text:
Research support was provided by The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.
On May 24 Elizabeth Warren was back on Capitol Hill testifying before Congress, defending her brainchild, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a key element of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation. Warren is a major celebrity in Washington, an Oklahoma-born Harvard law professor who's done more than anyone since Ralph Nader to put consumer protection on the national agenda. The room was packed with reporters, consumer advocates and lobbyists. GOP Representative Patrick McHenry, who chaired the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, could barely hide his disgust for the CFPB and Warren, accusing her of lying to Congress and frequently interrupting her answers. "In a few short weeks," McHenry warned ominously, "the bureau will become a powerful instrument in the hands of progressive regulators."
In part because it's one of the strongest aspects of Dodd-Frank, the CFPB has become a favorite target of Republican attacks, right up there with George Soros, ACORN and Planned Parenthood. It's been called "one of the greatest assaults on economic liberty in my lifetime" (Representative Jeb Hensarling) and "the most powerful agency ever created" (Representative Spencer Bachus). The Wall Street Journal opinion page denounced Warren and the bureau three times in one week in March. And the bureau hasn't even officially launched!
On May 13 the House Financial Services Committee passed three bills designed to weaken the CFPB, which goes live on July 21. One was sponsored by freshman Representative Sean Duffy, the telegenic former star of The Real World: Boston. When he entered Congress, Duffy admitted he "wasn't very familiar" with "banking issues, housing issues, insurance issues. These are specific issues that I didn't deal with in my entire life." Yet within a few months he found himself denouncing the CFPB as a "rogue agency" with an "authoritarian structure" and introducing legislation to give existing banking regulators greater authority to override the bureau's new rules. Other bills passed by the committee sought to change the structure of the bureau from a single director to a bipartisan commission, making it harder to act quickly and decisively, and prevent the bureau from assuming power until the Senate confirms a director. In a rather stunning bit of hostage taking, forty-four Senate Republicans recently announced they would not approve any nominee for the CFPB unless the GOP proposals were implemented. (Warren and CFPB officials declined interview requests.)
At one May hearing Duffy claimed his bill would protect small bankers and credit unions in his district. "I come from central and northern Wisconsin," he said. "This is not Wall Street, I promise you." Yet the legislation has endeared him to the most powerful financial interests on Capitol Hill and K Street's lobbying corridor. In recent months groups opposed to the bureau, such as the American Bankers Association (ABA), the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU), have donated thousands to Duffy's re-election campaign. "Why is Sean Duffy sponsoring this legislation?" asks Ed Mierzwinski, director of the consumer program at USPIRG. "How many big banks are in Wausau, Wisconsin? This is all about money."


text:
Recipe for a hungry planet
Feeling helpless about starving children in Asia or even next door? If you're looking for ways to put food on your neighbor's tables, these five practical suggestions are a ...
Facts are facts: There is enough food in the world to feed the world. So why do 1 billion still go hungry? Why do 30,000 die every day of starvation? And why does the number of hungry people rise at a rate of 5 million per year?
Catholic Relief Services [1]' food aid expert William Lynch says it is quite simply a lack of desire. "Of course there is enough food to give to those who need it," he says. "But is there the will? Absolutely not."
Most agree the eradication of hunger and poverty depends on a combination of person-to-person compassion in the form of organized aid as well as an overhaul of societal and civic structures that prevent equitable access to food. The task seems Herculean, and the average Joe is easily discouraged.
Still, one would be hard-pressed to find a person of faith who doesn't see feeding the hungry as part of a Christian's duty. "The theme of meals and eating permeates the gospels," says Mark Brinkmoeller, director of church relations for Bread for the World, an anti-hunger organization. "In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, 'Whom have you fed?' And we will be judged on this. This is intrinsic to our faith."
Sen. George McGovern, former ambassador to the United Nations' food agency and coauthor of Ending Hunger Now [2] (Augsburg Fortress), puts it in blunt terms: "If we fail to do this, we will stand condemned before the bar of history. In that case, shame on you, and shame on me."
The biggest problem facing the hungry is the poverty trap: the cyclical combination of no money, no food, and no health care. Malnutrition leads to illness; illness drains financial resources; drained finances lead to malnutrition. Factor in a lack of access to education, financial services, or credit-all of which prevent upward economic mobility-and you've got a person who is-in a word-trapped.
On the international scene, we see photographs of emaciated victims of famine caused by drought, civil war, or natural disaster. We see children with distended bellies and vacant eyes, collarbones and shoulder blades protruding. These are the extreme, but all too frequent, cases. About 8 percent of child deaths from starvation are a result of emergency food shortage.
In our own country we may not see hunger the way we can in the midst of international crises, but it's there: in students who can't concentrate because their stomachs are empty, in elderly people who skip meals, and in parents who forego their own needs so that their kids can eat. America's Second Harvest served 25.3 million Americans with emergency food aid last year, including almost 9 million children.
Meanwhile thousands of people look for ways to fill all these empty bellies, and among them a thousand different approaches can be found. Here are five of those ways and what you can do to join the effort.
1. Give a man a fish
The most obvious way to help hungry people is, of course, to give them food. Countless groups here and abroad raise money for direct food aid, distributing meals to people in crisis.
When the tsunami hit Asia at 9:26 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2004, Catholic Relief Services and its partners were serving emergency meals by lunchtime. For months they continued to provide food and shelter for the displaced victims until they could get back on their feet.
Direct food aid serves an immediate need-an emergency situation. CRS, and many others like it, also seeks to establish programs that will serve the long-term needs of the community: sufficient nutrition, healthcare, education, and employment.
The secret to Heifer International [3]'s success is that animals reproduce, says Ray White, one of Heifer's directors, of the worldwide organization that provides domestic animals to needy families in the United States and abroad. "If you put two tractors together, you don't get a third tractor," he says.
From water buffalo, cows, and sheep to rabbits, chickens, and honey- bees, Heifer provides animals that will be a source of income, food, or both, and gives people the tools they will need to succeed, like training in animal care, agricultural techniques, finances, marketing, reading, and writing. Recipients promise to pass on the gift by donating at least one of their animal's offspring to a neighbor in need.
"It's amazing how one small animal can completely change the life of a family," White says.
White recently returned from a Heifer project in Nepal, where a women's cooperative received a small herd of goats several years ago. The co-op now has more than $10,000 in a bank savings account and was able to pass on 56 goats-more than they started with-to another women's co-op.
2. This time it's political
CRS' Lynch recently returned from Haiti, where the average person is experiencing a 460-calorie food deficit per day. "That's lunch. Everybody there is missing a meal every single day."
Lynch points to a change in government policies to gain ground in the battle against hunger. "Ending hunger is possible," he says, "but we have to overcome something in our nature. As Catholics, we don't demand of our Catholic legislators that they support a preferential option for poor, but we do judge them on certain other policy points."
With the 2008 presidential campaign already underway, it will be up to concerned Americans to make sure poverty relief has a place on each candidate's agenda. Lynch sizes up the problem: "There's no constituency for the poor. Their vote is not a significant voice." So who will speak for them?
Bread for the World [4] (BFW) believes that hunger is indeed a political problem, so it lobbies the U.S. government to adopt or strengthen legislation that will get food to those who need it. BFW looks both at domestic hunger-including dispelling the myth that there is no domestic hunger with facts such as "14 million children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet"-and channeling U.S. funds to international food aid.
"The difficulty we face, though, is that there is so little faith in government and its ability to solve problems. When you serve at a food pantry, you see the person actually receive the can of food you give; it's tangible. But through government there is a disconnect."
BFW provides background on legislation, then asks people to write letters to their congressional representatives or the president. They also encourage phone calls and visits to representatives.
BFW's efforts, along with its lobbying partners on Capitol Hill, including Catholic Charities USA [5] and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [6], secured a $1.4 billion increase in foreign aid earmarked for poverty relief in the 2007 budget. They also helped to avoid major cuts proposed to food stamps and other hunger-relief programs.
In 2007 BFW is focusing on the Seeds of Change campaign, addressing broad reforms proposed to the Farm Bill, which comes up in Congress every five years for reapproval. Lynch offers a suggested revision to the Farm Bill: "An excess of $3 billion to $5 billion is spent each year to keep farmland from being farmed. We could use that money to buy food to feed the poor. These farmers could grow food specifically for the poor, and the U.S. could buy it and distribute it."
Also on the agenda is passing the Hunger-Free Communities Act, a bipartisan bill that encourages local groups to create a social safety net in their own communities.
Ending world hunger will take the political will of the world as well as the United States. According to Jeffrey Sachs, economist and founder of Millennium Promise, the question is not "Can rich countries afford to help the poor ones?" but "Can the rich afford not to?" His answer, of course, is no. And while Sachs believes in the fundamental moral obligation to alleviate poverty and hunger around the world, his book The End of Poverty [7] (Penguin) appeals even more to the purely economic rationale.
Sachs suggests a five-fold approach for international investment. All five elements must be implemented simultaneously to make improvements that last: agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and safe drinking water and sanitation.
Under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the 22 richest countries in the world pledged to give 0.7 percent of their GNP to official development assistance. Similar pledges have been made to the United Nations since 1970. Yet few of these industrialized countries are making good on their promises. In 2005 only five countries met or exceeded a 0.7 percent contribution. The United States gave only 0.22 percent, accounting for almost half of the total assistance shortfall.
Sachs insists that international funds at even 0.5 percent of rich-world GDP would be enough to end extreme poverty in the world. He cites the example of Ghana, which developed a poverty reduction strategy in 2002 that called for $8 billion in foreign aid over five years. Sachs calls the strategy "exceptionally well-designed" with high potential for success. But donors would only come up with $2 billion, and Ghana's attempt at attacking poverty came up woefully short.
Sachs may succeed where others have failed with his ability to popularize the economics of poverty eradication. He's toured Africa on highly publicized trips with superstars Bono and Angelina Jolie, who are happy to lend their names and money to the effort. Students at Columbia University were even selling T-shirts that read "Jeff Sachs is my homeboy."
3. Bank it
A major problem for most poor people is that they do not have access to financial services such as lines of credit, savings accounts, or any kind of financial advice or planning. In most of the developing world, bank fees for a simple account are out of reach. As such, cash hidden under a mattress or in a jar is about the only choice.
Often it would take only a very little bit of money (by U.S. standards) to allow poor people to get a leg up on their financial difficulties. A $50 loan could be enough capital to start a fruit stand or a sewing shop. In theory, a person would then be able to support herself sufficiently, as well as pay back the loan over time.
Susy Cheston is senior vice president of Opportunity International [8], a Christian microfinance organization that serves nearly 1 million clients with small loans. Cheston tells the story of Ana Martinez, a mother of five children in El Salvador. Her family lost everything they had in an earthquake, and Martinez's husband could not find work. They lived in a shantytown in a one-room, corrugated metal house with no plumbing or electricity. But Ana could make beautiful piñatas. She told Cheston, "If I had some paper and materials, I could sell so many of these."
So Cheston arranged for a $100 loan, which Martinez used to buy paper, glue, and chicken wire. She quickly increased her business to take in $4 per day, then $6 a day. The first things she did were to enroll her children in school and buy them shoes. A few years later they moved into a three-room concrete home with a roof, electricity, and plumbing.
Well-meaning people often ask Cheston how they can send shoes to the children in El Salvador. "I say to them, 'We certainly could have bought shoes and sent them to Ana, but instead we invested $100 so she was able to buy them herself.' Most importantly she has the pride, dignity, and joy of being able to care for her own children."
When Muhammad Yunus started lending money to poor people, critics said he would never see it repaid. But in fact Yunus found the opposite to be true. From cash loans out of his own pocket, he built the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which boasts a 99 percent repayment rate, much higher than that of commercial lenders or credit cards. The recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, Grameen Bank now has 6.39 million borrowers, 96 percent of whom are women, and provides services in 69,140 villages.
According to Cheston, only 5 to 10 percent of demand for credit in poor communities is met, and savings and insurance are also needed. Out of the 3 billion poorest people in the world, only 10 million have insurance, and a poor person has the highest chance of being a victim to natural disaster, a health problem, or theft. "It's like Chutes and Ladders for them," says Cheston. "Every time they can get a leg up on their finances, they hit one of the chutes of a medical emergency or a robbery. It's a huge setback."
4. Sow the seeds of love
Another approach to filling empty bellies is to improve yields of local crops, particularly on family farms. Some argue whether large-scale agro-tech programs, such as the famous post-World War II Green Revolution, are successful against hunger, since increased production of food does not necessarily mean that that food is reaching the mouths of the hungry, or even being sold for a profit that benefits the hungry. Furthermore, a heated debate goes on over genetically modified seed varieties.
But most can agree that-especially in areas that have had unsuccessful harvests due to drought, disease, insects, or other pests-heartier seeds, improved fertilization methods, and irrigation can increase food production and help to feed the population.
One success story is the introduction of nitrogen-fixing trees in Sauri, Kenya, a Millennium Promise project. The International Center for Research in Agroforestry introduced a method of planting trees that are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a compound that is nutritious to food crops, and is thus a natural substitute for chemical nitrogen fertilizer. As an added benefit, the trees also provide wood for cooking fires.
An Australian institute has developed another way to spread improved agricultural techniques and technology to the developing world using the Internet. Cambia promotes "open source" technology for agriculture, in the same way that software developers share ideas. Much of today's agricultural advancement has been protected by patents that make it expensive or impossible for farmers in the developing world to access it.
Cambia's founder is Richard Johnson, a biotech scientist responsible for developing the primary building block to plant DNA recombination.
"If we're really interested in ending world hunger we have to be focused on what resources are available," says Johnson. "The most important resource is human creativity and commitment to innovate. We are working toward changing options-structurally-in this area."
5. You are what you eat
In contrast, Diet for a Small Planet [9] (Ballantine) author Francis Moore Lappé, who credits Catholic social teaching as one of her influences, says that higher agricultural yields are simply not the answer, since there is already enough food to feed the whole planet yet the food is not distributed equally.
The root of the trouble is the centralization of economic power: Those who have power dictate what foods are produced and how they are made available. Those who don't have power are at the mercy of the system. "I came to see how our production system treats even an essential ingredient of life itself-food-as just another commodity, totally divorcing itself from human need," Lappé says.
A prime symptom of this problem, says Lappé, is that nearly half of all grain worldwide is fed to livestock. In the United States it takes an average of 16 pounds of grain fed to cows to produce one pound of beef. Lappé says a meat-centered diet is inherently wasteful, because humans can get protein from plant sources, and Americans already eat twice the amount of protein their bodies can use. In short, wealthier nations create a market demand for meat, so grain gets fed to livestock, and those who cannot afford meat are left without.
Interestingly Lappé is not a vegetarian. "What I advocate is the return to the traditional diet on which our bodies evolved. Traditionally the human diet has centered on plant foods with animal foods playing a supplementary role," she says.
Lappé's daughter, Anna Lappé, has joined the fight for food equality and together they founded the Small Planet Institute. "We know we have persistent hunger because of lack of democracy, not lack of food," says Anna. "People who go hungry have a lack of power over their own food choices. We can shift food democracy by using our own power to choose food from local sources."
For those who find choosing locally produced food inconvenient and time-consuming, Anna came out with a cookbook called GRUB: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen [10] (Penguin/Tarcher). Lappé partnered with award-winning chef Bryant Terry, who developed the recipes, from comfort-food macaroni and cheese to "Smoky South American Seitan Stew."
"Every time you spend money on food that has traveled more than 1,000 miles to get to you, you're paying for advertising and marketing of the products," Lappé says. "But when you buy from the farmer, your money goes directly to the farmer."
One way to buy direct from farmers is through community supported agriculture (CSA) cooperatives, in which consumers buy a share in a local farm, which then delivers a portion of its harvest to each shareholder over the growing season. To increase variety and share resources, many CSA groups include several different family farms. Generally the CSA has pick-up points in town centers for weekly or biweekly shipments. Some even offer right-to-your-door delivery.
Beyond a personal diet change, though, citizens must contribute to the redefinition of power structures, making steps toward a truer democracy, Frances Moore Lappé says. Development, too, must be redefined "not merely in terms of more production or consumption, but first and foremost in the changing relationships among people."

