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Greening the Asphalt Acres
You've heard of net-zero homes and sustainable office buildings. But a green industrial park?
by Lindsey Norris
The sign on the east side of Hinton has yellowed with years of exposure to sunshine and dust. Every day, thousands of cars travelling the Yellowhead Highway on the way to Jasper or B.C. bypass the town and kick up more grime onto the sign. "Welcome to Hinton," it reads, and a few steps later, another sign: "Population 10,000." The sign is a sore point for Hinton's town council. While other small towns in Alberta have struggled to accommodate growth in the midst of a booming economy, Hinton's population peaked more than a decade ago and has never actually cracked 10,000.
But just east of the town's sore point, there's another sign, this one brand spanking new. It marks a gravel turnoff to the Innovista Eco-Industrial Park. The park doesn't look like much now, just a lot of construction equipment and a few unfinished roads. When it's complete, though, Hinton can lay claim to having the first built-from-scratch eco-industrial park in Canada.
"By every measure, we are an industrial town," says Glenn Taylor, Hinton's mayor. "Folks look at Hinton as a pulp-mill town and only that. But we can still be a leader, and there's a new economy emerging, the green economy." And Taylor is clear: he wants the green economy to do for Hinton what mining, forestry and oil and gas haven't – that is, diversify the economy and break that 10,000 mark.
"Hinton did some soul-searching a few years ago. The coal mines were closing, oil and gas was in a slowdown, forestry was in upheaval. Housing collapsed; you could buy a condo for $50,000," says Stephen Hanus, the project manager of Innovista. "We had to decide how a resource town could stay relevant."
Today, those condos would go for $150,000. But in 2001, the mayor at the time, Ross Risvold, decided an eco-industrial park might be what Hinton needed to avoid a hit every time one of the town's three sectors suffered a downturn. It sounds plausible. But eco-friendly initiatives and industry have never been easy bedfellows. And unlike other forms of green infrastructure with name recognition – LEED or EnergyStar certified – an eco-industrial park is a relatively unknown phenomenon in Canada.
The first eco-industrial park (EIP) evolved in Kalundborg, Denmark. Over two decades, several large industries within the port city of 20,000 developed waste exchanges. For example, the cooling water from the power station was directed to a fish farm, where the heated water produced better growth conditions for the trout and salmon. The environmental benefits – reduced water waste, fewer emissions – were mere byproducts of the economic savings.
Proponents for today's EIPs trumpet the environmental benefits, but businesses are sold on the savings: both from the efficiencies in green infrastructure and the exchanges that can be arranged between tenants. "Companies are promoting corporate responsibility hard, and being the first is a big deal," says Hanus. "But if environmental solutions are going to stick, they must be attainable." So Hinton, its eye on the grand prize, decided not to capitalize on the "green premium" and listed the lots at market rates, ranging from $225,000 and topping out at $300,000 for a corner lot.
Still, there hasn't been a stampede of buyers. Of the 11 lots offered for sale in January, by press time one had sold with three sales pending. The municipality received a $2.2-million, low-interest loan and a $3.3-million grant from the Canadian Federation of Municipalities to build the infrastructure necessary for Phase 1; sales will finance Phases 2 and 3.
Hinton isn't the only community getting in on the game; eco-industrial parks are sprouting all over the province. The Municipality of Wood Buffalo is building one in Fort McMurray. The Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, based in Fort Saskatchewan, is developing a network similar to the original EIP in Denmark. Spruce Grove is developing new guidelines for its existing industrial parks. In fact, Alberta has so much industrial development that the province has become a "hotbed" for EIPs, says Tracy Casavant, the president of Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd., the consulting firm for both the Hinton and Fort Mac projects.
Businesses that buy a lot in an EIP must follow certain development guidelines. One day, all the park's businesses may be able to operate off one solar-powered grid. The immediate goals are more modest. Each business must designate at least one parking space for green vehicles, such as hybrids or Smart cars. The maximum ground cover of any lot is 60%. There will be on-site treatment systems so that waste water can be reclaimed and sold at a lower cost than potable water. Tree removal is limited and must take into account wildlife habitat and migration routes.
