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TNB: My Pad, Your Problem
The Bouldering Life, Part One: "Elite and Fast" Gear for Summiting Mount Evans
It has been a few fortnights since Tuesday Night Bouldering has actually been about bouldering, and even longer since I
myself have gone practice climbing. This is sad, like American states not being united, or the Black Canyon not being "of the Gunnison."
I vowed to change that this summer, out of some queer fidelity to my column's name, not to mention my newfound aversion to going anywhere near Rifle in
the dead of summer, when it's too hot to send elite sport routes with elite redpoint grades. In other words, too hot to make others feel inferior.
In other words, too hot to have any fun.
So I headed for the high hills, to the venerable Mount Evans, lured by the promise of prime alpine conditions and steep granite blocks.
We reached the parking area, beside the cold waters of an old glacial lake that draws a doomed spectacle of miserable humans who waddle around the trampled
pine-needle floor with fishing rods and Coleman coolers and other accessories that help our rather indisposed species "recreate."
The hike from here to the boulder field is one hour—not a minute more or less. Jen and I strapped crash pads to our backs and began the awkward march
into the thicket of ponderosa.
People who don't climb don't know what crash pads are. They see what appears to be a giant square backpack, and their mouths twist into ugly knots and
their eyes bulge out of their skulls in the same way that their eyes would had they accidentally sat upon their own faces.
That's fine. Every good American is entitled to be ignorant about something. For example, I don't know why people think infants are cute. Many babies possess
the shrunken heads of a fierce and brutal pygmy tribe. But while I think fussing over babies is Stranger than Camus, most people see my crash pad and
assume I'm the one who has a "problem," not realizing that problems are what I climb, not have.
To give you an idea of what I mean by "most people," here are some stats: Two-thirds of the people you pass on the trail don't care, or rather they don't
say anything. They just let the freaks with the foam backpacks go by without harassment. One-third of the human pie, however, must say something.
And 100 percent of what they must say is dumb.
These are unscientific numbers, of course, based on loose observations and a handful of extreme prejudices that I hold dear. Nevertheless I feel confident
that these numbers are accurate and that I am right.
As a working editor for the only climbing magazine owned by people who actually go climbing, I instinctively felt obligated to be a good ambassador for
the sport. So I took the time to answer each layperson's question about what, exactly, it was that I was carrying on my back.
"This is called a 'crash pad,'" I would say through the forced, polite grin that I've perfected from five years of trade shows. "You lay this pad down
on the ground beneath the boulder that you want to climb. That way, if you fall, there's a nice soft landing to crash into.
I really spelled it out for them: this pad here + the word crash = crash pad.
If I spotted a glimmer of interest, I'd tell them to donate money to the Access Fund and to seek proper instruction by patronizing their local AMGA-certified
guide service. Then I'd slap them on the backs and remind them that Allah loves them.
Bless their curiosity, but the more people I interacted with, the more I realized their inquisitiveness revealed something about their own threadbare souls.
Gear-heads saw the bouldering pad and, while they had no clue what it was for, they knew that they wanted one. These gadget junkies, always "large-brained"
men, couldn't resist the urge to feign expertise before their "small-brained" counterparts, the women.
"See that?" said one deep-voice mustache face in khaki convertibles to his pudgy polypro broad. "That's a 'camping bed.' There's a sleeping bag built into
it, and when you fold it open, it becomes a tent. They're made in Japan, which is why they're so small. Excuse me, how many ounces is your camping
Dumb, to be sure, but ignorance can breed creativity on occasion. Other people mistook the crash pad to be the following items: a raft, a massage table,
a cooler, a slide, a parachute, something for gymnastics (close), and a whale's vagina.
Then there were the people who knew that the crash pad was for rock climbing. Possessing that morsel of knowledge instilled these people with a powerful,
unshakeable compulsion to let you know that they know that crash pads are used for "climbing." Their questions ranged from the annoyingly
banal—"Going for a climb?"—to the wildly uninhibited dumbshit, "So, did you make it to the top?" as they pointed to the 500-foot granite
slab towering above the Mount Evans boulders.
I tried my best, I really did, to be a good representative, but my darker half and short Arab temper got the better of me after an impressive (for me)
15 minutes of smiling kindly and eating my shorts for everyone's amusement. I was having to stop every two seconds to explain that I wasn't carrying
a camping bed for nappy time, or that crash pads aren't really used when climbing 500-foot walls.
I dealt, of course … first by telling people that my crash pad was actually a sex mat. I would say, "This is a sex mat for woodland erotica." I'd
wink and point my thumb at Jen. Then I would say, "Just kidding." The confused person would laugh uneasily. Then we would stare at each other in uncomfortable
silence. And then they would stop asking me about my crash pad.
Eventually, things became more confrontational. One man said, "There are a thousand of you guys out here today!"
My first thought was, I freakin' hope not!
Instead, I said, "Yeah, well, there are about two thousand of you guys out here today!"
"Huh?" he said. I had snatched his logic carpet out from under him. The idea that he—not me—was the odd one, reversed his blood flow and destroyed
his mind.
"Yeah, that's right," I said, not letting up. "You guys. What are you doing out here anyway? I mean, seriously, what are you doing?"
"We-e-ll," he stammered, "we're hiking."
"Like, you just walk around in the woods? And that's it?" I said, feigning great disbelief.
"Yeah, you know. Hiking," he said.
"Huh," I said. "You hear that, Jen? These people come out here and they just walk. Isn't that wild? Isn't that just nuts?"
And I probably would've won that round, too, if this guy hadn't been a total ninja. Instead, he pulled out his samurai sword—fa-ching!—and
sliced me open with the most perfect comeback of all time.
"Knock knock," he said.
"What?" I said.
"Knock knock," he said again.
"Who's there?" I said, awash in resigned waves of dread.
"Go fuck yourself," he said.
I looked at him and laughed uneasily. Then he said, "Just kidding." Then we stood in awkward silence. Then we left. The playing field had been leveled.
He went hiking, and I went bouldering, each act completely neutralized by our own smug egos.
Since that day, I've passed the witching hours of many steamy summer nights, when it's too hot to sleep, lying on the carpet of my claustrophobic studio
and thinking, rum. I've also wondered what to make of my recent encounters at Mount Evans.
I've told this story to my friends, invariably all climbers. I hear from them that Rocky Mountain National Park is worse. They say that the Park is Mount
Evans times 1,000. How big is that? Nobody knows. The number is too large for anyone to calculate its terrible sum.
My friends have had dead-ringer experiences to mine at Mount Evans (and elsewhere). Time passes beautifully as we spin our own exaggerated tales, and share
our own perverted beta for what is the best thing to say to the hiking ignoramuses who so greatly affront us by turning our precious crash pads into
half-rendered objects of their own demented fixations. Then, we laugh.
In the sweltering night, in a gentle swell of mental clarity brought on by my beloved Venezuelan rum, I've realized what it is that bothers me about this
joke, and it's just that. This is a lame gag that, as climbers, we instinctively find funny without necessarily realizing that we are far less righteous
than we'd like to think.
Crash pads are bulky, weird objects. How stupid is it, really, that hikers are dumbfounded by the spectacle of dozens of people wandering the woods with
huge pads on their backs? It is actually quite reasonable.
Making fun of people for their fascination with our elephantine accessory makes me feel a little bit like Paris Hilton complaining to her vapid clique
about the big stir caused by dressing her accessory dog, a pitiable pet Chihuahua named Tinkerbell, in a proprietary line of designer dresses and jeans.
At the same time, it's frustrating to feel obligated to kowtow to ignorance (no matter how justifiable) out of a fear of being dubbed an "elitist." Just
because I think it's funny, dumb and annoying that people freak out when they see my crash pad doesn't necessarily mean that I think I'm better than
they are. But it demands incredible patience to educate a single person, not to mention a thousand of them. It would be unrealistic to take that sort
of time, and saintly not to find their incessant questions at least a little grating.
I know this, yet condemning these people to be the butts of every climber's joke still makes me a bit uncomfortable. Why?
Elitism is a dirty word in our culture—the climbing one and the American one. As Americans, we've been told our whole lives that we can do and become
whatever we want. Elitists unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally) remind us that we can't. This pisses us off; hence, elitism is un-American.
People don't want to be reminded that they are stupid or weak—especially those who really are.
In climbing, elitism often means espousing one style over the other, or chopping someone else's bolts in order to inflate your own ego, or soloing. Rarely
do boulderers get to be "elitists" in the climbing world—they have to drop down a notch to the hiking tier to get that dirty fix. This shows
how hollow the word elitist really is, but also how incredibly layered our societies and cultures are by talent, intelligence, health, interest, perversion,
skin color, sexuality and economic standing. In some cases, the layers are deserved and reasonable, while other times they are unjust and wrong.
Bouldering is admittedly inconsequential, frivolous and vain. So is hiking. Does the presence of a piece of climbing gear, even a bouldering pad, somehow
place a person at a higher, more "elite" level? I think it does. And that's what bothers me.