subset: commoncrawl


text: Perhaps you're searching to find adult pics, Madthumbs always delivers you nothing but the biggest collection of Free iPhone Porn. If you have Sprint, whatever, there are 1,000's of sex vids to choose from whether it be Latina women, barely legal, tug jobs, or whatever. Additionally there are pornstar movies that feature big names like Jada Fire, Lisa Ann and Asa Akira. Remember Madthumbs is updated frequently with xxx videos that have been uploaded by someone with an expertise in the XXX industry. And the greatest part is just about every movie on Madthumbs can be downloaded by searchers absolutely free. So, if you're tired of bouncing around for iPhone porno, then call off the hunt cause no one site has it for you like Madthumbs. They also have categories like Hentai and the Most Viewed of the week. So, go to Madthumbs often for the best Free iPhone Porn today.


text:
Don't let the only food many children receive be at school. With your help, children have food to take home.
If you're not able to give financially, we'd love to have you donate your time. Everyone has something to give.
For only $25 per month, you can help us provide kidsPACKs to every registered child in our community.
kidsPACK USA is a nonprofit organization supported by community leaders, corporate sponsors, churches and concerned citizens joined with a core of volunteers throughout the county dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities of children.
Our purpose is to energize local communities to impact the lives of children sparking a positive change and giving the opportunity…


text:
@itemize, Up: Lists and Tables [Contents][Index]
Texinfo automatically indents the text in lists or tables, and numbers an enumerated list. This last feature is useful if you modify the list, since you do not need to renumber it yourself.
Numbered lists and tables begin with the appropriate @-command at the
beginning of a line, and end with the corresponding
command on a line by itself. The table and itemized-list commands
also require that you write formatting information on the same line as
the beginning @-command.
Begin an enumerated list, for example, with an
command and end the list with an
@end enumerate command.
Begin an itemized list with an
@itemize command, followed on
the same line by a formatting command such as
@bullet, and end
the list with an
@end itemize command.
Precede each element of a list with an
@item or
Here is an itemized list of the different kinds of table and lists:
Here is an enumerated list with the same items:
And here is a two-column table with the same items and their @-commands:
Itemized lists with and without bullets.
Enumerated lists, using numbers or letters.
Two-column tables, optionally with indexing.


