Principal leads rebirth of Taiwu Elementary School

Aug. 1, 2009 was Saidai’s first day at work as principal of Taiwu Elementary School, where the majority of students are indigenous Paiwan from Pingtung County’s Jiaxing and Taiwu villages. Walking leisurely along a path to school, she bid hello to the villagers she met as in her mind she pictured children learning and playing amid the clouds and mist of Taiwu Village, over 750 meters up on Dawu Mountain.

It never occurred to her that just one week later, the school would be destroyed by Typhoon Morakot, the worst storm to strike Taiwan in half a century.

Finding new grounds for the school in Taiwu Township was not easy. Before it found a permanent home, it relocated three times in the next two years—to a deserted branch of Wutang Elementary School in Jiaping Village, then to an abandoned division of Taiwu Elementary School in Jiaxing Village, and again to Taiwu Junior High School back in Jiaping Village.

Faculty members pitched in to help tackle the challenges of refurbishing each campus—cleaning, sterilizing, painting, making sure there was running water and electricity, as well as taking care of boarding and transportation problems.What is a real time Location system ?

“At one point the school’s seven classes, with more than 80 students, had to squeeze into four classrooms,” Saidai said. “With no space for the teachers to work, a tent became the teachers’ lounge.”

Although Taiwu Junior High School extended a warm welcome, “our days there were even tougher as sixth graders had their lessons in the cafeteria, fifth graders in the library and fourth graders in the music classroom,” she said.Wireless Indoor Positioning System have become very popular in the system.

“Students were distracted all the time by the smell of food, wondering what was for lunch, or by the crowded bookshelves they were crammed in among.”

Parents also protested about the moves, not wanting their children to have to travel to another village for school, Saidai said. At one point there were three consecutive days when only 20 students showed up for class, she added.

After three moves and five failed searches for a site on which to rebuild the school,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats, teachers felt the children should no longer have to endure such conditions and suggested that parents transfer them to other schools.

Right at that juncture, however—June 2010—with the help of the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, Saidai finally found vacant land in the community of Ulaljuc, newly built for residents of typhoon-damaged Taiwu Village.

With the assistance of Taoyuan-based BenQ Foundation, a new campus, incorporating elements of Paiwan culture,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, broke ground in December 2010 and was inaugurated in September 2011. Currently, there are 94 students from kindergarten through the sixth grade.Specializes in rapid Injection mold and molding of parts for prototypes and production.

Shamrock boys turning over new leaf

There are no guarantees, which was the agenda for Dustin Demers when he began preseason training for his Bishop Feehan High boys' tennis team.

"We have a lot of kids vying for the seven spots," said Demers, whose Shamrocks carded a 12-4 regular season record last year and beat Nauset,Specializes in rapid Injection mold and molding of parts for prototypes and production. on the road, in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament.Wireless Indoor Positioning System have become very popular in the system. "We have a lot of depth, so there's a lot of competition for spots."

The one spot that appears to be locked up is at No. 1 singles where senior captain Matt Boland returns as the incumbent, having compiled an 11-7 slate a year ago. Demers then has a pair of players who saw some extensive minutes playing at singles as well, junior Matt Ustas, who played mostly at No. 2 singles and senior captain Josh Loew.

"We have a lot of guys who can play, we're coming back strong,What is a real time Location system ?All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats," said Demers. A trio of seniors - Matt Miles, Devin Verzillo and Steve Swick - sophomore John Shanley and a pair of freshmen, Josh Scanlon and Jack Lahiff, all have proven to be talented and competitive.

Attleboro High Bombardiers Coach Russ Severs is hoping for improvement from day-to-day, week-to-week - it's going to be a season of learning for the Bombardiers, whose lost their top two singles players and both doubles teams from a squad that posted a dozen wins last year.

"Every team goes through its struggles," said Severs, "but I'm hoping for the best." The lone player with appreciable varsity experience is junior Matt Forrest, who had a tremendous season at No. 3 singles last year, compiling an 18-1 slate. Senior captain Eric Harris, a doubles player last year and sophomore Brian Lussier are also in the singles mix.

Amidst the cast vying for doubles spots are Saquib Thradery, Anil Mahesh and Samir Yusef.

The Falcons shared the South Coast Conference championship with Old Rochester last season, went 16-2 during the regular season and won a round in the Division 2-South Tournament. The Falcons
are hoping to match their ever-improving standards for success. "The freshmen that we have out are good, the sophomores back are improved," said D-R coach Victor Augusto.

Atop the Falcons' ladder is junior Jeff Medeiros,Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising, D-R's No. 1 singles player last season, who compiled a 15-5 record. Augusto had better than two dozen candidates for the team and is grooming junior Justin Torres, junior transfer Tim Guimond and sophomore Dylan Jann for singles action.

Seniors Tom Wooten and Neil Caswell are both doubles veterans and could be at No. 1 doubles or share roles with some of the newcomers.

Alcoa officials: too early to determine impact of Thursday’s fire

A day removed from a fire that caused extensive damage to a building at Alcoa’s West plant,What is a real time Location system ? company officials said it’s too early to tell what kind of effect the fire will have on operations.What is the top Hemorrhoids treatment?

While the cast house was closed Friday, Alcoa spokeswoman Laurie A. Marr said, it was business as usual for the rest of the plant.

“No pots are idled and smelting production is operating normally at West and East,” Ms. Marr said.

She said at this point it’s impossible to tell how long the cast house will be idle, although she did say preliminary surveys indicated the building is structurally sound.

“This allowed state fire investigators to begin their investigation,” she said in a statement released Friday evening.

“They are still putting out hot spots of fire, so we haven’t been able to get into the building and assess any damage yet, so it’s much too early to predict any impacts,” she said.

She said that after departments that responded to the scene were sent home early Friday, Alcoa’s in-house fire department remained on the scene fighting hot spots into early Friday afternoon.

Ms.Wireless Indoor Positioning System have become very popular in the system. Marr said that same statement held true for whether there was a potential for either short-term or long-term job loss. She also said she was unsure how the incident would affect the company’s plans for modernization at the unaffected East Plant.

Chris W. Baldwin, president of U.S. Steelworkers Local 420-A, said he hoped that layoffs, even for the short term,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats, can be avoided.

“Our main goal right now, after not having anyone injured, is keeping everyone gainfully employed here in Massena,” he said. “We told (the company) that whatever we have to do in cooperation with the company to keep people working we’re willing to do it.”

Ms. Marr said that while company officials weren’t allowed back into the cast house until late Friday afternoon, they were able to remove several “pig molds” from the building Thursday night.

“The molds were located at the far end of the building and not in the fire zone,” she said. “We were able to get them out under the direction and with the guidance of the fire department.”

Ms. Marr said the molds, which are used to make 1,500-pound aluminum bricks, commonly known as pigs or sows, were moved into the smelter building, allowing continued aluminum manufacturing while machines in the cast house were out of commission.

She said the cast house contained four casting complexes, but it was still unknown Friday evening whether just one or all four of the machines are damaged.

Massena Fire Chief Thomas C. Miller said firefighters from Massena, Helena, Brasher-Winthrop, Norfolk, Hogansburg-Akwesasne, Potsdam, Waddington, Bombay, Malone, Bangor, Westville and Fort Covington responded to the scene.

Volunteers from Louisville, West Potsdam and Norwood were on standby throughout the evening.

Mr. Miller said that several area businesses made donations to the effort, which helped keep firefighters nourished throughout the battle.

The fire started about 3:10 p.m. Thursday following a malfunction in a chip melter at the cast house. While Ms. Marr said the fire has been traced to a chip melter, the cause remained unknown Friday evening.

“We are in the early stages of investigating this incident, and teams from Alcoa and local and state authorities are on the scene to help with the assessments,Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising,” she said in Friday evening’s statement. “It is unknown how long the investigation process will take.”

Journey of a CFO to Customer Experience Expert

At first glance many would assume that with a CFO background I wouldn’t have the right traits to be responsible for a customer experience management program. After all, customer experience is about people while finance is about numbers.Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising, Customer experience deals with emotions while finance involves facts. However, here I am today doing just that. I sit in front of customers and prospects weekly helping them answer the question,Overview description of rapid Tooling processes. “I know it is right to invest in our customer experience,xcel Mould is a Custom Mold Making. but how do I justify the economic value to my stakeholders?”

My financial background blended with my customer experience knowledge and helps me attribute specific value to their business problems. In my role I lead processes for:

Trends identified through reporting that can be applied to solve real business issues
Customer-focused, customer-lead benchmarks and measurements against goals with a definable, measurable ROI attached
Honest sales processes that practice what they preach and are not afraid to walk away from a situation if value cannot be delivered.