The parks will also accommodate the migratory routes of humans on their lunch breaks. "In Alberta, you have a lot of beautiful towns surrounded by unattractive industrial parks," says Ed Salmon, the manager of the land services branch in Wood Buffalo. So when the municipality decided to build another park to satiate some of the demand for industrial land in Fort McMurray, he says: "We decided to raise the standard of our gateway areas visually and environmentally. If you look at straight dollars and cents, it doesn't cost that much more, and yet you gain so much."
In other words, it wouldn't hurt if people visiting Fort McMurray for the first time saw a tree-lined park instead of an industrial wasteland. Particularly since the city is now infamous around the globe as the home to the tailings pond that killed 500 ducks.
Aside from the obvious PR advantages of being seen as "green," other forms of environmentally sensitive infrastructure have proven to be a solid investment. Buildings that are LEED-certified (the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sell for $171 more per square foot than other buildings, according to a recent study by the CoStar Group, a commercial real estate information company in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Green buildings also boast higher occupancy and rental rates.
"Commercial investment firms are looking more and more to green real estate," Casavant says, "Many banks now have preferential lending instruments for the residential market. It's only logical that the commercial and industrial markets would be next."
As Hinton rebrands itself from industrial town to outdoor playground, council has ruled that all municipal buildings will be built to LEED silver standards. They've implemented certain architectural themes that require businessess to update their facades and signs when they renovate or rebuild, to create a unified look. Long-term, traffic patterns will be adjusted so highway traffic doesn't pass through the centre of town.
Council members hope the "greening" of the town may convince Hinton's shadow population – those people who come to work but not to live – to put down roots. They also hope that businesses will come because their employees (especially the younger ones, those lovers of ATVs, mountain biking, hiking and kayaking) want to recreate in the great outdoors.
In the 1980s, Hinton projected its population would hit 20,000 by the year 2000. Today, the goal is 12,000 by 2012. And municipal leaders hope that putting something back into the landscape, as well as extracting resources from it, will attract people in the technology and environment sectors and, eventually, a post-secondary or research institute.
Other cities that have become hubs for business usually have certain advantages: excellent transportation links, access to markets, a large labour force. Hinton doesn't have any of those. But it does have bears and mountains and abundant parks. As the rest of Alberta struggles with urban sprawl and the aftershocks of rapid development, Hinton's scenic parks – of all kinds – may be its saviour. And to those who scoff at the idea that a small industrial town can reposition itself as a leader in green business? Says Hanus: "No one had ever heard of Okotoks before Drake Landing, either. It starts with a vision. And look at Okotoks now."


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Hi, we're the organizing team for WordCamp NYC 2014! We're excited to help bring you an amazing event. Here's a little more about us:
Aaron Jorbin
Aaron is a polyhistoric man of the web. Currently Technical Architect on the Conde Nast Platform Team and a WordPress contributor, he works to improve developer happiness and is dedicated to making the internet usable and enjoyable by everyone. In the past he worked at AddThis and Privia Health.
Andy Christian
Andy has been involved in the WordPress community in New York for five years. He is an active member of the WordPress.org Community Contributor group, and has volunteered or spoken at more than a dozen WordCamps around the USA. Andy also volunteers at the monthly WordPress NYC Meetup.
Andy is a co-founder of Tadpole Collective, a web development firm specializing in WordPress and CiviCRM integration. At Tadpole, Andy provides technical support to clients and develops documentation and training for various projects. Andy also provides customer support for WordPress themes at CyberChimps.
Dana Skallman
Dana Skallman came to WordPress by way of tinkering with the outer-space of the Internet and all the possibilities it holds for communicating, archiving information and displaying what's of interest to people. It wasn't long before she realized that her zeal for promoting equitable access to technology, without big business-reliance, lies in working with free/libre/open source software, work she is developing with Glocal.
With Tadpole, Dana's expertise is in developing and integrating organizational workflows using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) & configuring CiviCRM as a core Constituent Resource Manager (CRM). She takes pride in providing individuals and organizations with the freedom to focus on their mission while leveraging all that open-source technology has to offer.
Eric Andrew Lewis
Eric is a web developer at The New York Times and core contributor.
Kevin Cristiano
Kevin is a SQL ninja, an accounting expert, and active in the WordPress Community. He has worked with WordPress and been involved with the New York meetup for many years, and has been spotted at WordCamps from Baltimore to Boston. He is also a member of Tadpole Collective.
Krista Gonzalez
Krista is a WordPress evangelist who has been helping individuals and small businesses for over 10 years. She currently supports AWKWORDrap.com, DocumentaryTelevision.com, BrooklynRealEstateInsight.com, and a few other local business sites.
