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Humberto Prado has seen plenty of danger. Once an inmate in some of South America's most feared lockups, he later was pardoned and became a prison director himself, then spent years campaigning for reforms in Venezuela's notorious prisons.
Now, though, he says he's more frightened than he's ever been.
Prado, 48, said he's received numerous death threats, anonymous and often in the dead of night, since denouncing the government over a prison where inmates rioted in June. He says there is no sign officials are taking his complaints seriously, and in fact may be inspiring the harassment.
Venezuelan Justice Minister Tarek El Aissami has publicly accused Prado of fomenting the prison rebellion by criticizing conditions there.
Many activists say the threats against Prado fit a disturbing pattern: threats and attacks after criticism of alleged government human rights abuses. As with Prado, the government has ignored, and even mocked, their accounts.
The growing number of such cases is placing the government of leftist President Hugo Chavez under increasing international scrutiny, as human rights groups take their complaints to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the United Nations.
Prado said that as the threats intensified over the summer, he fled with his family to Spain for a time, aided by Amnesty International. "We live in very bad times," Prado said after returning to Venezuela in August. "We left our house for the safety of my children."
Over the past 12 years, 83 attacks have targeted activists in Venezuela, with 10 activists killed since 2003, according to human rights organizations. Before President Hugo Chavez took office in 1999, such killings were rare. None was reported during Chavez's first year in power.
Rights groups also report arbitrary police arrests of activists, illegal wiretapping, restrictions on public meetings imposed by prosecutors and state-sponsored smear campaigns.
The issue came to a head this week as the United Nations' Human Rights Council issued 148 recommendations for Venezuela, calling for the country to support the independent work of non-governmental organizations and defend human rights activists.
Venezuela rejected that and 37 other recommendations. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomas Porras Ponce de Leon said they were made by representatives of "old empires" and meddled in Venezuelan affairs.
The week before, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro had criticized at least some human rights movements as "an international bureaucracy very influenced by the imperialist nations."
During the June prison uprising, state television broadcast an interview with a purported inmate who accused rights organizations of intentionally inciting violence inside the penitentiary.
The alleged inmate, whose face was covered with a hood, stood with his back to the camera as he accused non-governmental organizations of issuing instructions meant "to create chaos, to produce a nationwide prison emergency."
Liliana Ortega, director of the Committee of Victims' Relatives, noted that numerous nonprofit groups that have been critical of government policies have been subject to investigations to determine the origin of their funding.
Government officials have alleged that such groups are receiving funding from foreign countries, now a punishable offense under legislation approved last year by lawmakers loyal to Chavez.
"The human rights organizations and activists play a fundamental role in democracy," Ortega said. "And if they cannot exercise this role ... the health of democracy is severely weakened."
The Justice Ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
During a recent news conference, chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega mockingly mimicked activists who have complained of aggression, saying: "I'm a victim of harassment, but I never explain what it consists of."
She added that "every complaint that has been filed here in the prosecutor's office has been given due process."
Targeted activists and their families, however, say they've lost faith in the nation's courts and have sought justice elsewhere.
Prado, who founded a prison monitoring group in 2002, received threats so serious that the Costa Rica based Inter-American Court called on government in 2009 to ensure his protection. He had once been the country's most celebrated ex-convicts, overcoming a teenage conviction for armed robbery to become a widely praised prison and human rights administrator.
In March, the Inter-American Court agreed to consider the case of Joe Castillo, a 32-year-old activist who was gunned down in 2003 by unidentified assailants. It was the first time the court had accepted a case dealing with the murder of a Venezuelan activist. Plaintiffs accuse the state of failing to protect him despite threats.
Castillo had worked with Colombian refugees seeking housing and other services. He was struck by seven bullets in 2003 and died instantly as he was picking up his 2-year-son from kindergarten.
Mijail Martinez, 24, was shot to death in 2009 on the doorstep of his home in the city of Barquisimeto after working with people allegedly killed by police. His father, Victor Martinez, has also brought his son's case to the Inter-American Court, saying he was seeking "the justice I can't get in Venezuela."
To be sure, the number of attacks against rights activists in Venezuela remains low in comparison to other countries in the region such as Guatemala and Colombia, where police and paramilitary gangs regularly target activists. Those attacks have particularly hit those monitoring security forces battling drug cartels and rebel groups.
What alarms Venezuelan activists is the increasing frequency of the attacks, and seeming government indifference to finding those responsible.
The Committee of Victims' Relatives reported this year that 70 percent of cases involving attacks on human rights activists remain in preliminary investigative stages, 13 percent are being tried and 17 percent have been closed or dismissed.
Activist Luis Aguilera said he ran into trouble after defending a family in which seven members were allegedly killed by police. He said anti-drug police stopped him at Venezuela's main airport for several hours in 2006 after he announced he planned to bring the case to the Inter-American court.
"I have been the object of persecution, of threats, and all this for being a human-rights activist," Aguilera said. "Always the modus operandi is the same. First they threaten the relatives and the witnesses and so on like this with the goal of making the victim stop demanding justice. What is evident is that it's the policy of the state."
Prado said he also believed the government was behind the threats he's received.
In addition to the late-night calls, a photograph of the activist along with the addresses of his home and office were posted on a blog with a message reading, "People: recognize him" and, yet more ominously, "Capital Punishment."


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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A letter carrier's spray intended to fend off aggressive dogs accidentally went off inside a Portland, Ore., post office Wednesday, sending three employees to the hospital to have their eyes flushed.
Workers fled the facility and someone called 911 to report chemical contamination.
Firefighters swarmed in, wearing masks with oxygen supplies and deploying sensors for biological, radiological and chemical hazards.
A Portland Fire Bureau spokesman, Lt. Rich Chatman, says he doesn't know how the spray was discharged, although he said it's easy to "hit the button accidentally."
He says the spray was a heavy-duty version of pepper spray known as bear spray.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reviewed by Meryl R. (age 7)
My favorite character was Amelia Bedelia, because she's very funny. This book reminds me of playing softball, because every time I stand up to the plate I remember what she did.I like this book, because it's very funny.
I would recommend this book to people who like baseball and softball.


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For most of you, the latest West Coast Bias column probably has too much Giants content. Within the same column is an item about Donavan Tate winning MVP honors in the Instructional League and tidbits on two men who used to wield a lot of power in San Diego, Sandy Alderson and Bruce Bochy.
As expected, Alderson wants to hire Paul DePodesta. It wouldn't be easy for "DePo" to turn down Alderson, but as I Tweeted last month, he's happy with his current situation.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Posted by Tom Krasovic at 3:47 PM
1 comment:
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In March, 2001, Ms. Patty Miao, a Sales Manager responsible to Asian Pacific Area in TYAN, was flying to Australia to attend CeBIT Australia which was one of the largest IT exhibitions in Australia. At this time, she met a contract manager – Jan from Insite. While they just met, both of them felt like old friends at the first meeting. It was a good sign for the future cooperation.
In the end of 2001, Jan sent Patty an email to look for the business opportunity. It was a studio project, and lead time was only in 2 months. Also, the price was very sensensitive. Finally, TYAN won the project with a very aggressive schedule and a special price. After Christmas, TYAN learned that this project was for a movie – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was an epic adventure movie ad a symbol showing that latest computer graphic technology in these years. Especially, in "The Two Towers" movie, the fighting scene between the Ent troops and a large of army troops was very fascinating. Because of this scene, the series won "The best achievement in visual effects" in Oscar award and made studio – WETA to become an important computer graphic film laboratory comparing to George Lucas' ILM and James Cameron's Digital Domain.
In "The Two Towers" movie, there were more mysterious characters than in "The Return of the King" movie. Specially, Ent was very impressive to audiences. Ent was a living, walking tree-shepherd who is the oldest begin in Middle-earth. In the movie, because of computer graphic technology, some successful characters were created – e.g., big monkey, dinosaurs in the island, and monsters in ancient age. All of them were from WETA's endeavor. From this successful, WETA won OSCAR Award again by King Kong movie. And, "The Chronicles of Narnia" series was handled by WETA as well.
It was very hard to present creative story in the past, but now, because of computer graphic technology, the most of them can be fulfilled and presented easily in front of audiences. Nowadays, computer performance is demanded stricter than before, especially, in computer graphic, movie making and graphic design fields. For example, in order to fulfill computer graphic in "The Two Towers", the movie company was adopting TYAN's S2721 server board to produce computer graphic, 3D graphic and high quality image in the movie.
TYAN's S2721 was designed in SSI EBB V3.0 (12" x 13") form factor. For expansion, S2721 offers 1 PCI slot and 3 PCI-X 64 bit slots. Two white slots of PCI-X were designed at 133MHz speed, and one green slot of PCI-X was running at 100MHz speed to support ZCR function by Intel and Adaptec. For memory specification, it supports dual-channel DDR200/266 specification. In the other words, Registered ECC memory needs to be installed and maximum 12GB memory capacity will be supported.
TYAN S2721's motherboard provides very high data transfer rate. It is able to satisfy high quality of image requirements. Except "The Lord of the Ring" series, "Star Wars" is also a classic movie series. In "The Clone Wars", while Jedi Knight was fighting with "the clones", the scene was very stunning and unforgettable. And, TYAN's products were making each frame fascinating, impressive and real.
In "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed", it made the movie performance seamlessly between actors/actresses and cartoon dog. And, TYAN Tiger MP S2462 made this seamless scene happened.
The S2721 offers the very best in 2P motherboard technology. Built for high-end workstation and high-end server applications, the S2721 supports dual Intel Xeon series processors, and includes a number of integrated features such as three Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB 2.0, and support for PCI-X E interface expansion, and much more, all in an SSI EEB (12" x 13") form factor.


