal early Thursday afternoon.
Watch a report on the plea deal on today's News at Noon.
"The (plea) offer came yesterday at close of business," Prainito's attorney, Josh Nucian, said Thursday. "But the decision (to take the offer) was not made until after midnight this morning." �
Three counts of moving violation causing serious impairment of a bodily function were thrown out, and Prainito agreed to a civil infraction of failure to yield, which is a $125 fine. He also was fined $65 for a seat belt violation.
Nucian, who said he's very happy with Thursday's outcome, added he's just glad the criminal aspect of the case is over with.
"Now my client can get on with his life and doesn't have to worry about bond conditions or anything else," Nucian said.
Patterson and his driver, James Cram, were seriously injured in an Aug. 10 accident in Auburn Hills. Officials said Prainito turned left directly in front of the 2011 Chrysler 300 Cram was driving. Cram was rendered a quadriplegic from the crash, Patterson said Thursday.
The county executive said Thursday his therapists think he's making progress.
"When you're in a wheelchair, though, everything takes twice as long," Patterson said.
Raymond Recchia, a passenger in Prainito's 2012� Volkswagen Passat, also sustained two broken hips and other serious injures in the accident. He was the only one of four involved who was wearing a seat belt.
There were many reasons why the charges were reduced and a plea deal struck, said Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton.
One of them trumped the rest, however.
"Cram and Patterson did not give consent to release their medical records, according to their attorney, Steve Potter," Walton said.
When the court asked the two to document their refusal to release medical records, they would not, Walton said. Then the prosecutor's office had to put it into writing and submit it to the court.
"In order for an expert to offer his or her opinion, medical records have to be admitted into evidence," Walton said.
Nucian said: "That didn't really help the prosecutor's case."
Walton said it's a little difficult to talk about the victims' records if they won't submit them.
"It requires medical testimony to explain debilitating physical injury ... we would've had to call a treating physician to the stand, where they would give details on the observation, diagnosis and prognosis of the patient," Walton said.
The people don't have the ability to call the two victims to testify on their injuries, so that part of the case was also nixed, Walton said.
The contents of a black bag recovered from the crashed Chrysler 300 on Aug. 10 -- believed to hold key pieces of evidence in the criminal case against Prainito -- also could have been arguable in trial.
"Definitive or not, it would depend on how the evidence came in," Walton said. To the best of my knowledge, the Auburn Hills Police Department preserved the black bag and documented it extensively."
Patterson said at least one debate can be put to rest -- who was responsible.
"The defendant driver admitted that he was responsible for the accident," Patterson said.
The county executive said he sometimes gets discouraged with his physical rehabilitation, but added he is delighted that this part of the proceedings is finished.
Contact staff writer Dave Phillips at 248-745-4631 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @dave_phillips1. Contact John Turk at 248-745-4613 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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You clearly haven't moved on, because you're still here *****ing about it.
What if Irsay had drafted RGIII instead? Would that have made a difference? Methinks the answer is no.
If you really believe that Luck has shown you "nothing so far," you're clearly being blinded by your hate. Even if Griffin ends up being better, Luck has skills.


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In case you haven't heard me shouting it from the rooftops yet, Against all Grain made the New York Times Best Sellers list for the month of August!! I am beyond grateful for all of your support and am blown away with how many people are buying multiple copies to send to family and friends for gifts or simply to inspire someone who isn't well to get healthy by sharing my story. I'm getting ready to head back out on tour again in October and cannot wait to continue meeting all of you to give you my thanks in person!
Staples.com contacted me and asked if I'd like a Samsung tablet so I could see what my book looks like in Kindle form, but I asked them instead if they would give a device for me to offer to all of you! So in celebration of making the list, as well as just a simple thank you to all of my fans, I'm giving away this awesome Samsung Galaxy Note 8 16gb with my Against all Grain Kindle Book already loaded! If you already have my hard copy book, now you can slip this sleek and slim device into your bag when you go to the store or take it to the office with you to plan your meal for the night. If you've loaned out your copy of Against all Grain to a friend, you can prop the Galaxy Note up on your cookbook stand and go to town in your kitchen.
For the day to day : handle work, family, and fun with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Keep track of appointments, edit documents, and more with one slim and portable device. The Galaxy Note 8 tablet lets you control all the aspects of your life, from scheduling to gaming and networking. Polish presentations, organize family events, and access social networks without missing a thing. The tablet even functions as a universal remote so you can control your entire home theater on one screen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Due to strict giveaway laws in other parts of the world, this giveaway is limited to the continental US 18yrs+ please


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Avaulta Versus Anterior Repair
Recruitment status was: Not yet recruiting
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Vaginal prolapse is a well-known disease and is observed in approximately 11% of all postmenopausal women and tending to increase with age. Consequently, many surgical procedures have been developed in order to ensure sufficient support for the bladder, rectum or vaginal vault depending on the site of the defect. However, many procedures are associated with a high recurrence rate up to 40 % even within one to two years after the surgical procedure.
Due to the high recurrence rate new methods include the use of mesh, either biologically or synthetic. The latter is a permanent implant and therefore theoretically may result in a long-lasting anatomically correct position of the prolapse.
Although the recurrence rate may be lower using a mesh such surgical procedures may be associated with adverse events such as erosions of the vaginal mucosa. Others have observed shrinkage of the vaginal mucosa. However, in these studies large prolene mesh have been used. In contrast the recurrence rate is lowered up to 25%.
The above-mentioned advantage of synthetic mesh is however, mostly based on few non-randomised studies. We therefore find it of importance to evaluate whether a surgical procedure using a mesh implant is superior to conventional surgical techniques. The present study is a clinical controlled study where patients with anterior vaginal prolapse are randomised to either a mesh technique or a standard anterior procedure.
The present study includes only two more visits at the outpatient clinic after the surgical procedure. Furthermore the patients have to fulfil questionnaires regarding urinary and faecal leakage and sexual habits.
Any participation in the study is totally voluntary and the patient may at any time withdraw herself. In any case the patient will receive our standard treatment.