Mikel King
Mikel is 20+yr Technology Leader, Public Speaker, Columnist, USCG Veteran, Brewer of beer, and Coffee Evangelist. He is currently the Senior WordPress Developer at Reader's Digest Association for RD.com.
He is also an author at JAFDIP, BSD News, Huffington Post, and BitRebels.
Rindy Portfolio
Rindy is a longtime WordPress enthusiast who can usually be found helping people at the monthly WPNYC meetup, where he has also presented. He develops themes with Tadpole Collective.
Sonja Leix
Sonja is a freelance WordPress front-end developer and enjoys making the web a prettier and more user-friendly place. When she's not designing websites, she loves to travel and connect with like-minded people.

subset: commoncrawl


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Larry and Joyce Holland of Damascus, Ark., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a party from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013, at the Damascus Community building.
The couple was married Aug. 17, 1963, in Stillwell, Okla. Larry is retired from Nabholz Construction. Joyce is a homemaker.
They are the parents of Kevin (Carla) and Ken Holland. They have seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
All family and friends are invited to the celebration.


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Radio shack rant!
first off its been years since i have shopped there. i needed some heat shrink tubing so i stopped by on my way home from work and i was shocked at the prices they try to charge for something simple as heat shrink and how clueless the employees are. they only had two choices a 7 piece assortment 6 inch in length for 6 bucks and a precut assortment 1 inch,30 pieces 17 bucks. so needless to say i scratched that purchase. started looking for some wire to connect the lights going in my cub. hardly any wire that i would be able to use and when i found some 20G wire i could use it was 8 bucks for a 10 ft roll. so i just walked away from that section and just decided to get some batteries needed around the house. went to pay for them and i had like nine dollars in 1.00 coins (from the change machine at work) and the lady at the register asked me what they were i replied they were dollar pieces. she replied they look like gold quarters :concern: i replied no mam they are not. she said i have never seen anything like these told me to hold on for a minute and took the coins in the back. i could hear her talking to the person and she asked him what they were and he told her. she then asked if they were real and asked if they could take them. i am standing there like what the :censor: no way this girl is that damn helpless. she came back out and finished the purchase. i have never had a simple trip to the store be so disappointing and dare i say informative i now know why people dont shop there and most of their stores are closing. i am still in shock ::o
I get wire and shrink wrap (the batteries I get at Costco ;)) from Wal-Mart. In fact, I just purchased two 20' rolls of 14ga black and one of red for $6 each. I can't remember the last time I went into Radio Shack for anything.
And yeah, that's sad about the cashier not knowing about the Sacagawea Dollars. :rolleyes:
my Wally doesn't carry wire or heat shrink. i am going to order some this evening. the girl had to be around my age early to mid 30's and had to have seen dollar coins before. i refuse to believe she hasn't lmao
Harbor Freight has heat shrink in cut assortments and in rolls.
Radio Shack was a great chain until the late 80's or early 90's. Dealt with them since the 60's and they usually had what I wanted. The clerks were knowledgeable and friendly (generally). At least they're still friendly, but unfortunately, don't always know electronics very well. Also, the stores cater to consumer electronics tastes now, and don't carry the range of DIY type parts they used to. And of course, the prices. I don't go there much anymore, though they still surprise me with the right part at the right price sometimes.
yeah, harbor freight. good assortment of heat shrink for $5.
Radio Shack is on EBay, the Radio Shack in my area does not carry Silver Bearing Solder, So I have to buy it on EBay, Its sad when companies hire people that dont know anything about the products they sell, I dont go into a Radio Shack unless i really really have to ::o ;-) :<: I get my shrink tube from Heads up RC as well as blue locktite and other goodies. Take care, Chellie
Check out Harbor Freight. They have rolls of the stuff. I bought a roll of every size from their smallest to their largest. Plus some piece parts for servo sized wire and similar.
Didn't cost that much, and I'm fixed for awhile.
havn't even thought about hf. thanks all glad to know i can vent and find tips and tactics from the good people like all of you
Out of curiosity, checked out the HF store locator.
Two in Birmingham, one in Montgomery, and one in Dothan, all in AL.
Man, their stores are all over the place.
Northern has a fairly good selection of heat shrink tubing also. Radio Shack sucks !!!
