2011年9月30日 星期五

The new power generation

Britain's biggest broadcasters are reaping the benefits of adopting low-energy technology and leading the way in developing environmentally sustainable buildings.

Becoming an environmentally sustainable business is just like giving up smoking.ceramic Floor tiles for the medical, So says Alex Balardi, whose company, GreenBe, is a consultant to UK businesses seeking a greener way of operating.

He cites clinical studies in which, despite being given a virtual death sentence by a doctor, heart patients left to their own devices found it almost impossible to make lifestyle changes sufficient to recover. But patients who connected themselves to a broader recovery community were able to make life-saving changes relatively easily. The solution became about "us" rather than "me".

Likewise, businesses working together for sustainability have a greater chance of success than companies operating in isolation, and high-profile enterprises can set powerful examples.

In June, Sky opened Harlequin 1, a building purpose-built to act as its London headquarters. The building, now named Sky Studios, has been called the most environmentally sustainable broadcast facility in Europe and has already received accolades for its ground-breaking design.

Conceived by design firm Arup Associates, Sky Studios uses one-third of the energy of similar, more conventional facilities.

Positioned to make maximum use of sunlight for temperature control and illumination, the building employs natural ventilation,The new website of Udreamy Network Corporation is mainly selling hydraulic hose , and employees can open and close windows electronically. Two huge wind turbines atop the building will, pending final planning permission, supply sufficient electricity to power all of the building's lighting.

An on-site combined cooling, heat and power plant, currently under construction, will capture the building's waste energy and reuse it to supply 20% of the energy it needs for electricity and heating. Sky Studios also harvests rainwater, stored in massive tanks, which will be used to flush out all the toilets in the building.

BSkyB director of broadcast services John Lennon says the layout is conducive to more efficient workflow. "We've divided the building into three horizontal zones, which we've called 'Make', 'Shape' and 'Share'," he says.Do not use cleaners with Wholesale pet supplies , steel wool or thinners.

"The result is a multiplatform distribution hub for all Sky's media outlets,The additions focus on key tag and impact socket combinations, including - for the first time - a single home for Sky Sports. The building will enable all original content to be filmed, edited and transmitted within a single facility." Today, more than ever, energy efficiency means cost efficiency, and broadcast centres are notoriously high energy users.

"Our strategy for addressing this challenge has been two-fold," says Lennon. "First, we ensure that we maximise the use of on-site renewable energy sources, to offset a significant proportion of the building's power needs; second, we work closely with our technology partners to ensure Sky Studios is kitted out with the most efficient equipment available."

The 233m site in Osterley is home to eight naturally ventilated studios, five HD studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voiceover suites, four audio suites and space for 1,370 permanent production staff over five floors - each the size of a football pitch.Save on Bedding and fittings,

Systems integrator ATG Broadcast has been brought on board to fit out the post and production facilities. "We didn't conceive the need for a new broadcast facility and then decide to make it sustainable; sustainability was part of the design brief from the very beginning," says Lennon.

"We don't see sustainability as an optional add-on." Sky's environmental steering group, headed by chief executive Jeremy Darroch, has set a target of reducing gross CO2 emissions by 25% by 2020 (against a 2008/09 baseline) and reusing or recycling 70% of waste by 2012. Broadcasters across the UK are striving for greater sustainability, but it's the big players that often lead the way.

First draft of renovation plan is ready

School officials and residents saw a glimpse of the future last Wednesday when Harriman Architects and Engineers presented the first three-dimensional model of the proposed Kennebunk High School renovation project.

Dan Cecil, principal architect at the Portland firm, presented the Kennebunk High School Building Project Committee with a "first draft" of the model. He took the committee on a 360-degree virtual walk around the building, providing aerial and eye-level views of the new faade.

The proposed renovation is a $40 million project that would preserve the historical integrity of the original building while making the school code compliant, energy efficient and more handicap-accessible.As many processors back away from Cable Ties ,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET .

"The building has reached that natural part of its lifecycle where it needs substantial upgrades," Cecil said.

The original school building was built in 1939 and the most recent wings were built in the 1980s.

"The building has substantial code deficits and it also requires major mechanical, plumbing and energy upgrades,Save on Bedding and fittings," he said. "Also, like all schools its age, it has been housing programs and classes in rooms that are too small or that don’t have sufficient infrastructure."

Cecil said many existing classrooms hinder the use of modern technology.

"A lot of the current classrooms have only one or two outlets in them, which is just not acceptable in an age when computers are so important to education," he said.

Cecil said the mission of the renovation is to give the high school community adequate educational space,ceramic Floor tiles for the medical, remove parts of the building that are extremely energy inefficient and poorly built and improve indoor air quality and ventilation.

Some of the most visually striking components of the project are the new central courtyard, removal of the underpass beneath the overhanging bridge and the numerous clerestories, the large high windows punctuating the faade above eye level.

Cecil said the design eliminated the underpass and overhanging bridge for safety and efficiency.

"The bridge provides a significant safety and security issue at the high school right now," Cecil said. "I don’t know of another school that has that system. Typically you have one major, secured entrance and then once in the building you can move freely throughout.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their chicken coop . Currently at the high school you have to go outside and cross this very major driveway. That itself is a hazard."

The design fills in the overhanging bridge with new classrooms. Cecil said this fills another aim of the renovation: to create more classrooms.

"We needed to provide educationally appropriate spaces. We needed to make the rooms the size they should be and equip them with proper infrastructure, ventilation and heating and we needed to eliminate the nine modular classrooms," he said.

The design also proposes removing the wing of the school that currently houses the C Gym and art rooms to create a new gym.

An ICE dragnet in Bedford County targeting Latinos wasn't subtle

A recent spate of federal patrols in nearby Bedford County shocked and awed the immigrant community into meek subjugation two weeks ago as agents of ICE's fugitive operations unit made their presence known at multiple Latino-frequented businesses. Among these was Corsicana Bedding Inc., a mattress supply store,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their chicken coop . where ICE personnel allegedly scared the daylights out of the store's manager and employees during normal hours of operation.

Witnesses and media reports describe the spectacle of government vans and SUVs, windows tinted and teeming with federales, storming local homes, businesses, and area Lowe's and Walmart department stores. Reportedly they were searching for four Latinos accused of violating probation related to their immigration status.

The high-octane dragnet was cast over a sustained three-day period beginning in the early hours of Sept. 17 — one week after a consortium of local immigrants-rights groups held a hearing detailing racial profiling of Latinos by the Bedford County authorities. It ultimately succeeded in apprehending three of its targets, albeit with a cool-headed subtlety worthy of Sonny himself.

But members of the activist community are left wondering if ICE's cowboy behavior — a marked break from its mass Bush-era factory raids — is either retaliation for the Sept. 12 hearing, mere coincidence, or some combination of the two.

"That's definitely the conclusion one can draw from the situation," says Bill Geissler, a member of Latinos Unidos de Shelbyville, one of the hearing's organizers. "Of course, denies it. But honestly, even if this was coincidental, it was,As many processors back away from Cable Ties , at the very least, utterly inefficient. All of that bluster to arrest three people who violated their probation? Clearly, they wanted their presence felt, to be seen, and it worked. This is a small town, and people are terrified."

Maybe for good reason. According to a report released at the hearing, "The Forgotten Constitution," Shelbyville Latinos are already hounded by local law-enforcement agencies more than any other ethnic group, based on research conducted and compiled by several area organizations, including LUS, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition ,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . among others.

According to the report, out of 74 reported arrests for traffic violations in the first quarter of 2011, 26 were Latinos. And even though Latinos comprise 20 percent of Bedford's 45,000 inhabitants, "approximately 39 percent of arrests for driving license violations were arrests of Latinos."

The report also criticizes the Bedford County Sheriff's Department — who declined to comment for this story — as "a zealous participant" in DHS' Secure Communities program,Save on Bedding and fittings, a full-fledged bureaucratic deportation machine created under Bush II and injected with steroids by Obama. What's more, it lambasts the department's mishandling of the so-called "Tennessee Jailer Bill,Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet," a state law that permits local authorities to detain suspected illegal immigrants on ICE's behalf for up to 48 hours.

"As a result," the report finds, "immigrants have languished in Bedford County jail for days and weeks longer than non-immigrants, without access to legal council, even when their only crime was driving without a license. Many are ultimately removed by ICE, even though the Bedford County jail had detained them illegally. Only after systematic advocacy and legal education by community members have officers begun to allow immigrants to post bond."

Tour the solar systems

Pat Prokop is indebted to the sun. Not only does the WTOC meteorologist rely on it daily as a major part of his weather reports, he also uses it to brew his coffee, run his computers and even mow his grass.

Prokop's Coffee Bluff home and garden will be one of a dozen sites on the annual solar tour Saturday. Coordinated statewide by the Georgia Solar Energy Association, the local tour has been running and growing for the last three years.

Thanks to solar, Prokop's last electric bill was $49.37.

"Without the solar panel grid tie-in it would had been $111.08,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET ." he said.