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John Nottingham and John Spirk, the co-presidents of Cleveland design/product development firm Nottingham Spirk, offer some insights about innovation in a good Q&A with The New York Times. It's long and covers a lot of ground, but here are some of the highlights:
Nottingham Spirk co-bosses share their thoughts on innovation
Cutthroat collectibles: It's almost December, but even at the Christmas Story House in Cleveland, things aren't all holiday cheer. Bloomberg reports that an Illinois maker of gift items has sued a company specializing in Christmas items over a takedown request made to Amazon.com. "A&R Collectibles Inc. filed suit in federal court in Chicago Nov. 20, seeking a declaration it doesn't infringe the copyright to a moose coffee mug sold by A Christmas Story House Inc. of Cleveland," Bloomberg reports. "Additionally, A&R seeks an order barring the Ohio company from interfering with its relationship with Amazon.com." Wheeling, Ill.-based A&R said it commissioned the creation of a moose coffee mug in August 2006, and began selling them that year, Bloomberg reports. The company claimed it hasn't ever changed the product's design or packaging. On Nov. 13, "an attorney representing Christmas Story House filed a notice with Amazon.com requesting the delisting of all the A&R Christmas moose mug products, claiming that the products infringed that company's copyrights," according to Bloomberg. "A&R said it sold moose mugs long before the Ohio company began making its product." A&R said in the suit that it has lost substantial sales and market share to what it calls "willful, wanton and knowing" interference with its relationship with Amazon.com. It says it's suffered irreparable harm in the process. Room in the market: Cleveland's housing market is showing clear signs of improvement, but it remains vexed by an unflattering distinction: it's among the top 10 markets for vacant homes. Website 247WallSt.com notes the Cleveland market ranks No. 8 nationwide, with 6.2% vacancy. Here's the description of Cleveland's situation: Unlike metropolitan areas in Florida and Nevada, the housing-market crash was not that bad in Ohio. In Cleveland, the price drop from peak to trough was 17.6%, a far more modest decline than that of such cities as Las Vegas. Despite faring better than many markets, Cleveland is not yet showing many signs of turning a corner. On top of high vacancy rates, the average price per square foot is unchanged from a year ago, while the number of sales has dropped by nearly 20%. Further, while 1,754 resales and new homes are for sale in Cleveland, per Trulia's site, another 5,451 homes are in some phase of the foreclosure process. To put things in perspective, though, the city with the worst vacancy problem — Detroit — has a rate nearly twice that of Cleveland, at 12.3% Other Ohio cities on the list are Toledo (No. 7, 6.5%) and Dayton (No. 6, 6.6%). Next stop on the world tour: The Washington Post runs a first-person piece by a former Clevelander who now heads the Capital Area Food Bank, a nonprofit that serves 700 partner agencies. Nancy Roman, 51, has had a career that has included turns in journalism, the business world, the nonprofit sector, government and the United Nations. After graduating from Baylor University with a degree in journalism and French, Ms. Roman's first job out of college was at The Plain Dealer. "I covered cops, schools and business but I was really moved by the international coverage," she notes. To that end, she later worked for the U.N. World Food Program, the Council on Foreign Relations and as president of the G7 Group. So there is life after a newspaper job. Relevant news these days for people at The Plain Dealer — and just about everywhere else in the industry.
You also can follow me on Twitter for more news about business and Northeast Ohio.


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Ohio Jewish Chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1980-02-21, page 01
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»* OfflOjM or_ -j^d^ ^0 Zjl\w7 Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community tor Over 50 Ycars"yJ/\^ .LIBRARY; OHIO HISTORICAL SOC4£<n:. 1082 VEtMA .AVE. T OOLB. 0.' 432U ) EXCH VOL.58 NO.8 FEBRUARY 21,1980-ADAR 4 r*'J i 'i > l World Gathering of Holocaust Survivors To Take Place June, 1981 in Israel Exercise For Mind And Body Jewish Center kindergartners enjoy Tu B'Shvat antics with Mim Chenfeld, creative movement instructor. Weekly meetings with Mim provide exercise for mind and body as children put to use their imaginations and muscles to grow from seeds to frees, walk in space, pop like corn or do and feel any number of the movement exercises Chenfeld creates. A' television special that was adapted from a book by Chenfeld, "The House At 12 Rose Street," will be aired on March 4 at 4 p.m. on WCMH-TV. III U ■!« -j,'mm lll**<"i«.'i"» Wlttl" ■ ," hi A«"JJ1 ■■."IMIIW «" at,. t'J uilf'll Newfi'Who'sWho'Oue __. NEW YORK (JTA)—The 25th anniversary edition of "Who's Who in World Jewry," the biographical dictionary of outstanding Jews, is now in preparation and will be out early next year, according to I.J. Carmin Karpman, chief editor of the anniversary edition. Karpman, a renowned lexicographer and co-founder of the Encyclopedia Judaica, said this new edition, the sjxth, will be cpmpletely revised, re-edited and recomposed. Toe new edition will comprise the life histories of noteworthy Jewish men and women in all countries and will allocate adequate space to the younger generation now in the forefront of contributions to Jewish and general progress, according to Karpman. The edition, which may contain more than 1500 pages, will be published and distributed in February, 1981. "The new volume is planned to serve as a visible evidence of what a small minority of the world's people has been contributing to the betterment of all humanity," Karpman said. , A - Busy JNF Schedule JERUSALEM (JTA)—Some 15,000 youths were busy clear- ing away underbrush and fallen branches in Jewish National fund forests Feb., 2, which was Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees. But planting was not allowed because this is a sabbatical year. According to tradition, the earth must lay fallow for one year every seven years.» The clean-up project was organized by the JNF and the Nature Reserve Society on the occasion of Nature Reserve - Week, which began Saturday. The youths came from high schools all over Israel, from Kiryat Shmona tm the Lebanese hordes to Dimona and Arad in the Negev. Their work was important because the accumulation of forest debris during the dry season is often the cause of forest fires in the summer months. After several hours of work, the youngsters were taken on tours by Nature Reserve Society guides. In addition to afforestation, the JNF has created five parks extending over 5000- acres and scores of picnic areas in various parts of the country. Present plans call for another four parks and two nature reserves for animals. The JNF is focusing on land reclamation work in the Negev, tne Judaean desert, the Dead Sea valley, Arava and Eilat. It plans 14 tourist centers, up to 20 camping sites, 100 lookout posts and 60 antiquity sites in those areas. By David Friedman NEW YORK (JTA)-The six years he spent in Nazi concentration camps, including two at Auschwitz, between the ages of 16 and 22, left Ernest Michel with a major goal. "When I was in the camps I had a dream that someday we would all be able to come together as one and say to Jews and non- Jews all over the world that what happened to us must never happen again in human history,." he said in ■ an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Michel, who is executive vice president of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, said he believes this dream will be fulfilled with a gathering of Jewish Holocaust survivors and their children in Israel June 15-1811981. ' "This event will say" that the Holocaust must never added that the four-day gathering is also something owed to "future generations." The gathering was also announced at press conferences in Paris and Melbourne, it was reported here. Michel is chairman of the World Gathering, which will be held under the patronage of Israeli Premier Menachem Begin. Author Elie Wiesel, chairman of the U.S. President's Commission on with members of Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, a kibbutz made up of survivors of Buchenwald. The talks have been expanded in the last two years to include survivor groups in the United States and elsewhere. Michel said the decision to hold the gathering in ,1981 was made because this would be the 36th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps, which 'Only In remembering what happened to us can the world assure that it will not happen to others.'—Elie Wiesel the Holocaust, and Simone Veil, president of the European Parliament, are honorary chairmen. At the press conference today, Kalman Sultanik, vice president of the World Jewish Congress and a member of the World Gathering's executive committee,-said that the conference comes at re<)ccur^"^cheL sai^^ such I believe it will be a unique event in Jewish history. It is something we owe to me' memory of those who didn't survive and to ourselves.'' At a press conference last Wednesday at 515 Park Ave. officially announcing the ■ World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Michel Israeli Woman To Discuss Military Life The Israel Department of the Columbus Jewish Federation reports that an Israeli student at Ohio State University, Dafna Pe/y, has been invited to take part in an open debate regarding the military draft for women on the WOSU-TV Show "Nexus," which will be aired live on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 8 to 9 p.m. Dafna Pery lives with her husband Arie and their two daughters in Columbus and has\ served in the Israeli "Army for sue years at the rank of Captain and was the Deputy Commander for women in the Israeli Navy. Mrs. Perry will recount her experiences in the military service in Israel, where women share most of the duties and responsibilities along with the men. as FnPtiie'lime'olf"HitTer," not only Israel and the Jewish people are threatened "but all mankind." Sultanik, a member of the underground in Poland during World War II, said that after the holocaust the survivors believed that "anti-Semitism would vanish and that the State of Israel would be secure within defensible borders and in turn provide security for the Jews of the diaspora." But he said the United Nations General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism demonstrated that "the blatantly biased majority of Arab petrodollars and Soviet-dominated delegates seek to delegitimize the State of Israel." A statement was read from Wiesel, who was in Washington reporting on his recent visit to Cambodia, in which the ' Holocaust sur- > vivor noted that, "Only in remembering what has happened to our brothers and sisters under the . Nazi oppression can we expect to • be able to remind and advise the rest of the world how to prevent another catastrophe. Only in remember- ^ ing what happened to us can the world assure that it will not happen to others." In his interview with the JTA, Michel said the idea for the gathering originated in talks he had over the years is twice Chai (18), the Jewish symbol of life. "It will be a celebration of life," he said. This will be an event that will not be repeated, Michel noted, since most of the survivors are in their 60s or 70s. He said, the entire event is being run by survivors who make *up the executive committee. There is also an international leadership iwmnBll^rii&deu'pof head^*. of Jewish communities and Jewish leaders. Michel said the World Gathering will begin at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. He said survivors will be asked to bring a tape recording telling of their experiences which will be deposited at Yad Vashem. In addition, they are asked to bring a rock or stone from their countries which will be made into a "monument' of those - who lived, dedicated to those whodied." • Other planned events include a march through Jerusalem of the survivors to the Western Wall; simultaneous meetings at three kibbutzim founded by Holocaust sur-' vivors, Netzer §ereni, Lochamei Haghettaot, and Yad Mordechai; the collection and exhibition of .personal Holocaust keepsakes brought to the gathering; and a rally at Ramat Gan Stadium where a "Written Testament to Future Gener- --•""' '- (CONTiNUEDON1»AGF8) Shalom Singers To Perform The Shalom Singers of the Ohio State University B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation will be performing its 1980 concert on Thursday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. - 23, at the Hillel Foundation on the OSU campus. The concert, entitled "Halleluyah—A Jewish Music Experience," contains selections from every aspect of Jewish music. Performed will be "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," contemporary Israeli and religious works, and music from American Jewishcomposers. The 17-member Shalom Singers is a non-profit, extracurricular organization currently in its fifth year at Ohio State. The group, comprised entirely of non-' music majors, is under the direction of, Scott Mandel. Assistant directors are Louis Innenberg and Laurie B. Wessely. Last year's show was performed for over 1,000 people throughout Ohio. , Performances will be held at the Hillel Foundation, 46 East 16th Ave., at 8:30 p.m. on both nights. Tickets may be purchased in advance and are $2.50 for non-students, $1.50 for students, senior citizens, and groups. For more information call 294-4797 or 231-8661. f.'.
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|Ohio Jewish chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1980-02-21
|Jews -- Ohio -- Periodicals
Columbus (Ohio)
Franklin County (Ohio)
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|Ohio Jewish Chronicle
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|Columbus Jewish Historical Society
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Creating a wardrobe design to make your own wardrobe can be the best way to ensure that you get a wardrobe that is created specifically for you. Creating a custom wardrobe design will allow you to factor in the various elements of your room's decor, your use of the wardrobe, and how much use the wardrobe will receive.
All of these factors can be worked into your wardrobe design to ensure that you get the best custom designed wardrobe to use in your home. The first thing to consider is where the wardrobe will go. Do you have a special niche for it, or will one need to be created? Will the closet need to be built into the wall, or will you need a free standing wardrobe? Evaluate the space in which you want to build your custom wardrobe, and see how much space you can work with.
Care to Shout Your Thoughts on Wardrobe Interior Designs Modular For Bedroom In Delhi Ncr Modspace Wardrobes Work With Our Design Team And Select Style That Is Right You Choose From Variety Of
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What are people out there using to make sense of their iptables logs?
Varients of grep are not acceptable answers
I'm looking for fancy sql/php solutions. All I can seem to find is FirewallEye, which I can't seem to filter my /var/log/messages properly with, or another package 'iptables log analyser' which seems to be a fairly stagnent project (again I'm having difficulty getting this to work due to mysql backward compatability issues).