I am not saying it is easy. In a solution game where by its very definition we are focused on ‘soft dollar impacts’ like saving time, searching for information, finding what we need fast versus finding hard ROI examples and defining them credibly is a challenge. However, when you find that right situation—when the need is real, when the customer knows they have a need and believes in the measurement of improvement—it is then that you know you truly enjoy what you do and a ‘win-win’ isn’t just a cliché.

Most often the value of search-based success is in findability. Companies, especially companies that have annual revenues exceeding a billion per year, already have the answers—they simply cannot find them. The problem may be cultural more than technical; the very DNA of the organization is often a main reason the right answer can’t find their customer, but with the right technology in place, with the best practices-based processes around it, with good people focused at the target of improvement, findability can be turned from a liability into an asset.

In proving the value of finadability in a customer experience setting, a finance-based mind finds its playground. Attributes of what drives a company to succeed are everywhere in this Rubix cube of possibilities, such as:

Talking to the front lines that deal with the customer’s customer. What are their needs? How do you solve what they are looking for? What gets in your way to finding the right answers for them?
Measuring the impact of what that improvement may look like. What if you held them on the phone for an extra one minute to present an add-on upsell? What if the total time of the call reduced, even with this extra revenue opportunity?
Enabling a team to meet its goals, even beyond what they imagine can be done. Mobile access to real-time information about an account in the hands of a sales person as they walk into an appointment ensures fewer surprises—and maybe just one additional sale per year, per Rep—which has a game changing impact.

It isn’t hard for any executive to picture these improvements. The magic is when it is translated into bottom line impact, validated in conjunction with their teams, their customers,Wireless Indoor Positioning System have become very popular in the system. and their trusted internal advisors up front.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, When it’s followed-up on, vetted, measured, re-estimated, and then included in the budget for the following year based on quantifiable results, the magic heightens.

The intersection of finance-type metrics with explosive sales-based results is the intersection where value lives. This is the thing that excites any results-driven CFO and what led me to customer experience management and thus began my journey.

Panasonic Introduces 'Superior Reality' Image Processing

Panasonic introduces new analog video surveillance cameras, including new pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) dome cameras that incorporate Panasonic's new Superior Reality (SR) analog unified image processor for more realistic images and accurate depiction of the full range of natural colors. SR includes the new Super Dynamic SD6 and enhanced adaptive black stretch (ABS) image processing. Advanced features include intelligent resolution, superior color reproduction, lens distortion compensation, scene change detection and auto image stabilization.

"Panasonic has a global reputation for engineering the most advanced imaging solutions available for video surveillance applications.What is a real time Location system ? Our Superior Reality technology takes our imaging performance to another level by producing images with incredible realism,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas." said Greg Peratt, National Sales Director, Video Solutions Integration, Panasonic. "When combined with intelligent functions such as video motion detection and analytics this new generation of cameras redefines the operational capabilities for analog cameras and system users."

Targeting higher-end applications such as casinos, airports and transit, Panasonic's WV-CW594 is an outdoor weather-resistant PTZ dome analog camera powered by the SD6 and the SR processor and incorporating a 36x optical zoom lens. The outdoor camera is IP66 rated for dust and water resistance. A built-in fan/heater enables operation in ambient temperatures from -58 degrees F to 122 degrees F. The new WV-CS584 is the indoor version. Both cameras provide horizontal resolution of 650 TV lines, proactive 2D/3D digital noise reduction (DNR), light sensitivity of 0.04 lux at F1.4 and an on-screen display menu. Scene Change Detection alarms when the lens is covered, spray painted, removed or defocused. Auto tracking enables the camera to follow the largest movement in the image automatically; the camera will pan and tilt to keep the subject in the center of the image. The 256 preset positions can be activated from the system controller with a switcher or recorder.

Also new to the Panasonic analog camera line at this year's International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC West) are the WV-CP314 and WV-CP304 standard box cameras with enhanced adaptive black stretch (ABS) technology. Features include 650 TV lines of resolution and lens distortion compensation, which provides a natural image without distortion when viewed through a wide angle lens.Online fine art gallery of quality original landscape oil paintings, WV-CP314 provides high sensitivity with day/night function using an IR cut filter that switches on/off to enhance sensitivity. Light sensitivity is 0.08 lux (color) and 0.008 lux (B/W) at F1.4. WV-CP304 uses electrical day/night function for 0.08 lux (color) and 0.05 lux (B/W) sensitivity at F1.4. The WV-CP300 (with electrical day/night) and WV-CP310 (with IR day/night) network cameras have similar specifications but are powered by 120vAC instead of 12vDC/24vAC.

For applications requiring an indoor analog fixed dome, the Panasonic WV-CF344 provides similar features to the WV-CP304 box camera (with electrical day/night), and the Panasonic WV-CF354 fixed dome incorporates Auto Back Focus (ABF) to ensure easy installation.The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services,

Focus assist ensures easy installation of Panasonic's analog cameras, and there are a variety of other adjustments such as BLC (Back-Light Compensation), ATW (Auto Tracing White Balance) and ALC (Automatic Light Control). A 16-axis matrix color compensation function enables a wider range of natural color adjustment, and integration of 2D-DNR and 3D-DNR ensures noise reduction in various conditions.

Edible gelatin flowers can bring out the artist in any chef

Chef Terri Branham was looking for some creative ideas to use in her catering business when she learned about artistic gelatin –– three-dimensional, vivid floral designs encased in clear gelatin. The showpieces,What is a real time Location system ? which originated in Mexico, are flavored and completely edible.

“When people see it for the first time,This page contains information about molds, they usually ask,The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility. ‘How did you get the flower in there?’” said Branham, owner of JT Parties in Riverton, Ill., and a pastry and baking instructor at Lincoln Land Community College.

The chef learned the technique in Wilton classes she took in the Chicago area.

“It’s kind of expensive to do. And it’s not something you would do at the last minute. You have to plan for it,” she said.

Materials include aluminum styluses, gelatin, colorings, flavorings and gelatin molds.

Last fall, Branham made artistic gelatin centerpieces –– which look like brilliant flowers suspended in clear glass paperweights –– for a banquet held at Lincoln Land.

“People weren’t sure what they were.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, When they found out, they were amazed at the color and detail,” said Jay Kitterman, director of the school’s culinary institute.

To begin, Branham makes clear gelatin, usually in a round mold. The powdered gelatin, which contains citric acid, is chicken-based and costs $150 for 10 pounds. The powder is mixed with distilled water and,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats, when chilled, sets up in about 20 minutes. It can be enhanced with cherry, grape, watermelon and other flavors.

When the gelatin is firm, she turns the mold over. This is where the artistry begins. With a variety of styluses, Branham cuts into the bottom of the gelatin, making what eventually will be flower petals, leaves and a stamen.

Then, with bright, edible, milk-based gelatin, she inserts colors into the cuts. Depending on the type of flower, the color may be inserted with a syringe, eyedropper or metal star tip, the kind normally used with a pastry bag.

“I am not an artist. I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. But I am determined. I love perfectionism,” Branham said as she rotated the gelatin on a cake-decorating turntable during a recent demonstration, making perfect rows of cuts with a spade-shaped stylus.

Delicate operation

Retired physician and former city Health Commissioner Dr. Leonard Morse sometimes used to daydream during conferences at the former Worcester City Hospital. And when he did, he would look at the bas-relief sculptures on the walls of the hospital’s amphitheater.

“They were beautiful, inspiring images,” Dr. Morse said.

But the images — one of Dr. William Harvey, who first described the circulatory system in the 17th century,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, and another of a double serpent medical caduceus on top of an open textbook — were slated to be demolished with the rest of the former hospital’s Jacques Building within the next month. The caduceus has been the symbol of the American medical profession for a century.What is a real time Location system ?

A third image, of tuberculosis researcher Dr. Robert Koch, has already been destroyed.

“I started to wonder what would happen to those images I used to love looking at,” said Dr. Morse. “And then I realized that we had to save them.”

Dr. Morse mentioned his desire to save the images to Noreen Johnson Smith, vice president of development for Family Health Center.

The pair, who serve as board members for the Waltham Public Health Museum and share an interest in local history, immediately began looking for funding to preserve the artwork. Just one day later, the private Hoche-Scofield Foundation, based in Providence, granted funding for the project.

“This was an emergency campaign,” Ms. Johnson Smith said. “The whole building could have crumbled at any moment.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats,”

Joshua Craine of Daedalus Inc., an art conservation company, began work to preserve the pieces immediately.

