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PDI says Glaxo renews contract, worth up to $75M-$80M (6:53 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- PDI PDII said late Wednesday that GlaxoSmithKline GSK, +0.21% has renewed its salesforce contract through November 2005. The outsourcing company said the agreement could represent between $75 million and $80 million in revenue over the 14-month term. PDI said the revenue impact in 2004 is expected to be between $16 million and $17.1 million. PDI reaffirmed its 2004 earnings forecast of $1.25 a share to $1.35 a share.
Linens 'n Things cuts Q3 EPS forecast (6:27 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Linens 'n Things Inc. LIN, +2.24% late Wednesday cut its third-quarter earnings outlook to a range between 37 cents a share and 38 cents a share from its previous estimate of a range between 44 cents a share and 50 cents a share. Excluding an item, the company expects its profit to be in a range between 42 cents and 43 cents a share, down from its earlier forecast of a range between 49 cents a share and 55 cents a share. Linens 'n Things said third-quarter sales became "softer as the quarter progressed," due to a decline in customer traffic and the impact of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne on its Southeast region stores.
Lifeline Systems reports higher Q3 earns; sales up 13% (6:18 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Lifeline Systems LIFE, +1.83% late Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings of $3.2 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with $2.7 million, or 19 cents a share, a year ago. Sales for the company, which provides emergency-response services and products, were $33.1 million, up from $29.4 million last year.
Doral Financial Q3 earnings rises sharply (6:13 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Doral Financial DRL, +350.00% said late Wednesday that third-quarter income was $120.6 million, or $1.01 a share, compared with $81.7 million, or 70 cents a share, a year ago. The financial holding company said net interest income was $69.9 million vs. $42.9 million a year ago.
Willamette Valley Vineyards restates 2001-2003 results (5:50 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Willamette Valley Vineyards WVVI, +0.83% said late Wednesday that it will restate its financial results for the fiscal years 2001 to 2003, citing the results of an excise tax audit by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S Treasury. For 2003, net income will be increased by $26,868, or 1 cent per share. Income for 2002 will be decreased by $26,369, or 1 cent per share, and 2001 will be decreased by $10,480, with no per-share impact.
Graco Q3 earnings rise 27 percent (5:46 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Graco GGG, +1.15% said late Wednesday that third-quarter earnings were $28.8 million, or 41 cents a share, compared with $22.7 million, or 32 cents a share, a year ago. The fluid technology equipment company said sales for the quarter were $149.1 million vs. $133.8 million a year ago.
PPD rises 5% in after-hours trading (5:37 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- PPD Inc. PPDI shares rose $1.77, or nearly 5 percent, to $37.78 in after-hours trading Wednesday following its release of third-quarter results. The biotechnology firm said third-quarter net income was $25 million, or 44 cents a share, compared to a profit of $24.8 million, or 44 cents a share, in the same period last year. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected a profit of 42 cents a share. Revenue rose to $215.8 million from $179.5 million, easily topping the First Call target of $192.7 million. Separately, PPD and privately held Syrix Inc. said they have submitted an investigational new drug application for an inhibitor used in the treatment of type II diabetes. Phase I studies could begin later this month, pending Food and Drug Administration review.
SanDisk sees Q4 avg selling price per megabyte off 30% (5:22 PM ET) LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- SanDisk Corp. SNDK expects its fourth-quarter average selling price per megabyte will fall 30 percent, Chief Executive Eli Harari said during a conference call late Wednesday. The company does not plan any further price cuts of its products during the period outside of holiday promotions or in response to significant moves by its competitors. For the third quarter, the company widely missed sales and earnings estimates as its average selling price per megabyte fell 22 percent.
Allstate sees $1.06B in Q3 hurricane-related losses (5:17 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Insurance giant Allstate Corp. ALL, +1.34% late Wednesday said that third-quarter catastrophe losses related to Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne are now estimated at about $1.06 billion, or $1.53 a share, net of recoveries from The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. The company said it expects a third-quarter profit of 9 cents a share. Separately, Allstate Floridian said it has taken catastrophe losses of $811 million, net of recoveries from The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
Infocus lowers Q3 sales forecast (4:43 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Infocus Corp. INFS said late Wednesday that it expects to report third-quarter earnings between 4 cents and 5 cents a share, citing a revenue shortfall and supply delays. The company forecast revenue of $161 million to $164 million, down from its previous estimate of $170 million to $180 million.didn't hear
QLogic beats Q2 target with small sales gain (4:41 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- QLogic Corp. [s:qlgc] posted earnings of $35.9 million, or 38 cents per share, for its second fiscal quarter, beating Wall Street's estimates of 36 cents per share in earnings, according to estimates from Thomson First Call. Last year's second quarter saw earnings of $34.2 million, or 35 cents per share. The maker of storage network technology said revenue for the period came in at $134.6 million, a gain of 2 percent from the same period last year.
Lifecore Biomedical swings to profit in Q1 (4:36 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Lifecore Biomedical LCBM late Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings of $1.3 million, or 10 cents per share, up from a loss of $843,000, or 7 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $12.2 million, compared with $9.9 million in 2003. The company forecast second-quarter earnings to fall in a range between 11 cents and 13 cents per share, on a revenue estimate of $12.7 million to $13.2 million.
Apple Computer posts $106 million Q4 profit (4:35 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Apple Computer AAPL, +0.62% on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter net profit of $106 million, or 26 cents a share, on revenue of $2.35 billion. Excluding $4 million in after-tax restructuring charges, Apple earned $110 million, or 27 cents a share, to beat the estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call who expected a profit of 18 cents a share on $2.15 billion in revenue.
Net2Phone narrows Q4 loss (4:25 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Net2Phone NTOP on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $6.3 million, or 8 cents per share, narrower than its loss of $11 million, or 18 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $21.1 million, compared with $21 million in 2003.
MGI Pharma reports wider Q3 loss (4:25 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- MGI Pharma MOGN late Wednesday reported a third-quarter loss of $89.3 million, or $1.26 a share, compared with a loss of $11.4 million, or 20 cents a share, a year ago. The Minneapolis-based company reported revenue of $55.5 million, up from $21.2 million last year. The company said its loss for the quarter included $83.1 million of research and development expenses and $16.7 million of initial licensing expenses for the drug Dacogen.
Lam Research OKs $250M stock buyback (4:23 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Lam Research LRCX, +4.08% late Wednesday said its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $250 million of the company's common stock. Under the terms of the buyback program, Lam can repurchase shares through Sept. 30, 2007.
Lam Research Q1 net rises, tops estimates (4:19 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Semiconductor equipment maker Lam Research Corp. LRCX, +4.08% late Wednesday said its fiscal first-quarter net income rose to $89.8 million, or 64 cents a share, from a profit of $4.79 million, or 4 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call were expecting a profit of 58 cents a share. Revenue rose to $419.5 million from $183.7 million, surpassing the First Call target of $409 million.
SanDisk Q3 earnings, sales rise (4:12 PM ET) LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- SanDisk Corp. SNDK Wednesday reported third-quarter net earnings of $54 million, or 29 cents a share, up from $15 million, or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Sales gained to $408 million from $281 million. Wall Street analysts, on average, expected the company to report earnings of 34 cents a share on sales of $456 million, according to a Thomson First Call survey.
Novellus Q3 earns 45c, sales $415.9 mln (4:11 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Novellus Systems NVLS reported third-quarter net income of $64.7 million, or 45 cents a share, and sales of $415.9 million. Excluding one-time benefits, Novellus earned 38 cents a share, matching the average target of analysts. Novellus said its orders in September "weakened significantly."
Vasogen Q3 loss widens (4:09 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Toronto-based medical products maker Vasogen Inc. VSGN (CA:VAS)late Wednesday said its third-quarter loss increased to C$19.6 million, or 27 cents a share, from a loss of C$5.9 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Vasogen blamed the widened loss on costs related to its Phase III clinical programs.
Jacksonville Bancorp Q3 net rises (3:46 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Jacksonville Bancorp Inc. JXSB said Wednesday that its third-quarter net income rose to $250,000, or 13 cents a share, from $142,000, or 8 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Net interest income rose by $294,000 year-over-year.
Pacific Continental reports higher Q3 earns (2:40 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Pacific Continental PCBK, -7.07% on Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings of $5.7 million, or 65 cents a share, compared with $5 million, or 58 cents a share, a year ago. The Eugene, Ore.-based bank holding company reported interest income of $21.2 million, up from $19.7 million last year.
Popular posts lower Q3 earns (2:35 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Popular Inc. BPOP, +1.41% on Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings of $115 million, or 42 cents per share, down from $131 million, or 48 cents per share, a year ago. Interest income for the quarter was $564 million, up from $509 million in 2003.
Harbor Florida Bancshares Q4 profit rises (2:09 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Harbor Florida Bancshares HARB on Wednesday said that fourth-quarter profit totaled $11.1 million, or 48 cents a share, up from a profit of $9.7 million, or 42 cents, last year. Rising net interest income helped boost earnings, the company said.
Matria Healthcare sees high-end of Q3 earns, cont. ops (12:29 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Matria Healthcare MATR said Wednesday it expects to exceed the high end of its third-quarter earnings for continuing operations forecast of 33 cents to 38 cents share. The Marietta, Ga.-based company also reaffirmed its 2004 revenue outlook of $287 million to $293 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are expecting third-quarter earnings of 34 cents a share and 2004 revenue of $301 million.
Harleysville National Q3 earnings rise (11:01 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Harleysville National HNBC said Wednesday that third-quarter earnings rose to $10.2 million, or 38 cents a share, up from $8.8 million, or 34 cents, last year. The company said that loan quality improved during the quarter. Total core deposits as of Sept. 30 rose 21 percent from last year to $1.54 billion.
Community Trust Bancorp posts rise in Q3 earns (9:40 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Community Trust Bancorp CTBI, -0.12% on Wednesday reported earnings of $8 million, or 58 cents per share, up from $7.3 million, or 53 cents per share, a year ago. The company reported assets of $213.5 million for the quarter.
QMed posts wider Q3 loss (9:34 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- QMed Inc. QMED, +0.00% on Wednesday reported a third-quarter loss of $1.2 million, or 8 cents per share, wider than its loss of $676,054, or 5 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $3.3 million, compared with $3.2 million in 2003.
TransTech posts Q2 loss, to appeal NYSE de-listing (9:30 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - TransTechnology Corp. TT reported a second quarter loss Wednesday of $499,000, or 7 cents per share. In the year-ago period, it reported income of $508,000 or 8 cents per share. Sales for the fiscal 2005 second quarter fell 6.6 percent to $15.2 million from $16.3 million in the same period a year earlier. The company also said it was "making progress toward a timely resolution" of a federal investigation into its bomb and hoist products for the U.S. Navy and was planning an appeal of a de-listing order from the New York Stock Exchange.
Image Entertainment expects to post Q2 opg profit (9:25 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Image Entertainment, Inc DISK said Wednesday it expects to post a second quarter operating profit compared with a loss of $35,000, or breakeven per share in the same quarter a year ago. The DVD programming specialist said it expects revenues to exceed $27 million compared with $20.3 million in the year-ago period. According to the one analyst polled by Thomson First Call, earnings are expected to come in at 3 cents a share on revenue of $26.4 million. Image Entertainment shares were down 3.8 percent, at $4.33 at the close of trading Tuesday.
Lazare Kaplan Intl Q1 net surges on sharp jump in sales (9:17 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Lazare Kaplan International, Inc, LKI reported Wednesday fiscal first quarter net income of $2.5 million, or 29 cents a share compared with $400,000, or 4 cents a share in the year-ago period. The diamond and jewelry products distributor said sales for the quarter jumped 45 percent to $78.3 million, while gross margins improved to 12.6 percent from 11.3 percent. The New York-based company attribute the rise in sales to higher revenues of both polished and rough diamonds. There was no Thomson First Call Average estimate available for comparison. Lazare shares were down 1.7 percent, at $8.08 at the close of trading Tuesday.
Commerce Bancshares Q3 net rises (9:14 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Commerce Bancshares CBSH, +1.95% said Wednesday its third quarter net income rose 14 percent from year ago levels, driven in large part by a 14 percent jump in bankcard income. The company earned $62.5 million, or 93 cent per share in the third quarter, compared to $54.9 million, or 79 cents a year ago. The company's shares fell 17 cents, to close at $49.58 in Tuesday trade.
Itron to top Q3 earns estimates (9:12 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Itron, Inc. ITRI, +1.77% said it expects third-quarter earnings, excluding non-recurring items, to be about 20 percent higher than the current average analyst estimate compiled by Thomson First Call of 23 cents a share due to strength in its electricity metering operations and lower-than-anticipated expenses. The company also said it booked an order in the first week of October to expand its mobile automatic reading system to cover about 200,000 additional customers, and to sell 50,000 electricity meters. The stock closed Tuesday down 7 cents at $17.21.
Marshall & Ilsley Q3 net income beats by a penny (8:36 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Marshall & Ilsley MI, +4.09% reported third-quarter net income of $155.4 million, or 69 cents per share, up from $140.3 million, or 61 cents per share in the year-ago period. The Milwaukee bank was expected to 68 cents per share, according to a survey of analysts by Thomson First Call. Shares of Marshall & Ilsley rose 69 cents to $41.95 on Tuesday.
WebMethods Q2 results to exceed expectations (8:19 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- WebMethods, Inc. WEBM said fiscal second-quarter results would exceed expectations amid improvement in license revenue and the closing of a greater number of large transactions. The business integration software company expects to breakeven or turn a profit of 2 cents a share, excluding non-recurring items, vs. the average analyst estimate compiled by Thomson First Call of a loss of 9 cents a share. Revenue is projected to be $50 million to $51 million, above analyst forecasts of $45.4 million. License revenue is estimated to be $23 million to $24 million, up from $22 million in the same period a year ago. The stock rallied 72 cents, or 11 percent, to $7 in Instinet pre-open trading.
McDonald's cites 'strong' comparable sales growth (8:17 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- McDonald's Corp. MCD, +0.81% on Wednesday said it expects third-quarter earnings per share of about 61 cents, including a tax benefit of 7 cents per share. A survey of analysts by Thomson First Call is forecasting earnings of 49 cents per share for McDonald's. The component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +1.38% cited 'strong' global comparable sales growth. The fast food giant reported an 11.4 percent increase in September sales and a rise of 10.1 percent for the quarter. U.S. comparable sales were up 10.6 percent for the month, 8.5 percent for the quarter. Shares fell 13 cents to $27.55 on Tuesday.
FFLC Bancorp beats Q3 target (7:30 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- FFLC Bancorp FFLC on Wednesday reported third-quarter net income of $2.7 million, or 50 cents per share, compared to $2.3 million, or 42 cents per share last year. The Leesburg, Fla. lender beat the forecast of 45 cents per share in a survey of analysts by Thomson First Call. Shares fell 19 cents to $27.34 on Tuesday.
Republic Bancorp Q3 earns 27c vs 25c (7:20 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Republic Bancorp RBNC, -2.40% Wednesday said its third-quarter earnings per share rose 8 percent to 27 cents from 25 cents a year earlier; the Thomson First Call analysts consensus estimate was for third-quarter earnings per share of 26 cents. Net income rose 9 percent to $17.2 million from about $15.8 million. The stock Tuesday dropped 2 cents to close at $15.89.
Jones Apparel cuts Q3, Q4 forecasts (7:16 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Jones Apparel Group JNY said it was lowering its third and fourth guidance due to "soft consumer confidence and employment indicators" and hurricanes in the Southeast. It said it has lowered its 2004 third quarter earnings per share estimates to between 75 cents and 77 cents, down from its previous guidance of 80 cents to 84 cents. It also lowered its fourth quarter earnings per share guidance to 40 cents to 45 cents from between 56 cents to 59 cents. Its new 2004 guidance is between $2.49 to $2.56 per share, down from $2.70 to $2.76 per share. It said: "Turning to 2005, we are projecting earnings per share to be in a range of $3.00 to $3.10, an increase of 17 percent to 24 percent over 2004 projected earnings per share."
Datalink posts Q3 loss of 7 cents per share (7:15 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Datalink Corp DTLK reported a third quarter loss Wednesday of $717,000, or 7 cents per share, compared to a loss of $2 million, or 20 cents per share in the year-ago period. Datalink's revenues rose to $25.6 million, vs. $20 million a year ago. The information storage company said its fourth quarter loss would be 6 cents to 14 cents per share. The stock closed down 15 cents Tuesday to $1.85.
Taro gets FDA green light for generic Diprolene (7:15 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Taro Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd TARO, +1.61% said Wednesday that its U.S. affiliate has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture a generic version of Schering-Plough's SGP, +0.00% Diprolene ointment. Diprolene is a prescription topical corticosteroid product used in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions. In December 2003, Taro USA received FDA approval to produce cream and gel versions of diprolene. Taro shares were down 1.4 percent, at $21.12 at the close of trading Tuesday.
Harley-Davidson's Q3 profit tops Street view by 2c (7:13 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Harley-Davidson Inc. HDI, +2.72% posted third-quarter earnings of 77 cents per share on revenue of $1.30 billion, up from 62 cents earned on revenue of $1.33 billion in the same period in 2003, as gross margin widened to 38.0 percent from 35.6 percent. The latest quarter's results compare to Wall Street average forecasts calling for earnings of 75 cents per share and revenue of $1.335 billion. With third-quarter shipments totaling 80,578, Harley-Davidson said its 2004 target for motorcycle shipments remains 317,000 units. Shares of Harley-Davidson eased 11 cents to end Tuesday's trading at $59.74.
Correct: Host Marriott Q3 FFO matches estimates (7:12 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Host Marriott Corp. HMT, +3.09% reported a third-quarter loss of $47 million, or 17 cents a share, vs. a loss of 35 cents a share in the same period a year ago. Funds from operations were 6 cents a share, up from last year's 3 cents a share. Excluding non-recurring items, such as charges for call premiums, FFO was 11 cents a share. Revenue rose 11 percent to $810 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call had been expecting FFO of 11 cents a share and revenue of $798.4 million, on average. Looking ahead, the hotel operator expects FFO of 86 to 91 cents a share, excluding special items, vs. analyst forecasts of 92 cents a share, and revenue per available room growth of 6 to 7 percent. The stock closed Tuesday up 6 cents at $14.48. (This replaces an earlier item that incorrectly reported Q3 FFO excluding non-recurring items and relative to analyst forecasts.)
Great Southern Q3 EPS beats analyst forecasts (6:19 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Great Southern Bancorp GSBC, +0.20% the holding company for Great Southern Bank, said its earnings for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 were 51 cents a share compared to 45 cents a share last year, beating analyst expectations of 49 cents a share according to Thomson First Call poll. Great Southern said its third quarter operating earnings were 42 cents per share.
Accenture beats Street on Q4 profit, hedges on FY-05 (6:15 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Accenture Ltd. ACN, +0.89% reported earnings of 30 cents per share on revenue of $3.42 billion for the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31, up from 25 cents earned on revenue of $3.02 billion in the final three months of fiscal 2003. The latest quarter's profit beat by 2 cents Wall Street's average estimate as compiled by Thomson First Call. For fiscal 2005, Accenture pegged net earnings in the range of $1.34 to $1.39 per share, as opposed to analysts' average of $1.39. The company also said its board authorized additional stock repurchases of up to $3 billion. Shares of Accenture slipped 32 cents to end at $26.58 on Tuesday.
ASML Dunn: See 65 new systems ship-able backlog for Q4 (4:26 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Retiring ASML Chief Executive Doug Dunn told reporters on a conference call the semiconductor equipment maker is anticipating 65 new systems in its ship-able backlog for the fourth quarter. He estimated 5-10 orders were pushed out in the third quarter. "In this climate, it's likely that things will change in a negative direction... I don't think there will be less units than the third quarter." He made clear it was difficult to make forecasts on shipments, calling the market conditions "murky." Based on customers outlooks, he said forecasts for spending range from negative 5 percent to growth of 10 percent next year. "I believe next year, from a customer's point for view, we'll see the first quarter and second quarter down on the fourth quarter... For sure, next year there will be a slowdown... That is our industry, it won't change, I'm afraid," he said. Next year is expected to be a "good year" for ASML despite an anticipation that customer's growth is slowing, he said.
UK's Burberry H1 revs. up on perfume launch (2:30 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Fashion brand Burberry(UK:BRBY)said in a trading update its total revenues for the half year to Sept. 30 increased by 14 percent at constant exchange rates. Wholesale revenues increased 13 percent, reflecting strong growth in the U.S. and Asia, and licensing revenue rose 31 percent as its Burberry Brit perfume for men launched. Looking to the second half, Burberry said it expects "mid-to-high single digit wholesale sales growth" for the spring/summer 2005 season. It remains On schedule to open a minimum of 4 stores and concessions, in addition to two major refurbished stores, and said it expects licensing revenues "in line" with the first half.
UK Big Food: 'Trading has remained tough' (2:21 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- U.K. food supplier Big Food Group(UK:BFP)posted a 3.3 percent drop in same-store sales for the 13 weeks ending Oct. 1. "Trading has remained tough in the food sector in recent months for both retailers and suppliers," the company said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. It said it's co-operating with Baugur; BFG on Sept. 17 said it had received a preliminary approach from the Baugur Group.
UK JJB Sports: Unlikely to receive offer, sales down (2:17 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- U.K. sports retailer JJB Sports(UK:JJB)said talks with an unnamed potential buyer have ended. The talks were "unlikely to lead to an offer that would reflect the fair value of the company." Analysts expected that the management buy-out financed by a private equity investor had been behind the announced talks. Separately, JJB Sports said same-store sales in its core business dropped 1.8 percent in its half year to July 25 as group sales dropped 21.2 percent for the period to 363 million pounds. Underlying operating profit for the group dropped 25 percent to 28 million pounds. "The poor weather experienced during the summer had an adverse impact upon turnover levels in summer clothing which also continues to be affected by very strong competition within the clothing sector," it said. The retailer took a 2 million provision against a fine in a rice fixing of replica kits case.