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BERNIE COL: Overtime session could bring first family to Springfield
Illinois' first family seems to be contemplating a significant stay in the Executive Mansion this summer.
"In the event we are in overtime session this summer, Mrs. (Patti) Blagojevich called the Springfield Park District to ask about swim lessons for Annie and ice skating opportunities for Amy," said Rebecca Rausch, spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Annie - who turned 4 in April - is learning to swim, while Amy, 10, "has been skating for quite some time" and participates in ice skating competitions, Rausch said.
This, of course, is good news for those who have long thought the governor and his family, who live in Chicago, should get to know Springfield a little better. It's not such good news for lawmakers, who just may think they have personally spent enough time in the capital city this spring.
Durbin reflects on his job
Sometimes, with his unassuming manner as he speaks to a crowd, it's difficult to remember that Assistant U.S. Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin of Springfield is way up there as far as our national government goes.
Even Durbin marvels at the position he's in, as he did last week while addressing a roomful of mostly veterans at American Legion Post 809 on Springfield's east side.
"Some of you know I was born and raised in East St. Louis," he said, finding at least one member of the crowd with a similar background. Durbin noted he came to Springfield 38 years ago.
"This is where we raised our kids, and Springfield's home," he said.
"But there are moments in this business right now where I have to stop and pinch myself and say, 'I can't believe that this is the same Dick Durbin that used to eat chili at the Jackson Club,'" he said, referring to a former Springfield Democratic hangout.
Every two weeks, Durbin said, he is among nine members of Congress invited by President George W. Bush "to sit around the Cabinet table and talk about the important issues, like the war in Iraq."
The other eight, he said, are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, and Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott.
"There we are sitting with the president of the United States for an hour," he said. "Just one on one. In conversation."
"I think about that all the time. And I think, 'You know what, when it comes your turn to ask a question, Durbin, there are an awful lot of people (who) want to make sure you ask the most important questions - things that make a difference.'"
At his last such encounter, Durbin said, he told the story of a wounded Iraq veteran, Eric Edmundson, who is being treated at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
"I said, 'Mr. President, this may be a personal question, but I want to ask you - have you ever thought that it may reach a point where you cannot ask America to send more soldiers, 'cause Iraq is not doing what they're supposed to do and this is not going to end the way you want it to? Is there a point in your mind where you feel like you couldn't ask America to send more soldiers?'"
"He said, 'Yes, but this isn't the point,' and so forth and so on."
When the meeting broke up, Bush came over and said he wanted to talk more about the wounded soldier - who Durbin said can now take some steps.
"He says, 'It breaks my heart too,'" Durbin said of his conversation with Bush. "And I said, 'I'm sure it does. It has to. I mean, you're the commander in chief. You made the decision for this war. It has to break your heart.'"
Durbin thinks such exchanges are useful.
"I could stand up and beat on the table and say you're wrong, this that and the other. That's not going to get us anywhere. But rather to get him to think and to join in his thinking about where this is headed, how this might end. That's what I'm trying to do."
Durbin opposed the original resolution allowing the use of force in Iraq, but says he votes for every bill that funds the troops in the conflict.
The Simpsons contest
Perhaps his past as a reporter and political columnist makes Joe Harris look at things differently, but I found some common ground with a letter to the editor from him that was published in Monday's State Journal-Register. Harris urged Springfield to drop out of the contest to have Springfield named hometown of the Simpsons cartoon characters.
In it, Harris compared the classy words of Abe Lincoln with the borderline vulgar (in my view) utterances of Bart Simpson.
"Nothing good can come of winning this absurd contest," Harris wrote.
I asked Mayor Tim Davlin about this, and he emphatically disagreed.
"I think it's terrific," Davlin said of the contest, which is linked to the coming release of a movie featuring the Simpsons. "If we get an extra $100 in the city of Springfield because of tourism, it's worth it. If we get an extra thousand or $100,000 in tourism money, so be it. ... That's what helps pay our bills. I mean, tourism is a big part of what we do here in the city of Springfield, and, you know, it's no more than one more gimmick, if you want to use that word."
It's worth "whatever it takes" to get people to make Springfield a one- or two-night destination, Davlin said.
"For someone to take it that serious," the mayor said of somebody worried about the tastefulness of the cartoon, "they've got too much time on their hands."
I assume when he says "whatever it takes," the mayor might have some limit in mind. But who knows?
Anyway, congratulations to Harris on his recent retirement. He was a Statehouse pressroom fixture for years at a legislative reporting firm, State Capital Information Service. Harris and Luke Carey formerly were the owners. Carey now is sole owner.
Harris worked at the old Illinois State Journal from 1961 to 1967, including writing a column, until he went to work for Republican gubernatorial candidate John Henry Altorfer, who lost the 1968 primary to Richard Ogilvie. Harris worked for Ogilvie in the general election campaign and later was a spokesman for the old Department of Public Works and Buildings, which was headed by a guy named Bill Cellini. Harris later was a petroleum industry lobbyist and worked for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Howlett, who won a primary in 1976.
The timing of his switch to the Democratic Party, however, came just before Republican Jim Thompson won the general election that year.
"And the Democrats just now got back into office with the worst governor I've ever seen," he said.
Harris, 68, and wife Marilyn, who will continue as a science teacher at Blessed Sacrament School, have three children and six grandchildren. Some travel this summer will help fill the time off.
Roberts goes Green
Taylorville's Vic Roberts has thrown his decal-covered, coal miner's hat into the ring again, but with a twist. This year, the 74-year-old longtime Democrat with, shall we say, interesting theories, says he's switched to the Green Party to run for Congress in the 19th Congressional District.
He says the Green philosophy better "personifies my political ideology," but he also says he hasn't been in contact with any of that party's officials.
"I'm on my own here," he says. "In all my perennial candidacies, I've been on my own."
Roberts got on the November ballot in only one of those races, losing in 1978 to then-incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Findley in the old 20th Congressional District.
He notes with pride that, last spring, although he lost the primary in the 19th to Danny Stover of Centralia, with just 38.4 percent of the vote, he did win majorities in Christian and Montgomery counties.
Roberts' Web site, www.vicroberts.net, has lengthy statements that are not exactly mainstream. He believes, for example, that "our government is being manipulated by the organized wealth of a small but powerful group of super rich Wall Street bankers, global financiers, and multinational industrialists known as the NEW WORLD ORDER. This small group of people have organized their immense wealth and power for the purpose of ruling the world for their own selfish pleasure, thus, turning citizens into their subjects."
U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, appears vulnerable in 2008 because of his oversight of the scandal-plagued congressional page program. But no Democratic candidate has yet emerged in the 19th.
But at least there is Roberts - unless an energized Green Party finds somebody to challenge him in its primary.
New job for Tirey
Kevin Tirey, 33, of Springfield has a new job as labor relations specialist for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Tirey began May 1 in the new job, which pays $68,124 annually. He comes to IDOT from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, where he was chief of operations for the office of resource conservation.
Before that, he was with the Environmental Protection Agency. The Associated Press has reported that Tirey was already an experienced state worker in 2004, when he was labeled as an intern and given the duties of the EPA's personnel director. He made $54,600 at the EPA. He had also been a Democratic campaign staffer, the AP said.
His wife, Jennifer Tirey, is deputy director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.
At IDOT, Kevin Tirey took the place of James Shupenus, who moved laterally to a job as vehicle inspection field supervisor. A former Democratic precinct committeeman in Springfield, he's making $73,020. Mike Claffey of IDOT said Shupenus is one of two field supervisors in the state who oversee school bus inspectors.
Bernard Schoenburg is political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at 788-1540 or firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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WESTMINSTER — State and local law enforcement officials told an afternoon media briefing that the body found in Arvada has been positively identified as Jessica Ridgeway, the 10-year-old girl missing from Westminster.
On Thursday Westminster police spokesman Trevor Materasso said the body found Wednesday was not intact, and that was making it difficult to identify it. Officials had been waiting on the results of DNA tests.
Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk said he had "a great deal of sorrow" in his heart.
"There is a predator at large in our community," he said, adding that investigators are putting all efforts into finding the killer.
Jim Yacone with the FBI said, "The commitment with investigators will not waver. Our commitment to seek justice will only grow."
Yacone urged everyone to continue reporting tips about the case. Tips are being collected at 303-658-4336 or email@example.com
Read more: Maine police one of many agencies investigating Jessica Ridgeway tips – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21740716/maine-police-one-many-agencies-investigating-jessica-ridgeway#ixzz297xHKdsv
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
"This is not the news we wanted to hear," Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey said. He said that the investigation is the priority, and officials would not jeopardize that.
Birk, Yacone and Storey did not take questions.
Materasso confirmed the Colorado Bureau of Investigation used DNA to identify the body.
FBI spokesman Dave Joly said, "We will not rest until this person is caught." He added that officials need the community to be "engaged and aware."
Gov. John Hickenlooper released a statement after the news conference: "This is an unthinkable end to an unthinkable crime in our community.
"It is with a profound sense of sorrow that we learned of Jessica Ridgeway's death. On behalf of all of Colorado, we offer our deepest sympathies to her family and friends. The Colorado Department of Public Safety and other federal, state and local agencies involved in the case will continue to provide all of the support they can as the investigation continues."
Jessica was last seen at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 5 as she left her home on Moore Street in Westminster. She was to meet with classmates at nearby Chelsea Park to walk to Witt Elementary, but she never arrived at school that morning. Her mother, Sarah Ridgeway, a night-shift worker, slept during the day and awoke to find a message that her daughter never made it to school and reported her missing around 4:30 p.m. Oct. 5.
On Oct. 7 Jessica's backpack was found in Superior. Police have said it is being analyzed for DNA evidence.
On Wednesday afternoon searchers found a body near Pattridge Park Open Space in Arvada.
Investigators have ruled out Jessica's parents as possible suspects in the 10-year-old's disappearance, focusing on an unknown suspect who is believed to have abducted her.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/yeseniarobles