The study is performed in all the Scandinavian countries.
|Vaginal Prolapse
|Procedure: Avaulta (surgical procedure using a mesh implant) Procedure: Conventional surgery (anterior repair)
|Study Type:
|Official Title:
|The Use of Avaulta Plus for Anterior Repair. A Multicenter Randomised Prospective Controlled Study
- Does Avaulta Plus reduce the recurrence rate defined as a POP-Q Aa <-2 cm at follow-up after 1 yr. [ Time Frame: one year ]
|Assigned Interventions
|Active Comparator: 1
Procedure: Avaulta (surgical procedure using a mesh implant)
The use of Avaulta
|Active Comparator: 2
Procedure: Conventional surgery (anterior repair)
Anterior repair surgery
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Women aged > 55 yr
- Women with anterior vaginal wall prolapse stage >2 according to POP-Q classification
- Good understanding the language in word and writing
Exclusion Criteria:
- A history of previous major pelvic surgery with the exception of a hysterectomy for reasons other than genital prolapse
- Patients with previous vaginal surgery because of defects in the anterior of posterior compartments
- Previous hysterectomy because of vaginal prolapse
- Patients with prolapse of uterus or an enterocele > stage 2
- Patients with previous TVT performed through the obturator membrane
- History of genital or abdominal cancer
- Patients treated with corticosteroids
- Not able to understand the study protocol (language problems, cognitive dysfunction etc.)
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00627549
|Contact: Martin Rudnicki, professor
|Roskilde University Hospital
|Not yet recruiting
|Roskilde, Denmark, 4000
|Contact: Martin Rudnicki, Professor
|Contact: Ulla Hviid, MD
|Principal Investigator: Martin Rudnicki, Professor
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00627549 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
Avaulta 17431
|Study First Received:
|February 22, 2008
|Last Updated:
|February 29, 2008
Keywords provided by Zealand University Hospital:
cystocele, anterior repair, mesh
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Uterine Prolapse
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
Uterine Diseases
Genital Diseases, Female
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Spring On-Campus Interviews begin February 18. All students interested in participating should upload a cover letter, resume and transcript to Symplicity.
March 3, 2013
Spring On-Campus Interviews Begin
Application period for Fall Clinics & Externships
The application period for Fall 2013 Clinics and Externships will be online beginning Thursday, Feb. 21 through Monday, March 4 at 11:59pm. You must submit your application online during this time period in order to be considered for a spot in one of these courses. With a few exceptions, Clinics and Externships are open to rising 2L's and 3L's. To review the placements being offered, click on the A-Z Index on the LSU Law Center homepage. Then, click on the Clinics & Externships link to read about what courses are being offered in the Fall. Be prepared to upload a resume and a Statement of Interest as part of the application. If you have specific questions, you may email the Clinic and Externship professors, or Brenda Salassi, Clinic Coordinator, at email@example.com.
Deadline Extended to March 15 for Exam Deferrals
Deadline Extension – Exam Deferral Petitions
Notice to 2L and 3L Students:
The deadline for requesting examination deferrals has been extended until March 15, 2013. Please be sure to submit the form requesting the examination deferral by the March 15 deadline. We very much appreciate your cooperation with regard to this deadline.
After the March 15 deadline, no deferrals will be granted except when circumstances arising after March 15 necessitate and require such a deferral, such as illness or other exceptional circumstances.
Thank you very much for your compliance with this deadline.


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FORMER Burnley youngster Shay McCartan hopes he can finally kick-start his Accrington Stanley career after netting his first goal for the club at the weekend.
McCartan headed home from a yard to grab a last-minute equaliser for Stanley in their 1-1 draw at York City, ending the striker's goal drought since arriving at the Store First Stadium last month.
The 19-year-old Northern Irishman, who was released by Burnley at the end of last season, had not scored in his first 16 appearances for the Reds.
Ten of those 10 appearances came as a substitute, and he had not featured at all since New Year's Day.
"It's been a hard six months or so," McCartan said.
"I haven't been playing really, I played at the start of the season but went off the boil and lost a bit of confidence, but hopefully the goal will get me back on track.
"I'm just delighted to get my first goal, it's been a long time but I'm happy.
"I was surprised to come on because I haven't been involved in the past few weeks.
"But I've been doing well in training and the gaffer said to me once he gave me a chance I had to take it, so I'm glad I did.
"I won't score an easier goal, I couldn't miss."
McCartan earned praise from manager James Beattie for his goal.
"He came over to me afterwards and said, 'It's about time isn't it gaffer?'" Beattie said.
"I said, 'Yes, Seamus, it is!'. But I'm just delighted for him.
"He started off the season and was unfortunate not to get a tap in or a half a yard header like that.
"I believe if he had done then things would have been a lot different for him this season.
"But he's conducted himself in a manner which is befitting a pro footballer. He's always remained a character in the dressing room and the lads adore him.
"He's definitely a player we see has a lot of potential."
The draw left Stanley on 50 points – four points clear of the relegation zone with four games left to play.
The Reds host Mansfield on Friday. McCartan said: "We need maybe one more win, even two.
"Every game is important now."


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Triple packs I'd this nail polish have been popping up in my local branch of Poundworld for the last few months. This has lead me to purchasing a shameful quantity of the stuff not only from there but from Superdrug where I found it sold at full price in single bottles. In most if the triple packs there was only one or perhaps two colours I actually wanted. But hating to waste things I made myself try the other colours in the packs too. That was the best thing I did in the end because it completely changed my mind about colours I could enjoy wearing. Right now I have a very dark mahogany red called Lincoln Center on. Last week at different times I wore brown Chocolate Spread and black Evil at different times.
Each bottle is 9.7ml worth. I actually think the packaging is quite smart and doesn't look that cheap. The brushes are not the firmest but they are slim. I need this if I am to have a neat finish because I am rather clumsy at make up application to be honest.
There is variance between colours as to how well they go on and how many coats are needed for a good finish. Lincoln center us streaky and transparent on the first coat and doesn't look like a solid block of colour until three applications. Evil is ready to go after just one coat I feel. The smell is no worse than with any other brand of polish
No colours even dark ones have stained my nails and all have removed easily. The Polish is genuinely very quick drying which is a god send and as good as mid price Polish as concerns chips though not as good as premium brands but that was not expected by me. I recommend this NYC to any colour loving nail polish lover and will be buying it again.
I bought this nail varnish in clear recently because I have to wear nail varnish for work and when I am buying something for work, I prefer to go as cheap as possible on principal. Sometimes this philosophy turns out to be false economy but, in this instance, it worked out pretty well for me. The nail varnish is good, not fantastic, but good.