text:
A new variation of vampires pioneered by the Twilight franchise. They bear minimal resemblance to classical vampires and in many ways are more akin to fairies. One such difference is that they "sparkle" in the sun instead of dying and awesome deaths.
Girl: Oh no! Is that a vampire coming to kill us!
Guy: No don't worry it's just a sparkle fairy.
Guy: No don't worry it's just a sparkle fairy.
by canadiancolbertfan November 29, 2009
buy the domain for your pet site


text:
Medical school joining forces to improve care for millitary
JABSOM will add curriculum, enhance research to meet needs of nation's heroesUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Tina M. Shelton, (808) 692-0897
Director of Communications, Office of Dean of Medicine
Director of Communications, Office of Dean of Medicine
Posted: Jan 12, 2012
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is taking part in Joining Forces to improve health care for the country's active duty military, veterans and their families.
JABSOM, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) intend to create a new generation of doctors, medical schools, and research facilities that will make sure our military heroes receive care worthy of their service.
JABSOM will mobilize its uniquely integrated missions in education, research, and clinical care to train the nation's physicians to meet veterans and their families' unique health care needs.
"We are honored to participate in the White House Joining Forces initiative to address the health care needs of military service members and veterans and their families," said Dr. Jerris Hedges, JABSOM Dean. "We are working to develop additional curriculum for our medical students and researchers to better serve those who have served our country for so long."
Hedges said Retired U.S. Army Colonel Larry Burgess, MD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Telehealth Research Institute, will coordinate JABSOM's response.
In an announcement in Richmond, Virginia, First Lady Michelle Obama said, "I'm inspired to see our nation's medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families. By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they're ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned."
The medical school will work to ensure that physicians are aware of the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for our war fighters. Specific emphasis will include new research and clinical trials involving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), to better understand and treat these conditions. The Defense Department estimates nearly 213,000 military personnel have suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2000.
Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden created Joining Forces to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support veterans and military families as they serve our country and throughout their lives. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure veterans and military families have the support they have earned. The initiative focuses on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness while raising awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of America's veterans and military families.
More information is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.
For more information, visit: http://jabsom.hawaii.edu


text:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Democrats are closely watching the forecasts as a rainy week unfolds ahead of President Barack Obama's speech accepting his party's nomination.
With Obama set to address supporters in Charlotte's open-air football stadium on Thursday, party officials insist the speech will go on even if it rains. After all, they said the stadium's main tenant, the Carolina Panthers NFL team, plays no matter the weather.
"We have an advisory team that's closely watching the weather, working with our team, and if any changes need to be made, we'll make them," said Jennifer Psaki, Obama's traveling press secretary.
The National Weather Service says the forecast for Thursday night is improving, with just a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms by the time Obama is scheduled to speak around 10:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium. There is a 40 percent chance of storms in the afternoon.
Plans will only change if the weather turns severe, said Democratic National Convention Committee spokeswoman Joanne Peters.
"Safety is the top priority, and if we have to activate a contingency plan due to severe weather, we will make a determination with enough time for arrangements to be made," she said.
Organizers refused Tuesday to release any details about those contingency plans, including whether the president would speak somewhere else, what would be done with the more than 60,000 ticketholders for the event and how much time it would take to execute those plans.
Democrats have also worried for months about filling the stadium so crowd shots look good on television during the speech. They are bringing in busloads of church members and college students from North Carolina and South Carolina, but the threat of bad weather could keep people at home.
Obama's staffers dismissed that possibility Tuesday.
"We're absolutely confident we're going to have an energetic crowd, a full crowd, in the stadium Thursday evening," Psaki said.
But there are negatives from a rain-soaked crowd too, said Leonard Steinhorn, professor of public communication at the American University in Washington, D.C.
It wouldn't look good to TV viewers if they see a less-than-capacity crowd looking miserable in raincoats. Also, it is harder to collect personal information from the crowd that can be used later to recruit campaign volunteers if clipboards and attendees are waterlogged, Steinhorn said.
If strong storms roll over the stadium, it could become one of the defining moments of the convention. "The weather could be the Democrats' Clint Eastwood," Steinhorn said, referring to the actor's unscripted and rambling appearance at last week's Republican convention.
"That's a roll of the dice that you take when you create a circumstance that they cannot fully control," he said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Democratic National Convention events are taking place indoors at the city's basketball arena.
Charlotte has had some rain every day since Saturday, and nearly an inch fell in a sudden storm Monday. Both conventions have been plagued with rain. More than three inches fell in Tampa while delegates were there last week for the Republican gathering.
A downpour likely wouldn't be enough to bother Obama's speech, but the main worry is lightning. The storms possible Thursday night are ones typical for the South in late summer. They can pop up quickly and move slowly.
"The main concern would be any lightning near the stadium," said Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
For football games at the stadium, officials urge fans to go into the concourses when there is a threat of lightning.
Obama has given memorable speeches in the rain before. In October 2008, he got soaked speaking in the suburbs of Philadelphia while Republican rival John McCain canceled his remarks a short distance away.
Obama praised the crowd of 9,000 people for braving the bone-chilling rain and wind, saying that kind of dedication would win him the presidency.
"If we see this kind of dedication on Election Day, there is no way that we're not going to bring change to America," he said.
In July, Obama spoke to about 900 people during a campaign stop in Virginia, turning down an umbrella or a raincoat. He apologized to the women in the crowd for ruining their hair.
"We're gonna have to treat everybody to a salon visit after this" he quipped.
Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Charlotte and Ben Feller in Norfolk, Va., contributed to this report.


text:
Carioca travesti mamando o negao pornolandia. And this picture were.
Disclaimer: bur-ok.ru has a zero-tolerance policy against illegal pornography.
We do not own, produce or host the content displayed on this website.
All pictures are hosted by 3rd party websites. We have no control over the content of these websites.
We take no responsibility for the content on any website which we link to, please use your own discretion while surfing the links.
© 2014 bur-ok.ru


text:
Image: Pan and Men Brayut story, Balinese painting E74195D
Scene with family orchestra.
This painting, nearly 4 meters long, is known in Bali as an ider-ider, designed to be hung under the eaves of a pavilion in a palace temple. It is wrapped around the outside of the pavilion and the story is normally presented in a series of scenes from left to right. Scenes may be presented in the reverse order when the painting is used for rituals associated with death or when hung in a pura dalem, death temple.
Painting probably made by artist Kumpi Mesira in about 1900. Size: 23 x 380cm
- Photographer:
- Emma Furno
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Last Updated:


text:
In fact, once you have built, it will be also the perfect place to store your pens, pencils and browser.
Download the M.Use Box, print it, cut it and build it, place it on your table and you will never again be short of ideas. Nor pens, of course.
How to build it
If you are looking for some help, here's the instruction about how to build your M.Use Box
Create yours and share it!
Did you get excited and you now want to make your own M.Use Box with your own set of
Brilliant, you are one of us.
Download the Blank M.Use Box, print it and unleash your creativity.
Think about a story, a set of instructions or a little strip of comics and fill your M. Use Box with them.
Whether you want to keep it, whether you like to give it away as a present, don't forget to share it in the myMoleskine Hacks area to give inspiration to our community.


text:
Proton therapy is a highly conformal radiotherapy that delivers much less radiation dose to nontargeted normal tissues than does conventional radiation therapy.
"Quality of life following treatment of prostate cancer is a critical issue for patients, and they need to be well informed of all treatment options, including proton therapy, prior to making any final treatment decision," Dr. Bradford S. Hoppe from University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida told Reuters Health in an email.
Dr. Hoppe and colleagues investigated patient-reported health-related quality-of-life outcomes, with an emphasis on sexual outcomes, in 262 men aged 60 years and younger with prostate cancer who received definitive treatment with proton therapy alone.
After a median follow-up of 24 months (range, 6-53 months), only 1 patient had developed a biochemical recurrence.
Urinary incontinence scores worsened only slightly from 95.8 at baseline to 92.2 at 2 years, at which point only 1.8% of men reported using a pad to manage urge incontinence.
Potency rates declined by 11% from baseline through 2 years, and 94% of the subgroup of men without diabetes, body-mass index below 30, and baseline International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score above 21 were potent 2 years after treatment.
Nearly three-quarters of men (73%) reported "no erectile dysfunction" or "mild erectile dysfunction" after 2 years, compared with 86% of men at baseline, and the number of men actively engaging in sexual intercourse at least weekly only dropped by 11% at 2 years.
Higher penile bulb mean dose and higher proton therapy dose independently lowered sexual summary scores, whereas only the presence of diabetes significantly impaired potency.
"Proton therapy is an effective prostate cancer treatment for men under 60, with reduced risk of side effects like incontinence and impotence that may be improvements over surgical outcomes," Dr. Hoppe concluded.
"We do intend to continue following these men to evaluate disease control and quality-of-life issues and will hopefully be able to report 5 year results in the future," Dr. Hoppe added.
Cancer 17 January 2012


text:
- Home >
- Pure Water >
- Commercial & Industrial Water Conditioning & RO Systems >
- Anti-Scale Systems >
- Tank Based Systems – Hot Water (up to 450 gpm) > OF1019-20H
OneFlow® Anti-Scale System for Hot Water up to 20 gpm (76 lpm)
1 in. (25mm)
Provides protection from scale formation on internal and external plumbing surfaces where the hot water feed line is being further heated (booster heater) or brought to steam (steam generator, autoclave). The OneFlow® system uses specially selected components to work in applications where the water is already heated between 100 to 150°F, but has not yet been treated for scale control. These applications generally involve protecting and extending the life of expensive equipment and instruments from the ill effects of hard water scale.
Disclaimer: Watts product dimensions in U.S. customary units and metric are approximate and are provided for reference only. For precise measurements, please contact Watts Technical Service. Watts reserves the right to change or modify product design, construction, specifications, or materials without prior notice and without incurring any obligation to make such changes and modifications on Watts products previously or subsequently sold.
Please Note: Watts literature requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.


text:
Matchmaker.com provides great new features for contact single Decatur men. Use our icebreaker feature to let Decatur guys know you are interested in getting to know them a little better. There are thousands of Decatur men in your area so create a free profile today.
DecaturJoin Now Free!
Decatur | Decatur Girls | Decatur Gay | Decatur Lesbians
1 2
More Decatur Links:
Senior Dating | Catholic Dating | Christian Dating | Muslim Dating
Black Singles | Asian Singles | Latin Dating
While Decatur men and women in Decatur might find dating to be more annoying than nice, it'simportant to get past this by breaking the ice. Write an introductory email that's worthy of a response, you probably find that it's easier than delivering a tired line in a darkened bar. After taking a good look at a number of local Decatur guys, you'll know that the person you are attempting to get to know will have plenty in common with you.


