text: Politics 7 December 2012 Five questions answered on Netflix's Facebook "violation" Digested. Sign up for our weekly email * Print HTML Netflix Inc's chief executive Reed Hastings is in trouble with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because of something he posted on Facebook. We answer five questions on his controversial post. What did Hastings say? On 3 July Hastings announced on a public Netflicks Facebook page accessible to 244,000 subscribers that one billion hours of video was being viewed a month by members of the video streaming website. He said exactly: "Netflix monthly viewing exceeded 1 billion hours for the first time ever in June." So, what's the problem with this post exactly? The way the information was disclosed is the problem. The SEC believes that this particular figure is material information and therefore should have been disclosed in a press release or regulatory filing. SEC's Regulation FD, adopted in 2000, requires public companies to make full and fair public disclosure of material non-public information. What kind of action is the SEC taking? The "Wells notice," as it is known as, that was received by Netflicks and filed by the company as regulations dictate, states that the SEC is planning on bringing civil action against the company because of the post made by Hastings. The SEC staff will recommend the full commission pursue either a cease-and-desist action and/ or civil injunction against Netflix and Hastings. What has Hasting said about his contentious Facebook posting? According to The Telegraph, Hasting said yesterday that his posting was public enough: "First, we think posting to over 200,000 people is very public, especially because many of my subscribers are reporters and bloggers," In a letter posted alongside the regulatory filing he added "We remain optimistic this can be cleared up quickly through the SEC's review process." What are other people saying? Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told Reuters: "It's totally disingenuous to say that his statement wasn't material when the stock went from under $70 a share to more than $80 and the only data point was that post." While, Joseph Grundfest, former SEC commissioner and Stanford Law School professor also told Reuters: "The evolution of social media presents the SEC with some very interesting regulatory challenges. But if they're worried about social media, there are ways for them to address that without threatening to sue Reed Hastings. They should have a rulemaking where they can ventilate these issues. " › Pete Doherty is a really, really bad actor Netflix is in trouble. Photograph: Getty Images Heidi Vella is a features writer for Nridigital.com Subscribe from just £1 per issue More Related articles "I'm frightened, genuinely frightened": how London terror attacks affect the rest of the country Inspiring to empower: how to solve the UK's STEM skills gap Laying the foundations for conflict-free construction Subscription offer 12 issues for £12 + FREE book LEARN MORE Close This week's magazine


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Programs -
Adult (18-54)
At the Y, you can get healthy, grow stronger, make new friends or just enjoy fun with others in your community.
Infant & Toddler (0-2)
From parent/child swim lessons to toddler music programs to fun in Stay & Play, the Y is here to support young families.
Older Adult (55+)
Staying active is one of the best ways to stay young. The Y offers older adults health and wellness programs, social activities and more.
Pre-K (3-4)
We provide safe, developmentally appropriate programs that children can learn, grow and thrive in.
Teen (13-17)
Teens find a place to belong at the Y, with places to hang out like our Interactive Zones, adventure programs and leadership clubs.
Youth (5-12)
Swim lessons, sports, after-school programs and camps all help youth learn skills and gain confidence.

subset: commoncrawl


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Eye Rhymes 3Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
In each sentence below, two words are incomplete. The two words end in the same three letters, so they look like they should rhyme, but they don't. See if you can figure out the missing letters in each sentence.
Example: One symptom of bronchitis is a ro___ co___. (The two words are: rough & cough.)
1. A pig farmer's job could be called p___ w___.
2. A dog injury could be called a ho___ wo___.
3. For racing, a mixed ho___ is wo___ than a thoroughbred.
4. I he___ your be___ has been shaved into a goatee.
HintOne letter has been filled in for you.
1. po__ wo__
2. hou__ wou__
3. hor__ wor__
4. hea__ bea__
Answer1. pork work
2. hound wound
3. horse worse
4. heard beard
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
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He wasn't supposed to get hired. When Charles Garoian arrived at Los Altos High School in 1969 for an interview armed with his portfolio of creative work, he was a bit flummoxed when the principal explained that he was actually looking for a tennis coach.
"I can play tennis, but I'm not that good," said Garoian in his interview. "I just want to teach art."
With a few more words and a portfolio review by the outgoing art teacher, Garoian was hired. Thus began his 17-year tenure at Los Altos High, which resulted in many more hits than misses, particularly for the students he unabashedly calls the "misfits."
Reuniting with students
Fast-forward 43 years. Garoian, now a professor of art education at Pennsylvania State University with decades of performance-art experience, papers and awards under his belt, returns to Los Altos as one of nine featured artists in "Project Los Altos: SFMOMA in the Silicon Valley," which opened last week and runs through March.
Before the grand unveiling at 359 State St. of a video of stills that chronicled the most memorable performance his Los Altos High students created, Garoian sifted through Facebook to locate former students and invite them to a reunion viewing.
Hugs, smiles and a few double takes cascaded forth as a dozen former students and colleagues trickled into Garoian's exhibit space. Conversation flowed with ease. Except for the grayer and/or diminished hair, it was nearly as if they were frozen in time, simply returning to a routine conversation after class. As students shared stories of the paths they had followed with Garoian and his wife, Sherrie – who remembers spending many hours with students in their family's home – it was clear that Garoian had been more than a teacher to them.
"I hated high school," said Jeff Loughridge, Class of 1971, who enrolled in sculpture and ceramics classes taught by Garoian during his inaugural years at Los Altos High.
Loughridge said Garoian's impact was rooted in his ability to challenge students to think "beyond their level."
"I think you improved my life drastically, but ruined my life for college," Loughridge humorously told Garoian.
Decades into his career, Loughridge has enjoyed success as art director for a national magazine and owner of his own graphic design business.
Learning experiences that lasted
Although somewhat unconventional or even wacky by some accounts, Garoian pushed his students to "flip the metaphors" through conceptual performance art.
Adrienne Levine, who graduated in 1985, recalls the time she sat behind the glass facade of a school trophy case with another classmate. Although she noted that doing homework would not normally warrant attention, when it took place in an unusual public context, it became a noteworthy focal point. By following Garoian's encouragement to dare to do things differently, she grew as an artist. Such experiences spurred her to major in photography at New York University.
Larkspur architect Mark Sandoval enrolled in Garoian's class because he wanted to learn to draw. Instead of teaching him, Garoian turned the tables and informed Sandoval that learning to draw was in his own hands.
"He made an enormous difference in my life by taking me under his wing to show me what the visual arts were," Sandoval said.
Not every project went without a hitch. Sandoval and Garoian can now laugh about a "disastrous" group mural painting project.
"I learned that you can't put artists together unless they've agreed to be collaborators," Garoian said of his mistake of assigning his best art students to a project that resulted in more practice in the politics of negotiation than in art. "It remained unfinished but still looked good."
"Sometimes the student is the teacher," Garoian said. "I'm not interested in art as an academic subject, but as an experiment."
Another near-miss was a choreographed homecoming parade performance appropriately titled "Drill Team." When a group of students approached him with the idea for a homecoming prank in 1973, Garoian challenged them to think deeper.
After a late-night practice on the empty streets of Los Altos, his art students arrived at the annual homecoming parade ready to infiltrate as 40 blue-collar workers marching with military precision as they cranked hand drills into pieces of wood – a play on the words "drill team."
Unsettled by the surprise entrance in the parade, Principal Dude Angius attempted to sidetrack the group and placed the team directly behind a collection of Porsches, adding even more irony to their creation as they marched through downtown. The performance elicited lots of laughter and was so successful that the principal asked Garoian to continue the tradition. He refused the offer.
"Some things have to happen organically or they lose their power," he said.
Garoian left Silicon Valley behind when he moved to Penn State to continue his teaching career, but his influence remained.
"This guy was the one who made the biggest impact on me," said Alan "Eye Bone" Eglington, a cartoonist, conceptual artist and musician who graduated in 1971. "He taught us what else you could do in life."
For a full guide to "Project Los Altos: SFMOMA in the Silicon Valley, " click here.


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Promos & Deals from Medicis (makers of Dysport)
- Megan P
- Last updated: 4 years ago
Dysport & Botox aren't the cheapest of habits, and all who use it seem to be looking for ways to make it more affordable.
The companies that make them seem to put out different promos & deals periodically so I thought we could all post the ones we hear about here. Hopefully we can help each other save a little money. :)


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Well the site has posted that it will be opening next week for the 12-13 season.
That means, if history repeats itself, that they should be up and running in about two weeks..... we'll see.
Either way, next season is coming up. As soon as the site opens I'll get the ABA league created & start sending out the league number and password.
I'm not sure how large a league we'll have, I'd like to get to 20 but I'd rather keep the quality of the owners at a high level. Even if it means only 16 teams.
Many of you are on here far more than I have been lately so I could use a little help in suggestions for a few new owners. Quality posters with a better than average knowledge of the game seem to be our best owners. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along to me via a PM & I'll touch base with them to check on their interest in playing.
Just 2 things to keep in mind, for now anyway.
1. Daily participation is still our biggest rule. Helps to keep your team strong, which in turn keeps the league strong.
2. The draft will start on Saturday September 29th. With no draft clock we will have a month to complete the draft (more than twice the time needed).