The nail varnish makes two claims. The first is that it dries in a minute - 'at last a manicure that moves at the speed of Manhattan', its website claims! It's a tenuous link to New York at best, but the claim itself is not unfounded. I didn't exactly time the drying process, but the varnish did seem to dry really quickly. Certainly my first nail was dry to the touch by the time I had finished painting the last nail on that hand. I probably wouldn't have wanted to start rubbing my nails with tissue at this point, but they were certainly dry enough to get dressed without fear of smudging, which I thought was pretty impressive.
The second claim it makes is that it has a special control-flow brush that dispenses just the right amount of varnish. I have no idea how they can make this claim because, as far as I can see, it is just a regular brush on the inside of the lid. Perhaps the shape is slightly different I don't know. As for applying it, it did seem to be pretty easy, but not so much that I would comment that it is obviously some kind of technologically advanced brush mechanism. It went on smoothly and was quite quick to apply (there's that New York Minute thing again!).
The smell of it is pretty weird. I doesn't smell like normal nail polish once you have applied it and for the first few hours, it has a chemically sort of smell to it. It wears off after a bit though. I also think, and this might seem a bit odd but bear with me, it tastes funny. Not that I'm drinking it from the bottle, but I have a habit of nibbling my nails if i catch them on something and I need to smooth them down. This is when I taste it and it has a similar taste to its smell. It's a bit like one of those potions that you put on your nails that is deliberately nasty, to stop you from biting them. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but it does work!
I have the nail varnish in clear and it makes a great base coat or top coat, or you can wear it by itself. I only apply one layer of it and have found that it gives my nails a nice shine in just one coat. It is pretty hard wearing and I find that I can wear it for three or four days before I start to see chips, which is good. There are lots of other colours in the range and some of them are really quite nice - they all have New York themed names and I quite like the look of 'Times Square' and 'East Village'!
I bought the nail varnish from Superdrug, but it is available in Lloyds Pharmacies, Morrisons and online, directly from their website. I paid £1.79 for the nail varnish, which is the recommended retail price and I would say is pretty good value for money. I have certainly paid a lot more for nail varnish in the past with the same, if not worse, results and so I am happy with this one. Recommended.
I've recently started making a little collection of a range of different nail polishes.. and i've bought myself 3 different colours of this nyc nail polish. In terms of cost they were quite good in comparisson to some other brands, at the minute they are at superdrug for £1.79 and they are sometimes on offer where you can buy 2 for £3.
The shades that I have bought are #264 - lavender, #242 - uptown (hot pink) and #206 - east village (turquoisey colour).
They come in a nicely shaped bottle which I prefer rather than the straight shaped ones. The bottle just states that it is quick dry and 30m. The nail polish is easy to apply and I did find it to be quick drying compared to some others that I have.
What I loved about the nyc range was the range of colours that it had, and I bought these as I thought the colours looked great. I was hoping when I went to apply it that the shade would not be different to the bottle as sometimes they have been, but it was a perfect match when applied. The nail polish is thin in consistency and I did find it to be thinner than the GOSH nail polish that I also use, but it was not too runny and still worked well. As with most nail polishes, you do need 2 coats for it to show better.
I was not disappointed with purchasing these and would probably buy more of this brand if I like the other colours. I did find that I would probably use the uptown shade the least as it was quite brighter than my other nail polishes but overall all the shades were lovely and looked nice on my nails.
In terms of chipping, I did see the nail polish chip in a few areas after a few days but they were small chips and not so noticeable that the nail polish had to be removed, so I still found it to be good quality and long lasting.
I give the product 5/5 stars. It's priced well, has nice colours and dries quickly.
Thanks for reading :)
(this review may also be found on ciao)
This is a review of N.Y.C. In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish which I purchased recently in a three pack. I had never used this brand before and do have an extensive collection but I fancied adding a few more wintery colours to my stash and the pack of NYC nail varnishes appealed to me.
Packaging and brand
The colours are all named after places in New York City and I think this adds a fun angle to the collection, a bit like the London names of the Nails Inc brand. The bottles are all clear and glass so you can see the colour through them (and how much you have left) and have a black lid which houses the brush inside. The brush is designed to control the flow of polish on to the nail but I think you still have to be careful when applying this as you can load up the brush too much and even though I have long nails so use a lot on each nail, I like to use a smaller amount on the smaller nails like the little finger.
The top feature about this particular nail polish is its quick dry formula which as busy parent I find very useful. I usually use a quick drying top coat but as one of the polishes is actually a top coat anyway, I could skip that step when using the glittery NYC top coat.
In use
First of all, being two weeks off having a baby, I begged my sister to paint my toe nails with one of the colours. In between coats we got queue jumped by my nearly two-year old daughter who loves a bit of pampering. I let her have her toes painted when she sees me doing mine as it keeps her happy! My sister painted one layer of pink on (quite thickly) and it dried quickly and then came back with the sparkly top coat which looks lovely. I let them dry for a while before putting any socks or shoes on.
Secondly, that evening I went for the red colour on my fingers which are a lovely even length at the moment. I firstly applied a clear base coat to protect my nails so the deep colour did not stain my nails and when that dried, applied two coats of colour. The first coat dried instantly and the second coat took a little longer but not too long. Finally I applied the sparkly top coat which also dried pretty quickly. The top coat gave the nails a real 3d effect and a great glittery finish.
The next day, I put diesel in my car in the morning and caught one nail on the petrol pump which immediately chipped a chunk of polish (but not nail) off. Later that afternoon, I noticed the top of a thumb nail had started to go as well. I touched them up with a bit of the colour so you couldn't really tell as I was not ready to remove the whole job lot after less than 24 hours of wear.
Removing the varnish was easy and I did this on the third day as the wear and tear became noticeable. A normal liquid remover and cotton wool quickly did the job.
My thoughts
I thought my nails felt really hard with this polish on and so I think it helped protect them from breaking. The toe nails lasted a lot longer than the fingers but that is usual with me. The actual polish was consistent across the three bottles I have and seemed just the right thickness. The brush performed well too. I felt that the colours in their bottles were fairly true to the colour match on the nail and the ones I picked are timeless in hot pink, deep red and multi glitter clear top coat.
