text:
NEW YORK (AP) — Sears Holding Corp. said Thursday THAT its adjusted third-quarter loss narrowed, as the company pushed to turn around its ailing business.
But sales in stores open at least one year continued to tumble in both its Kmart and Sears stores, and investors sent shares down nearly 6 percent in aftermarket trading.
To restore profitability, Sears has embarked on a plan to aggressively cut costs, reduce inventory, sell off some assets and spin off others. The company is facing falling sales and tough competition as the crucial holiday season — when a retailer can make up to 40 percent of annual revenue — revs up.
"We will continue to take the actions necessary to create value and retain the flexibility to invest in the strategic priorities of our company," said CEO Lou D'Ambrosio in a statement.
The company also outlined its holiday plans, which include opening Sears and Kmart stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, offering exclusive toys, improving its in-store holiday displays and offering coupons and other incentives to loyalty program members.
"Our products and our integrated retail experience are coming together this holiday season," said Ron Boire, chief merchandising officer, in a conference call with investors.
The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based company controlled by financier Eddie Lampert lost $498 million, or $4.70 per share. That compares with a loss of $421 million, or $3.95 per share, a year ago.
Excluding one-time items related to tax expenses, store closings and pension expense, Sears lost $1.99 per share, compared with $2.50 per share on the same basis last year.
Revenue dropped nearly 6 percent to $8.86 billion. Sales in stores open at least one year fell 1.6 percent at U.S. Sears stores and 4.8 percent at Kmart stores. Stronger sales of clothing and appliances were offset by weak sales of groceries, household products and consumer electronics.
Costs of sales, buying and occupancy, as well as selling and administrative expenses, were both down for the quarter. Inventory fell $1.4 billion to $8.6 billion at Oct. 27.
The company completed the spinoff of part of its stake in Sears Canada Inc. on Wednesday. It also recently spun off its Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc.
Since May Sears has invested heavily in improving the customer experience at its stores, with changes such as improved displays and iPads for sales staff to research products and help customers check out wherever they are in the store.
It has also increased services like ordering online with in-store pick up and shipping in-store orders home. D'Ambrosio said half of all online sales now include an interaction with another channel.
But the changes so far haven't been enough to offset a steep decline in sales, as customers turn online and elsewhere to make purchases.
Shares fell $3.81, or 6.5 percent, to $54.67 in aftermarket trading. They ended the regular session up 6 cents at $58.48. The stock is trading near the middle of its 52-week range. It reached its low of $26.90 on Jan. 5 and peaked at $79.99 on March 16.


text:
Consensus Report
Hydrologic Effects of a Changing Forest Landscape (2008)Water Science and Technology Board
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
Of all the resources that forests produce, water may be the most important-streamflow from forests provides two-thirds of the nation's clean water supply. Forest managers face increasing pressure to cut trees to increase water supply for human uses, especially in western states where population is rising. However, cutting trees for short term water gains does not guarantee that water will be available in dry seasons, and it can ultimately degrade water quality and increase flooding vulnerability. At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service, the National Research Council convened a committee to examine the present understanding of forest hydrology (the study of how water moves through forests), connections between forest management and attendant hydrologic effects, and directions for future research and management needs to sustain water resources from forests. The report concludes that forest hydrology must advance if it is to deal with today's complexities, and it identifies actions that scientists, forest and water managers, and citizens can take to help sustain water resources from forests.
Key Messages
- To meet the needs of the managers and users of forests and water, forest hydrology research has to move from principles to prediction. Predictions are needed to understand the indirect and interacting hydrologic responses to changes in forested landscapes associated with climate change, forest disturbances, forest species composition and structure, and land development and ownership, and how these changes will affect water quantity and quality downstream and over long time scales.
- Compared to the extensive literature on hydrologic responses to forest management, relatively few studies have examined hydrologic responses to fire, insects, and disease in forests, especially at long time scales or in large watersheds.
- Cumulative Watershed Effects research strives to establish cause-effect relationships among forests, water, and watersheds over large spatial and temporal scales.
- More research is needed to better predict indirect effects of climate change, including evaluations of how changes in forests and forest management influence hydrologic response.
- The hydrologic effects of many of the new management practices and BMPs have not been studied, and dynamic forest conditions make it important to understand how contemporary practices influence water resources.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Waves and Paul Reed Smith Create GTR, the Ultimate Guitar Software
Waves engineers, in association with Paul Reed Smith and PRS Guitars, spent nearly two years creating the new Waves GTR (Guitar Tool Rack) system.
"Everyone wants to play into a computer and get a good guitar tone," says Smith. "There is a deep need in the industry for this. Once I came to work here at Waves, I was astounded at the software they had developed to sample guitar amplifiers. I have never seen or heard anything like it."
Waves GTR is compatible with both Native and TDM systems and includes the Waves/PRS hardware interface, Waves Amp software and Waves Stomp software all in one package.
Waves/PRS Guitar Interface : Better Tone from the Start
The Waves/PRS Guitar Interface retains full dynamics and fidelity while transforming the guitar signal to a low impedance, balanced signal for line or mic level input. The result is a bigger, richer guitar sound that retains all the nuances of tone and touch.
Waves Amp : Unique Sounds Fast
The Waves Amp plug-in was developed using entirely new methods to sample amplifiers, cabinets and microphone positions —resulting in a new level of authenticity you can hear and feel.
Seven amp sounds are categorized by sound and increasing levels of drive (Direct, Clean, Edgy, Drive, Crunch, Hot and Modern).
Every amp can be played through a wide variety of simulated cabinets, microphones, and mic placements.Waves Amp even features a flexible Dual Cabinet mode, for endless mix and match possibilities.
Waves Stomp : 23 Mind- Blowing Effects
The GTR System features 23 original and classic guitar FX, powered by the revolutionary Waves Stomp
PedalBoard plug-in.
The GTR system features everything from basic EQ, Compression and Gating to modulation effects such as Flanger, Phaser, Wah, Octaver and Chorus, to delays, reverbs and five flavors of distortion. We've also included Waves Tuner, which can be set to standard, chromatic or alternate tunings.
Find out more from your Waves dealer, and visit www.Waves.com or www.WavesGTR.com to get a free 7 day demo of GTR (iLok required).


text:
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A report by the state's auditor has found that the Ohio Department of Transportation could save more than $6 million by selling underused heavy equipment and vehicles and closing two rest stops in eastern Ohio.
Auditor Dave Yost on Thursday released his performance review of the transportation agency. He says about 42 percent of Ohio's backhoes, excavators and other equipment are used only 5 percent of the time.
Yost said selling 178 underused and redundant heavy-equipment pieces would generate $3.1 million and avoid $885,000 in maintenance costs over 10 years.
The audit also found that nearly $500,000 could be saved annually by closing two rest areas in Muskingum and Guernsey counties that are close to other alternatives.
The state's transportation director says he's open to the auditor's ideas for savings.


text:
Here is another collection I wish was available in the UK. Stussy Canada has drawn upon the history of the West Coast and the First Nations culture there, to create a special capsule dubbed "From the North with Love." The collection includes tees, sweats and special woven shirts which represent the perfect layering components for Canadian weather. Unfortunately for us …
Press days: Ermenegildo Zegna, Bally and Yohji Yamamoto and Stussy for Doc Marten
We gave you a sneak peek of the Doc Martens collaborations on Thursday, and as promised, here is a full press day round up. With some images from Ermenegildo Zegna, Bally and more Doc Marten collabs there's enough stuff to keep the Autumn Winter excitement ticking over for a few weeks. More to come soon!
Exclusive eyewear
Like most things in fashion the popularity of glasses waxes and wains, right now it's waxing- which is lucky for me, a closet speccy four eyes- thick rims and in particular Ray Bans are hot shit right now so much so that people with perfect 20 – 20 vision are donning pairs with clear glass lenses in. So now is the time to announce some exclusive and pretty unaccessible frames for you to drool over, to the left is the Moscot Lemtosh frames in a whole new colourway, these frames have outlasted entire generations spanning pop culture from Buddy Holly to Johnny Depp and to the right is the latest collab between Stussy and Kotake Cyobei Saku, more contemporary than the Moscot this pair of the already proven Naomi frames takes a subtle edge with an all black rim.
Stussy x Schott – yeah seriously
Not since the Aguilera/Bratman marriage has the world seen such an unlikely pairing, street fashion brand Stussy has gotten together with Whetherspoons favourite Schott to work on this jacket. Made from cow hide and wool the coat looks… really good… am I the only one who's genuinely shocked? Pencilled in for release in November, there is no mention of price but at a guess I'm thinking- not cheap.