“We had to mobilize rather quickly for this one,” Mr. Craine said. “We knew the building was about to come down.This page contains information about molds,”

Mr. Craine, who has also worked on the monument of Moses in the new Worcester County Courthouse and on the Rogers Kennedy Memorial in Elm Park, said he was working inside the middle of a demolition site. The former Worcester City Hospital off Chandler Street was taken over by UMass Memorial Medical Center after the city-owned and -operated hospital closed in 1991.

“There were bricks falling around me as I was trying to save these pieces,” said Mr. Craine. “I’m glad we got here so quickly. I don’t know how much longer these guys would have held out.”

Mr. Craine explained that trying to extract the original sculptures from the walls would likely destroy them. Instead, he will create a silicon mold of the bas-reliefs, which will then be used to create plaster casts. With the casts, multiple replicas of the original pieces can be created.

Dr. Morse hopes to have reproductions of the sculptures displayed in Worcester’s Family Health Center, which is on the site of the former Worcester City Hospital.

“The Family Health Center is really the successor to Worcester City Hospital,InLocality specializes in indoor Tracking Technologies. and these pieces will be a connection to the past for the patients and staff who walk these halls,” Dr. Morse said. “Everyone who passes through this building will know that these grounds once held Worcester’s first hospital.”

Ms. Johnson Smith said the demolition company, Patriots Environmental Corp., has delayed further demolition so that the artwork can be preserved. The company also has donated marble from the demolition site to be turned into a fountain for the Family Health Center, and bricks from the former hospital walls to be cleaned by local masonry students, fitted with commemorative plaques, and sold to city residents.

“Saving fragments of Worcester City Hospital is so important,” said Ms. Johnson Smith. “The legacy of the hospital belongs to every family in the city. You can’t meet anyone who doesn’t have some connection to the hospital.”

At Proenza Schouler: research, technology and a world of difference

Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are jacked up as they talk about the handmade fabrics in their fall-winter 2012 runway collection, with its urban-warrior-trekking-the-Himalayas vibe.

Embroidery that is a takeoff on ancient Buddhist symbols is "sick." Colorful leather biker jackets woven using a technique inspired by baskets they discovered on vacation in Bhutan are "killer." And the tiny plastic beads, which they had to develop their own molds to make, strung together to create a chain-mail effect on tunics? They're "for real."

"Silhouettes have been done, but fabric research and technology, that's the 21st century frontier. That's what's truly modern to us,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET," Hernandez says.

After 10 years in business, the Proenza Schouler "boys" as they are still affectionately called at age 33, are among the most influential designers in American fashion, known for collections that mix arts-and-crafts techniques, such as shibori dyeing and Native American weaving, with a modern,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats, streetwise attitude. Just this month the Council of Fashion Designers of America announced that McCollough and Hernandez once again are finalists in the trade group's prestigious annual competition, a distinction that seems to be becoming routine.

And, thanks to new investors, they are entering a new phase of growth, with retail stores and an even wider range of clothing and accessories on the horizon.

They stand for luxury, but not in the old-world, European sense. It's a cool-girl luxury that resonates with those seated front row at their New York Fashion Week show in February,What is a real time Location system ? including budding director Gia Coppola, actress Dakota Fanning, model-designer Liya Kebede and designer Tory Burch, who said of McCollough and Hernandez, "They have a high-fashion vision with commercial appeal."

On the fall runway, they explored the idea of protection with tough-looking, oversize jackets and low-slung, wide-leg trousers in white cotton pique.This page contains information about molds, Fencing, karate, judo and other fighting sports inspired the silhouettes and the padded details. Stiff wrap skirts in woven leather were worn with drapey lacquered lace tunics tucked in the front and left loose in back. Dresses were made from silk brocade, picturing things such as machine gears and eyeballs, and sweat shirts were embroidered with peacocks. Prices range from $175 to $8,850.

The designers met while studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York and in 2002 collaborated on a graduate thesis collection that was so successful it was bought in its entirety by Barneys New York.

"Right out of school, they were doing some of the freshest things on the runway. And they have continued to keep that energy up," Ken Downing, fashion director for Neiman Marcus, says. "They really are like a young Marc Jacobs."

It will be a year in July since a group led by apparel giant Andrew Rosen bought a chunk of the brand to help diversify the product offerings and lead it into a new phase of growth. The president of Theory, Rosen is a major investor in several American fashion brands. But until he invested in Proenza Schouler, his stable was made up of lower-priced contemporary brands such as Alice & Olivia and Rag & Bone, not luxury players.InLocality specializes in indoor Tracking Technologies.

"I believe in the beauty of what Jack and Lazaro do, the way they combine and use prints, their fabric innovation," Rosen says. "They ooze creativity."

They've just started construction on their first boutique on Madison Avenue in New York, which is expected to open later this year. "For us, it's weird to go to stores and see a watered-down version of the collection," Hernandez says, referring to how boutiques and department stores buy only a few pieces. "With our own store, we'll have the opportunity to show our whole expression of the brand."

Homelessness poses serious problem

It’s how many white keys are on a piano. It’s how many total weeks are in a year. It’s how much a basic pair of Chaco flip-flops cost — without tax. And supposedly, it’s the number of homeless people in my hometown.

What constitutes being homeless, and how do you measure it? Google told me that homeless is an adjective and it means “Without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets,” but I think that name can be misleading.

But what counts as a home? Does a bridge, chicken coop,Buy low price Aion Kinah, or car count as a place of residence? If I put a mailbox beside a storage shed, can I call it home and have my tax information or government checks delivered?

Cocke County, Tenn.,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. may only have 52 bridge dwellers, but its poverty level shows the true sad state of affairs: a poverty-infested place with little hope in Tennessee.

I still do not really understand how I am a product of my surroundings.

I had an absolutely incredible childhood.Our guides provide customers with information about porcelain tiles vs. I once resented my parents because I never got to spend a summer at home doing absolutely nothing. Now I realize and appreciate the places I got to see and the experiences I enjoyed. I visited all 50 states and almost 30 countries. I made dolls out of crawfish, and I saw the tallest peak in North America.

Meanwhile, my next-door neighbors lived in a chicken coop.

In second grade, my class was learning how to write narrative stories. The prompt was about “My trip to Myrtle Beach...” I came home from school crying because I had never (and still haven’t) visited Myrtle Beach. I was one of two students in my entire class who had never experienced the joys of Pigeon Forge with sand.

I was forced to write a page about my trip to Greece the month prior while the other student had to write about his vacation to Gatlinburg.

That second grade assignment haunts me to this day, but I realize now how selfish I have been with my experiences and opportunities. And I am sure I am not the only one here at UT.

Being homeless is a shame in many eyes. Not only is it a shame, it’s something you obviously “wanted.”

Who would choose to live in an alley or under a bridge? What kind of choice is that anyway? People blame it on the fact that homeless people refuse to work. Homeless people blame it on the lack of jobs. This cycle won’t end anytime soon, at least in America, because homelessness is viewed as a personal problem.

Americans have desensitized the word.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered Chinese porcelain tile.China Porcelain tile Instead of homeless being an adjective, it’s frequently used as a noun.

“The homeless are getting out of hand,” or “all the homeless are lazy,” are commonplace phrases heard today.

Back to what I said about my next-door neighbors in a chicken coop. Things are getting a little better. They have butchered a camper and put in a chimney. During the summer, they set up tents and camp out. I am not worried about offending my neighbors for being too personal in this column. Why?

They don’t have running water, let alone the Internet.

Visit another developed nation.Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. You may see a few gypsies, a handful of street urchins here and there, possibly a homeless person or two. Drive down Broadway in Knoxville and I bet you will lock your doors when you pass under a bridge.

Fifty-two is an untouchable number, since it is never the sum of proper divisors of any number. And to us, the homeless people in Cocke County are occasionally perceived as untouchable and unworthy as well.

Customs agents try to halt threat of foreign insects

Steve Switzer is like a kid with toy. He closes his lips over a straw-sized tube, sucks in, and poof! A tiny insect on the table vanishes from sight, then reappears inside a small plastic vial.

“That’s how you catch a bug, hands-free,” he says with obvious delight, like he had just performed a magic trick. “You don’t squish it, you don’t damage it.”

Switzer is an agricultural specialist with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Charleston under the Department of Homeland Security. It’s his job, along with a dozen other people in his office, to hunt down the bad bugs of the world and stop them from entering the United States.

Flying and crawling creatures are but one category of pests that Border Protection is on the lookout for, along with plant and animal diseases, weed seeds and snails. They check out shipping containers, inspect military aircraft, airport baggage, cruise ships and other pathways for the unwanted travelers.

The objectives are both economical and environmental: The yearly impact of invasive species and weeds in the U.S., including control and prevention, is $134 billion. Both can destroy foodstuffs,Buy low price Aion Kinah, crops, forests and animal habitats.