This is the best bit! I picked up the pack of three from B&M for just £1.99. At less than a pound per unit I was happy to risk not liking one of the colours but happily liked them all. I am used to paying a lot more for my other favourite brands.
Final word
The only thing I can think that disappoints me with the NYC nails is their quickness to chip. I felt with a base and top coat I did everything to prevent this although it was partly my fault for being clumsy with the petrol pump! The other thing is that they smell quite strongly upon application but this soon fades when you are able to wash your hands when the product is completely dry. For the price they cost, I think these are a great quality nail polish and I will be happy to buy more colours from the same range in the future.
With my endless supply of nail polishes from Boots no.7, Rimmel to Barry M (amongst many others!) I also have polishes from the NYC range, 2 of them this Minute Quick Dry Nail polish which I purchased from their section of cosmetics in Superdrug. NYC is an abbreviation for New York Colour which is a trendy girly brand with lots of other cosmetics in the range (as shown on their website!)
The pots come in a circular shape which get wider at the top and then have a smaller back handle which has faintly imprinted N.Y.C New York Colour. I really like the shape of these nail polishes as I find they look a lot nicer than the block rectangular Barry M nail polishes and the more boringly shaped one's I have from Avon.
I own the clear colour nail polish called Grand Central Station (number 202) which I use as a base coat and top coat for when I do my nails, and I also have a bronzey, gold colour called Backstage Brown (number 286). The pots are a reasonable size at 9.7ml.
The Grand Central Station is my favourite clear polish I have come across so far! I use it as my base coat whenever I paint my nails, and it really does dry in under a minute which I am impressed with, as of course being mummy to a 3 year old and working, the last thing I want to do is spend a lifetime fanning my nails and blowing them dry! It helps to keep my nail paint longer when I use it as a base and top coat and gives my nails a nice shine and finish. The consistency of the polish itself is quite thin but not in any way runny so as to make a mess and it is perfectly easy to apply. The brush which is secured to the lid of the nail polish pot is quite longer and thicker than the brushes on some of my other nail polish pots so allows me to paint my nails effectively in a simple 2 strokes on each fingernail, saving me a lot of time and giving good application!
The other colour which is the Backstage Brown I don't use too often as I like to mix and match my colours, and once I have painted my nails a colour it won't get used again for another 2 months or so (hence my endless supply of nail polishes!) so I think since purchase I have actually only used this colour twice as it depends on my mood. It is a really nice colour, and only needs 2 coats or so to give a thick full coverage on my nails and the quality of this polish is long lasting in comparison to more expensive brands I own like Barry M. Considering I have no nail polish able to resist chipping after 3-4 days (due to me being on the go and always doing something, including typing reviews here!) this polish has served me well!
Currently these sell for £1.79 and I think at the time I bought it these it must have been 2 for £3 why I have ended up with 2! They are really great value and I think this brand does fantastic nail polish, with a large variety of funky colours and both mine definitely dry within a minute so I would definitely recommend!
I've got NYC In a New York Color Minute nail polish in 'Manhattan' - this is a very deep burgundy colour. I did wonder what that had to do with Manhattan, but it seems every colour of this polish is named after a place in New York. So, my bafflement is over.
Considering the low price of this polish, I wasn't really expecting much: it's available at Superdrug for £2.59 (9.7ml), though at the moment it's on sale at £1.79 - I got mine ages ago when this offer was on previously, so I expect they'll be running it again in the future too.
Nail polishes in this price range are very variable - I love Barry M ones, at £2.99, and Rimmel and 17 ones too, but I absolutely hate the Natural Collection nail polish I've got. Still, worth a try, I thought!
I was actually reasonably impressed. It doesn't beat Barry M to my affection, but I might well buy a few more of these in other colours. First of all: the packaging looks really good - more like one around the £6-7 mark rather than under three quid. It's a clear glass bottle with sides tapering to be a little narrower at the bottom. The lid takes the form of matte black plastic in the same shape upside-down and narrower. It's not the greatest lid for accurate painting, quite average. NYC's website says that this comes with a "control-flow brush", which they claim "dispenses just the right amount of color for perfect application". To be honest, I hadn't even noticed that. The brush seems just like any old nail polish brush to me. Their claim that it means you can do your nails in a taxi dashing across the city is completely laughable, unless you don't mind painting the rest of your finger at the same time.
The polish itself is a bit thinner than many, but not so runny that it goes everywhere. I think this is actually an advantage, as I've had this for several months now and it hasn't gone all gloopy as many other brands have. It has that usual nail polish smell, but not overwhelmingly strong, and it goes away after it's dry.
Application was quite normal, with no problems. I definitely needed two (maybe three) coats of this polish to get an even colour across the nail. I was expecting that though, as I nearly always do when I use a dark colour, as I'm very pale so any gaps show up easily.
The first layer certainly dries very quickly - touch dry in the minute they claim. Layers after that definitely take longer though, more the more thickly it's layered up! At that point, it dries only a little quicker than ordinary polishes in my experience. If you're using a shade closer to your nail colour, then, and can get away with one layer, this polish is a great choice. I do use the Seche Vite fast dry topcoat though (which actually works and dries all the polish underneath too!), so I haven't let this polish dry on its own for ages. This dries with a nice shiny finish as you'd expect.
I got decent wear out of this polish, lasting probably 3 to 4 days before chipping (though obviously less if I start scrubbing out pans with metal scourers and things like that). Not too bad!
I have read some impressive reviews of New York Colour [NYC] cosmetics but I had not tried any myself until recently. My sister saw that Poundworld were selling twin packs of NYC New York Colour Minute nail polish - for £1, as you could probably guess! What colour combination you get in each pack seems to be entirely random, with about 5 different shades being available. She knows that I love nail polish so she bought several sets and then split them up between us. I ended up with 3 colours: Moma [a pretty cerise pink], Madison Avenue [cherry red], and Spring street [orange-red], plus a top coat. The big reason that she thought I would find these particular nail polishes appealing was the fact they claim to be touch dry in just a minute. I have tried a lot of quick dry polishes and I don't think any have worked that well, so I was very curious to see how NYC would perform.