text:
Finizio: Public safety layoff notices will stand
New London — The mayor will not rescind layoff notices to 35 public safety workers despite City Council actions late Tuesday night that moved money around in next year's $83 million budget to save the jobs.
Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio announced Wednesday afternoon that he will continue to negotiate with the fire and police unions to save about $1.2 million and preserve the jobs.
But pink slips sent last week to 25 firefighters and 10 police officers will remain in effect.
"I still believe all layoffs will be avoided,'' Finizio said during a press conference outside his office in City Hall Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, council President Michael Passero called the mayor "cruel."
"He does not have a shred of humanity in him," Passero said.
The City Council approved the 2012-13 budget Tuesday night, keeping the bottom line at $83 million by moving money around within departments, eliminating five City Hall positions and reducing some salaries.
More than a dozen firefighters who will lose their jobs June 30, as well as other members of the public, pleaded with councilors Tuesday night to preserve the jobs. State Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, supported the firefighters and police officers and stood with them in a protest outside City Hall before the meeting.
To find the money to retain the public safety jobs, the council eliminated five positions that Finizio has filled since taking office in December. The council cut funding for the deputy police chief, Peter Reichard, who began work May 21; Assistant City Clerk Dawn Currier; Director of Planning and Development Kristin Havrilla Clarke; the mayor's office administrator, Tammy Daugherty; and the city's risk manager, Lauren Cragg. None of the positions has a negotiated contract.
Finizio called the council's action "an inappropriate way to reach a resolution" and accused the council of overestimating revenues to reduce taxes. The budget would require about an 8 percent increase in taxes, bringing the tax rate to 27.22 mills.
Passero accused Finizio of playing politics because the mayor never said during the weeks of budget deliberations that such drastic personnel cuts would be needed to balance the proposed budget.
"We pass the budget, there were no layoffs mentioned. The finance director, the fire chief, the police chief — no one said, 'We have to lay off 25 firefighters and 10 police officers.' No one said that before the public hearing or after the public hearing,'' Passero said. "It's such a transparent, bogus lie. I don't know why anyone gives him any credence."
Finizio said the council decisions "short-circuited" union negotiations.
"Council's actions last night forced the administration to rethink the budget process,'' he said.
Finance Director Jeffrey Smith said revenues that may be overestimated include $450,000 in the state Education Cost Sharing grant and $20,000 in state transportation grants. He also said projected revenue from ambulance collections appears to be too high.
But Councilor Adam Sprecace said Wednesday the council did not discuss those revenues Tuesday night. It did raise revenues by about $325,000 by increasing the Municipal Revenue Sharing account by about $200,000; taking $50,000 from the Water Street Garage enterprise fund; and adding about $75,000 to the tax collection rate.
"My intention was to avoid layoffs in the police and fire departments,'' Sprecace said. "It comes down to priorities. ... It was a decision we had to make, and we made it."
He said he was disappointed that layoffs are still a possibility.
"This is a process,'' Sprecace said. "With the new form of government, we are obviously seeing a separation of powers. City Council cannot order the mayor not to lay off people,'' he said. "I hope he (Finizio) is being sincere."
Finizio said the budget process is not over but is in a "natural pause." He added he will consult with the city attorney about his options.
"I understand emotions are running very high,'' Finizio said. "I know tensions are high. But we will get through this. I encourage everyone to take a deep breath and pause for a moment."
Finizio said he will take all 10 days allowed by the City Charter before making a decision on whether to veto the budget.
The mayor can veto the budget the council approved Tuesday, which would send the budget back to the council for a vote to override the veto. An override would require affirmative votes from six of the seven councilors.
If the council fails to override a veto, the mayor and council would have to continue budget deliberations until they reached a compromise. If an override vote were successful, the budget would stand as approved Tuesday night.
Once the council and mayor agree on a budget, residents may petition for a referendum.
Newtown and North Haven are both committed to the Manly Discipline of the Running Arts


text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
The EEOC works with the Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) and the Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TEROs) to manage charges of discrimination and the protection of the employment rights of Native Americans. The EEOC contracts with approximately 90 FEPAs nationwide to process more than 48,000 discrimination charges annually. These charges raise claims under state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination as well as the federal laws enforced by the EEOC. FEPA and TERO offices for the area covered by this office are listed below.
Ohio Civil Rights Commission - Cincinnati Satellite Office (FEPA)
7162 Reading Road, Suite 1006
Cincinnati, OH 45237
Phone: 513-351-2541
Fax: 513-351-2616
Website: http://www.state.oh.us/crc
Ohio Civil Rights Commission - Central Office (FEPA)
Rhodes State Office Tower
30 East Broad Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-2785
Fax: 614-644-8776
Website: http://www.state.oh.us/crc
E-mail: email@example.com
Ohio Civil Rights Commission - Dayton Regional Office (FEPA)
40 West 4th Centre
40 West 4th Street, Suite 1900
Dayton, OH 45402
Phone: 937-285-6500
Fax: 937-285-6606
Website: http://www.state.oh.us/crc
E-mail: email@example.com
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (FEPA)
The Heyburn Building, 7th Floor
332 West Broadway
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Phone: 502-595-4024
Fax: 502-595-4801
Website: http://www.state.ky.us/agencies2/kchr
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
What is the benefit of a three screw boat?
|Administered by The Pirate
What is the benefit of a three screw boat?
Speed / power for going up-river. 3 paddlers are better than 2 in a canoe! A rare find, I'm sure.
Boy that baby needs some interrior remodeling. Price seems steep for the age and condition it's in. 1972 with 1978 model motors for $200K? Nope.
Formerly owned a 16X69' Sailabration
Bet On Another Thousand
This was a popular option on the larger Pluckebaums of this era. Typical installation was 3 of the base 3208 Naturally asperated Cat engines. These engines were/are so lightly stressed that their life is almost unlimited. They are one of the smoothest diesels ever built and start instantly. The same length boats were also equipped with twins of higher HP configurations that provided similar performance.
Three of them would push a 65 footer about 20 miles per hour. Many economy minded owners cruised on only the center engine. The commercial trade loved them.
Pluckebaums are probably the finest houseboat ever built. Styling is timeless, performance is great and maintenance is less than on almost any other houseboat.
Last edited by OLD HOUSEBOATER; 07-25-2013 at 09:19 AM.
The fries are cold so we gave you extra.
I have seen only seen a few of them listed with 3 diesels. I am fine with redoing an interior as long as the shell and engines run fine. This price seems a bit high, but somewhat the norm for the Pluckebaums. There are a couple of early 70's out there for under $150k, but I imagine they might need a bit of work.
It's a 1978. Probably buy it for $175K. $10K for new paint. $4K for Coal Tar bottom job. $3k to tune up engines and Genneys, $20k on interior.
Out the door for $212,000 You would then have a like new boat that would cost well over a $1,000,000 today.
You have to go aboard one of these puppys to get a feel for a forever boat.
We lived aboard our 55 for 7 years. Truly the best years of my life.
The fries are cold so we gave you extra.
My issue in buying a bigger boat is having a place to dock it. Where I live, we only have one marina that can really accomodate a boat of that size. They are getting tight on space and that would eat up a bunch of it.
What is the little steering wheel to the left of the main steering for?
I might be wrong but that looks a lot like the boat Dave Thomas owned ( founder of Wendy's) After he passed it was brokered through Washington Marine ( about 2003 ) The wife and I looked at it back when we considered living aboard a houseboat. The nice thing also about a 3rd engine is criusing range, you can shut down the port & starboard and run just the mid engine to stretch your range.
Seems like a very modest boat for the founder of Wendy's. That would be pretty cool if it's true though.
Formerly owned a 16X69' Sailabration
Bet On Another Thousand


text:
NPR recently aired a 1989 interview with Adrienne Rich in which the poet discussed the role of autobiography in her poetry. Here's a highlight:
I'm very much interested in the place of biography in poetry and in fiction, but I'm also interested in the place of fiction in poetry, and I think that there's a tendency, at present, to read poems as autobiographical statements, documents, narratives — and to miss therefore a great deal that's going on in them. If you ascribe each event to some actual event, if you ascribe each image, each relationship to some literal occasion, it seems to me that you run the risk of missing not only the poetry, but the fuller, richer, deeper aspects of the poems, which come not necessarily from the poet's biography, but from what the poet has seen, heard, drawn into herself or himself from other lives.
On the way to work, pressed against other riders of the L train, I started thinking about autobiography and poetry. When I used to teach poetry, I'd spend a week on the "confessional" poets. The unit inevitably expanded because my students loved them. It was partly my fault—I loved telling stories about some of the more colorful poets' lives. And yet, teaching the poems, I was always trying to drive a wedge between the poet and the poem, clearing a space at least for the recognition of fiction.
A few poems came to mind on the train.
Frederick Seidel's "Frederick Seidel":
There's the open honesty of "Meditations in an Emergency" ("Even trees understand me! Good heavens, I lie under them, too, don't I? I'm just like a pile of leaves.")
And Berryman, Henry, and Mr. Bones in any of The Dream Songs, but here's a favorite. About The Dream Songs, Berryman has said: "Henry is accused of being me and I am accused of being Henry and I deny it and nobody believes me" (excerpts from interview*)
Everything the man says is suspect. If I ever teach confessional poetry again, I'll start with this quote.
*from "An Interview with John Berryman" conducted by John Plotz of the Harvard Advocate on Oct. 27, 1968. In Berryman's Understanding: Reflections on the Poetry of John Berryman. Ed. Harry Thomas. Boston: Northeastern UP, 1988. Copyright © Harvard Advocate