text:
Nizhniy Ufaley, Russia News
Local news for Nizhniy Ufaley, Russia continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.
Nizhniy Ufaley, Russia news is powered by NewsRank ®
Quiz: Can You Finish These 1960s Song Titles?
15 Famous Women Who Love Dating Much Younger Men
31 Former Stars Who Have Surprisingly Normal Jobs Now
27 Stars Who Definitely Traded UP On Their Spouse
16 Celebs Who Changed Their Appearance Right After They Got Famous
21 Stars Who Left Their Wives For Younger Women
Quiz: Can You Complete These 1960s Movie Titles?
Quiz: Can You Name These 1960s Sitcoms?
How Did These 1960s Stars Look In Their Prime Vs. Decades Later?
Quiz: Can You Guess These 1970s Sitcoms From A Picture?
Quiz: Can You Name These Beloved TV Shows?
Trending Now
Copyright © 2018 Topix LLC


text:
posted by David Adams on Sat 1st Jan 2005 18:45 UTC, submitted by Somynona
"Despite its current misadventure with Linux, Sun isn't in the generic desktop computer business. The Java desktop is cool, but it's a solution driven by necessity, not excellence. In comparison, putting Mac OS X on the Sunray desktop would be an insanely great solution for Sun." read the rest macnewsworld.com


text:
End the breast cancer epidemic.
Here at BCAction, we refuse corporate funding from companies that profit from or contribute to cancer.
Here at BCAction, we refuse corporate funding from companies that profit from or contribute to cancer.
Prenatal exposure to certain pesticides can increase the risk of childhood cancer!
Carcinogenic foaming agent found in dozens of shampoos, soaps, and personal care products!
The cost of cancer treatment. People are dying because they cannot afford the expenses that come with the treatment.
1 out of 3 people will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.
Little progress has been made in finding new treatments for Brain Cancer in the past two decades.
Pediatric Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for children in the U.S. between the ages of 1-14.
Help us finish the fight against cancer by donating your birthday today.
No one should have to choose between health & pumping harmful chemicals into them for an extra moment with loved ones.
The FDA has banned BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups, protecting some of the most vulnerable people in the US from


text:
Helping you is our priority at Black Box.
We're committed to providing the best customer service in the industry. We're here for you, 24/7, 365.
The name field is required and must contain only the letters A-Z
United States numbers must contain 10 digits
(Example: 555-555-5555)
(Example: 555-555-5555)
We'll call you
A technical expert will call you shortly.
Call UsCustomer Sales & Service Support
Black Box Brand Product Support
IT Services & Voice Support
Send us a FAX
- Black Box Brand Products
- Product Configurators & Selectors


text:
Study Abroad
Taylor University's Off-Campus Study Programs enhance liberal arts education by challenging students academically and spiritually in environments of total cultural immersion.
A variety of semester and January-term programs allow students the unique opportunity of entering another culture without pretense. Students interact with, blend with, and adapt to the people and culture of the place. Students return from off-campus programs with new perspectives, questions, understanding, and appreciation for the world. They hunger to learn more about their own society and radiate a deeper love for the God who created this diverse world.
Semester study abroad programs.
How to participate in study abroad.


text:
Design Matters: Sketching: It's All in Your Mind
Try this exercise to unlock imagination.
By George R. Walker
Pages: 18-20
From the February 2012 issue #195
Buy the issue now.
In the first century B.C.E., a military architect named Vitruvius captured the distinction between a designer's mind and the minds of the rest of us.
"For all men, not just architects, are capable of appreciating quality; but there is a difference between laymen and architects (designers) in that the former cannot know what a building will be like unless he has seen it completed; while the architect knows perfectly well what it will be like … from the instant he conceives it in his mind, and before he begins it."
BLOG: Read more from George about design on his Design Matters blog.
IN OUR STORE: George R. Walker's design DVDs.
From the February 2012 issue #195
Buy the issue now.


text:
To help prospective applicants better prepare Enhance applications, the following summary has been compiled, describing the process used to evaluate records submitted with an Enhance application.
In the evaluation of an Enhance application, ten records input by the applicant are reviewed. At least five (5) records are chosen from the list submitted by that applicant. The remainder may be selected from the applicant's input, at the discretion of OCLC. All 10 records must be in the format for which Enhance is requested.
Each applicant is given 100 points. Points are subtracted for errors based on the following table (certain repeated errors are subtracted only once). When an applicant's score drops below 50 points, evaluation ceases and the applicant is rejected. In case of doubt, points are not subtracted.
|Type of Error
|Points Deducted
|Input of an avoidable duplicate record
|Misuse or non-use of the Authority Files
|Choice of format, i.e., requires a 'type' code change (e.g., wrong workform used)
|Not following I-level standards (including no subject headings). For more information, see About this Guide (Input Standards section) in Bibliographic Formats and Standards.
|Major errors in applying the appropriate cataloging code (i.e., AACR2, LCRIs, etc.)
|Not following tracing policy for series titles found in the authority file
|Minor errors in applying the appropriate cataloging code
|Incorrect assignment of filing indicators
|Any other error which affects correct indexing, e.g., punctuation error in personal name field or a typographical error
|Not following LCRI 21.30J for title added entries
|Incorrect "Dates," "Source," or "Form" in those formats in which they are applicable
|Miscoding of tags, indicators, subfield codes and fixed field elements
|Missing 041 field, when required
|Subject heading errors
|Other errors, including obvious typos and errors in punctuation
Applicants whose scores range from 80 to 100 will be given the most serious consideration. Applicants whose scores range from 50 to 80 will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants whose scores drop below 50 will be asked not to reapply for 12 months. OCLC will not announce scores, but will discuss quality control problems with all applicants, especially those who are rejected.
Prospective applicants having questions about the evaluation procedure may contact the Enhance Program at OCLC:


text:
Students Document Life in Jefferson County
Photographers from MU's School of Journalism visit Festus and Crystal City to hone their story-telling skills while adding images to an archive that documents small town life. At right, boxer Robbie Cannon of Crystal City is pictured with his son, Austin.
In the second half of the 19th century, Ebenezer B. Ward simultaneously founded the American Plate Glass Company and the town of New Detroit in the silica-rich area that rises up from the Western banks of the Mississippi River. New Detroit would become Crystal City, the adjacent town of Tanglefoot would become Festus, and these cities 34 miles south of St. Louis would remain inextricably linked in the 140 years since.
Visitors to the Twin City community of Festus and Crystal City have difficulty knowing which town they're in at any time; it often changes in the middle of the block. The Wal-Mart Supercenter straddles the city boundary, but public services are duplicated on either side of that boundary. Each city has its own police force, volunteer fire department, library and school system, and the sales tax revenues from the Wal-Mart are equitably divided between the two cities.
Share This
About this Story
Campus: UMC
Key words: MU Campus, Teaching, UM System,
County: Jefferson


text:
That episode of The Office – Hilary Swank, pretty or not?
Why is this even a debate?
Maybe it's just me. I don't like her. I don't like how she outed her ex husband as an addict in an interview with a dishy magazine. I also don't understand why she has 2 Oscars. One of those Oscars should live at Clint Eastwood's house. The other belongs to Annette Bening.
Her breasts last night decided hang out on the floor.
Was she invited?
Who invited her?
What is this colour? Sometimes when my papayas get overripe, they turn this colour on the inside. I don't like eating it this colour. I especially wouldn't wear it this colour.
Rose. Bad eye shadow.
Photos from Wenn.com