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SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft is selling a retooled version of its Office software to consumers as an online subscription service for the first time in an attempt to extend one of the company's key franchises beyond personal computers.
Tuesday's release comes six months after Microsoft previewed the new-look Office, which includes popular word processing, spreadsheets and email programs.
"This is a fundamental shift in our business that began a several years ago," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a blog post.
The revamped Office boasts touch controls, just like the redesigned version of the Windows operating system that Microsoft released three months ago. The company, which is based in Redmond, Wash., is trying to ensure that its products retain their appeal at a time when people increasingly rely on smartphones and tablet computers instead of PCs.
To tap into that trend, Microsoft is promoting Office 2013 as a program tailor made for using over the Internet. All information is automatically stored in Microsoft's data centers, allowing for access to the same material on multiple devices. The content also can be stored on the hard drives of devices.
Yet Microsoft still isn't trying to get Office on the largest number of devices possible. Office 2013 doesn't include an option that works on Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and iPad or smartphones and tablets running the Android software made by Google (GOOG). That leaves out the majority of smartphones and tablets sold in the past two years.
Microsoft is offering Office 2013 in a $100 annual subscription package, called 365 Home Premium, which includes online access on up to five Windows devices or Apple's line of Mac computers.
The company believes Office 2013 is currently best suited for Windows devices, said Chris Schneider, Microsoft's senior public relations manager for Office. Microsoft is limiting Office's reach as it tries to grab a bigger piece of the mobile market with its own operating system for smartphones and tablets.
Office will still be sold under a one-time licensing fee that allows the software to be installed on a single machine. Prices for that option start at $140 and range up to $400. People who don't need the entire Office bundle can buy individual programs such as Word, Excel and Outlook for $109 apiece. Microsoft outlines its pricing options in its online store, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/ .
Office 2013 is the first overhaul of the software suite in three years.
The bundle of programs has become a staple on desktop and laptop computers, providing a rich vein of revenue for Microsoft.
The company has reaped most of its Office sales from licenses allowing buyers to install the suite of programs on individual machines, a very lucrative strategy. The Microsoft division anchored by Office generates about $24 billion in annual sales, accounting for nearly one-third of Microsoft's total revenue.
Revenue in the Office division fell from the previous year during the three months ending in December, partly because many prospective buyers have been awaiting the latest version.
Microsoft's stock dipped a penny to $27.90 in Tuesday's afternoon trading. The shares are stuck around the same price as when the company released Windows 8 to great fanfare three months ago. Meanwhile, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 has climbed by about 7 percent.
Besides getting access to the suite's programs, 365 Home Premium subscribers receive 20 additional gigabytes of storage on Microsoft's SkyDrive to supplement the 7 gigabytes that the company gives away to accountholders for free. Subscribers also will get 60 minutes of free international calls on Microsoft's Skype service for Internet phone calls and video chats.
College students and teachers will be able to buy Office 2013's online product for $80 for four years, which works out to about $1.67 per month. This option requires proof of student status. A variety of Office subscriptions are also being offered, with monthly fees ranging from $6 to $20 per user. More information can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/compare-plans.aspx .
The online push reflects Microsoft's recognition that people want access to documents and email on whatever Internet-connected device they might have, wherever they may be, whether it's at work, home or a store while running errands.
"The technology needs to be able to move with you," Schneider said.
It's the first time that Microsoft has tried to persuade consumers that a recurring online subscription is the best way to buy and use Office. Microsoft had previously sold online Office subscriptions primarily to small businesses.
"Over time, the majority of the billion plus people using Office will be using the Office 365 service," Ballmer predicted in his blog post.
The attempt to sell online Office subscription to consumers comes nearly seven years after Google unveiled its own Internet bundle of word processing, spreadsheet and email programs. Google gives away a basic version of those applications, and charges subscriptions for more sophisticated packages aimed primarily at small businesses.
Microsoft's decision to reshape Office into an online service makes sense, although it may take customers a while to embrace the concept, said Edward Jones analyst Josh Olson. He suspects major companies that rely on Office probably will be among the last users to make the switch.
"This is a good innovation, but the uptake may be slow to begin because it is so different," Olson said.


