text:
The Irish FA have announced the verdict on their Club Licensing applications.
All 12 current Premiership clubs have been granted Premiership Club Licences while Ballyclare Comrades, Institute, Warrenpoint, Larne (using Taylor's Avenue) and Dergview (using Ferney Park) have been granted promotion licences.
That means that Championship victors Warrenpoint will be eligible for promotion, as will both play-off hopefuls Institute and Ballyclare Comrades.
UEFA Club Licences have been granted to all of the top six and final European play-off side Dungannon Swifts. Ballinamallard and Glentoran were also granted UEFA Club Licences.
Should Limavady secure promotion from the Premier Intermediate League, they will now be able to assume their position in the Championship, unlike last season, as they have been granted a Championship Licence alongside all 12 current Championship sides, Newry City, Donegal Celtic, Banbridge Town and Lisburn Distillery.
In line with the current UEFA, Premiership, Promotion and Championship Licensing Manuals, applicant clubs were assessed in five key areas, namely: Sporting, Infrastructure/Safety, Personnel & Administration, Legal and Financial. The full list of the IFA's licence verdicts is as follows:
Ballinamallard United FC (Shamrock Park, Portadown)
Ballymena United FC (Seaview, Belfast)
Cliftonville FC
Coleraine FC
Crusaders FC
Dungannon Swifts FC (Seaview, Belfast)
Glenavon FC
Glentoran FC
Linfield FC
Ards FC (Bangor Fuels Arena, Bangor)
Ballinamallard United FC
Ballymena United FC
Carrick Rangers FC
Cliftonville FC
Coleraine FC
Crusaders FC
Dungannon Swifts FC
Glenavon FC
Glentoran FC
Linfield FC
Portadown FC
Ballyclare Comrades FC
Dergview FC (Ferney Park, Ballinamallard)
Institute FC
Larne FC (Taylor's Avenue, Carrickfergus)
Warrenpoint Town FC
Annagh United FC
Armagh City FC
Ballyclare Comrades FC
Banbridge Town FC
Dergview FC
Donegal Celtic FC
H&W Welders FC
Institute FC
Knockbreda FC
Larne FC
Limavady United FC
Lisburn Distillery FC
Loughgall FC
Lurgan Celtic FC
Newry City AFC
Warrenpoint Town FC
Dundela FC
Bangor FC*
Newington YC FC*
Tobermore United FC*
*No documentation submitted beyond initial application form.
Licensing Committee Chairman Allen McKinstry said: "Club licensing is now an established part of the football landscape in Northern Ireland, continuing to act as a catalyst for positive change in providing a framework for clubs to develop both on and off the pitch.
"From awarding only an initial four licences in 2004 to a situation in 2017 where 43 licences have been awarded to allow clubs in Northern Ireland to be eligible (should they sportingly qualify) to play in UEFA Club competitions, Premiership and Championship leagues is very satisfying and testament to the growth and success of the licensing process."
IFA Licensing and Facilities Manager Leigh Sillery added: "As always I must pay tribute to the work that goes on behind the scenes at all of our clubs to ensure licensing applications are successful. As we reach the climax of another season and supporters, players and managers are quite rightly focused on what happens on the pitch, it is easy to overlook the work that has already gone on at clubs in preparation for next season.
"The long term importance of Northern Ireland football clubs within communities and to all of the various stakeholders means that they must be run sustainably. We continue to quietly work with clubs to strengthen financial discipline and are seeing a more rational use of club finances, improved management and administrative structures and the continued growth of youth development programmes. Things are certainly continuing to move in the right direction."


text:
Browse luxury homes and houses, ultra luxury single family waterfront homes for sale in the FLA Keys. Your source for the most exclusive properties with the hottest luxury real estate to hit the market, properties updated daily.
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Florida Keys Board of Realtors Florida Keys MLS, Inc. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than (Shoreline Properties) are marked with the MLS Log and detailed information about them included the name of the listing brokers office.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thanks to their diversity, composites are used in virtually every industry, and also in medicine, especially in dentistry. What are composites and where can they be used? Here is some basic information on them.
The iFoneMate, iPhone data recovery software introduces the simplest and the least technical method of recovering lost data from an iPhone. The user-friendly software facilitates users to recover lost contacts, notes, messages, photos and more in just seconds.
There is nothing more pleasant for a lover of cinematography on a winter's evening than to sit in a comfortable chair with a cup of hot tea and watch a good movie.
This article is about the top game accessory manufacturer Logitech, Logitech G700 gaming mouse features, colors, sales points and drivers. Wireless mouse is the hottest topic in 2010, all company were launched the new product. Such as Razer Mamba mouse, Microsoft SideWinder X8 mouse and Rapoo V8 mouse and so on. Here we will say the Logitech G700 wireless gaming mouse.
It can be hard to compare tablets when there are so many out there with so many different features. Trying to decide which tablet to get can get so overwhelming you give up on it. It doesn't have to be that way if you remember that there are places you can go that have already broken down the information so it is easily digestible.
With the headway in innovation, everything is presently changed into something portable. All things considered, we couldn't prevent the quick development from securing the requirement for cellular telephones or PDAs as they are prevalently called. As a gadget, it has been a piece of the advanced method for living. Anyway, have you ever inquired as to whether a cell would be useful for children also?
ClearSounds Communications, the leading manufacturer of listening technology for people with hearing loss, today announced the introduction of a 'lite' version of the best-selling Quattro 4.0 Adaptive Bluetooth System. Known as the Quattro 4.0 LITE, the new neckloop is designed to fit effortlessly into the life of anyone seeking remarkable sound in a streamlined package.
People are using numerous devices in performing works effectively. Higher technological devices are being used in getting global standard works at office. Among the different technological device, computer has become an important device for the users. It is being used in both professional and personal work of the people. The device is being extensively used in performing works at office for performing complicated projects immediately.
Microsoft and Samsung are two big brands of technology world. As Microsoft have on top of fame in software industry, on the other side Samsung have a big name feild of Hardware technology. Microsoft acquire with Nokia to make phones. And Samsung uses sotware made by google to build smart phones.
Whether you jog, play basketball or hockey, you certainly need a few sports outfits. Even if you're just an amateur, you know that you need a few sets of clothes for training. And what about the professionals?


text:
gerrihb on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
Looking for parents or siblings of David BROWN b. 1819 Berks Co. PA.,...
Looking for parents or siblings of David BROWN b. 1819 Berks Co. PA., married Catharine MAST b.1814, Pa. to Abraham and Salome/Sarah(YODER) MAST. They were in Tulpehocken, Berks Co. Pa. in the Ancestry 1850 census, are show with 2 sons Solomon b.1846 Brownsville, Fayette Co. Pa and Jonathan L. b, 1848,Fayette Co. Pa. David's occupation is shown as Coverlet Weaver.
I recently discovered in "American coverlets and their weavers" by Christa Anderson, he was in Mt. Joy, Lancaster, Co. Pa. 1840-1845, this was the extant of his weaving.
The family left Pennsylvania according to stories passed on to family members over the years, they settled somewhere in Ohio, some say in Miami Co., I have found no records to verify this. There were 3 other sons added to the family, Jacob M. b.1851 Fayette Co. Pa., David Franklin b. Erie Co. Ohio and Philip M. b. 4 Jan 1857, Ohio. All 5 sons died in Wells Co. Indiana, as did their mother Catharine who died in 1883.
In the obituary of Jonathan L. BROWN it tells of the father David having been killed in an accident involving a horse in 1857. By 1860 Catharine and her 5 sons are found in the Wells Co. Indiana Federal Census. She is listed as head of the household, occupation farming.
If there is anyone who has information on the early genealogy of David BROWN, who his parents were, did he have siblings, I would appreciate hering from them.
Thank you.
- Displaying 1-1 of 1 Journals
- 1
- of1


text:
January 2012:
January 11, Wednesday Santiago
Arrival to Airport Arturo Merino Benítez
8:00 hrs.
13, Friday Santiago
Public lecture
(place to confirm)
January 14 Saturday / January 15, Sunday Santiago
Teaching "Samsara and Nirvana, two sides of the same hand"
Yoga Mukti Sede Vitacura
Narciso Goycolea 4048- Parque Bicentenario
9:00 a 18:00 hrs.
January 20, Friday Viña del Mar
Teaching "Awakening a new consciousness for becoming"
Cine Arte
Plaza Vergara 142
19:00 hrs.
January 21 Saturday / January 22, Sunday Olmué
Teaching "Prescriptions and Proscriptions" and "Guru Yoga"
10:00 a 13:00 hrs.
(place to confirm)
January 26, Thursday Santiago
Public lecture
(place to confirm)
January 27, 28 and 29, Friday-Sunday Santiago
Mahamudra retreat
Malloco Retreat Center
Arrival: January 27 , 17:00 hrs.
Departure: January 29 , 17:00 hrs.
February 2012:
February 3 Friday, Concepción
Public lecture "Seeking happiness and the development of mind"
Pinacoteca de la Universidad de Concepción
12:00 hrs.
February 4 Saturday and February 5 Sunday, Concepción
Teaching "Prescriptions and Proscriptions" and "Guru Yoga"
Centro de Desarrollo Humano RUKALIWEN
Cochrane 791
10:00 a 13:00 hrs. - 15:00 a 17:00 hrs.
February 7 Tuesday to February 12 Sunday, Pucón
Meeting with the Temuco's Sangha
(place to confirm)
February 16 Thursday to February 27 Monday, Cuzco, Perú
Same teachings given in Chile, the two last weekends of February.
February 28 Tuesday
Back to Lima, Perú
February 29 Wednesday
Back to Tampa, Florida, U.S.A
Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche in Chile Jan11-Feb28
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