I had a similar experience recently. I needed a little bit of shrinkwrap and Radio Shack was right there so I dropped in to pick some up. I knew it wouldn't be as cheap as Hobby King or Harbor Freight or whatever, but I was STUNNED at how much they were charging. I couldn't believe those prices could be correct.
Another place that shocked me.
I have had the same Weller Junior soldering gun since the mid 50's. All it has ever needed was tips or 222 flashlight bulbs. I like the balance of the gun in my hands so much, I have 2 more I bought at yard sales.
Yesterday I stopped at Batteries+Bulbs, to get a couple of 222 bulbs for old faithful, they wanted $3.99 each!
I just checked Ebay, and one seller is offering, 100 bulbs for $9.99 free shipping, which is just $0.10 each. Guess I know where I will buy.
Last fall, I went to Radio Shack to pick up a cellphone upgrade. Told the clerk I was there for a cellphone. Waited for 35 minutes, while the clerk worked with someone who had problems with understanding what she had bought.
The clerk indicated she would be right with me. Then she waited on two other people that just walked into the store.
That was inexcusable. I told her so, and walked out of the store.
Service sure isn't what it used to be.
About 5 years ago I had the urge to buy a BB gun, so I went to Wal Mart and got a nice one from the sporting goods dept. When I took it through the checkout, the girl got all puzzled and told me I needed some sort of permit. She didn't know what sort, just that she was sure I needed one. Called her supervisor, who also felt a permit was required. I showed them my pistol permit, but they must have thought a special BB gun permit was needed; still no go. I asked them to call the old coot in the Sporting Goods Dept., which they did. He straightened them out, I got to buy the weapon of mass tin can destruction, but walked away mad.
Back on topic, a good place to mail order all sorts of electronic stuff is All Electronics. They're a surplus type of business, have some weird stuff, but the prices are reasonable.
I remember when I was 16 and I was doing some body work on a car. I ran down to walmart to buy some cheap spray paint to keep it from rusting. while I was in the check out line they called the police on me and said I was a known graffiti artist. as I was walking it the door I was stopped by the police that wanted to search me and my car. I told them to get a warrant and scan the parking lot for my car. apparently its not against the law to buy spray paint as a 16 year old, but it is to walk around with it "concealed" in a grocery bag. I won that one when I went to the city court house.
RS went from being a real electronics store to a cell phone store. I've been inside their gorgeous HQ in Ft. Worth. Look for them to go under with JC Penney's by end of year.
C'mon hayofstacks, you know you were the guy they were lookin for. :Q
I like the fact that they check your ID when you buy spray paint now a days.
To bad they don't check mine must be the grey hair that gives my age away.:Q
Hey gramps,have you been caught sniffin lately? All us older pilots have too get used to this bs society we live in. Now that we're talking price take note of what has caused this. Every body wants $20.00 plus per hr. Even my hardware store is nuts.Keep shopping there are bargains to be had .Just takes a lot more shopping.
Yeah R/S is nothing more then a cell phone outlet. I don't deal with them anymore, too tired of the "deer in the headlights" look I get when I ask for something in there.
On the other side I got some stellar service the other day. I normally hit Lowes or Home Depot for general hardware type of stuff. And we all know what shopping in one of those places is like. Good luck if you need help.
Anywho, Was out and stopped at the local Ace hardware. One of those, been there since Noah used it for supplies places. Walk in, both cashiers say "Good morning".
Stroll into the plumbing section and not one but two employees come up to me and ask if they can help. Show em the valve I need replaced, and find out it's no longer made. No problem for them, within 5 minutes I had something that would take it's place. They even reminded me to pick up some Teflon tape for the fittings.
Not to be outdone I asked about some 3/4" PVC pipe. They asked me what I was planning on doing with it. Explain I have to repair a sprinkler riser. Instead of selling me a 10' section, they cut off a piece from one and marked it to 25 cents.
I thanked them for their help and walked up to the cashier. She asks if I found everything and was I helped out with my purchases, and if I had any concerns, and thanks for coming in.
Told her it was great service and paid my bill.
Ace just got a new customer.
+1 on ACE. "Ace is the Place for your helpful hardware man"
I have one almost within walking distance. Almost, because I'm too darn lazy to walk there. LOL. The LHS is a 20-30 min drive. Generally go to www.Headsuprc.com
for most of my little odds and ends. 2-3 day delivery with $2.00 shipping, it's worth the gas savings.