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Medicine Ball Caravan, May 3rd
Eclectic music programming with news and interviews on local arts and events, CD and concert ticket giveaways and live in-studio performances. BROADcasting is the operative word here. You can hear just about any form of music on the program ranging from Old-Timey and Bluegrass to classic and contemporary songwriters, Pop, Blues, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Poetry and the Avant Garde. The MEDICINE BALL CARAVAN's aim is to present a wide variety of musical idioms delivered in a somewhat structured stream of consciousness interspersed with news, community and campus art events, interviews and occasional live in-studio performances from local and touring musicians and artists. Cecil has been Music Director at KRVS since 1997 and serves as producer/host of several programs here (including EARTHBEAT, JAH MON, SOUNDS UNUSUAL and AFTERNOON CLASSICS). Requests and inquiries can be made at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Shop Decorative Hanging Mirrors for Sale
Decorative Wall Mirrors, Floor mirrors, Vanity and Bath Mirrors, they all play an important role in home décor, providing the necessary reflection in a bath, bedroom or foyer. This reflected light can add depth and help to visually expand the feel of a room. While the decorative aspects of a decorative framed mirror reflects your style. Our wide selection of mirrors includes several classic shapes, including rectangular, square, round, oval, and even more. We also provide unique silhouettes in sunburst, quatrefoil, and even a Chinese pagoda!
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If you're looking for a bathroom or vanity mirror, you may want to look at a frameless style for a light, clean look with a beveled or ruffled edge. Other options to consider are wall-mounted tilting frames or a 3 panel tri-fold mirror design. Don't forget to look into bathroom & vanity lighting to add more decorative options; you can consult our Vanity Lights Buying Guide for more ideas!
Whether you are looking for a basic & understated mirror or a decorative wow factor for the room, you will find distinguished design options here! For designs that you will only find at Shades of Light, shop our collection of exclusive Shades of Light mirrors.


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Lots of new Windows 8 and Windows RT machines were on show at IFA in Berlin this week, many of them being given their first outing in public.
Clamshell keyboard docks adorned many of the tablets. These keyboard docks typically included extra ports and extra batteries. Most importantly of all, they included a hinge, so the screen could be positioned at any angle relative to the keyboard, and you can shut them up and use them like laptops. You could call them tablets with keyboard docks, but you'd be forgiven for calling them laptops with tear-off screens. Indeed, Asus is describing its Transformer Book as exactly that. Quite what the difference is between a convertible laptop and a dockable tablet isn't clear.
Many of these devices, even the ones claiming to be dockable tablets, will ship with their keyboard attachments in-box. The remainder will have it as an option. Only one device, the ARM-powered, Windows RT-running Samsung ATIV Tab has no public keyboard solution, though even it appears to have a dock connector on the bottom; perhaps Samsung plans to announce the keyboard later.
Then there were the devices that were out-and-out hybrids; the Dell XPS 12 Duo, a laptop form factor with a screen that can spin around in the lid; the Sony Duo 11, a tablet in which the screen slides into a fixed position to reveal a keyboard; and the Toshiba U925t, a cross between a laptop and a sunroof, where the screen can be folded flat and then slid over the keyboard to turn it into a tablet.
There's even the utterly insane Asus Taichi which decides that instead of having a complex sliding or hinging mechanism it'd be easier to simply have two screens, one on the inside and one on the outside. And while it wasn't revealed at IFA, Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is still on its way; on that model, the hinge simply lets you fold the laptop screen all the way back so that it lies flat against the bottom of the machine.
So if you want a laptop with a tear-off screen, or a laptop with a screen that flips or slides to convert into a fat tablet, or even a laptop with a second screen on the outside of its lid so that you can use it when closed, you're all set. You'll have lots of weird and wonderful options. Well, weird, anyway.
But if you're looking for a simple tablet, a straightforward, lightweight device that delivers an uncompromised touch experience, your options are remarkably few. But the dearth of tablety tablets is expected; the Windows 8 operating system is a hybrid, so it's not too surprising that the devices are too. As early video reviews by Ed Bott at ZDNet and The Verge demonstrate, the same holds true of Windows RT; it has an almost-complete Windows desktop (absent Windows Media Player, WordPad, and one or two other small things), and so retains the dependence on the mouse and keyboard for effective navigation.
Neither hardware nor software are engineered to give any direct equivalent to the iPad experience, and it seems that Microsoft is happy for that, preferring to promote access to full-featured desktop applications—and desktop user input devices—as strengths, rather than weaknesses, of the operating system.
Much as hybrid devices make sense given the operating system, they cause concerns of their own. We've seen hybrid designs like these before. Past Windows tablets—tablets that existed before Windows had an interface suitable for tablet users—relied on a variety of flipping and rotating screens. None of them were hugely successful, and while Windows itself was the prime cause of that, the extra cost and complexity of these hybrid devices was a small contributing factor.
Are the OEMs making a mistake here? Some industry watchers think they are, pointing to the failures of these older hybrids. The situations aren't quite analogous, though; in prior versions of Windows, the benefits of hybrid hardware were few, because of the dearth of touch software. With Windows 8, there is at least the potential for a rich ecosystem of touch software, making the complexity worth having.
But if the OEMs are making a mistake, Microsoft is arguably making the same mistake. While its Surface RT tablets won't offer the same flexibility as a clamshell keyboard dock (the kickstand holds the screen only at one angle, for example), they too will ship with keyboard covers and so are also hybrids of a sort.
And while it might be a mistake, it might also be an important safeguard. The hybridity of these devices has an important repercussion: if the response to Windows 8 is to treat it like a mostly desktop operating system with just a little bit of touch here and there, that's OK. They'll work just fine.


text:
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This content has moved to our new web site, www.cdc.gov/DrugOverdose. You will be automatically redirected there now.
- Page last reviewed: April 1, 2015
- Page last updated: April 1, 2015
- Content source:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
- National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
- Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention


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Ever Lavish Set - BLUE
$89.75 $139.00
- Model is wearing a size small and is 5'5
- Runs loose fitting
- Blue/White
- Button up
- Feathered cuffs
- Side pockets
- Runs true to size
- Back elastic waistband
- Feathered hem
- Side pockets
- Material 95% Polyester 5% Spandex
- Inseam sleeves (top): 17"
- Inseam (pants): 28.5"
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White cultured sapphires are the dots of dazzle here, perfectly accenting the mystical glow of sapphire gemstones.
⬦Cultured Sapphire
If you have questions regarding this item, you may WhatsApp, SMS or E-mail us and we will be happy to help.
You may also visit our shop in London or make an appointment for a private viewing, bespoke or engagement ring consultation or fine piercing.
Our stones are never mined, they are grown with cutting-edge tech. This means no large holes need to be dug up, no animal habitats are displaced and no human rights are ever violated. Cultured diamonds are identical to mined diamonds as they are just as hard, will shine just as long and experts cannot tell them apart (nothing to tell apart!). They are also graded in the same way, according to their colour, cut, clarity and carats.
Our diamonds are DEFG in colour and VS+ in quality - the top of the top.
For each purchase you make we will be planting trees and making your shipping 100% carbon neutral. We believe value comes from finding better products that not only make us feel great, but that also protect our planet at the same time.
Lark & Berry jewels are created with the utmost care and greatest quality possible.
All our fine jewellery products have a lifetime warranty with a valid proof of purchase. Please note, the warranty does not cover damage arisen from normal wear and tear, accidents or misuse.
We also offer lifetime cleaning when you bring your piece to our shop.
Your Lark & Berry purchase will be delivered fully insured by our trusted and trackable couriers and packaged beautifully in a luxe box, nestled under tissue paper.
Within the UK, delivery is free on orders above £250. Within Europe, USA, Canada, and HK, delivery is free on orders above £400. For the rest of the world, delivery is free on orders above £500.
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1 syllable
- b's, b.'s, b.s, beas, bee's, bees, beese, bes, brees, breese, breeze, briese, c's, c.'s, c.s, cees, cheese, crees, d's, d.'s, d.s, deas, dee's, dees, deese, deis, drees, dreese, dreis, e's, e.'s, e.s, ease, fees, feese, fleas, flees, freas, frease, freeh's, frees, freese, freeze, freis, frese, friese, frieze, friis, g's, g.'s, g.s, gee's, geez, gies, glees, greis, griese, he's, hees, heese, jeez, keas, kee's, kees, keese, key's, keyes, keyes', keys, klee's, klees, knees, kreis, kriese, leas, lee's, lees, li's, liese, mease, mees, meis, neas, nease, nees, neese, neis, niese, p's, p.'s, p.s, peas, pease, pleas, please, plese, preas, preis, reas, rees, reis, riese, saez, sea's, seas, sease, sees, seese, seize, she's, sies, skees, skis, sleaze, sneeze, speas, spease, spees, spiess, sprees, squeeze, stees, t's, t.'s, t.s, teas, tease, tees, these, thies, three's, threes, trease, trees, treese, v's, v.'s, v.s, vees, vries, wease, weese, wheeze, wiese, yeas, z's, z.'s, zeese, zeis
2 syllables
- agrees, andries, appease, ashis, aziz, belize, bibi's, brunjes, burmese, c.d.s, cadiz, capri's, ccs, cds, chemise, chinese, decrees, defrees, defries, degrees, disease, displease, draftees, duvrees, esprit's, faries, fejes, foresees, francies, furches, hardee's, jaycees, lessees, louise, maltese, marie's, mcclees, mcgee's, mckee's, mclees, mcnease, mcnees, menees, nestle's, ortiz, pawnees, reprise, ruiz, rupees, scorsese, sinise, talese, trainees, trapeze, trustee's, trustees, trustees', tt's, unease, vertrees
3 syllables
- abductees, absentees, abts, adoptees, amputees, annamese, apc's, appointees, aujourd'hui's, balinese, cantonese, conferees, delouis, deportees, designees, detainees, devotees, disagrees, enlistees, enrollees, escapees, expertise, franchisees, franchisees', guarantee's, guarantees, guaranties, guaranty's, honorees, inductees, internees, japanese, javanese, jeanlouis, journalese, licensees, nepalese, nominee's, nominees, overseas, parolees, referee's, referees, resignees, retiree's, retirees, retirees', returnees, rwandese, siamese, sinhalese, stds, sudanese, taiwanese, tennessee's, timorese, underseas
4 syllables
- abdulaziz, indochinese, interviewees, lapd's
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Rate "LEGO 41805 Creative Animal Drawer" & HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN A 25 EURO GIFT CARD
We need you & your LEGO expertise! Since you are surely a LEGO expert like us, we would be very happy if you would leave us a review for LEGO 41805 Creative Animal Drawer here. As a thank you, you will automatically be entered into a monthly prize draw to win a €25 voucher - so hurry up and write us your review now! Here you can find the winners of the last months.