text:
|2012-05-03, 03:26
|Link #1901
Prefectural Magical Girl
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Paris, France
It might be her guilty pleasure !
Last edited by MisaoFan; 2012-05-03 at 03:39. Reason: ranran is a female for what I see
|2012-05-03, 03:33
|Link #1902
Only one magical girl caught my heart and soul... Sakura. No need to mention the complete title. Everyone knows it. I either never seen Madoka, have seen a DVD at a Chinese store ans just looks at it... thinking it maybe like Nanoha.... Sorry...
|2012-05-03, 05:43
|Link #1904
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Well, I tend to agree with ranran apparently stubbornness. If he watched it now probably his high expectations would lessen the enjoyment. I either dropped it at first and then resumed later. Magical girls are not my cup of tea, so I really enjoyed the concept but not so much the series.
Same issues that I had with S:G. S:G has the problem that the first half is really boring, I dropped it around the eight episode and then resumed later. Again, I really enjoyed the concept, but eleven episodes are too much for a series to be praised.
Speaking for myself, I have a similar attitude toward Clannad. I tried twice, but always after the first 15 sec, I stopped. (character designs surely didn't help). I mean, that 15 sec are so foretelling about the main story and the main leads that knowing myself I would be gonna hate that girl after half of an episode. So it's not like I really hate Clannad. I anticipated myself to hate it
Similar issue with Ga-Rei: Zero, it pissed me off so much that first episode that I dropped it. I know that I have to give it a try (skipping that episode).
|2012-05-03, 05:46
|Link #1905
Organic Mecha
Join Date: May 2012
Age: 25
|2012-05-03, 05:54
|Link #1906
Japanese Culture Fan
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Planet Earth
Age: 27
|2012-05-03, 05:55
|Link #1907
Prefectural Magical Girl
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Paris, France
Ga-Rei Zero has the first episode that might be a false impression to some people, but the false impression dissapears afterwards.
|2012-05-03, 05:57
|Link #1908
Labda Prakarsa Nirwikara
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Pekanbaru (UTC+07:00)
Age: 31
I don't hate Madoka, but I never consider it a masterpiece either. *shrug* Other Urobuchi Gen's works are more interesting for me
As for anime I hate: Guilty Crown, because I ended the series with the urge to murder every cast member. Yes, that includes the dead ones. Maybe resurrect and then kill them over and over.
|2012-05-03, 05:58
|Link #1909
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
|2012-05-03, 06:02
|Link #1910
Japanese Culture Fan
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Planet Earth
Age: 27
And don't pull the "it made sense in the VN" card on me. I read the VN before watching the anime. The ending is still abysmal, it just sucks more in anime form.
|2012-05-03, 06:03
|Link #1911
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
|2012-05-03, 06:04
|Link #1912
Prefectural Magical Girl
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Paris, France
|2012-05-03, 06:05
|Link #1913
The only anime that continues to make me cry no matter how many times I watched it. Clannad AS is for the family to enjoy. 10/10
|2012-05-03, 07:09
|Link #1914
Disabled By Request
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nintensalem
Man I love threads like this. It bring my inner demons outside and I love to see that happens. Anyway this is a mega rant and you're already warned. I Just picked the ones that topped of my list.
4. Kuroshituji
This one easily in 4th place because it actually easy to avoid but unfortunately I also happened to see all 24 episodes of it. I kinda like its setting and atmosphere but they ruined it with yaoi(hardly) stuffs like kissing and man-groping. It is pretty obvious that I'm not its target audience but for some reasons it has "shounen" label on it but that can be explained Kuroshitsuji is serialized in a shounen magazine rather than shoujo or josei where it should belong, IMO. For me Kuroshituji is an interesting show but they ruined it by becoming an eye-orgasm for female otakus instead of a Victorian England horror show as it should.
Note: Copy-pasted from "Worst animes that deserve to be used as frisbees" thread
3. Ouran High School Host Club
Blasphemy alert! I don't see the rest of since I dropped it at episode 6. While I think it is too early to drop it(and also ironic since I also managed to finish Kuroshitsuji) but they bishounen fanservice just way too much. At least Kuroshitsuji had (ahem) little more than that like some actions and anything quite like it but I cannot say the same for Ouran. The jokes aren't really that funny and most of its jokes are just playing tropes of shoujo mangas which I don't even care of. Maybe it just too personal but at same time I cringe to see about 93000+ Myanimelist users had this one on their lists. I'm not counting those in Anime News Network and Anime-Source yet...
2. High School of the Dead.
Why this one rated lower than Kuroshitsuji and Ouran? First of all fanboys. They are too damn difficult to avoid. Kuroshitsuji and Ouran fangirls are easy to avoid since most of them don't hang out outside "shoujo" and "bishounen" tags but as a shounen and seinen fan, these guys are always come close contact to me. It is really funny and annoying to see the fanboys defending this show because it has zombies. It make senses as High School dxd have tits.
The show itself is a complete mess. It riddled with plotholes, annoying characters and of course, excessive fanservice. While the concept is never good to begin with(at least to me) but they show itself is already ruined. Let's hope the second season may never see the light of day.
1. Hetalia
This one deserved the number 1 spot because unlike all of above, it doesn't deliver to people who should see it. In case with Kuroshitsuji and Ouran are obviously made for girls and HSotD is for guys. What about Hetalia? Well, at least from what I heard, Hetalia were supposed to be a seinen political satire show but instead what happened to it now is a K-On! with men for preteen girls. Where the "seinen" and where is the "political satire" parts? They pretty much taped to the drain. It barely satire, no political jokes and more importanly male fans are non-existent in most parts of the internet and real-life.
And the fans? They are even more annoying than Kuroshitsuji, Ouran and HSotD fans. Not just they come in huge numbers in every anime/manga conventions but also almost everywhere. In fact in my neighborhood some 12-14 years old girls say to each other "hey, did you see this week's Hetalia episode?". I don't even hear boys at same age talking about Naruto or One Piece like that. In anime/manga conventions they also managed to persuade or perhaps forced they boyfriends to cosplay as Hetalia characters, unless they cosplayed themselves(yes they are willing to cross-dress as long as they can get closer to their favorite bishies). On the internet they always bickering on each other which one is most handsome, which one is cuter, etc like "Germany is manly" and "Canada is more handsome" also "Great Britain is a true charming prince". Hetalia is the best example where a show is actually ruined by the fans rather than haters.
They you have it. Please don't take this too seriously since it only based on my opinions alone. It didn't speak for the real fans of these shows.
|2012-05-03, 11:38
|Link #1915
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
Odd to form an impression of a single character in 15 seconds and drop a show. That does not sound logical to me.
Also there is a lot of entertaining characters in Clannad since Nagisa is not generally the main focus anyway until later, and by then she's more interesting.
|2012-05-03, 22:42
|Link #1916
Senior Member
But I think that once Nagisa's actual arc came into focus in the 2nd half of Clannad's first season, she started to grow a bit as a character, and she became more likable and slightly interesting to me. And I think that the romance between her and Tomoya was *very* sweet, and tended to bring out the best in both characters, hence contributing a lot to After Story's quality, imo.
Oh, and on Ga-Rei Zero - I had mixed feelings over the highly atypical approach of that first episode myself. But I ended up loving the show overall, and the first episode is partly a troll.
|2012-05-03, 23:40
|Link #1917
It's okay. When I first saw Clannad I thought it was really corny and I couldn't sit through all of it. I too actually stopped after the first scene. But then someone appeared and my anime mind would change forever. <3 The story doesn't really get strong til AS anyways.
Also, my first post on AS which happened to be in this very thread O_O
|2012-05-04, 06:41
|Link #1918
temporary safeguard
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Germany
After watching anime for some time, you get quite good at judging an anime by it's cover (and review sites and other viewers opinions and screenshots... ).
I just know I would hate Clannad.
But that's ok. Of course not having watched it (and in general not watching those kind of sure to fail for me shows) means I shouldn't complain about them on a thread like this.
Only if I actually went through the pain of watching a show I know will be bad, I would be qualified to post it here. Well, I don't feel like doing that.
So what's with everyone else? Did you run into those bad shows expecting them to be good, or are you just grumbling about shows you never liked to begin with?
|2012-05-04, 07:47
|Link #1920
Labda Prakarsa Nirwikara
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Pekanbaru (UTC+07:00)
Age: 31
|Thread Tools


text:
Ready to play Basketball this Summer? So are we! Get ready for a season of fun with DC Fray. This is a Men's Athletic League, focused on advanced play and post-game fun.
Our Mission:
At DC Fray we're on a mission to make fun possible. To us that means bringing people together. All of our policies & rules are built in support of that mission!
Basketball 411:
All good games have some rules and guidelines. Here's some to keep you playing all season long:
- This is a DC Fray Men's Athletic league. These leagues are our bread-n-butter; people having fun regardless of experience level. Whether you're a first time player or a former NBA player, this league is for you if you're looking for a great time! And of course the party isn't stopping when we leave the courts; we'll head to the bar for some post-game happy hour fun.
- Games begin July 18th and run weekly from 7-10 PM
- Dates subject to change based on permits and availability and other league logistics. Number of teams to make the final tournament based on number of teams & league logistics.
- Teams will play 20 minute halves, 5v5 a side and are required to have at least 8 players on their rosters.
- We welcome free agents and small groups and will do our absolute best to match players to teams.
*Basketball teams average 10 players per team, please take that into consideration when forming your group/team. DC Fray reserves the right to place or not place players onto teams not at the official team size. DC Fray does not offer refunds.*
Make sure to like us on Facebook
Important Dates
07/18 - Week 1
07/25 - Week 2 (T-Shirts)
07/26 - Buy-One Get-One Day @ Chipotle for All DC Fray players!
08/01- Week 3
08/08 - Week 4
08/15- Week 5 (Spirit Week Brought to you by Chipotle)
08/22 - Week 6
08/29 - Week 7 (Tentative Playoffs)
09/05 - Week 8 (Tentative Playoffs)
Fri, July 14th - Season Kick-Off Party
Fri, August 25th - End of Season Party
Dates subject to change based on permits, availability and other league logistics.


text:
Proto J1150B 1-1/16 X 1-1/8 ProtoBlack™ 12-Point Box Wrench
List Price: $65.79
You Save: $30.89 (47%)
Part Number: J1150B UPC: 662679090111 Weight: 1.38
•Non-reflective ProtoBlack™ finish for use where non-plated products are required. •12 point box end allows for fine indexing, helping to improve speed and access. Fits 4, 6 and 12 point fasteners. •Box ends incorporate the TorquePlus™ system. •Proto® TorquePlus™ wrenches are ideal for use on stubborn or damaged fasteners, and also on fasteners made from soft materials. •The TorquePlus™ design is a high performance drive configuration which allows for quick and easy wrench engagement to the fastener flats, not the corners. •The TorquePlus™ configuration employs a radius-corner design, shifting contact area and stress away from the fastener corners and distributing contact stresses over a large area of the box end, minimizing slippage. •The TorquePlus™ internal design minimizes fastener rounding, helps to extend fastener life, and allows the user to more easily turn worn, rounded, or rusted fasteners.


