Keeping an eye on car's exterior is important

When Tony Stewart races in the Sprint Cup Series,How is TMJ pain treated? he's alone in the cockpit of the No. 14 Chevrolet.

But he's really not alone.

He has a top-notch pit crew to perform a four-tire stop and add fuel, and a great crew chief in Steve Addington to make needed adjustments to the race car.

He also has Bob Jeffrey, otherwise known as the Eye In The Sky.

Jeffrey is Stewart's spotter. He stands high above the track from more than a half-a-mile away, able to see what Stewart can't in front of him. Quite simply, Jeffrey's job is one of the most invaluable at the track during race weekends.

It's Jeffrey's reassuring voice in Stewart's ear from Friday's first practice through Sunday's checkered flag, helping him tiptoe through traffic and, oftentimes, sensing trouble before it happens.

When the fur starts to fly, it's Jeffrey's voice the three-time champion trusts in all things.

Prior to spotting for Stewart, Jeffrey spent three seasons as spotter for Matt Kenseth and, prior to that, spent more than 10 years as spotter for Dale Jarrett. He's also spotted in Nationwide Series events for Bobby Labonte, David Green, Dale Earnhardt, and Kevin Harvick.

While Jeffrey has many years of experience calling races from atop the spotter's stand, he has even more experience at recognizing what the car should look like when it zips past him at 190 mph. Jeffrey keeps a very close eye on the car's outward appearance, and for a very good reason.

"Just as much as Tony relies on me to make sure he's got room to race, he relies on me to see what's going on with the car," explained Jeffrey, whose hometown is Bristol, Tenn. "I can see the right side, where the pit crew can't, and I can see if there are pieces missing or falling off, damage to the fenders or wells, things like that.My advice on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent.Find everything you need to know about kidney stone including causes."

Of course, race cars don't perform as well if pieces are missing. That's true of passenger cars as well.

Race cars, like passenger cars,Master Arts specialises in oil painting reproduction. are made of folded pieces of metal, and the edges are often sharp. This is especially true around the fenders and wheel wells, which are near the tires.

Jagged pieces of metal or trim can puncture a tire, and then you've got more problems than you likely bargained for when you got up that morning.

That's why a quick walk-around is always a good idea when you're driving, especially before taking a summer vacation or trip of any distance with the family aboard.

April is National Car Care Month and the perfect time to perform an inspection on your vehicle.

Before you get into the car, or while it's warming up (about 30-45 seconds is a good interval), take a quick walk around the car and see that all is right with your folded-metal chariot.

Besides your normal items, like air pressure in the tires, take good stock of the overall outer appearance of your vehicle. Is there a cracked tail light? Are there unexplained dings, dents or scrapes? It might look benign on the surface, but could be more serious once the sheet metal is peeled away.

As you back the car out of the driveway, take a good look at the area where your car was parked, too. If there's a puddle, you need to check it out. Could be oil, could be antifreeze.

Are the headlights cracked? Is a turn-signal lens gone? Does the front of the car appear to be listing one way or the other? All these things can get you in trouble not only on the road but with the law.

It's a good idea to know what needs to be fixed before you rely on it. The weather could change, and your windshield wipers might be torn or, worse, have no rubber between the clip and the windshield.

A windshield is easy to replace, if you have the cash. A car or your health is not.

One thing Jeffrey does as a matter of course is look at the way the No. 14 handles.

If you find your car crab-walking while at speed, there's an alignment or suspension problem. Look at your tires and check that the tread is in good shape. If one side is worn down to the cords and other looks brand-new, you need an alignment in the worst way. Take your car to a trusted repair shop in your area.

It will take longer than 14 seconds, too.

"It just makes good sense to keep an eye on the outside of your car," Jeffrey said. "You never know what happens to your car when you leave it unattended in a parking lot, for instance, and it could be more serious than a ding in the door.Secured handsfree building and door access solutions with Hands free access by Nedap AVI."

Shopping for $1 million of culinary equipment

Imagine there was a new building in which culinary arts classes were to be taught, and it was your job to choose the cooking equipment and gadgets needed to fill the drawers and racks of the teaching kitchens.