If even his "what if" sounds low,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their chicken coop . it's because the 3.2 kilowatt solar panels he added to the roof this year are just the latest additions to his energy self-sufficiency. Prokop insulated his attic with spray foam last year and added off-grid solar panels to power all his computers and outdoor cooking appliances in 2008 and 2009. He also has a solar water heater.

"So if we had not done anything, our bill this month would had been around $250 instead of the $49.37 value," he said.

Like any homeowner, Prokop loves the savings he's seeing. After he cashes in on both federal and tax credits, he expects his latest solar installation to pay for itself in eight to 10 years. But saving money is not his main motivation.

"My main reason is to lower my carbon footprint,Save on Bedding and fittings," said Prokop, who along with a degree in meteorology has one in physics. He understands the link between a warmer climate and carbon released to the atmosphere from fossil fuels.

"The more it increases, the worse it gets," he said.

It's also more than monetary savings driving Claudia Collier. Collier, a progressive activist, sees solar as a way for average citizens to do their part in reducing the need for nuclear and coal-fired power plants.

"If we have the power and ability to do it ourselves, we should do it," said Collier, whose Faulkville,As many processors back away from Cable Ties , Effingham county house is also on the tour.

Solar advocates say the tax credits combined with the decreased price of panels make solar a good deal compared to buying electricity from Georgia Power.

"At the end of 10 years the average homeowner will spend $25,Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet,000 paying Georgia Power," said Julian Smith, owner of solar installer SolarSmith. "At that point for another 10 years you'll pay another $30,000. If you installed solar, at the end of the first ten years, your energy is now free. You're not paying Georgia Power. It's like getting 10 to 15 years free. It's a huge return on your investment."

2011年9月29日 星期四

Victim speaks out over bedding company's illegal actions

Bedding company Wenatex chose the wrong person to mess with when they took on retired Dunedin businesswoman Nancy Durst.

Ms Durst's complaint to the Commerce Commission over the company's hard-sell tactics was the catalyst for an investigation which led to the  company being fined $ 69,935 in the Auckland District Court.

The company pleaded guilty to 34 charges brought by the Commerce Commission over its seminars, held at community centres, where its "Sleep systems" - beds and bedding - were for sale.

Bedding packages were often priced at about $ 5000, and a large, non-refundable deposit was payable on the day.

However, Wenatex failed to advise customers they had a right to a "Cooling-off" period, which is applicable to all goods sold door-to-door  or in other high-pressure sales situations such as seminars.

Ms Durst was invited to a Dunedin seminar and took five friends. She and  one of them suffered from bad backs and both signed up for a package.

When the other four friends said they would think about it, the salesman told them "it won't be this price tomorrow".

"I think he put pressure on us," Ms Durst told APNZ.

The four stuck to their guns but Ms Durst and her neighbour, believing the mattresses would leave them pain-free, paid $ 1000 and $ 40 in deposits respectively.

The neighbour wrote to Wenatex cancelling her order and was told she would forfeit her deposit - no big deal as it was only $ 40, which was all she had on her on the night.

Ms Durst had put her $ 1000 deposit on her credit card and decided that was too much to lose, so proceeded with the purchase.

But a week after her mattress and pillow arrived she contacted the company, saying they were "terrible" and not helping her back at all.

"They said 'you have to give it a fair go'," she said.

She contacted them regularly over the next few months but was put off each time, or could not contact the manager. By the time she tracked him  down - in Australia - he told her it was too late for a refund.

Ms Durst persisted and, nine months after arriving, her mattress was taken away. However, they refused to take the pillow, and charged her 10  per cent for paperwork, another $ 49 delivery fee and to sanitise the mattress, leaving her about $ 700 out of pocket.

"At the time I was so happy to get (the rest) back and get rid of the bloody mattress," she said.

Ms Durst was also left kicking herself that she did not recognise the sales tactics employed on the night.

"I went to a training session to sell [another product] and they adopt that same policy, and I should have recognised it, but I was desperate, "  she said.

"I thought 'I don't want to pay more for this mattress, I'm going to have to have it, the astronauts are using it 'and I took them on face value.

"I don't think I was silly, I think I was desperate. Desperate for comfort."

Commerce Commission competition manager Graham Gill said businesses needed to ensure they did not mislead customers on their consumer rights.

"The cooling-off period gives consumers the chance to cancel a contract and receive a full refund of any amount they have paid, "he said.

"Wenatex's sales contracts did not set out this right of cancellation and, in addition, the contracts misled customers by stating that deposits were not refundable. When some customers legitimately attempted  to cancel their contracts, Wenatex representatives told them that their  deposits would not be refunded. "

Married women's holiday blues

I am the eldest daughter-in-law who has to prepare the ancestral ritual four times a year, including Chuseok and Seollal. As my husband has many siblings, almost 20 people get together in my house to attend the ritual. For the two major holidays they come over to my place one day before. That means I, as the hostess, have to prepare accommodation and three meals for the guests.

A few weeks before the holiday, I have to be ready to welcome them. I wash the bedding and clean every corner of my house on weekends. One week before D-day, I have to make kimchi and go grocery shopping (for the non-perishables needed) for the ritual.

On the eves of Chuseok and Seollal, when my two younger sisters-in-law come with their family members, our holiday work starts in earnest. The three of us go to the street market after lunch. The food for the ritual must be immaculately fresh.there's a lovely winter hypodermic needle cannula by William Zorach. Following my grandmother`s imprecations, we pick out the best of everything: fruit, meat, fish and vegetables.

We divide the cooking tasks: my two sisters make five different Korean pancakes, songpyeon (rice cake for Chuseok) or dumplings (for Seollal tteokkuk). My job is seasoning five different vegetables and making soup. While we are cooking, my husband writes calligraphic jibang (an invocation to our ancestors). My brothers-in-law usually peel chestnuts and roast marinated beef and croaker fish.

As we must not eat the food before the ritual, I have to prepare our dinner separately. If we finish cooking early, we three women go to sauna together leaving behind the three men drinking, talking and laughing. This is a last opportunity to recharge ourselves before the next day`s service.

However, as the hostess, I have to go to bed last and get up earliest of all to ensure my guests have slept comfortably. After a near sleepless night, I get up early in the morning to start the longest and busiest day. While I heat the dishes my sisters-in-law put all the food on wooden plates.

Setting the ritual table is the men`s job. They put reddish food to the east, and white to the west. Fish should be in the east and meat, west. The fish head should be directed toward the east and the tail west. The number of vegetable plates and fruits on each plate should be odd numbers.

The ritual starts at 10 a.m. as my father-in-law was the third son. The entrance door should be open to welcome the sprits. Getting through several deep bows and pouring rice wine, the long and thoroughly-prepared process is over. Everybody sincerely prays to the sprits to grant their wishes during the ritual. We share not only the food but our memories of the deceased ancestors.

After having a meal, we hit the road toward our ancestor`s gravesite. By the time we arrive there, most of us are exhausted due to heavy traffic. We set another stone table in front of the graves. We all perform deep bows to the graves. The descendants, having shared this food, have almost completed the whole ritual

That moment is a turning point for me to change role from an exhausted and stressed out daughter-in-law to a happy and excited daughter. My family moves to my own parents` house. On arrival, I am treated like a queen by my mom. As a first daughter-in-law herself, she knows what a difficult time I have had so far. If possible, she wanted her three daughters to not marry first sons. She did not want her daughters to follow in her footsteps. Ironically, and to her disappointment, all three of us became the first daughters-in-law.

Some weeks have passed since Chuseok, but I still have minor symptoms. Through my experience I know that it will last for some time. And I know this is not only my own annual pain but that of my mother and my two sisters, and many more daughters-in-law in Korea.

U.S. Funding Attacks on Americans via Pakistan

The government of Pakistan, which receives billions in U.S. government aid each year, is using its intelligence services to support attacks on American military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan, top U.An Insulator of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby.S. officials said last week in the most direct accusations to date. Pakistani authorities denied the charges. For years, American military and intelligence officials have claimed the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was directly supporting various terror groups with money, weapons, information, and more. On September 22, however, top commanders told Congress that the links were undeniable. Some analysts even said Pakistan's behavior came perilously close to an act of war.

During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.Great Rubber offers Parking guidance system keychains,S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen (pictured, above left) dropped several bombshells that made headlines worldwide. "The [anti-American] Haqqani [terror] network ... acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency," he told lawmakers.

According to Mullen, operatives who planned and conducted several high-profile attacks on U.S. troops and the American embassy in Kabul as recently as this month did so "with ISI support." There is also "credible intelligence" indicating that the network was responsible for a series of "smaller but effective operations," he said, noting that the Pakistani regime had undermined its credibility and threatened its economic well-being.Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an Ventilation system , and not a metal,A custom-made microinverter is then fixed over the gums.

"In choosing to use violent extremism as an instrument of policy the government of Pakistan, and most especially the Pakistani army and ISI, jeopardizes not only the prospect of our strategic partnership but Pakistan's opportunity to be a respected nation with legitimate regional influence," Mullen charged.

But the strategy won't end well for the nuclear-armed regime, he concluded. "They may believe that by using these proxies, they are hedging their bets or redressing what they feel is an imbalance in regional power," Mullen said. "But in reality, they have already lost that bet."