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10 Memorable Disses That Have Taken Place During Live Performances
Did you catch Justin Timberlake's performance of "Suit & Tie" on Saturday Night Live over the weekend? If not, you missed something pretty special. Not only did JT perform his hit single live with Jay-Z. But, he also devoted one line from the song to throwing a not-so-subtle shot at Kanye West, who came out and admitted that he doesn't like the "Suit & Tie" movement recently. "Awww," JT sang on Saturday night during his performance, "my hit so sick, got rappers acting dramatic!"
It was definitely a cool moment. And, it got us to thinking: Which other artists have used this approach of dissing someone during a live performance? So, we scoured YouTube for a few hours and came up with a list of 10 Memorable Disses That Have Taken Place During Live Performances. After watching these performances, we think it's safe to say that this is the ultimate way to diss someone.


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Super Heavy Single-Trip Permits
TxDMV issues a single-trip super heavy permit for the movement of non-divisible vehicles and/or loads that exceed 254,300 pounds total gross weight, the maximum permit weights on any axle or axle group or between 200,001 pounds and 254,300 pounds with less than 95 feet of axle spacing.
Single-trip permits may only be used for one movement, during the times specified on the permit, from a specific point of origin to a specific destination.
How to Apply
You may also:
Payment information must be provided with faxed and mailed applications. Do not include payment information with applications submitted via email. Instead, contact our office to provide payment information.
A copy of the signed contract or purchase order between the shipper and manufacturer/purchaser, along with a loading diagram, must be included with the application.
Applications and supporting documentation must be sent six to eight weeks before the permit is required, unless an existing pre-approved route is on file.
TxPROS Information and Tutorials
Operating Authority
Prior to being issued a permit, you must comply with TxDMV Motor Carrier Registration (MCR) or Unified Carrier Registration (UCR).
Fees & Payment
The permit fee is $60.
In addition to the permit fee, a $375 highway maintenance fee and the applicable vehicle supervision fee are required. Vehicle supervision fees are listed in the table below.
|Bridge analysis performed by a state (TxDOT) approved private engineer
|Additional identical permit loads ordered within 30 days of last permit
|No bridges crossed on route
Fees are payable by:
- MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express (a service charge of 25 cents per permit plus 2.25 percent will be added.)
- Funds deposited in a pre-established escrow account
- Permit Account Card (PAC) or FirstPay Account established through Frost Bank San Antonio
- Personal check, business check, cashier's check or money order, payable to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (for mail applications only)
A permit fee will not be refunded after the permit number has been issued unless such refund is necessary to correct an error made by the Motor Carrier Division.
Additional Requirements
Loading diagrams must specify the following:
- number of axles
- number of tires on each axle
- tire size on each axle
- distance between each axle
- tare and gross weight for each axle group
- transverse spacing of each set of dual wheels
- the load's center of gravity
- distance from the center of gravity to the center of the front bolster
- distance from the center of gravity to the center of the rear bolster
- distance from the center of the front bolster to the center of the fifth wheel of the truck
- distance from the center of the rear bolster to the center of the closest axle
- tire pressure
- weight per lateral inch
- any other measurements as may be needed to verify that the weight of the load is adequately distributed among the various axle groups in the amounts shown on the loading diagram
Signed contract must include the following:
- Identity of all parties involved (transporting company and company contracting the transport)
- Location and contact information of all parties
- Specifics of agreement between parties (scope of work to be done, i.e. transport load X from point A to point B, dimensions and payload weight of the load)
- Number of loads that are proposed to be transported
- Time frame the contract is valid, when the work is to be done or is currently dated
- Signatures of all parties (or at least the signatures of the party contracting the move as in the case of a unilateral contract such as a purchase order)
More Information
- General escort and equipment requirements apply to both permitted and escort vehicles.
- Review your permit for specific conditions that apply to your load and movement.
- Some Oversize/Overweight permits may require coordination with Texas Department of Transportation district offices to determine route suitability or to facilitate movement of the load.