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|Fancy copper pots
|Future Martha Stewart
It was a bit intimidating, but of course Mimi charmed the old guys who run the place and they showed her around and gave her a gigantic spoon to pose with. She purchased some crepe making supplies.
Then we did some girl time shopping nearby our hotel and went home to rest.
By that afternoon we were pretty much tripped out. We didn't have one more museum left in us. We'd had enough crepes. We'd seen the major sites and I'd tricked them into believing that I am too scared of heights to go up in the Eiffel Tower (so we just visited instead). There was a science museum that piqued our interest so we trekked over there, checked it out for an hour and resolved to come back when either we knew more French or had a whole day to explore. There was one more place we wanted to visit and at 5pm on a Wednesday night in the rain we HOPED it wouldn't have the typical three hour line.
We headed for the Catacombs. The French catacombs are one of my very favorite places on God's green earth. I don't know why I'm drawn to morbid environments but something about cemeteries and old churches just captivates me. Two of my other favorite dead people places are Kutna Hora outside of Prague where monks have created an incredible chandelier from human bones and the Chapel of the Chimes mausoleum in Oakland built by the woman who built Hearst Castle.
The greatest part about this trip has been all of the questions that invariably come from exposing children to art and buildings reminiscent of great moments in history. At the wax museum they needed to know how many people died of the plague and where it came from. At the Rijksmuseum they needed to know what made Napoleon so important. At Cleopatra's needle where the guillotine once stood they needed to know all about why they were chopping off people's heads. At Anne Frank's house they wanted to know where she was buried. And at the Louvre they wanted to know how and why all of those mummies came to live at the grand old museum.
So around 1772 the stench and pestilence around the cemeteries was souring the milk in the surrounding homes and the attic ossuaries around the cemeteries were so overloaded they began to collapse. At the same time Paris was filled with sinkholes caused by the miles of limestone quarries beneath the city from which all of the gorgeous chapels and buildings were built. They had taken the rock from underground and stacked it above ground and Paris was starting to cave in.
The solution presented itself: the support columns would be built in the quarries and the quarries would be filled with the ancient bones from all of the cemeteries. The cemeteries, thus emptied, would be closed and new ones on the outside of the city would be opened.
And so the sifting began. Imagine the morbid process. Because it was distasteful, the whole enterprise was done in the night. The workers would sift the land in the cemeteries and load the bones onto carts. The carts were then covered in black cloth and ceremoniously dragged to the opening of the quarries. Once there they were dumped and then stacked into patterns out of respect for the dead. Once imbedded into the tunnels a plaque saying which cemetery the bones came from was placed in front of the stacks. They are all anonymous. There are bones from every age in the history of Paris, including the French Revolution which took place in the middle of the cemetery relocation. If a grave of a famous person in French history is unknown, chances are their bones are down there -- equal if not in life then in death.
And the volume, the vastness of the ossuary is astounding. You really have to go there to see the magnitude. There are more people buried under Paris than there are living above.
So yeah, I took my little kids there. They were freaked out. We touched some bones and jumped out to scare people and were rewarded with a security tail.
You can talk to kids about history and you can watch rad YouTube videos to fill in the gaps you don't know. They can read Anne's Diary and they can see pictures. But nothing will leave quite the same impression as (illegally) handing your nine year old a human femur from five hundred years ago. That kid has seen what politics, plagues and history can do. And that, my friends, is why it's important to me to drag my kids halfway around the world.