Most of the bad foreign bugs never become household names, but a few are infamous: the Japanese beetle, which arrived in 1916, or the imported fire ant, in 1919.Our guides provide customers with information about porcelain tiles vs.

In a large, nondescript warehouse off Clements Ferry Road and a quiet office suite in North Charleston, two federal agencies join forces to collect and identify bugs or larvae that may have burrowed into wood or a bag of rice or hitchhiked on a piece of Italian tile.

Border Protection specialists are like arresting officers, but all of them have science backgrounds. They seek and capture insects in the field, both dead and alive. The suspect bugs (most having been dropped in a vial of alcohol) then go to the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, which is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There, entomologist John Weaver puts the bugs under a microscope to determine exactly what they are and whether they pose a risk or not.

“Our big thing right now is the Khapra beetle,” which is coming mainly from Mideast and African countries, Switzer said.

Switzer said the Khapra beetle is the only pest in the world that the government would take action on even if only the cast, or skin, was found.

Otherwise, a live specimen is required.

The tiny brown beetle, which hides in rice, lentils and Indian and Pakistani foods and spices, can feed and multiply so rapidly that the grain is soon ruined.

Because facilitating trade is a big part of the USDA’s mission, Weaver said, the focus on the beetle is well-deserved.

“The United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not have Khapra beetle. That’s a real plus for exportation of our agricultural products.”

Only a certain percentage — the government won’t say exactly — of shipping containers get opened up and personally inspected. But the process isn’t random. Agriculture specialists screen documents, looking for red flags

before a ship ever sails from a port.

Those include countries or regions that are insect hot spots and importers or shippers with a history of Customs violations.Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. Intelligence information can come into play. “We’re very risk-based,” Switzer said.

A container tagged for inspection is taken from the port to the Clements Ferry warehouse. At the loading dock, Customs specialists start sleuthing for insects, both outside and inside the container. Once the door is opened, any flying insect would be an immediate target.

But specialists also carefully examine the cargo. They will open boxes or bags of rice or corn to extract samples. They may vacuum dirt from the floor for a closer inspection as well. They look for telltale signs of bug feeding like sawdust.

The old needle-in-a-haystack analogy applies here, with some bugs no bigger than a flea or a gnat,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. like the Khapra beetle. “You have to have good eyesight,” Switzer said. “We don’t get a gun but we get a very nice flashlight.”

Officers use giant butterfly nets,Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. tweezers, pocket knives, pry bars and chisels. The most useful, said Switzer, is the aforementioned “bug sucker,” a $7 device officially called an “aspirator.”

Wood packing materials such as crates, pallets and bracing are notorious hideouts for wood-boring insects. “It’s a big pathway for the introduction of invasive species,” Switzer said, such as the Asian long-horned beetle, considered one of the most destructive non-native insects in the United States.

Monster Flip

There’s nothing particularly earth-shattering about Monster Flip, an iPhone and iPad puzzle game whose mechanics will be instantly recognisable to anyone who’s ever played a match-three-style game. So why do I have such a hard time putting the game down? I think that’s a testament to the efforts of developer Launching Pad, which worked hard to add the little details that transform a standard game into something truly engaging.

Published by PikPok, Monster Flip features a grid made up of five different species of cube-shaped monsters. Using a finger, you draw a ring around at least three of those monsters, either horizontally or vertically. That causes the targeted monsters to flip around. Your goal: Flip the monsters so that you manage to match up at least three similar-looking critters. The matched monsters will disappear and new ones will drop into the grid to take their place. Plan out your moves properly and you can make multiple stacks of monsters disappear with one flip; you might even get lucky and have the monsters falling into the grid drop into groups of threes, scoring you bonus points.Here's a complete list of oil painting supplies for the beginning oil painter. Again, this isn’t anything that will shock anyone who’s ever played Bejeweled or the many match-three games that it inspired.

Monster Flip would be pretty rudimentary if it just involved matching up different kinds of creatures. Launching Pad has thrown in a twist: Occasionally, angry monsters will drop into your grid, twitching and growling and generally acting out. You’ve got six turns to make those monsters disappear from the grid or else they’ll explode, bringing your game to an end. The further you progress in the game, the more angry monsters appear with greater frequency. It adds a degree of difficulty that keeps you on your toes.

The angry monster twist is nice, but it’s not the only way that Monster Flip stands out.Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. The monsters have personality, bouncing happily in the grid or sticking out their tongues while waiting for you to make a play. Tap on a monster to start drawing a box and the monster will squeak or squeal. Even the angry monsters make charming growls or grunts when they appear. The noises made by the brown-furred Fleens are particularly delightful. (Yes,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, the monsters all have names and backstories, which you can find in a Wikipedia-style reference guide in the app.Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects.) Throw in a soundtrack that’s actually kind of soothing and you’ve got a game where the developer put a lot of thought into each and every detail.

Monster Flip also keeps things fresh with four different gameplay modes.Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. In addition to Classic – your basic “match three” game in which you progress to new levels as you rack up points – Countdown gives you two minutes to score as many points as possible while Sequence allots you 50 moves to tally a high score. Puzzle mode places the monsters in assorted shapes and challenges you to clear them out of the puzzle in as few moves as possible. You’re awarded stars based on the number of moves it takes you to complete a puzzle. Be warned – puzzles start out seemingly easy, but get pretty complex pretty quickly.

Which One Are You?

When people ask me what Boomers think, my first response is, “Which ones?”

I won’t bore you with statistics. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you know all about the purchasing power of these folks. Notice I didn’t say “demographic.”

Ever since we’ve identified the Boomer consumer, marketers have continually lumped this group, born between 1948 and 1964 (approximately), into one large bloc.Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. But as we’ve noted before, while targeting Boomers is now a requirement for any healthcare, consumer goods and services, technology and even retirement living business, it’s best not to treat them as a single stereotypical entity.

A great study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute explains it best. Three groups — Late, Middle and Young Boomers — grew up during very different times,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. and had very different experiences. And, yes, they should be treated as three distinct target segments.

But even within these segments, there are subsegments. Take the Baby Busters, for instance. We can thank the sociologists for designating 18 years as the length of each generation, but here’s how I understand it: Busters fall into the group arriving as the birthrate started to drop from its post-World War II highs, or from around 1956 to 1965. A hybrid of the Boomers and Gen Xers, this group came of age in the 1970s and 80s, and most of them were too young to serve in the Vietnam War, which was then winding down, or actively join the ’60s counterculture. Bruce Springsteen was their bard, not Bob Dylan (although I personally like them both).

Which leads to the next point: the most delineating characteristic of the Busters is that their sensibilities can swing toward both Boomer or Gen X attitudes socially, politically and culturally. Think of a registered Republican who votes for the independent candidate, likes vintage punk rock, and is environmentally active. This group has also been referred to as the “Jones Generation.” Opinions on the origin of that label run the gamut from “keeping up with the Joneses” to “jonesing” for a better life.Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. A lot of these folks were swing voters in 2008, and were largely responsible for electing Barak Obama (born in 1961).

Generally, they’re well educated, tech savvy, watch their diets,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, have “green” aspirations, buy online and from brick-and-mortar, and from the time they were kids, have devoured all forms of traditional — and now social — media. They’re concerned about their financial future, and some of them are beginning to balance the responsibility of raising their children and taking care of their aging parents.

While many companies can benefit from developing strong brand relationships with Busters, it seems that a good number of these consumers are skeptical about marketing messages, and may (surprise) ignore something that does not directly resonate with them.

Retailers and manufacturers may want to take a more subtle, consultative approach that’s less in-your-face. Research shows that this group is more likely to make a purchase after clicking through a website link, that they respond well to product placement in television and films, and that they enjoy a something old/something new mix of nostalgic references and new technology. Some brands that are right on target with this group include Toyota, Pepsi, Volkswagen,Here's a complete list of oil painting supplies for the beginning oil painter. E*Trade and Kia.

Sounds complicated. So what’s the implication for marketers? Personally, I think the “stage not age” approach still applies here, the same as it does with any other Boomer segment. Understand that the “life stage mosaic” is complex, and, as it does for our Middle and Young Boomer counterparts, involves lots of moving parts: careers, kids, parents, culture and economics. Keep the message concise, the imaging interesting, and above all, keep it relevant.

Reputation grows for artist Tom McGuinness

LEAFING through a catalogue of the forthcoming sale at Tennants Auctioneers, readers can’t fail to be struck by the oil paintings by artist Tom McGuinness.

Pit scenes and mining town landscape are depicted in vivid colour. There’s an intensity and emotion that makes them at once beautiful and, in the case of one depicting a miner working on his side underground, claustrophobic.