text:
While "going green" often gets touted as the main reason many companies are increasing their use of "renewable" or "alternative" energy sources, there's a growing chorus of far more practical reasons for engaging in such a power switch: cost containment, followed by the need for energy security.
Indeed, controlling energy costs is in many ways part of the energy security issue as more stable supply tend to even out the price one pays for power – be such power come from petroleum, natural gas, wind farms, whatever.
From that perspective, then, think on some of the findings from consulting firm Ernst & Young's Global Annual Cleantech Insights and Trends report. This survey of 100 global company executives operating within what the global consulting firm dubs "energy intensive sectors" found that 38% of respondents expect energy costs to rise by 15% or more in the next five years.
Furthermore, half said they their energy expenditures represent 5% or more of operating costs, while a significant subset (22%) reported that 20% or more of operating costs go to energy. In absolute terms, this translates into an annual energy spend of at least $50 million for 42% of respondents, and more than $100 million for 27% of respondents, stressed Gil Forer, Ernst & Young's global cleantech leader.
"While cost reduction is now cited most frequently as the primary objective of corporate energy strategies, a number of other energy-related risks are also being addressed, such as energy security, carbon reduction and price stability," he added. "Regulatory compliance, together with reputational and brand aspects, also plays a part."
Energy supply is such an important issue nowadays that for more than a third of companies (36%) in the consulting firm's survey said that the CEO is now the final decision maker on energy mix strategy. "That illustrates how important the issue is already regarded today," stressed Forer (seen at left).
"As a result, energy efficiency measures, company self-generation of energy and integration of renewable energy into the corporate energy mix are all being implemented at increasing rates to meet these ends and are set to accelerate further over the next five years," he pointed out.
Take a look at Ernst & Young's findings when it comes to the use of renewable energy from two perspectives: energy generated by company-owned or controlled assets and energy purchased from outside parties.
Whether solar, wind, bio-energy or other kinds of renewable energy generation, 41% of respondents to the firm's survey said they generating some form of renewable energy with company-owned or controlled resources; however, this represented a relatively small proportion of total company generation.
In contrast, nearly half of respondents (48%) reported deriving some proportion of their purchased energy from renewable sources, with a fifth of companies reporting a contribution in excess of 20%.
"Pricing remains a key factor in the adoption of renewable energy [as] 43% of respondents said that they would be unwilling to pay a premium for renewable; highlighting the importance of achieving grid parity and developing innovative project-financing models," noted Ben Warren, Ernst & Young's energy and environmental finance group leader.
He added that, looking forward, 67% and 59% of respondents reported that their company-owned renewable generation and renewable purchased energy levels are likely to increase over the next five years respectively.
At the same time, 52% of respondents say that their use of high-carbon fossil fuels – such as oil and coal – will decrease over the next five years, said Warren (seen above).
"From either perspective, this suggests that new companies will explore renewable generation and purchased renewable energy, and those already involved plan to invest further," he pointed out.
More importantly, Warren declared that "many well-known global companies" in his words have already launched initiatives to generate their own energy for a variety of reasons, including reducing energy price volatility, increasing security of supply, decreasing costs and meeting carbon objectives.
However, half (51%) of respondents reported no self-generation at present, with the main barriers to uptake relating to the significant payback period on investments, followed by risk considerations and internal rate of return calculations.
"Despite half the companies surveyed not currently having self-generation, it is important to note that 44% also believe that the levels of self-generation will increase over the next five years," Forer noted. "The main obstacles noted in the survey suggest that the right financial models could unlock corporate investments in energy generation."
So, why the hubbub over "self-generation" and "renewable" energy sources? Very simple: some 92% of the respondents to Ernt & Young's survey pointed to energy cost reductions as the primary objective of their energy efficiency initiatives, with 47% saying that energy demand management is one of the most important energy efficiency strategy elements.
A large number of respondents also anticipate increasing energy efficiency over the next five years, according to Forer – with 60% expecting increased energy savings, and another 22% expecting significantly increased energy savings.
Now, many of the firms in Ernst & Young's survey cite efforts to control energy consumption in what many would think are "non-trucking" areas such as building energy management systems (20%), energy-efficient lighting (18%) and building automation (18%).
Yet don't forget the trucking industry isn't just about tractors and trailers; it also encompasses warehouses, maintenance shops, and dispatch offices, just to name a few. It's also becoming technology-reliant, too, with computers, servers, and other information systems sucking up energy along with light bulbs, air condition, and heating systems.
Truth is, energy consumption encompasses a wide range of operations within trucking, and all of them are subject to ever-more volatile market conditions. So don't be surprised if how to control and secure electricity supply becomes a topic of operational interest down the road, for all forms of energy – oil, coal, natural gas, you name it – are experiencing all sorts of pricing and supply swings these days.


text:
Just installed this mod. It will give you a countdown to whatever you want under your sig.
Go into your UserCP -> Edit Options
On the very bottom you will find the options for the Countdown Timer.
Set it to whatever you like, if "Enable" is set to "Yes" the timer will automatically be shown on the bottom of your sig, set to "No" will hide/disable the time display


text:
For the second time in seven years, the Celtics will be trying to make a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for an All-Star power forward. The Celtics have plenty of trade picks and a few veterans to offer for the double-double machine.
They have been hosting potential draft picks for grueling workout sessions in Waltham since June 3.
The Celtics have taken close-up looks at a variety of candidates, ranging from players who will be lottery choices to others who will either go in the second or sign as free agents.
With the No. 6 and No. 17 picks in the NBA Draft on June 26, the Celtics have plenty of homework to do this month, and the process will continue on Monday when more players visit the team's practice facility.
While there have been some intriguing prospects showcasing their talents for the Celtics, there is, however, a much bigger prize the team would rather acquire this month.
Kevin Love, who is likely to be a former member of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the not-too-distant future, is definitely high on the Celtics' wish list and an all-out push should be made to land him.
The All-Star power forward, who turns 26 in September, has made it known he would like to leave the Timberwolves, and with Love becoming a free agent in July 2015, the team would be wise to acquire assets for him.
Love, a double-double machine who has averaged 19.2 points and 12.2 rebounds in his six-year career, has been front and center in the league's rumor mill as speculation runs rampant.
In the midst of a rebuilding project, the Celtics figure to be among the leading suitors for Love, especially after he made a recent weekend visit to Boston, capping things off with a trip to Fenway Park.
Love is most likely going to be wearing a different uniform when training camp opens in a little over three months, and there are a number of possibilities.
Do the Celtics have a chance of acquiring Love and pairing him with Rajon Rondo to get the franchise headed back to the land of the playoffs?
If the Timberwolves are looking for first-round draft picks and a couple of young players, they will certainly do business with the Celtics.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge has stockpiled nine first-round draft picks between now and 2018, and they would gain another in 2015 if the Philadelphia 76ers make the playoffs next season.
Ainge could offer the Timberwolves some of those selections in addition to a combination of players including Jared Sullinger, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass and Kelly Olynyk, plus Keith Bogans for salary-cap purposes.
The Celtics are going to have plenty of competition for Love in the days leading up to the draft. The Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will also be making strong pitches.
The addition of Love wouldn't make the Celtics a championship contender right away, but he would get them far away from the 25-57 record they compiled this season.
He would be a valuable piece to go along with Rondo, giving the Celtics two players in their 20s with plenty of good years ahead.
Love grew up in Oregon, played one season at UCLA and was drafted fifth in 2008.
He won a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics and has averaged a double-double the past five seasons.
Love, whose father, Stan, played for the Baltimore Bullets and the Lakers in the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs in the ABA during the 1970s, has not made the playoffs since leaving UCLA.
He is trying to depart the Timberwolves in order to play basketball in the spring, and it will take a maximum contract to add Love.
"I don't really have a wish list,'' Love told Fox Sports.com last week. "I just want to win, wherever that may be.''
The question is whether Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor would consider a deal with the Celtics after what happened seven summers ago.
Taylor told then-general manager Kevin McHale to deal franchise player Kevin Garnett because of financial reasons, and the Timberwolves wound up with Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes plus first-round picks that wound up being Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn.
None of those seven players are still with the Timberwolves, while the Celtics won a title in 2008 and just missed another in 2010 with Garnett.
Seven years later, the Celtics are going to be inquiring about another Timberwolves All-Star forward in a bid to jump-start the rebuilding process.
Adding the reliable Kevin Love to the roster would certainly help a lot more than a couple of intriguing draft prospects.
Jim Fenton may be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFenton_ent.


text: UPDATED: Child, 4, dies after choking incident outside Enfield home day care By MEGHAN PIERCEUnion Leader Correspondent March 26. 2014 7:00PM ENFIELD — A 4-year-girl died Wednesday, two days after her coat caught on a makeshift lean-to outside an unlicensed home daycare, choking her. "Willa Shine Clark was a bright light in our lives," parents Cara and Michael Clark of Enfield said in a statement Wednesday night. "She illuminated many of the paths that she crossed." The daycare will be issued a cease-and-desist order from the state Department of Health and Human Services, according to Melissa Clement, chief of child care licensing at the department. Enfield Police Chief Richard Crate Jr. said police were called at 12:43 p.m. Monday by the day care owner, who reported the child got caught on the lean-to and was not breathing. The woman was performing CPR on the girl. The 4-year-old was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, where she had been in critical condition. In their statement, Cara and Michael Clark said their daughter died "as the result of injuries suffered under tragic circumstances." "We appreciate the outpouring of support from our friends and the community, and we are strengthened by that support," the Clarks said. "We will share information about a celebration of Willa's life soon. For now, we appreciate the respect of the community while we grieve privately the loss of our daughter." Crate would not identify the day care center where the incident took place Wednesday. Clement said as soon as Enfield police disclose the name of the woman running the center to her department, a letter closing the day care would be sent. Clement said police gave her the address of the daycare, but not the name of the provider. "We had not received any complaints about an unlicensed program at that place previously," Clement said. "We don't have the name of the provider at this time because they are still wrapping up the investigation." Crate said the woman was caring for five children, some related, at the day care. On Monday afternoon, she was inside with one child, but told police she was watching the other children playing outdoors. The 4-year-old, Crate said, apparently climbed onto a small makeshift lean-to — a type Boy Scouts make, he explained — and somehow fell, catching the back of her jacket on a stick. The day care owner did not see the fall, he said, but saw what she thought was a jacket hanging off the lean-to and went outside to check it out. She found the child hanging by her coat, unhooked her and immediately began CPR, according to Crate. She then went back inside and called 911. When the back of the child's jacket got hung up on the stick, it put pressure on her neck and collapsing her airway, according to Crate. In response to a right-to-know request from the New Hampshire Union Leader for the address of the day care, Crate said Wednesday that the Grafton County Attorney had directed him to keep the name of the day care provider and other details of the investigation confidential "until investigation is finished and she has had a chance to review everything." Clement said police told her none of the children under the woman's care were her own. "When you are operating out of your own home, there are different thresholds for operating," Clement said. "You could have eight children and you do not need a license until you reach four children that are not your own." If the woman sought to be licensed by the state, she would first have to receive local approval from the Enfield zoning, fire and health officials, Clement said. "We're going to be sending them a letter to close because they are not licensed and they had more than three kids in their care," said Kris Neilsen, communications director at the Department of Health and Human Services Union Leader Staff Writer Pat Grossmith contributed to this report. Public Safety Enfield Top Section Stories