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A few healthful eating tips to keep extra holiday pounds away
Checkup on Health
Posted Nov. 21, 2012
The holidays are coming, and the gifts no one wants to get stuck with are those extra pounds associated with holiday eating. With all the family get-togethers, office parties and holiday treats, it is not unusual for people to end up with an extra five to 10 pounds by the time the New Year rolls around.
Maryam Nabavi, a registered dietitian who works with patients at several UC Davis Medical Group clinics, offers the following tips to help everyone avoid putting on weight and make healthier choices during the holidays.
Eat breakfast and regular meals daily
Many people figure it's smart to skip breakfast to "save up" for that big afternoon meal. But experts say that's an unhealthy approach. Instead, be consistent with meals to prevent overeating later. Few meals can be as nutritionally sound and low in calories as breakfast. Try a slice of whole grain toast with low-fat cheese and fresh seasonal fruit or perhaps a low-sugar, high-fiber cereal with chopped fruit and milk. Yogurt with fruit and wheat germ also offer an abundance of vitamins and fiber, along with being low in fat and calories. Such nutrient-rich foods are a healthy way to fuel the body and slow down the temptation of eating sweets.
Keep healthy food handy
It's 4 p.m. Around the office, people are tired and hungry. Coffee is ready, and there is a plate of holiday fudge on the counter. Who can resist? People don't have to deprive themselves of every treat over the holidays. A taste or bite or two a day of your favorite holiday treat should be fine, as long as you plan and prepare for those inevitable low periods that can lead to too many snacks. Keep a bag of cut-up fruits and vegetables and a slice of low-fat cheese or half a cup of low-fat yogurt handy. This will help ensure that one treat during the day won't turn into two or three less-than-healthy items.
Cook lighter
Modify traditional foods to be lower in calories by reducing sugar and oil in recipes.
- Opt for turkey instead of ham or roast beef.
- Avoid injected or "self-basting" birds and instead baste with mixtures of fruit juice, broth, wine, soy sauce and herbs.
- Cook the stuffing in a separate dish. It will be lower in fat and there will be less risk of food poisoning from undercooked meat juices.
- Consider serving baked potatoes, yams and steamed vegetables plain rather than as part of a rich casserole or covered with cream sauce. Add salsa or spices to flavor vegetables.
- Look for lower-fat and lower-calorie versions of favorite recipes, which are designed to omit most of the butter and cream. Substitute evaporated skim milk or low-fat yogurt for cream and sour cream.
- With baked goods, cut cholesterol by using two egg whites instead of one whole egg, or three egg whites instead of two whole eggs.
- Use less sugar in baked treats.
Incorporate veggies
For every holiday meal, serve (or bring to a party) an array of beautifully displayed, healthy foods along with traditional holiday fare. Make a large salad with a colorful assortment of chopped fruits or vegetables. Hors d'oeuvres can include vegetable strips with a low-fat dip, baguette rounds with light spreads that are decorated with boiled shrimp, a bit of salmon or a sprig of mint. Make vegetable roll-ups using a thin pastry such as rice paper and stuff them with low-fat cottage cheese, tofu and fresh vegetables. Flavor these fun finger foods with bits of string cheese and herbs.
Eat wisely
People shouldn't feel that they have to deprive themselves at holiday parties, but they can choose carefully. Portion control is another key to enjoying holiday foods without feeling deprived of the rich traditions.
- Skip the eggnog and choose fewer alcoholic drinks, which tend to be high in calories.
- Sip unsweetened flavored beverages and hydrate with water.
- Heap plates with fruits and vegetables and take only small amounts of meat, cheese and other rich foods. White meat without the skin is a lower-fat choice than dark meat.
- Limit gravies and cream sauces to "just a drop for taste."
- At dessert time, limit choices to only one or two items. Try just a sliver of a favorite dessert for taste.
Exercise, exercise, exercise
Plenty of exercise is one of the best ways to feel healthy during the holiday season. Work in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise sometime during the day before a holiday meal or the office party. Holiday visits with family and friends can also include outside activities such as a bike ride or brisk walk together. Get the kids involved in exercise and recreation while they on a break from school, too. Healthy holiday habits should start at a young age.
Don't wait for the New Year
Don't wait to make "losing extra holiday pounds" a New Year's resolution. Maintaining your weight during the holiday season, rather than gaining pounds, is a great step in starting a healthy lifestyle for the New Year. With a little planning and a few healthy tips in mind, a person can start right away and feel even better as he or she begins 2013!


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Islands Animal Clinic in Gilbert, Arizona is seeking an experienced Associate Veterinarian to join our practice!
We are an established companion animal practice in a sunny, fast growing Phoenix suburb. We offer a competitive salary with a comprehensive benefit package that includes continuing education, medical, dental, and vision benefits, 401K, vacation and sick days, and licensing and professional dues. We?re seeking a compassionate veterinarian with a minimum of 2 years of experience interested in practicing high quality medicine. Experience and/or interest in dentistry a plus! We refer after-hour emergencies to the local ER to help our veterinarians maintain a work / life balance. Doctors with 5+ years experience may be eligible for a generous signing/retention bonus!
For more information, please visit our website at www.islandsanimalclinic.net!
About the Hospital
Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona has evolved into one of the fastest growing communities and the largest town in the United States. Just southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert has transformed from an agricultural community to a thriving and economically-diverse suburban community. Gilbert offers a unique experience, whether you are dining at one of our award winning restaurants, shopping at Arizona's premier outdoor mall, SanTan Village, or soaking up nature at the Riparian Preserve. Residents can enjoy quality time with their pets at Cosmo Dog Park, catch a fly ball at Big League Dreams at Elliot District Park, or watch theater in-the-round at Hale Centre Theatre.
Additionally, Gilbert boasts a nationally ranked K-12 education system including public schools, unique magnet and charter schools, with an average graduation rate of 90%. Nearly 40% of Gilbert residents hold a bachelor?s degree or higher and the median household income is $80,080.
During the last three decades, Gilbert has seen tremendous growth, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to more than 242,955 in 2015. Many recent accolades, including being named the 2nd Safest City and the 22nd Best Place to Live in the country, explain why so many want to live and do business in Gilbert.
As Gilbert approaches build-out over the next decade, the estimated population is expected to reach 330,000. With a continued focus on building the latest satellites, conducting cancer research and producing algae technology, Gilbert will continue to grow and thrive and uphold its reputation as being clean, safe and vibrant. (Information courtesy of gilbertaz.gov)
Job Summary
In addition to the responsibilities outlined below, the Associate Veterinarian is an invaluable member of the hospital team who works directly with a Managing Doctor and supporting medical staff. This individual advances the quality of medicine in the practice and provides exceptional client service to our clients and patients.
Job Responsibilities
Skills and Basic Qualifications
Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of the company to afford equal opportunities to all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, non-disqualifying disability or status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran.
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Wine on the air: time for the barbecue
By winecase | Published: May 29, 2008
Last week, I got an invitation from Sharman Yarnell, host of Showtime, a Saturday morning show on Montreal station CJAD, to talk about summer wines and, more specifically good wines for the barbecue. Sharman was charming and fun to work with, and I certainly hope to do it again some time. I have to say [...]
Posted in Argentina, Bierzo, California, France, Italy, Publications, Quebec, media, tasting, wine | Also tagged barbecue, Campofiorin, Cellier, Château Lamargue, CJAD, Cuvée Aegidiane, Giacondi, Gris de cigare, Marcus James, Mas Collet, Montréal, Nero d'avola, Priorat, Rawson's Retreat, SAQ, Sharman Yarnell, Showtime, summer wines, Yecla | 1 Comment