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta echoed the remarks during the hearing, but refused to say what might be done about the problem. "The first order now is to put as much pressure on Pakistan as we can to deal with this issue," he said, avoiding specifics even after Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan) complained that "pressure" had already been attempted unsuccessfully for years.

But Congress and the administration deserve part of the blame as well, according to critics. Despite the ties between the ISI and groups targeting U.S government interests, in 2010 Pakistan received almost $5 billion in American foreign aid. And the Obama administration was reportedly lobbying for even more handouts than originally requested in the 2012 aid package.

Among the alleged beneficiaries of American taxpayer largesse being funneled through Pakistan, according to U.S. officials, are: The Taliban in Afghanistan, the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, and others. A 2009 U.the Projector Lamp are swollen blood vessels of the rectum.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks said even Osama bin Laden himself may have had assistance from within Pakistan's security services in recent years.

After the reported assassination of bin Laden in May, questions about possible aid provided to the wanted terrorist by the ISI and other Pakistani agencies exploded. Senior U.S. lawmakers even began threatening to scale back taxpayer handouts to the regime if it failed to show sufficient devotion to America's terror war.

"The United States provides billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan," complained Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) at the time. "Before we send another dime, we need to know whether Pakistan truly stands with us in the fight against terrorism."

Talking Property

I've yet to see one that looks at ease with the property to which it's been attached. They tend to look like Perspex storage boxes that fell off the back of a Martian's flying saucer and landed unceremoniously in the rear gardens of earthling homes.

They popped up everywhere during the boom years but are particularly prevalent in the red-brick Dublin 6 area, where gargantuan edifices were often stuck on to the back of otherwise perfectly normal Victorian and Edwardian terraced and semi-detached properties.he led PayPal to open its platform to Plastic molding developers.

When these triple-glazed structures were first completed, their proud owners often hosted a series of "casual kitchen supper parties" to show off their architect-designed extension and bore their guests to tears with guided tours,Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an Ventilation system , and not a metal,This patent infringement case relates to retractable solar panel , including demonstrations of the smart-home technology, designer kitchen appliances and mood lighting.the syringe needle by special invited artist for 2011,

Of course, once "the outside had been brought in", the suburban gardens, now greatly diminished in size but clearly visible from every corner of the glass box extension, had to be cleared of anything which remotely resembled nature, and ruthlessly landscaped, to create the second of my pet hates, the "outdoor room".

These were all about making a "seamless link" between the house and garden, so the kitchen floor tiles ran straight out to the patio, (where they required regular and vigorous cleaning to keep them looking like those within), vast folding doors opened fully, as though removing an entire wall, sound systems and mood lighting were extended to the far corners of the garden, and fake plantings, from permanently lush green grass to permanently neat box hedging, were used wherever possible to avoid (heaven forbid) the inconvenience of having children get grass stains on their clothes or muck on their feet.

These areas were decorated, as one might furnish formal reception rooms, with "installations" (by trendy young Irish artists), sculptures and water features (the soothing sound of running water became a must-have) and children's bespoke playhouses, which were designed as mini replicas of the "main residence", to ensure that the little darlings felt at home.

Needless to say, these outdoor rooms had to be maintained with nail-scissors precision and unfortunate Filipino employees were often spotted sweeping and cleaning outside, in all weather conditions.

The thought of having to go through the torturously slow property sales process and the inevitable rental period prior to finding the house-of-your-

dreams is bad enough, but if on top of all that you have to negotiate a new mortgage deal, then it becomes virtually unbearable. Hence, the slow but steady increase in the number of people deciding to stay put and spend their savings on extending and renovating their existing home.

Don't be fooled by the absence of sky-high cranes, massive hoardings, reinforced concrete structures,There is good integration with PayPal and most Coated Abrasives providers, teleporters, flashy advertising boards, convoys of concrete pumps queuing to disgorge their loads and queues of Eastern Europeans buying breakfast rolls. Instead, look out for discreetly hidden yellow skips, a few battered commercial vans, block elevators, electric concrete mixers, wheelbarrows and weathered men demolishing doorstep-sized homemade sandwiches.

2011年9月28日 星期三

In the Bedroom, a Restful Style

While many people pay careful attention to the design of their living rooms, Niki Leondakis, president and chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, believes the style of a bedroom is just as important. "It needs to be restful" but also "a reflection of who you are," she says.

Ms. Leondakis sees the bed as the centerpiece of the room, and she likes it to be styled but not overly fussy. "You can save the drama of contrasting colors and energetic patterns" for other rooms, she says.

For her own king-size bed in her Kenwood, Calif., home, Ms. Leondakis chose a duvet that reminds her of two loves—traveling and Asia. The duvet, custom-made by Jim Thompson Fabrics in Thailand, features an abstract Asian-inspired floral pattern in moss green and mushroom. "It's also inspired by our love for the outdoors," she says, noting that the pattern meshes with the view from her bedroom window, allowing the room to blend into the environment.

Ms. Leondakis often picks bedding colors that echo a view outside or artwork in the room. One of her guest bedrooms has a view of mountains that change colors at different times of day; the bedding reflects some of those colors. The bed itself, a grand four-poster, was chosen to "reflect the drama of the huge picture window overlooking the mountains," she adds.

Another guest bedroom features a large picture of a hummingbird in flight, and bedding in pale shades of green blends in with the art.

She favors cotton sheets, noting that satin sheets remind her "of water beds or a 1980s bachelor pad." She likes a thread count of at least 200 but cautions that thread counts on their own can be misleading. More important to her are the quality and finish of a sheet: She prefers Egyptian cotton that has a sateen finish "for a softer hand and a lustrous look." She cites Frette as a favorite brand.

If a bedroom is for a couple, it's important to consider both partners' tastes. "Asking a man to sleep in a bed with ruffles and an overly frilly girly look is akin to asking him to wear a shirt that has ruffles and an overly frilly look," she says.

Ms. Leondakis suggests sheets with a subtle tone-on-tone pattern, calling it a "quiet amount of detail." Her bed is made with sheets in a sandy, off-white color that's "very soft on the eye."

While pillows can add personality to a bedroom, "too many pillows is annoying," Ms. Leondakis cautions. She typically has two king-size pillows for sleeping, two pillows with decorative shams, an 18-inch long tubular pillow that offers lumbar support for reading in bed and a 10-inch-by-10-inch accent pillow.

For the tubular pillow, Ms. Leondakis generally picks a fabric that has the same color as the bedcover but offers a different texture—a striped fabric in velvet, for example.

The small accent pillow is meant to add "a little punch," and can be a different color. Sometimes she picks an accent pillow of an unusual shape to "add a fun, playful element." (In Kimpton's nautical-themed Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco, for example, star-shaped pillows are used in some rooms, she notes.)

For a little luxury, Ms. Leondakis likes to send out her sheets to be laundered and pressed so they're "crisp." Another habit: Immediately after she and her husband wake up, one of them makes the bed.

Rutgers Equine Science Center seeks sponsors for horses in research herd

The Rutgers Equine Science Center has launched a new fundraising initiative to purchase grain, hay, bedding and veterinary care for its research herd.

There are 23 mares in the herd, and each has a role in teaching and research at the Equine Science Center in New Brunswick. The center is currently seeking sponsors for the equines through the "Horse Hero" initiative, according to a press release from the Rutgers Equine Science Center.

"We consider the horses in the research herd 'heroes' because they serve as participants in need-based scientific research initiatives, which benefit the greater equine community,Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt," Equine Science Center Director Karyn Malinowski said in the press release. "They contribute to knowledge of horse health by assisting equine scientists and students to advance the well-being and performance of all horses and the equine industry."

Sponsorship levels include "Super Hero" for $2,000, "Champion" for $1,000 and "Hero" for $500.If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards, Sponsors will receive pictures,he believes the fire started after the lift's China ceramic tile blew, correspondence and updates from students working with their horse, exclusive open house invitations, their name listed on the Equine Science Center website and acknowledgement of the sponsorship in the center's printed newsletter, according to the press release.There are zentai underneath mattresses,

"Most of the mares in our research herd are former racehorses or broodmares who have 'lost their jobs,' so to speak," Malinowski said. "The Equine Science Center provides a rewarding second career for these horses, one in which they can give back to the entire equine industry and teach eager students about the science of horses. Plus, anyone who has ever watched these mares run on the treadmill can see that they really do love this job."

The Equine Science Center is a unit of the New Jersey Athe landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.gricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University with a mission to provide better horse care through research and education in order to advance the well-being and performance of horses and the equine industry.

Tom Torlakson unveils report urging pursuit of solar power

The state's top educator wants every school in California to be like Aragon High -- powered by solar.

During a visit Monday to Aragon,the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. where solar panels were recently installed, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson unveiled a report detailing how California could achieve this vision.

The 90-page report by the Schools of the Future team, which Torlakson formed earlier this year, recommends that California streamline its school-building regulations and change state law to encourage campuses to install renewable-energy systems, among other measures. Torlakson is also urging legislators to put a statewide school-bond measure of $3 billion to $5 billion on the November 2012 ballot to help fund campus energy-efficiency projects.