I go to ACE when I need to MacGyver something. I like that you can buy a single screw, bolt, nylon spacer, etc. where at Lowes or Home Depot, you have to buy an entire package of the item in need. And they carry metric fasteners. Not a huge selection but at least the basics.
For cheapie tools and fun, I'll take the 30 min drive to Harbor Freight. Man, that's a "Tim the Toolman Taylor' kind of hangout. Grunt, Grunt
Haven't been to a RS in a few years and can't think of a good reason to go there with everything just one or two clicks away.
Your visit to your local Ace hardware store pretty much matches the Ace Hardware store in our neighborhood.
And, as a result, this hardware store is ALWAYS busy. And, if you need help, someone is always available within a few minutes, since they have a number of employees. (As compared to some of those lumber yards, where you might have one person in an entire department, if you're lucky.)
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Four Dudes Walk into a Bar
Tonight's objective is simple: Ride El Toro, the mechanical bull.
Now, El Toro isn't just any old mechanical bull of the sort so common at fairs, festivals and cheesy honky-tonk theme bars. No, El Toro is the real deal. The first of its kind. The O.G.
El Toro, complete with combined four-horsepower dual motor, was manufactured by Joe Turner in 1972 in Corrales, New Mexico, and was the first bull to call the legendary Pasadena honky-tonk Gilley's home. Mickey Gilley, who purchased Turner's patent, retired El Toro in 1977 and replaced it with his own patented bull, which would later be featured in Urban Cowboy. But El Toro was in the film too, if not as the star -- it saw some silver-screen time as Bud's training bull, stationed out in Uncle Bob's barn next to the cows.
Rowdy's Roadhouse
This very bull, which began operating 34 years ago in one of the most infamous honky-tonks in the country and helped spawn a sensational new technologically assisted form of crazed bar behavior, is still going strong Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Rowdy's Roadhouse and Dance Hall (4613 Highway 6, Hitchcock, 409-938-4200). For $5, you can ride it. I've never ridden a mechanical bull before, but considering that I'm leaving Texas soon, I figure it's now or never.
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"You a real cowboy?"
"That depends on what you think a real cowboy is."
Three buddies and I have determined to leave behind the metropolitan confines of the Inner Loop for the sweet promise of the rural roadhouses 45 minutes to the south. My buddies Ray, Paul and Travis II are all metro frat dudes lookin' sharp in their button-up shirts and baggy jeans, with not a scuff to be seen on their trainers. Paul is wearing a pearl-snap cowboy shirt "to fit in." I don't want to look like some goddamned outsider either, so I try my best to look the part: Wrangler slacks with a homemade Willie Nelson T with an undersize baby-blue western shirt seem to do the trick.
We make our way to the intersection of Fairwood and Highway 6, where, according to MapQuest, Rowdy's Roadhouse should be, but we drive a mile or two in each direction on Highway 6 with no luck. We eventually pull into the dirt parking lot of Curley's Full Service Bar (6141 Highway 6, 409-986-9047), which is littered with large Ford diesel pickups and an assortment of Harleys. The corrugated-steel building stands where we'd been led to believe Rowdy's would be. Maybe someone here will know.
I grab the first round of Bud Lights, and Curley, the owner, introduces himself and asks if we're from around here. "We're from Houston," I offer. "We came down to ride this mechanical bull at Rowdy's. Do you know where that is?" Curley tells me to keep going south on Highway 6 until we reach the railroad tracks and we'll see it on the right.
I bring the beers over to my buddies, who are hovering around the jukebox. Among the many classic rock, blues and country CDs, they've found 100% Dance, an anthology that looks terribly out of place. We slip in a dollar and choose the cream of the album's crop and a half-dozen more, including some safeties (Stones, Doors) designed to spring up between dance jams. In the side room, secluded from the rest of the bar, we're guzzling our beers and playing video poker when the intro to "The Macarena" comes on. The entire bar, in unison, lets out a huge "Noooooooooooo!" before the bartender clicks forward to the next song in the queue: "I'm Too Sexy." Once again, the very vocal crowd makes its disapproval known. We grow increasingly uncomfortable as we finish off our beers. One of our safety songs, Bowling for Soup's "Girl All the Bad Guys Want," is next, but since we fear someone will try to kick our asses as soon as "The Power" comes on, we slip out the side door.