That was the job assigned to chef Denise Perry when Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., had a new Workforce Careers Center built. Inside is a restaurant, line kitchen, food production lab and pastry kitchen, and they all needed to be stocked.

“It was like registering for my wedding,” said Perry, 32, the school’s lead culinary instructor. She had experience stocking working kitchens when she was employed in the culinary program at Robert Morris College in the Chicago area.

Before Lincoln Land’s winter break in 2010, Perry was approached about selecting the 3,000 items the school’s new culinary center would need. She got her hands on a pile of food-related catalogs –– including US Foods,Design & Build the Highest Quality Precision injection molds. JB Prince, Sur La Table and Chef Rubber –– and started thumbing through the pages.

“In the old building (Menard Hall), we never had enough equipment for the students. Knowing there are 18 students in our classes, I did a visual walk-through of each class and what was needed,” said Perry. “In garde manger (cold dishes), we were always short on fish poachers and enamel tureen molds. And I knew from teaching that we didn’t have enough specialty pastry equipment.”

She made her list on an Excel spreadsheet: meat mallets, springform pans, balloon whisks, cake decorating stands,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. French bread molds, refrigerator thermometers, plates and cups, tongs, condiment dispensers, Silpat silicone mats, measuring cups, induction saucepans, sheet pans, forks and spoons, cutting boards, dough dividers, sausage stuffers,This page contains information about molds, apple corers, microplane graters, tart molds, pastry bags and tips, tomato corers, serving platters, chef knives,Specializes in rapid Injection mold and molding of parts for prototypes and production. chocolate molds, rolling pins and on and on.

“If we were making the mother sauces, I wanted each student to have a pan they could wash out and use again,” said Perry, a graduate of the Seattle Culinary Academy.

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There were appliances to be chosen, such as induction ranges and refrigerators and metal countertops. And some envy-inducing items as well: Robot Coupe food processors, PacoJet frozen dessert machines and an anti-griddle that immediately freezes foods to subzero temperatures.

“We went for the industry standards,Buy low price Aion Kinah, with a little bit of fun. We wanted the students to have equipment they would come across in the real world,” she said.

Struggling RI city's history marked with candy bar

Mike Ritz is trying to help save Central Falls — one chocolate bar at a time.

While Central Falls is often called a "failed city" that was taken over by the state and later filed for bankruptcy, a new project is highlighting a very different story: its history as a chocolate manufacturer during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Ritz says the "Save Chocolateville" bar — honoring Central Falls' nickname — recalls the tale of an American city that once thrived as a manufacturer, sank into decline and is trying to turn itself around. Proceeds will go to a yet-undecided program benefiting city children.

"Chocolateville to me represents the spirit of ingenuity, entrepreneurship, productivity, and — when that first mill building was created there — it was the heart of the community," said Ritz, who heads the organization Leadership Rhode Island. The old Wheat chocolate factory that operated along the Blackstone River is pictured on the chocolate bar's label.

"The bar will make some money for the kids, no doubt. But it's almost more important that the bar gets distributed ..Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas.. so that it can tell the story of Chocolateville and Central Falls," he added. "To me, it's the story of America in one square mile. The bar itself is just a calling card to tell that story."

The bars are being made right in Central Falls by Andrew Shotts,Can't afford a third party merchant account right now? a well-regarded chocolatier who worked previously as a pastry chef in New York City, including at the Russian Tea Room. He relocated to Providence in 2003 and moved three years later to a 7,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Central Falls, where he produced the latest batch of Save Chocolateville bars last week.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Central Falls is in trouble,What causes TMJ pain?" said Shotts. "To try to help the city, get it back to where it was, is a good thing. That's why I'm doing it."

The 3.5-ounce bars, which went on sale this month at a Whole Foods in Providence, cost $5, a portion of which goes to cover Shotts' costs. More than 700 have been sold.

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Said Shotts: "We're going to just keep making them and selling them."