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As you can see I stripe embossed my sentiment, but I also used the same technique on my flowers, what fun!
To apply this technique to the flowers I created two acetate masks that I created by die cutting circles in them - one at 7/8" & one at 1 3/8" (see pic below). I tried giving them some stick by applying two way glue and allowing to dry, however this left a lot of residue behind so I abandoned that idea. I basically just laid the acetate mask over the Versa Mark stamped image, added the EP, grabbed both the cardstock and the mask and quickly flipped them over together to dump off the excess EP.
A couple of points -
1. you cannot do your die cut first since you need a large enough piece of cardstock to hold onto for the embossing bit. I traced the outside of my die with a pencil onto my cardstock first, then stamped the image with versa mark, embossed and then used the traced outline as a guide to die cut the flower.
2. Make sure your cardstock piece is larger than your acetate mask so that you can easily pick up the cardstock and the mask together to remove the excess EP - this part is a bit tricky, but if a little of the powder gets under the mask it doesn't matter, it actually adds a little bit of blending of the colours which is more natural for the flower image
3. you could probably cut your circles out of a post it note, but I used acetate so that I could better see where I was placing my mask
Stamps - Meadow Greens, Stylish Sentiments: Birthday (PTI)
Paper - Neena Solar White CS, Miss Nelly DP (Kaisercraft), Outdoor Denim CS (CTMH)
Ink - Pear (CTMH), Versa Mark, Outdoor Denim EP, Star Spangled Blue EP, Heavenly Blue EP
Accessories - Orange Resin Blossom (Kaisercraft), bitty pearls (coloured w Copic) (CTMH)
Other - Meadow Greens die (PTI), corner rounder, acetate, 3D foam