The polish comes in a sleek glass bottle which looks much like that of any other polish. I prefer a clear glass bottle such as this because there is never any doubt as to how much polish you have left. The label contains the information you would expect such as an ingredients list. The lid is easy to open, and having done so the smell that meets you isn't too overpowering. The biggest difference this has to other nail polishes is how runny it seems when you first use it. I had to shove the brush back in quickly but even so I made a mess. The second time I used it I knew what to expect and was able to fill my brush without too much trouble. I did expect the quality of the polish to be poor judging by it's runny consistency but I was pleasantly surprised.
I have found the brush comfortable to use. It isn't too fat or thin, and helps the polish to glide on with ease, even up to the nail edge. Experience has taught me that a really good shaking of the bottle really helps to improve the polishes thickness, with the effect being more noticeable when using "Moma" for some reason. I thought the first coat would look very thin, but again the results were variable for this. I would have been happy with the depth of colour and coverage of just one coat of Spring Street, allthough I did apply 2 coats to help prevent the signs of wear and tear. On the other hand, one coat is certainly not enough of the other colours that I tried. The instructions do suggest using 2 coats so I don't think this is a reason to criticise as such. I have not been using the top coat with this, as I usually don't bother.
I liked the smooth glossy finish instantly. Did it dry in a minute though? Well, yes and no. After a minute, I touched one of my nails lightly and I was surprised to see that I had left no mark on the nail and that there was no polish stain on my finger. I pressed a bit more firmly and I did manage to dent the varnish slightly. In another minute I felt confident that it was really dry, so it is fast even if not quite much as claimed. I have noticed that a second coat takes longer to dry, probably 3 minutes. I have found that this is true of most polishes though.
I have been impressed by the durability of NYC. Prior to using this brand I had used Sally Hanson 5 Day Wear varnish, and I found that 5 days was an optimistic estimate as to how long it would last. So I was delighted that this cheap nail polish lasted in excellent condition for 5 straight days, after which I started to get small nicks at the nail tips. The colour remains strong and shiny throughout this time. When I finally need to remove it, it comes off easily and there is no staining. My nails look just as healthy after using this polish as after using the pricier ones.
Yes, I would. The polish is runny which means that shaking the bottle well is essential, as is a steady hand until you get used to the thin consistency. Nevertheless it is good value considering how well it stands up to normal wear and tear. My sister obviously got a bargain especially as the colours are all still current ones in the range. If you are not lucky enough to find these in Poundworld, you can buy them online and from Superdrug stores where they are available at the moment for £1.79 rather than the usual £2.59. [9.9ml bottle.] The full range of colours are displayed on the NYC website but I do not think the colours look at all realistic, judging from the ones I have used myself. Something to be careful of if you shop online!
[This review may appear on Ciao in the future, under the same user name.]
I am a complete sucker when it comes to nail varnish; I usually buy it completely on impulse when I see a pretty colour and this is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago when I came home with New York Colour (NYC) minute quick drying nail varnish - I was attracted to the purple and turquoise shades like a cat is to string and I simply had to have them!
"In a New York Minute" comes in twelve colours (including clear), most of them are the usual in pinks and red shades which is probably why the completely different shades of purple and turquoise shone at me like a beacon. They come in a good sized clear glass bottle with a matt black lid/ brush and I think that it is stylish packaging. The applicator brush is flat which I really like as I find it a lot easier to control the amount of polish that goes onto the brush and also I find it very easy to apply, it leaves you with a flat even finish with no brush marks whatsoever. The lid is a substantial size and holds well in your hand and is not at all fiddly and its matt finish ensures a good grip.
When I applied the first coat I have to say that I really was not impressed at all; the polish is extremely thin and it barely gives any colour at all leaving you with an almost see through finish, but when I applied the second coat this all changed - the second coat provided a deep colour which I was very impressed with. Once a third coat is applied you are left with a very solid colour which has a great finish. Each coat in turn takes longer to dry as I would expect, but I do believe that the first coat dried within the minute as claimed by the product. The second coat took longer - I gave it at least fifteen minutes before applying the third and with that coat I was careful with my fingers for over an hour to avoid smudges and nicks.
It is a lacquered finish - not dramatically shiny but smooth and sparkly and it reflects colour and light well. When I have used it on my toes it seems to last for ages - growing out rather than chipping away, but on my fingernails it does not last anywhere near as long - chips and signs wearing at the edges appear after two days but I usually cover this over with another coat, but by the end of third day I usually have take it off completely. The varnish comes off really easily even with cheap polish remover and I have not had a problem with staining left on my nails even though I rarely use a base coat even with dark colours. I have not noticed any change in my nail condition at all even when I have had this product on for a week or more so I am happy as in the past I have suffered from brittle and splitting nails if I have left them sealed for long periods.
I picked my two bottles up in Superdrug for the bargain price of both for £4 - the RRP is £2.59 but it is usually on offer in some way, either via a mulitbuy, free gift or reduced price, but even at full price for 9.9ml I think that it is more than reasonable. At such a bargain I really was not expecting greatness but I was wrong, I love this varnish and will probably be going back for more.
NYC, or New York Color are a brand I am quite familiar with, and can typically be found in Superdrug and similar retailers. It is often a brand I sway towards for it's low prices, and this polish was no different costing just £2.59 for a 9.7ml bottle.
Did you notice the picture looks a little different to the normal NYC polishes?! This particular line of polish is not the traditional NYC polish, as it is part of a separate more "grown up" range, which comes in a different and more sophisticated packaging, with specially named shades to match.
The shades you can find are more closely related to the NYC theme, and the shades available include "Grand Central", "Manhattan", "Midtown", "Big Apple Red", "Uptown" and "Canal Street". The shade I chose was Manhattan, which is a deep purple colour as my previous purple nail polish had dried up so I was in need of a new one! NYC to the rescue...
The Claims:
Quick dry nail enamel in intense, vibrant, cutting edge hues. Enriched with vinyl to speed the drying time and to provide a high impact shine. Flat brush produces the ultimate lacquered effect depositing the perfect amount of polish for a smooth, even application.
In terms of the packaging, the bottle has a black lid, which has a slight curve to it and the lid is longer than the standard NYC Nail polish lids, meaning it is easy to apply. I also feel a longer lid is perhaps more secure than a traditional tiny lid. The lower glass part is clear to reveal the colour, and again is shaped so it curves outwards towards the top. I would say that overall the new bottle caters more for sophistication, as to my the typical NYC bottles appear targeted more towards teens. The type on the front is plain silver instead of a multitude of colours, which again allures to simple, understated glamour.