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Players feeling rejuvenated after the break
PHOENIX -- Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero spent time in Minneapolis with the National League team in the All-Star Game, but for the rest of the D-backs, the All-Star break was a welcome reprieve from a first half marred by injuries and losing streaks.
"It always does [refresh the team]," manager Kirk Gibson said Thursday. "When you get a chance to go back and take time out and spend time with your family and do what you want, I think it's special.
"Guys grind every day when the season's going. Our season's been tough."
Montero said his time at the All-Star Game -- the second of his career -- was a good time.
"Unfortunately we lost the game," he said. "But I enjoyed it."
Gibson said that the short break has already had a positive effect on the team before they've played their first second-half game.
"They've come in; they're happy; they're relaxed," he said. "You wish we could play relaxed. That's a bonus. We'll start out that way tomorrow."
But for some players, the off-days may have a cooling effect.
Outfielder Mark Trumbo just got back into the lineup after missing nearly three months with a stress fracture in his left foot.
After going 1-for-9 in three games against the Giants before the break, Trumbo got time off and is now trying to get back into the swing of playing nearly every day.
"I was glad to get a few games in before the break, though," Trumbo said. "That was kind of one of the goals I had.
"Three days -- that's enough to throw anybody's timing off. Albeit, I haven't been in there as much as these guys, but a break's a break, so I think everyone's kind of dealing with the same thing."
Adam Lichtenstein is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: MacFarlane aims to perk up stodgy Oscars show By The Associated Press February 22, 2013 Story Share The Associated Press Seth MacFarlane poses for a portrait at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Oscar show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they'll allow the "Family Guy" creator to get as edgy as he wants as host of the show. LOS ANGELES -- You think the Academy Awards are boring? Try the nominations. They only last a few minutes, but it's generally a sleepy academy suit and a sleepy starlet droning a list of names at 5:30 in the morning.Except last time. Some baby-faced guy took the stage, advised people who don't know him to pretend he's Donny Osmond, then stood beside sleepy starlet Emma Stone and cut loose with this line about best-picture nominee "Amour":"I read 'Amour' was co-produced in Austria and Germany, right? The last time Austria and Germany got together and co-produced something, it was Hitler."For good or bad, Oscar host Seth MacFarlane already has enlivened the awards scene. As emcee of a broadcast notorious for its predictability and geezer audience, MacFarlane may bring a cheekiness that prods younger viewers to check out the Oscars just to see what he might pull. But given his Hitler wisecrack, just how far will MacFarlane push it?"It's a balance between not being completely dismissive of the ceremony, but at the same time, injecting a little bit of a lighter sensibility than maybe we've seen in the past," said MacFarlane, the impudent creator of "Family Guy" and last summer's potty-mouthed blockbuster "Ted.""The Oscars does have a history of taking itself so deadly seriously. And while it obviously is a ceremony that's important to the people involved, you know we're not curing cancer here. So if there's any subtle reminder that I'll try to inject into the show tonally, it would be that."The most-beloved Oscar hosts -- Billy Crystal, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope -- are those who play it safe while managing to poke gentle fun at Hollywood, the awards and the nominees. With the show's TV ratings generally declining over the last few decades, Oscar overseers have tried shaking things up, trying out new hosts and different ways of handing out prizes.The results have been mixed. Jon Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres earned polite praise as Oscar hosts. Chris Rock ruffled feathers with a few tart jabs but was mostly respectful. Hugh Jackman was charming and energetic, while Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were an able team as dual hosts.Another duo, Anne Hathaway and James Franco, were brought in two years ago to court young viewers. Hathaway was cute and perky, but Franco seemed to sleepwalk through the show. So last year, Oscar organizers lured back old stand-by Crystal, the most popular among hosts of recent years. The show's audience has inched up from its all-time low five years ago, when 32 million people watched the Oscars. But ratings remain well below the Oscar heyday of decades ago, and no matter who's the host, the show has never been able to shed its image as a marathon broadcast where rich and famous people hand out trophies to other rich and famous people.Enter MacFarlane, who's not just a funny guy but a gifted singer, with a Frank Sinatra-style album of standards to his credit."What I'm hoping for -- like everybody else, the other billion people watching -- is just that it's the best show of all time and he's the greatest host ever to have lived," said former emcee Jackman, a best-actor nominee for "Les Misérables." "He's going to nail it. I think he's very funny."Not everyone's looking forward to a Seth-fest Oscars. "I'm not that big a fan of his," said Alan Arkin, a supporting-actor winner for "Little Miss Sunshine" who's nominated in the same category this time for "Argo." "I find him a little crude -- more crude than necessary."MacFarlane gave a taste of things to come Jan. 10, when he became just the second Oscar host to join the nominations announcement (Charlton Heston was the first, for the 1972 show). His early-morning shtick lasted just 10 minutes -- a fraction of the often interminable Oscar show itself -- but it brought a backlash from people wondering what sort of show might be expected from a guy whose chubby cartoon hero on "Family Guy" once was forced to strip off his shirt and moo like a cow while a woman pretended to milk his man-breasts.The Hitler joke aside, critics said MacFarlane disparaged women with a comment that supporting-actress nominees no longer had to pretend they're attracted to Oscar kingpin Harvey Weinstein; belittled writers by saying adapted-screenplay contenders just cut-and-pasted from their source material; and slammed the directing picks as the "five people who are the very best at sitting in a chair watching other people make a movie."Edgy or insulting?Some feel it's just the jolt the stodgy Oscars need to get younger, hipper fans -- the key audience for Hollywood films -- to tune in."The Oscars still remain the pinnacle of artistic achievement in film, and I think it will always be that," said Jim Gianopulos, studio chairman at 20th Century Fox, whose Fox network airs "Family Guy" and MacFarlane's other animated series, "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show.""At the same time, I think it needs to be able to have a certain level of irreverence to be culturally relatable at this point, and I think Seth is the absolute perfect host to bring that." Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said there's no leash on MacFarlane -- they'll allow him to get as edgy as he wants."If we hire him and we don't let him say anything, then we're idiots," Zadan said. "Then why do we even go to him?""The question is always said, are the Oscars still relevant?" Meron said. "We believe the way we've put together the show this year, it's completely relevant, especially having Seth, who is kind of the voice of the current culture right now."MacFarlane -- who provides the voice of F-bomb-dropping stuffed bear Ted along with "Family Guy" characters Peter, Stewie and Brian Griffin -- also is an Oscar nominee himself: best song, for a tune he co-wrote for "Ted.""That's kind of cool. I got nominated," MacFarlane said on nominations morning. "I get to go to the Oscars."Hope he likes the host. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 Teen pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 3 Safety shutoff disabled prior to June coal-mining death, report says 4 Congressional opioid investigation targets drug wholesaler Miami-Luken 5 Rod Run and Doo Wop brings classic cars, music to Boulevard for 12th year In Short: Feb. 21-27, 2013 Previous Story Arts workshop to hold student drama classes Next Story


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The "Breaking Bad" ratings are in for the first of the final eight episodes of the AMC series.
A whopping 5.9 million viewers – the most in "Breaking Bad" history – tuned in to watch some huge developments on the show, including the ending sequence where Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) showed his cards to Walter White (Bryan Cranston).
The episode drew in 3.6 million adults in the coveted 18-49 demo, and prompted more than 760,000 Tweets.
PHOTOS: 'Breaking Bad' — Images From The FInal Season
Among those 760,000 were a host of celebrities who Tweeted about the action, including Ben Stiller who was fascinated by Badger's "Star Trek" pie-eating script.
"The Star Trek discussion in Breaking Bad was almost too much to take. Never thought 'Quatloos' would be mentioned on Breaking Bad. #toogood," he Tweeted.
WATCH IT NOW: Aaron Paul On Getting A 'Breaking Bad' Tattoo
Ellen DeGeneres wrote, "I'd like to thank my 21 million followers for all of your love and support, and for not spoiling what happened on #BreakingBad."
"Franklin & Bash" actor Kumail Nanjiani offered a bit of a recap of the action, Tweeting, "'Somebody gets punched.' - spoiler for both Breaking Bad & The Newsroom."
Former "Don't Trust The B----" actress Krysten Ritter watched the premiere and wished for more in her Tweet.
"I wish I had the next 7 eps of breaking bad. I would play hooky and watch all of them. Last night was insane! #breakingbad #treadlightly," she wrote, quoting Walter's end-of-episode words for Hank.
WATCH IT NOW: SAG Awards 2013: Bryan Cranston's 'Overwhelming' Night
"Anchorman" screenwriter Adam McKay had a little fun with the final sequence, Tweeting, "Had exact same stand off in garage that WW & Hank had with my neighbor over leaving trash cans out on non trash days. #BreakingBad."
British comedian Matt Lucas wrote, "So has anyone seen this drama series on American television called 'Breaking Bad'? Why does no-one ever mention it? It's actually not bad."
Mindy Kaling warned fans who missed it to be strong on Monday.
"If you didn't see breaking bad tonight, tomorrow you better take your spoilers like a man," she wrote.
"Scandal's" Joshua Malina Tweeted, "I love how this season in the credits of Breaking Bad they're highlighting different elements of the periodic table in the actors' names."
Star Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse on the show, quoted a line from Walt, Tweeting, "Tread lightly #BreakingBad."
Since he couldn't see the show, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine asked his fans not to ruin the first episode for him.
PHOTOS: Primetime Hunks: The Hottest Guys On Television!
"Breaking Bad starts up again tonight at the same time we go on stage at Jones Beach. If you're in the crowd, don't yell out what happens," he wrote.
Rainn Wilson came up with an idea for how the show should end, but didn't finish his thought.
"Breaking Bad predictions: Walter White will sample his wares for the first time, eventually hit bottom & get a job at Pollos Hermanos as …" Rainn Tweeted.
But singer Ed Sheeran did share his idea for how the series should wrap up, writing, "Breaking Bad should end with Walt going into protective custody and becoming the dad from Malcolm in the middle."
In related "Breaking Bad" news, Badger's "Star Trek" story has been turned into an animated short by Matt Czap for Vulture.
Click here to watch the pie eating contest on the Enterprise with Captain Kirk and the gang.