text:
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: Superbowl Sweethearts!
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and their son Maddox Jolie-Pitt leave Super Bowl XLIV at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Sunday (February 7).
During the game, Brad and Angie celebrated the Saints win with a big hug and kiss!
Click HERE to see their passionate kiss!
Brad & Angie seemed to really enjoy themselves together after rooting for the Saints to win! The Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in the Super Bowl.
Maddox showed his New Orleans pride by wearing a Drew Brees No. 9 Saints jersey. The quarterback ended up winning the MVP of the Super Bowl! Great choice of jersey Maddox!
Earlier in the day, the Jolie-Pitts were seen arriving in Miami after flying in from Los Angeles.
FYI: Angie is wearing a Burberry trench coat!
10+ pictures inside of Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, Superbowl sweethearts…


text:
STOCKTON - Knowledge is strength. ("El saber es fuerza.")
STOCKTON - Knowledge is strength. ("El saber es fuerza.")
And ...
Knowing is better than speaking. ("Mas vale saber que hablar.")
Both of these phrases speak to the heart of a national learning program for Latino preschoolers that will be launched next year in San Joaquin County by Head Start.
"With this program, our at-risk numbers should decrease," said Cecelia Warren, one of two Stockton-based Head Start specialists trained in the Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors program. "With it, more families will have the resources to advocate for their children."
The program has two goals: better kindergarten readiness for Latino children and greater empowerment for their parents.
There are few places in California where it is more needed. According to Children Now, an advocacy group based in the East Bay:
� San Joaquin County has almost 55,000 children younger than 5, and more than 23,000 of them are Latino.
� While half of all 3- and 4-year-old white children are in preschool, only 22 percent of Latino children are enrolled (black and Asian toddlers also lag behind).
� The lack of early preparedness becomes evident in high school. Fewer than one in five Latino children meets college requirements by his or her senior year.
� More than 16 percent of the county's population lives in poverty, and the rate is even higher among Latinos.
� San Joaquin County ranks 49 out of California's 58 counties in the percentage of all children, ages 3 and 4, enrolled in preschool.
Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors is designed to change that. And it begins with engaged parents.
"In the Latino culture, parents don't know they can question teachers," said Edwardo Cortez, the other Head Start specialist trained in the new program. "We want to empower them to go further, to ask more and invite them to do their own research."
Cortez and Warren were at a national Head Start conference in Nashville, Tenn., where they learned how to implement Abrienda Puertas/Opening Doors. They will, in turn, train local parents and professionals.
"Stockton is unique," said Tony Col�n, Head Start's director of program operations in the county. "It is Olympian in terms of poverty. We need the tools to meet that challenge. Family engagement in a child's life is one way."
Cortez, who has worked with Head Start for 16 years, believes the time is right.
"In the last two years, Latino families have become more interested in leadership roles," he said. "And in advocacy for themselves."
The curriculum, developed in Spanish and English, started in 2003 with a pilot program at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It became available nationally in 2007.
Head Start is bringing it to California.
"We reinforce sitting down and reading to your child," Cortez said. "We emphasize the importance of one-on-one time."
Hugo Haro, president of the local Head Start Policy Council, has high hopes.
"I ask a lot of questions," Haro said. "I question everything. This is very important. There are not a lot of males involved. I'm looking forward to this from a parent's perspective."
Warren said the program recognizes the importance of the father figure in getting things done. "We want to share with them why their role as Dad is so important."
Col�n said he is optimistic.
"We finally have something that will work - it's bilingual and family friendly. If this works, we've created life-long advocates," he said.
Warren also has high expectations.
"We want to help Latinos realize the American dream."
Contact reporter Kevin Parrish at (209) 546-8264 or email@example.com.


text:
This entry was posted
on Saturday, December 19th, 2015 at 6:19 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
culturalstudies is proudly powered by
Podbean and ChaoticSoul v1.0.1 (by Bryan Veloso)
Copyright © 2011 Toby Miller. All rights reserved.


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — Soybeans edged higher on concern that dry weather conditions in Brazil will harm this year's crop.
Soybeans for January delivery gained 6 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $14.2475 a bushel on Monday. The futures contract climbed as high as $14.35 during the day. Soybean prices are recovering, after slipping from their highest level in more than a decade in the summer.
A dearth of rain is forecast for the next ten days. That may have an impact on the current planting season in southern Brazil, where much of the country's crop is grown.
"We are turning drier at a critical early phase of the growing season" in Brazil, said Mike Zuzulo, president of Global Commodity Analytics and Consulting.
In other agricultural trading, corn also rose. The December contract gained 1.75 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $7.4725 a bushel. The gains for corn were driven by concern that too much rain in Argentina would harm the season's crop.
"Argentina is turning wet again," Zuzolo said. "That is going to delay some planting and cause some problems."
December wheat gained 1.25 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $8.49 a bushel.
The price of oil fell below $88 a barrel as a truce between Israel and the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip appeared to hold despite a confrontation last week. Benchmark oil fell 54 cents to $87.74 a barrel.
Metals were little changed.
December gold edged lower, falling $1.80, or 0.1 percent, to $1,749.60 an ounce. Silver for December delivery rose 2.1 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $34.137 an ounce. Both metals gained strongly on Friday and are trading at or near their highest levels in more than a month.
Platinum for January delivery fell $6.10, or 0.4 percent, to $1,611 an ounce and December palladium fell $6.40, or 1 percent, to $661.20 an ounce. Copper rose 0.85 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $3.5365 a pound.


text:
Cooking School Closed for Kitchen Improvements Sept. 20 – Oct. 31
Please note that the Cooking School will be closed from September 20 – October 31 while we make improvements to the kitchen. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Previous Month Making Changes That Last Next Month
Healing Arts Center & Spa
- From April 18th, 2013 to April 21st, 2013
Making Changes That Last
Have you vowed to make changes in your life – to exercise more, lose weight, be kinder – but found it challenging (or impossible) to sustain? You're not alone.
Join recognized experts for a 360-degree approach to create lasting change. Learn the newest science and psychology of making positive life changes that endure. In this retreat, you'll create a personalized plan and receive practical tools, expert advice, and a support group to help sustain new habits for a lifetime. The retreat's 'change agents' include: Dr. Brad Jacobs, Linda Fogg-Phillips, Mingtong Gu, Gina Rudan and Joel Kimmel.
Other retreat activities include a hands-on, healthy cooking class in Cavallo Point's Cooking School, hiking in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and movement classes.
$1950 – single occupancy
$1650 – double occupancy
Retreat package priced per person, including all meals, activities and lodging.
Retreat Package Details: Package includes retreat activities as noted and all meals (three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners). Spa services and free-time activities are not included in package price. Prices do not include taxes, gratuities or alcoholic beverages. Package subject to availability and may not be combined with other offers or rates. Refunds or credit on any unused portion of the package are unavailable. Extended stays may be available at special room rates. Full payment is due at time of booking and is non-refundable, with a 72-hour cancellation policy.