Ritz said a local credit union has ordered 200 and the travel agency AAA is likely to buy several hundred as well to sell at its busiest branches. He also said he has had conversations with CVS, based in Woonsocket, about sales in its stores, which could bring a much broader distribution.

The settlement that became Central Falls was known as a regional center of chocolate manufacturer during early industrialization along the Blackstone River, according to a history on the website of the Confectioners Mill Preservation Society. The Wheat Chocolate Mill was that of William Wheat, a trader, innkeeper and chocolate maker who is said to have relocated his factory from Providence to a spot in Central Falls around 1782.

Most of the mill's chocolate was bought and consumed locally, but the preservation society said some also likely made its way onto whaling ships, fishing vessels and warships. Some may have been used as military provisions as well, as hot cocoa was considered to have a medicinal quality.

The history quotes an 1854 Providence Journal article as saying the two-story mill was "seriously injured" during a flood in 1807 and that all traces of it were gone by around 1834.

The preservation society, a nonprofit that researches and supports the preservation of old chocolate mills, had plans to rebuild the old Wheat mill and turn it into a museum. But that project — expected to cost $12 million — was shelved because of the sour economy,Low prices on projector bulbs from Projector Lamp London UK. said Robert Billington, executive director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council.

Now the tourism council is raising money for what's known as the Chocolate Mill Overlook on a city-owned parcel along the river. It's slated to be an interactive park that highlights Central Falls' history as Chocolateville.

"Central Falls really has the right and the privilege to tell a story that's no one else's in Rhode Island," said Billington, the park administrator.

About $18,000 toward a $35,000 matching grant from chocolate maker Mars Inc., a major donor to the preservation society, has been raised so far, he said. The park is expected to be complete in May.

Ritz said his chocolate bar project — separate from plans for the park — is part of a broader effort at Leadership Rhode Island to help revitalize Central Falls. He recently dressed up as Willy Wonka, the fictional character from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,Official web site for Uwe cube puzzle and novelties," and handed out the bars at the state's major philanthropic organization, the Rhode Island Foundation, from which he's seeking a grant for his organization's larger work.

"Central Falls, because of all the negative attention it's gotten over the last few years, it's a heavy sort of thing to think about," said Ritz. "By playing with the history of it, it lightens it, and it also brings back this sense of Americana."

Trumpia Adds Free Mobile Text Rewards Program

Trumpia, a solution provider for multichannel marketing and messaging, today launched the beta version of its new loyalty rewards program, leveraging QR code and mobile keyword technologies. This new capability is free to Trumpia's premium monthly plan subscribers.

Offering a more contemporary alternative to paper or plastic bonus rewards cards, Trumpia's new rewards program works right on mobile phones to increase convenience and security for consumers and encourage repeat purchasing for businesses. Just Choose PTMS plastic injection mold Is Your Best Choice!

Trumpia adds four main benefits to an otherwise ordinary mobile rewards program.

First, Trumpia's mobile rewards program allows businesses to engage customers across a variety of devices, not only smartphones but also conventional feature phones. Second, Trumpia's integrated solution allows a business to engage its customers further, beyond just the mobile rewards program. Businesses can use Trumpia's All-In-One Marketing platform to grow their customer databases and send promotional offers to mobile numbers that they collect through the rewards program. Third, all of the benefits of Trumpia's All-In-One Marketing solution are available at one price. In addition,Silicone Mold Making Rubber, all of Trumpia's features are truly integrated into one user interface to work in tandem via a single dashboard. Fourth,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. Trumpia was designed with anti-fraud measures in mind. During each reward point transaction,Our guides provide customers with information about porcelain tiles vs. an approval with an easy click is required by the business' staff. Trumpia also tracks points and flags suspicious or fraudulent activities.