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Ok, so there has been a little mystery about why we have so many cranes, bull dozers and concrete trucks on the beach recently. Well, there are a lot of moving parts to this jigsaw puzzle… oh, and did I mention that money does not grow on trees?
So from the beach to the boards here is a run down on what we are planning for 2012 and why.
Raging Waters
The endless river is being super significantly renovated to become an adventure that will enhance much of the entire park. Here is an artist rendering that gives you a peek into what's in store as well as a picture of what a wreck the river looks like under construction.
Ocean Oasis
A brand new 6 lane Proslide racer is being installed on the south side of the park (near the Shot Gun slides). Sorry, no artist rendering for this one yet, but here's a picture of the demolition so far.
Surfside Pier
The Nor'easter has just been re-shaped in order to smooth the ride. If you have not ridden the coaster in a while, please try it next summer. I think you will really enjoy its new smoothness.
Mariner's Landing Pier
After many years of service (starting at Surfside Pier) the Sea Dragon is being replaced with ????????, another Sea Dragon. We may change the name, but this attraction is just such a classic that we decided to replace it with a brand new model. Check out the photo of the sign. No, we are not saving it to reinstall it on the new Sea Dragon, but rather to use it for Halloween in 2012.
Adventure Pier
The pier that hasn't quite decided what it wants to be when it grows up is also undergoing changes. To be completely honest, these changes are more about preparing for the new wooden coaster that connects Surfside Pier and the old Hunts Pier as shown in this rendering. To accommodate the coaster, much of Hunt's Pier has to be torn down and the Sky Scraper attraction needs to be relocated. Hence, it is moving to Adventure Pier to join the other high thrill extreme attractions that exist there. This photo shows the Sky Scraper sitting on the beach awaiting transport to Adventure Pier.
Ok, now the hard part. In order to make room for the Sky Scraper (which we also think is a classic) we have decided to permanently remove the Jersey Junkyard and the Mummy from Adventure Pier. I know this is hard for some of you to appreciate, but we just did not think these attractions were the quality that most people expected of Morey's Piers. Fear not, as this will also give us the ability to focus more dollars and effort on the other dark attractions on Surfside and Mariner's in addition of course to preparing for the new woody… which I can't seem to get a straight answer from my brother on with respect to when it will be released for construction.
Lastly, this is a picture of my dog Rory. We walk the beach to work every morning which helps to remind me just why I love to live in the Wildwoods so much.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


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Click on the thumbnails below for a closer look at what over-the-counter medicine will look like in 2021.
What do you think our world will look like in 10, 20, or 100 years? We need your help creating a new artifact from the future for every issue of Wired magazine. Each month, we'll propose a scenario and ask for your prognostications. Sketch out your vision, then return here to upload your ideas, see other submissions, and vote for your favorites. Check out this month's challenge. This month's kudos go to John W. Stanovich. Additional thanks to McCandelish, Drew, Jgombarcik, Lloyd Fruchtman, Anthony Terruso, and Eric Rouillard.
Image: Catherine Seriosa; heart illustration: MDI Digital LTD
Liquid-Plumr-Cardio won't break your (real or lab-produced) heart!
Couldn't resist that last piece (or three) of genetically modified cherry pie? No fear: Liquid-Plumr-Cardio to the rescue!
Don't settle for run-of-the-mill plaque-fighting technology!
Despite what competitors like DranoHeart™ and CleanawayClots™ claim, Liquid-Plumr-Cardio is the only approved artery-cleaning tonic on the market.
Don't worry, your tongue will only stay neon green for an hour or two after consuming Liquid-Plumr-Cardio.
When your HealthSense Hemometer signals that you're going to have a heart attack any minute, a dose of Liquid-Plumr-Cardio should work as well as calling 911.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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The Consol Energy Center is located at 1001 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It resides in the 15219 zip code.
For ice hockey games, the venue has a capacity of 18,387. For arena football games, it holds 16,280. For concerts, it has a capacity of 19,758.
Ground broke in August of 2008, with the venue officially opening on August 18, 2010.
The Consol Energy Center is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and Pittsburgh Power of the AFL.
By Car
From the North via 79 South or 28 South
Take 279 South to 579 South and follow signs to Consol Center (Veterans/Liberty Bridge). Continue to the Consol Center/6th Avenue Exit and make a left at the light to arrive at the Consol Energy Center.
From the South via 79 North
Take 79 North to 376 Business towards Pittsburgh. Head through the Ft. Pitt Tunnel and bear right towards Monroeville. Take the first exit on the left (Grant Street) to 7th Avenue and turn right to arrive at the Consol Energy Center.
From the East via 22 West and 376 West
Take 22 West to 376 West through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Take the Grant Street Exit to 7th Avenue and turn right to arrive at the Consol Energy Center.
From the West via 22 East and 376 Business
Take Route 22 East to 376 Business through the Ft. Pitt Tunnel and bear right towards Monroeville. Take the first exit on the left (Grant Street) to 7th Avenue and turn right to arrive at the Consol Energy Center.
By Public Transportation
A number of bus routes make stops along Fifth Avenue near Consol Energy Center and outbound stops along Forbes Avenue. These routes include 61A East Pittsburgh-Wilkinsburg, 61B Braddock-Swissvale, 61C McKeesport-Homestead, 61D Murray, 71A Negley, 71C Point Breeze, 71D Hamilton, and 500 Highland Park-Bellevue.
There are six (6) main parking areas available for guests traveling to Consol Energy Center by car. They are the Garage, Melody Tent Lot, and North, South, East and West Lots.
Price varies in each lot is connection to proximity to the venue. Daytime parking typically ranges from $6-$8 in all six lots.
There are three main gates accessible to the public when entering Consol Energy Center. They are the Verizon Gate, which is located at the northwestern section of the venue, the Trib Total Media Gate, which is located at the southwestern section of the venue, and the American Eagle Gate, located at the southeastern section. The Verizon Gate is the closest gate in proximity to the largest number of parking lots Consol Energy Center offers.
Guests may only carry clear plastic or vinyl bags that do not exceed the size of 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches. One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc) will be permitted as well as small handbags and purses. Staff personnel have the right to check all bags at random before guests enter the venue. Failure to comply with staff will result in being denied access into the Consol Energy Center.
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The Day Ahead: Fiscal Cliff Care Package
Aren't moms great? Who else always has your back when the chips are down?
One thing that has made my mother so clutch throughout the years is her obsessive attention to detail, which often results in edible care packages for a busy son....565 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Susan Cordts, Sharon Knutson-Felix and Rachel Bennett Yanof were recipients of 2010 ATHENA Businesswoman of the Year Awards presented today at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa,
Cordts, President & CEO of Adaptive Technologies Inc., was 2010 ATHENA Businesswoman of the Year in the Private Sector; Knutson-Felix, Executive Director – 100 Club of Arizona, was 2010 ATHENA Businesswoman of the Year award in the Public Sector; and Bennett Yanof, Executive Director – Phoenix Collegiate Academy, won the 2010 ATHENA Young Professional Award.
The event marks the 23rd year the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce has honored Valley businesswomen with the ATHENA Award, named after the Greek goddess of courage and wisdom, and a program of ATHENA International, a foundation dedicated to creating leadership opportunities for women.
Cordts, Knutson-Felix and Bennett Yanof were chosen from among 11 other ATHENA finalists who were selected from a large group of nominations received in August.