text:
Canada's Top 100 Employers
For the 16th year, Enbridge has been named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. This annual competition recognizes companies who offer their employees the best places to work and lead their industries with best practices in attracting and retaining employees.
Employers are evaluated using eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project's inception: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.
Some of the reasons why Enbridge was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2018:
- Our focus on learning and development opportunities, including an in-house educational initiative that includes training in areas such as business and financial acumen, project management, personal and interpersonal excellence, leadership development, and energy-related studies;
- Our academic scholarship program for children of employees who want to pursue post-secondary studies;
- Our retirement planning assistance, phased-in work options for those nearing retirement, and health benefits that extend to retirees with no age limit.
Additional Recognition


text:
PromoMEDIA - advertising at the Right Time, Right Place and Right Price
Your business can reach a huge audience through creating a TV Ad, we can assist with this to guarantee it is one of high quality and professionalism.
We can work around your budget and adhere to your wants and needs as we offer an extremely flexible approach towards what you want from your advert.
We can colloborate with you to work towards getting your brand seen by a huge amount of the right people, at the right time.
We are a professional TV ad production company that can create adverts to promote your business on television. As market leaders with years of experience in television ad production, we create high-quality adverts at reasonable prices. It is important to make sure that your advert looks professional as this is what is driving people to enquire. If your ad looks cheap and low quality, your viewers probably won't want to enquire with you and your business could be impacted negatively - giving you a bad reputation. At Promo Media, we ensure that this is prevented and we work hard to present your company in the best possible way.
If you'd like to discuss television commercial production with our experts, please fill in our contact form. One of the friendly nearby team members within our TV ad production company will get back to you as soon as possible with more details.
TV commercial production is the process of creating an ad which will be aired on television. The ads can be created in a number of ways; for example, you may want the video to be animated or real-life images, etc. Our experts can cater to your needs, so please let us know what type of ad you would like to create. We create television commercials to meet your requirements and present your company the way you want. It is important to use a professional TV commercial production agency to ensure that your company is presented in a positive way. We will include extra features in your adverts if you wish; please let us know of any specific requirements you have.
For those who are thinking of using the services of advertisement experts, you should take a look at the things they provide as well as what the fees are. Our agency will produce television adverts with a choice of different types of shots and techniques. Whatever your budget and whatever you're promoting, we're able to look for the ideal marketing campaign so that you can increase income.
You can find a selection of agencies these days that may produce ads; you must make sure you select a reputable organisation to work with you if you're planning on getting the greatest end results. As a local professional media company, we will work together with you to create a unique television advert.
Audience action can be just as significant as demographic. It's imperative to get attention and show the target audience what you could offer immediately. We'll offer further details on the creative ads we create when we get your details; make sure you fill out the contact box for more details. The top impartial promoters will be totally professional enterprises which have expert knowledge within the advertising sector. We have worked with a lot of alternative marketing agencies so we may develop a bespoke strategy for you.
We're a first-rate offline advertising provider which allows you to receive the best value for your money. Our team can complete the duties of buying and creating media solutions to produce interesting and good quality advertisements. Because of our knowledge, our company is here to give specialist advertising design services to really get your product found by new customers in your surrounding area as well as nationally.
We are here to advise you on the most effective methods of television advert creation in to get your organisation and services noticed by new customers. This means that all the difficult work is completed by our team. Simply let us know what you want your brand to present and we'll get the best technique to advertise your product whilst keeping inside your specific price range. Our experts can tell you much more information concerning the solutions which we provide.
Normally, marketing and advertising strategies tend to progress over time when they're active. We complete research regularly to ensure that you receive the very best services from our company. If you're looking for the best return on investment, you might want to take a look at our primary response television ads. Complete the contact box on this page for additional details on our varied marketing services. As we are a top-rated impartial conventional marketing company, our major goal will be to give you the most beneficial ROI by marketing. Contact us today if you would like to find out more information and talk to one of our experts closest to you.
The cost to carry out TV advert production can vary depending on a number of different factors. One of the biggest aspects which can cause the price to change is the length of the television ad. If you have a longer advert the price of the production will generally cost more since more time will go into creating the advert. We would recommend making your TV advert last about 30-60 seconds for maximum results.
In the event your ad is longer than this, your audience could get bored; however if it is shorter than this, you may miss out important information with regards to your product or service. Another factor which can alter the TV advert production costs is the type of advert you create; the price of an animated ad will not be the same as the price of an advert with actors closest to what you need and require.
Be sure you have a primary price range in your mind so that we can find advertising strategies which will perform best for you. We'll be able to present our expert assistance in addition to more info for the different choices you may select from. Just complete the contact form and one of our advisors can get in touch with you at the earliest opportunity. To get the most from traditional advertising we think it's best to create innovative promotional advertisements.
Our imaginative promo ads are the ones which often grab customers' interest and make them think about purchasing your product or service. By creating an innovative advert you are getting your viewers thinking and this will make them interested in the product itself, as a result making it much more likely for them to enquire.
If you are wondering how our team produce a TV commercial, have a look at these steps:
As experts in the creation of television commercials we can carry out all of these processes for you to ensure you get the best out of your ad. We create high-quality videos at reasonable prices. Should you have any questions about the costs, please do not hesitate to contact us by filling out the enquiry form above.
Being the best TV advertisers over the UK, we can supply a number of services to advertise your business. There's a variety of advertisement agencies throughout the United Kingdom, which explains why you ought to be cautious when selecting a company. We are a professional business in the advertising and marketing industry and we adhere to the code of advertising and also the standards authority that's relevant in the advertising association.
Ofcom broadcasting codes plus the British code of advertising is essential when making certain no misleading ads are being broadcasted. Additionally, we take the committee of advertising practice into mind when working with our consumers and make sure British laws are adhered to. We will provide advert broadcasting and also sponsorship which complies with British code of ads. We can supply the finest TV broadcasting promotion services across the UK.
Using the services of traditional promotional specialists with experience is usually recommended to receive the best results. With plenty of experience behind us, we're able to supply a service which suits your unique demands while keeping in mind your budget and business. Our team believe that it is crucial you acknowledge exactly who your target market is before preparing the advertisements.
Since we understand that you are looking for a rise in ROI, we perform a high-quality TV advert creation service at competitive costs. For more information on the services our TV ad production company can carry out, please fill out the enquiry form and we will get back to you.


text:
Bare All Lipstick With Vitamin E
Bare All Lipstick With Vitamin E
Product code: AZZ08212
Style NotesGive her a gift as special as she is. From those cosmetic essentials to little novelty numbers that are sure to put a smile on her face, and bride and hen party finishing touches for serious aesthetic goals; there's no gift to big or small we haven't thought of.
Shipping info
Shipping option Shipping times Shipping cost New Zealand Standard Shipping Up to 17 business days $9.99 per order New Zealand Express Shipping Up to 14 business days. Not available for PO Box / Parcel Collect addresses, delivery may take longer in very remote areas. $19.99 per order
Click here for further information.
Returns info
We hope you are satisfied with all of your purchases but if you ever need to return an item, you can do so within 60 days days from the date shown on your dispatch note.
Please note, we cannot offer refunds on cosmetics and pierced jewellery or on swimwear and lingerie if the hygiene seal is not in place or has been broken.
Click here to view our full Returns Policy.


text:
The salaries of top executives at the Texas Department of Transportation have spiked more than 40 percent in the past year amid deep cutbacks elsewhere in state government.
A report published Sunday by the Austin American-Statesman revealed that the agency's three top paid officials make an average of $250,000. That includes executive director Phil Wilson, whose salary is $292,500 and was set to make even more before criticism halted an $88,500 pay hike.
Wilson told the newspaper the salaries are necessary to lure top talent to the often embattled agency. Wilson was hired in October to help overhaul the department after years of legislative and internal scrutiny.
The latest news from around North Texas.
The ballooning paychecks haven't trickled down to the rank-and-file. The average TxDOT salary of $48,000 is 3.7 percent more than last year.


text:
Incredibly well made, this hand thrown stoneware 16 oz. mug is sure to become your favorite. Beautiful food safe glazes are available in Earth (natural browns), Sky, Water, Ash, Plant and NEW 2 TONE SAND & PLANT and SAND & WATER . Features a raised Fur Peace Ranch logo.
Each one inscribed by its creator - Rock Riffle Pottery.


text:
Police: Man stabs another man after domestic dispute
Man witnessed man assaulting woman, police say
Police said a man who tried to stop a domestic dispute is under arrest for stabbing another man.
Officers were called to the parking lot of the 7-Eleven in the 6300 block of Sherwood Road for a stabbing report at 2:30 a.m. Friday.
Investigators said a man and a woman were involved in a domestic dispute and that the man was physically assaulting the woman.
Police said a witness to the assault stopped his car in the parking lot and told the man to stop assaulting the woman. The two men began to argue.
During the verbal argument, the witness went to his trunk, got a knife and stabbed the other man, police said.
The suspect was taken into custody by responding officers.
The victim was transported to the hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.
Police said there is no known relationship between the parties involved.
Police said the suspect's name will be released after he is taken for a bail hearing and formally charged.