Trumpia's mobile rewards program is simple to set-up. Businesses just define a reward and then select the amount of points that customers must accumulate before being able to redeem their prizes. Trumpia offers two ways for customers to add points; onsumers can either scan a QR code or text in a mobile keyword, which the business approves in real-time upon each in-store visit or purchase. This extra step protects the business against people who might try to use the system to fraudulently add points. When customers accumulate enough valid points to reach their rewards goal, they are sent automatic text messages to confirm that they can redeem their prizes. The system also offers a reporting feature that allows an administrator to view, at a glance, whether the customer has already earned and redeemed a prize against a specific rewards goal. Finally, to help the business promote its rewards program, Trumpia offers a professionally-designed flyer that a business can quickly customize, automatically configure,Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising, and then print.

"Now a business can offer its customers the best of the old punch card system conveniently and securely on their mobile phones, eliminating paper cards that are easy to lose and misplace," said Derek Rhie, co-founder and director of sales and support at Trumpia,An Air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. in a statement. "Our mobile rewards card program makes it easy for people to connect and engage with their favorite business again and again so they can take advantage of the perks of being a loyal customer. At the same time, it helps a business improve its bottom line by increasing revenues, saving administrative costs and avoiding fraudulent stamping activities that are often associated with paper or plastic cards."

Simmons Creates New Logos

Simmons, known for being a major supplier of bedding, is now working on the launch of its new logo and brand new advertisements, as a means of building the brand even further and featuring the Beautyrest line, which will be the primary focus for the company. The national advertisement campaign will have a lot more focus on the Beautyrest brand above everything else.

Simmons first introduced the Beautyrest brand in 1925 and has recently created an entirely new logo for the brand, which has a new tagline that says, “Living Life Fully Charged.” Research showed that consumers want to feel good in the morning, after having a great night sleep on their bed which is where this tagline originates. Simmons wants to extend the Beautyrest brand to targeted consumers, specifically those who are cranky and tired in the morning and they are doing so by stating that the Beautyrest brand will help consumers feel energized, recharged, and simply refreshed when they awake from such a comforting sleep. This is something that consumers want which is what the company plans to do for them. The new changes are based entirely on the preference of the vast majority of consumers.

Simmons is saying that sleeping on a Beautyrest brand bed will help the consumer to recharge, just like a cell phone or computer would need to be recharged when the battery is low. The CEO for Simmons, Gary Fazio, says that this campaign will be the biggest campaign ever for the company. Fazio did not, however, wish to disclose the amount of money spent on the advertisements and campaign.

This new campaign will be focusing primarily on the new Beautyrest line, TruEnergy, which includes the Recharge Sleep System. The Recharge Sleep System comes equipped with memory foam, Beautyrest Pocketed Coil technology, and an AirCool design which allows consumers remain at their ideal temperature.

The Beautyrest logo will also change colors. Traditionally, the logo was all black but will now be black, granite, and blue. The company is working on making a total transformation and changing the logo helped with the approach.

Fazio says, “This is a complete transformation of the company.” Fazio declared. Fazio says that the whole process began toward the end of 2010 and continues even now. The transformation includes a lot of focus on consumers and what they want, along with developing the products and using strategic approaches to marketing the different products that are offered. This is a 360 degree approach, based primarily on what the consumer wants. The Simmons Company has been focusing on what consumers prefer when they go to sleep, products which include memory foam as well as innersprings that are actually preferred over memory foam beds by the consumers.

Colwyn Bay shops closing

THE recession has hit several stores in Colwyn Bay as the town has lost three prominent shops in the town centre with another closing in March.

Peacock’s on the corner of Station Road and Conway Road is also under threat as the national chain faces administration.

Last week Dorothy Perkins’ and Burtons’ shared store in the Bay View centre closed, as has the Arkwright’s discount shopping store on Penrhyn Road, as well as Linney Cooper carpet and upholstery cleaners on Abergele Road.

Linney Cooper’s Craig-y-Don shop will remain open.

Home Curtains and Bedding on Sea View Road, managed from Manchester, is also holding a closing down sale before shutting in March.

The Weekly News contacted all businesses, which either declined or were unavailable for comment.

A spokeswoman for Peacock’s did comment: “The board of the Peacock Group and its advisers have been discussing for some time the restructuring of the business with the group’s lenders.