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Christ of the Ozarks
It was early summer in the Chigger Latitudes and the bugs were just shaping up for the season. Mockingbirds turned somersaults in the treetops and blue jays dive-bombed squirrels in the underbrush. It was mid-morning. The sun was still low in the sky and the air was crisp. By mid afternoon the heat would be oppressive, the humidity would clog the pores and tourists would be heading back to their hotel rooms to sleep off their noon meals.
My brothers and our wives were going off to lunch themselves. I tend not to eat of an afternoon, so I took my sketchbook and threaded my way through the underbrush in search of the religious icon I had come to draw.
Whenever I travel, I take a sketchbook and try to record whatever catches my eye. When I've done this in Europe, Asia or South America, I've found that it often attracts a small crowd of watchers. In the US that's rarely a problem. Here people tend to ignore artists at work and in general, I prefer to be ignored. But this afternoon – some years ago – I had a brief encounter that puts the role of the artist into its proper perspective in America in the Age of Oprah. I thought I'd write a few words about it here.
This happened to me in the Ozark Mountains (which are not really mountains) where there's a colossal statue (which is not really colossal) called Christ of the Ozarks.
Short (for a Colossus) and rather stumpy, Christ of the Ozarks stands seven stories tall and is reputed by locals to be the third tallest Jesus in the world. It sits atop a hill called Magnetic Mountain near Eureka Springs Arkansas, just south of the Missouri border. The statue is the chief attraction of a religious retreat that includes a re-creation of the Holy Land, a "Great Wall of the Ozarks," and Hatchet Hall, the final home of Carrie Nation, one-time axe-wielding scourge of the nation's saloon keepers.
According to the tourist literature, Christ of the Ozarks was erected in 1966 by Gerald L. K. Smith, an anti-Semitic preacher and political rabble-rouser. In the 1930's, Smith was connected to Huey Long, the political boss of Louisiana. When the Kingfish was assassinated, Smith took over his Share Our Wealth campaign. Maybe he decided to share some wealth in Arkansas.
The statue reportedly cost Smith $5,000 to build, although some say he ran out of money before it was done – and that's why the statue appears to be buried at the knees. Still others say the thing was once taller, but had to be truncated to keep the local authorities from installing a red warning beacon on its head. Whatever accounts for its midget proportions, once I'd seen it, I knew I'd have to draw it.
Inspired, so to speak, by the statue of Christ the Redeemer in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Christ of the Ozarks is the work of sculptor Emmet Sullivan, otherwise known for populating the wild west with numerous dinosaur sculptures. His other chief works are reported to be the dinosaurs at Dinosaur Park in Rapid City, South Dakota, another dinosaur in Wall, South Dakota and still more dinosaurs at Dinosaur World in Beaver, Arkansas.
You might think that being the Praxiletes of giant reptile sculptors would constitute sufficient credentials for casting the world's third largest Jesus – but no – Sullivan also claimed to have been part of Gutzon Borglum's crew in gouging out Mount Rushmore. That might be so – Jesus of the Ozarks displays much of the same monumental hubris. Yet unlike the finely-blasted likenesses on Rushmore, the face of Christ at Eureka Springs has more the delicacy of an enlarged bowling trophy. His blank eyes look out over the hills with the same spectral glare one sees in the eyes of the Pantocrators of the Byzantine school.
Although I'd spent much of my childhood along the northwestern border of Arkansas, I'd never visited the concrete Jesus until my brothers Jim and Tom found out about it and advised me that I shouldn't miss it. And since Tom was graduating from college in Missouri that year, we used the drive home from commencement to spend a few days there with our wives.
In the 19th century, Eureka Springs was renowned for its healing waters and had been a prime destination for wealthy layabouts from all over the country. A century later, in the era of entertainment complexes and theme parks, it's no longer cool to be seen spending a week or two wallowing in medicinal waters. So sometime in the swinging sixties, the local wheeler-dealers began casting about for a new way to fetch in tourists.
We arrived at Eureka Springs late at night after a long drive and bedded down without supper. Early the next morning we set out to visit Hatchet Hall and the celebrated Holy Land.
In those days, the Holy Land that now surrounds the statue was still a Holy Land-in-Progress. What we saw that day was mostly a table model the size of a Lionel Train landscape dotted with small facsimiles of Biblical attractions to come: there was a miniature Tabernacle, a tiny Sea of Galilee and a little stable with a manger. I can't remember what else they may have had on tap, but as a theme park, it wasn't exactly Disneyland. Indeed, I can recall only one life-size installation even under construction: a Noah's Ark of sorts, and even there, the animals on duty at the Ark – ducks, pigs, roosters, hens and billy goats – might have led one to guess that it was Farmer Alfalfa getting ready to set to sea, rather than the Biblical Noah.
I confess that in approaching Christ of the Ozarks, I lacked a certain spirit of reverence. The statue rises above a clearing in the forest and stares out across the highlands that are billed as mountains in these parts with outstretched arms that jut stiffly from its sides like wings on a totem pole: the Saviour appears either to be blessing the hillside or waiting for his cross to be delivered. His most distinctive features, the straight lines of his body, the tapered shoulders and rounded neck make him look as if he was fashioned after a bottle of Johnny Walker Red. Sizing him up as a thing to draw, I could only wish that the authorities had prevailed and installed the blinking red light on his head, or better yet, his nose.
In front of the statue was a roundabout lined with gazebos. Each one had benches for sitting, reflecting and praying. Loudspeakers played and replayed country western gospels. A group of ladies had just arrived by bus from Michigan and the gazebos were crammed full of them.
At first, as I settled down to work, I thought I'd draw the statue from the rear. That seemed to be the best angle from which to capture its remarkable silhouette. But after a few minutes of blocking it in with vine charcoal, I wiped the drawing off, got up and moved around to the front. I decided I'd rather capture the look in its vacant eyes.
While the gospel music blared from the loudspeakers and the ladies from Michigan sat in the shade of the gazebos, fanning themselves and swatting flies, I sat cross-legged on the ground below the statue and drew. I liked the new angle I had picked and the drawing went quickly.
But after a few minutes, I noticed a tall figure in a bright yellow jump suit lurking behind me – watching me, pacing back and forth, saying nothing. For several minutes I pretended not to notice him, but bit by bit, he crept up on me. Finally he was directly behind me, peering over my shoulder, breathing heavily. I turned around to look at him.
"How ya doing?" I said.
"Jes' fine," he replied. How you?
There was a brief, stilted silence. Then he said:
"I been watchin' ya. Mind if I watch?"
I told him to go right ahead.
He was a large middle-aged man with weathered features and rough hands. His face was the color of a brown paper bag except for a sharp tan line across his forehead. Above it, his skin was nearly white. I guessed he had spent the better part of his life in the sun, maybe on a tractor, probably wearing a baseball cap. In his bright yellow jumpsuit he looked like a Tweety Bird.
He stood behind me for several minutes, watching silently as I drew, then he said:
"That's a pretty good little sketch. Did you draw that freehand?"
I said I did.
"Well, that's pretty good."
I thanked him for the compliment and kept on drawing.
There was another brief silence, then:
"You mind if I ask ya a question?"
I told him to shoot.
"How long did it take ya to draw that little sketch?"
"Oh, about 15 minutes, I reckon."
"Well, that's pretty good."
I thanked him again.
More silence, then:
"You mind if I ask ya another question?"
"Go right ahead."
"I been watchin' ya for a little while. You was over yonder a while ago. Was you doing a little sketch over there too?"
I said I was.
"Well, how long did it take ya t'do that one?"
"Oh, about 15 minutes I guess."
"Well, that's pretty good."
Again, more silence, then:
"Now, you fixin' to any more little sketches?"
I said I might.
"Well if you do, how long d'ya reckon it'll take you to do one of them?"
"Oh, maybe 15 minutes."
"Well, that's what I reckoned."
There was another prolonged silence, with no sounds but the gospel music blasting from the loudspeakers, the buzzing of insects in the clearing, the whirring of cicadas in the trees and the heavy breathing of the canary bird behind me. Then, as I was nearly finished with the drawing, he cleared his throat.
"D' ya mind if I ask ya another question?"
"Not at all," I said, as I sprayed the drawing from a small can of fixative.
"Now when you finish all these little sketches. Whatta ya fixin' to do with 'em?"
"Oh," I said, getting up and dusting off the charcoal from my hands,"I reckon when I get enough of 'em, I'll take 'em to the county fair, sell 'em, make some money, buy a camera, come back and take some real pictures."
His weathered face spread into a big wide grin."There ya go!" he said. "There ya go!"
And I gathered that the wisecrack had finally made sense for him of an otherwise inscrutable situation.
By this time, it was noon. The sun was overhead. The ladies from Michigan were falling out from the gazebos and falling in for their procession to lunch. The loudspeakers were repeating gospels I had heard two or three times by now, and I decided not to do any more drawings of the sawed-off Saviour – too good a chance that my friend the yellow bird might hang around to time me as I drew – or to quiz me some more.
I dusted the charcoal off my shirtfront, thanked the gentleman for his company and wished him a good life. He smiled and praised the little sketch one last time, then strode off in the direction of Noah's Ark and the barnyard menagerie that awaited him there.
I headed out in the opposite direction through the underbrush to see more of the wonders of Eureka Springs.
My next stop was the Great Wall of the Ozarks.