We hightail it up the road, and sure enough, there's Rowdy's (thanks, Curley!). We walk in and immediately grok El Toro to our left, corralled in a pen lined with spring mattresses of every conceivable size. My anxiety and anticipation are really starting to set in.
"I'm gonna ride that bull!"
I meet up with Rowdy himself, a short, muscular, ex-professional bullrider who has owned and operated Rowdy's since April 2005. The club opened its doors 72 years ago and is said to be one of the oldest operating honky-tonks in Texas (though it has had many an owner and name change in that time). Aside from some electrical and plumbing upgrades, along with the addition of the corral where El Toro now proudly stands, everything has been kept pretty much the same.
Rowdy, true cowboy that he is, volunteers to show my buddies and me how to ride that bull, despite a recently cracked rib. As it bucks and rotates, Rowdy makes it all look so easy: One arm aimed high in the air, legs kicking back and forth, he hangs on handily for the full duration of the ride (30 long seconds). El Toro spews a thick cloud of smoke out its ass.
"Has anyone ever been hurt on the bull?" I ask.
"There ain't anyone who hurt themselves since I've owned it," he says, perhaps too cryptically.
"Do girls get on it?" I ask.
"We do slow it down for the girls," Rowdy admits. "Sometimes they'll be sitting on it wearing only their bra and panties. When it starts to go d-d-d-dun," he makes a deep, vibrating sound way back in his throat, "the guys go nuts."
After getting a boost of confidence from Kim, Rowdy's flirtatious, big-boobed, blond-bombshell wife who keeps winking and telling me I have nothing to worry about, I sign and initial the necessary liability papers (errrr...) to ensure I won't sue the joint off the map if I do happen to get hurt.
I grab a glove, borrow a black cowboy hat from the bull-spotter and hop up.
"You're gonna have to sit on your nuts," advises the spotter.
With my testicles nestled safely in the palm of the same hand that's gripping the strap, I feel some discomfort in my groin but ignore it.
I give the bull controller a tip of the hat to signify that I'm ready. In an instant, El Toro starts the bucking-and-rotating routine, and I'm holding on for dear life. After about 20 seconds (two-thirds of the duration!), my body gives way and I fly off the side of the bull and onto the mattress-lined floor. A boost of adrenaline rushes through body as my buddies and other onlookers let out a cheer.
Ray is up next, followed by Paul and finally Travis II. All of them ride like champs. But nothing like Rowdy. After downing a few more Lone Stars, I decide to give it another whirl. Only this time, I want a serious challenge.
"I don't care how fast you put it, I want you to guarantee my ass will get thrown off! Hard!" I holler at the bull-operator.
I grab the glove, put it on my left hand, hop on El Toro, sit on my nuts without being reminded, and raise my hand to the ceiling. With a nod, I'm off. "Holy shit!" I think as I feel myself spun and bucked waaay faster than before. I realize that I asked for it but, frankly, this is a level I'm not quite ready to master. To say the least. After a mere ten seconds, I feel my spent body hit the mattresses. I may not have won any sort of competition, let alone even provided a challenge to my three Bucking Bronco Buddies, all of whom are far better at this than me, but it doesn't matter: I still feel like a true Urban Fuckin' Cowboy.
It's not until after watching a pregnant lady (!!!) give El Toro a spin that it dawns on me: This brand of bullriding is a whole lot like sex. Totally surrounded by mattresses, you go up and down, giving it your all, holding tight, grunting and making strange sounds. And regardless of whether you get prematurely thrown off or manage to ride it all the way through, you'd better watch out for your balls.
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MMA: Pregnant woman wins fight, but now out of the mix for Carano match
Pregnant woman wins fight, but now out of the mix for Carano match
By Steve Cofield
Female fighters bring some unique differences to the table versus their male counterparts. They face different challenges when cutting weight, but that's nothing compared to the reason Cindy Dandois just dropped out of the mix for a June fight against Strikeforce star Gina Carano.
Dandois is three months pregnant, and fought in mid-March, when she was just over two months into her pregnancy. She beat Jorina Baars on a fight card in Belgium. Dandois confirmed to Cagewriter that she is pregnant and was for her last fight, but didn't know it at the time.