text:
Doing Good
This story appears in the October 1996 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe »
Even if you were born on a lily pad, it isn't always easy being green. Recycling soda cans, detergent bottles and newspapers is simple stuff compared to preserving the wetlands or saving the whales. When it comes to socially relevant issues, it's wise to remember that the evil men do lives after them, and saving the planet is everyone's job. Some investors choose to take their personal vision into the realm of their investment portfolios.
Ethical or socially responsible investing (SRI) began as far back as the 1920s, when some church endowments avoided investing in "sin stocks," including liquor, tobacco and gambling companies. Social activism reached new heights during the Vietnam War, and this translated into increased vigilance on the part of investors in the 1960s. For the first time, many investors realized that the comfortable companies that provided them with washing machines and TV sets also made warheads and tanks.
With the birth of the Council on Economic Priorities in 1969, public companies were rated on the essential issues of the period, including military contracts, environmental pollution and minority hiring practices.
The politically correct climate of the 1990s has revitalized public awareness about investor activism. More and more investors are considering the products and services of companies in which they invest with an eye to a double bottom line: They not only want to know if the company is a good investment, they also want to know if the company meets their chosen social criteria.
Over the last several years, the hottest issues to emerge in the field of social investing have been environment and labor. Interest in the traditional social issues of alcohol, tobacco, gambling and weapons manufacturing has not diminished, either. Other popular social investment concerns include contraceptives, abortion, pornography, animal rights and nuclear power, to name a few.
To Thine Own Self Be True
Before you embark on a mission to save the portfolio, don't jump at the first investment touted as socially responsible. Perhaps the most important criteria to keep in mind are your own. Individual social priorities vary widely, and it isn't enough to say "I want to invest only in good companies."
Suzanne Harvey, director of the Social Investment Research Service at Prudential Securities in Arlington, Virginia, says there are two ways to screen a portfolio: positive and negative. "A negative screen avoids particular companies or industries--no mining, oil or chemical manufacturers, for example," Harvey explains. "A positive screen looks for companies with above-average records in a particular area, like workplace practices or the environment." The key is to define your criteria, then build your portfolio as you like it. Do you care about cleaning up the environment, or do cigarette manufacturers burn you up? Would you prefer to avoid companies that manufacture nuclear weapons, or do you actively seek companies that are proactive in hiring minorities and have family-friendly policies?
If you want to reach your financial as well as social goals, you should avoid becoming so restrictive that you eliminate whole industry groups. By picking your battles carefully and avoiding the most rigid version of every conceivable SRI, you can find companies that are acceptable on more than one level and build a profitable portfolio.
To Invest Or Not To Invest
No matter how good, every company has some qualities that may be considered socially unredeeming. The question is, When doth the investor protest too much? Standards used for judging companies are as individual as investors themselves; what is considered socially responsible or irresponsible is subject to interpretation.
Some socially conscious investors avoid U.S. government-backed securities because of government involvement in weapons or because of politically conservative or liberal stands on various issues. On the other hand, money raised through the sale of these same debt securities funds AIDS and cancer research, supports the arts, pays for school lunches and backs programs designed to help the poor and seniors. For that matter, those who choose to be socially responsible in a strict sense, avoiding, for example, stocks of tobacco companies, may have to wrestle with the idea of using other products made by the same conglomerate. Many investors are surprised to find that tobacco companies produce widely used products ranging from candies and pickles to cheese and cookies. These same companies may also contribute to society by donating space, time and money to museums, ballet companies, struggling theatre groups or public TV stations.
Some companies that appear on one list of socially responsible businesses don't appear on others. Strict screens eliminate companies that have minor infractions, where others allow more broadbased criteria. In the end, the decision rests with the investor, and more and more investors are considering investments that make them feel good, as well as those that make them money.
Investors Labors Lost?
If you're looking for a moral laundering service to do the job for you, look no further than your friendly financial advisor. Several firms provide research on SRI and can steer investors toward appropriate individual issues or mutual funds. When it comes to funds, the varieties are as numerous as the opinions. There are funds that invest on Christian principles; funds designed just for Catholics or exclusively for Muslims; funds that seek out companies favorable to women, minorities or any number of specific groups; even two funds that provide a screened version of the Standard & Poor 500.
Why so many variations on a theme? Because socially conscious investing is one way investors can take a stand for (or against) company policies, the need for many funds arises. But does using your heart mean leaving your head behind? Although some publications would have investors believe so, performance numbers dispute this contention.
Mutual fund performance is judged against a standard, usually that of the S & P 500 for any given period. But comparing socially responsible funds measure for measure against this bellwether is like comparing organic apples with inorganic oranges: Funds may include cash, bonds, small and medium-sized company stocks, as well as other securities in their portfolios. A comparison with a large company stock index is therefore inappropriate. A more applicable comparison pits the performance of socially responsible equity and equity income funds against that of the S&P 500.
After leveling the playing field this way, do socially responsible funds stand up to the comparison? According to Michael Van Dam at Morningstar Inc., an investment publishing company in Chicago, of the 7,000 mutual funds Morningstar tracks, only 46 select investments based on social criteria. Of these 46, only four funds have track records longer than five years, and, in that time, only one beat the index. Most relatively new funds fall short. Over the past five years, fewer than one-third of the nearly 500 standard growth and growth-and-income funds have matched the S & P 500's performance.
Of course, anyone who knows anything about mutual funds will tell you (right after they admonish you to get and read a prospectus before investing any money) that a mutual fund is a long-term investment, that five years is nothing in the life of any fund, and that past performance is no indication of future returns. In other words, as far as the relative performance of socially screened funds is concerned, "the jury is still out," says Van Dam.
Van Dam reminds us, "There are talented fund managers out there, and there are also buffoons. Talented managers make money while others may not, no matter what kind of investments they make." Remember, too, that all mutual funds "screen" the universe of stocks and bonds in some fashion. One screen may prove more efficacious than another, whether it involves socially responsible criteria or not.
The use of socially responsible criteria in building a portfolio has its positives. Companies that treat their employees well, don't pollute the environment or produce products and services that better the lives of their customers often face fewer regulatory problems, lawsuits and strikes. It makes good sense (and dollars, too) to consider whether your relationship with a company or fund will end up as doomed as star-crossed lovers.
On the other hand, some investors may not want to consider their investments on anything more than a financial level. They choose instead to go for the best return possible without regard to their investments' social consequences. If that's the route you choose, you may want to assuage your conscience and donate a share of your riches to a charity of your choice. That way you'll do your favorite organization a favor and get a tax deduction, too.
Lorayne Fiorillo is first vice president of investments at Prudential Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina. For information on her funny, fact-filled investment workshops, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to her in care of Entrepreneur, 2392 Morse Ave., Irvine, CA 92614.
Contact Sources
Morningstar Inc., 225 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606, (800) 876-5005;
Prudential Securities, 1911 N. Ft. Meyer Dr., #905, Arlington, VA 22209, (800) 905-6255, (703) 276-0055.