To this very untutored eye there seems a hint of Van Gogh in the way the paint has been used. There are a number of his etchings and paintings up for auction with sale estimates ranging from just 200 to 4,000.

“That’s cheap,” commented Gillian Wales, who knows a thing or two about Tom having written two books about him with Dr Robert McManners. “They usually go for much more than that. Well worth an investment.”

Gillian first came across Tom in the early 1970s at the library where she worked in Woodhouse Close, Bishop Auckland.

“He was a very quiet, unassuming man and I noticed he was taking out books on artists and screen printing,” she said.

“Then one day he came in with this little rolled up poster and said could I put it on the notice board. It was for an exhibition he had on at the Wibley Gallery in London – actually one of two exhibitions of his work in London at the time. He even had an agent.

“One of the exhibitions sold out almost immediately. In the 1970s there was a lot of interest in pitmen’s paintings.”

At one stage, according to Gillian, his agent tried to get him to change his style and subject matter.What is a real time Location system ?

“For a little while he tried to, he did some beach scenes. But it just wasn’t for Tom and he went back to his original style.”

Tom was born in 1926 – the year of the General Strike – into a once thriving community which had fallen into rapid decline. He lived with his grandparents Peter, a coal miner, and Elizabeth in a two-up two-down in Witton Park, County Durham, attending St Chad's Roman Catholic Elementary School.

From an early age, the young Tom was a keen and talented artist. His first commission was given to him by one of his teachers who asked him to draw a race horse.

He had a series of jobs when he left school but was conscripted into Fishburn Colliery as a Bevin Boy in 1944.

Tom began attending Darlington School of Art and classes at the Spennymoor Settlement, where miners had the chance to broaden their horizons, and where Tom branched out into oil work.

Throughout the 1950s, he was living with his sister and pursuing his hobby. His first exhibition was at the offices of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation in London in 1958. His images became instantly recognisable with their stooped heads and bowed legs like bent pit props. Often bathed in ethereal light, his work reflected the arduous lives of the pit men along with the danger and camaraderie at the coal face, in the cage and returning from their shifts. Although the scenes contained humour, he was far from laughing at his colleagues.

“It’s not just what you can see, I hope it’s what you can feel as well,” he said once.

Tom was always keen to experiment with different styles and working methods. From his early days in oil he progressed to using a thin glaze to give his work an ethereal sheen. In the 1970s he learned about etchings and print-making, all the time drawing on his vast knowledge of artists around the world.

Along with Spennymoor artist Norman Cornish, he became the foremost chronicler of the North East’s passing heritage.

Never believing he could make a living out of painting, he stayed underground until, at the age of 57, he took redundancy from East Hetton Colliery after 40 years of pit life.

His wife Cathy was a source of constant support and inspiration to him and he left the pit in 1983 shortly after she died.

There was also a religious aspect to much of his work – Miner and Sick Child brought comparisons with Madonna and Child.This page contains information about molds, He was incredibly proud to take the commission for the stained- glass windows at St Mary’s Church in Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland,We offer offshore merchant account, the McGuinness couple’s local church. There, he introduced contemporary images into biblical scenes.

After his retirement he continued to work every day. His house was always spotless, entirely at odds with the stereotypical view of an artist. After Cathy died, he would paint at the kitchen table and on an easel in the same room. He also spent time passing on his skills to others, such as his grandchildren and schoolchildren.

He died in 2006 aged 79. His death came just two months before a major retrospective of his work at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in honour of his 80th birthday in April.Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas.

Just before his death he was believed to have been painting. His son Shaun arrived at his house in Bishop Auckland to find his paint box open,Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. and a painting he had just begun propped against his easel.

His work of course lives on and, according to Gillian Wales, his reputation continues to grow. For some this could mean they unwittingly have a healthy nest egg in their homes.

“He used to sell his etchings at a very cheap price to local people,” she said. “A couple visiting Bishop Auckland Town Hall just a fortnight ago told staff they had some of his etchings which they had bought in the 1970s that still hung on their wall.

“People bought them because they liked them and out of nostalgia. They are now very collectible and people buy them as an investment.”

Six of Tom’s works are for sale at Tennant’s Auctioneers in North Yorkshire on March 23. Their picture specialist Allan Darwell said: “They are honest pictures because it is realism in the raw.”

Grand estate home in Franklin Township

An expansive custom-built estate in Hunterdon County’s Franklin Township presents a resort-at-home feeling featuring lighted, full-sized basketball and regulation tennis courts. This distinctive country manor is set on seven professionally landscaped acres with captivating views of the Hunterdon Hills on the distant horizon.
Classic design elements characterize the sweeping 16-room layout, which offers over 6,000 square feet of opulent living and entertaining space. The open floor plan is arranged with hardwood, ceramic tile and marble flooring, four fireplaces, detailed millwork, high ceilings, sky lights, recessed lighting and numerous built-ins.This page contains information about molds,

Truly an architectural gem, this six bedroom, four full and two half bath residence was built in 1991 and has been thoughtfully updated more recently. Dramatic interior features begin in the soaring marble-floored foyer centered by a curved staircase. Room openings in the What is a real time Location system ?foyer are detailed with extensive millwork, handsomely framing some of the main floor’s principal gathering areas. A formal living room’s décor in soothing tones of ivory and white incorporates crown moldings, a marble clad fireplace capped by a white wood mantle and a series of circle top windows. In the banquet-sized formal dining room, a trio of windows fills the space with natural light, while ornate chair and crown moldings are elegant touches.

A raised hearth brick fireplace provides a traditional focal point in the cathedral ceiling family room. The fireplace is flanked by tall circle top windows, and French doors open onto the rear deck. Rich wood tones detail the two-story cherry paneled library, where built-in bookcases surround the fireplace and a wood staircase ascends to a balcony-style reading area appointed with additional bookshelves. Another generously-sized space is tile-floored conservatory, which feels even more spacious with its multiple transom-topped windows and a glass door overlooking a paver walkway leading to the tennis and basketball courts. Wrapped in cherry wood paneling, the large billiards room features an ornate tin ceiling and wet bar with counter seating, shelving and a bar sink.

The inviting spirit of this custom home continues in the huge cherry wood center island kitchen fitted with granite countertops, vintage-look white cabinetry, commercial grade stainless appliances including a stainless steel eight-burner Viking range, and a sunny dining area. A rear staircase leads to the second story bedrooms, and glass doors open to the roomy outdoor deck.

Among the six spacious bedrooms is a master suite designed to be a sophisticated retreat from the everyday world. The cathedral ceiling master bedroom contains a fireplace, walk-in closet and dressing room. It connects to a cathedral ceiling exercise room with skylights and French doors opening to the outside. A luxurious spa-like bath is fitted with a marble-clad jetted platform tub, glass door shower, dual sink vanity and skylights. Another guest or au pair suite has its own private full bath. Secondary bedrooms are spacious and bright.

More living space is found on the partially-finished lower level, where bead board paneling,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. chair rails and wall-to-wall carpeting enhance the recreation and game rooms.
Outstanding amenities surrounding the home include a completely fenced and lighted regulation tennis court featuring a U.S. Open professional surface.We offer offshore merchant account, The tennis court adjoins a full court basketball court which can also be illuminated for night play. An entertainment-sized rear terrace is edged by stone walls and offers beautiful views of perennial plantings and mature trees.Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. Another option for outdoor entertaining is the roomy rear deck which can be accessed from many of the rear-facing rooms on the main floor.

Mechanical workings of this state-of-the-art home include multiple zones of forced hit air gas heat and central air conditioning, private septic, well water, underground utilities, plus central vacuum and security systems.

Located near Exit 15 of Route 78, this home is located about halfway between Flemington and Clinton. Hunterdon County’s Franklin Township is a rural municipality with an area of approximately 23 square miles. The township was established in 1845 and has an early history as a Quaker settlement. Just outside the village of Pittstown in Franklin Township is the Sky Manor Airport, a busy country airport offering a wide range of activities such as sky diving and hot air ballooning.

Is Solar Power for Data Centers a Bad Idea?

Solar power has become the hot new accessory for major data centers.We offer offshore merchant account, In the past several years, arrays of photovoltaic solar panels have been announced for data centers from Apple, Facebook, Cisco and Emerson Network Power.

But do these solar arrays make sense, given the current economics of solar energy and the volume of power required to support a modern data center? James Hamilton of Amazon Web Services, who often presents on data center economics at industry conferences, challenges the wisdom of solar in a new blog post.

“I love solar power, but in reflecting carefully on a couple of high profile data center deployments of solar power, I’m really developing serious reservations that this is the path to reducing data center environmental impact,” Hamilton writes. “I just can’t make the math work and find myself wondering if these large solar farms are really somewhere between a bad idea and pure marketing, where the environmental impact is purely optical.”