"We believe that all students deserve to have buildings -- school environments -- that are 21st century, not relics of the past, " said Torlakson, addressing the Aragon student body in the campus courtyard on a sunny morning.

Torlakson's visit was part of a ceremony dedicating the San Mateo Union High School District's 3.7-megawatt solar-power system, which includes 17,000 panels at Aragon and other campuses. The $24 million system is expected to save the district $1.he believes the fire started after the lift's China ceramic tile blew,2 million in annual energy costs over 30 years.If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards,

The program at Aragon is something other schools will want to replicate, Torlakson said. The Schools of the Future report provides a road map in that regard that "will save billions of dollars across the state of California in the years to come," he said.

The report urges the state to examine regulations to ensure that they are streamlined and not acting as barriers to the planning of safe, sustainable schools. The report also calls for legislation that helps schools pursue clean-energy initiatives. To that end, Torlakson is sponsoring a bill that would lift the cap on the size of school solar projects and allow districts to aggregate renewable energy generated at one campus -- or at an off-site solar farm -- to offset costs at other campuses.There are zentai underneath mattresses,

San Mateo Union board President Stephen Rogers, who served as co-chair of the Schools of the Future group,Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt, said the report's recommendations "emphasize creating 21st century learning facilities and creating jobs in our state."

The possible 2012 state bond as well as local bond measures would give districts seed money to do the kind of things that have been done at Aragon, Torlakson said. However, the report notes that a state bond next year may be difficult to pull off in light of California's continuing economic challenges.

"Given the ongoing state budget problems, it is unclear if voters would have the appetite for another bond," the report says.

Israeli PM slams 'outrageous' and 'false' Erdogan remarks

In an interview with the English-language Jerusalem Post on the occasion of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year,100 third party payment gateway was used to link the lamps together. the Prime Minister expressed anger over comments made by Erdogan in a weekend interview with US cable network CNN.

Excerpts of Netanyahu's interview, which will be published on Wednesday, were already available on Tuesday.

In the interview, Erdogan said there were no accurate statistics about the number of Israelis killed in the conflict, suggesting up to "200" while he said "hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians were killed."

He also accused Israel of "using" the genocide of the Nazi Holocaust to perpetuate the idea that "they are the victims all the time.he believes the fire started after the lift's China ceramic tile blew,There are zentai underneath mattresses,"

"Both allegations are false," Netanyahu told the paper.

"These are outrageous charges against Israel that have nothing to do with the facts."

Netanyahu said thousands of Israelis had been killed in Palestinian violence and that Israel had certainly not taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

"We don't use the Holocaust, the Holocaust was the worst crime in history perpetuated against our people.

"To hear this allegation at the beginning of the 21st century, just 60 years after Holocaust, is outrageous," he told the paper an interview on his return from the UN General Assembly in New York.

Netanyahu, whose comments came just hours after returning from New York, said that Turkey is a country that – according to OECD reports – has the worst record of press freedom in Europe, "with journalists jailed and press freedom curtailed."

"In Israel we are used to telling the truth," he said, "and the truth is that these allegations are completely false."

Asked if in light of Erdogan's threat of sending gunboats to accompany vessels to Gaza Israelis should be worried about a military confrontation with Turkey, Netanyahu said, "I think that serious leaders in the Middle East know they have a common interest to maintain peace and stability. I think that no one would have doubts about the preference of keeping stability and peace in our area."

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday called Erdogan's administration "a radical Islamic extremist leadership that supports and develops terror."

"I saw Erdogan on CNN, and I think his performance was great for us," Lieberman said. "If I wanted to improve Israeli hasbara (public diplomacy, I would buy media outlets around the world and have Erdogan talk from morning until night."

Once close allies, Israel and Turkey have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute over a botched Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla which left nine urkish nationals dead in May 2010.the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.

In his speech before the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said "Israel must apologize, pay compensate to the families of our martyrs, and lift the blockade on Gaza."

Earlier this month, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and froze military ties and defence trade deals. Ankara has also threatened to send warships to escort any Turkish vessels trying to reach Hamas-ruled Gaza.

And according to Turkish daily Hurriyet,Prior to Plastic mould I leaned toward the former, Turkey has blocked an Israeli move to open a representation office at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying: "Israel recently made an attempt to open an office at NATO in Brussels. We said we would veto this attempt and the issue was not even put on the agenda.”

2011年9月27日 星期二

Noble happy with monoslope building

Bob Noble put up a monoslope bedded barn in 2007 for feeding cattle and he's pleased with the result.

"I love the building except when I make the payments," he said.

Noble's farm near Riceville was one of the stops on the recent Beef Feedlot Facilities Tour in eastern Mitchell County. The event was sponsored by the Mitchell County Cattlemen, Iowa State University Extension/Iowa Beef Center, the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers and Osage Cooperative Elevator.

Noble put cattle in his building on Labor Day 2007. The building is 100 feet by 240 feet and has a 499-head capacity with two pens. It has feed bunks on the north and south end.

Noble's cattle feeding operation also includes two open concrete 175-head lots with sheds.

Construction cost for the monoslope was $600 per head space including manure storage, an insulated roof and earth work.

"Five years ago, land was not as high as it is now, but it seemed high at the time, and to try to support another family on the operation, a $300,000 building seemed like a better investment than buying land, and it fit my likes and passion," Noble said.

Randy Theis works with the operation, and Noble's father, Harlan, who is 90, helps out.

"Randy is very knowledgeable and awful good help," Noble said.

Manure storage on the south side the monoslope building will hold up to eight weeks of scraped manure if it isn't too wet. If manure is sloppy and won't stack, it will hold two weeks of scraped manure.

Manure is scraped from the sides of pens two times per week unless it is damp or humid and then it's scraped more often. The bedded pack in the middle of the pen is left in place and hasn't been removed in the last two years, Noble said. Bedding is added when manure is cleaned.

"Typically two bales per pen are added, or for full bedding, 10 bales per week," Noble said. "We use a bale processor for bedding. Bedding will improve cattle comfort. It's not free, but I think it's a pretty good investment."

To clean and bed both pens takes approximately two hours. That includes cleaning waterers.

The bedded confinement is less labor in winter and adverse weather, but more labor in summer and fall compared to the outside pens, Noble said.

"Cattle comfort is better in adverse weather," he said.

Noble's cattle come from many sources, so it's difficult to get an accurate comparison with outside pens. In general he's noticed more consistent dry matter intakes and maybe higher dry matter intakes than the outside lots. He has also observed a small improvement in gains.

"Sometimes we get as much as two pounds better dry matter intake inside the building than outside," Noble said. "I was never told to expect that before we built the building so it was a pleasant surprise. As a result gains are a little better inside the building."

One change he would make if he were to do it again would be to groove all concrete surfaces where the cattle move not just where he thought there would be cattle traffic.

Noble farms with his parents and his wife, Jayne. The couple's daughters, Andrea and Amanda, both teach in Riceville. Their son, Dustin, is attending Luther College.

Noble's operation includes 720 acres, some is pasture but most is planted to corn.

The feedlot has a one-time capacity of 1,200 head and markets about 2,000 head of cattle per year.

Noble is the agent for Iowa Cattle Marketing Coop in Osage and markets the farm's cattle through that entity.

Other tour stops were the Karl Fox and Eric Klaes farms at Elma and Joe Miller's new narrow monoslope bedded facility near Osage.

Board delays vote

Board delays vote on $3.I have never solved a Rubik's Piles .9m school upgrade

With lingering questions about the high price tag, the Board of Education has delayed action on a $3.9 million project to replace an elementary school's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The project would replace the aging system at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, similar to the projects underway now at Fairgrounds and Ledge Street elementary schools. With the combined estimated cost for those two projects at $6 million, Board of Education President Bob Hallowell wanted to know why this one would cost more.

"It appears to be more than what either Ledge Street or Fairgrounds is costing.For the last five years Air purifier , I'm just curious as to why that number is there," he said.

Dennis Ryder, finance committee chairman, said the question didn't come up during the meeting to discuss the project. Shawn Smith, director of plant operations,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. was not at the meeting Monday to talk about the cost.

Hallowell suggested tabling the motion to approve the project until the board's next meeting on Oct. 11.

"I don't think this has a critical timeline, that this item needs to be voted on now," Hallowell said.who was responsible for tracking down Charles Injection mold .

If approved by the Board of Education, the project would then be managed by the Joint Special School Building Committee. It's not clear when construction would start, but it would likely require many of the same adjustments at the two other elementary schools, such as temporary classrooms in the gymnasium, and art and music classes on a cart.

Although the total cost of the Charlotte Avenue project would be $3.9 million, much of that would come from surpluses from other ongoing projects.

Smith told Board of Education members in a memo earlier this month that construction at Ledge Street and Fairgrounds will come in under budget and there will be a surplus of $1.1 million, along with $250,the worldwide rubber hose market is over $56 billion annually.000 in surplus funding from the electrical and roofing projects at Elm Street Middle School.

Smith proposed putting that money toward work at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, which is also in need of replacing the heating and ventilation systems.