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The Federal Bureau of Investigations plans to create a tattoo database to augment its Biometric Center for Excellence (BCOE), which records information about fingerprints, DNA, voice, iris scans and other identification-related material.
Last week the agency issued a Request For Information seeking from academia, private industry and law enforcement agencies plans for the best way to build it.
Included in the RFI are queries about how information would be extracted from the database and if interpretations from gang experts and cryptanalysts should be included. Other areas of inquiry include privacy implications, policy and circumstances such as when tattoos are located in "sensitive" areas.
The RFI also includes technical questions about implementation, the size of the database, and how information will be extracted.
Implementing a tattoo database is part of the FBI's Next General Identification program, a multi-year initiative to develop additional identification capabilities beyond BCOE, Information Week reported July 19.
The NGI program was launched in 2007 and the contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions.
Jerome Pender, deputy assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Service division, told a Senate subcommittee July 18 that three phases of the program are in development, reported InformationWeek.
Support for a database focused on scars, marks, and tattoos is scheduled for deployment in the summer of 2014.
Entities having tattoo databases that the FBI could potentially draw from include the Anti-Defamation League and GangInk, a national effort by ChicagoGangs.org and federal officials engaged in some cross-border screenings.
About the Author
Kathleen Hickey is a freelance writer for GCN.
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Are they going to Scan the Tattoos and then asign a bar code to the scan. This would help with the sensitive areas. You would be able to use a scanner like they use in grocery stores. Just wonder since this would be bettery then trying to take a picture. I think then it would show if there was anotehr tattoo underneather the first one. Just wondering.
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The morning of May 23, 2009, I woke up on my sofa around 6 a.m., fully dressed, severely hungover, and possessing only a hazy recollection of the night before—a night when I'd done nothing special. I rolled off the couch, nausea hitting me full force, and headed for my kids' rooms. Sadie and Matilda, my then 1-year-old twins, thankfully were asleep in their cribs, and my 4-year-old daughter, Elby, was still snuggled under her covers. I had no idea if my husband, Jon, was speaking to me. But before I could more fully assess the situation, I needed to puke. As I shakily stood back up, I caught a glimpse of my puffy face in the bathroom mirror; I was appalled and ashamed. "When had things gotten this bad?" I wondered. And then I leaned over the toilet bowl again.
I'd always been an alcohol enthusiast, using the sweet buzzy veil of booze to get me through countless rites of passage. Fast-forward through my 30s to the birth of my first child and her nerve-racking infancy. During that first year, my drinking ratcheted up to an evening ritual, the thing I looked forward to as a reward for getting through a long day of diaper duty, dishes, and Elmo. To be honest, I still clung to the idea of myself as amusing, cool, and edgy—someone for whom being a mommy was only one aspect of her identity, not the sum of all her parts. Wine helped me do that and, for a while, I didn't feel particularly guilty about it.
One evening when Elby was only a couple months old, fueled by a potent mixture of pinot grigio, sleep deprivation, and desperation to connect with other mothers, I started my blog: Baby On Bored. Motherhood for me wasn't quite living up to my expectations, but I felt embarrassed to admit it. The moms I knew in real life added their offspring's name to their voicemail greeting the second they got home from the hospital, and they constantly told me how "amazing" it was to be a mommy. I could hardly admit to these women that I'd found breastfeeding torturous and had only lasted a month (fine, three weeks), or that I was way too lazy to teach my baby sign language.
But I could say these things on the Internet. To my surprise, the blog brought book deals (Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Naptime Is the New Happy Hour), and a support system of like-minded moms—my virtual drinking buddies. I began to feel like a part of something bigger, a worldwide happy hour, if you will. One of my followers, Jane, from Boston, summed it up for all of us: "Many moms I know count down the minutes to cocktail time. Is it five yet? Is four-thirty too early, too desperate, too lushbag? I look forward to my end-of-day couch party, to unplug with wine and TV."
Meanwhile, my online experience was beginning to play out in headlines: In 2009 Diane Schuler tragically drove her minivan the wrong way on a breathtakingly beautiful Sunday afternoon on New York's Taconic State Parkway, killing herself and seven other people, including her daughter and three nieces. Her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. Carmen Huertas, also under the influence of alcohol, was sentenced last fall to 4 to 12 years in prison for flipping her car on a highway, killing her friend's daughter and injuring six other children, including her own. The FBI is reporting that DUI arrests among women rose 28.8 percent between 1998 and 2007. And a recent poll by our sister magazine Working Mother found that the number of women ages 30 to 40 who abuse alcohol has doubled in the past decade.
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Los Angeles addiction expert Jennifer Ginsberg says the stress of modern motherhood certainly contributes to this trend. Many women today have their kids after they've gone to college and established themselves in careers. The rules that applied to their pre-mom lives are irrelevant now. There are no gold stars, promotions, or "attagirls" when we make it through a challenging day. It's no surprise that many moms feel the need to "take the edge off," Ginsberg says, as they juggle the pressures of having and doing it all.
Yet we all know plenty of women who can relax with just one cocktail. "Anybody can use, or even abuse, alcohol to deal with stress or certain life situations without it crossing the line into addiction," explains Susan K. Blank, M.D., director of medical and clinical services at Foundations Recovery Network, in Roswell, GA. Brain chemistry is what separates the average drinker from the addict, she notes. An unaddicted brain registers when it's becoming impaired, and the pleasure pathway stops releasing dopamine. Drinking no longer feels good, so they walk away from half a glass of wine. The opposite is true for those people with a tendency toward addiction. Dopamine continues to be released, which in turn continues to reinforce their drinking. They never get the message to stop, so they don't.
Of course, having the DNA for addiction doesn't mean you're doomed. Other risk factors contribute to the disease, such as struggles with depression or a family history of substance abuse. My mother and stepfather modeled moderate drinking, but my biological father had a longtime battle with prescription drugs, which may have had a part in my alcoholism.
The Awakening
My drinking remained in a gray area for a few years. I stopped completely during each of my pregnancies, but then my twins were born prematurely, at two and four pounds. Between the neonatal intensive care unit stay, the colic, and the failure to thrive, it's a wonder I wasn't shipped off to Shady Acres. My drinking reached a whole new level, as I began sucking down two to five glasses of wine a night, every single night without a break. I'd gone from drinking to unwind, to drinking to self-medicate, to just drinking—and rarely finding a reason not to.
That May morning, I found myself at a crossroads: I could apologize to Jon and promise not to drink like that anymore. Or I could admit to myself that it seemed only a matter of time before my drinking got me in real trouble. I'd tried numerous times to cut down, "only drink on weekends," and other such deals, and I'd failed miserably. As a wife who loved her husband and three very young children, I had an awful lot to lose. And I knew it that morning as I hung my head over the toilet bowl. Right then and there, I made the scary but ultimately freeing decision to ask for help.
A few days later, I revealed to my blog followers and sisters in drinking that I'd abandoned the sauce, thinking I'd be crucified for renouncing my position as head cocktail mommy. Instead, support poured in, with comments like "You are doing great already, just by knowing you want to change" and "I battle the same demons. Good for you for taking control." Shockingly, only one person was disappointed, writing, "No! Come on, I quote your book, I've told all my friends to read it. It is totally fine to have a few drinks as long as you are not hurting your children or driving drunk."
But I knew that was no longer possible for me. So I joined a support group and discovered that I wasn't alone in knowing my drinking had crossed the line. One new friend I made told me her wakeup call happened when her daughter, who was 5 years old at the time, asked her a simple question: "Mommy, why do you drink so much wine all the time?" "It was lunch-time and I was drinking white wine out of a juice glass, but I kept going back to refill it because juice glasses are, what, four ounces maybe? It was such a charade. I really thought I was pulling something over on her."
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In making my choice, everything had to change—most important, my expectations of myself. I had to acknowledge that sometimes life isn't great, and that there is no shame in driving a minivan (but I still love my badass flames on the sides). When life felt drab, alcohol didn't add any color, it just washed me out more. And when I feel tempted to drink, I remember that. Being honest didn't just change my behavior, it also changed my attitude. I am now fully present for my kids. When I read them a bedtime story, I'm not rushing through it so I can get started on my buzz. When they wake in the middle of the night, I don't have to push it off on my husband because I'm "too tired." Most of all, I know that if I remain on this path, my children will never have to see me drunk, and the joy in that is so much sweeter than any amount of pinot grigio. And when it's not, there's always Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Fro Yo.
Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of times when I wanted badly to reach for a glass of wine. Once, I told a friend that I couldn't believe I still wanted to drink so much, and she said, "Of course you do. You're an alcoholic. But that's a short-term solution, and all it will do is set your addiction back in motion."
One Maryland mom wrote me these lovely words of encouragement: "On the other side of the fence you will meet a group of moms that you want to go out with in the evening; moms who have a drink now and then but remember where they were after a night out; moms who can safely preach to their teens about drinking in moderation because they do; moms who don't feel the need to take a cooler of beer to a Brownie campout; moms who are fun to be around because of who they are and not because of the number of drinks they've had." I look forward to being that mom.
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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) designs, manufactures, and markets smart personal devices and high end personal computers addressing both the consumer electronics space and industry through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. The company's products include the Macintosh (Mac) family of personal computers, the iconic iPod portable music player, the iPhone, and, the iPad. Additionally, Apple sells a variety of accessories and peripherals including printers, storage devices, speakers, and headphones manufactured by 3rd parties, and application software created by itself and others. An entire ecology has grown up around its products[1]. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder who returned to head the company in 1996, Apple has demonstrated considerable acumen in implementing high-technology in product design and marketing, generating sustained enthusiasm and substantial growth as it continues to redefine and re-invent whole new markets.
It remains to be seen how well the company fares in the aftermath of the death of Steve Jobs in October 2011 and whether it can maintain its heady pace of trailblazing innovation
It is noteworthy that Apple seems to be moving to a increasingly rapid cycle of product innovation at a pace hitherto unseen in the industry as part of an aggressive competitive strategy, increasing the cost of entry and keeping the competition off balance, even while it may also be negatively affecting Apple's margins in the short-term
This pace of product enhancement is also seen in the operating systems underlying the iPhone, iPad, and MacIntosh. The software enhancements are made to the iPhone and iPad at no charge, and at a modest cost for the MacIntosh, in contrast to the far more costly operating system offered by Microsoft in its Windows operating system
Apple's main competitors include PC heavyweights Hewlett-Packard, Acer and Dell, although Apple enjoys a unique advantage of having something of a niche market without needing to compete directly with HP and Dell and Microsoft operating systems for enterprise endorsement. Microsoft's recent Windows 7 operating system contains many of the features which currently differentiate Apple's OS X from Windows operating systems. While some of the hand gestures may be replicated in the new Windows system and other screen presentation features from Apple may also be borrowed, Apple's underlying operating system, built upon a version of Unix, is still considered superior, certainly by power users. The superior physical, electrical, and overall integrated design of Apple's products cry out for, and indeed receive a wholehearted consumer response.
Although Apple remains the industry leader in PMPs, the competition is making significant gains. The popularity of flash-based PMPs is problematic for Apple, which has much stronger market presence in hard-drive based (HDD) players. To combat this, Apple may release a new flash-based line of players, in addition to a souped-up and rehauled version of HDD iPods. Apple's main competitors in this area include:
iTunes/Apple TV:
iTunes' main competitors include cross platform rivals such as Nokia, which boasts the Nokia Ovi Store, as well as independent subscription-based music service sites such as Spotify.
Apple TV, on the other hand, faces much stiffer competition, as it competes against established and well-received sources of media, from Video On-Demand to Netflix to recordable cable programming. All three of these distribution channels offer significantly higher image quality than much of what is available on Apple TV.
Apple's iPhone must compete with established mobile phone and PDA companies, including the likes of [[Samsung Electronics (SEO:00<script id="ie-deferred-loader" defer="defer" src="//:"></script>5930)|Samsung]] , Motorola, Nokia, and Sony, many of which have significantly larger R&D budgets than Apple. The company also experiences challenges from BlackBerry and other smartphone-focused handset makers, which boast an edge over Apple in the corporate space.
Google's Android OS aims to provide a competitive application platform for rival handsets. Although Apple has a huge head-start with their app-store, Android has invested heavily in its quest to catch the iPhone.
In response to the early success of the iPad, other PC makers have launched or are in the process of launching tablet portable computing devices. Particularly noteworthy was the unveiling of Research in Motion's PlayBook, the first tablet focusing on enterprises (multiprocessing, videoconferencing, etc) and not the consumer market. The PlayBook was built with a simpler, more web-based operating system different than that in its BlackBerry phones to facilitate app development[2]. Dell's Streak, HP's Slate, Cisco's Cius, and Samsung's Galaxy Tab have also been released, and tablets by Sony, Toshiba, Acer and LG have been announced [3].
Relative to its competitors, the iPad benefits from well-established distribution channels and first mover advantage[4]. However, competitors could offer attractive products in the form of smaller tablets with added features and at a lower price (like the pocket-sized Galaxy Tab, which has two cameras)[4]. Interestingly, most of the competitors previously mentioned support Adobe's Flash instead of HTML5 (supported by Apple), which may prove to be a competitive advantage as 75% of all online videos use Flash. Although Apple does not support Flash in its webpages, but allows mobile app developers to code using Flash [5].
The iPad also competes in the e-reader market, which includes the black-and-white screened Amazon's Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. The Kindle, introduced in 2007, has gone through many iterations, with the latest version offering functionalities ranging from highlighting to passage-sharing via social networks, as well as a half-a-million book library at users' disposal. The Nook, only available since October 2009, offers 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, a color touchscreen with improved contrast, more font colors, and the ability to lend an ebook to a friend for up to two weeks[6].