Solar power hasn’t been widely used in data centers because it takes a very large installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to produce even a fraction of the energy required by most data centers. Some arrays, like the one at Facebook’s Oregon facility, provide power for office space rather than the servers n the data center itself. Looking at solar output data at different geographies, Hamilton says the output of these arrays – even Apple’s proposed 20 megawatt facility in North Carolina – just doesn’t add up.

While praising Facebook for its efficiency, Hamilton says the array in Prineville is “very close to purely marketing expense.” So what are the economics of solar from a marketing perspective? It’s probably not an accident that the flurry of on-site solar arrays appeared after Facebook took a public relations beating from Greenpeace,The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility. which launched a high-profile “Unfriend Dirty Coal” campaign to protest the low volume of renewables in the power sourcing for the Facebook facility in Prineville.

But seeking to appease Greenpeace with solar panels seems a foolhardy undertaking, as evidenced by the environmental group’s reaction to Apple’s announcement of its 20-megawatt solar array. Rather than praise Apple for its commitment to on-site solar for its data center, Greenpeace used the release of the “new iPad” to bash the company for relying upon coal-sourced energy from the local utility.

“Apple could apply the innovative spirit so evident in its latest iPad to its iCloud by powering it with renewable energy like wind and solar,” said Greenpeace Senior Policy Analyst Gary Cook.This page contains information about molds, “Or, it could continue to lag behind the rest of the industry by sticking with coal, a 19th-century technology that poisons communities and the climate.”

Like Hamilton, Cook argues that the solar array is inconsequential given the overall energy used by Apple. “While Apple has been more than happy to draw the media’s attention to how large the solar farm is, it has kept its lips stapled firmly shut when it comes to just how much coal will still be required to power the cloud,What is a real time Location system ?” Cook writes in Greenpeace’s response to the Apple solar announcement.Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas.

So if the economics don’t work, and Greenpeace isn’t impressed, what’s the future for solar in the data center? When it comes to renewables at data center scale, hydro power remains the best option.

The freshness and promise of spring

EVERY season has its own personality, peculiarities, texture, and purpose, but spring seems substantially different from all other seasons. It is the only season that brings that indescribable feeling of freshness - the type that many people find invigorating and therapeutic. Spring is also different because trees skilfully adorn themselves with the magnificence of new leaves, even as they slowly dress up in rustic coats of crusty bark to protect against the sweltering heat that summer can bring. I can never get over the behaviour of trees during springtime; the preciseness of their ensemble gives the impression that they are preparing for a beauty contest; the colours plentiful, but blend in well to make a beautiful mosaic.

And growing up in a traditional, rural home, where mom made sure everyone knew a change of season was imminent, gave the dawning of spring added significance and made it a welcoming prelude to the excitement of summer. For, like the typical homemaker, mom was always busy in the house. She, along with my sisters, would redecorate the entire place before we knew it. Everything was changed and the appropriateness of the colours complemented the season - her spring colours were light and bright. Her garden, which she loved and guarded like a mother hen, would be in full bloom, and she spared no effort to "tun up di ting" on the verandah for all to see.

But, as excellent as the changes were, they would throw us (guys) off; and my poor dad took forever to get accustomed to the many shifts which included his tools, clothes and colognes.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, Interestingly, mom moved them around as she saw fit and without consultation. Then she would justify the changes with the predictable explanation, "You'll get used to it, man. I have to tidy up the place nicely,The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats, because you never know who might show up". The truth is that she did not, and still does not, like to see things in the same spot for too long. She thinks it's quite boring.

Without a doubt, the strange and sudden shifts might have even caused my dad to think and feel like the man who, after visiting China, declared, "China is really a funny place, yuh know," The man thought China was unlike anywhere else in the world because according to him, "The houses that I passed on the right side of the road, when I was going down the street, for some damn strange reason, the same houses were on the left when I was going up the same street". Talk about directional confusion on his part.We offer offshore merchant account, Mom would reposition the bed, the dresser, reorganise the shoes,Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising, knives and forks and completely re-design the space where the cups, saucers and dinner plates slept in the cabinet.

Spring brings a strange, but useful, bout of independence; just watch as the migratory birds return from their winter imprisonment. Oh yes, remember I write from up North these days. The spring migration of these, lovely and not so lovely birds always appear urgent. There seems to be a specific, optimal, time when they arrive in their breeding areas. Experts say the strongest males arrive first and stake out the premier territories, often in the same location where they nested the previous year. Isn't this absolutely amazing? When females arrive, they select the males that occupy the best habitats for raising young. The pair then construct a nest, incubate eggs, and raise their brood in the short period before it is time to start the journey back to the wintering range.

That aside, for some people, spring is an opportune time to discard the hangovers from winter in anticipation of the usually bright and delightful summer. Still, it is the innocence and freshness of the spring breeze that appeal to many people. But in all its resplendent purity, spring's renovative cycle also carries with it abundant tree pollens that cause unintended negative consequences for those with chronic sinus issues. It's the classic case of "one man's joy is another man's pain". Nevertheless, the spring breeze, and the clear blue skies that transport its many promises, always makes me feel like I am about to get or win some huge financial windfall. Strangely, though, I never learn the lessons about harbouring false expectations. I guess, in my case it is, as it was in Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man; the unwavering belief that "Hope springs eternal in the human breast..."

Rebekah Brooks arrest: phone-hacking scandal isn't going to fade

The re-arrest of Rebekah Brooks this morning suggests little official let-up in a British tabloid phone-hacking scandal that captured the world’s attention last July and threatens to drag Prime Minister David Cameron into questions about his ties to Ms. Brooks and other journalists.

The scandal proved to be a takedown of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch and thwarted, at the last minute, his efforts to take over Britain’s most lucrative cable TV operation, an outcome that would have given his global empire unprecedented power in the United Kingdom.

Ms. Brooks, former chief executive of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News International, was arrested by Scotland Yard at her home near Oxfordshire. Her husband, Charlie Brooks — a racehorse trainer who is an old,This page contains information about molds, close friend of Mr. Cameron — was also arrested, along with four others. Mr. Brooks and Mr. Cameron are horse enthusiasts and school friends who still socialize together.

The arrests came just as Mr. Cameron, whose private residence is close to the Brooks home, headed to the United States for a state visit with US President Obama.

“Brooks's husband is a close friend of the [prime minister] and so far [Cameron] has been Teflon-plated,” says James Curran, director of the media studies center at the University of London.

Today’s arrests were for "suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice” — in layman's terms, an organized coverup.

The arrests are part of an official inquiry following moral outrage by the British public over revelations that News of the World journalists hacked a phone belonging to a murdered 13-year-old girl named Milly Dowler.What is a real time Location system ? British newspaper The Guardian broke the story in July and disclosed that the News of the World also sanctioned intrusions Into the personal lives of British celebrities and the families of British soldiers killed overseas. Scotland Yard estimates that the number of people revealed to be hacked is approaching 800.

The formal inquiry is headed by Lord Justice Leveson and is backed by the police investigation "Operation Wheeting." So far, no arrests have been made, but 23 persons have been held.

In an earlier inquiry, Brooks admitted that News Corp. had paid off London police for information, including etails of victims whose phones were then hacked. In the Dowler case, the News of the World hacked the phone of the murdered girl but did not tell her parents she had been killed, reportedly waiting instead to listen to phone messages.

As members of parliament called openly for her to step down, Brooks refused, but did so shortly before she was arrested for the first time last summer.

The significance of the scandal is multifaceted. It is seen as highlighting the way Mr. Murdoch and News International executives used their power and fear it inspired to influence British politics. It also touches on a crisis of journalistic ethics, revealing collaboration between the so-called "red top" newspapers and public officials, including police.

The proximity of Murdoch executives and friends to Cameron in recent years is being seen as a sign of Murdoch's political access and influence,Silicone Mold Maker Rubber, and Cameron has been unable to disconnect himself entirely from the scandal. Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor and colleague of Rebekah Brooks who authorized several years of hacking, was later chosen by Cameron as his principal spokesman at 10 Downing St. Mr.Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles. Coulson stepped down last year during an earlier phase of the scandal and was arrested in July, but has not been charged.

“No one has been arrested. But now this is coming back closer to the PM,Buy low price Aion Kinah,” says Mr. Curran, speaking of the arrest of Rebekah Brooks's husband. Mr. Curran, co-author of “Power without Responsibility: Press, Broadcasting and the Internet in Britain," added, “Now a buddy of Cameron has been arrested.”