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"Nothing is worth winning without a fight"
I say this to be truth.
I agree crabbers
unless its for a Stuart Little DVD on ebay of course!
the fight is the best bit!
so yes, wow, on this, we agree.
but if you're always fighting you're eventually going to lose.
but if you're going to lose, you may as well put up a fight rather than just give up.
now i'm confused.
but it'd be nice to win without having to fight every once in a while.
in fact, change of plan
you go first, i'll follow.
What about
the Tombola at a summer fete?
I don't get it
I'm confused. I don't think I've ever fought for anything, so by proxy does that mean everything I have or enjoy is worthless? I'm confused.
Ok, I shall
What I have to fight to get to the top floor to jump off it? Does that mean what I am doing is worthwhile or not? If I don't have to fight to get up to the top floor and have an unimpeded path, does that tell me I should turn round and not jump? WHAT DO I DO?
A doctor writes
Many of us involved in the busy lifestyle of today find they just haven't the energy or time to commit suicide. Nothing, however, is more important in keeping both mind and body in a stable condition. It is simple, practical, and ecologically sound- just think, if we all commited started commiting suicide tomorrow, what a safer, cleaner world we'd cease to be living in!
If you perhaps worry about putting unneccessary stress upon colleagues and loved ones who cling to narrow-minded societal conventions regarding self-euthanasia, simply follow this easy-to-follow guide-
1) Write a letter denouncing everyone you know as cheats and homosexuals, stating at least two separate occasions when you screwed them over just because of who they were. Mention towards the end you are Nazi.
2) Give all your food and drink to needy children. Sellotape a note on your front door suggesting you have fled to the Canaries for tax purposes.
3) Disconnect the phone. Lock all doors and windows. Put some light, calming music on a loop on your stereo. May I suggest Coldplay?
4) Spray yourself thoroughly in a long lasting deodarant, and lie down. Place your letter in your hand, and wait. And wait. Don't give in when well-meaning friends bang on your door demanding entry, or when the stomach cramps kick in! This is your final test of will, and you wouldn't want to fail, would you?
5) In 5-10 days you will die. Once the police kick down the door, your mildly refreshing aroma will hopefully mask the worst part of the decay, saving these fine guardians of the peace the trouble of having to wretch into their gas masks. Your letter will hopefully make the task of putting you six feet under a rather lighter task for your friends and family.
6) Congratulations! It was a hard road, but nothing is worth winning without a fight, is it? You will experience a delightful feeling of well-being. Or maybe not. The Mormons might be right, after all.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Castro
Not true
What if you win the lottery? All you do is buy a ticket. Things can be won through luck.
A milion pounds
is worth winning.
but the statement implies
that without fighting to earn something, will you ever appreciate it as much as you should?
i only really want a million pounds if i'd worked for it, having it handed to me on a plate means i'd become as blase about money as so many hacks become about records and music.
bottom line = if you work for something, the reward will always be sweeter, even if to a bystander, it appears exactly the same.
Norman Tebbit
that's who you sound like.
yeah, earning it makes it better
but it doesnt mean that its otherwise worthless, does it?
youre making a statement, i partially agree with it, i put my opinion underneath in a message board thread.
by winning, do you also mean succeeding?
because I don't think I've ever actually 'won' anything significant...
the internet keeps telling me i've won things
im clearly a winner.
in your face, world.
Did you have to fight to
get to your screen though? If not, then they're NOT WORTH IT. True story.
I've won your heart?
That's nice. I don't remember fighting that hard to get it though...
You're supposed to faint, and stuff and be all ecstatic. NICE?
I retract my heart. You gotta show gratitude. C'mon, FIGHT.
S'all yours my man
I've even made a solid gold display cabinet for it, so you can show it to all your friends at diner parties.
did i win your heart with that kiss bamos?
i had to fight back the rising bile as i performed the sordid act.
Liar, you fucking loved it
The bile wasn't what was 'rising' while you were kissing me, and you know it...
okay...i admit it
i had to fight my natural urges to stop myself impregnating you.
could be
if you lost the ticket, or put it through the washing machine...
I'll know that I've won
once I get a Brit Award and then ruin it all by repeatedly beating the person who presented it to me.
Don't worry Crabbers - fighting to win is the whole point of life - fight away!
We are not animals
"fighting to win is the whole point of life"
We are human
I'd rather win
at Monopoly through tact and guile, rather than letting the game descend into a brawl.
Just rounds the game off though
Use tact and guile: Buy the Oranges, utilise the genius of Waterworks and Electric Company, always take a chance and never buy hotels - four houses are more profitable in the long term.
And then when you've won, you can kick your sister in the fanny.
^^^best post today ^^^
made me drop sandwich out of my mouth in hilarity.
Is that the American fanny or British fanny?
Please clarify.
With the right kicking technique
it could be both.
my granny was called Fanny
and that is a PROLEFACT
and she was british
oh dear
It was the British fanny
I would clarify that I haven't done this since I was very young, and she kicked me first. Bitch. It's not my fault the Mortgage value of Fleet Street isn't as much as it should be...
are you a SHEEP,
or a SHARK?
it actually worth fighting for though?
I say it sounds like a Wall Street quote from the 80's...


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The Kooky Klaw Halloween Costume byFor Halloween, Julie Guptill wanted to be something that she knew one could not buy in a store, so she made herself a Claw Machine costume. To make this clever green halloween costume she used recycled boxes for the body, old spatula handles for the claw and dug up old toys from her attic to fill the machine with lots of fun looking prizes.
Step 1:Cut & paint the box. Hot glue the smaller box to the front and add a dollar bill & handle.
Step 2:Add cardboard & cut a hole for head. Add stuffed animal prizes.
Step 3:Find something to make the claw out of & hang from the inside top of the box.
20 Votes


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FRIDAY, JUNE 29th
5pm – 6:30 p.m.
@ the closed St. Vincent's Hospital (West 13th St @ 7th Avenue, Manhattan)
- Join and share the event on Facebook
- Share the event on NYCGA
- Hosted by Healthcare-Now! NYC
On Thursday, June 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision to uphold or strike down all or parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka "Obamacare." Experts and the mainstream media are especially concerned with how the court rules on the Insurance Mandate, which will force uninsured people to buy private insurance
Regardless of whether the Supreme Court decides Obama's Health Insurance Bill and/or the Mandate are constitutional or not, we still will need Universal Healthcare in America.
Even if the ACA is upheld, and despite the best intentions of many advocates to defend it, the law was largely written by Liz Fowler, Vice President of Policy at the nation's largest and most profitable health insurance company, WellPoint.
The law will deliver 20+ million new customers and $447 billion in taxpayer subsidies directly to the private health insurance companies, but leave at least 23 million uninsured, and millions more under-insured with inadequate health insurance coverage.
The cornerstone of the ACA is the individual mandate. This regressive policy requires that if you are not eligible for a public program (Medicare, Medicaid, the V.A.), you will then be forced to buy private health insurance, or remain uninsured and pay a fine. The 99% will have to pay a much higher percentage of their income than the affluent for their coverage, and older people pay more than younger people. A 43-year-old individual making 34,000 a year will pay $5,204 in premiums and deductibles before the insurance will kick in to only cover 60% of the cost of care.
Healthcare suffers because these companies do not prioritize paying for care, but rather gobble up 30% of our healthcare dollar with shareholder profits, huge CEO salaries, marketing, high overhead and administrative costs (compared to Medicare with administrative costs of only 2%).
Obama's bill is a tangle of legislative and constitutional contortions aimed at preserving our fragmented and ineffective patchwork of public and private healthcare systems. Why? In order to make the health insurance industry happy. Unsurprisingly, the insurance industry along with the pharmaceutical industries are the biggest spenders in terms of political lobbying.
While Obama's bill does have some valuable components, there is a much simpler, more effective, and undoubtedly constitutional solution to our healthcare problems. All we need to do expand Medicare to every American regardless of their age. Medicare is one of our nation's most beloved and effective programs. It is based on a single payer model, which is a proven model for providing universal healthcare implemented in many countries around the world, who get much better care for much less money than we do.
"Single payer" is a simple and proven solution to the two intertwined crises in our current healthcare system: the skyrocketing costs and the fact that millions lack access to care. A single-payer system like Medicare provides everyone with guaranteed, comprehensive healthcare at a much lower cost by eliminating the middleman that currently stands between you and your doctor: the insurance companies.
Under a single-payer plan, doctors and hospitals would be paid for their work by a single tax-supported fund (like Medicare already does for Americans over 65), rather than wasting time and money dealing with hundreds of insurance bureaucracies as they do now in our "multi-payer" system. Instead of the multitude of plans currently available, each with different networks of providers and different services covered, every resident is automatically enrolled in the same comprehensive plan.
In addition, Medicare for All would remove all financial barriers to care. The system would be funded through progressive taxation, which means you only pay a percentage of your income based on what you can afford, unlike the skyrocketing fees charged by private insurers. A single payer system would also eliminate all co-pays and deductibles. Finally, Americans would no longer have to worry about finding "in-network" doctors or being stuck with a bill for healthcare due to an insurance denial.