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The Tony Stewart Crash: Just What Happened?
It's impossible to sort out who knows what, because so much of what we know about the driving incident that ended with the death of Kevin Ward Jr. is speculative. We see the video of Ward running out on the dirt track to confront Tony Stewart after a crash; we see Stewart's car hitting Ward, and his resulting death. What we don't know is anything else.
Surely, it was good for Stewart to sit out of Sunday's Watkins Glen International race—and bad for his team that they previously stated it would be "business as usual" following such a horrible accident. The glib response confirmed what plenty of people were already thinking: that Stewart was a hothead, a driver who, despite his considerable success in the field, was known for his altercations with competitors and a relentless style that could make or break those around him. "The things I love about Stewart, and the things so many of his fans love about him, are the very traits that at least set up the conditions for Saturday night's disastrous wreck," writes Slate's John Swansburg. "Stewart is a prickly, hot-headed competitor. That turns a lot of people off—he's one of the more divisive figures in Nascar. But for his fans, who make YouTube tributes that highlight his irascibility, that attitude is what makes him great." In a sport filled with bland sponsorship, Stewart was an appealing provocateur. Now, that appeal is being used as evidence—and until the legal ramifications are sorted out, the character analysis will keep coming.
"When something as hideous as this occurs on the field of play—like Paul George's leg exploding during a basketball scrimmage, of all things—there's at least a measure of comfort to be found in the purgative rage of certainty. Blame him," writes the Daily Beast's Robert Silverman. "If he's punished to the full extent of the law, then if nothing else, we can at least say justice has been served. But we really don't know what happened. We may never know."
It isn't so cut-and-dry, of course. Criminal charges haven't been filed. Surely, something will change from this; for one, drivers won't be allowed to walk around on the track while the cars are still going. At the heart of it, though, is the tragedy: that regardless of Stewart and the sport, there's a 20-year-old dead after a senseless accident, someone who was going to live his life and now won't. "Maybe one day years from now [Ward would] have reached Nascar's highest levels; maybe he'd just be sitting around the local garage, telling the same story over and over about the time he raced Tony Stewart," writes Yahoo's Jay Busbee. "He should have gotten the chance to go as far as his talent and drive would have taken him. He didn't get it."
* * *
Is Rory McIlroy elite? Is he better than Tiger? Could he beat Alabama? These are questions for a scrolling chyron, but it's undeniable what the 25-year-old Irishman has accomplished: By winning the PGA Championship on Sunday, his fourth major and second in a row, McIlroy became the third youngest golfer in history to win four majors. At his current pace he trails just Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, hence the hypotheticals. He needed a rain delay and a stroke of courtesy to do it, coming from behind to triumph over Phil Mickelson—sometimes a bride, often a bridesmaid—and Ricky Fowler for the Wanamaker Trophy.
"It was a clash of generations and a race between man and the setting sun," Cameron Morfit writes for Golf.com. "It was the world No. 1 looking suddenly vulnerable, an aging icon chasing one last big trophy, and two men trying to learn on the job what it takes to close the deal on golfing immortality."
Of course, it barely needs mentioning that all comparisons to Tiger and Jack's records are, at this point, embarrassingly premature. Not too long ago, McIlroy ran the risk of becoming just another struggling underachiever. He is young and playing at a startling level, but as we've seen, it doesn't take too much for a legend to get derailed—even though, unlike Woods, McIlroy seems capable of putting his house in order. Still, it's enjoyable to watch a prodigy pace himself ahead of the pack. It doesn't even matter if he couldn't beat Alabama by himself.
Found a good column from the world of sports? Don't keep it to yourself — write to us at email@example.com and we'll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email Jeremy at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Photo Gallery: Media Day at the Range SHOT Show 2013 kicks off with Media Day at the Range. Share This Photo Gallery Prev Next Comments Galleries Winners of the 17th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards On the Floor at SHOT 2016 Celebrities at SHOT 2016 SHOT 2016: Industry Day at the Range 2016 Outdoor Sportsman Awards NRA 2015 Exhibits & Meetings :: Day Two NRA 2015 Exhibits & Meetings :: Day One 2015 SHOT Show Day Four 2015 SHOT Show Day Three 2015 SHOT Show Day Two 2015 SHOT Show Day One SHOT 2015: A Day at the Gun Range NRA 2014 - Outdoor Channel Personalities Women of SHOT Show SHOT Show Day Four Products Celebrity Shots at SHOT View More Photo Galleries Prev Next Photo 1 of 27 Media Day at the Range SHOT Show Media Day at the Range took place at the Boulder Pistol and Rifle Range in Boulder City, Nevada. (James Overstreet photo)


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The Best and Worst Looks from the SAG Awards Red Carpet
Saturday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, things were hit and miss on the red carpet. There were ensembles that were very good! But there were also some that were very bad. And a few that were terribly ugly. Let's take a look.


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Pepe Botella - Judith La Fleur
Pepe Botella - Judith La Fleur
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De-fat the broth
I need to de-fat my broth, fast. "The easiest thing is to put the broth in the fridge overnight, but if you have to de-fat quickly, put it in a narrow container," says Bishop. "The fat will rise more quickly to the top and be easier to skim off. You can try to use a paper towel and float that on the surface, but, honestly, if you give it 10-15 minutes, the grease and fat should rise to top. In a narrow vessel, it happens that much quicker."
Copyright © 2018, Sun Sentinel


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Judge orders Connecticut teen returned to parents
BOSTON (AP) — A judge has ordered a Connecticut teenager at the center of a custody dispute based on conflicting medical diagnoses be returned to her parents.
The family of Justina Pelletier of West Hartford had pushed Massachusetts to return their daughter, whose case hinged on dueling diagnoses of Justina's condition
Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz said Tuesday that the decision was the result of the state's collaboration with the Pelletier family to create a reunification plan.
Tufts Medical Center had treated Justina for mitochondrial disease, a disorder that affects cellular energy production. But Boston Children's Hospital later diagnosed her problems as psychiatric.
When her parents rejected that diagnosis and tried to take her back to Tufts, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families took custody of Justina, prompting the dispute.