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|January 26, 2013, 01:36 AM
Join Date: December 21, 2011
Posts: 75
post to my facebook friends
To my Facebook Friends,
I may offend a few….but that has never been a priority of mine(not to offend people) as I have often told friends, "I am an equal opportunity offender"…I am what I am… First of all I believe in God, I believe in family and friends (the people that mean the most),and yes, I believe in my dog. My dog is my family, my friend. By the way, dog spelled backwards is God…(unconditional love)…I believe in our Country and our Constitution. I believe in protecting the rights that the Constitution of the United States has guaranteed me… I believe in being kind to my fellow man and try to help those in need and those that want to help themselves, esp. children. I am a good person until you attempt to hurt my family, my dog, my friends and innocent people and again children or the elderly. Then there is no guarantee of my goodness.
I am person that loves God, my country, my family and friends…. I am not here to judge people… I don't care if your white or black, I don't care if you are gay or straight, I don't care if you are democrat or republican… I don't care what religion you are… I care if you are a decent person that tries to do right by his God and his fellow man. After all, we do not have to answer to anybody but God in the end..
I post many things here on facebook… mostly fun, silly things… but in the past month I have posted many things about guns, gun control, government etc.…. I'm sure many are saying, "Here goes Randy again with another pro gun rant or such"', Which is fine… but most things I post, I check for sources to try to make sure my postings are true and that people have a chance to see the other side besides the mainstream media… The fact is, our rights as human beings and Americans under our Constitution, are being attacked by many that don't look at the facts and just want to push their agendas, whether or not their agendas go against our constitutional rights or rights as a human beings to defend ourselves, our families, our friends , our fellow man and yes our dogs, against people that want to do us harm or government that wants to take away or infringe on our rights.
I just wanted to clarify why I post the things that I do… if you want to unfriend me for my views… that is fine …. if you want to tell what you think…positive or negative, that's even better….Hey, I'm a big boy… I may not agree with your opinion, but it doesn't change the way I feel about you as a person that is in my life, whether it be though facebook or in person.
God bless and be with you all and God bless our Country..
|January 26, 2013, 07:21 AM
Join Date: December 31, 1999
Location: Middle Georgia
Posts: 13,155
This isn't actually about firearms.
"The irony of the Information Age is that it has given new respectability to uninformed opinion." - John Lawton, speaking to the American Association of Broadcast Journalists in 1995
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A crime alert has been issued for the apprehension of a man suspected of lighting an Isanti church on fire early Monday morning.
At 3:17 a.m., a man wearing a light colored cap, a sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes entered the construction site at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church and attempted to light the building on fire, Fire Chief Randy Polzin said.
"I'm sure he's local because I didn't see any cars in the surveillance video," he said. "He walked up there, started the fire and walked away."
The fire was suppressed by an automated fire sprinkler system until fire crews arrived. Smoke was coming out of the building when they arrived, Assistant Chief Jason Polzin said.
There was no structural damage, but the fire destroyed new windows and doors that had not yet been installed.
"It'd be nice to catch him," Fire Chief Randy Polzin said.
The church is constructing an addition onto the existing structure located at 207 Whiskey Road NW. An 80-foot by 60-foot meeting/conference room addition is under construction on the south side of the existing building.
A new portico and bell tower are also planned for the entrance to the church, along the east side of the building. The church intends to have a bell system that would be used during services.
Anyone with information can call the Minnesota arson tip line at 1-800-723-2020. There is a potential $2,500 reward.


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Genetic and Immune Studies of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Related Conditions
- Full Text View
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- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
This protocol will examine blood, synovial fluid and synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory joint diseases to study genetic and immunologic factors involved in the cause, development and progression of these conditions. Synovial fluid is the lubricating fluid in joints. The synovial membrane is a delicate tissue lining the inner surface of joints, which, in arthritic conditions, thickens and becomes infiltrated with various types of cells.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and certain patients with other forms of arthritis may be eligible for this study. Those enrolled will be followed periodically for follow-up and disease evaluation. They may undergo the following procedures:
- Synovial fluid aspiration, when medically indicated (for example, for joint swelling and inflammation). For this procedure, an area of skin around the joint is numbed with an anesthetic, and a needle is inserted into the joint to withdraw a small fluid sample.
- Periodic blood sampling, not to exceed 450 milliliters (15 ounces) during any 6-week period, for genetic studies of rheumatoid arthritis. The samples are usually taken at the same times that synovial fluid is withdrawn.
- Synovial tissues, collected by needle biopsy or during surgical procedures for arthroscopy (examination of the interior of the joint and repair of the joint) or total joint replacement. For the needle biopsy, the skin over the biopsy site is washed and anesthetized. A needle is inserted and fluid is aspirated. The biopsy needle is then inserted through the outer needle and a tissue sample is suctioned.
Patients who qualify for other research studies may be invited to participate.
|Arthritis, Psoriatic Autoimmune Diseases Joint Diseases Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis
|Study Type:
|Official Title:
|Investigations of Blood, Synovial Tissue and Synovial Fluids From Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Related Conditions
|Study Start Date:
|December 1991
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|January 2001
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Senior
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly new onset disease, but certain patients with other forms of arthritis will also be included.
Significantly swollen or tender knee or significantly swollen shoulders, elbows, wrists, ankles, olecranon bursa or even smaller joints.
Synovial tissue specimens will not be obtained from patients when any of the following conditions are present: abnormal bleeding or clotting tests, platelet count less than 100,000, or sepsis.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00001291
|United States, Maryland
|National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00001291 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 3, 1999
|Last Updated:
|March 4, 2008
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Psoriatic Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Synovial Biopsy
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Autoimmune Diseases
Joint Diseases
Arthritis, Psoriatic
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Connective Tissue Diseases
Immune System Diseases
Spinal Diseases
Bone Diseases
Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous
Skin Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Red Dust (1932), a steamy melodrama set on a run-down colonial Indochinese (now Vietnamese) rubber plantation, is the film that made both Jean Harlow and Clark Gable stars of the first rank, after both had been working in films for several years with modest but not major success. Directed by Victor Fleming, Red Dust was shot on a large set that convincingly depicted the day-to-day activities of the plantation, which Gable, as Dennis Carson, rules with an iron hand.
Bored and angry at the ineptitude of his drunken assistant, Guidon (Donald Crisp), Carson is in no mood for company when prostitute Vantine Jefferson (Jean Harlow) unexpectedly arrives on a riverboat, on the run from the law, looking for a place to hide out for a while until things quiet down. Gable reluctantly gives her a room, but when Barbara and Garry Willis (Gene Raymond and Mary Astor) arrive to help Dennis bring the plantation back up to speed, things become complicated.
Barbara is initially repulsed by Dennis and the rustic surroundings she must endure; but when Dennis is stricken with malaria, Dennis sees him through it with quinine and his primitive skills as a doctor, winning Barbara's admiration, and Garry's dog-like devotion. But more is going on; Barbara is falling for Dennis, who tries to push her away, but eventually gives in to her advances. Garry, young and ambitious, is also remarkable naïve, and fails to see what's happening right in front of his nose, but Vantine soon sizes up the situation, and makes a play for Dennis herself.
In the film's climax, Dennis tells Barbara that her place is with Dennis, a "decent guy," and that he is "no good" for her. Outraged, Barbara shoots Dennis, wounding him seriously. Barbara and Garry leave, with Garry outraged that a man whom he idolized has made love his wife. Vantine nurses Dennis back to health, and the film ends with Dennis and Vantine still on the plantation, very much in love, and looking forward to their future.
The film is unusual for a number of reasons. For a MGM film, it is remarkably frank in its sexuality, which is due in part to the fact that it was produced before the production code of 1934 took effect, but also to John Lee Mahin and Donald Ogden Stewart's crisp, pungent dialogue. Then, too, it was a "problem" film that has been kicking around for a while with several unsatisfactory scripts, until Mahin and Stewart successfully tackled the project.
Fleming's direction wrings every ounce of atmosphere out of Cedric Gibbons' steamy sets, and the cinematography of Harold Rosson and Arthur Edeson, who suffuse the film with a soft-focus, romantic blur. Fleming, who would go on to be the principal director of both Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, shrewdly used Red Dust to boost his reputation; the film was thus a crucial turning point for the career of not only it's two main stars, but also its young director.