As for application, the applicator is a bog standard brush and is not a wide bristles brush (which I prefer for speed). The bottle states this is "Quick dry nail polish", and I have to say I did agree with this claim, as I found it only took a minute or so to dry completely, meaning adding another coat didn't take too long to do.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to layer this polish with a clear coat which is something I always do when I paint my nails, therefore it lacked that added shine and chipped after about 3 days. Having said that, while it lasted the colour looked quite chic, and overall was quite a wearable shade. It was also very easy to remove with nail polish a few days later, which for me is a plus as there's nothing worse than ultra stubborn nail polish which you want rid of. If it hadn't of chipped so easily (granted, not as easily as some other brands I've tried), then this would have been a 5 star product, especially at just £2.59 a pot!
One lunchtime I was browsing in my local Superdrug when I spotted an offer on N.Y.C make up - buy 3 items for £5. Perfect timing and price as I needed to stock up on bits for going on holiday. I have only ever seen this brand in Superdrug.
Call me a cheapskate (although actually I would rather you didn't!), but the less I spend on nail varnish, the better. I once did subscribe to the "you get what you pay for" school of thought, but that went out the window after my £13 Chanel nail varnish chipped in hours even under the mighty resistance of Seche Vite topcoat. I have had better staying power from Rimmel than Chanel so I am more than open to trying the cheaper brands nowadays.
For my 3 for a fiver, I chose a mascara (more of that in another review) plus 2 nail varnishes, my fave of which was called Manhattan which was a rich aubergine / plum colour, and just the shade I had been looking for.
When I applied it at home (base coat first, being the good girl that I am) my impressions were as follows:
- Good thick consistency which delivered a nice shiny finish
- One coat was of decent enough thickness but dried a little patchy for my liking, so two coats is really what's required here.
- The brush was of a perfect size and delivered the right amount of product - was very easy to handle and apply - v impressed with this.
I'm afraid I can't comment on the drying time because as soon as I finish the second coat, I immediately apply Seche Vite top coat which touch dries my nails in minutes anyway.
So does it last? Yes and no but in my experience, this is the same story with most nail varnishes. When I'm at work and on the computer all day then I find chips appear as early as one day in, certainly two.
However I had a week off recently and my nails didn't chip once in the entire week. Aware that I have a bit of Seche Vite mentionitus going on in this review, so apols for referring to it yet again, but I know that it helped with the N.Y.C staying power. However as previously mentioned, it did bugger all to help the Chanel stay put so I have to assume that the quality of N.Y.C varnish is pretty decent.
The bottle lasted a couple of months before starting to go gloopy but at £1.99, I think that is pretty good value.
I have read as many unfavourable reviews for this brand of polish, as I have good ones, but I would personally recommend it. They have a great range of up to the minute colours to choose from and for the price it's a bit of a no brainer for me. 5/5 stars.
this review will probably appear on Ciao at some point - thanks for reading xx
Last night when I was attempting to tidy up my room the shelf which I keep all my make up on actually broke under the weight of all my cosmetics. Now that has spurred me to write reviews on the products that I own which I DONT like so I can start chucking them away and make room for my better ones. I thought Id start off my reviews today with this "N.Y.C. Quick Dry Nail Polish" which I bought a few months ago when it was on offer in Boots simply because I loved one of the shades. Ive used a few N.Y.C. products in the past and Ive had mixed experiences with them as some have been really great and others have been not so great so I didnt know what to expect with this nail varnish and unfortunately it was a total let down!
Useful Information:
Price: Around £3
Stockists: Boots, Superdrug ETC
Shades: Now N.Y.C have a really large range of shades in absolutely loads of different colours which are all equally nice and I think there is a colour to suit everyone from this range. I personally chose the shade "Greenwich Village" which is a really cute bright pink colour but for a full range of shades check out their website: www.newyorkcolour.com
I think this brand is much bigger in America than it is here as I cannot seem to find an English website for them but their products are sold in loads of shops so you can buy their products pretty easily - not that you should want to after reading this review.
Theres nothing special about the design of the bottle or the brush for this product it is your bog standard nail varnish but for 3 quid I wasnt expecting much more. One thing I did like is that the handle for the brush is a little chunkier and thicker than most which means you can get a proper grip on it when your trying to paint your nails rather than it slipping all over the place. As I said the brush design is very ordinary but as I always say that might work to their advantage as changing the shape and style of brushes often makes them harder to use instead of easier. The colour of these varnishes is said to be infused with high levels of pigment & with a touch of high glamour shine but my shade looks very matte (in the bottle) with no hint of a shimmer in sight! The brush even though it is normal does the trick and I found it really easy to use so I suppose that could be one good thing about the product.
But once you start to try painting your nails it just turns into a disaster. I started to paint my nails about 10 minutes before I was due to meet a friend assuming that would be plenty of time as this is said to dry in a NY minute but that is total rubbish. Firstly of all the varnish is sooo runny which makes it hard to get onto your nails without making a big mess and even when you do manage to get some on your nails it looks so streaky and watery - no matter how many coats you apply. I tried about 3 coats of this and the colour still looked really streaky when I was hoping for bold colour with a glossy sheen like I was promised and so in the end I gave up and scrubbed it off. I have tried again since and the colour did look slightly better but it took at least 5 minutes to dry - and that was just with one coat so I have to say this nail varnish doesnt live up to any of the promises that NYC make. Im not going to bother using this again in fact when Ive finished this review Im going to bin it because it is simply not good. I dont recommend that anyone wastes their money on this - unless you like having nails that look as streaky as David Dickinson's fake tan!
Thanks For Reading
x0 Salz 0x
These seem to be getting a poor rating on here, and I'm not too sure why.
This whole range is relatively new, they have been out for around a year or so. They are only available in Superdrug, and usually retail for around £2 each.
The bottle is textbook, with a nice sized brush for even application.
In my (rather extensive) experience they behave much like the majority of high street varnishes, with shimmerey colours needing approximately 2-3 coats, and the thicker, gloss colours taking 1-2.
I got about 5-6 days out of mine, I did use a topcoat, but then I do with all varnishes, I don't discriminate!
I was actually really pleased with the performance of this product, I think the packaging could be prettier, but that's not why you are buying it, afterall! I certainly think that they measure up to most varnishes I have used.