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Good news for gamers: a new British study finds that some video games can help to train the brain to become more agile and improve strategic thinking.
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and University College London recruited 72 female volunteers and measured their "cognitive flexibility," described as a person's ability to adapt and switch between tasks and think about multiple ideas at a given time to solve problems.
Two groups of subjects were trained to play different versions of a real-time fast-paced strategy game called "StarCraft" in which players have to construct and organize armies to battle an enemy. A third of the group played life simulation video game "The Sims," which does not require much memory or many tactical skills.
All the volunteers played the video games for 40 hours over six to eight weeks and were subjected to a variety of psychological tests before and after.
Findings showed that subjects who played "StarCraft" were quicker and more accurate in performing cognitive flexibility tasks than those who played "The Sims."
"Previous research has demonstrated that action video games, such as Halo, can speed up decision making but the current work finds that real-time strategy games can promote our ability to think on the fly and learn from past mistakes," said researcher Dr. Brian Glass from Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences.
"Our paper shows that cognitive flexibility, a cornerstone of human intelligence, is not a static trait but can be trained and improved using fun learning tools like gaming."
The evidence, announced Wednesday, was published online in the journal PLOS One.
Research published earlier this year in the same journal found that playing video games may prevent and even reverse deteriorating brain functions such as memory, reasoning and visual processing. The University of Iowa study of hundreds of people age 50 and older found that those who played a video game were able to improve a range of cognitive skills and reverse up to seven years of age-related decline.


text: This course is the first course in a five-course Financial Reporting Specialization that covers the collection, processing, and communication of accounting information (via financial reports) about economic entities to interested parties (i.e., managers and external stakeholders such as stockholders and creditors). To gain the most relevant knowledge from these courses, learners should have taken a basic accounting course prior to this Specialization (which can be done through Coursera courses, such as any accounting course from the Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/accounting-fundamentals). This Specialization focuses on accounting concepts, principles and theory with an emphasis on problems that arise in applying these concepts for external reporting purposes. Specific emphasis is placed on measurement of assets, liabilities, equities and income, as well as disclosure of additional information that may assist users understand the financial reports. After a brief introduction to the course, we will spend time understanding the overall financial accounting structure and standards as well as review the fundamental accounting process used to prepare the financial statements, which will establish a framework for the study of the concepts in the remaining courses in the Financial Reporting Specialization. In this course, we will begin our review of key information included in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement and their related financial disclosures. The Statement of Cash Flows will be introduced briefly with more discussion to follow in later courses of the Specialization. Also, we will provide a cursory review of key concepts involving time value of money as we will finish this course with focus on revenue recognition, including discussion of the new revenue standard. We will review the general approach for recognizing revenue, special issues affecting revenue recognition including long-term construction contracts. In addition, we will discuss and review common ratios used in profitability analysis. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, consistently ranked as one of the nation's top three accounting programs, now offers a master's in accounting at a very affordable tuition rate and is completely online. The iMSA is a full Master of Accountancy program and students graduate with an MS that is highly recognized. Try an open course or two, then apply for admission into the credit-bearing version as you may be eligible to take credit-bearing courses during the application process. If you are missing any prerequisites for the full degree, you can complete Coursera courses to demonstrate readiness and strengthen your application for the iMSA. For more information on this exciting iMSA online program, refer to this link: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/imsa


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Criminal defense attorney Joe Tacopina weighs in on Jodi Arias's testimony in her murder trial.
CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.
Starting Point airs weekdays from 7am to 9am ET on CNN. Check in often to join the daily conversation.


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Dr. Petit reacts after the guilty verdict is handed to Joshua Komisarjevsky, one of the men who murdered his wife and daughters.
Post by: John King
Filed under: Crime & Punishment
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Texas judge OKs ban on Planned Parenthood funding
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas can cut off funding to Planned Parenthood's family planning programs for poor women, a state judge ruled Monday, requiring thousands to find new state-approved doctors for their annual exams, cancer screenings and birth control.
Judge Gary Harger said that Texas may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding if they advocate for abortion rights.
Texas has long banned the use of state funds for abortion, but had continued to reimburse Planned Parenthood clinics for providing basic health care to poor women through the state's Women's Health Program. The program provides preventive care to 110,000 poor women a year, and Planned Parenthood clinics were treating 48,000 of them.
Planned Parenthood's lawsuit to stop the rule will still go forward, but the judge decided Monday that the ban may go into effect for now. In seeking a temporary restraining order, Planned Parenthood wanted its patients to be able to see their current doctors until a final decision was made.
"We are pleased the court rejected Planned Parenthood's latest attempt to skirt state law," attorney general spokeswoman Lauren Bean said. "The Texas Attorney General's office will continue to defend the Texas Legislature's decision to prohibit abortion providers and their affiliates from receiving taxpayer dollars through the Women's Health Program."
Ken Lambrecht, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said he brought the lawsuit on behalf of poor women who depend on its clinics.
"It is shocking that once again Texas officials are letting politics jeopardize health care access for women," Lambrecht said. "Our doors remain open today and always to Texas women in need. We only wish Texas politicians shared this commitment to Texas women, their health, and their well-being."
Planned Parenthood has brought three lawsuits over Texas' so-called "affiliate rule," claiming it violates the constitutional rights of doctors and patients while also contradicting existing state law.
Republican lawmakers who passed the affiliate rule last year have argued that Texas is an anti-abortion state, and therefore should cut off funds to groups that support abortion rights. Gov. Rick Perry, who vehemently opposes abortion, has pledged to do everything legally possible to shut down Planned Parenthood in Texas and welcomed the court's ruling.
"Today's ruling finally clears the way for thousands of low-income Texas women to access much-needed care, while at the same time respecting the values and laws of our state," Perry said. "I applaud all those who stand ready to help these women live healthy lives without sending taxpayer money to abortion providers and their affiliates."
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has spent the last nine months preparing to implement the affiliate rule. But federal officials warned it violated the Social Security Act and cut off federal funds for the Women's Health Program, prompting the commission to start a new program using only state money.
State officials have also scrambled to sign up new doctors and clinics to replace Planned Parenthood. Women who previously went to Planned Parenthood clinics will now have to use the agency's web site to find a new state-approved doctor. HHSC officials acknowledged Monday they are unsure whether the new doctors can pick up Planned Parenthood's caseload in all parts of the state.
Any capacity issues will become clear in the next few weeks as women try to make appointments with new clinics and doctors, with problems anticipated in South Texas and other impoverished areas. Texas already suffers from a shortage of primary care physicians willing to take on new patients who rely on state-funded health care.
Linda Edwards Gockel, a spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said Monday that the new state program will launch as planned on Tuesday.
"We have more than 3,500 doctors, clinics and other providers in the program and will be able to continue to provide women with family planning services while fully complying with state law," she said. "We welcome Planned Parenthood's help in referring patients to providers in the new program."
Democratic lawmakers continued to question whether women will have to wait longer for appointments and services.
"I vehemently disagree with the state's efforts to blacklist a qualified provider and, thereby, interfere with a woman's right to choose her own provider," said state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. "I will be submitting a letter to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, requesting a list of approved providers to gauge the outreach of the new program, and ensure that all qualified women throughout the state have access to its services."
Another hearing is scheduled with a different judge for Jan. 11, where Planned Parenthood will again ask for an injunction to receive state funding.