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" Brand: Tesco / Type: Pasta "
This pasta is another item the husband found in the chilled 'lunch' cabinet at a reduced price (£1) it normally costs £2 for 350g and is proud to tell us that it has no artificial preservatives, flavours or colours. Well I have to say it would be a far better salad with some artificial flavour as this is in my opinion tasteless and fairly unpleasant. In fact I was so disappointed with this I gave it to the dogs as I wouldn't offer it to my family, which is a shame as I have another tub of the damn stuff in the fridge.
This like other salads in this range is absolutely bursting with calories. How they manage to cram 737 calories into an average sized salad is beyond me! Are they individually injecting each individual piece of pasta with oil and sugar?!
The plastic tub is hinged and you can east straight from it very easily or if you prefer of course put it on a plate, there is a cool foldable black fork set into the lid which you remove by tearing the label over it away.
On opening the tub I'm met with a nondescript smell which completely fails to set my mouth watering. It looks pale, with tiny flecks of colour added by sweetcorn, minute shards of pepper and what looks like microscopic (dried?) bits of chive in the dressing.
The salad is 86% pasta with some added veggies, such as sweetcorn, onion and pepper. The chicken is meant to resemble southern fried chicken but I honestly don't taste any chicken (I see some but it tastes of nothing), nor is there any crunch or spiciness to the brown muck which is supposed to the the coating of the chicken. However this brown muck is the only flavour in the salad mild though it is.
The dressing is yoghurt and herb, and there is also mayonnaise, which makes for a moist salad. There are lots of ingredients in the dressing, mustard, chive, basil amongst others yet it manages to taste of generic wet stuff, and to taste and look almost identical to the Rose Marie dressing on their prawn layer salad.
£2 is an excellent price for this kind of product. However I can see how they have managed to keep the costs down, all effort at flavour is spared. The husband bought a few of these Tesco pasta salads at the reduced price to save me time with cooking. My girls though grown up expect me to make almost everything that they eat and as they are at home all day every day, and I work from home cooking takes a big chunk of my day away from trying to earn a crust which I wouldn't have to do if I were out of the home working. So these salads were meant to keep the offspring happy while I got on with my work. They have not fulfilled that function at all, as the prawn one was by and large refused unless it was used as an addition to other foods (which I of course had to cook or prepare), and the family consensus is that this southern fried chicken pasta salad is simply inedible.
We won't be buying any more of these tasteless high calorie meals even at the reduced price as they are simply not palatable enough, nor are they healthy with a massive 37.7g of fat! (so they really are injecting each piece of pasta individually with fat) which is according to them 54% of your daily allowance. All I can say about this particular offering is hasta la vista baby!
As with all meals of this type it should be kept refrigerated and eaten by the date printed on the pack.
A holocaust of fast-food leftovers masquerading as a pasta dish. I hurriedly purchased this thinking it would fill a gap during an unexpected shift at work. I should have looked more closely at the label. Not the part where it promises that "our chefs worked hard to create a meal that tastes like it was homemade" - it does, if your 10 year-old routinely makes dinner at home, out of leftovers and condiments.
This is nothing more than factory rejects for some southern-fried chicken product, chopped and added to cold economy-value pasta. Add a rabbit's sneeze of diced micro-vegetables, and a week's allowance of mayonnaise, and you have this culinary "treat". It contains a third of your daily calories, over half your daily fat intake, and tastes just like someone scraped school dinner leftovers into a plastic bowl.
I can't even say that it's value for money, because a cold tin of beans and a banana would be tastier, cheaper, more nutritious and infinitely less likely to kill you if you were forced to subsist on them for a month.
Useful only for people who have tragically lost their sense of taste, or perhaps recovering anorexics and malnourished POWs in dire need of weight gain (please see a medical professional first before eating Southern Fried Chicken Pasta).
It's normally a Sandwich I take to work, but I thought I'd try a tub of this for a change. This was in the same place as the ready made Sandwiches in Tesco, and is also part of their £2 meal deal which included a Sandwich, or Pasta Pot, a Packet of Crisps from a small choice and a Bottle of Fizzy Juice, Fruit Juice or Water. Considering this costs £1.50 on it's own for the 200g, and for an extra 50p you get a 500ml bottle and 34.5g bag of Walkers Crisps, then I don't think it's bad
This comes in a plastic tub. The tub is quite wide and you get a plastic fork to eat this with, so you can just grab and go. The idea of cold Pasta isn't that appealing, but I've had it at the self serve Salad bits in Supermarkets so thought it would be a nice change. With the tub being clear you could see the Pasta and smattering of Vegetables through it, although it didn't look too appealing with the shiny Pasta and it looked a bit dry but slimy.
This didn't have much Chicken in it either. The strips of Chicken were pretty small and the tiny chopped up bits of Onions and Peppers weren't big either. It was mixed through well enough, but you could see that you wouldn't get a flavouring in each mouthful, and would mostly be eating just Pasta.
This had a bit of a smoky Southern fried taste to it, but nothing that exciting and it tasted a bit more powdery than anything else. The Pasta tasted quite fresh and although it did taste a bit slimy, it was ok in a moist way.
This pot had 435 calories and 22.4g of fat. Am surprised at the Fat content, as you always associate Pasta as being quite good for you.
I will not buy this again. It wasn't that tasty and although it was not bad value for money, it just wasn't nice enough for me and I felt it left a slight sharp taste in my mouth.
When recently visiting my local Tesco's for lunch, I thought I'd try something a little different from the usual sandwich so I had a browse at the various pastas on offer, and this Southern Fried Chicken pasta caught my eye & I decided to give it a try.
For just under £1.50 it was good value of money and before even opening the packet, I could check the exact amount of calories and other ingredrients within the pasta.
In terms of taste, the pasta itself is very tasty and the combination of the southern fried chicken a lovely fusion. The chicken is lovely & tender with a slightly tangy edge to it. There are also a few other vegetables contained within the dish such as sweetcorn to give a slightly healthier edge. This is all mixed together in a creamy sauce making it quite filling and the perfect amount in my opinion to have for lunch.
So next time you're in Tesco's & looking for something to eat for lunch or even as a snack or light evening meal, then you can't really go wrong with this Southern Fried Chicken pasty, it's tastes good & is great value too, give it a try!
The other day whilst in Tesco looking at food made my stomach flip and I thought oh dear I'm hungry so went to look at the meal deals on offer. I found one and included in my meal deal for £2.00 I had this, crisps and a drink. Great value I thought or you can buy this pot at £1.30.
I love pasta and I love chicken with sauce in them so as I opened this up outside on the bench I was so looking forward to it!
The Packaging:
Clear plastic tub with a flip top lid to the top of it. On that lid I'm told it is Tesco Southern Fried Chicken Pasta and there is an at a glance nutritional chart on there, I'm told to keep it refrigerated, the best before date is clearly stamped on there as is the price too. On the bottom of the tub/pot ingredients and allergy advice is listed, I'm told it's not suitable for freezing, the weight is stated which in this case is 200g and contact details for Tesco are given. There's a black fork in there too and overall I think the packaging is rather good and informative enough too.
The Pasta:
Well upon opening the pasta pot I was greeted with a rather hefty portion to be fair to it. On the top of the pasta was about 6 slithers of chicken and then on the top of that said chicken and not attached to the chicken as such was a small amount of southern fried chicken mix. Under that was loads of pasta twists with a few flakes of onion, red pepper and what looked like dried herbs. When I mixed it all up with the fork provided it looked a soggy mess to be honest and I could see some mayonnaise looking sauce but not loads of it and it clung on to the ingredients.
Taste wise...well it was ok. The pasta twists didn't taste of much at all and were a bit chewy but well formed and edible if not a bit slimy. The chicken and the seasoning of the southern fried stuff, again was bland and not as expected at all. The sauce although flavoured with chives, basil and turmeric also didn't taste all that much but the more I ate of this dish the more onion in taste it got.
I felt this dish was simply ok and decent enough quality though not great on flavours at all. Not enough chicken and the pasta was a bit too bland and for all the ingredients used in this you would expect far more flavour than this gives in my opinion! Not for me this though it is a decent sized portion!
Allergy Advice: Contains: Duram wheat, semolina, water
Nutritional Information Per 200g:
Calories: 435
Sugar: 1.6g
Fat: 22.4g
Saturates: 2.5g
Salt: 0.8g
This is only only available in Tesco stores.