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Published at Monday, April 09th, 2018 - 12:43:37 PM. Hockey Gear and Equipment. By Avdotya Klara.
It's not that we will or should agree with every decision the DOPS makes. Even its members have told me they don't want or expect that. It's just that we'll wring our hands over suspensions far less if we understand a few important rules and misconceptions. The next time you want to cry foul over a ban or lack thereof consider these six pointers first.
Enthusiasm is contagious. If you find it hard to drag yourself into the rink and onto the ice for practice how can you expect your players to be engaged and motivated? We have a few tricks to keep everyone excited about practice. Sometimes we'll pump music over the PA system to get players moving. Or we'll start practice with a small area game to get the competitive juices flowing.
There are three major types of body checks: shoulder check hip check and checking along the boards. The shoulder check is the most common. It is normally used by a defenseman when taking out an onrushing forward : Concentrate on the chest of the attacker since it is the most difficult part of the body to shift quickly keep your feet shoulder-width apart bend your knees and keep the weight on the inside edges of the blades use your legs to drive your shoulder into the opponent′s chest. Keep your head up and your stick down at all times.
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You are here
By-Band-Sleeve study uses EQ-5D-5L HRQOL scoring instrument
Researchers from the By-Band-Sleeve study have recommended the use of the EQ-5D-5L scoring instrument to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in bariatric surgery patients in combination with a mental health specific instrument. Although, they acknowledge that future work should explore in more detail the association between HRQOL and obesity specific parameters.
In the paper, 'The EQ-5D-5L is a valid approach to measure health related quality of life in patients undergoing bariatric surgery', published in PlosONE, the researchers from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, University of Bristol, Bristol and the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK - writing on behalf of the By-Band-Sleeve Study Management Group - undertook a psychometric validation of the 5 level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) using clinical trial data to measure HRQOL in patients with severe and complex obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.
Health-related quality of life was assessed at baseline and six months later in 189 patients from the By-Band-Sleeve randomised controlled trial. Patients completed two generic health-related quality of life instruments, the EQ-5D-5L and SF-12, which were used together for the validation using data from all patients in the trial as the trial is ongoing. The By-Band-Sleeve study is a randomised control trial comparing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band surgery and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
The researchers separated patients into four groups: (a) those with a BMI<50 compared to BMI≥50, and (b) those with any comorbidities (type I and/or type II diabetes, presence of obstructive sleep apnoea, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV, and unable to climb 3 flights of stairs), compared to those without. Subsequently, the authors hypothesised that patients BMI≥50 would have poorer HRQOL scores than patients BMI<50, and those with comorbidity pre-surgery would have greater improvement in their HRQOL following surgery than those without comorbidity.
In total, 189 patients were included in the study, 141 (75%) were female and the median age was 49 years old (range 23–70 years). The BMI ranged from 33–70 and the median weight was 131kg and 65 patients (34%) had a BMI≥50. Seventy-three patients (39%) had diabetes, 94% of whom were receiving medication. Forty-eight patients (25%) had obstructive sleep apnoea and most were receiving airway pressure treatment for the condition. Few of the patients (14%) had a diagnosis of cardiac disease (NYHA class II-IV). Hundred-two patients (54%) reported difficulty climbing one flight of stairs or less without resting.
The researchers report that both the EQ-5D and SF-12 HRQOL scores improved from baseline to six months. The baseline average utility weight for the EQ-5D Index was 0.73±0.25, which increased to 0.76±0.25 six months after randomisation. However, unlike the SF-12, the authors stated that EQ-5D can be affected by a ceiling effect with a slightly higher proportion of patients reporting perfect health (maximum score) at six months after randomisation (21%) than at baseline (12%). The mean EQ-VAS score increased from 62±21 at baseline to 71±21 at six months after randomisation.
The EQ-VAS and the SF12-PHC were also able to discriminate by BMI (<50 vs ≥50 kg/m2; t tests EQ-5D p=0.23, EQ-VAS p=0.03, SF-12 PHC p=0.02, SF-12 MHC p=0.64). When assessing HRQOL change scores by comorbidity (as previously defined) vs no comorbidity, neither questionnaire was able to discriminate between those with and without any comorbidities (t tests EQ-5D p=0.52, EQ-VAS p=0.74, SF-12 PHC p=0.84, SF-12 MHC p=0.26).
The highest degree of correlation were between the EQ-5D pain/discomfort and SF-12 bodily pain domain (r=-0.82). Correlations of greater than or equal to 0.50 were considered as strong. For example, there was a strong negative correlation between EQ-5D mobility and SF-12 domains physical functioning (r=-0.68).
According to the authors, the direction and degree of correlation between the different HRQOL components, except for the SF-12 MHC, were strong (Table 3). The ED-5D Index is most strongly correlated with the SF-12 PHC (r=0.75).
Between baseline and 6 months after randomisation, both HRQOL measures showed statistically significant improvements (t tests, EQ-5D p=0.01, EQ-VAS p<0.01, SF-12 PHC p<0.01, SF-12 MHC p<0.01), there was also a mean reduction in bodyweight of 20±14 kg (n=170).
"There were significant improvements in the distribution of responses in all EQ-5D dimensions after surgery and the EQ-5D domains were appropriately correlated with the SF-12, confirming criterion validity," the authors stated. "The EQ-5D is, therefore, recommended as a generic measure of HRQOL to be used in all trials evaluating surgery for severe and complex obesity."
"Future, and large enough studies, evaluating the impact of bariatric surgery, might analyse subgroups based on the type, presence and severity of a mental health condition, as the EQ-5D is able to discriminate between severities and changes over time," the authors conclude. "This might improve the ability of the EQ-5D-5L to capture change in mental health status. Until then we recommend the use of the EQ-5D-5L in combination with a mental health specific instrument. Also, we have not been able to demonstrate the ability to discriminate between groups based on BMI."
To access this paper, please click here


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Coming to PBS's American Experience tonight, Tuesday, February 14:
Barak Goodman
American Experience (February 2017)
The story of a tragic standoff between US marshals and a separatist family.
A companion piece that grew out of Goodman's fellow American Experience project, OKLAHOMA CITY, this is a harrowing account of the deadly 192 confrontation between Randy Weaver and government forces that contributed to the motivations for the 1995 Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing. While the subject of media fascination at the time, Ruby Ridge is less remembered today, making this hourlong chronicle a worthwhile primer, particularly given the present tenor of political dissatisfaction. Weaver and his wife Vicki, driven by apocalyptic beliefs and economic hardship, left Iowa to live off the grid and raise their family on a mountaintop in northern Idaho. Seeking some social contact, they began to attend gatherings at a nearby Aryan Nations compound, despite not fully embracing white supremacist beliefs. There, Weaver, seeking some extra cash, agreed to illegally saw off shotguns, leading to an attempt by an ATF agent to turn him into an informant. Refusing, Weaver instead hid out in his home for the better part of a year and a half, refusing to appear in court to deal with his weapons charge – and instigating the standoff that was to follow. Faced with a fugitive from justice, US marshals will called in to arrest Weaver, but the confluence of his remote home, tendency to carry arms, association with the Aryan Nations, and a fear he might harm his wife and children led to grave missteps that ultimately cost lives on both sides of the confrontation – and fomented anti-government sentiment in the process. In addition to other participants, including a US marshall and James "Bo" Gritz, who helped mediate Weaver's eventual surrender, Goodman most affectingly relates this tragic episode through the perspective of Sara, the Weavers' eldest child.


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Life In The Days Of The Politically Popular Bubble
A weekend topic starting with D Magazine. "Dallas certainly has its own, particular financial problems: a police and fire pension fund that is facing insolvency, the legacy of a bungled affordable housing policity that lost millions of federal dollars in the couch cushions. But the city's huge infrastructure needs, which, as council member Lee Kleinman pointed out during a recent conversation about the upcoming bond election, are something that the city can't cover in its general fund, aren't unique to Dallas. Faced with having to shell out billions just to keep the streets from not deteriorating any further, Dallas can't pay for its own maintenance and has to go into debt just keep infrastructure status quo."
"And so does the rest of America. In a fascinating article on Strong Towns, Charles Marohn, the group's founder and president, takes an in-depth look into the financial sustainability of Lafayette, Louisiana. What he finds is a fundamentally unsustainable financial outlook and a pattern of growth and deterioration that is repeated in almost every American town and city."
"What they found was not encouraging. In order get tax revenues to sustain the city's infrastructure needs, an individual property owner in Lafayette would have to pay more than double in property taxes than what they currently pay. And that's just for infrastructure. Factor in the other things that property taxes pay for –water, sewer, public buildings, etc. — and the total infrastructure revenue gap per taxpayer for Lafayette was around $8,000 per year. That's in Lafayette, a small city with a median household income of $41,000."
"So what's wrong? Well, pretty much everything about the way America has built its towns and cities since World War II: 'All of the programs and incentives put in place by the federal and state governments to induce higher levels of growth by building more infrastructure has made the city of Lafayette functionally insolvent. Lafayette has collectively made more promises than it can keep and it's not even close. If they operated on accrual accounting — where you account for your long-term liabilities — instead of a cash basis — where you don't — they would have been bankrupt decades ago. This is a pattern we see in every city we've examined. It is a byproduct of the American pattern of development we adopted everywhere after World War II.'"
"How did this happen? Were mayors and city managers asleep at the wheel? Is there a giant corporate conspiracy to drain tax dollars and line private pockets? Not really. Marohn argues that, essentially, human nature happened. Faced with new technologies, new financial tools, and new ideas about how cities should look and function, governments have funded an urban development system that is fundamentally unsustainable because it allowed policy makers to kick the costs of their investments down the road and out of view: 'The way this happened is pretty simple. At Strong Towns, we call it the Growth Ponzi Scheme. Through a combination of federal incentives, state programs and private capital, cities were able to rapidly grow by expanding horizontally. This provided the local government with the immediate revenues that come from new growth — permit fees, utility fees, property tax increases, sales tax — and, in exchange, the city takes on the long term responsibility of servicing and maintaining all the new infrastructure. The money comes in handy in the present while the future obligation is, well….a long time in the future.'"
"Psychologists call this temporal discounting. Humans are predisposed to highly value pleasure today and to deeply discount future pain, especially the more distant it is. It's easy today to rationalize that future expense, especially when you feel so assured that new growth will make those future people better off. This thinking is how you end up with two dollars of public infrastructure for every one dollar of private investment. This is how you spend yourself into bankruptcy."
The Detroit Free Press. "The very first executive action by the new Trump administration wasn't a sweeping order on immigration, trade or health care — but rather to block an Obama administration that would have reduced the cost of mortgages for millions of home buyers. In the first hour of Trump's presidency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent a letter to lenders, real estate brokers and closing agents suspending the 0.25 percentage point premium rate cut for Federal Housing Administration-backed loans."
"The change in mortgage premiums took Democrats and consumer groups by surprise. 'I think we were surprised by how quickly this was something that they wanted to look at,' said Sarah Wolff of the Center for Responsible Lending. 'I think it unfortunately signals that they don't place as great an emphasis as we would hope on access and affordability of mortgage credit.'"
"Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday that Trump's words in his inaugural speech 'ring hollow' following the mortgage premium action. 'In one of his first acts as president, President Trump made it harder for Americans to afford a mortgage,' he said. 'What a terrible thing to do to homeowners. … Actions speak louder than words.'"
From The Missoulian. "The housing bubble had fans across the political spectrum. The Great Recession, well, not so much, but the bubble that floated us into recession was another story."
"It was, after all, a housing bubble, in which the finance industry threw mountains of money at getting houses built. So, many a news story covered the Montana construction industry's boom while the bubble was in bloom. For many Montanans, this meant jobs, and I have little doubt that a search of news stories of the day would find politicians' boasts of the jobs, and of course the economic growth they'd somehow made possible."
"Some saw it coming. As early as 2001, The Economist ran an article about two biggies behind the lending boom of the day – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In its 2001 article, 'Big Scary Monsters,' The Economist warned that, 'Indeed, there may right now be the makings of a bubble in house prices,' and that it just might be a dangerous enough bubble to set a basis for the world's next financial crisis."
"For many Montanans, life in the days of the politically popular bubble had an appearance of community stability. It was, to be sure, a jobs-machine for the closely linked logging and construction industries alike. No politician dared say a word of warning about it."
"Then the predicted financial crises swiftly wiped out jobs that the bubble had been supporting, and, in cruel irony, the bubble that floated us into the Great Recession wasn't kind to loggers. According a report from a team led by Charles Keegan, University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, 71,000 logging-related jobs went to the chopping block and 'virtually every major western mill suffered curtailments and 30 large mills closed permanently.'"
"Where's the community stability in that?"