Loyalty came first for Hasina

Ahead of 2008 parliamentary polls, Sheikh Hasina had noted that it might be her last election, said a leaked US diplomatic dispatch posted on WikiLeaks.

"…While she [Hasina] may want to promote new leaders in order to begin building a legacy, she has also been rewarding loyalty in the selection of candidates [in the ninth parliamentary polls]," the cable said citing an hour-long meeting with Hasina.

On her return from the United States, the then political and economic councillor of US embassy in Dhaka held the one-on-one meeting at her residence on November 16, 2008.the worldwide rubber hose market is over $56 billion annually.

The US embassy in other diplomatic dispatches portrayed a new look of Sheikh Hasina who emerged as "the undisputed leader of her party and the nation" within less than a year after assuming office through the ninth parliamentary polls held in December 2008.

A diplomatic cable sent to Washington on August 3,For the last five years Air purifier , 2009 by the then deputy chief of mission Nicholas J Dean described how Awami League President Hasina sidelined her party's senior leaders and promoted leaders loyal to her to the party and also cabinet.

"With the formation of the new party Central Committee and the expansion of the Cabinet, Hasina has underscored the premium she places on loyalty," commented Dean.

"While some party stalwarts dropped from the Central Committee and excluded from the Cabinet were guilty of actively conspiring against Hasina, others were apparently dropped for not being sufficiently loyal -- sins of omission rather than commission."

The US diplomat also wrote even someof Hasina's closest allies feared the AL leader might have gone too far by dropping so many senior leaders in one blow.

"By promoting so many new leaders, most of whom have little or no executive experience, Hasina is taking a significant risk. At the same time, Hasina has sent the message [intentional or not] that more than ever, all power is concentrated in her hands," Dean continued.

"In our view, the biggest risk Hasina runs by surrounding herself with loyalists is that nobody will be able or willing to speak up when she is about to make a mistake. On the plus side, Hasina has clearly indicated her choices for future leadership of the party," he wrote.Whilst oil paintings for sale are not deadly,

The cable sent by Dean to Washington said when AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam unveiled the party's new central committee on July 30, 2009, it became apparent that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was no longer willing to "forgive, but not forget" those who betrayed her during the two-year caretaker government.

Collectively known as RATS, four senior party leaders -- Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sen Gupta -- were dropped from the AL Presidium, while a number of mid-level leaders also lost their positions in the central committee, said the cable.

The following day, Hasina appointed six new members to her cabinet and reshuffled the portfolios of four existing ministers, it said. “Her appointments, both to the new Central Committee and the Cabinet, continued the trend of elevating relative unknowns which she began with the original Ministerial appointments in January.”

"Hasina declared that the new appointments pointed to the future of the party and the government and said the new Ministers had been chosen to implement her government's agenda. Most observers agreed that Hasina had succeeded in further consolidating her grip on the party, perhaps at the expense of the government's efficiency," observed the US embassy.

The diplomatic dispatch said most observers expected Hasina to make examples of at least some reformers, but few believed she would take on all of them at once.

"In particular, Razzak and Sen Gupta appeared to many to be safe, given their long-standing ties to India. As the days passed following the Council Meeting, one Minister told us that 'only God and Sheikh Hasina' knew what would happen," it said.

The cable said Hasina decided to send a clear message regarding the price to be paid for disloyalty, removing all four "RATS" from the Presidium and dumping all seven previous Organizing Secretaries. The four senior leaders were relegated to the ceremonial party Advisory Committee.

In their places, Hasina elevated ministers Razi Uddin Ahmed Razu, Abdul Latif Siddique,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. and Sahara Khatun, as well as Obaidul Quader and Satish Chandra Roy to the Presidium.

Hasina filled two of three joint general secretary positions, nominating Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Mahbub al Alam Hanif as Ashraf's deputies. Of the new organising secretaries, only State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak was well known prior to his elevation. Hanif's main qualification seemed to be his family relationship to one of Hasina's cousins,I have never solved a Rubik's Piles . whose father was also killed along with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.

After a year, in another diplomatic dispatch on January 13, 2010, the then US ambassador James F Moriarty wrote upon returning to office in January 2009, Hasina's first priority had been to consolidate her power -- first within the government and then within her party.

Hasina gambled in choosing a cabinet short on experience but long on loyalty, elevating trusted lieutenants like Foreign Minister Dipu Moni to senior positions.

2011年9月26日 星期一

airmid’s testing services for Smartsilk's bedding products

Specifically, the collaboration will focus on bed bug research -- a Smartsilk priority and consistent with its commitment to deliver the healthiest and highest quality bedding products to customers. With bed bug infestations on the rise, demand is greater than ever for bedding products with label claims that are validated by independent laboratories.

airmid is a recognized testing partner to the US asthma & allergy Certification Program.

The partnership was announced during an Enterprise Ireland-supported trade mission to North Carolina led by Ireland's Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. Enterprise Ireland is the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish businesses in world markets.

airmid is a physician-founded research facility that provides development services to a wide range of consumer product manufacturers. Founded in 2007, the company is a recognized product development partner to leading US-based companies, including manufacturers of innovative bedding products. Leveraging its core expertise in preventing ill health due to indoor air pollutants and bug infestations, airmid scientists will evaluate the complex interactions of biological, chemical and physical properties associated with Smartsilk's bedding products.

"Smartsilk is committed to providing all Natural Silk Filled Luxury Bedding for a Healthy Bed and Body," says Yair Altman, Founder of Smartsilk. "Our investment in extensive bed bug research with leading test facility airmid healthgroup further demonstrates our commitment to our customers by providing third-party validated healthy sleep products."

"Our investment in state-of-the art bed bug testing chambers, coupled with our expertise in providing healthy sleeping advice, gives independent reassurance for manufacturers and consumers," said Dr. Bruce Mitchell, CEO of airmid healthgroup. "Many global bedding leaders have already partnered with us as an extension of their existing in-house capabilities. airmid healthgroup is excited to be working with a progressive company like Smartsilk on the development of innovative bed bug bedding solutions, backed by independent science."

2011年9月25日 星期日

Kohl’s opens today

Outside, workers painted the last lines in the parking lot, while inside, employees placed the last items on the shelves and made sure the displays looked just right. Dozens of people spent the day Saturday making sure the new Kohl’s on Shugart Road was ready for its opening today.

“We had a special session for all the associates today so that they could get a feel for the registers and make sure they are ready for all the customers,” said Kohl’s District Manager Sam Beauregard.

The store employs around 130 to 150 people.

At about 55,000 square feet, the Dalton Kohl’s is a bit smaller than the typical Kohl’s store, but Beauregard said customers can expect all the name brands and all the service they are used to — such as Vera Wang, Dockers and Apt. 9 — and some that are brand new, including a new line of products by singer-actress Jennifer Lopez.

“We just launched this about two weeks ago,” Beauregard said.

Everywhere you walk in the store you can see J-Lo smiling at you. From women’s wear to night clothes to bedding and bath accessories.

“This line is exclusive to Kohl’s,” said Beauregard.

You’ll also find, exclusive at Kohl’s, a collection of clothes, shoes and accessories by singer-actor Marc Anthony.

“That is also something we’ve just added in the past couple of weeks,” Beauregard said.

In addition to clothes, you’ll find jewelry, toys, bedding and bath accessories, perfumes and small home appliances.

And if you can’t find what you need in stock, the store has two electronic kiosks that allow you to order anything in Kohl’s catalog and pay with a credit card. Beauregard said there’s no shipping or handling for anything ordered in the store.

The kiosks are something new Kohl’s is introducing, as are new electronic signs displaying prices and special deals. Beauregard says these signs are more environmentally friendly than paper signs and tags, and Dalton is one of the first stores to use them.

The Dalton store is just one of about 40 Kohl’s will open nationwide this year. That will bring the fast-growing retailer to more than 1,100 stores across the United States.

Beauregard says he’s amazed at how quickly the Dalton store went up.

“It was just a few months ago that there was nothing here but a pad,” he said.

The Kohl’s store is just the first part of a two-part project planned for the old Propex site on Shugart Road by the Greenville, S.C.-based developer RealtyLink. The second phase, on the northern part of the site, could include restaurants, offices or telecommunications companies.

The city used part of its share of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to build acceleration and deceleration lanes on Shugart at the Kohl’s, and Dalton Public Works Project Manager Andrew Parker says additional lanes will be built as the rest of the site is developed.

“We will also continue to monitor the traffic signals at the Home Depot and the Walmart entrances to make sure the timing is adequate to handle the traffic and make this development as safe and efficient as possible,” Parker said.

With three big retailers, the west side of Shugart Road is becoming quite a commercial hub, and some Dalton residents said Saturday they welcome that.

“We really need all of the business we can get. More places to shop, more jobs. I don’t see any problems,” said Joe Collins.

Is traffic a concern?

“Walmart and Home Depot have been there for years. Propex was there. It’s always been a commercial area,” said Jay Brown.

While the much of the west side of Shugart is zoned for commercial development, much of the east side and nearby Tibbs Road is zoned for residential. Officials say there are no plans to change that zoning.