"I did tests before because my weight was more difficult to reach, but they were all negative so I didn't realize it," Dandois said in an email to Cagewriter. She even took a test at a hospital before getting an X-ray, and that came up negative.
This all begs the question -- do all state commissions that control fights need to start administering a pregnancy test along with tests for PEDs before females step into the cage? Nevada State Athletic Commission does require pregnancy testing, though that would not have changed anything for Dandois as her pregnancy tests came up negative.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker discussed the pregnancy news and said a new opponent will be found shortly for Carano. Carano will return to fighting after 21-plus months off while busy with a movie career. Dandois said that she hopes to return to fighting shape soon after the birth of her child.
"If I wasn't pregnant I would've agreed for this fight because it was and is still my biggest dream to fight her one time," Dandois said. "I hope Strikeforce still wants me and asks me after my pregnancy. If I can sign with them I will start training again right away so I can be ready to take any fight in about 2-3 months after my baby is born, and my family will be there to support me."
Though it's causing a hiccup in her fighting career, Dandois is grateful for the pregnancy.
"God gave me this child present. Who am I for not being thankful for it. Some women have to move earth and fire to get a child and I got blessed like this, having already two beautiful kids. I guess fighting I can still do after I got my baby, but my children are for the rest of my life!!"
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The sponsorship agreement which includes all England national teams across men's, women's, age-group and disability cricket, fly with Etihad Airways.
As part of the partnership, the airline will benefit from a comprehensive range of commercial rights, which will include access to UK players for promotional appearances, advertising at six international cricket grounds in England and Wales, tickets and hospitality packages, a statement released by the airlines said.
Encompassing UK's domestic international and overseas cricket tours from 2014-2016, the agreement will also include winter training camps in Abu Dhabi and a joint community-based cricket initiative.
Among the highlights of the sponsorship tenure will be the home series against India in 2014, the Ashes series against Australia in 2015, the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015, the ICC World Twenty20, ICC Women's World T20 in India (2016) and the tour of South Africa (2016).
Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer of Etihad Airways, said: "The welcome addition of the England cricket team to our growing portfolio of global sporting associations demonstrates our commitment to the UK market and also to major international spoIn arting events."
In addition to the England Cricket Team, Etihad Airways' sports sponsorship portfolio includes Manchester City Football Club and the Indian Premier League's franchise cricket team the Mumbai Indians among others, the statement said.


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NASCAR updates procedures after tragedy
BROOKLYN, Mich. — NASCAR announced early today that it has formalized its on-track incident procedure for competition.
The formalization of Section 9-16 of NASCAR's rules (On-Track Incident Procedure), announced at Michigan International Speedway, comes in the wake of an on-track accident involving Tony Stewart, which resulted in the death of Kevin Ward, Jr., 20, an amateur driver.
NASCAR unveiled five points in Section 9-16:
• Shut off electrical power and, if driver is uninjured, lower window net
• Do not loosen, disconnect or remove any driver personal safety equipment until directed to do so by safety personnel or a NASCAR/Track Official
• After being directed to exit the racecar, the driver should proceed to either the ambulance, other vehicle, or as otherwise directed by safety personnel or a NASCAR/Track Official
• At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach any portion of the racing surface or apron
• At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach another moving vehicle
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition and racing development, acknowledged the timing of the announcement, in relation to Ward's death.
"Through time you have to recognize when you get a reminder or tap on the shoulder, something that may need to be addressed," Pemberton said. "This is one of those times where we look outside our sport and we look at other things, and we feel like it was time to address this."
Tag(s): Pro Rachel Lenzi


text: hi i hope sombody can help !!!1st posting. i have a 2l 8 valve audi coupe fitted with a ABK engine and a CTA auto box. the box has died . i cannot find a second hand box anywhere. I have found a auto box code cfx however this box only has 2 sensors on it. The CTA has 3.This box was working fine and i fitted it into the car .The box works in 1st 2nd 3rd and rev but in drive it will not change gear. It was worth a try but has anybody got any ideas of how the get the cfx box to work or is there a box compatable with the original CTA box. if anybody can help with this i hope you win the lotto for christmas regards paul


text:
UPDATE: All clear on Army base where shooter was reported
Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:45:58 GMT —
UPDATE: FORT LEE, Va. (AP) -- All clear given at Fort Lee Army base in Virginia where active shooter had been reported.