Soap Lake drafting chicken ordinance

Council members JoAnne Rushton and John Hillman were the sole opponents of a measure directing city staff to prepare a draft ordinance for council vote following a public hearing sometime in the next few weeks.

The city followed a similar route toward chicken rearing in 2007, drafting an ordinance to allow up to four hens per residence before council voted 5-2 to scrap the issue, citing potential problems with enforcement and attraction of wild animals.

No chickens can be raised within the city limits, although as many as 15 of the birds are allowed on property zoned Residential 4, a transitional zone that includes bordering property being brought into the city through annexation.

Soap Lake resident Jennifer Peterson brought the council a copy of her own draft chicken ordinance last week,Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles. a proposal she fashioned from language used by other cities.

Of Washington's 207 cities, Peterson said she found 137 allowing some form of chicken rearing.

"There are a lot of variations out there. We just have to pick one that fits us," she said. "If 137 other cities can do this, I'm quite optimistic that we can as well. We have many, many people here today who want chickens and are willing to jump through the hoops to get them."

Peterson ran down a list of common complaints against urban chickens.

Excessive noise can be averted through a no roosters rule, she said, and strong odors shouldn't be a problem if just one hen is allowed per 1,500 square feet, with no more than six chickens per parcel. She suggested fines or penalties for owners that neglect to keep a hygienic brood.

City Attorney Katherine Kenison highlighted another potential problem - dogs versus birds.

"I am a chicken owner myself but I live in the country," Kenison said. "Even then, my chickens are in a fully enclosed coop because we have too many dogs in our neighborhood. I challenge anybody to show me a dog that given the opportunity, no matter the size or breed, won't chase a chicken that's running across the ground in front of them."

Any dog showing aggression toward another animal is defined as a potentially dangerous dog under both the state and city statutes, Kenison explained. She encouraged the council to look at modifying their dog ordinance and making sure any chicken ordinance requires a fully enclosed coop and run to prevent chickens from escaping.

Peterson agreed the ordinance should include general rules regarding coop structures, but said the issue of dogs killing chickens is already addressed by the current city code.

"I think that we need to put responsibility on the ordinance," Peterson said. "Your dog isn't supposed to be running at large, nor is my chicken supposed to be running at large. If your dog is running after my chicken in my yard, well, your dog is not supposed to be doing that.Our guides provide customers with information about porcelain tiles vs. If my chicken gets out and your dog kills it,This page contains information about molds, well, my chicken wasn't on my property."

Regardless of what ordinances may dictate, Kenison said issues are sure to arise between dog and chicken owners. If chickens are allowed, she suggested an education campaign and initial inspections could result in fewer clashes and enforcement problems.

Councilwoman Crystal Lindgren agreed,Buy low price Aion Kinah, suggesting chicken owners should be required to pay a nominal annual permit fee and have their coop inspected once a year.

Kenison noted the city of Bremerton included a one year sunset clause when they adopted a chicken ordinance in 2010. After the trial period they decided to extended the law, and chickens are still allowed in the city, she said.

Hillman urged his fellow council members to exercise caution before changing Soap Lake's law,What is a real time Location system ? and questioned how the city would effectively locate and penalize rule violators.

Chocolate central

Many claim this picturesque canal-threaded city is the chocolate capital of a country obsessed with bonbons. And the thrill of wandering its ancient cobblestoned streets is to discover, bite by sweet bite, the many true artisans along with the larger companies.

Famous names such as Godiva, Neuhaus, Galler, Guylian, and Leonidas are prominently situated along main shopping thoroughfares like Steenstraat. But with an astounding array of 52 chocolate shops scattered across the medieval center of the tourist-rich historic district, there are plenty of unique addresses to sample.

There are chocolate shops specializing in marzipan (Verheecke), and others focusing on caramel-filled pralines (Dumon). Numerous shops craft the city's signature praline, the "Brugsch Swaentje" ("Brugge swan"), a bird-shaped chocolate made with almond paste, "kletskoppen" (a local cookie of crunchy lace), and "gruut," an herbal spice used in the Middle Ages for bittering to flavor beer - Belgium's other great obsession.

There is even a museum called Choco-Story in the 15th-century Maison de Croon dedicated to Belgian chocolate and its storied history. The country now boasts about 300 chocolate companies and more than 2,100 shops in an area slightly smaller than Maryland.

One of the most traditional shops is Chocolaterie Sweertvaegher, whose production facility we visited in Spiere-Helkijn, a short drive into the West Flanders countryside.

As we pulled into the 18th-century farmhouse courtyard of the atelier, apron-clad Sheila Vanden Heede was already eagerly beckoning us in.

"It's almost Easter, so we're busy making eggs!" says Vanden Heede, leading us into a brightly lit production room, where the aroma of glossy molten chocolate churning in huge vats perfumed the air with a heady sweetness.

Sweertvaegher, which has only four retail outlets plus Internet sales (with shipping to the United States), is one of Belgium's smaller chocolate artisans. Founded in 1933, it is also one of the most old-school, using no preservatives and less sugar than more industrial producers.

Here, you'll find such specialties as "butter truffles" (their free-form cocoa-dusted chocolate shells filled with whipped sweetened butter), crinkly little chocolate cups called "snobinettes," and especially the "galets," marvelous little sliders of chocolate buttercream sandwiched between two disks of snappy chocolate.

"When you bite into it, it says: 'crack!' " Vanden Heede says, chomping down on a galet. We eagerly follow her lead. "That is what a good chocolate has to be."

The galets are at once creamy and intense,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. with a slow-melting richness that lingers long after they're gone: "If you can't still taste a chocolate in your mouth more than 10 seconds after you eat it,Our guides provide customers with information about porcelain tiles vs. then I don't like it," she says.

The conveyor belt of a large machine whirs to life as we pass, and molds holding the hollows of delicate chocolate shells roll inside, where they're filled with perfect squirts of buttercream before the bottoms get layered on. Just beyond, Vanden Heede shows us tray after tray of elegant dark-chocolate eggshells - variously textured like woven baskets, pine cones, or tortoise shells - soon to be filled with rich praline cream, then hand-wrapped with foil.

"It's easier to make higher-quality chocolates when you're small," says Jan Verougstraete, Sweertvaegher's master chocolatier and owner. He whisks a batch of mocha buttercream by hand, then pipes it into snobinette cups with remarkable speed and precision.

Even so, he says, "a large company like Leonidas makes our entire year's worth of production in a single hour.Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles."

The shelf life of Sweertvaegher's products is only a couple of weeks.

Bruges' chocolatiers, however, are hardly stuck in the past. And few embody the cutting edge with quite the verve of Dominique Persoone, a former chef who for the last 20 years at the Chocolate Line has been startling traditionalists - and delighting thrill-seekers - with chocolates that incorporate everything from wasabi and shishito pepper to fried onions, Coca-Cola, the juice of fresh-mown grass, and even oysters, blended raw with white chocolate and vodka, then served on ice in mollusklike "shells" molded from dark chocolate.

"A lot of people in the beginning wanted to put me in the madhouse, but now I have my own TV show," says Persoone. "My philosophy has always been that chocolate is rock-and-roll."

Persoone has credentials in that regard, having invented as a birthday present for Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones a snortable cocoa (with mint and ginger) and a special tiny spoon to sniff it up: "The chocolate turns around in your nose and your brains, and you have the taste of chocolate in your head, but you don't eat it. It's very strange."

None of these wacky ideas, of course, would matter much to Bruges' demanding public if Persoone's chocolates weren't impeccably crafted from single-origin chocolate. (Many are so fragile, in fact, that the Chocolate Line is one of the few chocolatiers that do not ship overseas, except for its sniffable cocoa.) Perhaps a true measure that his presence has become less of a novelty is the fact that Persoone is now president of Bruges' Chocolate Guild, a job he describes as being as much "peacemaker" among the city's many craftsmen as candyman eminence grise: "Sometimes I feel like the Kofi Annan of chocolates."

One of the newest chocolatiers to make a splash in Bruges is another chef,This page contains information about molds, Bart Desmidt, whose seaside restaurant, Bartholomeus in Heist-aan-Zee, holds a Michelin star. If Persoone's chocolates turn heads with shock value, Desmidt's creations at his year-old chocolate shop, ByB, succeed through a stunning display of modern minimalism. His little storefront on Sint Amandsstraat has the crisp all-white look of a cosmetics boutique, with just a color chart of numbered squares against the wall detailing the different flavors.