text:
The BMW X5 puts emphasis on the sport half of the sport-utility equation. While it offers more utility than ever, it comes up short in cargo-passenger flexibility compared to many luxury SUVs. As opposed to hauling acres of equipment and gear, the X5 provides the essential equipment enthusiast drivers expect when they want to enjoy the art of driving as much as they're able.
Indeed, BMW shuns the SUV tag entirely, describing the X5 with it own copyrighted label: Sport Activity Vehicle, or SAV. This may be a tacit acknowledgement that the X5 can't tow or carry as much stuff as some of its competitors, or it may simply highlight the X5's strength. That strength is its ability to get down the road in the step-on-the gas, shove-through-corners fashion of a genuine sport sedan.
BMW focused on improving utility for 2007, when a redesign stretched the X5 by seven full inches and delivered a substantial increase in rear seat legroom. For 2008, X5 upgrades have re-focused on sport. Both the six-cylinder and V8 engines are new, with a revised six-speed automatic transmission.
The V8 in the BMW X5 4.8i increases in displacement, while the 3.0-liter inline six is an all-new design, with a substantial increase in power. These are BMW engines, which means plenty of usable torque and turbine-like smoothest. The 4.8i might be the chest-beater, but the BMW X5 3.0si still delivers the kind of response we expect in a sport sedan, and it shouldn't leave owners pining for the V8.
The X5 is styled in obvious BMW fashion, only taller, with traditional Bimmer cues like the twin-kidney grille and dual-beam headlight clusters. Like it or not, its look and badges are often enough to get the X5 one of the high-profile valet spots at a trendy club.
Inside, the X5 offers plenty of room for five, with a nice, rich finish and nearly all the bells and whistles one expects in a high-line luxury sedan. The back seat is more than roomy enough for two adults, three in a pinch, and there's enough cargo space in back for a two-day family outing.
The X5 can expand to seven-passenger capacity with an optional third-row seat. Of course, that third seat won't look particularly inviting to anyone asked to ride in it, and it pretty much wrecks the cargo space.
With all seats lowered for maximum cargo capacity, the X5 offers less space than virtually every competitor, from Acura to Volvo. It's not a class leader in fuel economy, either.
Sport in the X5 context does not mean off-roading. Its all-wheel-drive system was developed for slippery roads and sporty driving characteristics, rather than sand dunes or steep, rutted hillsides. Yet It can tow a substantial 6,000 pounds, and the all-wheel-drive can be a great friend in a blizzard.
The X5 gets high marks for safety. It performs well in both government and insurance industry crash tests, and it has been designated one of the Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Besides the full complement of front, side and head protection airbags, the X5 offers some of the most advanced active safety systems available. These include anti-lock brakes that periodically sweep the discs dry in rainstorms and electronic stability control that works with the all-wheel drive system and even to steering to manage skids.
Still, the X5's calling card is its driving dynamics. It's not quite as refined or holistic as BMW's best sedans, but the comparison is generally on the mark. Think of the X5 as a 5 Series sedan with more headroom and a bit more cargo space.
Model Lineup
The BMW X5 comes in two variations, distinguished primarily by engine type, both with all-wheel drive. For 2008, both models get an upgrade in standard equipment, new engines and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The BMW X5 3.0si ($46,200) is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine delivering 260 horsepower. It comes well equipped, with a 12-speaker, single-CD stereo, niceties such as a choice of wood trim, rain-sensing wipers, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, driver's seat memory and, for 2008, a power sunroof. The standard upholstery is BMW's Leatherette vinyl, and the wheels measure 18 inches in diameter.
The BMW X5 4.8i ($54,800) is powered by a V8 with 350 horsepower. The 4.8i model comes standard with leather upholstery.
The Sport Package ($3,700) adds Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damping Control suspension, 19-inch wheels, heavily bolstered sport seats and Shadowline exterior trim. Other option groups include the Premium Package ($2850 for the 3.0si, $1,850 for the 4.8i), which adds front-seat power lumbar support, Ambiance Lighting, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, a digital compass, power-fold exterior mirrors, Bluetooth phone interface, BMW Assist with a 4-year subscription and leather seating for the 3.0si.
The Technology Package ($2,600) includes Park Distance Control, Rearview camera and a navigation system with voice command and Real Time Traffic information. The Cold Weather Package ($900) adds retractable headlight washers, heated steering wheel, heated front seats and a ski bag with rear-seat pass-through, while the Rear Climate Package ($900) adds four-zone climate control, manual rear sunshades and privacy glass.
Options that are standalone include a premium sound system with 16 speakers and a six-CD changer ($1,800), Active Ventilated 20-way front seats with a massage feature for the driver ($2,100), rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($1,800), ultra-soft Nappa leather ($1,000), Comfort Access keyless starting ($1,000), satellite radio ($595), iPod and USB adaptor ($400), and HD radio ($350). A powered Automatic Tailgate ($500) is offered for the first time in 2008.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has designated the 2008 X5 a Top Safety Pick, and it performs better than many SUVs in the insurance industry's crash tests. Standard safety features include front airbags with two-stage activation, side-impact airbags built into the front seats, and curtain-style airbags providing head protection for outboard passengers front and rear. The X5 also comes standard with the full array of active safety features, including electronic stability control and advanced anti-lock brakes with a pre-loading and water-sweeping feature. The 2008 models come standard with run-flat tires, which allow operation at 50 mph for up to 90 miles when completely flat.
From its twin-kidney grille to the clamshell hatch in back, the X5 sport-utility vehicle screams BMW.
On the road, that means an emphasis on sporty driving dynamics, even if it comes at the expense of utility. Sitting still, it means the X5 looks like a taller, ganglier BMW sedan. It also increases the odds the X5 will get one of the high-profile valet spots near the entrance to a trendy restaurant.
BMW tried to increase the X5's utility when it redesigned its so-called Sport Activity Vehicle for 2007, stretching it seven inches to add rear legroom and cargo space. By wheelbase and overall length, the X5 now sits mid-pack among key competitors: Slightly larger than the Acura MDX, Land Rover LR2, Mercedes M-Class and Volvo XC90, and quite a bit smaller than the Audi Q7, Cadillac SRX, and Lexus LX570.
There's no mistaking the X5's classic BMW look. It starts in front, with that trademark grille and familiar dual-dual lamp clusters.
Its super-bright adaptive xenon headlights come standard. On the X5, they're ringed with LED circles that serve as the daytime running lights (and look really cool). These headlights level themselves when the X5 bounces over bumps, and turn slightly with the steering wheel. The standard fog lights also work as cornering lamps, lighting when the corresponding directional signal is selected.
In profile, the X5's big wheels and short overhangs promote an agile look, while the roof and taillights trail into a slightly flanged lip. These so-called separation edges smooth air as it rushes over the back of the vehicle. That means a slight improvement in fuel economy, and probably more significantly, less wind noise inside the X5.
Indeed, with a drag coefficient of 0.34, the X5 is an aerodynamically efficient vehicle, as tall, boxy SUVs go. Its underbody is smoothed with various fairing devices. The front spoiler directs air around the front tires, reducing resistance as the X5 punches a substantial hole in the air.
That clamshell tailgate is a mixed bag, in our view. The lower third drops down, once the upper portion has been lifted up. The split design is handy for dropping smaller packages in the back, and the lower portion provides a nice (if slightly high) bench for changing shoes or just resting a moment. The problem is that the upper portion includes not only the glass, but also half the metal that comprises the rear of the vehicle. In other words, it's the heavier, more substantial portion of the gate. It takes more effort to operate than it would if only the glass opened up and down. The optional automatic gate might help in this respect, but we haven't had a chance to test it. On the plus side, the little tailgate keeps items from falling out when you open the hatch, a problem on some SUVs.
Interior Features
Nothing inside the BMW X5 makes it feel like an SUV, beyond its relatively high seating position. The interior design and appointments will look familiar to BMW sedan owners. Measured by overall fit and finish, the X5 compares favorably to luxury brands such as Infiniti and Mercedes.
Panels and pieces inside the X5 fit impeccably. Most surfaces have a luxurious feel, and the seats are perforated to enable the active ventilation option. Every X5 is available with one of three wood-trim packages: dark-stained bamboo (almost black), dark-stained poplar (the most traditional), and light-stained poplar (essentially blond). The vinyl dash and door panels in our test X5 were a single, dark tone, rather than the two-step dark/light treatment increasingly common in BMWs and European brands in general. We liked the overall appearance, though the monotone creates a serious, no-frills ambience.
The dashboard applies a taller variant of BMW's stepped or stacked design, and it looks tidy in the X5. It certainly isn't cluttered, as it can be in some vehicles in this class, thanks partly to BMW's point-and-click i-Drive control (which, going on a decade after its introduction, we still don't care for). From the aesthetic perspective, we like the dash layout. We also like BMW's elongated navigation screen, which sits high in the center of dash. It allows you to keep the map showing on the right third of the screen, regardless of what's displayed on the primary portion.
The front seats are excellent: comfortable and exceptionally supportive, once they're tailored to whoever is sitting on them. The optional Comfort Seats have a lot of side bolstering for this type of vehicle, and that's a double-edge sword. It's great for drivers about to take a spirited run through the canyon, but less so for passengers, and particularly the elderly, who have to climb up into the X5 and then slide over the bolsters into a front seat. Seat adjustment comes via BMW's usual extensive array of controls, including double-hinged, articulated seat backs and various bolsters that can be squeezed or pumped up. They all work well, but there are so many adjustments that fine tuning takes time and some trial and error. The memory feature, which comes standard, is handy once the driver has found a comfortable position.
Measured by its basic ergonomic packaging, the X5 is very good. Forward visibility is excellent; armrest height and window-switch placement are just as we like them. Everything, including the mirrors, can be adjusted with the driver in driving position, meaning back against the seat rather than leaned forward to reach a switch or the rearview. The switches generally have a nice, precise feel.
Our only gripe with the packaging relates to the fat rear roof pillars. They limit visibility just behind the vehicle, and demand an extra dose of caution when the X5 is backing up. The available rearview camera helps, though perspective and image quality are lacking, compared to the best rearview cameras from other manufacturers. We also found the camera is slow to turn off once you've started forward again.
One of the best things about the i-Drive-equipped X5 is that it has conventional switches for temperature adjustment, fan speed and airflow, and for some audio functions, with a genuine volume control. In other words, you can make these frequent adjustments easily without fishing through i-Drive. There are also phone and redundant audio controls on the steering wheel spokes. Cruise-control functions are located on a third stalk on the steering column, with wipers on the conventional, right stalk and a trip computer button on the left, turn-signal stalk. We find BMW's electronic turn signals among the most cumbersome in any luxury brand, to the point where you're tempted to do the wrong thing and switch lanes without using them.
Unfortunately, there are still too many things you can't adjust without delving into the i-Drive menus. Audio tone, for example. The optional premium stereo sounds fantastic, but we were discouraged from taking full advantage of its sound processing features because of the tedious, distracting i-Drive sequence required to set them. Those who frequently switch between talk radio and music will find this inconvenient.
The i-Drive is the computer interface that manages nearly every system in the X5. The master control is a big aluminum knob on the center console between the seats, easy to locate from the driver's seat without a glance. The driver (or preferably the front passenger) turns and presses the knob to wade through menus and sub-menus on the display screen, and finally set whatever needs to be adjusted. BMW has tried to simplify i-Drive over the years (primarily by adding more shortcut buttons), but we've never grown to like it. More accurately, we've become resigned to its existence.
The center console is wide, almost massive. Besides the i-Drive controls, it sprouts BMW's video-game-style, electronic gear selector and a hand brake. A sliding plastic blind exposes an ashtray and the cupholders. Those cupholders aren't terribly deep, though they do have little tension devices that snug around the bottom of a cup. The console box opens down the middle, clamshell style, and it measures about six-by-six-by-ten inches, lined with a rubber mat. Its houses a power point and headphone-type auxiliary jack, but no USB port.
Storage options inside the X5 are fair: Much better than the typical European vehicle a few years ago, but not up to the best in this class. The glovebox opens with a remote switch in the center stack, closer to the driver, and it's large enough to hold small items beyond the extra-thick portfolio for owner's documents. The door bins are molded into the door panels, and split into two compartments. They're wide and deep, so anything you put here is likely to stay when you open or slam the door, and lined with rubber so contents aren't prone to sliding and making noise.
When BMW stretched the X5 seven inches (starting with the 2007 models), it did wonders for rear passenger room. Space is now competitive with the roomiest mid-sized luxury SUVs. A five-foot, nine-inch rear passenger has inches of headroom to spare, and enough legroom to stretch feet up under the front seat (assuming the driver is six feet or less). There's a reasonable array of accoutrements for rear passengers, too, including vents, a power point and small storage bin on the back of the center console. There's also temperature control and a fan switch on models so equipped. The dropdown center rear armrest offers no cupholders or storage, but it reveals the optional, locking pass-through port for long items such as skis or fly rods.
Cargo space ranks at or near the bottom of the class, in spite of the fact that the current X5 is longer than pre-2007 models. There is nearly 22 cubic feet for stuff behind the second seat: about the same as a the trunk in a large sedan, though the space is tipped up on its end, with a much smaller load floor. Adding the optional third-row seat expands passenger capacity to seven, but it also eliminates most of that cargo space. BMW claims adults up to five-feet, four-inches tall will be comfortable in the third row, though we can't verify that from experience.
A standard cargo blind opens and retracts over the carpeted area behind the second seat, which features several tie-down points and a rail system that accommodates slide-out accessories offered by BMW dealers. The rear seat backs fold forward easily, but not completely flat, so there a slight change in the angle of the load floor created. The bottom cushion for the rear seats can be removed completely, as a single piece. That levels the load floor, but then you have to find a place for the seat bottom.
Even with cargo space maximized, the X5 offers less capacity than nearly every competitor. With 61.8 cubic feet available, it's surpassed by the Acura MDX (83.5), the Mercedes M-Class (72.4), the Volvo XC90 (93.2) and a host of others. There is some additional storage under the X5's load floor, enough for a tool kit or a six pack, in the bin with the temporary spare.
Driving Impressions
The sport in BMW's X5 sport-utility is most obvious in the driving. The X5 is a heavy vehicle, but it can get down the road with more alacrity than the typical SUV. It's balanced, solid and definitely BMW. On pavement, the X5 comes closer in character to a well-tuned (if large) sedan than all but a scarce few of the sport-utility or crossover vehicles available today.
There's a downside to this emphasis on sporty driving dynamics, to be sure. The X5 features full-time all-wheel drive, but it has no low range and rides closer to the ground than many SUVs. Its AWD system usually sends most of the engine's torque to the rear wheels, promoting the sporty driving feel. It can shift engine power almost instantaneously, and it's a valuable aid in a snow storm or on sloppy pavement. But we'd keep the X5 on the road or at worst on gravel or smooth dirt roads. And more than its relative lack of back-woods capability, the X5's sporting character brings with it some qualities that may not be appreciated in everyday driving.
Strong, satisfying engines have always been a key part of the BMW formula, and those in the X5 are new for 2008. The V8 in the X5 4.8i gets a displacement increase from 4.4 to 4.8 liters, delivering 350 horsepower and 350 pound feet of torque. The inline six-cylinder in the X5 3.0si shares its 3.0-liter displacement with its predecessor, but it starts with an all-new design and adds advanced features like a magnesium-alloy engine block. Horsepower increases by 35 to 260, with peak torque at 220 pound-feet. Both engines add technology intended to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of power required to operate accessories like the power-steering pump and air-conditioning compressor. And both are matched to a more efficient six-speed automatic transmission.
The X5 4.8i we tested was extremely quick to take off, in spite of its substantial 5,300-pound curb weight, with torque coming in a smooth, steady wave. (Torque is that force that you feel when accelerating from intersections.) You won't find an engine that delivers its power more evenly than BMW's V8. Acceleration builds quickly when you step on the gas, regardless of how fast you're already going, but it's never rough or intrusive. Deep dips on the gas pedal generate a distant growl that reminds a driver of the capability under the hood, but the growl doesn't intrude on conversations or create more vibration inside the X5. The 4.8i V8 makes the X5 as smooth as any luxury SUV for freeway travel, and quieter than many.
It also makes the X5 feel quicker than competitors such as the Lexus RX or LX or Audi Q7. We'd wager that it's the quickest vehicle in the class, with the exception of the Porsche Cayenne S and Turbo models. The X5's speed is emphasized by its quick-reacting gas pedal, which is tuned for pavement driving, while those in many competitors have more pedal travel for more precise modulation off road. Some drivers may find the X5's sensitive throttle annoying during a stop-and-go commute after a long, stressful day.
The X5 3.0si isn't as absolutely quick as the 4.8i, but its inline six-cylinder engine feels just as responsive. In some respects it feels lighter, perhaps more spry, than the big V8. BMW's inline-6 is almost as smooth as the V8, with even power across its rev range, and in typical driving it doesn't leave us craving more power. The 3.0si should also deliver better mileage than the V8.
The EPA rates the X5 4.8i at 14/19 mpg City/Highway, though we haven't done that well in different tests over varying circumstances. The 3.0si improves to an EPA-rated 15/21 mpg City/Highway, but you can still do much better with sedans that deliver comparable acceleration. By the official ratings, you can also find better mileage in comparably sized SUVs and crossovers.
Braking performance matches the sporty character of the engines. Yes, this big sport-utility dips forward more prominently than BMW's sedans might under hard braking, but it absolutely does not lack impressive stopping power. In typical daily rounds, we never came close to exploiting the stopping potential built into the X5. Moreover, the electronic controls allow a driver to maintain full steering control in full-panic stops. The electronics also help keep the X5 balanced when braking hard through a turn, and they now include a feature that compensates for brake fade as the brakes heat up with heavy use. Yet like the throttle, the brake pedal can feel a bit sensitive. It might require some practice to modulate for smooth, even stops.
The front suspension breaks with BMW's 45-year tradition of familiar strut design by adding an extra pivot point in the lower control arms. This change is significant to the typical buyer because it plays to the X5's stock-in-trade among luxury SUVs: its exceptional on-road driving dynamics.
How exceptional? On familiar, low-traffic stretches of curving roadway, we can get the typical SUV right up to the point where its tires will lose consistent grip and its mass is ready to slide. We couldn't safely get near the limits of the X5 on public roads because its limits come at speeds too high for public welfare. It will handle bends that leave Lexus SUVs plowing like tractors, or where the Mercedes ML and Volvo XC90 are leaning toward the outside of the curve like used-up Marathon taxis. The optional 19-inch wheels and high-performance tires grip pavement tenaciously, and the level of stick seems more impressive given the high seating position of the driver. The X5 is a sport-utility for Germany's famed Nurburgring racing circuit, and we suspect BMW engineers spent a lot of time on the Nurburgring tuning it.
In short, the X5 lives up to BMW's well-earned reputation for great handling vehicles. Its on-pavement potential exceeds whatever the vast majority of drivers are likely to exploit, and its strength might be the very reason some buyers should consider a slightly less capable competitor. The emphasis on performance is the source of its compromises as daily transportation.
Ride quality is firm. It's not obtrusively stiff, in our view, but certainly stiffer than competitors, and probably less comfortable than many buyers want for the handling payoff. The standard steering is heavy at low speeds, surprisingly so, while the optional Active Steering brings issues and cost even-well healed buyers may not need. Factor in those sensitive gas and brake gas pedals, and you might end up with more aggravation than a hockey dad or soccer mom needs.
It's almost as if BMW has gone overboard trying to turn a tall, heavy SUV into a sporting, exhilarating BMW. This BMW-building process seems to take a bigger toll than it does in a sedan, measured by how the improved dynamics detract from the X5's performance in the daily tasks most drivers undertake. Put another way, the X5 may lack the integrity of the typical BMW sedan. In this vehicle, the various bits that add up to sporting driving dynamics seem to be just that: bits, somewhat disjointed, without the holistic, organic quality that characterizes a 3 Series or 5 Series sedan.
The six-speed automatic contributes to this effect. In fairly aggressive driving, it works well, with firm, satisfying upshifts and quick kickdown shifts when you slam the accelerator at 45 mph. But with light-throttle operation, through suburbia or winding into a subdivision, the transmission can be less then smooth. At times it feels rough or balky in its gear selection, almost clunky. BMW's electronic gear selector doesn't help much, either, requiring familiarity to use efficiently.
The gearchange is a tall, oblong device that reminds us of the paddle control for a video game. There's a button on top to release or engage Park; Drive or Reverse come with a quick flick fore or aft. There's also a separate slot for sequential manual shifting. That's the only improvement in the design, and it fits into the fun/livability conflict throughout the X5.
When the driver wants to shift manually, it works great, changing gears immediately with a quick movement of the wrist, up or down. But this definitely is not a shifter you want to rest your hand on when its set in Drive and you're profiling or going with the flow around town. Even during a moderately hard stop, the momentum and weight of the hand will slide the selector into neutral, and you may not even know it. At a stoplight you might even engage Park inadvertently. When the light turns green, you'll wonder why you're not going anywhere, then scramble in embarrassment to figure it out.
If sporting, on-pavement driving dynamics are the priority in a luxury SUV, the BMW X5 is a great place to start. If family friendly utility and minimal aggravation are most important, it may not be. As a tall sport sedan with reasonable towing capability, the X5 surpasses nearly all other sport-utilities. It's by no means an off-road vehicle, however. In terms of utility, the X5 lacks the cargo-passenger flexibility and ultimate cargo capacity of many competitors. It also comes with BMW's various efforts to re-invent or at least re-define basic things like turn signals and gear selectors, not to mention the infamous i-Drive interface. That will be good or bad, depending on your tastes and proclivities.
J.P. Vettraino reports to NewCarTestDrive.com. from Detroit, with Phil Berg contributing from rural Michigan.
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|BMW X5 3.0si ($46,200); 4.8i ($54,800)
|260-hp 3.0-liter I6; 350-hp 4.8-liter V8
|6-speed automatic
|Safety equipment (standard):
|two-stage front impact airbags, front passenger seat-mounted side-impact airbags, full cabin head-protection curtains, rollover stabilization control, electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist and brake drying, off-road hill descent control, run-flat tires, tire pressure monitor
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Park Distance Control, Rearview Camera
|Basic warranty:
|4 years/50,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Spartanburg, South Carolina
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|BMW X5 4.8i ($54,800)
|Standard equipment:
|dual-zone automatic climate control with charcoal microfilter, 10-way power adjustable front seats with driver-side memory, Nevada leather upholstery, burl walnut, dark bamboo or light poplar wood trim, AM-FM stereo with single CD, weather band, 12 speakers and two subwoofers, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, one-touch power windows, central locking with remote keyless entry, Dynamic Cruise Control, trip computer, rain-sensing wipers, xenon adaptive headlights, fog lamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, trailer wiring
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Technology Package ($2,600) includes Park Distance Control, Rearview camera, navigation system with voice command and Real Time Traffic information; Premium Package ($1,850) with 4-way power lumbar support for front seats, Ambiance Lighting, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, digital compass, power-fold exterior mirrors, universal garage opener, Storage package and BMW Assist with a 4-year subscription and Bluetooth phone interface; Cold Weather Package ($900) includes retractable headlight washers, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, ski bag with rear-seat pass-through; ultra-soft Nappa Leather ($1,000); 20-way Comfort Seats ($1,200); Comfort Access keyless starting ($1,000); satellite radio ($595); iPod and USB adaptor ($400); HD radio ($350).
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|all-wheel drive
|4.8-liter dual overhead cam 32-valve V8 with variable valve timing
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|350 @ 6300
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|350 @ 3400
|6-speed automatic with sequential manual shift feature
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|14/19 mpg
|115.5 in.
|191.1/76.1/69.5 in.
|Track, f/r:
|64.7/65.0 in.
|Turning circle:
|42.0 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|38.4/na/40.0 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|38.4/na/36.6 in.
|Cargo volume:
|61.8 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|6000 Lbs.
|Suspension, f:
|independent double wishbone with coil springs, twin-tube shocks, stabilizer bar
|Suspension, r:
|independent multi-link with air springs
|Ground clearance:
|8.3 in.
|Curb weigth:
|5335 lbs.
|P255/50R19 all-season
|Brakes, f/r:
|vented disc/vented disc with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, Brake Drying
|Fuel capacity:
|22.5 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of October 13, 2008.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-332-4269 - www.bmwusa.com
Related Vehicles
You must be logged in to post a comment Login