Original story:
FORT LEE, Va. (AP) -- An active shooter has been reported at the Fort Lee Army base in central Virginia.
Officials say the base has been put on lockdown and personnel there have been told to enact active shooter protocols.
The four-story building involved is the headquarters for the Army's Combined Arms Support Command.
No other details were immediately available.
The base is about 25 miles south of Richmond, Virginia, and about 130 miles from Washington.


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By:Christopher Eger | Nov 11th 2013
Today on Veterans Day, we bring you a sampling of the rifles carried by the soldiers who have made the country what it is today. Long RifleAlthough the soldiers of General Washington's Continental Army were most often ar ... 0
By:Christopher Eger | Oct 04th 2012
In Part One of this series of the 10 Best Deer Rifles, we mentioned the handy brush guns including the Winchester '94, the Marlin 336, the Savage 99, the classic Springfield 1903, and the durable SKS. Now let's look at th ... 6
By:Christopher Eger | Oct 04th 2012
Deer of all variety have long been the number one game animal on this continent. However, just as no two deer are the same, no two deer rifles are, and we look at ten of the best. Marlin 30/336Marlin has been in the lever ... 4


text:
"To know is to understand, to understand is to love."
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Your message has been sent to Furever Bully Love Rescue.
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text:
NEW YORK (Apr. 24)
Irwin Suall, director of the Domestic Fact-Finding Department of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the ADL had "good, sound reasons" for not informing the Jewish community in Far Rockaway in advance of its investigation which disclosed last Wednesday that a Ku Klux Klan chapter was active in the Rockaways.
Suall, who headed the investigation, was responding to sharp criticism by the leaders of the predominantly Orthodox, middle-class Jewish community in Far Rockaway that the ADL failed to consult with them and that they were "taken by surprise" by the disclosure. Suall said he "understood perfectly" the feelings in the community.
But he explained that if the ADL had gone to the community first it would have jeopardized its probe of the racist KKK in the Rockaways which, he said, is only part of a national round-up of Klan activities now being prepared by the ADL.
Suall said the local community would have asked for a discussion of the effects of the disclosure on the reputation of the Rockaways and would have debated whether or not it should be made public. Suall said the ADL and the Far Rockaway community looked at the issue from different points of view. The community is understandably anxious to preserve itself and stem the flight of Jews to other areas.
The ADL, Suall said, is primarily concerned with exposing anti-Semitic organizations such as the Klan. He said it was to the benefit of the Jewish community that they were made aware of the existence of a Klan chapter in their vicinity.


text:
- Score:
- rated 4.02 / 5 stars
- Views:
- 223,885 Views
- Share Links:
- Genre:
- Gadgets - Other
- newgrounds
- collab
- art
- worm
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Feb 18, 2011 | 12:09 AM EST
- Frontpaged February 20, 2011
- Daily Feature February 19, 2011
If you liked this, check these out!
Author Comments
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Thanks BoM and gang, it's great to see this finally come out.
Co-authorship, it's gotta be sucho and poxpower. Mainly cos, out of all of the quality submissions in this thread, I couldn't help but be sick with jealousy by those two. They're both delightfully eclectic, original and interesting, and seamlessly merge with the neighbouring pics
(i'm sure nae told me want time, "i'm not gonna make one cos i suck". yea yea whatever!)
Renaenae underplays her talent too much.
Rated 5 / 5 stars
how is anyone ment to pick the best artwork for that epic amount of artwork.. let alone the fab people who did them... an easy 10/10 for art related stuff from me :3...
Now... lets say some names that really stood out to me, Cosmicdeath, Sucho, Renaenae, Sabtastic, Turkey on a stick, vortex00, bizzarojoe... i do like how poxpowers one went into suchos as well... but i wasnt totaly impressed with the whole of pox's work... iv seen better from him... but yeah... oh... also the dragon one... i thought that was great...
Yeah, we couldn't pick the winners either, so we shuffled responsibility to you reviewers. :)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
i like mine the best
im also giving myself a 10.
You live up to the rumors of your modesty and humility
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Too be honest I've never been a big fan of the art collab's in the flash portal but this has definitely changed my mind. Not only was the art great but the interactive character and the little back story really pulled this together perfectly.
I can't decide which is my favourite because there's so many amazing different styles! Great Job to you all!
I'm glad this exceeded expectations!


text:
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