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Saturday, May 02, 2009
For an Unambiguous End to Torture, Israel Offers a Troubling Model
Since the new memos have been released, I've noticed that a number of commentators have started discussing how the US can follow Israel's 1999 Supreme Court ruling that, in their words, completely banned torture in Israel despite the threat of terrorism in that country. For example, an article in the New York Times from last week by Serge Schemann claims that although Israel had used 'moderate physical pressure' before 1999, after the 1999 ruling torture was rejected because it was unjustifiable—even in cases of ticking bomb scenarios—and that democracy meant not giving into the temptation to torture. Recently, Robert Baer, a former CIA officer and author, appeared on the Bill Maher show claiming the same - that Israel had successfully rejected torture and found ways to deal with terrorism without it, and that the US could follow in its footsteps and do the same.
The problem is that according to Israeli human rights organisations and the testimony of Palestinian prisoners, Israel has not refrained from torture or ill-treatment since 1999. Furthermore, the 1999 ruling that is so celebrated was far from an unequivocal ban on torture. In fact, the US has probably already learned from Israel—the notorious 2002 memos discuss in some detail Israel's use of the 'defence of necessity', the caveat applied to the 1999 'ban' on torture that arguably made it ineffective, and permitted torture and ill-treatment to occur without accountability and absolved interrogators of liability for their actions.
Before 1999, Israeli laws regarding interrogation were informed by a report from the Landau Commission, which found that 'moderate physical pressure' (including violent shaking, hooding, stress positions, sleep, and sensory deprivation) were 'regrettable but necessary' during interrogations dealing with 'hostile terrorist activity' in instances where more conventional interrogation methods had failed. This treatment would be subject to a variety of confidential safeguards. By 1998, the UN Committee Against Torture ruled that these methods constituted torture, and that in Israel its use had become routine and systematic. In 1999, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) brought a case alleging torture, and the Supreme Court ruled that the moderate physical pressure was not permissible, and that the prohibition is absolute. An interrogation must only use methods that are 'reasonable and fair'; that is, those that are 'necessarily... free of torture, free of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the subject and free of any degrading handling whatsoever' (interestingly, the court did not rule that sleep deprivation constituted an act that fell outside of lawful sanctions), The court also noted that torture is incompatible with Israel's Basic Law of Human Dignity and Liberty.
This is where Baer, Schemann, and others seem to have concluded their analysis; but the ruling does not stop there. The court included a fatal caveat in its grand declaration: the defence of necessity. Under the defence, interrogators who use moderate physical pressure can avoid criminal responsibility for their acts when they believe that circumstances require them. Based on section 34 (II) of the Israeli Penal Code, if an interrogator acts in a way that is 'immediately necessary' for the purpose of saving the life, body, or property of himself or another from serious, imminent harm, and claims that no other means would have achieved the desired result, he can avoid criminal liability. This sounds reasonable in theory: it immediately brings to mind the ticking bomb scenario, or a Hollywood set-piece in which the tough, determined interrogator saves a bus full of innocents at the last minute from a mad terrorist hijacker. In Israel, however—based on reports of human rights organizations—it hasn't played out quite that way.
Firstly, any further development of the defence beyond the paradigm of the ticking bomb scenario was left up to the government and the security services, who would have to lay down any guidelines advising when a situation could be deemed acceptably imminent to necessitate methods that would otherwise constitute an illegal act of torture. Adding to this vague and potentially over-permissive formula, part of the Court's ruling stated that even a terrorist act that would occur in days or even weeks could be 'imminent'. Ultimately, the Court said, the Attorney-General could decide himself whether a ticking bomb scenario had in fact occurred and the interrogator had acted properly. PCATI claims that the Attorney-General, as a result, grants 'wholesale, with no exception, the necessity defence approval for every single case of torture', and that 'hundreds' of cases have been approved this way—with, up until today, not a single interrogator being held responsible for acts for improper use of 'moderate physical pressure'.
The claims of detainees are even more disturbing. In 2007, a Hamoked and B'Tselem report (you can read it here) claimed that Palestinian detainees had been punched and kicked; hit with objects; thrown against walls; bound painfully with plastic handcuffs (some detainees were left with marks for months); sworn at; subjected to religious and sexual humiliation and degradation; denied basic needs (such as visits to the bathroom, medication or water); left shackled for hours in the sun; held in solitary confinement; held in uncomfortable and unsanitary conditions; subjected to sensory and sleep deprivation; tied in painful stress positions; and subjected to threats and intimidation against the detainee or his family, including threats of sexual violence against family members. Whether tactics amount to torture or 'merely' inhuman and degrading treatment is a matter of academic discussion. All are, at the very least, ill-treatment; and none, arguably, are inherent in ordinary lawful sanctions. Some of these did not occur during the interrogation themselves but during arrest and detention procedures; but surely such treatment as this, even outside of the interrogation room, contributes as much to breaking the detainee down and treats them as inhumanely as it would if it were accompanied by questions. While the incidence of ill-treatment may have decreased since the ruling, it nonetheless occurs with alarming frequency; and surely torture is such an abhorrent act that even a single detainee tortured is one too many, and presents a cause for real concern. In addition, there are claims that the security services have created confidential manuals laying out methods of 'moderate physical pressure' that can be used against detainees and which give interrogators the permission to do so in advance. This suggests that even despite the Court's ruling, such treatment has again become systemic.
As a result, PCATI initiated further legal action in 2008, having filed a contempt of court motion with the High Court against the Prime Minster and security services, claiming that 'the GSS systematically violates the Court's Judgment. In practice, a variety of sources point to the continued existence of a practice of GSS procedures and authorisations for torturing interrogees.' (See the PCATI website for more info).
So what can the US learn from Israel? Perhaps that when you prohibit torture and ill-treatment, you must do so absolutely for it to have any real effect. The creation of exceptions and defences to be developed, implemented, and monitored at the discretion of the government and security services is clearly going to be ineffective and subject to abuse. What the US needs (in my opinion) is a single, unifying federal statute against torture, one that unequivocally and effectively implements the Convention Against Torture. This is wishful thinking: we haven't even gotten so far as uncovering the full extent of torture and ill-treatment since 2001 quite yet; and the US has a number of declarations, reservations, and understandings applied to the Convention as it is. But while the 1999 Israeli ruling was an important one insofar as it declared, at least in theory, that torture is inconsistent with Israel's guiding democratic principles, it neither rejected nor prohibited torture absolutely. The real lesson is that any concessions to torture—even those that apply exclusively to emergency situations—open the door to further abuse. The Obama Administration has the perfect moment to reaffirm the international legal prohibition of torture outright by strengthening domestic law so that torture is never permitted and those that torture are always held to account; if there is any lesson to be learned from Israel, it is that for any such prohibition to be meaningful and effective, it must be absolute and unequivocal.
Labels: Israel, Palestinians, PCATI


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Ty Herndon makes an appearance in a few minutes on channel 21's Web site performing songs live for the channel's Soundcheck. I'm not really sure why they are featuring him at a time no one will probably catch it. 2 p.m. guys? Really? UPDATE: That would be now.
But at least this appearance on the news isn't like his infamous 1995 incident. He was arrested in Fort Worth at Gateway Park for allegedly soliciting sex from a male undercover cop. It didn't help that he was also found in possession of over two grams of methamphetamine. Ouch.


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Thank you, Bob, for that kind introduction.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm delighted to be here today and share this venue with both Bob Tobias and Kevin Mahoney. Both are staunchly committed to public service—to President Kennedy's timeless challenge of almost 50 years ago—'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country'—and to President Obama's promise to redefine that call to service for our own time. A time of new priorities and new capabilities, new challenges and new opportunities.
From a personal standpoint, there were many factors that influenced my own decision to join the President's leadership team, but when Secretary Shinseki asked me to help him transform the Department of Veterans Affairs, I saw an opportunity to make a difference, to be a catalyst for change and progress. And to make my own contribution to public service. In no small part, my decision was influenced by my personal understanding of VA; my dad spent the last years of his life being cared for in a VA facility.
Like his predecessor in the 1960s, President Obama wants to engage a new generation of Americans to consider committing themselves to either government service, military service, or community service. His management agenda is clear—to build a 'high-performing government'—results-oriented and forward-looking.
Good government is a reflection of the almost two million people who make it that way, and their dedication and leadership have been essential to fulfilling the contract between government and the governed for 233 years. Because of that fact, human capital, in my view, ranks as government's most important resource. And we need to treat that National resource as we would any other—as a vital strategic asset worthy of our ongoing investment.
In my remarks this morning I will make three main points:
That there is a link between investment in human capital and improvement in government performance. That the new Administration is serious about improving performance and, consequently, is committed to improving strategic human capital as a means to improve the quality of execution. And that the combination of increased pressure on performance and an understanding of the central role of strategic human capital in achieving results will require Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) to think, plan, and act differently than they have in the past.
The link between investment in people and organizational performance, in my view, is well documented. Facts support investment in people. A study of private sector firms in several industries, performed in the 1990s by my colleague, Linda Bilmes, found about a 24% premium in total shareholder value for firms that invested in its people. Standing in the way of investment in people in government is an old, legacy problem—an outdated, process-driven, user-'unfriendly' personnel system. A 20th century system ill-suited to the demands of the 21st century.
It's not the model we want in place if we are to attract the 'best and the brightest' to government service. And in fact, surveys of college juniors and seniors report that today only one-third of respondents would even consider government employment.
Why? We all know the answers:
Because of these, and other, long-standing systemic problems, workforce transformation is a high-priority on the President's 'To Do' list, one that calls for major changes across a range of areas—from recruitment, through retention, to retirement.
The goal is to develop a framework that synchronizes current human resources theory with accepted, successful management practices; that executes progressive policies from both the public and private sectors; and that incorporates the 'people factor' in the way we manage. I'm talking about a people-focused culture where employees are valued; and where there's a commitment to performance and initiative.
Our counterparts in industry have been thinking about the people factor for a long time. And so have managers in government. They know there's a direct link between an organization's investment in its employees and that organization's performance. How you treat your people correlates to how well your customers are served … and that directly impacts the bottom line.
Government may not be concerned about quarterly P/L statements or dividends, but it also has a 'bottom line.' Instead of shareholders, our customers are American taxpayers. And instead of high profits, our 'corporate' goal is to enhance the value of government's contribution to the security and welfare of all Americans.
To help meet that goal, the President has brought Jeffrey Zients onto his team as Chief Performance Officer.
In addition to streamlining government operations and improving value to taxpayers, Mr. Zients' mandate is to lead the creation of a new performance management system. It is no small task. The Executive Order for Performance Improvement is in place, and an OMB team is on-the-job collecting information, conducting diagnostics, and developing an initial plan as a springboard to an overarching performance management model.
Whatever approach is ultimately hammered out to define what agencies must do to achieve superior results, much of Jeffrey Zients' work will involve people.
He will be looking for buy-in among many stakeholders that range from the Congress, to unions, to the taxpayer and to an array of agencies whose scope and scale can rival the world's largest corporations. For example, if my department, VA, were a Fortune 500 company, it would rank at about #12 with over $112 billion in annual taxpayer-provided revenues.
Transformations, of any size or scope, are challenging, and they require all the initiative, critical-thinking skills, and decision-making abilities that are a manager's stock-in-trade. The nation's new CPO will be looking to agency leaders whose understanding of their mission, customers, and workforce gives them a grass-roots ability to lay the bedrock for implementing change and leveraging progress.
My colleague, Director John Berry at OPM, is focused on making changes to the strategic human capital system. John has already issued a new series of requirements to improve the way we hire talent in government. A broad set of reforms are expected shortly.
Finally, Pete Orszag issued several personnel-related requirements as an integral part of the FY 2011 budget process.
Our new Administration is serious about performance and human capital. The implications for CHCOs are significant. The Administration will be asking CHCOs and HR managers to do new things to participate in C-suite decision-making responsibility for execution.
To better support agency goals, HR principals will need to collaborate and sometimes lead in transformation initiatives. They will be charged with translating strategy into operations, and policy into measurable results. Within their departments, CHCOs will be catalysts to build the processes and environment conducive to high performance.
They will be answering agency-specific questions in response to Federal-wide plans and blueprints:
How should the agency staff to meet its mission? What is the strategy?
What skills are required—in what amount and at which locations—to meet operating requirements?
What is the optimal structure that would best fit the requirements of transformation?
What is required to implement a performance improvement plan?
What data-gathering and transformation capabilities need to be created?
CHCOs will have to assume a strategic role among agency top leadership. This means new knowledge, skills, and abilities and a very high level of functioning. CHCOs will need to take on a more meaningful role in all aspects of people issues. Simply put, CHCOs will have to possess new job skills to be able to thrive in this new environment. As an agency COO, here is my top list of skills and competencies:
In leadership—Setting their agency's transformation vision and values;
delivering communications consistently and continuously to support the transformation message; and engaging the workforce and creating a focus for action to improve performance and achieve goals.
In strategic planning—Developing processes to include identifying key process
steps and participants; executing transformation through clear action plans; and setting performance projections with benchmarks, goals, past performance.
In customer focus—Analyzing and using customer data to build a more customer-focused employee culture and identifying organizational opportunities for innovation.
In measurements, analysis, and knowledge management—First, in performance measurement: selecting, collecting, aligning, integrating data/information to track daily operations and overall organizational performance, including progress toward objectives.
Next, in performance analysis and review: using available tools to review all organizational performance and capabilities data.
Also performance improvement: translating performance review findings into priorities for improvement and opportunities for innovation.
In data, information, and knowledge management: Ensuring its accuracy, integrity, reliability, timeliness, security, confidentiality and accessibility to workforce, partners, collaborators; and managing information resources and technology that support access to data and information.
In workforce focus—Building an environment conducive to high performance; engaging the workforce through enrichment and leader development; and creating a workforce environment that supports employee capability and a positive workforce climate.
In process management: Designing work systems and key work processes that capitalize on core competencies, meet key requirements, and incorporate technology, organizational knowledge, and the potential need for organizational agility; managing work processes and obtaining input from workforce, customers, suppliers, partners and other collaborators; and improving work processes to achieve better performance, reduce variability, improve products, and keep processes current with business needs.
And last, in results, across many dimensions. Specifically in terms of product and service performance; customer-focused performance; financial and marketplace performance; workforce-focused performance; process effectiveness results; and leadership results
People are pivotal, and we need to make a commitment in concrete terms.
CHCOs will need to be quicker and more agile in helping their organizations accomplish their mission. As an agency COO, I am also looking for a CHCO who is a problem-solver, innovative, quick to meet customer needs, collaborative, and ready to work with unions, front line employees, and middle management to accomplish the mission.
Over the coming months and years, as Government goes about the business of improving performance, it will have to transform its way of managing human capital. We would do well to consider and adopt promising practices across sectors, where it makes sense to do so.
I'm confident that if we work hard enough and smart enough, we can realize the performance management and transformation goals we've set for ourselves. I believe we can restore the uplifting meaning to the old saying, 'Good enough for Government work.'
Today, as we all know too well, it alludes to the notion that 'Government work' is done just well enough to get by, and with neither care nor pride.
At the turn of the 20th century, however, 'Good enough for Government work' was a phrase used to measure work against the highest of standards. It referred to Government construction standards. And it meant the best.
In this Information Age, when the American public thinks that that phrase again means the very best, it will undoubtedly mean that we have stopped treating our people as a cost, and started thinking of them as an investment.
Bob, thank you, again, for inviting me here today. And now, if you have any questions or comments, I'd be happy to take them.