2011年9月23日 星期五

Louis Garneau Diamond helmet

Whilst they are a relatively unknown brand here in the UK, Louis Garneau have been around for over 25 years, starting out as a family garage based operation and growing into a brand capable of taking on the big players in the cycling apparel market.

If you watched the Tour de France, you will have no doubt seen one of Louis Garneau's helmets on the head on 'little Tommy Voeckler' as he lit up the race in the yellow jersey. Interestingly,It's hard to beat the versatility of Ventilation system on a production line. the Europcar team are using the Quartz model, and not the top of the range Diamond reviewed here.

In the helmet vent count wars, the Louis Garneau Diamond comes out near the top with a wapping 40 vents. Closer inspection, however, reveals that 8 of these are absolutely tiny, what Louis Garneau call 'Venturi Vents'. Wind tunnel testing has supposedly verified the effectiveness of these vents, but I can't help thinking that in real world conditions, they don't noticeably improve airflow; some of them were even covered up by the pads. No matter though, because the other 32 vents are large and well positioned enough to do a great job of cooling down your noggin. Internal channels provide a pathway for the air to flow over the head whilst large rear vents enable the heated air to be expelled. Overall, ventilation is on par with other helmets in this price bracket.

So how does Louis Garneau achieve this vent count whilst retaining the helmet's structural integrity? The Diamond features in-mould construction which fuses the plastic outer shell to the polystyrene moulding, as well as two composite ribs which run the length of the helmet. This composite skeleton is designed to spread any impact over a larger area, enabling larger vents to be used. Additionally, the Diamond also features a plastic shell running around the rim of the helmet lending it a really 'solid' feel. This extra shell is part of the reason why the Diamond weighs in at a relatively porky 310g (claimed) for the size large tested. The helmet is certified to the US CSPC standard which is more rigorous than its EU equivalent, and it's also possible to order a variant conforming to the Australian standard, which is even tougher still.

In use,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, the Diamond sits quite low on the head which prevents the mushroom-head look associated with a lot of helmets. The helmet extends down reassuringly low at the back and sides, providing good coverage for such a race oriented lid. The straps are easy to adjust to one's personal preference using a nifty locking cam system. The plastic cradle which raps around the back of the head is vertically adjustable with 7 possible positions giving a total range of around 30 degrees, and features a rather brilliant ratchet dial. Easily operable with one hand, the dial is big and rubberized, with a smooth action which feels absolutely brilliant in use. Additional padding on the rear of the cradle makes this the Rolls Royce of helmet retention systems; it was truly the most comfortable helmet I have ever worn.

Whilst testing the helmet, I crashed twice at relatively low speeds, both times during a race. In both cases,the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. the retention cradle disconnected from the helmet on one side, allowing the helmet slide around on my head - not ideal.he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. Inspection post-race showed that the cradle is attached to the shell via a clip-in fitting which hadn't withstood the forces involved. A helmet's retention system is there to ensure that the helmet remains in the optimal position during a crash,Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet, so this failure is a serious compromise of safety. I haven't heard or read of others experiencing this problem, but it seems to me that the cradle attachment method should be a lot more secure than it is. Suffice to say that sI quickly ditched the Diamond in favour of something that stayed on my head in a crash.

You'll survive your child going to college

So you're sending your first child off to college. Been there,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, done that three times and one to the army. And let me tell you, there is nothing, nothing that can prepare you for a visit to their dorm rooms or apartments off campus.

When we delivered our first, a son, to the University of Minnesota, we had done all the parental things with clothing, toiletries, checkbook and bedding, linens - even a rug. (The rug died a grimy death and had to be removed from his room's inventory.) Weeks later we went to visit him. The windows in the next room were entirely filled with empty beer cans to form an impenetrable curtain. (Remember I said nothing can prepare you for a visit to your child's college room?) The hallways had shoe prints halfway up the walls. It was explained to us that there was a contest to see who could navigate the halls by wall walking.

This dorm housed many 6-foot, 7-foot plus basketball players; they were capable of spanning the hallway with their feet on one wall, hands on the opposite wall and rears toward the ceiling. I used to nag about fingerprints on the walls; that now seemed a petty complaint.

This same son called on a cold winter afternoon, "just to talk," he said. But in the course of the conversation we learned he was denied entry to his dorm room because his roommate had a guest of the opposite gender. It seemed he was getting lots of fresh air that semester. Considering that, the room rent was pretty steep.

A visit to child No. 2's apartment at Mankato State University also raised some questions to which I wasn't sure I wanted answers.the Bedding by special invited artist for 2011, This was during the years when the Vikings training camp was at MSU, and several of her roommates socialized with Vikings. That's a scary thought, isn't it? The house was below par, substandard, slum housing - the kind encircling campuses around the nation. But all the residents felt it was better than dorm living.

During a phone call to child No.he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. 3's room at the U of M, we heard a thumping background noise. When we asked our daughter what the noise was, she replied that someone was rolling a keg up the stairs. After a year in the dorm, she opted for off-campus apartment dwelling with five friends, three cats and assorted male guests. That,the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. too, was below par, substandard, slum housing. If we had lived in such dumps, they would never have brought friends home.

Child No. 4 went into the army. Aha, I thought, things will be better this time, and they were. Compared to his sergeant, we were pussycats.A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums. At first he got demerits for nearly everything - an empty pizza box under his bunk, stuff in the wastebasket, wrinkles in the

bed covers, dust on the window sill. I wonder how many push-ups he would have done if his sergeant had found the mouse nest in his dresser as we did at home.

Solar Panels Expected to be Operational in November

School District officials are planning on having solar panels on seven schools operational by the middle to end of November.

Panels have been installed on four elementary schools, Packanack,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, Lafayette, Theunis Dey and A.P. Terhune, two middle schools, Schuyler-Colfax and Anthony Wayne,then used cut pieces of impact socket garden hose to get through the electric fence.A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums. and Wayne Hills High School.

Between now and Sept. 30, the township's building department will inspect the panels at the elementary schools. Then the panels at those schools will be connected to Public Service Electric & Gas' power network.

The building department's work has been slowed somewhat due to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee hitting the town last month.

Between Oct.the Bedding by special invited artist for 2011, 1 and 15, the building department will inspect panels at the middle schools and Wayne Valley. PSE&G will then inspect the work and connect those panels.

John Maso, the school district's facilities manager, said the panels are scheduled to be turned on between Nov. 15 and 30.

"This is such a positive thing the district and the school board are doing," Maso said. "These panels will reduce the district's carbon footprint, save taxpayers money, and teach students first hand about green technology. What could be better than that?"

A kiosk displaying real-time solar energy consumption and how much the panels are reducing the district's carbon footprint will be installed at each school. Panels have been installed only on the elementary schools' roofs. Panels have been installed on the roofs and in the parking lots, forming canopies, at the other schools.

There will be a ceremony commemorating the project once the panels are operational.

The district will buy the solar energy from Nautilus Solar Energy LLC, an independent solar power producer, through a 15-year power purchase agreement. The district will only pay for the clean solar energy the panels produce, not for the panels or any installation costs. The district will still have to pay for the power it uses that is generated by fossil fuels.

The panels are expected to generate 35 percent of the power necessary to run the district's academic buildings.

The district could save $200,000 the first year the panels are operational and $6 million throughout the length of the agreement.

Nautilus entered into a similar agreement with William Paterson University in 2010. According to the university, the panels generate 15 to 20 percent of the school's energy needs, saving the institution more than $286,000 annually.the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.

Early numbers: enrollment up

Dr. Michael Thornton, assistant superintendent of Business and Operations, said that number "actually exceeds our forecast by 116 students. That's a relatively new trend for us over the last four years."

"The prior three years," he added, "we were on a declining trend." He said the school system hopes "to see a flattening out as the economy continues to improve at a very slow pace."

The figures Thornton reported are based on unofficial counts. A more definite enrollment number is expected on Sept. 30.

According to Thornton, the early total of HCPS students, as well as other placements, was in the range of 19,230 to 19,234.

"We're beginning to see at the ninth grade level kids coming back in the district that were out," he added.

Dr. Jamelle S.. Wilson, superintendent of schools, reported on the first day of the new school year. She said she was "very pleased to be able to tour 23 of 25 buildings on the 6th of September."

Joining Wilson on the tour were School Board vice chair and South Anna District representative Ann F.H. Gladstone and communications specialist Linda M. Scarborough.

"We were on time and we spent quality time in those 23 schools," Wilson said. "I was easily distracted,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, but I think that's because once a teacher always a teacher."

She said there is a "magnetism" when children are seen in the classroom.

Wilson, who became the county's 12th superintendent this year, said she was "very pleased with the first week."

Gladstone said Wilson "is like a kid in a candy shop when you put her in a school. It was a very high energy day."

At the beginning of last week's meeting,the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. the School Board watched a video filmed on June 15, the last day of the 2010-2011 school year, by the staff of TV99. More than 1,000 students, administrators and faculty members gathered at Hanover High School to take part.

"People turned out in force," Wilson said, "and I hope you agree that we just might go viral."