Overalll, I would certainly recommend them to you, they are more than good. For the basic price, it's a nice way of treating yourself to something new. They often bring out new shades, and some of them are really on trend. Why pay £7 for this summer's must have colours if you can get them here for £2?
I bought this after being amazed by the huge array of colours, but I was dissapointed.
AVAILABILITY: I bought this polish at Superdrug, and as far as I'm aware it is also available at boots. The polish is also sold on Amazon.com and Ebay.com for reasonable prices, but with ridiculous postage charges, and if I were you, i'd say it isn't worth it.
PRICE: The price of this polish was £3.95 when I bought it, it may have changed by now as I bought this about a year ago. I'd say the price is pretty average. The most I am willing to pay for a nail polish is around £9 (im quite a big nail polish collector), so the price was fine for me. Although I wouldn't say the product was worth it, try the Barry M nail paints which are a pound cheaper and a million times better.
PACKAGING: The packaging is simple but does what its intended to do. It is a clear bottle with a black twist top with attached applicator, just like almost every nail polish bottle!
PRODUCT: I picked up an illuminous pinky orange shade and applied one coat. It was streaky, not very pigmented and just came out a very light shade of orange. I waited for it to dry and then applied a second coat, and this time it looked really gloopy, uneven and basically just a mess. It wasn't my application method, as I paint my nails every night and they are always fine, but it was just the bad quality and bad pigmentation of the nail polish. The only good thing about these polishes is the huge range of colours available, I have tried 3 now and none of them have been any good, but maybe there is the odd one that applies good - I just dont want to waste any more money on these polishes to find out!
Overall I wouldn't reccomend these polishes to anyone, they apply uneven, aren't pigmented and are not worth the money!
Im a big big fan of nail varnishes and had seen the NYC In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polishon the shelves in the NYC section in Superdrug for a while. I had never ever bought one because I didnt particularly like the bottle and for £2.49, I could go to Barry M and buy a nice cute little bottle of polish.
I had used many NYC products before, but didnt ever think anything special about them and actually thought exactly the same about this NYC before I had even tried it. The bottle really bothered me, I thought it was rather ugly. One day, strolling through Superdrug looking at the make up and I spotted the nicest aqua shade that would go with a new top and ring I had bought the previous week. At £2.49 for NYC I thought was abit expensive but I had fell in love with the colour and needed that nail varnish.
The 9.9ml ugly bottle although the colous inside was beautiful was ready to be used. I had my new top and ring on just on my way to meet the girls. I started to apply the nail varnish. The brush was pretty standard, flat and not too long, not too short. The polish applied pretty easily but it was quite watery and did not give a nice even colour as I had imagined. The bottle recommends that you apply 1 or 2 coats, so after the first coat had dried, in about a minute (so the bottle wasnt lying), I applied the second coat. However, as the first coat had not been applied smoothly in the first place, the second coat did not look too good. My nails now had a bumpy but gorgeous aqua colour layer on them. Hmm..was I to continue to try and apply another coat or start again or not put any on at all. The colour layer of polish on my nail did not quite look ready as it still looked slightly transparent, so I tried the third layer. The bumps did not look much better so I decided to take this nail polish off.
I loved this colour and it matched what I was wearing so I really wanted to wear it. I started again, but this time I really paid attention. The first layer looked a little better than the first time, but still not amazing. I applied a second and third layer. It looked better than when I had applied it the first time but still not amazing. It was acceptable I guess. I left the colour on as I was going to be late, if I had faffed anymore.
Nice colour
Not value for money, watery, streaky, need about 3 layers, ugly bottle and a waste of time
Overall I really would not recommend this product and although it was only £2.49, it was a waste of money, not to mention time too. Stay away from this one ladies.
There was a nail varnish lying about at home so I 'accidentally' tried some on to see what it was like as it was a brand I hadn't heard of before ;)
I used to only wear Black but now I wear all different shades and this is a really bright pink shade by 'N.Y.C which stand for new York Colour and this polish is made in the USA as well...
The shade in the bottle is 236B Greenwich Village and is really a bright pink colour but more like a matt finish than shiny or two tone...
There is 9.9ml in the glass bottle and it has a black lid and says on the front Quick
Dry Nail Polish which is supposed to dry in a N.Y minute!
The bottle is recyclable and the contents are flammable and are fine to use up to 30 months once opened.
When I tried this brand I wasn't impressed. I looked on Amazon for the price but can't find it though. The brush was a nylon straight edge one which painted ok.
It dried fast but I think that's because it is so thin and I have used better stuff for a lot less than that! Maybe this is a big brand name over in America but I think we have got better stuff cheaper.
This NYC is watery and weak so I don't think its much use at all.
The good point is it did dry in one minute the bad point is it took three coats to get a good coverage - this will teach me not to bother using other people's stuff, lol!
Rubbish and runny in my opinion, don't bother and only one star, go buy some awesome Rimmel instead!! :)
N / Y / C / Mineral nail polish /


text:
Shortly after this year got underway, two military leaders from Gabon visited air bases in Germany for a three day sojourn with some of their U.S. counterparts. The consultations were said to have focused on air base defense. Little was said publicly about the gathering or what prompted it. "The sorts of threats that exist in Gabon also exist here," Colonel Jean Paulin Asseko Makoka , commander of Libreville Air Force Base, told the Armed Forces New Service (AFSN). "We have spent time discussing various threats, and we now have a better understanding of how the U.S. Air Force confronts these threats and the measures they take to mitigate them."
Military forces in Gabon count less than 5,000. About 1,000 are in the country's air force and they have at their disposal 5 attack helicopters and 13 ground attack planes. Gabon is also said to have a 1,800- member guard that provides security for country's president.
According to AFNS, U.S. Master Sgt. Mike Keeler termed the visit the latest in a series of capacity-building engagements between the two countries, adding, "We are always eager to engage with our African partners and we are especially proud when we can bring them here and show them the kind of quality people we have standing watch over our forces and resources."
The trip serves to highlight the increasing efforts by the U.S. to forge close links with African military leadership. What happened shortly after it ended speaks volumes about the risks to such relationships and the challenges facing the Obama Administration as it seeks to increase its presence on the continent.