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2012 an exciting year in sports
With 2012 about to make way for 2013, here's a look at the year in sports in Siskiyou County through photos. A number of local sports teams and individuals fared well this year. This includes the College of the Siskiyous football team finishing 10-1 for its best finish in school history. And, the Yreka Miners varsity volleyball team won a co-share of the NAL for the first time since 1989 and made it to the Northern Section title game in Division 4. Etna's John Whelan took second in State in cross country in Division 5 and the Yreka High cross country team had another strong season, with Yreka taking all four divisions at the NAl Championships. The Etna and Yreka High baseball teams and Mount Shasta softball teams made it to their respective Northern Section title games, while the Dunsmuir football team won the Northern Section Division six football title. On this page and on page 10 are a sample of photos from this year. A recap of Siskiyou County sports is set to run in a Sports 'N' Such column on Wednesday.


text: This course will cover the major techniques for mining and analyzing text data to discover interesting patterns, extract useful knowledge, and support decision making, with an emphasis on statistical approaches that can be generally applied to arbitrary text data in any natural language with no or minimum human effort. Detailed analysis of text data requires understanding of natural language text, which is known to be a difficult task for computers. However, a number of statistical approaches have been shown to work well for the "shallow" but robust analysis of text data for pattern finding and knowledge discovery. You will learn the basic concepts, principles, and major algorithms in text mining and their potential applications.


text: Integrate the tools and concepts from the specialization courses to develop a comprehensive business plan. Choose to enhance new venture concepts previously explored in specialization courses, or develop a new concept for this capstone project. Develop a comprehensive, customer-validated business model and create an investor pitch for the concept. With this course, students experience a sampling of the ideas and techniques explored in the University of Maryland's master's degree in technology entrepreneurship, an innovative 100% online program. Learn more at http://mte.umd.edu.


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A soccer tournament happening this week in Brazil has the potential to change the lives of its participants, and it's not the World Cup. As that more famous tournament winds down, Football for Hope will give teenagers from 27 countries a chance to learn more about effecting positive change in communities and, of course, to play some soccer.
Thirty-two nongovernmental organizations were invited by FIFA to take part in the Football for Hope festivities and be part of the World Cup experience, including Grassroot Soccer, which was founded by Tommy Clark, MD (D'92, Med '01). For more than 10 years, Grassroot Soccer has been integrating the universal appeal of soccer with evidence-based HIV prevention and life-skills programs to give young Africans the knowledge and support they need to live healthy, HIV-free lives.
"Grassroot Soccer is honored to have been chosen—the FIFA Football for Hope Festival is a terrific opportunity for our young leaders," says Clark. "I believe it will help inspire all of our participants."
Chosen for their leadership potential, three boys and three girls representing Grassroot Soccer affiliates in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe traveled to Brazil for the event. The delegation also includes four young Grassroot Soccer staff members who are taking part in the festival's leadership workshops.
Fifteen-year-old Zizipho Maseko, from South Africa, loves playing soccer and says that the game is a good way to make new friends and to avoid the pressures young people in the community face every day. A graduate of Grassroot Soccer after-school program that empowers girls to avoid risky behavior and to protect themselves from HIV while giving them an opportunity to play soccer, Maseko is looking forward to bringing back to her community what she learns during the festival's cultural and educational activities.
Representing Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the first and longest-running Grassroot Soccer program, 16-year-old Trust Rutaya is also happy about the festival. He says he is eager to meet people from other countries and to learn about their cultures—he also wants to learn about the world and how, as a future leader in Zimbabwe, he can uplift his country.
And for Ngon'ga Mutale, an 18-year-old from Lusaka, Zambia, the festival is a "dream come true." An avid soccer player, Mutale enjoys playing all positions and loves to score. She plans on studying law and would like to work at an embassy.
Playing on a field in Caju, a community north of Rio de Janeiro, the mixed-gender teams comprised of players representing countries ranging from Australia to Vietnam are competing in a tournament without referees. Disagreements on the field will be settled through conversations that encourage personal development and mutual understanding. The tournament will also demonstrate the impact that a passion for soccer can have on social development goals and focuses on the values of fair play, respect, team spirit, and cultural diversity.
"This is a chance to help showcase the power of soccer to make real social change," Clark says.