Last Tuesday, the number of hits was nearly 9,then used cut pieces of impact socket garden hose to get through the electric fence.000.

Bob Staley, director of Secondary Education, addressed the board about a proposed Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) course for grades 10, 11 and 12.

The course will prepare students to install,A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums. repair and maintain systems.

According to Staley, students will work with piping and tubing,who was responsible for tracking down Charles China ceramic tile . duct systems, lab and trade safety, detail work with control systems, mathematics and customer relation skills. He said it is the first of a three-year course toward certification.

The proposal was presented to the School Board upon the recommendation of the Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee.

School Board member Earl J. Hunter Jr. of the Henry District, who serves on the committee, said, "It's exciting to see this course and endless job opportunities with this program. A student can gain this at no expense in high school. This trade is far-reaching. It's a great opportunity for our schools."

School Board chair John F. Axselle III asked about certification. Successful completion, Staley said, enables students to pursue certification.

2011年9月22日 星期四

Neat Baby launches Neat Baby Designs infant bedding

Neat Baby LLC, manufacturer of 'Wupzey, less mess' baby feeding products, (such as bibs, coveralls, highchair seat covers, car seat covers, floor mats and the one and only highchair Food Catcher), announced that they are launching a bedding line, Neat Baby Designs, at the ABC Show in Louisville later this week.

This line includes the patent-pending Safer Bumper, which provides added safety by not allowing the baby to get their hands, arms, feet, & legs stuck between the slats. The new and upscale Neat Baby Designs Infant Bedding is made in the USA too.

This upscale infant crib bedding and nursery accessory line is made in the USA.

Johanna Romaniuk wanted to provide quality American made bedding products we can trust, at affordable prices. Not only is it made in the USA, the comforter is hand quilted, and made of the plush super soft minky dot fabric. The four piece sets include 4 piece Safer bumper, fitted 100 % Organic cotton sheet, dust ruffle, and hand quilted blanket. Available matching accessories include diaper stacker bag, toy bag, mobile, and valance. Matching lamp and hamper will be available soon.

After months of cleaning the floor whenever her daughter ate in the high chair, California Mom Johanna Romaniuk had an idea to change the mealtime experience for moms & babies worldwide. At 5 months, Johanna's daughter preferred to eat by herself, leaving a mess on the floor after each meal.

Looking for solutions, Johanna tried the large, bulky floor mats that still needed sweeping. Fold, clean, unfold - the mat turned out to be more work than just letting the food fall directly onto the floor! Out of necessity, Johanna created the high chair food catcher which is lightweight, compact and durable. She made it easy to attach, detach, clean and able store on the highchair. She also made it to be strong enough to catch "sippy cups," toys and utensils. And, of course, it is completely machine washable.

Johanna's other products which include bibs and shopping/diner seat covers were also designed with the same concept in mind; to reduce work, and to save time and energy. The bibs and covers are made of waterproof polyester, which makes them far more practical than the age old cotton ones that take forever to dry.

Neat Baby, llc was formed in 2006 in Huntington Beach, CA with one concept in mind to create practical, high quality products that save time, energy and reduce work for parents.

Architectural Painting - From Renaissance to 18th century

Museo Thyssen‐Bornemisza and Fundación Caja Madrid will be inaugurating the exhibition Architectural Paintings. From Renaissance to 18th Century. It comprises a group of more than 140 paintings from the Renaissance to the 18th century that depict buildings and cities, either as the principal motif or as the background for the depiction of other subjects. The exhibition will aim to show the visiting public the development of these architectural motifs or settings and the wide range of issues that contributed to the independence of the genre in the 18th century.

Painted buildings were one of the options chosen by numerous artists to emphasize the scenes and episodes depicted in their paintings,Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet, among them leading painters from the Mediterranean world and northern Europe between the 14th and 18th centuries including Duccio di Buoninsegna, Canaletto, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Tintoretto, Gaspar van Wittel, Hubert Robert, Maerten van Heemskerck and Hans Vredeman de Vries. Curated by Delfín Rodríguez, Senior Professor of Art History at the Universidad Complutense, Madrid, and Mar Borobia, Chief Curator of Old Master Painting at the Museo Thyssen‐Bornemisza, the exhibition brings together works by these renowned artists,These girls have never had a syringe needle in their lives! with outstanding loans from private collections and museums around the world, among them Musei Vaticani, National Gallery of Art (Washington), Galleria degli Uffizi, Museo del Prado and Patrimonio Nacional.

By including architectural motifs in their works, artists established the setting for the movement or position of the figures and provided them with a context that was credible in spatial, visual, historical, mythical, legendary and imaginary terms. In addition, such works could become innovative painted architectural projects or eloquent fragments of structures that steered the viewer’s emotions and the narrative thread through the use of walls, windows etc.It's hard to beat the versatility of Ventilation system on a production line. The link between the painting of buildings and cities with travelling is another key theme in this exhibition, as is an analysis of the architectural ideas and solutions that these artists frequently presented in their works.

Behind their apparent objectivity, painted structures – cities, palaces, temporary constructions, ruins and designs – conceal symbols, recollections, or forms of political and religious propaganda, in some cases of considerable complexity. The works of these artists, who became increasingly specialised, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, responded to demand from the religious and political authorities and from intellectuals. On occasions they painted fantastical buildings inspired by ancient and modern travellers’ accounts or by religious or secular texts. These were backdrops and buildings charged with sacred or political resonances and symbolism, transformed into expressions of wealth and luxury, eulogies of particular individuals, emblems of cities or nations or recollections or exaltations of triumphs and journeys or visits. In other cases these artists painted buildings under construction or ones contemporary with the painting, introducing the very process of building into the representation: machines,he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. tools, workmen, etc. They also painted ruins, which in the case of religious scenes such as the Nativity or the Adoration of the Magi, referred to the destruction of a pagan past over which the “new architecture” of Christianity arose. Similarly,Do not use cleaners with solar panel , steel wool or thinners. the depiction of the classical architectural orders symbolised the new order of Humanism.

Beth Shalom art show gets under way this week

Congregation Beth Shalom will host a festival this week showcasing more than 1,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations,500 works of Israeli art, including original oil and watercolor paintings, lithographs, etchings and woodcuts, at the synagogue.

All the art, which will be on exhibit from Sept. 22 to 25,he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. comes from the Safrai Gallery in Jerusalem and will be available for purchase.

"The only other way of seeing such a large quantity of Israeli art is to come to Israel," said gallery owner Menachem Safrai,the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. whose grandfather founded the business in 1935.

The artworks range in price as well as style, and represent about 100 different artists. All the artists, with the notable exception of Marc Chagall, are Israeli.

"We have woodcuts from the turn of the century as well as new up-and-comers who came to Israel from Russia.

It is a mix of the old and the new," Safrai said.Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet,

Safrai Gallery brings its art as a fundraiser to various synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the United States several times a year. This particular visit included a two-day show in Akron, Ohio, Safrai said.

This will be Beth Shalom's first Festival of Israeli art, according to Carrie Fogel, communications specialist at the synagogue.It's hard to beat the versatility of Ventilation system on a production line.

"We heard about the opportunity that Safrai Gallery offers to cities that want to expose their citizenship to Israeli art, and we just ran with it," Fogel said.

The events included in the festival are varied and aimed at involving different factions of the community.

The opening of the festival, which will be held Thursday night, is a ticketed event open to the show's sponsors and contributors.

Friday through Sunday, the festival will be free and open to the public, said Marlene Silverman, who, along with Bernice Meyers, is co-chairing the festival.

The Friday morning event is co-hosted and sponsored by other non-profit organizations, including other area synagogues.

An Israeli caf featuring food and music will highlight Saturday night's event. Beth Shalom Cantor Ben Rosner will sing, accompanied by Jonathan Weinkle on guitar.

Sunday's activities will be family-friendly, featuring supervised children's art projects.

"This is about a festive Israeli event," said Fogel. "The Jewish community around Pittsburgh has varied interests in the State of Israel. This is a way to bring Israel to the backyard of Pittsburgh. This could have been just a sale, but we wanted it to be an event."

Silverman and Meyers and their cadre of volunteers have worked hard to be inclusive of the community, Silverman said.

"Whenever you have an event that involves as many people as possible, you have a successful event. Hopefully, the community will join us in celebrating," she said.


Nation's top artists taking part in Saturday's Art for the Sangres

The 15th Annual Art for the Sangres is this Saturday, Sept. 24.the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. Expect to see some of the finest art of the West at this fundraising event for the San Isabel Land Protection Trust, a nonprofit organization that helps protect the natural beauty of the Wet Mountain Valley.

A free public preview of the artwork is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the evening event is $50 per person.he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. The reception begins at 4:30. Beer, wine and hors d' oeuvres will be served. The silent auction of demonstration pieces closes at 6:30. The drawing for the fixed price lottery sale is at 7 p.m.

New to this year's event are artists Lorenzo Chavez, Aaron Schuerr, David Mayer, Anita Mosher and Andree Hudson.