The chocolates are inspired by a rustic tradition - a historic fisherman's caramel called a "Babelutte" (Babeluttes by Bartholomeus is the shop's full name.) But they are crafted into contemporary rectangular pralines of dark, milk, or white chocolate, and stacked into sliding drawers like indistinguishable little chocolate gold bricks. The shapes may be identical, but they belie the vivid varieties of flavored caramels inside, whether it's sea-salted caramel,What is a real time Location system ? star anise-tinged honey, or vibrant fruit fillings - tart passion fruit and basil; strawberry, lemon, and pepper - that ring in the mouth with resonant freshness. They are fascinating and sublime, each one a surprise.

Constellation Energy Group

Based on our evaluation of cash flows, we consider about two-thirds of the pro forma company as unregulated under the pro forma base case. The unregulated proportion declines to about 60% under our base case, because of lower cash flow in a lower commodity-price environment. Despite the decline in natural gas prices, which have affected power prices adversely, under both management's and our base cases, we would likely assign the consolidated pro forma company a "strong" business risk profile. However, we have yet to assess the financial risk profile to determine the rating of the pro forma company.

Our stand-alone ratings on Constellation primarily reflect the risk of its wholesale and retail unregulated electricity supply businesses. We assess Constellation's stand-alone business risk profile as "satisfactory," because ring-fencing of the lower-risk transmission and distribution (T&D) utility subsidiary hurts Constellation's overall business risk profile. This is because the utility's stable cash flow is no longer freely available to Constellation. Factors that partly offset these risks are the performance of Constellation's low-cost, base-load fleet of power plants, the favorable location of its Mid-Atlantic fleet, and a portfolio that shows better alignment of the company's generation footprint and its load obligations.

Constellation's operations aggregate 30,000 megawatts (MW) and 350 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas, and the company serves about 26,000 retail, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as 64 utility and cooperative wholesale customers. In addition, Constellation's generation group operates approximately 12,000 MW of owned generation, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic region. Because of ring-fencing, we deconsolidate the utility subsidiary BGE and analyze it as an equity investment,What is a real time Location system ? counting only distributions to Constellation as primary contributions to its credit quality and financial profile. Constellation's businesses consist of its unregulated generation and customer supply operations. The generation business consists of Constellation's 50.01% ownership interest in Constellation Energy Nuclear Group LLC (CENG) and its nonnuclear generation assets. The customer supply business (Constellation NewEnergy) includes retail gas supply and retail and wholesale power supply. NewEnergy also includes the upstream gas and customer services and solutions businesses. These unregulated businesses have exposure to market risk, moderate to high liquidity requirements, and significant counterparty credit exposure.

Constellation is facing the same pressures as most other unregulated companies do. Power prices and net revenues are under pressure from abundance in gas inventory,Here's a complete list of oil painting supplies for the beginning oil painter. due to a decline in load and higher production of shale gas. Given continuing oversupply from the shale-gas gathering regions, natural gas prices are clearly not cooperating. Along with the decline in natural gas prices, power prices too had dropped about 50%, on average, by the fourth quarter of 2011 from 2008 levels. The stay of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Cross State Air Pollution Rule (Casper) on Dec. 30, 2011 has also dimmed the outlook across the sector. Yet the front end of the forward curve is not that meaningful, in our view, because in the near to medium term, companies are usually highly hedged. Requirement contracts in Constellation's markets for various volumes and periods have ensured that a high percentage of its Mid-Atlantic power-plant fleet's near-term margins through 2011 is locked in (100% and 73% for 2011 and 2012, respectively),The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility. which we view favorably. However, the wholesale generation business exhibits a meaningful EBITDA drop from 2012, which is a credit concern.

Constellation's NewEnergy business offsets these issues because lower prices encourage customers to lock in contracts with longer durations, which benefits retail margins. In the first half of 2011, Constellation completed the acquisition of MXEnergy and StarTex, and as a result,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, NewEnergy now services nearly one million residential and business customers. In our opinion, acquisitions of retail power operations are consistent with Constellation's strategy, because these operations offer a natural hedge against natural gas exposure. This is because when power prices are low, capital charges for retail operations decline and improve gross margins. However, customers are more inclined to lock in power prices at these levels. As a result, we also expect fixed-price sales to increase, increasing total capital requirements and somewhat hurting average margins on the existing retail volumes (though not enough to overtake the advantage of the sales increase). Thus, the profitability of the retail business improves when power prices are low, even as the profitability of the wholesale generation business declines, and the opposite occurs when power prices rise.

Constellation has a number of legacy supply agreements, such as power purchase agreements (PPAs) and toll contracts that serve its customer supply load obligations. The company also accounts for other PPAs, in which it has substantial economic interest as operating leases. We treat these contracts as debt because of their debt-like characteristics. In addition, we do the same for the company's underfunded pension obligations and its capital adequacy requirements relating to trading counterparty credit and market risks. Over the past two years, Constellation has shed some of these obligations. We now attribute about $1.4 billion of debt to the merchant business, which is substantially lower than the $3.2 billion we added to Constellation's financial measures in the first half of 2008. Although deconsolidating the utility improves Constellation's financial measures because BGE has about 47% of total unadjusted debt, Constellation's nonutility businesses must achieve stronger financial measures to compensate for the higher business risk. Given Constellation's reliance on customer supply and other merchant cash flows, Standard & Poor's expects the unregulated segment to achieve adjusted funds from operations (FFO) to total debt of about 30% and adjusted FFO interest coverage of more than 5x for 2012. As of Sept. 30, 2011, Constellation's adjusted FFO to debt and FFO interest coverage were about 30.5% and 6.2x,Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles. respectively.

Aditya Birla Nuvo due for re-rating

The tide seems to be turning for Aditya Birla Nuvo (ABN), which underperformed on the bourses in the past five years. Its growth businesses, particularly financial services, insurance and telecom, were in the expansion phase and, thus, were consuming the cash flows generated by its traditional (value) businesses like textiles, garments, fertilisers, rayon, carbon black and insulators.

Analysts feel its growth businesses have achieved scale and are no longer dependent on the value businesses for funding. Says Girish Achhipalia, analyst, Morgan Stanley, in a report dated February 27, “Historically, the stock has traded at a steep discount, as value businesses have funded growth businesses. But this is unlikely to continue, as the latter is self-sufficient and have manageable balance sheets. We expect the discount to narrow.The TagMaster Long Range Hands free access is truly built for any parking facility.”

Though the stock has outperformed the Sensex over a year, valuations, at nine times the consolidated earnings of 2012-13, are still cheap. Analysts expect around 40 per cent upside from the current levels, based on their average target price of Rs 1,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats,272. Even assuming the holding company discount usually given to such firms, the upsidMuseum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas.e is still healthy from the current Rs 912.50.

For the nine months ended December 2011, ABN’s performance was above expectations, despite a difficult macro economic scenario, particularly in the telecom, garments and fertiliser businesses.Here's a complete list of oil painting supplies for the beginning oil painter. The performance would have been better, but for the eight per cent fall in profit in the December quarter, largely due to a rise in interest costs at Idea. On the whole, the company has strengthened its positioning in the financial services, telecom and fashion & lifestyle businesses. Says Rakesh Jain, managing director, “While some of the businesses did get affected due to sector-specific challenges, other businesses supported the overall earnings growth. This reflects the strength of its conglomerate model.”

The outlook for all businesses except insulators, carbon black and insurance is good. The macro environment for the insulator business continues to be tough,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET, thanks to the problems engulfing the power sector. The carbon black business is also going through challenging times due to cheap Chinese imports, resulting in low capacity utilisation. Life insurance faces growth hurdles due to high operational costs on account of the dependence on an agency model and lack of a large bancassurance partner. Says Rohit Sanghavi, analyst, Prime Broking, “While manufacturing (value) businesses are expected to witness volume growth and margin expansion, market share gains and a stable pricing environment is positive for Idea Cellular. However, the financial services businesses face short-term headwinds due to regulatory changes and investment climate.”

ABN’s consolidated revenue is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent over 210-14 but operating profit and net profit are expected to grow at a higher rate of 19-20 per cent, thanks to improved profitability of growth businesses. So, even as the share of growth businesses in consolidated revenue is expected to remain stable at around 65 per cent over the next few years, their contribution to profit is expected to jump significantly from 56 per cent (Achhipalia expects their share to jump by 900 basis points by 2013-14, mainly led by telecom.

Idea , the country’s third largest telecom service provider, with a subscriber base of 106.4 million, continued to gain revenue and market share in the first three quarters of 2011-12, as against a decline in the year-ago period. While revenue and operating profit in the first nine months of FY12 were up 26 per cent and 34 per cent year-on-year, respectively, net profit dropped 22 per cent to Rs 48 crore, thanks to higher interest costs on account of borrowings related to the 3G telecom spectrum roll out. However, the cash flow from operations turned positive in the December 2011 quarter. It should generate healthy flows from 2012-13 onwards, believe analysts.