text:
Danielle Clark
Class of 2013
Major/Minor: Psychology/Sociology
Hometown? Wilmington, DE
High School? Wilmington Christian High School
Favorite C-town Eats/Place? My favorite place in Chestertown is the waterfront! I love to walk down there and spend time with friends or studying.
Mistake made your 1st year? One mistake I made my first year at WAC would be limiting myself in the clubs that I joined. My sophomore year I joined more clubs, some I liked and some I didn't. I would recommend for new students to try everything because you never know what you might enjoy and it is always good to meet new people!
Which Disney Character and why? If I could be any Disney character I would be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. My nickname when I was little was "The Fish" because I would never want to get out of the Ocean. I also love to sing and love to experience new things, just like Ariel.
How do you like your eggs? I like my eggs mixed with flour, sugar, butter, chocolate chips, and a few other ingredients … aka Chocolate Chip cookies!
Favorite '90s song? "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain
What is the one thing you wish you would have known as a Freshman?: One thing I wish I would have known would be to join as many clubs as possible, ones that you know you will like and ones that just seem different or interesting. You get to meet a lot of great people that way and I ended up finding activities and groups I loved that I never would have tried before!
What is your favorite quote of all time?: "Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else" - Judy Garland
What is your favorite WAC tradition?: My favorite WAC tradition would be fall family weekend. There is always a big celebration down at the waterfront where family and friends can come. The cardboard boat races and Crab Feast are events that everyone should attend!
Campus Involvement
- Concentration: Clinical Counseling
- Club Volleyball
- Service Council
- Campus Christian Fellowship
- Zeta Tau Alpha
- Peer Mentor
- Psychology Club
- Psi Chi