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44 vehicles, log truck involved in massive I-84 crash: 'A war zone'
BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) -- More than 40 vehicles crashed in a massive traffic crash on Interstate 84 involving a logging truck Thursday morning.
Idaho State Police says at least 44 vehicles were involved and 10 people were transported to the hospital. Multiple injuries have been reported.
One law enforcement official described the scene as a "war zone." Idaho State Police says it's currently counting the number of vehicles involved. There have been no reports of any fatalities.
The most serious injury was to the driver of the Subaru, which ended up smashed in the logging truck. Early Friday morning, ISP identified the driver as 52-year-old Jose D. Silva-Cuellar of Meridian. He's currently listed in serious condition.
An Idaho Press-Tribune reporter, Justin Dalme, who said he saw the crash, saw the logging truck and multiple vehicles involved.
"It was a massive chain reaction," Dalme said. "I kept seeing car after car involved in the crash...it was an eerie scene out there."
KBOI 2News reporter Scott Logan said he's never seen a crash like it. Silva-Cuellar was trapped in his vehicle for more than an hour as crews worked to free him.
"Wrecked cars, trucks over two miles on westbound I84 near 10 Mile," Logan wrote on Twitter. "Many hurt." | Photos from the Scene
It took several hours for ISP to conduct its investigation and for crews to clear the scene. The interstate was opened back up just before 2 p.m.
"There was people jumping out of vehicles running as more vehicles were pilling into the cars," one driver told KBOI 2News.
A bus arrived at the scene to take drivers and witnesses not injured in the crash away from the scene.
A ValleyRide bus was dispatched to the scene to act as a portable warming station and eventually took five people to their destinations.
Several drivers were cited for driving too fast for conditions and there may be other citations issued.
Watch raw interviews from three drivers involved in the crash:


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Jon Busch, Victor Bernardez and Marvin Chavez are each up for weekly Major League Soccer awards, and they need your help, Quakes fans!
Busch is up for Save of the Week: Week 4, for his double save in the 70th minute to help preserve the shutout victory at Seattle Sounders FC on March 31. Off a Seattle free kick from the left sideline, Busch first made a reflex save lunging to his left, of a right-footed flick by Sounders striker Fredy Montero from just outside the six-yard box. He then gathered himself in time to dive again to his left to collect a low, driven shot from outside the penalty area by Zach Scott, as the ball ultimately rebounded out to the defender.
Fan voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday, April 5. Click HERE to vote for Buschy.
Meanwhile, Bernardez and Chavez are each among four players up for Latino Player of the Week. Bernardez was again an anchor at center back in Seattle, while Chavez tracked back numerous times to steal the ball and aid his defense, in addition to his stellar offensive display on the wings for the Quakes.
Click HERE to vote for Bernardez or Chavez.


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Citing recently uncovered "substantial, troubling evidence of severe harm" to patients, inmate attorneys filed a motion in federal court on Thursday asking for stricter oversight of psychiatric programs at Salinas Valley State Prison and other prisons.
Attorneys Michael Bien and Ernest Galvan singled out the Department of State Hospitals, which runs the mental health unit inside Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.
In the department's prison psychiatric facilities, the motion says, chronic understaffing, denial of care for prisoners on death row or with upcoming release dates, and basic supply shortages caused by cost-cutting efforts all "create a dangerous and inhumane environment for inmate-patients."
The motion said "dangerous policies and practices" at the Salinas Valley program contributed to the suicide of a patient there last fall.
The attorneys wrote the 35-year-old man scrawled a cell-wall suicide note that read, "I came in here slightly depressed. Now I am severely depressed. This place is hopeless!"
They also noted the death of another Salinas Valley patient last month, "under circumstances yet to be disclosed" by the state.
The patient was Desmond Jovan Watkins, 36, who has been identified by The Herald though authorities have not released his name. The Department of State Hospitals has not issued a statement as to the cause of his death, although department officials say suicide is not suspected.
Bien and Galvan's motion asked federal judges for specific orders to keep the Salinas Valley program fully staffed; to investigate the unit's practice of locking down new patients in their cells; to oversee the provision of basic patient necessities such as clean laundry; and to make sure other issues are investigated by a federally appointed special master.
The filing includes an 11-page declaration by Dr. Joel Badeaux, a psychiatrist who recently left the program after asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate conditions at the unit, known as the Salinas Valley Psychiatric Program.
Badeaux and other psychiatrists warned that severely low staffing levels present a danger to doctors and patients.
Calling conditions at the program "unconscionable and unacceptable," Badeaux wrote, "I believe that if people knew about the conditions for the mentally ill at SVPP, action would be taken to remedy the situation rather than allowing patients to suffer on account of lack of treatment and poor conditions."
He said "pressure to eliminate the waitlist for DSH care led to premature discharge of patients in our care."
Badeaux wrote he saw "significant shortages" of clean clothes, bedding and soap for patients, and said patients had to put on dirty underwear after showering.
"My patients told me they had to wear soiled clothes," he wrote, and that they were cold but "unable to get blankets."
Badeaux wrote that two months ago, a psychologist sent an email about the shortages to the unit's psychiatric staff and administration, but conditions did not change.
The motion coincided with a strongly worded order issued Thursday by a three-judge panel demanding that the state list all the steps it will take to reduce the prison population to 137 percent of design capacity by the end of this year.
The list and a plan to implement it must be completed in 21 days.
Gov. Jerry Brown's administration has so far rejected suggestions on how to further reduce inmate numbers, saying state prisoner "realignment" has lowered the levels enough.
Saying they exercised "exceptional restraint," the three judges threatened Brown with contempt charges if the state doesn't comply with their orders.
"We make this observation reluctantly," the judges wrote, "but with determination that defendants will not be allowed to continue to violate the requirements of the Constitution of the United States."
The judges shot down the state's request to end federal oversight of care provided to California's 32,000 inmates with mental health issues.
Julia Reynolds can be reached at 648-1187 or email@example.com.