text: Price: 14.600 US$ This car is basically for mixed use. Pickup, hatchback and off-road on the same platform. Therefore the price a little more expensive. In the mechanical part was made from a partnership with BPM. Hope you like it, I struggled the most. ; D Have fun . Press thanks if you liked and post your opinion about the car.Can be good or bad. Don't matter. It's yours. star_t_beach.zip


text:
SANYS Long Island NewsBy Regional Directors. Filed in SANYS Long Island News, SANYS News, Uncategorized |
Click here to listen to SANYS LI Youth Ambassadors, Christian Ranieri and Sky Burke, on the Radio talking about their projects, the civil rights movement, how they got their start in advocacy, and their work at The Self-Advocacy Association of NYS!! For more news, click here.
Watch here to see Jessica Campbell from SANYS LI Region sharing her self-advocacy story and discussing the importance of supports and services for people with developmental and other disabilities.


text:
Software Listing of Author : "Manoj Nagpal"
- IPodExtras
- License: Freeware
- Price: 0.00
I bought a new IPod Photo. (Had a 10Gb version before - Generation 1 but it got stolen). While exploring all the features and the options on this little white hardware - I had to start searching for a software, which can manage the contacts and the calender on iPod. A bit of manual reading and Internet research told me that although Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook can be used for managing to-do lists and contacts it was not good enough. I myself don't use these appliceations to manage my emails and contacts. Moreover there was no single good enough standalone software available for managing these featuers of ipod. So i decided - I had to start building one ...
- Publisher: Manoj Nagpal
- Date Released: 08-06-2009
- Download Size: 59801 KB
- Download
- Platform: Win2000, WinOther


text:
& Israeli Season's Greetings
By Stephen
Both countries wage war on humanity. They do it no-holds-barred. They perpetuate wrong over right. They flaunt rule of law principles.
Their agenda reflects gross injustice, institutionalized persecution, racist hate, mass slaughter, destruction, and ruthless exploitation.
Harshness persists throughout the holiday season. Imperial lawlessness takes no time off to pause. It continues relentlessly. It does so viciously. It does it throughout the year.
It's the America way. It's the Israeli way. It's their longstanding way. There's no other way.
Obama's direct and proxy wars rage. They do so while he takes time off. He's relaxing. He's vacationing in Hawaii.
Controversy accompanies him. Festering problems deepen. His trips cost plenty. He's away for 17 days. One week away costs an estimated $100 million. It includes hundreds of secret service staff and others.
Travel, accommodations, security and other costs are enormous. Military cargo planes bring special vehicles and equipment.
They're specially built for security. Bulletproof glass replaces hotel windows where Obama and his family stay. Entire floors are blocked off. They're needed for security and staff traveling with him.
US fighter jets provide round-the-clock air cover. In 2011, estimated White House expenses were around $1.4 billion. Odds are they'll top $2 billion this year.
They include staff, housing, travel, entertainment and perks.
Expenses rise annually. They've increased exponentially during Obama's tenure. Exact amounts are classified.
Air Force One expense is secret. It's estimated hourly rate is about $180,000. Washington to and from Hawaii flying time takes about 18 hours. It costs $3,240,000.
Security away from home is costly. Presidential aircraft domicile at Andrews Air Force base. It has its own security. It guards Air Force One when it's not elsewhere. It makes certain it's airworthy.
Many other security related categories are involved when Obama travels. Imagine how many gratuitous trips could be avoided. Imagine how much staying at home would save.
Imagine the good his travel budget could do. Imagine how many impoverished, unemployed, hungry and homeless people could be helped.
Americans pay plenty for rogue presidents. Most people on the ground where he visits deplore him. He exceeds the worst of his predecessors.
His agenda explains why. He's the latest in a long line of warrior presidents. Imperial lawlessness rages. Humanity's survival is threatened. So are diminishing chances to avoid the worst of all possible outcomes.
America's wealth used constructively could change things for the better. It could ensure greater safety, security and equity.
It could improve chances for world peace. It could help make planet earth more fit to live in. It could prevent flora and fauna from dying. Current policies are polar opposite.
US spending for militarism, global wars, homeland security, state terrorism, its gulag prison system, mass surveillance, intelligence over and above what's needed, and trillions of dollars of waste, fraud and grand theft go all out to destroy what's too precious to lose.
Israel operates the same way. It conducted multiple holiday season attacks on Gaza. A three-year old girl were killed. Hala Abu Sbeikha was murdered in cold blood. Others were wounded.
Hundreds of Palestinians mourned. Hala's father laid her to rest. Her mother said:
"I was busy teaching my children while (she) was playing in the courtyard, and suddenly a missile came and I couldn't rescue her."
"The area was quiet before the missile landed." Israel's attack injured Hala's mother and brother. It breached international law. It demands accountability.
Under Fourth Geneva's Article 147, grave breaches include "willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment," great suffering, serious injury to body or health, and other acts of extreme harshness.
On Christmas eve, Israeli forces conducted multiple community incursions. Bethlehem, Nablus and Ramallah were targeted.
Homes were ransacked. At least 10 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped. Israel's Christmas message is the same one Palestinians get year-round.
Multiple Palestinian West Bank homes were demolished. Doing so displaced 68 people. Nearly half were children. A five-year old girl paralyzed from the waist down was affected.
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) representative Chris Gunnes "condemn(ed) the latest demolitions." Imagine doing it on Christmas eve. Imagine it any time.
The livelihoods of affected families are "severely threatened," said Gunnes."
"These are Bedouin communities who managed to weather the recent snow storms. Tents have been distributed by the Palestinian Red Crescent in coordination with the ICRC but this is hardly adequate considering night-time temperatures plunge to around zero."
"In addition, some 750 head of sheep and goats are without shelter at this crucial lambing season."
Displaced families are dependent on international aid at a time of "pitiless seasonal weather in inadequate housing."
UNWRA data show Israel displaced at least 1,100 Palestinians. It did so throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem alone. Over one-third are refugees.
Israel's Civil Administration demolished "663 structures, including 259 (homes)" this year, said UNWRA.
According to Gunnes:
"These demolitions are a common trigger of forced displacement and may amount to a forcible transfer and forced eviction under international humanitarian law and human rights law."
"We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, most particularly to ensure the humane treatment and protection of the civilian Palestinian population at all times, including through an immediate halt to administrative demolitions."
An Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) spokesman confirmed UNWRA numbers.
He lied claiming targeted structures were built illegally. Palestinians build on their own land. They have every right to do so.
Israel's High Court most often sides with the worst of government policies. Palestinians are on their own out of luck. Their fundamental rights are systematically violated.
Since June 1967, Israel demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures. It did so lawlessly. It destroyed private Palestinian property.
It claims a divine right to do it. International law prohibits it. Rogue states operate this way. Israel is one of the world's worst. State terror is official policy.
Jeff Halper is a US-born anthropologist. He's an academic, author and political activist. He's lived in Israel since 1973.
He heads the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (IDAHD). In 2006, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
It was for ICAHD's work "to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence (and) to build equality between their people by recognizing and celebrating their common humanity."
On December 4, Halper asked "What comes next? He discussed efforts "towards a bi-national end-game in Palestine/Israel."
"(W)e find ourselves at a precarious crossroads," he said. Two-state solution advocacy is "dead and gone."
Continued Israeli land theft and settlement construction killed it. Halper cited the urgency to "formulate a just and workable end game."
Israel is like other terror states. They look "overwhelmingly strong until the very end," said Halper. Eventually they weaken and fall. So may Israel. It can't come a moment too soon.
Sham peace talks may "trigger a chain of events, sooner rather than later, that will open up political possibilities not available (at) this time," Halper believes.
Now is the time for Palestinians and Israelis committed for justice to take full advantage. They should ally with international partners. They should go all out for change.
Don't expect Israel to act responsibly. Don't expect corrupt/collaborationist PA officials. Don't expect world community leaders. They turn a blind eye to Israel's worst crimes. Ordinary people are on their own for change.
"If we, the people concerned, want to be actors in determining our own future, we need to begin formulating immediately an end-game to the conflict," said Halper.
"(W)e need to envision a just and inclusive Middle East if we are to have a hand in fashioning it."
Change is up to us. It's up to civil society demanding it. There's no other way. Fundamental universal rights must be recognized.
Palestine/Israel must be one state for all its people. Separate and unequal must end. Collective and individual rights must be balanced, said Halper.
He believes a dual political system may work best. He calls it "bi-nationalism combined with one person-one vote."
International law must be respected. UN resolutions can't be ignored. Human and civil rights are fundamental. So are other democratic values.
Diaspora Palestinians must be able to return. "Without a full and genuine resolution of the refugee issue, any plan of peace is still-born," said Halper.
Just peace policy requires "equal access (to) basic resources and economic institutions." Security concerns of all must be addressed. One side against the other assures continued conflict.
Equitable power sharing is the best chance for peace. "A bi-national state would address the most urgent need at hand: resolving the (longstanding) Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Halper believes.
Establishing Palestine-Israel is step one. Much more must follow. Civil society must act. Constructing a viable political system isn't hard. Workable models exist.
Most crucial is which way to go, said Halper. He listed three choices:
an equitable bi-national system;
an electorate of individual voters; or
same old, same old: one people dominating another unjustly.
Halper believes Palestinians must choose. They have "great leverage." They're the "gatekeepers. Only they can signal an end to 'conflict.' "
"(O)nly they can legitimize the presence of Israeli Jews in the Arab and Muslim worlds, under conditions of transformative justice."
They remain "key to articulating a vision of a new Middle East and mobilized regional civil society. We are truly at a cross-roads," Halper stresses.
He believes sham peace talks will fail. He expects two developments to follow:
"the end of the Palestinian Authority;" and
Israel unilaterally annexing Area C.
It comprises about 60% of West Bank land. It includes its most valued parts. Annexation would isolate Palestinians more than ever.
It would deepen occupation, colonization and apartheid. It would eliminate any hope for self-determination. It would assure continued conflict. It would make peace impossible.
Now is the time to act against what's too unjust to accept. It's up to civil society. It's up to us. There's no other way.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
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*Participate in any discussion on relationships and you are likely to see a few things consistently.
First, you'll see more women than men participating.
Second, you'll see people passing stereotypes around, instead of seeking the truth with researched data.
And third, you'll see one side blaming the other, while pretending to be listening in search of enlightenment.
Sad, I know.
But really, men and women are having difficulty talking to each other.
And, while no one wants to take the weight, both sides are to blame.
Men have to take their fair share of the breakdown blame because too many of us believe that it's cool to tuck our emotions away. Too many men have also decided that it is better to appease women than to speak the truth and have them angry at us. And too many of us think that having a discussion about feelings is for women and gay men.
Consequently, our voice is rarely heard, except in response to the voices of "those" women who are loud and negative, particularly in the media.
In fact, the media is filled with article after article about what is wrong with Black men. Even when discussing the difficulties facing Black women, the finger is inevitably pointed at Black men. That's why it's confusing to see crazy people who get upset with me when I offer balance.
To the ignorant, balance means that I cannot say anything about women without someone simultaneously saying something about men.
Not only is that ignorant but it is in direct contradiction with the plethora of negative media coverage on men—Where the good ones are; why we are in prison, why we are "down low", blah, blah, blah…..
At any rate, no one can deny that there is a war brewing between the genders and that unless more strong men stand up and make themselves heard, things will only get worse.
I asserted before and do so now, that Radical Feminism has caused some role-reversals and general confusion as to what each gender should really be about.
As a glaring example, where men were once fighters, we see far too many women cursing like sailors and ready to get physical with men and with each other (some of them are shocked when people fight back).
Some women consider themselves "evolved" to use filthy language like men and to engage as many lovers as possible (even though that ain't good for men, either).
On the flip side, where women were once tender and more conciliatory, we see far too many men who refuse to stand up for themselves, speaking too softly, afraid to make people angry and allowing women to define them.
Of course, I will inspire anger when I point out that over the past thirty years, we-both men and women–have been assaulted by damaging and contradictory messages from Radical Feminists.
And, because Radical Feminists haven't held a convention and passed out their propaganda in handbooks, some morons try to deny that it exists.
Radical Feminists have attempted to re-define womanhood, failing because not even all women agree. For example, for every combat boot-wearing freak of female nature who curses a man for chivalry, there is still a woman who prefers to have the door held for her.
And the re-defining of men failed for the same reasons.
In reality, there are so many covert gender-benders (which has nothing to do with sexuality) speaking loudly while claiming to represent their gender that younger people are getting a little confused.
For example ignominious morons are quick to call a man gay because they disagree with him.
The morons who disagree with disrespect always go straight to the same place that white racists always went—attempt at castration.
White racists loved calling Black men "boy" in order to cast doubt on his manhood. Witness the Feminatzis and their sissified boy minions calling men gay when they disagree or dislike what they hear from the men.
Aside from the aspersions against a man's sexuality, there are the accusations of hating Black women when a man speaks against the propaganda.
Well nutty Feminatzis and their sissified boy minions will now have another reason to hate me, even though I still haven't found one reason to give a damn.
I don't care because I've studied history.
The revolutionary movements of Blacks during the 1950's and 1960's were about freedom from Jim Crow laws and discrimination against people of color. It expanded beyond Black to include other oppressed minorities, which is why we see Mexican immigrants singing "We Shall Overcome" while employing tactics from the Sixties in seeking their goals.
The results of the revolutionary movements in the Sixties benefited both men and women, even though Radical Feminists claim that the movements were sexist.
And, since we now see that more women are in college than men, which is leading to some groups of women progressing over groups of men, we know that the results were beneficial to both genders.
So, why, then, do we still hear about the poor, oppressed Black woman, who is downtrodden by the very Black man she also claims to have passed in progress?
The reason is simple, yet infuriating for the ignorant.
Journalist, Activist, Author Midge Decter asserts that the Radical Feminist is disoriented by freedom of choice.
"It is a freedom that frightens her [today's woman] and disorients her and burdens her terribly," asserts Decter. "The appeal to her of the women's movement is that in her fear and disorientation, the movement offers her the momentary escape contained in the idea that she is not free at all; that she is, on the contrary, the victim of an age-old conspiracy that everything troubling to her has been imposed on her by others."
In other words, feminism, much like many other revolutions, failed its followers, because there was and is no plan for dealing with success.
Arguably, one could say that the Black revolution failed because once the goals that were set were reached, there was no plan for continued direction. This may explain why Blacks improved for a time and then in many ways began to backslide.
It may also explain why many Black women chose to attach themselves to a movement (feminism) that still had momentum, even as the direction was becoming murky.
But the conundrums can be found in statements that detail how far ahead Black women are than Black men, juxtaposed to the statements of how Black men are oppressing Black women.
Essentially, such silly statements dictate that Black men have focused on holding their women down, instead of progressing. It also dictates that Black women have become more powerful than Black men but are ostensibly either too stupid or too weak to keep from being held down by these weak and stupid people.
When we hear the statements of job parity or equal access in society, Black men recognize and respect the struggle of Blacks who are women, because we still face some of those same issues as Blacks who are men.
So then what is it that the Black Radical Feminist wants?
Apparently, not even she knows, particularly, since many of those who carry the banner and pass along the propaganda often shy away from even identifying with feminism.
But African descendants in America are familiar with such hesitation, as throngs of Blacks have either passed as white through history, or simply have refused to be identified with Blacks.
The Radical Feminist slogan should go something like this: "What do we want? We don't know. When do we want it? Now!"
Next Week: "The Burden of Freedom."
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology "Notes From The Edge." James' stage play, "Love In A Day," opens in Los Angeles this Spring. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at [email protected].