text:
- 3 bedrooms
- 3 bathrooms
It comes with an outstanding luxurious and modern equipment in cupboards, bathrooms and the kitchen. There is an open fireplace in the lavish living room with open kitchen.
Marble bathrooms guarantee timeless elegance.
There is high quality wooden parquet in every room and the utility room is fully equipped.
The luxury penthouse is located in one of Viennas most representative locations, with an unobstructable view of the Hofburg, Burggarten and Staatsoper.
There is a parking lot in the yard- near every important cultural institution, beautiful restaurants and the most exclusive shopping possibilities of Vienna Inner City.
Access to public transfer is excellent: Tram 1,2,71 and D, bus 2A and 59A, and U1 and U4 are within short reach.
Price is Monthly Basis
Fill out the form below to contact the agent for any further information you may need


text:
Readers mull Chinese black helicopter mystery
The Huangyangtan plot thickens
Letters The mystery Chinese military installation near the village of Huangyangtan this week provoked a bit of a speculationfest among El Reg Google Earth aficionados:
So, just what is this remarkable scale model for? Let's consider some possibilities:
I think you will find that it is used to help train remote pilots of UAVs, the pilotless recon planes. in the UK we actually use computer generated landscapes that are fed back to the pilot via a monitor, it would appear that our friends abroad are using actual modelled landscape, which is more realistic especially when simulating turbulence, etc. Most excellent find though it does amaze me that people have so much time on their hands to find these things. :o)
Damian Jauregui
Before computer graphics were up to the job, commercial pilots in Western countries were sometimes trained on simulators that worked by having a TV camera attached to a monitor in the "cockpit" zoom around a model landscape according to how the pilot operated the controls. Once computers became good enough though they abandoned this completely.
It's difficult to imagine why the Chinese would go to all the trouble of recreating a landscape in miniature when it would be far cheaper and more flexible to do so in a computer (even small fairgrounds often have flight simulator rides nowadays!).
I was discussing this with a "Friend", his take on it is that it is almost certainly used to test "airborne optics". ie Spy Sats, and or high altitude aircraft.
Since it's a scale model, and you can get in very closely and look at the detail on the ground to correlate with what the airborne snapshots show you, it will also assist with the interpretation of images of the real thing...
Not much point for training the Black Chopper pilots with, as a VR simulation will do a much better job without tipping your hand. This installation is designed to be seen from space.. Which co-incidentally is how people found it...
A training aid, almost certainly, but I doubt it's for helicopters. The altitudes in the region this represents make helicopter operations rather difficult. My guess would be that it's a large scale 'sandbox' used for running wargames to help train operational level commanders and their headquarters.
hi lester; neat article. i bet that mountain terrain in miniature was actually designed to cover up some kind of factory or military building that sits below it. that is to say, all that stuff is sitting on top of the roof of a big building. they probably think it makes it harder for enemy bombers to hit during combat, and might help shield it from cursory inspection of satellite photos. this is not an uncommon thing, i know it was done in the u.s. during the second world war and i'm sure it was done in other countries as well. i wouldnt be surprised that people still do this today. neat to look at, though. google maps are a blast. i wonder if kim jong il realizes that you can get almost as close a look at pyongyang from google maps as you could if you lived there? but humorously enough even though you can peek into the furthest corner of pyongyang, the resolution for my boring midwest town is totally lousy. whatever. i guess i already know what it looks like here. anyway, i dig the column. -S
This is amazing all by itself but a "rogue thought" just struck me. What purpose could there be in constructing a miniature topographical terrain set of this size and accuracy? I'd like to compare this with some photos taken "from space" by Chinese satellites or astronauts. The people that think the US faked the moon shots are cranks, but it is conceivable that China faked some space "successes" while they were trying to play catch-up and prove to the world the superiority of Marxism-Lenninism-Englesism-Stalinism-Maoism Possibly they did this in the early years even if later trials succeeded.
P.S. I'm not the Ken Jennings of Jeopardy fame--but I am his father. Too bad DNA doesn't flow uphill . . . .
That's the purely military options. Of course, there may be a less sinister alternative:
Looks to be a river system in the area ... maybe they are modelling water flows etc in the same way as US Engineers do/did for the Sacramento Delta/SF Bay in the "Bay model" in Sausalito.
A possibility is that this is a hydrological model. Look at http://www.baymodel.org/history/bmvc.html for what has been done before.
It looks like a 'hoover' dam simulator to me. Where they can test out the locations for some electricity dams on a small scale.
Mystery military project wows the crowd: my guess is it might be a scale model of an area under plans to be dammed. Could the grey areas indicate the flood areas?
Yes, the hydrological model idea holds a certain amount of water, as it were...
...and here's another environmental suggestion:
Hi there, I don't normally jump onto news stories but yours grabbed my attention for some reason. Possibly the fact that it's 200 degrees in this office today and i feel like doing very little in the way of manual exercise!
the link attached is of a rather non noteworthy item from the china press. As far as their story goes they intend to do a large amount of forestry in order to stop the desert creeping into a heavily populated area. At first i thought this map might just scale model of the work due to be undertaken in that area. Also the maths don't quite work. In your story you quote 450 X 350 kilmetres which by my maths makes about 15 million square meters. The area they quote is 666.7 hectares (lets not even mention the beast) which is only about 6 million square meters....well short. If it is just a large scale map of the area to be developed then inside or close to a military base is an ideal place for it. I'm sure that amount of materials are quite valuble in that ecomomic area and the chances it being stolen (in part and for the parts) are quite high. However the question still begs....why so big? Surely planting a few trees doesn't warrent a model that large!
We had quite a few emails on this, including the following rather rude missive:
It took little more than 30 seconds for me to find the answer to this "mystery" - and it took no more than typing a single word (Huangyangtan) into Google to solve it.
A little research on young Lester's part, rather than the following of blogs, and rants etc etc, would have revealed a very interesting SCIENTIFIC topic. Instead, you have turned the story into a rumor worthy of the National Enquirer. I expect more than that from you guys. If I want rumour and innuendo, I'll go on over to Digg, and see what the smelly masses have to say...
Dave Daley
Right, let's consider the facts here: Beijing has rather wisely decided to plant lots and lots of trees and grass in the Huangyangtan area in an attempt to stop the desertification which is contributing to huge dust clouds menacing Chinese cities.
As part of that process, it's decided to build a huge model of a disputed area quite some distance away on the China/India border. Right, gotcha...
So, while Mr Daley pushes off to Digg and leaves us in peace, let's have a few more suggestions which - while not entirely serious - are at least as plausible as the idea that Beijing's citizens can breathe more easily as a result of a 900x700m landscape model.
1. It could be for testing equipment for use on other planets (eg. Mars landers), athough this wouldn't explain why they copied some terrestrial land. 2. Perhaps the PRC has developed a range of miniature robotic super-soldiers and is testing them out before building full-size ones? 3. Maybe it's to confuse the Google Earth fanatics :P? 4. They might be trying to buil a geographic fractal - no matter how much you magnify, it always looks as if it is at the same scale. This would be spooky... 5. Finally, the Chinese president may enjoy a spot of Airfix modeling and could have constructed this as miniature battle zone in which to carry out his plastic fantasies.
Potentially possible?
James B
Er, yes. Keep taking the tablets.
Surely it's a piece of Art? Similar to the Boyle family http://www.boylefamily.co.uk/boyle/index.html who meticulously reproduce semi random pieces of ground. Admittedly this is on a huge scale, but if you have enough people...why not.
Are you sure it's not just the Chinese equivalent of this...? http://www.bekonscot.com/
Yes, but where are the charming windmill and the rose-clad country cottage? We don't think the tourists will be flocking to the Huangyangtan Maoist Model Village.
Personally I think the Chinese are building the worlds largest model railroad. Who knew that Hu Jintao was such a hobbyist? Seems that we have caught them in between laying the terrain and adding the track and foliage. Check back in a few months to see the little trains running and a smiling Hu;)
Well, we'll leave it to you to decide which of the above is the most plausible. And while you're travelling Google Earth, keep an eye out for Bert Ofnuts, who fell mysteriously silent right after sending this email:
Now I understand why Google has invested billions in Google Earth. Remember Stardust@Home? Google Earth is nothing more than an undercover Intelligence@Home project. By uncovering this kind of stuff, people are doing to the work of the CIA... what is that noise? an helic... ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Why you need managed detection and response