text:
Sapphire HD 7970 3GB Review
Back right before Christmas AMD took the wraps off their latest GPU architecture code named Southern Islands. This architecture rang in the drop to a 28nm process with what AMD calls a revolutionary architecture to drive computing power to +1.4x the previous generation. Along the way we also get a move to PCIe 3 support, 3GB of high speed GDDR5 memory, DX 11.1 compliance, Power Tune and Zero Core power technologies and Eyefinity 2.0 that brings its own new feature sets. AMD's GCN or Graphics Core Next Tahiti core is a step away from the VLIW design to a non VLIW SIMD engine for higher computing performance. This new core comes with a large increase in the transistor count to 4.31 Billion, an increase in the streaming processor count to 2048 with 32 raster units, 128 texture units and finally a move to a 384bit wide memory bus that drives compute performance and memory bandwidth scaling upwards. All this together on paper looks pretty significant and should drive gaming performance to new levels.
Closer Look:
The Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 comes packed much like many of Sapphires offerings with a fair amount of information highlighted including the 28nm manufacturing process technology, Eyefintiy, AMD APP, Displayport, PCIe 3 and the dual bios feature, included HDMI cable and 3GB of onboard GDDR5 memory. The front panel has Ruby dressed for some Black ops instead of flaunting her sexuality. The back panel has many of the capabilities and specifications listed including a brief description of the new GCN architecture, GDDR5 memory, Eyefinity 2.0, and HDMI 1.4a audio support.
Opening the package we find the Sapphire HD 7970 securely packed in a formed cardboard tray with a separate box for the included accessories. Sapphire is committed to using recyclable materials for the packaging.
The accessory bundle is one thing that can drive the purchase of a card based on how complete the bundle is. Sapphire has included just about all the items one could need to hook this card up in many different scenarios including an Eyefinity multi monitor solution. The included accessories include power adapters to supplement the power connectivity of the power supply, a high speed HDMI cable, Crossfire bridge connection, DVI to VGA adapter, Mini Display Port to HDMI dongle, Mini Display Port to SL-DVI Active dongle, HDMI to SL-DVI Adapter, driver disk and manual.
Many have already seen the reference cards but let's see what Sapphire has in store for this offering and how it performs.


text:
Turn your laminate trimmer into a tool that flushes surfaces with incredible finesse.
By Nick Engler
Pages: 34-35
From the April 2004 issue #140
Buy this issue now
Once upon a time I had the brilliant idea to use a strip of hardwood to trim out the edge of a laminate countertop. And not just any laminate, either. This stuff was so expensive that if you asked how much it cost, the salesperson presumed you could not afford it. So scratching it during installation was not an option.
The challenge, I realized the moment the glue set upon the wood trim, was that I had to plane the top surface of the trim flush with the laminate without touching the laminate itself. If the blade touched the laminate, I would remove the thin layer that held the color, revealing the dull substrate (which the manufacturer thoughtfully made a flat white to provide maximum contrast and advertise my slip-up to the world).
From the April 2004 issue #140
Buy this issue now


text:
Jelly rolls are such a versatile and popular pre-cut. Today join Oda May and Chef Lissa Alexander for some simple tips on working with jelly rolls.
Jelly Rolls are sweet little bundles containing 40 strips measuring 2 ½ " x 45". Jelly rolls are offered in most of our fabric lines, as well as a range of Bella Solids.
Find Moda Bake Shop recipes using jelly rolls {here}.
Tips for working with Jelly Rolls:
- Run a lint brush over the raw edged sides of the jelly roll before unwrapping it, otherwise you will have little fluffy lint fuzzes all over the place.
- Iron strips flat before sewing.
- GET STEAMED!! It will help to realign the fibers if you use steam when you iron. They will relax and lose the curl that has been forced into them by being rolled up.
- Save your leftover jelly roll strips for scrappy binding.
Lissa Alexander
Thanks for the tips, Lissa! Check out Lissa's recipes {here}.
Happy sewing,
Lissa Alexander
Director of Marketing at Moda Fabrics/United Notions
Wife and mother of 5 (4 boys and 1 girl). I have been quilting since 1970. Love scrappy quilts. The more Moda fabrics I can use in a quilt, the better.
Latest posts by Lissa Alexander (see all)
- Bake Shop Basics: Jelly Rolls - September 4, 2013
- Moda's New Precut: Honeycombs + A Quilt - February 21, 2013
- Patchwork & Points - March 15, 2010


text:
The two elderly men walked slowly but deliberately down the aisle together, arm in arm, one of them using a cane.
They dressed as opposites: Kenneth Brooks, 72, on the right, wore a black shirt with white pants. Donald Lindenbrook, 78, on the left wore a white shirt with black pants. Except for Lindenbrook's cane, they were a yin and yang.
Partners for 51 years, the St. Charles Township couple finally could get married legally in Illinois, which allowed same-sex marriage June 1. The Rev. Olin Sletto married them June 21 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin, where they are members.
"This is the culmination of a dream I never thought would happen," Lindenbrook said, his eyes glistening with tears. "And it just makes me so unbelievably happy."
Brooks said he was grateful to Holy Trinity's membership for voting to allow same-sex weddings. As part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, each church is allowed to decide for itself whether to do same-sex weddings.
"I never thought it would happen in our lifetime," Brooks said during a cake-and-cookie reception after the ceremony. "I never thought that I would be legally married to Donald. And I'm grateful that it's happened. I'm glad to know that Illinois is progressive enough to let us do it."
• • •
Brooks and Lindenbrook are part of a trend. Or as Brooks said, "We are trendsetters and role models."
While the emotional aspects of being able to marry legally are foremost for them, another aspect is financial: Same-sex weddings are providing a financial boost to the wedding industry on all fronts – including clothes, flowers, jewelry, venues, receptions, food, accessories, photography, tourism and officiants.
Although Illinois has not officially calculated the economic impact of same-sex weddings, The Williams Institute examined it for Washington and found that total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by resident same-sex couples and their guests would add an estimated $88 million boost to the state and local economy of Washington over three years.
The institute is a national think tank at the University of California School of Law doing independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, according to its website.
Also, in 2004, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that on net, the impact of same-sex marriages in all 50 states would improve the budget's bottom line by less than $1 billion in each of the next 10 years.
A 2007 study by the the New York City comptroller estimated that same-sex weddings would add $142 million to the city's economy and $184 million to the state's economy overall.
Local businesses that serve the wedding industry report significant interest this year, such as Nancy McElvenny, owner of Crystal Bride in Geneva.
"It is no more or no less than any other heterosexual wedding," McElvenny said. "Very much like anyone else, they want a beautiful dress to wear."
New collections are coming out with women's black tuxedos for bridesmaids, she said, so that women can stand up in a wedding with a suit that fits.
"It gives you more couples who can get married when you are not limiting yourself to the male-female idea of what a wedding is," McElvenny said. "You have all these people who could not get married before, but now they can."
At the reopened Fishermen's Inn in Blackberry Township near Elburn, owner Patricia Southern said the facility has three same-sex weddings booked for 2015. Southern said she did not pay attention to the law making same-sex marriage legal in Illinois.
"I just figured they are the same as anybody else," Southern said of same-sex couples wanting to get married. "I don't think about it. I really don't. Good for them."
• • •
While Brooks and Lindenbrook's wedding was modest with about 50 guests, Anne Vogt and Rachel Clark of Elgin got married at the Herrington Inn and Spa in Geneva with 125 guests and a full wedding package.
They were by far not the first – though they were the first for when the law went into effect, Herrington spokeswoman Jennifer Piazza said.
"We are no stranger to same-sex unions [as] we have had three in the last 10 years," Piazza said. "But the amount of requests and phone calls is multiplying. Same-sex couples are definitely getting engaged and shopping for wedding venues. ... We have five more planned for the rest of the year and five more in 2015."
Piazza said the wording was changed a bit to reflect the terms "couple" or "spouse" instead of bride and groom.
"Things are different, but not much," Piazza said. "We are not here for rules, but to customize."
Vogt, 39, a softball coach and Clark, 33, a sales manager, got married June 1, the day the same-sex marriage law went into effect, but it also was the 15th anniversary of them being together as a couple.
"I knew from the first second we were at the Herrington – that is where I wanted to have our day," Clark said. "They were amazing. The wedding planner, Deanne Mitchell – she made it so easy. It was a dream wedding."
Clark said they got their marriage license at the county clerk's office the next day, Monday, June 2 – the first day it would be open and available for a license.
"It was a pretty special day for sure," Clark said. "Even this last weekend, I looked at her and said, 'Can you believe we are married?' ... It was not about a new beginning. It was about publicly declaring our marriage and having support of the state at the same time. Heterosexual couples get married because they are in love, and that is why we got married."
• • •
Wayne Jorgensen and Paul Safransky of Batavia, a same-sex couple who are longtime friends of Brooks and Lindenbrook, not only attended their wedding, but encouraged them to tie the knot.
"We were teasing them," said Safransky, 66. "We have been together 25 years now, and we have known Ken and Don that whole time. And after we got our [license] conversion from a civil union to Illinos married, we said, 'You could think about it. It's not like you've been a one-night-stand for the past 51 years.' And a couple days later, Ken called and said, 'We're going to do it.' It's so much the right thing to do."
Jorgensen, 62, said the protections of marriage cannot be underestimated for same-sex couples. He said the death of a friend who was not married, left his partner without legal standing in the face of a family that just took over the funeral – and did not acknowledge his lifetime partner.
"I have heard that story over and over again from people I know who have lost a partner," Jorgensen said. "It is just nice that society is recognizing same-sex relationships so ... that people have some rights that are protected by law."