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This was a well acted comedy with great pacing and direction. To me this is like a mixture of Clerks,Shaun of the Dead, and Funny Games (somewhat). The movie was pretty low budget ($10,000) but that didn't matter because it still looked great. It shows what you can create with a good script and a well rounded cast. This is another movie I would love to see again and bring friends to.
Check out the Mon Ami website


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Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the alleged perpetrator of the Ohio State University attacks that left 11 wounded, had links to Pakistan, media reports said today.
The young terrorist, also a university student, whose family immigrated from Somalia, rammed his car into a crowd at university yesterday and attacked them with a butcher knife, injuring 11 before police fatally shot him down.
According to law enforcement officials, Artan, whose age was reported to be between 18 and 20, was a third year transfer student in logistics management.
A Somali refugee, who left his homeland with his family in 2007, lived in Pakistan and then went to the US in 2014 as a legal permanent resident.
Catholic Charities had helped with his family's resettlement, reports said.
It has also come into light that minutes before the incident, the attacker posted an anti-US rant on his Facebook page.
"I can't take it anymore. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah (community). We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," read the post on the Facebook page of the student.
He even praised Anwar Al-Awlaki, a radical American-born al-Qaida terrorist who was killed in 2011.
Police told reporters that it was a terror attack and that a security official who was nearby reached the scene of the terror strike and shot Artan dead.
"It bears all of the hallmarks of a terror attack carried out by someone who may have been self-radicalized," US Representative Adam Schiff said.
Terror groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State have called upon their supporters to carry out attacks by driving vehicles into people or using knives, tactics that do not require elaborate preparation or equipment or networks.


text: OpenStack Summit Moves the Framework Forward CapturedTech - Technology Patrick Stevens .Net DevelopmentWeb Development cloudOpenStackSummit May 20 2015 This weeks OpenStack Summit in Vancouver showcased some of the ways large corporations and newer startups have used the OpenStack framework to build some cool applications. Companies like HP, IBM, and Redhat along with SwiftStack and Bluebox were on-hand at the conference to show developers what is new in cloud computing. We all know that OpenStack has been one of the most popular open source development projects ever. And companies like Rackspace use the framework to host applications at their data centers. Other stories told at the conference included how Comcast and Walmart are using Canonical's version of OpenStack to improve their data centers. This is important as OpenStack by itself is most often too difficult to implement. And Nebula, a company that tried to make OpenStack more widely used, closed down just recently. The advantage that OpenStack does have is in its goal to be a standard in the industry, allowing applications across companies to work well with each other. This is in contrast to the route Amazon, Microsoft and Google have gone in developing their own clouds that stand alone. In addition, different implementations of OpenStack have lacked interoperability with one another as companies add proprietary code to make the framework work for them. At the summit, a list of companies have announced that their clouds do work with one another, a step forward in the industry. OpenStack 101 - What Is OpenStack?