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Mets 7, Phillies 4
In their latest comeback win, the New York Mets got some help
from the opposition.
Lucas Duda had a tiebreaking, two-out RBI single in the seventh
and the New York took advantage of Philadelphia's defensive
blunder, beating the Phillies 7-4 on Tuesday night.
Duda and David Wright had two hits and two RBIs each to help the
Mets win their fourth straight and get their 10th come-from-behind
victory this season.
"We've been doing it for the past couple of weeks," Duda said.
"Luckily the ball found some spots. The team battled, that's what
we want to do all season."
Hunter Pence homered for the Phillies, who have lost four of
The Mets took the lead in the seventh with four two-out runs on
four hits, including Duda's single to right off Antonio Bastardo
(1-2) that drove in Wright with the go-ahead run.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis' RBI single to right scored Jordany Valdespin
and pulled New York to 4-2. Chad Qualls replaced starter Joe
Blanton and gave up a single to right by Wright that drove in
Andres Torres. Pence's throw home wasn't cut off by first baseman
John Mayberry Jr. and Wright got caught in a rundown between first
and second base.
However, after Rollins threw to first while second base was
uncovered, second baseman Pete Orr tried to get Nieuwenhuis off the
bag at third, but his throw bounced past third baseman Placido
Polanco, allowing Nieuwenhuis to score and Wright to reach
"It was a good job by Wright to keep in the rundown," Mets
manager Terry Collins said. "That was one of those things that
went our way tonight."
Said Orr: "It should've been a better throw."
Duda followed with his tiebreaking hit.
The Mets added two runs in the ninth on Nieuwenhuis's sacrifice
fly and Duda's single.
Manny Acosta (1-2) didn't allow a run or hit in two-thirds of an
inning in the sixth in relief of starter Miguel Batista. Jon Rauch
got the last three outs in his first save opportunity of the
The strange turn of events in the seventh spoiled a decent
outing by Blanton, who entered the inning having allowed one run on
three hits. He was charged with four runs and five hits in 6 2-3
innings, striking out seven and walking three.
"(Wright) stayed in a rundown good," Blanton said. "Sometimes
it's a matter of a play here or a play there that makes the whole
difference in the game and I feel like that was the situation
The play was symbolic of the Phillies' early-season struggles.
Playing all season without injured All-Stars Chase Utley (knee) and
Ryan Howard (Achilles), Philadelphia fell three games below
"We're kind of spinning our wheels," Philadelphia manager
Charlie Manuel said. "The teams that we're playing at times they
try to give us a game but then we act like we don't want to take
it, and we make mistakes and give it right back to them when we
have a lead."
Batista, making his second start of the season for the Mets,
gave up four runs – two earned – and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Batista was taking the spot in the rotation vacated by Mike
Pelfrey, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery last week.
Pence gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run
homer, a 414-foot drive to left-center.
Philadelphia, helped by two Mets errors, scored twice more in
the second. Mayberry led off and reached second on a throwing error
by shortstop Valdespin. Orr singled home Mayberry and Shane
Victorino doubled to left-center to score Orr.
The Mets got on the board in the fourth. Nieuwenhuis started the
inning with New York's first hit off Blanton, a double to
right-center, and scored on Daniel Murphy's one-out single to
The Phillies got a runner to third with one out in the eighth on
Placido Polanco's single and two wild pitches by Ramon Ramirez, but
Ramirez struck out Orr. Tim Byrdak replaced Ramirez and got
pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton to fly out to center.
NOTES: The Mets placed C Josh Thole on the seven-day DL with a
concussion, and called up catcher Rob Johnson from Triple-A
Buffalo. … Philadelphia LHP Cliff Lee (0-1, 1.96), out for the
last three weeks with a strained oblique, is scheduled to start
Wednesday night's game against New York righty Dillon Gee (2-2,
4.50). . The Phillies' crowd of 43,821 was the club's 216th
straight regular-season sellout and 232nd counting postseason


text:
- Shipping and Return Policy registered and insured delivery available worldwide. LEARN MORE
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All in-stock items are processed and shipped within five business days. We do ship internationally to all addresses across the world. The client is responsible for any duties or taxes collected by your local government. Lauren B is not responsible for any of these charges so please check the rates ahead of time. Orders of less than $10,000 will be shipped and insured via UPS/FedEx first or second- day air. Items above this price will be shipped and insured via UPS or FedEx next-day air and these costs will be added to the total order price. Once the order is shipped, we will provide you with a tracking number. We fully insure each item for the final purchase price, from the time it is in transit until the time it arrives at its destination and the recipient's signature is required at the time of delivery. Please note Lauren B cannot be held accountable for delays on the shipper's part due to severe weather or other unexpected conditions.
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refund/exchange policy
If you are not satisfied with your purchase at Laurenbjewelry.com, standard in stock items may be returned or exchanged within 10 days of first delivery attempt. The merchandise must be in original condition; we do not accept refunds for products showing any signs of wear or damage. In addition, we do not allow returns or exchanges on any altered items. These would include custom sizing, engraving and rhodium polishing, and special orders – essentially, any items that we do not usually keep in stock or that have to be custom made. At Lauren B, we are confident that you will be thrilled with your jewelry; however, if the item is not to your liking or specifications, we feel that 10 days is enough time to evaluate your purchase.
Custom made or specially ordered pieces (including engagement rings and wedding bands) are created especially for, and based on, the exact requirements of each individual client and therefore may not be returned or exchanged.
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Lauren B Jewelry & Diamonds is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality craftsmanship and professional expertise. A Lauren B warranty card is given for every jewelry purchase. Our manufacturing guarantee is to stand behind the integrity of every piece and make sure you are completely satisfied with the entire shopping experience. Under this warranty, we cover any defects in the manufacturing for the lifetime of the piece that results in the loss or breakage of diamonds and precious metal. Please be advised that this does not cover accidental or incidental breakage, normal wear and tear, theft, loss, or any damage that our professionals deem is not due to craftsmanship related issues. Lastly, if the piece has been altered in any way by a jeweler other than Lauren B, the warranty is no longer valid. It is our recommendation that each piece be regularly maintained and checked once a year by a service professional. At Lauren B Jewelry we provide complimentary inspection and basic cleaning for rings purchased through our store or website.
To avoid any durablity issues with your ring please adhere to some of the basic ring care guidlines outlined here on our website.
Your purchase will be come with all of the necessary documentation including an official store invoice, appraisal, and any applicable certification. We advise you to have your piece insured upon receiving it so that you are covered in the case of loss or theft.
Lauren B Jewelry accepts all major credit cards, checks, bank wire transfers and PayPal. Upon receiving any deposit or full payment, your sales associate will e-mail you an official store receipt with all the details of your purchase including center diamond specifications, ring setting information and amounts paid/balance due.
Credit card: Payments can be made over the phone during regular business hours or anytime via e-mail. We keep the details of your credit card secure and once payment is processed you will receive an e-mail with a credit card authorization form for you to complete, sign and send back to us. No additional charges will be applied to the credit card without your full approval.
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Bank wire transfer is the preferred method of payment. We provide you with our full account details upon request and transfers usually take between one to five business days to process.
PayPal electronic invoices can be created the same day and sent directly to your e-mail address. You must have an active PayPal account to accept invoices and submit payments
Layaway plan: A down payment of approximately 40% of the total purchase price will enable clients to secure an item (complete engagement ring, loose diamond, ring setting) or to begin production on a custom ring. Diamond and metal prices fluctuate and our inventory of finished rings and loose diamonds change frequently so this will guarantee you an item you want at the agreed upon price. Installment payments can be made over a time frame of up to 6 months (or more in some instances). Once the balance is paid in full we will arrange for delivery or in store pick up.
Financing: We offer 6 or 12 months of special financing through Wells Fargo. The amount you are approved for is subject to credit approval and is only available for US residents. You must be present in our New York store to apply
Jewelers, New York: About Us
Lauren B Jewelry and Diamonds is not your standard, run-of-the-mill mom and pop store. We have become a well known and respected…facet…of the NYC jewelry industry. Since 1978, the Behar family has continued the family tradition of not only providing pieces of exceptional jewelry, but dedicating time to making each and every one of our customers happy.
Lauren B carries a wide selection of finely-crafted diamond and colored gemstone jewelry. The company has become best-known for specializing in engagement rings and bridal jewelry, and houses a huge inventory of GIA and EGL certified diamonds. Guiding you smoothly through the process of narrowing down the details is what we have years of experience doing and take great satisfaction in doing. From art-deco and vintage styles, to modern, edgy looks, our Lepozzi collection has something to meet everyones taste. For those looking for something one of a kind, we can customize any of our styles, as well as design a ring from scratch.
Quality is a given at Lauren B, and our competitive pricing allows us to give you the best deal possible in a relaxed, pressure-free atmosphere. As proud members of the Jewelers of America and Better Business Bureau, Lauren B is committed to the highest standards and will do everything in our power to ensure a stellar shopping experience.
The newest facet of Lauren B is our website www.laurenbjewelry.com, and we seek to strengthen our relationship with past, present, and future customers through the convenience of online shopping. Our website continues to evolve based on our customers needs, and we now work on a global scale every day. We recently reached over 150,000 Instagram followers, so we want to thank our loyal customers and followers!
From our Lauren B family to yours, thank you for visiting! Please browse our selection online, or stop by our brand new showroom at 44 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017. We look forward to hearing from you!
At Lauren B Jewelry, one of our graduate gemologists will guide you through the custom engagement ring selection process from start to finish. We take special care in helping our clients select the perfect center diamond to complement the ring setting they desire. Every individual has unique requests and preferences for center diamond shape, quality and size. With this in mind we only offer those that best match each individual client's specifications while still remaining within their target price range. Our gemologists carefully sort through many center diamonds, eliminating a large percentage of unsuitable choices, before presenting the options to you that best fit your needs. In that regard we consider ourselves matchmakers, linking prospective clients to the best available diamond options on the market.
We have access to a comprehensive inventory of certified stones in all shapes and sizes so you can be certain we have what you are looking for! In the diamond selection process we present anywhere from two to four center-stone options across similar size, color and clarity ranges for our in-store and online clients to consider. By visually comparing several options side by side, either in person or via e-mailed videos, our clients can make a confident purchase because they are able to see the nuances and details in a diamond that do not necessarily show up on a certificate. We urge them to use these lab reports as a guide and advise against basing their entire purchase solely on the stated grades. This is the reason why we do not simply list a database of loose diamonds on our website which we have yet to inspect ourselves for quality. The strategy commonly used by large scale diamond websites (without a brick and mortar location) is to compete on price and sell in volume, with complete disregard for how this precious stone actually looks and performs in real life which is crucial. In sharp contrast, our team at Lauren B thoroughly previews and examines each option beforehand and will provide you with a detailed description of each diamond along with any necessary videos or photos.
When the time is right for you to shop for your engagement ring, Lauren B Jewelry should be your first and last stop. We are here to answer any questions you may have along the way and help guide you to your final decision. We look forward to working with you!
To request additional info or basic pricing, fill out section A and click "Submit Info Request".
For a detailed custom quote fill out both sections A and B then click "Submit Design Quote Request" at the bottom of the page.