text:
Asturias, cultural landscape
Covadonga Basilica
Santa María del Naranco (Oviedo)
Pre-Romanesque church of San Julián de Prados - interior
Historic centre of Avilés
This is the Region that conquered the heart of film director Woody Allen and birthplace of Formula 1 champion, Fernando Alonso. You too will be pleasantly surprised when you discover the cultural wealth of Asturias. There is loads to enjoy in this area of northern Spain. Would you like to see it for yourself?
Between the mountains and the sea, Asturias awaits you, a destination whose countryside and varied landscapes will leave you speechless. Nevertheless, this is not the only reason for coming to visit. In this part of Spain you will also find a rich and important array of cultural heritage. Take note - there is much to see.
Grandeur in simplicity
No one doubts it: one of the things not to be missed in Asturias is its Pre-Romanesque art. It is a unique style in the world, stunning for its aesthetic simplicity, innovative in is time. Proof of this is that the buildings constructed under its influence between the 8th and 10th centuries have received the UNESCO World Heritage designation. In the city of Oviedo and the surrounding area you will have the chance to see the most representative monuments, such as the churches of San Julián de Prados, Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo and Santa Cristina de Lena. Besides Pre-Romanesque art, also not to be missed are places like the Cathedral, the University and the route through the historic centre.
Cities to be admired
Another vital stop is to be found in inland Asturias: the Covadonga Sanctuary, located within the Picos de Europa National Park. Once on the coast, you will love the beautiful old part of Avilés; also the city of Gijón, where you can discover interesting sites including the Roman baths, its Cimadevilla neighbourhood, the Atlantic Botanical Garden and the Laboral Centre, a Classical-style complex, now converted into a major cultural centre. You should also reserve time to discover the unique charm of some of the local fishing towns and villages such as Luarca, Cudillero and Llanes.
Following in the footsteps of the past
And there is even more. Did you know that the cultural heritage of Asturias reaches back to prehistory? The Region is famous for its many prehistoric caves and paintings. In fact, the Palaeolithic remains discovered in the caves of Tito Bustillo, Peña de Candamo, Llonín, El Pindal and Covaciella all have the World Heritage designation. You can enjoy their artistic wealth first hand by visiting them or looking at reproductions at the Teverga Prehistory Park. Celtic culture was also very important in this area, as you can see from the many "castros" (Iron-age settlements) that remain to this day. The Coaña settlement, located within the Navia History Park, is one of the most outstanding.
If you are travelling with children, they will love the next idea: seeing for themselves the tracks left by dinosaurs in Asturias millions of years ago. You just have to follow the coastal route taking in the palaeontological sites between the towns of Villaviciosa and Ribadesella. The Colunga Jurassic Museum (MUJA) would be the perfect finish to this trip back in time. Not to be forgotten either is the mining tradition of Asturias: there are different tourist itineraries as well as the El Entrego Mining Museum, that will show you what was one of the main activities in the Region for centuries.
Festive Asturias
Fiestas are another facet of Asturias you won't want to miss. From the world famous International Canoe Descent of the Sella River, an event that combines sport and fun in equal doses, to popular gastronomic events such as the Natural Cider Festival and the Cabrales Fair, where you can sample typical local produce in a wonderful atmosphere. Why not come and see for yourself?
Have you found this information useful?
Don't miss
Mountain bike trails in Asturias
We offer 3 options. ...(+See more)
Cangas de Onís
12 kilometers of route with incredible views. ...(+See more)
Ribadesella,Parres,Cangas ...
Travel in 4x4 the National Park of Picos de Europa ...(+See more)
Cangas de Onís
Tierra del Agua is an exclusive rural accommodation in ...(+See more)


text:
A couple of days ago, the creator of Mortal Kombat series - Ed Boon - published a teaser of four fighters that will be added to the tenth instalment in the franchise, which was launched in April 2015. And yesterday, Warner Bros.
Related news
by Olga Smiyanenko 2015-09-04 4248 views
Last week, NetherRealm Studios published a teaser of the next Mortal Kombat X DLC, which includes one of the most anticipated characters in this fighting game - Predator. Also, the launched video revealed the release date of this add-on.
by Olga Smiyanenko 2015-07-07 2973 views
Despite the yesterday's news about the new fighter - Tanya, - who will appear in Mortal Kombat X in June, some not very pleasant information about this project has appeared online as well. First of all, it will be interesting for the owners of the last-gen consoles who anticipate the release of the new fighting game.
by Olga Smiyanenko 2015-05-27 2666 views


text:
We're operating as normal and we've made things easier with extended returns & FREE Ground Shipping On Any Order $99+
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Total: $0.00
Use the form below to unsubscribe or change your email subscription preferences.
« Return to Homepage
©2019 Fiskars Living US, LLC - All rights reserved.
The Royal Doulton brand and trademark are part of the Fiskars Group portfolio of brands and trademarks, www.fiskarsgroup.com.
Your Royal Doulton Welcome email should arrive shortly.
Be sure to add [email protected] to your list of safe senders.


text:
The colour sepia was named, according to the Wikipedia definition, after the rich brown contents of the Sepia cuttlefish's ink sac. Sepia, gold and selenium toning have been used both to provide warmer hues to photographic prints and to make the compounds more stable, enhancing the archival properties. In the 1920s and 1930s, particularly in the United States, prints with rich, deep brown tones became very popular and were used by many studios, often mounted on elaborate embossed, coloured and patterned card, or in folders.
Among the photographs collected by Hampton (New Hampshire) resident Louis Dubois, and donated to the Photo-Sleuth archives by his daughters Irene and Judy, are several examples of such lavishly coloured, mounted and decorated portraits, including todays offering. N.B. I've tried to match the colours as closely as I can to the original with Adobe Photoshop, but of course it may look slightly different on your screen from what it does on mine.
This portrait of a young woman has been printed on thin card (118.5 x 170.5 mm) with a matt finish, the corners of the print then being inserted into slots cut in a thicker brown, embossed and faux leather patterned card (146 x 213 mm) with feathered edges.
The mount has, in turn been affixed within a 2½-leaf vertically opening folder (152.5 x 221 mm folded; 152.5 x 276 opened) made of similar brown card.
This folder is constructed so that the upper and lower leaves can be folded back, and the point of the lower leaf inserted into a slot in the upper, creating a stand for display purposes.
The following is handwritten in black ink on the inside of the lower leaf (image enhanced for clarity):
Helen C. GilpatrickHelen Christina Gilpatrick was born in New Hampshire on 30 July 1905, daughter of William Merton Gilpatrick (1879-c1963) and Alice née Kershaw (1879-1963). The family moved to North Hampton around 1915, by which time Helen had two younger sisters Gladys Mae (c1907-1938) and Dorothy Gertrude (1909-1985). William Gilpatrick was a brick and cement mason, doing contract jobs wherever he could find the work, but Hampton proved to be a good base, and he was on the entertainment committee of the Men's Club. Alice, although born in England, had immigrated with her family to the United States when very young and settled in Fall River, Massachusetts. However, she moved easily into the Hampton community, soon becoming a stalwart of the Mothers' Circle. In 1920, they were living at 179 High Street in Hampton, and all three girls attended Hampton Academy.
Helen, too, became very active in Hampton community affairs, particularly at the Congregational Church Sunday School. When she graduated from Hampton Academy in a ceremony at the Town Hall on the evening of Friday 15 June 1923, she was one of five honors students. The graduation class roll is shown in the program she later donated to the Tuck Museum - now held by the Lane Memorial Library - and the names of honors students, marked here (by me) with an asterisk, were published in the Portsmouth Herald on 18 June:
*Eva May LantzAt least four other members of this graduating class are subjects of photographs in the Louis Dubois collection, and I will feature them here on Photo-Sleuth in due course, together with details of any further connecting stories that I can unravel. However, it appears on the face of it, that Helen had this fine portrait taken to mark her graduation, and gave copies to her class mates, including this one.
Douglass Everett Hunter
*Helen Christina Gilpatrick
Malcolm Dana Roberts
Vernon Libby Booker
Grace Wilomina Blake
Harold Reynold Beede
*Walter Randolph Clark
Gertrude Shirley Blake
*Norman Oswald Marston
Hazel Estella Lamprey
*Evelyn Crosby Shaw
I found the following extract from the local rag, The Hamptons Union, dated Thursday, February 12, 1925, which seems to confirm her predilection for necklaces:
A very pleasant surprise was given Miss Helen Gilpatrick last Saturday evening, when a number of her friends gathered at her home. The evening was passed very pleasantly by playing games. A beautiful string of crystal beads were presented to her from those present. Delicious refreshments of ice cream and cake were served. The guests departed at a late hour having enjoyed a very pleasant evening.
Although her two younger sisters married, Dorothy in 1936 to Norman Smiley and Gladys a year later to Leroy Shea, she remained single, working as a book-keeper and stenographer, and living in Hampton until at least the early 1960s. She died in Florida in August 1985.
Whitman Studio, Malden, Massachusetts
Whitman Studio (at right), 100 Pleasant Street, Malden, 18 July 1923
The Whitman Studio, situated on Pleasant Street, Malden (Mass.), which Helen Gilpatrick visited in 1923, shown on the edge of the photograph above, probably within weeks of the sitting, was operated by Edgar L. Byrd from at least as early as 1910 until shortly before his death in September 1956. Early in his career, he was responsible for the photographs of Helen Keller published in her book, "The World I Live In" in 1907.
Lane Memorial Library Archives, Hampton
1881 Census of the UK, from Ancestry.co.uk
UK GRO Birth, Marriage & Death Index, from FreeBMD
US Federal Census Collection, WW1 Draft Registration Cards, US City Directories & the Portsmouth Herald newspaper, from Ancestry.com
Massachusetts, New Hampshire & Maine Births, Marriages & Deaths, from FamilySearch
US Social Security Death Index (SSDI) from FamilySearch
Malden Historical Society (2000) Malden, Arcadia Publishing, 128p.