text:
Program explores high-tech, lightweight combat tools
DC Comics' Batman is a gadgeteer super-hero. He has no special powers, but he does have a strong phsyique, extensive training in hand-to-hand combat — and an arsenal of devices specialized for fighting crime.
A U.S. Air Force program is developing smart new equipment to give its special forces their own super capabilities in the field, including a device that charges their equipment by drawing power directly from a power line.
The goal of the Air Force's Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided kNowledge (BATMAN) program is to modernize the gear used by the services' elite pararescue and forward controller units. The program's motto is "lighter, smarter, deadlier," reports TechNewsDaily.
All of the military services are trying to reduce the weight of the equipment their personnel have to take into combat. This is especially critical for troops operating clandestinely behind enemy lines for weeks at a time. Program officials said that Air Force special operations personnel typically carry 160 pounds of equipment on a mission. This gear includes communications devices, helmet displays, headsets, a computer and batteries to power all of the electronics.
To manage the weight more efficiently, the program centers its equipment to fit more efficiently around what its engineers call the "human chassis." This concept uses the body as a scaffold for all mission gear. For example, items such as radio antennas are relocated closer to the torso to enhance a soldier's balance.
According to TechNewsDaily, a key program achievement has been cutting airmen's equipment weight by 25 percent. Much of this was achieved by replacing the batteries troops carried with rechargeable methanol fuel cells. The fuel cells actually get lighter as the methanol is consumed, decreasing solders' weight over the course of a mission.
The BATMAN ensemble includes a small, chest mounted computer that provides airmen with real time logistical and tactical data. Program officials said that they are also working on speech recognition technology to keep special operators' hands-free during combat. Engineers are also working on a personal wireless communications network that will connect all of an airman's equipment without the need for wires and cables.
To keep special operators' equipment charged during a mission, the BATMAN program has developed the aptly named Bat Hook. The Bat Hook is about the size of a remote control, with a notch designed to catch onto a power line. A small razor in the notch cuts into the wire's insulation and draws down power through a cable attached to the hook. The alternating current is converted into direct current and fed into an airman's electronics.
Another technology developed for the program is a switch that allows airmen to manually toggle between line of sight and satellite based communications on their tactical radios. Prior to the switch, troops had to manually change an antenna to switch communications modes.
The Air Force's BATMAN is not related to the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency's BaTMAN, which stands for Biochronicity and Temporal Mechanisms Arising in Nature.
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
We have electrocuted troops in the shower because the DoD doesn't understand how electricity works and now the're going to have troops grab on to ACTIVE POWER LINES from the GROUND???? These people are BATS### CRAZY!
Holy Smokin radio man Robin! The electrical power carried in the overhead line can be in the thousands of volts and with a little bit of damp like in DEW can fry the most advance electronic technician on the ground.Why not Solar and electromagnetic connections? There is always an electric field around electric line that could be taped without contact. If its the bad guys electric cut the flippin wires
It's annoying when program managers come up with the acronym first and then attempt to (poorly) fit words into the letters. This program's title is juvenile.
Nope, not just you. Sure, you could get it to work under lab conditions, but out in the field, what are the odds of a power line in good condition, close enough to throw this thing over, being available? And how do you get it back down, assuming it did work? The risks of wet weather and sweaty hands are left as an exercise for the reader. A small quiet hand-crank generator to top off batteries would seem to be a simpler solution.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the "Bat Hook" is an electrocution waiting to happen??
Advanced Search
8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 510
McLean, VA 22102
© 2018 1105 Media, Inc.
8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 510
McLean, VA 22102703-876-5100 © 1996-2017 1105 Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Coach Foley critical of Force attitude
Western Force coach Michael Foley was critical of his team's attitude after their Super Rugby finals hopes took a knock with a 24-8 loss to the struggling Stormers in Cape Town.
Looking for a franchise record eighth win of the season, the Perth-based side struggled to get a foothold in the game until the final quarter, by which time they were 24-3 down.
The loss, combined with the Waratahs win over the Lions, pushed the Force down to seventh on the overall ladder and relegated them to third in the Australian conference.
The Stormers, who started the game early Sunday (AEST) at the bottom of the ladder, scored three tries to one.
They had over 70 per cent of possession and territory in the first half, as the Force struggled to retain the ball.
The Stormers took control on the scoreboard with 14 unanswered points either side of halftime while Force lock Adam Coleman was in the sin-bin for collapsing a maul.
The Force improved in the final quarter when captain and flanker Matt Hodgson crossed for a try while the Stormers were down to 13 men, with outside backs Cheslin Kolbe and Jaco Taute in the bin.
However, the visitors lacked the polish to convert any of several other late scoring opportunities.
"I think tonight we were off from the start, and then when the opportunities came our way, we weren't able to be accurate enough to take them," Foley told AAP.
"I thought the issue tonight was we were slightly off in attitude and they weren't.
"They were right up for it and that was pretty much the difference in the game.
"The bad thing about it was that it cost us the game, the good thing about it is that it's something we can address."
The visitors made several try-saving tackles before Stormers five-eighth Peter Grant kicked a 17th minute penalty to open the scoring.
Grant, playing his 100th Super game then converted a 20th minute try to centre Juan de Jongh.
South African born five-eighth Sias Ebersohn kicked a penalty to open the Force's account, but the Stormers ruthlessly capitalised on their numerical advantage.
They were awarded a penalty try just before the break, after splintering the seven-man Force scrum two minutes after Coleman was binned.
Up 17-3 at halftime, they swelled their lead to 21 before Coleman returned, as Grant converted after lock Ruan Botha scored his first Super try.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