Just as the Egyptian military delegation in Washington at the end of January cut short its stay and returned to a country in open rebellion, the Gabonese Air Force commanders returned home to a land seething in anger that exploded in a bloody fashion a few weeks later. Protesters soon took to the streets with a litany of complaints much like those heard across North Africa and elsewhere in recent weeks. In a demonstration in Meyo-Kyé, a small city in northern Gabon, a banner read: "In Tunisia, Ben Ali left. In Gabon, Ali Ben [president Bongo] out."
"Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets of the nation's capital, Libreville, on January 29th, and faced violent suppression from Ali Bongo's troops," Ethan Zuckerman wrote on his blog February 9. "Protests have spread to other cities, and the crackdown against them has become increasingly fierce. Protests planned for February 5th and 8th were both suppressed with tear gas. At this point, it's unclear whether protesters will be able to continue pressuring the government, or whether the crackdown has driven dissent underground."
Since the uprising began in Tunisia the outpouring of rage has almost always been described as something happening in "the Arab world." However, in the weeks that followed rebellious manifestations showed up in other parts of Africa as well as in non-Arab Iran and Central Asia. Actually, one might say the most common link in the events has been the oil related wealth of the nations involved.
Oil accounts for nearly half of Gabon's government budget, 43 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), and 81 percent of its exports. Some experts say Gabon will run out of oil in a couple of decades. Central Africa has acquired significant strategic importance because of its richness in petroleum and other natural resources.
The insurgents who took to the streets in Gabon were protesting a 2009 election they said was stolen by Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Interestingly enough, the election was prompted by the death of Al Bongo's father Omar Bongo, who had run the country for nearly 50 years. A major complaint that had drawn masses into the streets of Egypt was the intent of President Hosni Mubarak to be succeeded by the younger of his two sons, Gamal Sayed Mubarak. A large banner carried aloof by the Gabon demonstrators read: "Le Gabon n'est pas une monarchie."
In one of the few major media reports on the situation in Gabon, Christian Science Monitor correspondent, Drew Hinshaw, wrote February 12, "The protests that are reshaping the Arab world weren't supposed to spread south to sub-Saharan Africa. But for weeks, while scenes of Egyptians overtaking their capital have mesmerized global TV audiences — and brought the world's most recognized names in TV news to Cairo — Gabonese protesters have been facing death and imprisonment in a series of anti-repression demonstrations consciously modeled off the Tunisian example.
"The former French colony has been run for 34 years, with open support from France, by the Bongo family — first by Omar Bongo, and then by his son, Ali. In the family's first act, Bongo Sr. ran up a rap sheet with Amnesty International that includes political murders and tortures of opposition leaders. The family managed to survive the winds of democratization that swept Africa in the early 1990s, before Bongo Sr. died in 2009, passing power to his son, Ali."
"In the meantime, the family has channeled at least $100 million of state money into US banks alone, according to an investigation by the US senate," Hinshaw wrote. "To make a point, Bongo Jr.'s wife was at one point renting a $25,000 a month house from the rapper then known as Puff Daddy.
"Critics say the Bongos got away with these sort of antics, which have cost so many autocrats their Western backing because of one thing only: Oil. The country used to pump 370,000 barrels a day of the stuff, but finds its reserves running drier by the week. No matter. The damage has already been done. Petrol has made this corner of the continent an African banana republic — except that commercial farmers no longer bother to grow bananas in what would be great soil for the crop, thanks the limits of an oil-inflated currency."
Ali-Ben Bongo Ondimba is said to have spent $136 million on a 48,000 square foot, 14-bedroom mansion with seven parking spaces, a tennis court and a heated swimming pool on an acre of land in the heart of Paris.
Although it is one of Africa's more prosperous countries the richest 20 percent of the population receive over 90 percent of the income while about a third of all Gabonese live in poverty. Average income is $2 a day. The jobless rate stands at 21 percent.
Sometime around New Year's Day while the Obama family was on holiday in Hawaii, the Associated Press was informed that the President is — in AP's words, "quietly but strategically stepping up his outreach to Africa, using this year to increase his engagement with a continent that is personally meaningful to him and important to U.S. interests."And that Obama intended to focus in Africa "on good governance and supporting nations with strong democratic institutions."
The report suggested the President will travel to Africa this year and deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said stops will reflect positive democratic models. "The official said the administration must persuade African nations that their interests are better served by aligning with the U.S." said AP.
That was before Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Algeria. Now it appears the Administration has an additional challenge on the continent: getting its own act together in the face of the ongoing storm.
"Over the last decade we have invested heavily in toppling an oil rich Iraqi regime and committed the lives of our troops to nation building in Afghanistan, but there has been no real initiative to transform the human rights platform and economic empowerment of African people from the Sinai Peninsula to the Sub- Saharan desert," MSNBC political commentator Edward Wyckoff Williams noted recently on the website Grio. "Why? It seems the crisis unfolding in Egypt and Tunisia will provide a teachable moment for Americans to become more politically aware of the true state of democracy (or lack thereof) in these African nations. American diplomacy can no longer hide behind pretense."
"And herein lies the even greater conundrum: if Egypt is in crisis, then what does that say for the rest of Africa?" Williams wrote. "Will the events unfolding across this ancient land lead the Obama administration to implement real changes on how America approaches foreign policy in Africa? So much rhetoric and lip- service has been paid to the atrocities in Mugabe's Zimbabwe and the political and social unrest demonstrated in Rwanda and the Congo, but instead of real intervention, America has maintained a status quo of inaction."
On December 3, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. viewed that Bahrain was "a model partner for not only the United States, but for so many countries that are looking to see the way that Bahrain decides about its future" and that she was "impressed by the commitment that the government has to the democratic path that Bahrain is walking on." On January 25, while riot police were attacking protesters in Cairo, Clinton said the Mubarak government appeared to be stable and looking for ways to respond to the needs of Egyptians.
A year ago, Ali Bongo met privately in New York with Clinton who called him a "valued partner." After the meeting she, said "I want to recognize President Bongo's efforts to improve government efficiency, eliminate waste and fight corruption."
According to Global Voices, two press releases issued by the Gabonese opposition accused the U.S. ambassador in Gabon Eric D. Benjaminson of keeping a guilty silence on violations by Ali Bongo and his regime against civil liberties.
Carl Bloice, a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, is a columnist for the Black Commentator. He also serves on its editorial board.