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Hurdle Mills Auto Insurance
Find Cheap Auto Insurance in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina
Looking for the best deals on auto insurance in Hurdle Mills, NC? We make finding the most affordable car insurance quick and easy with our comprehensive directory of Hurdle Mills auto insurance companies and online tools that help you compare insurance plans instantly. Find leading car insurance providers in your area, read reviews and get free auto insurance quotes in just a few simple steps. Protect your vehicle without hurting your wallet - get started now!
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Gentian Root
Veterinarian Reviewed on June 6, 2012 by Paulina Nelega, RH
Posted in Uncategorized
Gentian Root, aka Long Dan Cao (Radix Genitanae Scabrae)
It is a plant growing about 2 meters tall with elliptic leaves. The flowers of the plant are yellow. The root itself has a rather bitter taste but it is widely used as a medicinal tonic. The herb is found in two forms as a powder or in tincture form. Orally it is used for digestive disorders and for fever and topically it can be used for treating wounds and cancer.
The Gentian root originates from the mountains of central Europe. It was then transferred to Asia and America where it flourishes. Gentian is used in both Eastern and Western medicine for the same reasons.
First of all it has both anti inflammatory and anti allergic effects. It can stimulate the production of bile and saliva and help with the assimilation of fats in foods and from the body. Besides being a stomachic tonic it has antiseptic properties and it is useful in hysteria and in female weakness. Gentian is used to reduce the fever in common Colds and stimulate the glands, helping with the production of bile, which in turn helps with proper functioning of the liver. It is also important for cleaning the bowels and stimulates circulation. Traditionally, it has been used to treat wounds and is taken orally for inflammation.
Ancient Uses
Other properties of this root include the production of sugars and it is very beneficial for the digesting organs. Hence it is used worldwide as an appetite stimulant or as a digestive aid. It increases the appetite, stimulates bile and saliva and decreases intestinal inflammation. It is one of the most useful natural tonics. The Gentian herb also has sedative and relaxing effects on the central nervous system making it useful to calm people suffering from hysterics, shock, stress and other over stimulated conditions.
It has found use in treating certain syndromes such as Leukorrhagia, Pudic eczema and Puritus vulvae. Useful in combination with other herbs for clearing dampness and heat attributes in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
When used in combination with Chai Hu (Bupleurum Root) and Longdan Xiegan Tang, it can treat bitter taste of the mouth, hypochondriac pain, Headaches and conjunctival congestion. A similar recipe is often used to cleanse and normalize the gallbladder to cure jaundice.
Other uses for this herb include : Febrile diseases due to excessive heat of the liver channels, infantile convulsions that include excessive fevers and for easing endogenic wind a condition known as Liang Jing Wan.
Modern Uses
Gentian Root has found many applications in today's medical field. It has promising signs to help treat hypertension, especially hypertension that includes headaches, Insomnia, irritability, excessive thirst, dysuria and rapid wiry pulse. A clinical study has shown it can help treat Hepatitis and in some subjects it cured them of non icteric hepatitis. In the same study several jaundice sufferers found relief from their ailment too.
Cholecystitis sufferers were found many times to achieve a total recovery achieved after being treated with a combination of herbs that included Gentian Root; and patients that had upper gastrointestinal bleeding were treated with Long Dan and had a 98% recovery rate. Samples were taken afterward and no traces of blood were found.
Side Effects
There are no recorded serious side effects associated with taking this herb. However some patients, who experience frequent heartburn, have stomach ulcers or have over active stomach acid production should not use Gentian root until these issues are cleared up. Other mild reactions could occur including mild headaches and indigestion.
Our Expert
Paulina Nelega, RH, has been in private practice as a Clinical Herbalist for over 15 years. She has developed and taught courses in herbal medicine, and her articles on health have appeared in numerous publications. She is very passionate about the healing power of nature. Ask Dr. Jan


text: News Article Lifesize Receives JITC Certification To Provide Solutions To Federal Agencies Staff Published August 5, 2010 in Westron Communications The mobile element comes through an acquisition, of an Italian company, Mirial, and will, for the first time, allow Lifesize to have a real-time mobile capability. The cloud element comes from the announcement of its Lifesize Connections cloud-based HD videoconferencing platform, as well as Lifesize Passport Connect, an HD video conferencing system optimized for cloud-based platforms with plug-and-play technology. See the Report


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Watkins Westminster 'Black Star' 14w
Brand: Watkins/WEM
Available now. Super-rare 14w 'Black Star' Westminster using a pair of EL90 (6AQ5) valves - one of only 10 made - serviced and sounding stunning - stripped back to bare wood....Read more
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Super-rare 14 watt incarnation of the fabulous Watkins Westminster - serviced and sounding stunning - missing original covering, stripped back to bare wood.
One of only ten of these amps ever made utilising a pair of EL90s, this is a stunning little amp with a big warm sound - scroll down for a demo.
Read Tony's detailed blog post about the history and sound of this amp here.
Stripped of it's hideous replacement red vinyl (originally it would have been black/cream with white stars) and with a non-original footswitch and speaker grille (and a replacement Watkins logo), it has been serviced and is ready to rock.
It's been left ready to re-cover as the buyer sees fit (we love the bare wood look) which means there can be some vibration from the plexi panel against the case where it would usually be damped by the covering - this can easily be rectified by the use of blu tack or similar.
Internally it has had a careful full service to bring it up to spec and replace ageing components. It contains a selection of vintage valves. Click on the photos to zoom in and scroll through to see more shots including detail of the interior and valves.
In this condition it is not a collector's piece. What it is however is a superb and uncommon recording amp that's loud enough for smaller gigs. It sounds lovely - warm and mellow when you want, but with plenty of grunt and snarl when pushed - a fantastic, versatile recording amp.
It is a UK 240v model so will require a step-up transformer for US/Canada.
Tax (VAT)
Some of our gear will have VAT at 20% added in the UK/EU, but a lot of it won't. This should hopefully clarify the situation but if you have any questions then please get in touch.
- These items will have two prices visible: with and without the tax.
- If you are buying in the UK/EU you will receive an invoice showing the tax component.
- If you are buying these items outside the EU when you get to the check out and enter your shipping location you will be charged the ex-VAT price.
- VAT-free sales are also possible to businesses within the EU with a valid VAT number. You will need to contact us in order to buy via this means.
- Much of what we sell is classified as "Second Hand Goods" and so while we still pay some tax, there is no recoverable/deductible component for sales to any part of the world.
- So, the price you see is the price you pay wherever you are.
- Shipping charges are also subject to VAT at 20% within the UK/EU - this is included within the prices you see for shipping to those areas - it is not shown separately in the cart but will be shown on the VAT invoice you receive with your goods.
WE OFFER FREE SHIPPING TO THE UK! There are some exclusions for distant areas and islands (see below), and also some occasional exclusions for very large/heavy/valuable items which will be clearly noted in the item descriptions.
- You will need a bespoke shipping quote!
- Our shipping calculator on here won't give you the right figure (and may well not give you one at all).
- Please get in touch via the contact page and we can give an accurate shipping figure for multiple items.
- If it is outside office hours and you are concerned about missing a piece of gear then buy it at the quoted shipping rate, send us a message saying what else it is you want to add, and we will deal with the discount once we are back on email.
- You can do this with absolute confidence that we will give you a full refund if the final shipping quote is doesn't work for you.
We are very experienced at packing and shipping valuable and sensitive gear worldwide - Binson Echorecs, large valve amps, vintage synths - you name it, we've sent it and it's arrived in one piece. Obviously from time to time with vintage items there are times when gear arrives in need of some adjustment or calibration, and some times a piece of gear that was working 100% just chooses the day after arriving for a new fault to develop - however, we are also very experienced at dealing with these occurences and will always work with you to solve the problem
The shipping prices for our gear vary considerably depending on the type of gear, value and destination. Currently the only way for you to see shipping is to put the item you are interested in the cart and then either use the shipping estimator or go into the check out process. Or just contact us and we'll tell you what you need to know.
Note that we have have not entered automatic shipping for every country. The countries we ship to most often will have shipping rates and we are in the process of adding more shipping fees to the check out process. But if you are looking at an item that doesn't have the fee information you need then please use the contact page or call on 07543 855788.
Also note that for some items we are able to discount shipping to North America - continental USA and Canada. The fees you see at check out will take this discount into account. But if you have a question... you know what to do.
We use Royal Mail, UPS and DPD/Interlink - it depends on the item and destination as to which is the most economical. If you have a preference then we should be able to accommodate it (but we may need to pass on any additional costs).
We are not able to ship free to some of the UK islands (e.g. Channel Islands) and also to some of the further reaches of Scotland. If you think you might be in one of those area and want an accurate shipping quote before you buy then please get in touch.
There are also some items which we cannot offer free shipping on to the UK. These will be clearly noted in the description.