text:
No. 93,024
1. A sentencing court has wide discretion in ordering restitution and in selecting the manner in which it is calculated. The rigorous standards for proof of damages in a civil action do not apply in calculating an amount of restitution in a criminal case. Nevertheless, the victim is not entitled to restitution that exceeds the loss.
2. In calculating restitution in a criminal case for personal property that is lost, the item's fair market value is the usual standard.
3. An award of restitution that exceeds fair market value of the lost property constitutes an abuse of discretion.
4. Depreciation is a factor to be considered in arriving at value for the purposes of ordering restitution, but it does not trump the ultimate test: the fair market value of the item in an arm's-length sale.
Appeal from Saline District Court; DAN D. BOYER, judge. Opinion filed September 9, 2005. Affirmed in part, restitution order vacated, and case remanded with directions.
Matthew J. Edge, assistant appellate defender, for appellant.
Ellen Mitchell, county attorney, and Phill Kline, attorney general, for appellee.
Before ELLIOTT, P.J., MALONE and McANANY, JJ.
McANANY, J.: Johnny Baxter and another man stole and later damaged and abandoned a Chevrolet van owned by Gateway Outdoor Advertising Company (Gateway). The van was used in Gateway's billboard advertising business. It was equipped with an aluminum scaffold and hooks used for installing advertisements on billboards. These items were missing when the van was recovered. Baxter pled guilty to theft and was sentenced to 12 months' probation, with an underlying sentence of 6 months in the county jail.
At a separate restitution hearing, Neil Phalen, a representative of Gateway, testified that he bought the scaffold in approximately 1990 for $800. The only company that manufactured the scaffold is no longer in business. Phalen testified that a welding company had stated it could fabricate a new scaffold for a cost of approximately $1,500 to $1,600. Phalen replaced his scaffold approximately every 20 years, but his inspection of this particular scaffold before the theft disclosed that it was in good condition. Phalen also claimed the scaffold was a unique tool.
Baxter objected to awarding Gateway the full replacement cost for the scaffold. The court ruled:
"Well, the purest form of justice is to put the victim back to where they were before such an act was committed. Now, this scaffolding looks to me like it's a unique piece of equipment, unique to the business. For instance, [a] musician may have an old violin. That doesn't mean that it's not worth to that musician what it was years ago.
. . . .
"Certainly not Mr. Phalen's fault that he's missing the property. And, it looks to me like that's a unique piece of equipment that you can't buy in the open market. And, I think that in this case restitution would encompass what he paid for, or what he's got to pay to get it replaced, so that will be my order, okay?"
The ultimate restitution order included the full replacement cost for the scaffold. Baxter now appeals from that order. Because the district court used the replacement value of the scaffold that was lost, rather than its current fair market value, we must set aside that portion of the restitution order relating to the scaffold and remand for further proceedings to determine an appropriate restitution order for its loss.
A sentencing court has wide discretion in ordering restitution and in selecting the manner in which it is calculated. The rigorous standards for proof of damages in a civil action do not apply in calculating an amount of restitution in a criminal case. Nevertheless, the victim is not entitled to restitution that exceeds the amount of the loss. See State v. Casto, 22 Kan. App. 2d 152, 153-54, 912 P.2d 772 (1996). In calculating restitution for a loss involving personal property, the item's fair market value is the usual standard. State v. Rhodes, 31 Kan. App. 2d 1040, Syl. ¶ 2, 77 P.3d 502 (2003). Kansas courts have consistently held that an award of restitution that exceeds fair market value constitutes an abuse of discretion. See, e.g., State v. Hunziker, 274 Kan. 655, 664, 56 P.3d 202 (2002); Rhodes, 31 Kan. App. 2d at 1042-43; Casto, 22 Kan. App. 2d at 154; State v. Hinckley, 13 Kan. App. 2d 417, 419, 777 P.2d 857 (1989).
Here, the district court valued the scaffold based upon its replacement cost, not its fair market value. The district court reasoned that the value Phalen claimed it would cost to replace the scaffolding was appropriate since it was a unique piece of equipment that one cannot buy on the open market. In reaching this conclusion, the district court's analogy of an old violin is incomplete. True, a high quality old violin is often worth more than its original purchase price. One of the world's most famous, the "Soil" Stradivarius built by Antonio Stradivari in 1714 and now owned and played by Itzhak Perlman, is worth millions of dollars today. Though it is unique, its value, nevertheless, is based on the market. If there is a market for old Stradivarius violins, we doubt that there is no market for used scaffolds. Or, at least, there was no evidence to that effect.
Here, there was simply no evidence presented on the price that a willing seller and a willing buyer would agree upon in the sale of a scaffold of comparable age and condition in an arm's-length transaction. Nor was there any evidence that Phalen inquired of other outdoor advertising companies about such a transaction. Given the number of outdoor advertising companies in the state, it is hard to imagine that none would part with such a scaffold if the price were right and if Gateway were willing to pay it. That price, with an upper limit of the $1,600 replacement cost, would establish the fair market value that is the required basis for a sustainable restitution order.
Baxter argues that the court should apply a straight-line depreciation schedule to the scaffold. He reasons that if it had a useful life of 20 years and was 16 years old at the time of the theft, its value was only 20% of its original cost. Anyone who has sold a new car a few months after its original purchase will confirm that straight-line depreciation is not always an accurate measure of fair market value. The buyer who paid $2,032,000 for the 1699 "The Lady Tennant" Stradivarius violin in 2005 certainly did not think so. Depreciation is a factor to be considered, but it does not trump the ultimate test: the fair market value of the item in an arm's-length sale.
Restitution order vacated with respect to the amount attributed to the scaffold, and remanded for further proceedings.


text:
50 Shades Of Beige Dance Shoes, Comfort Evening Dress Pumps, Wedding Shoes: Women 2.5" & 3" Heel Ballroom Shoes For Smooth, Latin, Tango, Salsa, Swing, Standard, Theather Art by Party PartyHeel 2.5": Size 6 1/2|7037- Brown Nubuck/Snake 7037- Brown Nubuck/S
Leather sole
Presented by Very Fine Dance Sport Shoes, the Google ranking #1 company in ballroom dance shoes. Very light weight and flexible with Suede outsole. 100% hand made with high quality. Very light weight and flexible.
Cushioned insole for shock absorption and lasting comfort. Easy/quick release buckling (Clip/Hook)
Bunddle Special $1.99: Add \"Sole Stopper\" to turn dance shoes into reqular shoes. Add \"Heel Protector\" for dance pros. Discount apply at check out.
Feel free to call/text/write us for any concerns. US Customer Service: 818-794-0988 Mon-Fri 9am-4pm (Pacific Time)
Images show the 3\" heel option. Easy exchange with free shipping. Full item refund within 14 days in original condition. Shoes will be shipped without box.
Ballet & Dance


text:
1. Gonzaga (27-2)
Zags moved up to No. 2 in both polls, are first top-two team from a nonpower conference since Memphis in 2007-08
2. Arizona (23-4)
Wildcats have won three straight games, moved into tie for first place in Pac-12 with inconsistent Oregon
3. New Mexico (23-4)
Impressive 91-82 win over Colorado State in Fort Collins put Lobos in position to win Mountain West Conference regular-season title
4. Saint Mary's (24-5)
Big home wins over BYU and Creighton move Gaels to No. 23 in coaches poll, makes them close to a lock for NCAA Tournament
5. Colorado State (21-6)
Tough week for Rams with losses to UNLV and New Mexico, but still in great shape to claim second place in MWC
6. Oregon (22-6)
Managed to score just 46 points at home in a loss to California, but still in tie for league lead in mediocre Pac-12
7. San Diego State (20-7)
Big test Wednesday night at The Pit against No. 14 New Mexico after Aztecs corralled Lobos 55-34 last month at Viejas
Nice revenge win over USC last week, but the Arizona schools visit Pauley Pavilion this week to test newfound momentum
Anthony Marshall has regained his confidence, so Rebels should be able to win out with Nevada, Boise State and Fresno State up next
10. California (18-9)
Don't look now, but Bears have won five straight, including big win last week at No. 23 Oregon
Jay Drew


text:
Travel to St. Charles Saturday to take on Lindenwood.
The Missouri S&T football team ventures back into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association for a non-conference game Saturday.
And the Miners hope things work out a little better Saturday than the last time they played an MIAA foe.
S&T travels to St. Charles to take on the Lindenwood Lions Saturday night. Kickoff at Hunter Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
Coming off its first win of the season, S&T is 1-2 overall. Lindenwood lost for the first time last week, to league foe Central Missouri 47-28, to fall to 2-1 overall.
S&T is a former member of the MIAA, leaving after the 2004 campaign, which was before Lindenwood joined the league. Two weeks ago the Miners played at St. Joseph against No. 6 nationally-ranked Missouri Western – also of the MIAA – and were blown out 63-3.
The Miners then bounced back nicely last week, scoring 27 unanswered points to knock off Wisconsin-LaCrosse 27-14.
And although S&T head coach Tyler Fenwick doesn't expect the Lions to be Missouri Western-like, he knows Lindenwood, which finished 8-4 and played in the Mineral Water Bowl last season, is going to be another stern test.
In all, four of the first five games of the season for the Miners will come against opponents which played in the NCAA Division II 2012 postseason.
"It's the same story...another tough game," Fenwick said. "Lindenwood is from the MIAA, so they're used to tough opponents. Last year was their first year in MIAA conference play and they did well."
Lindenwood is now a full-fledged member of Division II after transitioning from the NAIA.
Last week against Central Missouri the Lions led 28-20 late in the first half before the Mules reeled off the final 27 points to win.
S&T has met Lindenwood just one other time, two seasons ago when the Miners rolled up a 19-0 lead and held on for a 19-13 win.
The Lions come into Saturday's game averaging 478.3 yards in total offense and have the ninth-best passing attack in Division II at 355 yards per game. Sophomore quarterback Dillon Miller has hit on 81-of-135 passes for 1,032 yards and six TDs.
Miller's top target has been sophomore wideout Jaron Alexander, who has 22 catches for 243 yards, while junior wideout Alex Robinson and sophomore wideout Jordan Gater each have 18 receptions, with Robinson scoring four times. Junior tailback Marvin Byrd leads the Lion ground game with 263 yards.
Defensively sophomore inside linebacker Connor Harris leads Lindenwood in tackles with 33 while senior cornerback Pierre Desir is considered All-America material.
"They're fast," Fenwick said of Lindenwood. "Their secondary is fast and they have receivers and running backs who can run. That's the big thing, we've got to be in the right spots and tackle well.
"Their defensive line is physical. They've got some really good talent. And the cornerback, Desir, is probably one of the best in the country."
A blocked punt and a three-yard interception return TD off a ball tipped by the intended receiver gave Wisconsin-LaCrosse a quick 14-0 first-quarter lead last week over S&T.
However, the Miner defense did not allow a sustained scoring drive and created turnovers of its own to help the offense kick into gear in the second half.
"Our defense played well the whole game," Fenwick said. "The blocked punt and then the interception that basically went off the tight end's hands resulted in touchdowns. Other than that the defense played well and in the second half the offense really came back.
"We just weren't on the same page with the receivers and quarterback. We had some miscommunication; we had some new stuff we just put in and that stuff got cleaned up at half."
Miner sophomore running back Zenel Hudson had 158 of his career-high 222 rushing yards after intermission last week. He now has rushed for 341 yards (4.1 per carry).
Sophomore quarterback Reed Brown has hit on 60-of-106 passes for 711 yards, five interceptions and three TDs. Junior wideout Melvin Stovall has caught 16 passes for 211 yards while junior wideout Nick Taylor has 13 grabs for 163 yards; junior wideout Leon Moody 10 receptions for 87 yards and junior wideout Josh Corbid nine for 113.
Senior middle linebacker Chris Emesih continues to lead the Miners in tackles with 27 total while junior outside linebacker Zach Melber has 21, senior cornerback Sean Martin 15 and senior safety Mark Hopkins 14.
Fenwick is hoping to have senior All-America defensive lineman Eddie Rascon and senior running back Anthony Moore back. Rascon has missed the last couple of games with a knee injury while Moore has been out for two weeks with a concussion.