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When filling out Maryland state tax returns, you're supposed to first fill out your Federal returns, including Schedule A if you're itemizing deductions.I filled out my federal tax returns then started to fill out my Maryland state tax return. It turns out that I owe about $155 on state tax return.Can I go back to my Schedule A Itemized Deductions and deduct the $155 I need to pay to Maryland state government? I know that on Federal Schedule A, you don't have to reduce state income tax by the refund you anticipate to get.But it says nothing if you owe your state government money.
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Reality Tidbits – Tuesday Morning
There are rumours that Roxy Jacenko might be making another reality TV show and she could be interesting if this email exhange with Sarah Stavrow is anything to go by. Also with her husband being charged with insider trading it would definitely add a plot line as the court case is on in November. I hope so she made the last series of Celebrity Apprentice. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
Mel B apparently snogged another woman in a toilet, but you have to wonder if it would even be a story if she had been snogging some guy. (Source: News.com.au)
Jessica Simpson married the father of her two children over the weekend. (Source: News.com.au)
Adam and Lisa from House Rules say they were not millionaires and that they also want to give back to the community. (Source: News.com.au)
Romy the girl on The Voice Australia that had a tsunami of words written about her breaking down on national TV appeared on A Current Affair last night and she appears fine and is keen to audition next year. (Source: News.com.au)
Justice Crew has one of the longest hits on the Australian charts with their signal Que Sera. (Source: news.com.au)
Two US candidates who are certain to lose the elections they are standing in have been approached about being on a reality TV show which would feature their campaigns. (Source: Democracy Chronicles)
Former Next Top Model host Jodhi Meares might have been busted drink driving in a spectacular fashion but she appears to be coping with it by posting life affirmations on her instagram account. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
Yaya Deng from The Face has landed a modelling job with Peter Alexander.(Source: Daily Telegraph)


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Note: Natural Color will vary by hide. Remember that a swatch is a general representation of the leather's color and texture, not an exact match. Scars, marks, and branding are not flaws but rather are proof of authenticity. Expect color variation.
DESCRIPTION: Tribe is hand antiqued in Italy in order to achieve a vintage look. Inspiration for the leather is from an old aviator jacket from the 1920's worn by time in a natural way. The hides are finished with a careful formulation of waxes and oils that create a surface which alternates between glossy and matte. The end result is a soft, supple, lived-in look leather.


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World's best stuff for leaks, drips and spills.®
Plus, you get a FREE gift with every order! Start Autoshipping right now —
just change "Ship One Time" to a frequency that suits you. It's easy!
PRICING (Based on quantity)
|1 -2
|3 -6
|7 +
|Fluid Absorbed
|Oils, Coolants, Solvents, Water – Universal
|ext. dia. 22"
|Mat Weight
|Recycled Content
|25% or more Recycled Content
|Up to 6.9 gal. per box
|Absorbency per
|Up to 35.32 oz. per pad
|Bung Size
|1 (.75" Dia.), 1 (2" Dia.)
|Drum Size
|55 gal.
|Drum Type
|Steel Drum
|Sold as
|25 pads per box
|6.2 lbs.
|NSN (National Stock Number)
|# per Pallet
|UV Resistant
|Pigalog® Page Number
|Page 19
Product works great. It's helpful how you can hang the box on the wall keeping it off the ground or a shelf. Fast delivery as always. Happy shopper here.
These PIG Mats are a great buy & a great find for me. Small drum top spills were always a pain until now. Thanks PIG.
These absorbents area great! Our mechanics love them! Somehow, our aerosol puncturing device gets plugged once in a while and makes a mess, these pads absorbs the paint/dirt and grime, after pad gets dirty we take off and dispose and replace with another one.
This is a great product. Thanks New Pig!
New Pig has a great product and even greater service! What a genius idea, so simple to use and effective. I wish I had thought of it! While New Pig's products work great, their prompt delivery and easy to use ordering system make buying from them easy. Will definitely order from again!
These fit nicely on 55 gallon barrels and are shipppend in a handy dispenser.
These absorbent pads are a very good quality. For the mess that my techs do here in our shop to works. Always helps with the over flowing of fluids on the drums, its even great when i have to absorb some spillage from the floor. All and all, i am lucky to have these pads.
Ever tip a barrel to move it and make a mess on the floor because there was oil in the lip? We have, and the PIG barrel top mats keep it from happening again!
Your Barrel top Mat is very affordable and works well above your competitors mats.
Messy and spilling over barrel tops were a prblem for many years as no one wanted to be responsible for cleaning them up. Since I started using Barrel Top Mats, the problem has been solved . They are easy to use and fit perfectly. Great Product!
Love the precut barrle mats. Buying from New Pig is always a slam dunk since everything you sell is quality. We have found that your prices are often less than the competitors which is unusual for a specialty/niche company. It is great to have New Pig as a partner in clean in our business, Lone Star Bavarian(automotive service). Great company and great products...thanks.
These are easily used and removable. Works great


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One of Žižek's more spirited interventions is Welcome to the Desert of the Real: Five Essays on September 11 and Related Dates (2001). This book (abbreviated Welcome below) is a pointed attack on the ideology of global capitalism. Žižek argues that — after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 — the United States of America had an opportunity to confront the symbolic inconsistency of its liberal-democratic ideology. But despite assertions that nothing would "ever be the same again", the United States failed even to recognize the possibility for substantial change. Instead, the USA found ways to not only reaffirm, but even to reinforce its commitment to world-market globalism.
The …
Wood, Kelsey. "Welcome to the Desert of the Real". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 February 2013
[https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=23496, accessed 23 January 2019.]


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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
What do you need help on?Cancel X
Shiren and Koppa still have their primary objective of finding the Lair of the Golden Condor but an adventure is not complete without visiting new towns and going on exciting side quests! Check out some of side quests they go on and the towns these two warriors visit along the way!
If you're stuck in Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, ask your fellow GameFAQs members for help.
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Does Job American Media Refuses To
Attention American media: THIS IS WHAT REPORTING FACTS LOOKS LIKE!
Leave it to Spanish TV Univision to do an actual, DETAILED and FACTUAL story about the Obama Administration's cover-up of the Fast & Furious gunwalking scandal.
In the video, we learn that there were an additional 57 previously undisclosed high powered weapons that the Holder Led Justice Department allowed to "walk" to Mexico were used to commit murder in Mexico.
One of those murders was against an American Serviceman.
At 2:30 in this video, we learn that 24 year old David Booher, an Air Force medic was executed on November 4th, 2009 in Bar Amadeus in Juarez, Mexico using one of the guns that Eric Holder ordered to be allowed to cross the US/Mexico border, as part of Fast & Furious.
Folks, Eric Holder is guilty of MURDER.
I sure hope Congressman Issa saw this video tonight and starts issuing Subpoena's again. Eric Holder has alot of explaining to do - ON HIS WAY TO FEDERAL PRISON for the MURDER of an American Serviceman.
Another one of those guns was used to murder Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. The gun that was used to murder him was traced DIRECTLY back to the "Fast & Furious" program that Eric Holder initially denied any knowledge of, then tried blaming the former Bush Administration for.
Holder was proven a liar during his testimony to Congress and again afterwards.
Kudos to Univision for doing the reporting that the American lamestream liberal Obama knee-pad wearing media refuses to.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WAKE UP AMERICA! YOUR PRESIDENT IS LYING TO YOU AND ONCE AGAIN IT'S COSTING AMERICAN'S THEIR LIVES.


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New York: People with celiac disease whose intestines are slow to heal are at increased risk of cancer of the immune system, or lymphoma, according to a new study.
Researchers found that people with celiac disease who had persistent damage to their intestines after being diagnosed - possibly due to lack of adherence to a gluten-free diet - had rates of lymphoma almost four times higher than the general public.
However, it`s not clear whether everyone with celiac disease should have follow-up biopsies to look for such damage, according to Dr. Daniel Leffler, from The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
"It`s still only worth doing a test for a problem if you can fix the problem when you find it," said Leffler, who wasn`t involved in the new research. "Right now the only treatment we have (for intestinal damage) is a gluten-free diet."
Among people with celiac disease - about one percent of Americans - the immune system reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Eating foods with gluten damages the small intestine and keeps the immune system on overdrive, so patients are advised to adopt a permanent gluten-free diet at diagnosis.
The new study included 7,625 people in Sweden who were diagnosed with celiac disease and had their intestines biopsied a year or so later. Of those people, 43 percent still had damage to their intestines on the follow-up exam.
Dr. Peter Green from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York and his colleagues tracked the Swedish patients for an average of nine years after their follow-up biopsy. During that span, 53 were diagnosed with lymphoma.
Based on biopsy results, the researchers found that people whose intestines had healed after their diagnosis were not at any higher risk of lymphoma than average. However, those with persistent damage developed lymphoma 3.8 times more often than would be expected among the general public.
Leffler told Reuters Health it`s impossible to know whether everyone in the study who had intestinal damage had strayed from a gluten-free diet.
"We don`t actually know whether the only issue in these people who didn`t heal was gluten exposure. Some people may take a longer time to heal," he said, such as those who were diagnosed at an older age.
Although it`s still up for debate whether people with celiac disease should get regular biopsies - in part because there`s not always much doctors can do with the results - Leffler said they should continue to follow up with their gastroenterologist and dietician, even if they are feeling fine. But any extra risk of lymphoma should not make those patients overly concerned, he added.
Among 3,308 people in the study with persistent intestinal damage, 41 - just over one percent - were diagnosed with lymphoma, according to findings published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"Even with the significantly increased risk of lymphoma, it`s still a small risk," Leffler said. "I would caution against an undue paranoia about the increased risk of lymphoma."