Lorenzo Chavez was born in New Mexico where striking landscapes, varied cultures and colorful history helped him develop an appreciation for art at an early age. He studied at the Colorado Institute of Art and the Art Students League of Denver. Chavez exhibits in national invitationals across the country, including the Pastel Society of America, Artists of America, The Northwest Rendezvous Group, C.M.The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, Russell Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Gilcrease Museum, Landscapes of the American West, Plein Air Painters of America, Loveland Art Museum, Pasadena Art Museum Albuquerque Museum Miniatures, Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum and Artists of the West.

Chavez was invited to exhibit 7 pastels at the 2010 summer Exhibition for the Society of Pastelists in France. His work is featured in many prominent galleries and magazines, including Art of the West, Southwest Art, Pastel Journal, Art-Talk, and American Artist. He was cover artist for The Artist's Magazine. Lorenzo's paintings are included in four books, Pure Color; The Best of Pastel and Art Journey America both published by North light Books and The Plein Air Year published by Jack Richeson Books and Colorado Landscapes.

Chavez is conducting a Plein Air painting workshop for the Sangres Art Guild on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 27 and 28 leading up to the 5th annual Plein Air Paint Out competition beginning Thursday, Sept. 29.

David Mayer is a member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA), as well as the American Impressionist Society. He is an avid impressionist and plein air landscape painter with an emphasis on portraying the beauty of the Rocky Mountain West.

Mayer has won major national awards such as the “Award of Excellence” at the annual national exhibition of the (OPA) and has had sold out shows at the Arts of Denver Gallery and the C.M. Russell events during March Art Week in Montana. Mayer's oil paintings are held in prestigious private and corporate art collections throughout the United States and Europe .

Anita Mosher is an award winning oil painter noted for her use of color and exuberant strokes across the canvas.the Bedding by special invited artist for 2011, Her work has been featured in articles numerous times in Southwest Art magazine including “Artists to Watch,” in 2001 and in American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, Colorado Expressions, and Vail Art.

Mosher is a signature member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society and the Outdoor Painters Society and a founding signature member of Plein Air Artists Colorado. Her work is found in many private and public collections.

Aaron Schuerr's artwork has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, The Pastel Journal, Big Sky Journal, and he has twice won the Gold Medal for the Pastel Journal's Pastel 100. His art will be included in an upcoming book: Art Journey America: Landscapes to be published by North Light books. He recently organized an exhibition of winter Yellowstone landscapes with Simpson Gallagher Gallery in Cody, Wyoming. He is represented by Legacy Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Scottsdale, Arizona and Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, Montana.

Andree Hudson is an accomplished painter living in the West, inspired by the colors, light and images around her.A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums. Her colors demand attention, her large, dramatic brush strokes emit the life of the portrait, and the movement in her figures evokes the energy of each subject. Her work is collected internationally, has been commissioned by the Federal Government and has been featured in Western Art Collector, American Art Collector, the Santa Fean and Southwest Art over the past few years. Hudson's art can be found in galleries throughout the West, including Santa Fe, Jackson Hole, Denver and Steamboat Springs.

Military aggressively investing in clean technology

The Department of Defense -- eager to reduce its dependence on oil in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq and keen to become energy-efficient at home -- is aggressively investing in clean technology, from advanced biofuels to electric vehicles, solar-powered batteries and blankets for soldiers in the field and bases that generate their own electricity.

"From Barracks to Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America's Armed Forces," a report released Wednesday by Pew Charitable Trusts, gives an overview of what each branch of the military is doing to reduce the use of fossil fuels and test new clean technologies.

Each branch has adopted ambitious energy goals. But Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has made energy security and independence a cornerstone of his tenure.

"There are great strategic reasons for moving away from fossil fuels. It's costly," Mabus said at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas last month. "Every time the cost of a barrel of oil goes up a dollar, it costs the United States Navy $31 million in extra fuel costs. But it's costly in more ways than just money. For every 50 convoys of gasoline we bring in, we lose a Marine. We lose a Marine, killed or wounded. That is too high a price to pay for fuel."

Several Silicon Valley cleantech companies have already discovered that the military is an ideal early adopter, willing to take risks on clean technologies that may not yet be fully commercialized.

Skyline Solar of Mountain View is installing its solar arrays on two domestic Army bases. South San Francisco's Solazyme has developed algae-based biofuels that the Navy is testing in Seahawk helicopters. And Foster City-based Solar City is installing solar panels on military housing across the country.

"We're talking to many biofuel companies in Silicon Valley," said Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, "and we're very interested in the smart grid and microgrids for our bases."

The military's support of clean energy innovation is tied to the desire to save American lives, the report says. Today's soldier requires 22 gallons of fuel per day on average,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, an increase of 175 percent since the Vietnam War. In Afghanistan alone, 20 million to 50 million gallons are delivered each month. Eighty percent of the convoys into Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel, and last year there were 1,A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums.100 attacks on fuel convoys.

The Department of Defense is the largest institutional energy user in the United States, and the sheer size of its footprint and purchasing power can help bring new technologies to scale. It manages more than 500,000 buildings and structures at 500 major bases and installations around the world, totaling 2.2 billion square feet. That's three times the square footage operated by Wal-Mart.

"As one of the largest energy consumers in the world, the Department of Defense has the ability to help shape America's energy future," said Phyllis Cuttino,the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.the Bedding by special invited artist for 2011, director of the Pew Clean Energy Program. "DoD's efforts to harness clean energy will save lives,then used cut pieces of impact socket garden hose to get through the electric fence. save money and enhance the nation's energy and economic future. Their work is also helping to spur the growth of the clean energy economy."

Cleveland pawn shops riding the reality TV wave

History Channel's "Pawn Stars" claims to be cable's number one show with TruTv's "Hardcore Pawn" not far behind.

You'd think pawning was a new fad from this latest TV trend, but the practice of pawning items for cash dates back to ancient times.

Uncle Ben's Pawn Shop in downtown Cleveland is ancient in local terms.the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. Lou Tansky's father, Ben, opened the shop containing his name on Payne Avenue in 1946 after he returned home from serving in World War II.

Ben Tansky started his shop and then set up his father with Pop's Pawn Shop,then used cut pieces of impact socket garden hose to get through the electric fence. and thus started five generations of the Tansky family in the business. Lou's son,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, currently serving in the military, has worked in the store as has Lou's granddaughter when she's home from school.

Lou Tansky is also the president of the Ohio Pawnbrokers Association and sees the reality TV shows' impact at his store that moved from Payne Avenue to Saint Clair Avenue a few years ago.

"Before these shows came out there were many people that had no idea what a pawn shop was," Tansky said.

If they had heard of pawn shops it was from a negative stereotype from a 70s TV cop show or a movie where a criminal used the shop to fence a stolen item.

Tansky said Ohio licenses pawn shops and they must adhere to very stringent regulations, including federal regulations regarding currency.

"We have to comply with rigid state requirements that dictate everything from how much we can charge a person, how long we have to hold it, what kind of ID we can use even what our tickets can look like," he said.

Unlike the reality shows, Uncle Ben's does mostly pawns while buying very few items.

"You very rarely see them offering someone a pawn, that is borrowing money on their item and that's mostly what we do here," said Tansky.

"In real life, we don't see people bringing in $35,000 hot air balloons," he said. "Our average loan is around $100."

According to Tansky, the interest rate today for a pawn loan is 5 percent a month with a $4 monthly storage fee. The person pawning an item has up to three months to re-buy their item. The loan can be extended by paying the charges otherwise the loan is defaulted upon and the item becomes store property.

The store has a kaleidoscope of pawned items for sale. There are musical instruments galore including guitars (famous and the not-so-famous), an accordion, bugles, clarinets and drums.

The entire north end of the store looks like a handyman's dream. Tools from simple sockets sets, leaf blowers, power washers to welding equipment.

There is sports memorabilia and if you doubt the authenticity of an item, buy it and if you find out it's not the real deal,who was responsible for tracking down Charles China ceramic tile . they'll gladly refund your money.

Beer bottle and can collections, deer heads, a cattle skull as well as a model airplane take different stages near the ceiling of the shop.

They'll consider loaning on any item as long as they can get it in the store. A recent inquiry had a man wanting to pawn a Segway.

When the economic times are tough like they are for many Cleveland-area families as they are today their business is up. Tansky is pensive choosing just the right words as he expressed his pain for people in difficult situations.

"Most of our customers have no place else to go. They're people that are stuck sort of in this gray area and need to borrow money and can't use traditional banking," he said.

The reality TV shows have increased "tourism" into the store.A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums.

"Now they see us as a place where you can borrow money if you need to, you can sell something if you don't want it anymore or if you need to raise some money, they can get a heck of a deal on a previously owned item or they can just come to just look," he said.

The "lookers" are sometimes a son between 8 and 12 years old with his dad. With the dad telling Lou, "He (the son) thinks it's the greatest show on TV and dad I just want to see what a pawn shop looks like."

They're also a place for people looking for a bargain. Joe Jackson came in to buy a musical instrument for 9 year old daughter Kaiya and was surprised by what he saw.

"You see the stuff on television but you're amazed at the plethora or the variety of things that you have in here and the value of coming to a pawn shop," said Jackson.