text:
CAA7s Assembled at OTC
For Immediate Release
August 17, 2011
BOULDER, Colo. -- The Men's Collegiate All-American Sevens team will assemble on Saturday August 20 to train in advance of the Emirates Airlines USA Rugby Men's All-Star Sevens Championship which begins on Friday August 26 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Head Coach Alexander Magleby coached the Men's Collegiate All-Americans Fifteens side to a 2-1 record over the New Zealand Universities in July, and will look to continue that success with the sevens side. A former USA international himself, Magleby recognizes the importance of giving the top collegiate rugby athletes a high performance training environment.
"It's important we find a way to give our elite student-athletes an opportunity to compete in high level sevens environments. We need to do a better job of preparing would-be Eagles before they arrive at Coach Caravelli's door," Magleby said expressing the need for players to be steeped in sevens-specific skills and knowledge before elevating to the USA Men's Sevens team coached by Al Caravelli.
Skills and knowledge are one thing, but performing at the highest level throughout the grind of a sevens tournament, tour, and season is crucially important to a player's and team's success. The All-Americans have a great opportunity to exhibit their mental strength as well as their on-field prowess.
"In this assembly, it's crucial that we create a demanding atmosphere to help identify players who thrive in what will be the more strenuous environment of the IRB Sevens World Series. The goal is to push the students throughout the assembly, not just in the match performances at the end. Identifying who is a team player, a good tourist, and a growth mindset guy will be imperative to helping build the right depth in our national sevens team."
Magleby has selected 18 players to attend the camp and tournament, all with the chance to prove themselves in front of National Team selectors including Caravelli.
"We have a diverse talent pool -- some speed, a handful of playmakers, and some restart winners. It's a good mix. A few players are slowly coming off the injured-reserved list, so we will have to do a decent job managing their contact reps. And,obviously with this end of August assembly some collegiate programs are well underway," said Magleby.
"The priority being academics at this stage, some would-be AAs are in full swing with their course work, so were unable to compete at this time. There were a handful of graduates who are now fully immersed into their 'professional' (non-rugby) lives by now, so they too were not considered for a national pathway side. Nonetheless, it's a well-rounded, fit and competitive group."
Men's Collegiate All-Americans Sevens
Muhammed Abdul-Shakoor (Dartmouth), Timothy Acker (Kutztown University), Nate Brakeley (Dartmouth), JP Eloff (Davenport University), Kyle Grossheider (Life University), Will Holder (Army), James Bubba Jones (St. Mary's College), Gareth Jones (Temple), Duncan Kelm (San Diego State University), Garrett Lambert (Life University), David Martini (University of California - Los Angeles), Rocco Mauer (Bowling Green State University), Dustin Muhn (University of California - Berkeley), Don Pati (University of Utah), Jayson Rego (University of Hawaii), Tim Stanfill (Central Washington University), Peter Tiberio (University of Arizona), Brett Willis (California State University - Sacramento)


text:
Volume 17 Issue 25 | Nov. 12 - Nov. 19, 2004
Whole Foods, YMCA say itll be fun to stay on Houston
Photo by Kimberlee Hewitt
Mayor Bloomberg shook hands with a construction worker at the Avalon Chrystie Place project Friday, as Councilmember Margarita Lopez and Shaun Donovan, Department of Housing Preservation and Development commissioner, looked on.
By Lincoln Anderson
Hailing it as a major milestone for the ongoing revitalization of the Lower East Side, Mayor Bloomberg and Councilmembers Margarita Lopez and Alan Gerson led the celebration last Friday of the topping off of the new Avalon Chrystie Place mixed-use building on E. Houston St.
Joining them beneath a 40-ft. ceiling held by massive steel beams in what will eventually be a basketball court, were Shaun Donovan, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the 400 construction workers who have topped off the building or built its steel frame to its full height on schedule.
When finished in about a year, the building will include a new community center and gym jointly operated by the Chinatown YMCA and University Settlement, a 60,000-sq.-ft. Whole Foods supermarket the chains largest in Manhattan and 361 rental apartments, 80 percent of which will be market rate and 20 percent for low-income tenants.
The project represents part of the last leg of the communitys alternate plan to former city planning czar Robert Moses 1969 scheme to build a Stuyvesant Town-like complex of buildings in an urban renewal area between Delancey and Ninth Sts., between the Bowery and Second Ave. Under Moses plan, thousands of low-income tenants would have been displaced to allow construction of new middle-income housing. Led by the Cooper Sq. Committee, local housing activists in the 1970s got the urban renewal zone reduced to the area between Stanton and Fifth Sts. and fought to preserve much of the existing housing stock for low-income residents. In the 1990s, a Cooper Sq. Task Force was created to come up with a concept plan for projects on the final few largely undeveloped sites, of which Avalon Chrystie Place project is being built first.
Speaking last Friday, Bloomberg said the new development represents the Lower East Sides comeback from the downward spiral it was in just a few decades ago. When the new building opens, the mayor said, It will end 35 years of stalled talks and disagreements on what should happen in the Cooper Sq. urban renewal area.
Crime has dropped in the community by two-thirds over the last 11 years and is down 4 percent to date compared to last year, he noted.
The mayor said the low-income apartments in this first building are part of his plan to create 65,000 affordable units in the city. Avalon Chrystie Place will include 72 low-income and 288 market-rate rental apartments. In the projects next phase, the developers will construct new buildings on the north side of Houston St. When the entire $350 million complex is complete, they will have built 712 new rental units, of which 178 will be low income.
Bloomberg also noted the Whole Foods store will bring 400 new jobs to the neighborhood.
Praising the construction workers for doing a hell of a job, the mayor noted they had to build over four subway tracks of the B and D trains to create the foundation.
Noting it was 26 years since she first got involved in the Cooper Sq. renewal areas redevelopment, Councilmember Lopez said the day represented the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
We defeated Robert Moses. We won, Lopez said. This community is still here that defeated him. The beauty of this is it was done with the community, mayor and councilmembers.
As opposed to the three remaining urban renewal development sites on the north side of Houston St., which are in Lopezs district, Avalon Chrystie Place is in Councilember Alan Gersons district.
Its important to note that this building is not just another building in our community, Gerson said, noting its features, such as the much-needed community center, which will also boast a swimming pool and community rooms.
Referring to the low-income units in the Cooper Sq. plan and the mayors $3 billion, five-year plan for new affordable housing, H.P.D. Commissioner Donovan said, Were going to keep going and building.
Fred Harris, senior vice president of AvalonBay Communities, said leasing of the apartments for the new building will begin next March with occupancy set for June. Whole Foods and the community center will probably open up at the end of 2005, he said. AvalonBay will deliver an empty, white box space to Whole Foods for the store to configure as it likes. However, the developer will provide a finished space for the community center, with hardwood floors for the basketball court and a swimming pool, only in need of furniture and exercise equipment.
Our obligation from the city was white box, but we felt it would have been a huge fundraising effort for the nonprofits, said Harris. The Chinatown YMCA gave $1 million toward the projects cost.
As the first building is completed, AvalonBay will move on with two more on the north side of Houston St. So-called 80/20 buildings, with 80 percent market-rate units and 20 percent low-income units, they will include 200 new units on the north side of Houston St. where the Liz Christy Garden will be preserved in its entirety and 100 new units north of First St. Demolition for the larger site should start early next year.
Phipps Houses is moving ahead with a building with 41 affordable apartments and ground-floor retail is underway at First St. and Bowery.
The Cooper Sq. Committee is also constructing a new, 54-unit, supportive-housing building, at Second St. and Second Ave., 60 percent of whose units will be for residents with psychological disabilities and 40 percent for low-income persons.
After last Fridays event, Lopez noted approvingly that when the final segment of the project is complete it will include 25 percent low-income housing more than the usual 20 percent in return for building which developers qualify to receive a 421-a tax abatement.
Steve Herrick, executive director of the Cooper Sq. Committee, said after the last unit is built, the total Cooper Sq. urban renewal area will have 52 percent low-income housing.
Herrick said the community center with all it will bring to the community is especially sorely needed.
Its something we just dont have anywhere here now, he said.
Email our editor
View our previous issues
Report Distribution Problems
Who's Who at
Downtown Express
Downtown Express is published by
Community Media LLC.
Downtown Express
487 Greenwich St.,
Suite 6A | New York, NY 10013
All rights reserved.
Downtown Express and downtownexpress.com
are registered trademarks of Community Media, LLC
John W. Sutter, president
Phone: 212.229.1890 | Fax: 212.229.2790
Email: email@example.com
Downtown Express is published by
Community Media LLC.
Downtown Express | 487 Greenwich St., Suite 6A | New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212.242.6162 | Fax: 212.229.2970
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Written permission of the publisher must be obtainedbefore any of the contents of this newspaper, in whole or in part, can be reproduced or redistributed.