text:
Its About Watches
ya priyankjini
Its About Watches is one of our best portfolio as an E-Commerce store, where you can shop number of the different brands watches and accessories for every gender. IT'S ABOUT TIME alone had been in existence in Georgia for over 26 years and we now carry on the great tradition of watch repairs and sales, providing our customers with an invaluable and honest service for all their watch and clock related needs.
priyankjini Ahmedabad, India
I am working on PHP, Coldfusion, HTML, Css, Jquery, Javascript, Ajax, Photoshop etc.. I can assure you of getting quality works. I would like you to give me an opportunity to work with you and AMAZE you with my service.


text:
I have several data files which contain columns of data. All my files follow the same format data001.out, data002.out, ... , data00n.out. I want to import and plot all of them simultaneously. In particular, I use only the first two columns of the data files for my plot. I wrote this simple Mathematica code:
dataAll = {};
data = ReadList["data00" <> ToString[NumberForm[i, 2, NumberPadding
-> {"0", ""}]] <> ".out", Number,
RecordLists -> True];
pdata = Table[{data[[j, 1]], data[[j, 2]]}, {j, 1, Length[data]}];
AppendTo[dataAll, Flatten[pdata]];
, {i, 1, 50}
S0 = ListPlot[dataAll, Frame -> True, FrameLabel -> {"x", "y"},
RotateLabel -> False, PlotStyle -> {Black, PointSize[0.01]},
PlotRange -> All, ImageSize -> 500]
I am wondering, if there is a simpler or even more correct way to perform this task. Perhaps, the
Do loop needs improvement.
I noticed that the
PlotStyle in
ListPlot does not apply to all points of the dataAll list. Even if I determine the color (black) and the size, the output contains several colors ans sizes. Where is the mistake?
Many thanks in advance!


text: With the holidays right around the corner, many of you will be flying to see loved ones across the US and around the globe. For those longer flights, a laptop is a travel essential but whether you're watching a movie or working on confidential documents, privacy can be a problem. I recently tried out the 3M Gold privacy filter and I was quite impressed. With this filter on my computer screen I could see clearly straight on. However when I tried to look at it from an angle the privacy filter blocked my view of the screen with a nice gold sheen. The privacy filters come in a variety of sizes, range in price from $50 to $100, and can be found at 3MPrivacyFilter.com. Don't have a laptop? Check out Good Housekeeping Research Institute's top picks for The Best Budget Laptops


text:
- Fast on-time delivery & pick-up
- Most Reputable Company
- Latest Industry Standards
- Affordable Prices
Learning the process
You will need to be informed regarding Baseboard Heating in Durand, MI. You shouldn't go into it without understanding it, and you will need to know what you should expect. You're not going to encounter any sort of surprises whenever you deal with Baseboard Heating Guys. Step one will be to contact us at 800-381-1150 to begin your project. We're going to respond to all of your questions and schedule your initial meeting. We work together with you through the whole project, and our company can show up on time and ready.
When you need Baseboard Heating in Durand, Wyoming, consider Baseboard Heating Guys
When you're planning a process regarding Baseboard Heating in Durand, MI, you will find good reasons to call Baseboard Heating Guys. Our equipment are of the very best quality, our cash saving strategies are functional and effective, and our customer support ratings can't be beat. We've got the experience that you need to fulfill all of your ambitions. Call 800-381-1150 when you require Baseboard Heating in Durand, and we're going to work with you to successfully carry out your job.


text:
Liberty News
Graduating resident, online students welcomed at receptions
Friday's pre-Commencement ceremonies included separate two-hour receptions for resident and online students at Liberty University's Williams Stadium. This was the first year Liberty held a reception for residential graduates and their families.
To celebrate, graduating students and their guests heard from members of administration and were treated to cupcakes, donuts, cotton candy, ice cream, kettle corn, and soft drinks in a carnival-like atmosphere under the stadium concourse and beside the adjacent Osborne Soccer Stadium, where tents were set up with representatives from various degree programs.
Liberty Provost Dr. Ron Godwin, senior vice president for academic affairs, told the residential students how Liberty has been blessed with exponential growth since Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr. founded it in 1971.
"The first graduating class in 1974 had 46 students," he said. "This year, Liberty University's graduating class has 15,443 students and about half of them will actually march, that's about 7,326. It's a miracle, literally a miracle. Liberty is now the largest Christian evangelical school in the entire world."
Larry Shackleton, vice president for administrative information, encouraged graduating residential students to stop by and visit with the faculty and administrators who have guided them toward their degrees.
Michael Johnson, Jr., a tight end on the Flames' football team and business finance major graduating with honors, had the chance to show his family the football facilities with a guided tour from coach Turner Gill.
In addressing the Liberty University Online crowd, many of whom were making their first visit on campus, Falwell, Jr. lauded the program for enabling students to achieve their career goals through distance education.
"We just thank you so much for making the trip to Lynchburg," he said. "We started out in 1985. We decided it was part of our mission to make Christian education affordable and as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. I receive testimonials from online students all the time thanking us for making this program available. They tell me it's the only way they ever could have obtained their college degree, the only way they could have realized their dream."
One of those is Andrea Bassett, who made the 12-hour trip from Georgia with her family that included husband Bruce, a U.S. Air Force veteran, daughters Alena and Suzanna, and mother Susan Ranson to receive her master's degree in education.
"We're going to Baccalaureate, military service, Commencement, degree presentation, we're going to do it all," Andrea Bassett said. "If it wasn't online, I wouldn't be able to do it because I work full time. I look for, maybe in a couple of years, to come back for my doctorate."
Falwell congratulated the graduates for all their hard work.
"We're so proud of what you've accomplished. Over 32,000 people will be here (Saturday). We're now the largest private non-profit university in the country, mainly because of you, our online students."
Of the more than 7,500 students who will march in the 40th Commencement ceremonies, more than 5,000 will be Liberty Online graduates.
Dr. Ron Hawkins, vice provost and vice president for academic affairs, applauded them for not only making the journey, but completing their degrees.
"I'll bet one of our favorite verses today is wisdom from Solomon, 'Better is the end of a matter than the beginning,'" he said, referring to Ecclesiastes 7:8. "Aren't you glad that you've come to this ending? What a wonderful thing. You are our heroes because you've balanced family and responsibilities on the job, and a checkbook, to come to this point in your lives, so we celebrate you."


text:
Ryanmulligan80 brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 34 Designs von 6 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
We're a small web marketing group that is building a portfolio of web sites in varying niches and are looking to form a business relationship based on mutual trust and enthusiasm for this project and many future projects. We've been stung by poor web developers and designers in the past and are hopeful to have a fresh start here on 99d. When hard work and creativity are fused, then great things can be achieved. That's what we believe and it's what we're looking for from our partners!
The Talcast.com website is to serve as a platform for talented individuals to enter their profile, load their pictures and videos and share them on the site. The site also serves industry professionals such as agents, photographers etc who can create profiles and contact our talent members, aswell as post opportunities such as auditions on the site.
Our target audience sit within the talent niche. So, predominantly the group are (though not limited to) late teens to late twenties - who maybe sing, dance, write or play music, act, models, comedians etc. Basically anybody that has a dream to share their talent and have it recognised is our audience. Additionally, the site will also serve as a hub for industry professionals such as talent agents, casting agents, photographers etc who will also use the service.
We would like a fresh web 2.0 feel. A page thats welcoming and quickly connects with the audience and gives a sense of what we're about. It should look professional but fun at the same time. We intend to fuse all thats best about social networking with our video sharing site.
We don't have any particular colour scheme in mind, but orange and greens are bold and fresh.
The talent sites out there with microphone pictures and spotlights etc have been done to death, so please feel free to be creative. Yes the site is talent niche, but its also about sharing and reaching people.
The homepage has some basic requirements -
Login / Signup buttons (Industry Professionals and Talent members)
Intro video space
Space for authority graphics (you know the sort - as seen on ...etc)
Introduction space (Our opening gambit if you like, which we'd ideally like as some kind of graphic to represent one persons talent being spread across the world - feel free to be totally creative. We're happy to just put some text here, but a picture or that kind of icon graphic with a few choice words always looks great - like on the Facebook homepage)
Attractive 'Join Today - It's FREE' button
Page navigation - NEW / COMMUNITY / BLOG / HOW IT WORKS
A search box
The page also needs to show some latest content - in terms of videos and pictures and top rated
Payment graphics
http://www.uservoice.com -
http://www.gwabbit.com - nice fresh feel
http://www.flippa.com - see as seen on graphics
http://www.buysellads.com - see payment graphics
http://www.themeforest.net - we like the large footer to contain follow links for
facebook, twitter etc as well as faqs, sitemap, blog, privacy statement, help.
http://www.uservoice.com - like the feedback tab


text: Please be sure to register to be able to post. Fill out registration and an email will be sent to you with an ACTIVATION CODE. Enter that code in the box provided by one of the three links. Try each link until the activation code box appears. Then follow the rest of the directions and you are ready to post. Come join us! Please talk about your SMOKINTEX experiences. Give us your tips, comments, questions and recipes. This SmokinTex Forum is to feature ONLY SmokinTex products. No posts promoting other products please.