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Few tests done at toxic sites after superstorm
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. - For more than a month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that the recent superstorm didn't cause significant problems at any of the 247 Superfund toxic waste sites it's monitoring in New York and New Jersey.
But in many cases, no actual tests of soil or water are being conducted, just visual inspections.
The EPA conducted a handful of tests right after the storm, but couldn't provide details or locations of any recent testing when asked last week. New Jersey officials point out that federally designated Superfund sites are EPA's responsibility.
The 1980 Superfund law gave EPA the power to order cleanups of abandoned, spilled and illegally dumped hazardous wastes that threaten human health or the environment. The sites can involve long-term or short-term cleanups.
Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey, says officials haven't done enough to ensure there is no contamination from Superfund sites. He's worried toxins could leach into groundwater and the ocean.
"It's really serious and I think the EPA and the state of New Jersey have not done due diligence to make sure these sites have not created problems," Tittel said.
The EPA said last month that none of the Superfund sites it monitors in New York or New Jersey sustained significant damage, but that it has done follow-up sampling at the Gowanus Canal site in Brooklyn, the Newtown Creek site on the border of Queens and Brooklyn, and the Raritan Bay Slag site, all of which flooded during the storm.
But last week, EPA spokeswoman Stacy Kika didn't respond to questions about whether any soil or water tests have been done at the other 243 Superfund sites. The agency hasn't said exactly how many of the sites flooded.
"Currently, we do not believe that any sites were impacted in ways that would pose a threat to nearby communities," EPA said in a statement.
Politicians have been asking similar questions, too. On Nov. 29, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., wrote to the EPA to ask for "an additional assessment" of Sandy's impact on Superfund sites in the state.
Elevated levels of lead, antimony, arsenic and copper have been found at the Raritan Bay Slag site, a Superfund site since 2009. Blast furnaces dumped lead at the site in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and lead slag was also used there to construct a seawall and jetty.
The EPA found lead levels as high as 142,000 parts per million were found at Raritan Bay in 2007. Natural soil levels for lead range from 50 to 400 parts per million.
The EPA took four samples from the site after Superstorm Sandy: two from a fenced-off beach area and two from a nearby public playground. One of the beach samples tested above the recreational limit for lead. In early November, the EPA said it was taking additional samples "to get a more detailed picture of how the material might have shifted" and will "take appropriate steps to prevent public exposure" at the site, according to a bulletin posted on its website. But six weeks later, the agency couldn't provide more details of what has been found.
The Newtown Creek site, with pesticides, metals, PCBs and volatile organic compounds, and the Gowanus Canal site, heavily contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals, volatile organics and coal tar wastes, were added to the Superfund list in 2010.
Some say the lead at the Raritan Bay site can disperse easily.
Gabriel Fillippeli, director of the Center for Urban Health at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said lead tends to stay in the soil once it is deposited but can be moved around by stormwaters or winds. Arsenic, which has been found in the surface water at the site, can leach into the water table, Fillippeli said.
"My concern is twofold. One is, a storm like that surely moved some of that material physically to other places, I would think," Fillippeli said. "If they don't cap that or seal it or clean it up, arsenic will continue to make its way slowly into groundwater and lead will be distributed around the neighborhood."
The lack of testing has left some residents with lingering worries.
The Raritan Bay Slag site sits on the beach overlooking a placid harbor with a view of Staten Island. On a recent foggy morning, workers were hauling out debris, and some nearby residents wondered whether the superstorm increased or spread the amount of pollution at the site.
"I think it brought a lot of crud in from what's out there," said Elise Pelletier, whose small bungalow sits on a hill overlooking the Raritan Bay Slag site. "You don't know what came in from the water." Her street did not flood because it is up high, but she worries about a park below where people go fishing and walk their dogs. She would like to see more testing done.
Thomas Burke, an associate dean at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, says both federal and state officials generally have a good handle on the major Superfund sites, which often use caps and walls to contain pollution.
"They are designed to hold up," Burke said of such structures, but added that "you always have to be concerned that an unusual event can spread things around in the environment." Burke noted that the storm brought in a "tremendous amount" of water, raising the possibility that groundwater plumes could have changed.
"There really have to be evaluations" of communities near the Superfund sites, he said. "It's important to take a look."
Officials in both New York and New Jersey note they've also been monitoring less toxic sites known as brownfields and haven't found major problems. The New York DEC said in a statement that brownfields in that state "were not significantly impacted" and that they don't plan further tests for storm impacts.
Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency has done visual inspections of major brownfield sites and also alerted towns and cities to be on the lookout for problems. Ragonese said they just aren't getting calls voicing such concerns.
Back at the Raritan Bay slag site, some residents want more information. And they want the toxic soil, which has sat here for years, out.
Pat Churchill, who was walking her dog in the park along the water, said she's still worried.
"There are unanswered questions. You can't tell me this is all contained. It has to move around," Churchill said.


text:
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378 people 'pay it forward' at Florida Starbucks
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A woman started an act of kindness chain that lasted for hours at a Starbucks drive-thru in Florida.
She ordered an iced coffee around 7 a.m. Wednesday in St. Petersburg and asked to pay for the caramel macchiato for the stranger in the car behind her. He returned the favor. The chain kept going as employees began keeping count.
The Tampa Bay Times reports the chain finally ended around 6 p.m. when customer number 379 pulled up and ordered a regular coffee. Barista Vu Nguyen leaned out the window and explained the chain that started earlier in the day, asking if she'd like to participate. She declined, saying she only wanted to pay for her coffee.
Nguyen says he doesn't believe she understood the concept of paying it forward.


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Small businesses are fiercely battling the privatization proposal, with retailers warning they'll see big drops in sales if a private company runs the games."The proposal to privatize, without public explanation, one of our most profitable and well-run assets is troubling," said Assembly Budget Chair Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), who introduced the legislation, in a statement. "The Christie administration appears ready to forfeit substantial long-term revenue for a one-shot payment that will also hurt small-business owners and risk vital programs for our students, veterans and the disabled. More oversight is clearly needed."
A spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie did not return a request for comment on deadline.
At an Assembly Budget committee hearing on the proposal last week, members of a Main Street retail group opposed to the lottery RFP warned legislators of a potential shift in lottery sales from small retailers to big-box wholesalers and online platforms if those operations are put into the hands of a private contractor.
"Part of a small retailer's business model is the direct sale of lottery tickets, and attached to that are secondary sales from a person buying a soda or something else. Opening up the retailers to increased competition from big boxes and Internet sales will take away those profits and impact jobs that rely on them," said Satish V. Poondi, director of legislative affairs for Green Brook-based Asian-American Retailers Association, which formed the Big Gamble NJ coalition with the Communications Workers of America.
Prieto said Legislative oversight of the bidding process is "clearly warranted" because "privatization should be reserved for when the government cannot perform that function well on its own" — and the New Jersey Lottery generated a record $2.8 billion in sales last year.
But the Christie administration believes contracting the lottery's sales and marketing operations to a private company could bring in even more revenue by attracting a younger base of players through Internet lottery games and new retail outlets.
Still, Prieto said "it appears that the only one that stands to benefit from this proposal is the company chosen to take over this asset," as the state could pay up to 5 percent of the lottery's net income in incentives to the winning bidder if it meets the revenue targets outlined in its proposal. The administration has estimated that the private contractor could net approximately $1 billion over the contract's 15-year span.
Though state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Edison) also has raised concerns about the proposal's impact on small businesses, no hearings on the issue have been held by a Senate committee yet, and legislation similar to Prieto's Assembly bill has not yet been introduced in the Senate.
If the bill becomes law, the Legislature would potentially review bids from the four companies currently in the running for the contract: Providence, R.I.-based Lottomatica subsidiary GTECH, which jointly operates Illinois' lottery with another contender, New York-based Scientific Games Corp.; United Kingdom-based Camelot Group, which operates the UK National Lottery; and Greece-based Intralot.


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Kartodomo Dino Falco - Kartodromo Dino Falco
My Racing Gear
I love my GoPro Max! It is perfect for my rental karting sessions. The battery lasts super long, has a 360 video option and the built-in GPS sensor is super accurate. I do my data analysis by importing the Mp4s to RaceChrono App. I also use a racing suit for racing faster karts and always the rib protector!
I rented a super fast Rotax kart in Portimao, Portugal. Check out my onboard video.
Onboard Videos
Find onboard videos for Kartodomo Dino Falco - Kartodromo Dino Falco by using the search bar to fine tune your Youtube results. For example 'karting', 'rotax' or any other awesome racer 👇