text:
Lots of meetings this week, two of which went very well indeed! Particularly enjoyable was meeting a VC for the first time who I had previously only spoken to by phone. We sat outside at Starbucks off Sand Hill Road enjoying the sunshine at 10am in the morning; it was so hot I had to take off my jacket and sat there in a t-shirt. I love California!
As well as lots of meetings I've been attending many networking events in the evening, which this week included on Monday, a Startup Grindmeetup featuring an interview with Jeff Clavier of SoftTechVC.
The day after I was at Founder Showcase, where as well as a bunch of interesting startups, (my favourites were Xuropa, OpenSignalMaps, Client Magnet and BlueSeed) there was an interview of newly minted VC, Mike Arrington. Unfortunately the emcee couldn't seem to help himself and didn't give Arrington the opportunity he deserved to talk. Disappointing.
Then, on Wednesday I was at Founders Den in San Francisco for a discussion sponsored by Second Market about attracting and retaining talent in Silicon Valley. I'm well aware of the challenges of finding engineers here, but even so, was surprised at the lengths recruiters have to go to to find talent. It was said that Google are offering $140,000 base salary and a $40,000 sign on bonus for new Computer Science graduates.
I spent a few days in San Francisco this week, and have grown to really quite like Caltrain, despite it's shortcomings. I like its single seats, interesting views, and as a Brit, I am amazed at how cheap it is. Although you don't quite arrive in the city centre – thanks to Google Maps for Android – I'm quite comfortable travelling across SF on the bus network as well. (Although that's not such an enjoyable experience).
Finally, on 11/11/11, as well as Veterans Day and Nerd New Year, the Startup Digest crew celebrated their second anniversary. As a former curator I was invited and we had an amazing dinner at one of San Francisco's best steak restaurants. Chris McCann and Brendan McManus launched Startup Digest just two years ago and since then it has become a must-read curated list of the best startup events worldwide.


text:
We are sorry, this product is currently not available.
Minted + domino Art Print Challenge: we partnered with design marketplace Minted to find fresh up-and-coming art to feature on domino.com! From the thousands of submissions, we've uncovered 75 brand new pieces, 25 of which are exclusive to domino.
Standard Paper & Framing
A thick, matte art paper in a brilliant white hue. Standard framed art prints are custom fitted using plexi glass, a protective backing, bumpers and hanging wire.
White Premium Wood
• Handcrafted white wood frame.
• Frame width is .75" for dimensions 16 x 20 and smaller; 1.5" for dimensions 18 x 24 and larger.
This picture was taken last summer of a small palm tree that I planted on the balcony. The color inspiration came from 80's series like Miami Vice among others. This print is well suited to the modern space such as a living room, hall, kitchen...
About the Artist Susanna Nousiainen:
I would describe my style as Scandinavian simple, though my travels around the world has broadened my artistic context.
Artist Location: Malaga, Spain.
For more ideas check out domino and MINTED art challenge


text:
A sad piece of work that features piano, synthesizers and strings.
It's very melancholic and can tell many different stories depending on your outlook.
This soundtrack is suitable for a film, a tv serie, a video presentation or any other kind of work that involves sadness, melancholy, tragedy or feelings like this.
It also can be used as a conclusion. For instance, in an scene when a couple split up, in a burial, in a battlefield full of wounded when the war is lost or in any situation you can imagine that involves sorrow and gloom.


text:
2 Chainz Celebrates 8 BET Nods at Miami's Dream Nightclub
Last night in Miami, 2 Chainz celebrated his eight BET Awards nominations at the Hennessy V.S event at Dream nightclub. The rapper was joined by Teyana Taylor, Lou Williams of the Atlanta Hawks and "Q", founder of World Star Hip Hop. 2 Chainz was spotted lighting the club up when a show stopping Hennessy V.S bottle parade surrounded his table.
All photos by Thaddaeus McAdams, Exclusive Access.net


text:
Feds Still Trying To Abuse Trademark Law (?!?) To Stop Motorcycle Gang
from the consumer-confusion? dept
I had assumed (incorrectly, it appears) that this issue had gone away, but Dave P. alerts us to the news that three years later, the fight over who gets to own the logo is still ongoing. Apparently, while a judge issued an injunction against the gang using the logo, things went further last year, when the US government tried to officially forfeit the logo. While a judge initially agreed, he reversed his original ruling, after remaining members of the Mongols claimed that they collectively owned the logo, and the government couldn't just seize it. The government, in turn, claims that the trademark is actually held by just one guy, who has already pleaded guilty to various charges.
Of course, I still can't fathom why the government thinks holding such a trademark is useful. It's not going to stop gang members. It wouldn't take much effort to find a new logo, and the government likely wouldn't win if it actually dared to try to make use of the trademark.


text:
Woman's pet snake gets stuck in car tail light
Boa constrictor tucks into car body panel
Woman's pet snake gets stuck in car tail light
Boa constrictor tucks into car body panel
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. —
Workers at a car dealership in South Florida had a different kind of repair request.
Robin Simmons told employees at Coconut Creek car dealership her precious pet boa constrictor had disappeared in her car on Monday.
Watch: Car dealer employee finds snake in tail light
The 7-foot snake slithered from the trunk into a tail light.
"I thought, 'Uh oh. I don't like snakes," said dealership employee Chris Braun. "She was tucked in the corner of the body panel. She pulled the cover off and crawled in there and we just pulled one taillight out and then you could see her."
The employees were able to get the snake out safely.
Simmons said she put the snake in her trunk without the carrier, and that she always travels with her.


text: Legal Mexican immigrants comprise the largest national-origin group in the United States eligible to become citizens. The Legal Side of Mexican Immigration, a paper by the MacArthur-supported Woodrow Wilson Center, finds that Mexican immigrants' low rate of naturalization is due in part to increasingly de-concentrated settlement patterns, with immigrants moving to places outside traditional gateway cities and states. As a result, researchers suggest that policy and citizenship efforts should concentrate particularly on citizenship-eligible Mexican immigrants in the U.S.


text:
This service is offered to members of the VisitKorea website and Facebook through account log-in.
Region : Gwangjin-gu Seoul
Type : Hot Springs/ Bath Houses/Spas/ Jjimjilbangs
Riverside Spa Land is a traditional Korean sauna where visitors can experience Korea's first and best foot massage bath for free. The sauna, located on the 2nd ...
Region : Gwangjin-gu Seoul
Type : Hot Springs/ Bath Houses/Spas/ Jjimjilbangs
Happy Day is a sports club and jjimjilbang complex located in Seoul Gwangjin-gu Jayang-dong, presenting a fitness club, golf facilities, a sauna, and jjimjilban...
Region : Gwangjin-gu Seoul
Type : Tourist Hotel
Dong Seoul Hotel is a boutique hotel located close to Gangbyeon Station (Subway Line 2). It has themed guestrooms and convenient facilities including a theater,...
Region : Gwangjin-gu Seoul
Type : Shops/Malls
Techno Mart is packed with an estimated 2,000 special electronics and appliance stores from 2F to 8F. It is a large shopping mall that connects to other shoppin...
Region : Gwangjin-gu Seoul
Type : Discount Shops
The Gangbyeon branch is the first Lotte Mart supermarket. It is located inside Technomart, the electronics superstore, which also houses an 11- cinema CGV movie...
VisitKorea does not guarantee the quality of products or services introduced on its site and is not responsible for any direct or indirect losses resulting from use of said products or services.


text:
Celtics guard Avery Bradley searches for a confidence boost
CLEVELAND — An hour and half before the Celtics played the Cavaliers Wednesday, Avery Bradley took to the court at Quicken Loans Arena and fired away.
His mechanics looked sound, as they often do for a player whose shooting stroke is simply textbook, and Bradley buried jumpers from all over the hardwood.
But Bradley had a rough shooting performance in the Celtics' 93-92 win over the Cavaliers, hitting just 1 of 7 shots, scoring just 3 points.
And in the last 12 games, Bradley is shooting 32.2 percent (39 for 121) and several misses have been layups or other shots right around the rim.
"I've just got to stay confident,'' Bradley said before the game. "Sometimes I forget that I had surgery [on both shoulders].
"And I always think that everything will be perfect all the time. Obviously I'm going through a slump right now. I've just got to stick with it.''
Bradley struggled against the Knicks in the Celtics' 100-85 loss Tuesday night, missing 8 of his 11 shots.
After that game, coach Doc Rivers said that Bradley was "clearly going through something'' and that "I'm probably going to have to do something to get him going more, not less.''
Rivers did acknowledge that Bradley's offensive role has shifted with point guard Rajon Rondo out.
"Yeah, and people are picking him up more,'' Rivers said. "And what we're trying to do is get him to get the ball out of his hands. I think personally what's going on now, guys are pressuring him, they're speeding him up and it's tough to get your faculties.
"We're really trying to get him to advance the pass, not worry about bringing the ball up, let everyone else do it. That's hard when you've got Jeff [Green] or Paul [Pierce] bringing the ball up. I do think we have to ease something, just to get him going. Once he gets going again, he'll be fine.''
Though injuries have shifted roles and responsibilities, Bradley said he has not tried to stray from his duties.
"More than anything, I feel like you have to play the right way,'' he said. "Don't try to do anything that's not the way we've been playing. We've just got to continue to move the ball and play hard. I don't feel like we've been doing that consistently.''
Bradley is a ferocious defender who harasses opposing guards the length of the court, a tiresome enterprise that few others in the NBA even attempt at all much less for an entire game.
But Rivers said he didn't think that the energy Bradley expels on defense has any effect on his offense.
"I want him obviously to make shots, but he's missing layups,'' Rivers said before the game. "I don't think that has anything to do with the defensive end.''
Lee out again
Courtney Lee missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Rivers said he's hopeful that the starting guard can return Friday night vs. Atlanta at TD Garden.
Rivers had started Jordan Crawford in place of Lee when Lee sat out against the Knicks, but Rivers decided to go with a bigger lineup against Cleveland.
As such, Chris Wilcox made his first start of the season for the Celtics. The center, who was nearly traded to Washington in the deal that acquired Crawford in February, entered the game on a string of disappointing performances.
Wilcox hadn't scored in three of his previous five games coming in, and had failed to grab a rebound in nine minutes against the Knicks.
Against Cleveland, Wilcox had 6 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes, his most playing time in five games.
"I played a whole quarter, so that's off to a good start,'' Wilcox said with a laugh.
Randolph shines
The sample size is small, but after playing in six games with the Celtics, forward Shavlik Randolph has left an impression because of his hustle and ability to rebound.
"Shav was terrific again,'' Rivers said. "He was wonderful for us.''
Randolph, who was playing in China before signing with Boston, had meager numbers — 3 points and 2 rebounds in 9 minutes – but he made his impact felt early in the second quarter.
Randolph stole a pass from Daniel Gibson. Quickly thereafter, he drew a loose ball foul on Marreese Speights. He grabbed a rebound. He drew a foul on Luke Walton. He recorded another steal. He drew a charge on Gibson.
That all happened in a span of about two minutes of game time.
Wakeup call
The Celtics' defense was suspect until the end, when it held Cleveland to one field goal in the final 5:26. "It woke up,'' Rivers said of Boston's D. "I was like, 'I'm glad to see you!' So it's good. If you're going to pick a spot to get stops, the last five minutes of the game is probably the perfect time to do it.'' . . . Rivers said rookie forward Jared Sullinger, who is recovering from season-ending back surgery in February, likely won't play for the team's summer-league team.