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The federal agency charged with enforcing the nation's laws against money laundering has issued new guidelines suggesting that several parties in the Bitcoin economy qualify as Money Services Businesses under US law. Money Services Businesses (MSBs) must register with the federal government, collect information about their customers, and take steps to combat money laundering by their customers.
The new guidelines do not mention Bitcoin by name, but there's little doubt which "de-centralized virtual currency" the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) had in mind when it drafted the new guidelines. A FinCEN spokesman told Bank Technology News last year that "we are aware of Bitcoin and other similar operations, and we are studying the mechanism behind Bitcoin."
America's anti-money-laundering laws require financial institutions to collect information on potentially suspicious transactions by their customers and report these to the federal government. Among the institutions subject to these regulatory requirements are "money services businesses," including "money transmitters." Until now, it wasn't clear who in the Bitcoin network qualified as a money transmitter under the law.
For a centralized virtual currency like Facebook credits, the issuer of the currency (in this case, Facebook) must register as an MSB, because the act of buying the virtual currency transfers value from one location (the user's conventional bank account) to another (the user's virtual currency account). The same logic would apply to Bitcoin exchanges such as Mt. Gox. Allowing people to buy and sell bitcoins for dollars constitutes money transmission and therefore makes these businesses subject to federal regulation.
Of course, the Bitcoin network is fully decentralized. No single party has the power to issue new bitcoins or approve Bitcoin transactions. Rather, the nodes in the Bitcoin network maintain a shared transaction register called the blockchain. Nodes called "miners" race to solve a cryptographic puzzle; the winner of each race is allowed to create the next entry in the blockchain. As a reward for its effort, the winning miner gets to credit itself a standard amount, currently 25 bitcoins. Given that bitcoins are now worth more than $50 and a new block is created every 10 minutes, Bitcoin mining has emerged as a significant business.
So are Bitcoin miners subject to the regulations? "A person that creates units of this convertible virtual currency and uses it to purchase real or virtual goods and services is a user of the convertible virtual currency and not subject to regulation as a money transmitter," FinCEN writes. That means that if you're a lone Bitcoin miner who uses all of your proceeds to buy drugs on the Silk Road, FinCEN will not expect you to register as an MSB.
On the other hand, "a person that creates units of convertible virtual currency and sells those units to another person for real currency or its equivalent is engaged in transmission to another location and is a money transmitter," and is therefore subject to federal regulations.
However, this may only apply to those who perform money transmitting services "as a business." FinCEN says that "a user of virtual currency is not an MSB under FinCEN's regulations and therefore is not subject to MSB registration, reporting, and record keeping regulations." But with a peer-to-peer currency, the line between a "user" and an "administrator or exchanger" is not at all clear. The regulations define an exchanger as someone who "engaged as a business in the exchange of virtual currency for real currency."
Many participants in the Bitcoin economy provide exchange-like services but do not do so "as a business." For example, I obtained my first bitcoins in August 2011 by giving a friend $20 in cash and getting 1.5 bitcoins (the equivalent value at the time) in exchange. My friend likely did not regard this as a business transaction, but rather as a favor to a friend. The guidelines are silent on whether someone who performs the functions of a Bitcoin exchange as a hobby or as a personal favor is required to register as a Money Services Business.
Disclosure: I own some bitcoins.


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Mary Jo White, the former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, is under consideration to become the next chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
White, now a partner at law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York, would succeed Elisse Walter, who took over as SEC chairman last month, said the people, who asked not to be named because the matter isn't public.
The choice of White, who was known as a no-nonsense prosecutor, would be a departure for the agency which has tended to be run by lawyers steeped in financial policy-making and the securities industry. Her relative inexperience in those areas, along with her work defending corporate clients including Ken Lewis, the former chief executive officer of Bank of America Corp., is likely to draw fire from some lawmakers and advocates for investors.
As U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 2002, White became a leading terrorism prosecutor, winning the conviction of four followers of Osama bin Laden for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. Under her direction, prosecutors won convictions for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a failed plot to blow up the United Nations headquarters and other New York landmarks. During that time, she supervised Robert Khuzami, the SEC's outgoing enforcement director, and George Canellos, his deputy.
White-Collar Clients
SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment on her possible nomination. White didn't respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
White, who was also on the board of the Nasdaq Stock Market, could also face questions over some of her clients. She represented Ken Lewis, the former chief executive officer of Bank of America Corp., during an SEC probe of claims the bank didn't disclose bonuses that Merrill Lynch & Co. paid to executives before buying the brokerage. The SEC didn't accuse Lewis of wrongdoing; the bank settled the claims for $150 million.
White was also hired in 2011 by News Corp. to defend its independent directors against claims related to the company's role in phone hacking by its former News of the World tabloid.
Public Anger
In recent years, the SEC has been faulted by lawmakers, judges and investors for failing to bring more cases related to the financial market turmoil of 2008. White said last year that prosecutors shouldn't allow public anger to influence investigations.
"You should be aggressive where there is a crime," she said at a New York University School of Law event in February 2012. Prosecutors must not "fail to distinguish what is actually criminal and what is just mistaken behavior, what is even reckless risk-taking, and not bow to the frenzy."
White also surfaced in an SEC controversy in when she worked on behalf of Morgan Stanley to vet John Mack as a new CEO of the investment bank. White sought information in 2005 from then-SEC enforcement director Linda Thomsen about what an SEC insider-trading probe of Mack and hedge-fund manager Pequot Capital Management Inc. revealed about Mack's involvement.
An SEC inspector general's report issued in 2008 questioned whether Thomsen should have shared information about a potential target with White. The SEC later informed Mack and Pequot that it had closed the investigation and wouldn't pursue any action against them.
Former SEC chairman Mary Schapiro stepped down from the top job last month and was succeeded by Walter, who spent the past four years as an SEC commissioner. Walter was able to become chairman without going through a second Senate confirmation and can stay in the job as long as the end of this year.
White's husband, John W. White, was head of the SEC's division of corporation finance, which is responsible for disclosure policies, under Republican SEC chairman Christopher Cox from 2006 to 2008. He's now a partner at law firm Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP.


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Amish Bow River Dining Chair
The Amish Bow River Dining Chair provides a luxurious experience, with its graceful curves, sleek lines and exquisite craftsmanship. The solid hardwood construction offers durability and stability, capable of lasting for generations to come. Wrapped in a warm, inviting finish, this timeless piece of furniture will add a touch of sophistication to any home.
Quick Ship products will be delivered in 4-8 weeks, all other products will take 14-26 weeksDue to supply chain issues affecting the entire furniture industry, current lead times are 18-26 weeks, unless your product is listed as a quick ship item.
Quick Ship products will be delivered in 4-8 weeks, all other products will take 14-26 weeks
As always, we value your business and thank you for your supporting American business!
- Solid hardwood construction
- Authentic Amish hand-craftsmanship
- Tacks are standard
|Build Time
|Due to raw material shortages, excess demand, and capacity limitations caused by COVID, current lead times are 18-24 weeks from your order date (subject to change without notice). If you have specific questions on any product you are considering please call us direct at 615-487-4090.
|Wood as Shown
|Brown Maple
|Stain as Shown
|Sealy Stain and Mahogany Leather
|Side Chair 42.5" | Arm Chair 42.5"
|Side Chair 22" | Arm Chair 29"
|Side Chair 18" | Arm Chair 18"
|Seat Height
|Arm Height From Floor
|Back Height From Seat
|Material Origin
|United States
|United States
|Comes standard with one year warranty against any craftsmanship defects.
|Build lead time is approximately 6-8 weeks. Please allow an additional 2-4 weeks for delivery.
|Delivery Options
|In home delivery with product setup is included with delivery charge.
For a full list of commonly asked questions and answers, please see our FAQ
Where is your furniture made?
All of our furniture is made in the United States, by American craftsmen. Most of our furniture makers reside in either Ohio or Indiana.
I want a product I see in a wood type that's not listed. Is that possible?
Yes, we can have your product made in just about any solid hardwood type. Our standard wood types are Brown Maple, Cherry, Oak, Quartersawn White Oak and their rustic or sap variations. However, we can also make furniture in Hickory, Elm, Hard Maple, Walnut and other hardwoods not listed. Just get in touch if interested.
I need something quick – is it possible to get something quicker than what's listed on your website?
Yes, we have a variety of quick-ship items available for shipment within 15-30 days. Depending on your location, we may be able to have furniture to you within 30 days. Additionally, certain items can be produced even more quickly for a quick-ship fee of 10%. If your product is not listed as a quick ship item and you would still like it as quickly as possible, let us know the item and we will provide an estimated ship date within 24-48 hours.
Will you hold my furniture if my house isn't ready?
Yes! If you're in the process of building a new home, or moving, and would like to get your order started but are worried your house won't be ready before your furniture arrives, no worries. We will hold your furniture for up to three months at no additional charge.
How should I care for my furniture?
Caring for your solid wood furniture is simple and easy. Simply use a damp micro-fiber cloth to dust. Occasionally, if you would like to add some luster, we recommend using Guardsman Wood cleaning products. Don't use any cleaning solutions such as Pledge or Endust. Those products contain silicon, which may break down your finish over time.