text:
May/June 2004
Society programs us as little girls that we need to look like the models in fashion magazines and actresses on the movie screen. Early on we become convinced that something is wrong with us if our breasts are just A cups or our hair looks like a fur ball that the cat just threw up. As teens, young women and adults we believe that we have to be thin and perfect just like those women. We grow up with an image of how we should look, but the following are some real facts regarding American women:
Marilyn Monroe would be considered fat by today's standards. Her size fluctuated between 14-18. Many women suffer from body dissatisfaction and diet relentlessly in pursuit of thinness and acceptance. Eating disorders develop, low self-esteem occurs and before you know it BAM you're with a man that smells bad and has no teeth. We equate self worth with how we look or how someone tells us we should look.
So you think that all of this is bad enough? Well put HIV on top of it. Women with HIV go through so many emotions. HIV can make us feel ashamed, ugly, dirty and unwanted. If you had negative feelings about how you look it can really make you dislike your body more than you may already. I know this because, most of my life I have struggled with my weight and appearance. I bought into the magazines that I read and believed I was supposed to look that way. When I discovered I was HIV-positive it did not help the situation.
In 1995 I began taking the protease inhibitor Crixivan (indinavir). Within a few months, I started noticing body changes. My breasts were getting larger (I thought alright ... finally!), but my abdomen was also getting rounder and my legs and arms were becoming thinner. Enter HIV and The Beach Ball On Sticks ... otherwise know as my version of lipodystrophy syndrome. Lipodystrophy can cause fat loss, fat deposits and metabolic changes. Fat loss occurs in the face, buttocks (loss of shape), arms and legs (prominent veins). Fat gain or increase occurs around the abdomen, breasts (in both men and women), on the back of the neck (the buffalo hump) or lipomas (fatty growths in different parts of the body). Metabolic changes can be defined as an increase in lipids (fats) in the blood, which include cholesterol and triglyceride. These changes can lead to increased risk of heart disease. Insulin resistance may also develop which prevents the body from efficiently metabolizing the sugar (and you know we women love our sugar). Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes.
The debate is ongoing as to whether women are at more risk for lipodystrophy syndrome than men. We do know that women are more likely to experience increases in breast size and overall weight gain than men. We also know that fat loss in the face is more common for men than women. Women who experience increase in breast size rarely find this trait to be a good one. It is not like getting some rounded, perfect implants. The gain in the breasts are usually as unpleasant as the gain in the abdomen. The fat forms behind the muscles around the organs and is not soft but rather hard and very uncomfortable deposits.
What causes lipodystrophy? The cause is multifactored. The current theories are as follows:
The next question we ask is what can I do about it? Will these changes in my body occur? Can I stop them, slow them down or reverse them? I believe that it is possible to make progress on this issue. I say this from my own personal experience and from the current research out there on ways to address lipodystrophy. (See "Managing Metabolic Syndrome" and "Diet and Lipodystrophy.") Everyone is different and may experience different symptoms of lipodystrophy.
What we need to recognize and accept is that women come in all shapes and sizes. We need to be realistic about what our bodies look like. Remember that the average American women is around 140 pounds and 5'4". I come from an Italian family of wide hips, skinny legs and big butts. Even if I work on shaping these body parts, there is always my genetic build up that tells me, hey girl, be happy with who you are. So that being said, we know that we may be able to treat some of the metabolic complications such as increased cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose levels by switching HIV drugs or by taking lipid-lowering medications. The body composition changes are harder to address. The following described methods are currently being tested and researched:
A human growth hormone called Serostim is currently being used to treat fat gain that is identified as visceral adipose tissue (this is fat that surrounds the organs rather than fat under the skin). It has been shown to decrease excess fat buildup and increase lean body mass. It also specifically responds to the abdominal fat and fat pads on the back of the neck. It can, however cause fat loss in the arms, legs or face.
An anti-diabetes drug called Metformin has also demonstrated effectiveness in reducing abdominal visceral fat and insulin resistance.
An experimental treatment using anabolic steroids for the treatment of lipodystrophy is underway. Anabolic steroids are currently used as a standard treatment for HIV related wasting syndrome. Steroids may disguise the visible signs of lipodystrophy rather than stop or reverse loss of fat tissue.
Niacin is a B vitamin being used to treat metabolic and fat disorders with some encouraging early results. Recipients of this therapy have shown reductions in intra-abdominal fat associated with an increase of good cholesterol called HDL. There are many side affects associated with the high dose of Niacin being administered and not everyone can tolerate this method.
Liposuction, a cosmetic surgery procedure can be used to remove fat from the back of the neck and around the breasts. Liposuction cannot be used as a solution for abdominal fat because this fat forms around the organs rather than under the skin and the procedure is considered to be too risky. Liposuction is usually just a temporary solution and more expensive than most of us can afford.
Here in America, we always want a quick fix. Give me that pill to cure my weight problem, my cold, my breast size or my sexual drive. Not everything is attainable without some hard work, commitment and dedication. In 1999, I was a pasty blob of 5'7" and 200 pounds. I was very unhappy with my body and how I looked and felt. I would look at myself in the morning and feel a sense of disbelief of how I looked. My breasts were heavy and out of shape (not the usual perky 36 B cup), my stomach was hard and resembled a 6-7 month pregnancy stage (except that I knew that would have to be the second time that immaculate conception occurred) and my skin, nails and hair lacked luster and vitality.
I made a conscious decision to take control of my life. I was determined to not allow this virus to run rampantly through my body, destroying not only my physical appearance but in addition my sense of humor, my confidence, my love for life and my energy to tackle whatever was most difficult. I made the decision to attack this virus and what it had been doing to me physically and mentally since 1990. If I could live through the death of a husband at 25 and watch dozens of young friends suffer and die I could do this. It was time that I started living again.
I am fortunate to have a very good gay male friend, who resembles a Greek god. He supported me throughout this process and helped by encouraging and teaching me what I needed to know. I had been reading about exercise and nutrition and its benefits. I was ready and motivated to start this change in my life. I started by learning how the foods that I put in my body react to my metabolism and the facts of how I could balance my diet for life and gain back the person I remembered from years ago. I began a workout regimen that consisted of 3 days of resistance (weight) training per week, which I performed with a set of rusty used weights on my coffee table. I also began walking around my block, getting my heart rate going for 20 minutes 3 times per week. I then began eating 5-6 small meals per day that consisted of a lean protein, carbohydrate and a vegetable. I reduced the amount of saturated fat and increased my intake of water. Within one week, I could tell a difference in my energy level and how I was feeling both physically and mentally.
Every Sunday I began making a big meal consisting of anything and everything that I craved (pasta with cream sauce, crunchy Italian bread and a rich sweet chocolate cake) and inviting my friends over for dinner. After the meal my friends got to take home all of the leftovers. I was careful not to deprive myself of the cravings that I had and used these Sunday dinners to satisfy those cravings. I noticed that as I lost weight and became healthier these cravings were reduced. I instead began to crave good healthy foods like fresh vegetables and fruits.
Today, I continue to eat healthy, exercise and weight train. My schedule consists of 3-5 days of working out at the local YMCA. I still combine the cardio and the resistance training. I eat healthy except for the occasional downfall of chocolate or sweets. I lost a total of 50 pounds and drastically changed the shape of my body. That's how I turned the beach ball on sticks into the basketball on bats. The biggest change that I see is my attitude. I am confident, more pleasant to be around and happier with not just life but who I am. I know that I have the power and confidence as a woman to succeed in this world. I feel and look good, and most of all I will beat this pesky virus called HIV!
HIV no longer means death. HIV no longer means that as women you cannot have a relationship or children. You can take control of HIV and what it does to you physically and mentally. There are many ways to learn about how to take care of your body and make changes or prevent these changes from occurring. Talk to other HIV-positive women, get support, speak with your doctor or consider attending an HIV and lipodystrophy forum offered at many AIDS service organizations and conferences. The Internet can be an excellent source of information for new treatments that are on the horizon. If you are ready to make changes and feel better then start off slow, at your own pace. Remember that we are all different and HIV affects each of us differently. Most of all find a way to be happy with you.
Barbara Marcotte is a Treatment Education Coordinator at Test Positive Aware Network.
The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our content and advertising policies.


text:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Listen to this episode by clicking the Play Button above.
Open Eyes Network YouTube Channel
You can also subscribe to us on iTunes. Click here to get to it!
The Positude Podcast is a bi-weekly show, airing Sundays, dedicated to bringing you positive stories, news you can use, holistic remedies and information, affirmation and MUCH more!
Tune in and get a shot in the arm of GOOD medicine!
The show is hosted by Ira Robinson and Maggie Heart
LNM Main Website: LNMRadioNetwork.com/chat-listen
LNM Radio Network: lnmradionetwork.com
Open Eyes Network: openeyesnetwork.com
Tune-In : bit.ly/1I7EJZH
iTunes : bit.ly/1Gs6Ntl
Android App: http://amzn.to/1HSx8hE
ALL of these places have the live stream playing 24/7. Come on in and join us!
YouTube channel: Open Eyes Network YouTube Channel
To Contact Maggie Heart:
Website: Maggie Heart
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Skype: Maggie Heart
Facebook: Maggie Heart Facebook


text:
Like the clang of the trolley car bell, the smell of baking fudge and the turn-of-the-century architecture, the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet is part of the fabric of Disneyland's Main Street USA.
As part of a yearlong Limited Time Magic marketing campaign, the turn of the century inspired Dapper Dans will be performing songs this week by boy bands from the 1990s to today at Disneyland and Florida's Magic Kingdom.
Billing themselves as the "original boy band," the Dapper Dans will sing a medley of "Bye Bye Bye" by 'N Sync, "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction and "Rock Your Body" from Justin Timberlake's post-boy-band solo debut.
Through Sunday, the Dans will incorporate the three-minute barbershop-style medley into their regular repertoire of folk, ragtime, jazz, swing and Broadway songs performed seven times a day at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.
Sadly, that means you won't be able to request your favorite songs by 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men, New Kids on the Block, New Edition or Jonas Brothers.
Although my 12-year-old daughter, Hannah, is disappointed that Big Time Rush didn't make the set list, she is anxious see the Dapper Dans' take on One Direction. And that's kind of the point: to attract the attention of kids who might not otherwise be interested in a bunch of guys singing old four part harmonies.
Atmosphere talent is my favorite part of visiting Disneyland. Wandering performers such as the Dapper Dans bring the park to life whether you stop to watch the entire show, hear only one song or catch a few notes as you pass by on your way to an attraction.
Started in 1959 at Disneyland and 1971 at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the Dapper Dans have changed up their repertoire before with the addition of 1940s tunes, Disney songs and holiday jingles. But for now, the boy band medley is truly just a one-week offering.
So far, Limited Time Magic offerings have included the return of the Golden Horseshoe Revue in January and Valentines week with princes joining their princesses for photo opportunities. Still to come: a Fourth of July Fireworks spectacular and a villains dance party in September.
Disneyland will review all the Limited Time Magic events after the yearlong promotion to determine whether any of the entertainment offerings should become part of daily lineup, according to Marilyn Magness, creative director of Disney Parks and Resorts Entertainment.
> Follow the Los Angeles Times Funland theme park blog on Twitter, Facebook and Google+


text:
Asa Somers' SOMETHING AS BIG AS THIS Workshop Set for Seattle's Balagan Theatre, Jan 2013
Asa Somers' original rock musical, Something as Big as This, will receive a January 2013 developmental workshop at Seattle's award-winning Balagan Theatre, a follow up to the recent NYC workshop starring Brian d'Arcy James and Emma Hunton. There will be a public presentation of selected music and scenes at Balagan January 14th at 8pm.
The Seattle cast includes Tony Nominated Patti Cohenour (Phantom, Big River, Light in the Piazza), Allen Fitzpatrick (Les Miserable, Memphis), Mari Nelson (Six Degrees, Guys & Dolls), and stars local favorites Auston James, Kirsten Helland and Mike Spee. The A-list ensemble is rounded out by Aaron Finley, Rachel Fitzgerald, Bhama Roget, Mark Carr, Kody Bringman, Justin Huertas, Sasha Conley and Lucy Given.
Based on a true life murder case that captivated and shocked the nation, this original musical chronicles the disparate lives of three New Yorkers and how they become intertwined one fateful night in the dark corners of Central Park. It the light of recent events across our nation, this timely piece explores the nature of violence in America, social isolation and our search for identity in the post modern age.
Somers' dynamic rock/folk infused score is being developed with Drama Desk Award winning Orchestrator Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Carrie, Company, Addams Family) and Scott Wasserman. Next to Normal alum, Louis Hobson produces and directs and Chris DiStefano music directs. This reading is presented in coordination with Balagan's executive director, Jake Groshong, and literary manager, Matt Smith.
The public presentation will be held at 8 p.m., January 14, at Balagan Theatre, 1524 Harvard Avenue, in Seattle. Tickets are free at the door with a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds will go to support Balagan's New Works Initiative.
Formed to embrace the immense talents of local theatre artists, Balagan Theatre strives to create smart and fearless theatre of the highest artistic quality. Since the first production over six years ago, Balagan has grown from another upstart theatre into one of the more exciting and successful theatre companies in Seattle, currently in residence at the Erickson Theatre on Capitol Hill. From Footlight-award winning shows like Avenue Q, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Picasso at the Lapin Agile to "Best of the Year" productions like Elephant's Graveyard, Big Love and Spring Awakening, Balagan is known for consistent artistic success no matter what genre or period of theatre is being tackled. The entire community finds something for them at Balagan. For more information, visit www.balagantheatre.org.
Pictured: Asa Somers


text:
Beauty: Jacqueline
Senior: Derek
Derek is watching his favorite game of footbal when Jacqueline enters the room, demanding her daily dose of sex. But Derek prefers to watch TV instead. So the poor girl has to apply all of her talents to get the old fool away from his game...
Watch The Full Story....
Hot Teenage Babes Pleasing Older Men Their Cock!
Come Watch All Our Beauties And Seniors!
Watch All The Young/Old Couples!
18 U.S.C. Section 2257 Compliance Notice - http://www.imco.nl/2257/


text:
Quote of the Day
You are free to choose but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.
Oil prices have continued to move higher in anticipation of a friendly outcome to today's U.S. FOMC meeting. The market has been trading this week on a view that the Fed will remain status quo on its QE and monetary policies in general and give no indication as to when they will be entering a winding down phase. The market will parse every word of the communique as well as how Mr. Bernanke answers questions at the presser after the meeting. The macroeconomic data out of the U.S. has been improving since the last Fed meeting. The main question the market is looking for an answer to is whether the data is improving enough to push the Fed into their winding down phase or are all systems go for a continuation of the massive QE program currently in place?
The G8 meeting ended with a watered down communique… as expected. Nothing further on any major western involvement in Syria with the U.S. still likely going forward with trading and arming the opposition group with small arms. Russia remained the sole dissenter on Syria. For now it does not look like there will be any immediate surge in military activity from the west that could result in an interruption of oil supply from the greater middle east. A modest risk premium remains in the price of oil.