“Unfortunately these talks have now concluded and no agreement has been reached. However, discussions with other potential investors are ongoing. To protect the business whilst discussions with investors are progressed, the directors of the Peacock Group have filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.”

Phil and Margaret Andrews run the Colwyn Bay Pet and Aquatics store on Sea View Road and said many shops in the town were struggling to compete with larger national chains.

“You can’t stop it, it’s just the way it is at the moment all over the country,” said Phil.

“There is no answer to it, Llandudno is the same. The problem in Colwyn Bay is there are no big shops to pull people.”

Margaret added: “If people used the little shops instead of the big Morrison’s and Tesco the high street wouldn’t disappear.”

Nick Twigg is the franchise holder of Cash Generator on Sea View Road and has reported a very successful pre- and post- Christmas trade. However, Nick said other shops were struggling due to high business rates set by the Welsh Government.

“It is not a surprise, people are struggling with business rates,” he said.

“Rents are coming down, but business rates haven’t yet. Business rates are supposed to be reflective of the rentable value, and although rents are coming down, rates are not following.”

COLWYN Bay’s town centre manager Ingrid Lewis said several schemes in around the town were helping to promote both existing and new businesses in the town centre.

She also pointed to the millions of pounds of investment in the town as part of the ongoing regeneration project.

“With street works undertaken, additional works planned and with an active business support programme that encourages new starts-ups and provides information and advice to existing businesses and a new radio link service directly to the town’s CCTV, the town’s retail future is positive,” she said.

“Colwyn Bay’s Masterplan has given Colwyn Bay a focus, which should see the town develop and thrive in the years to come.”

Big dry, big wet, now a big wait and the pub's dry

SKIPTON residents, who watched in horror as floodwater drowned dozens of homes and businesses in the western Victorian town last January, never thought they would complain of being dry.

But with the town's only pub - the Skipton Hotel, built in the 1850s - still closed 12 months on, the community is yearning for the return of their much-loved watering hole.

''It's not just about having somewhere to go and drink,'' says Carmel Molloy, who has lived in the town of 600, 50 kilometres west of Ballarat, for the past 45 years. ''It was a place where people got together to talk and de-stress and support each other.

''It's true that the pub is the heart and soul of a country town … Without it, the town feels half dead,'' she says.

Publican Josh Nixon, also the owner of the bluestone building extensively damaged when water from the swollen Mount Emu Creek rose 1.5 metres, is still wrestling with the red tape involved in rebuilding a 150-year-old building to meet modern-day building regulations.

''It's been a very frustrating process,'' he says. ''People ask us every day when it is going to re-open. They really miss the place.''

Mr Nixon is hopeful the pub will open by August. In the meantime, the local footy club is trying to fill the void: For the past year, it has enlisted volunteers to serve meals and drinks on a Friday night.

''We had to do something,'' says John Peters, vice-president of the Skipton Football Netball Club. ''We were concerned if there was no meeting place for the locals, the town would die.''

They now serve between 30 and 80 meals each week, he says. ''People love it. They have a couple of grogs and a decent feed and, most importantly, they get to talk to each other.''

Ben Osborne, who owns the eel factory in Skipton, is still rebuilding 12 months on. The eel farmer lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and stock when the water swept through his factory, taking 3000 eels with it.

Mr Osborne and his wife, Laura, are also building a new home after their newly built one fell victim to the floods.

''It's quite ironic that we had been waiting 15 years for the drought that had been strangling our business to break and when it did it hurt us like this,'' he says.

''The business was hit hard. And we still can't afford to replace all our equipment … but, on the up side, the good rainfall we've been getting has been great for restocking our eels. In that respect, business hasn't been better in 15 long years.''

The childhood home of former Victorian premier Sir Henry Bolte, now owned by Hazel and Gary Robson, was among the worst-affected homes in the Skipton floods.

The couple, who were forced to vacate the 101-year-old home just hours after celebrating Mrs Robson's 70th birthday last January, have spent the past year restoring the property back to its former glory.

And while they are back living in their home, Mrs Robson says there is still ''a good four months' work left to do''.

''It's been a very stressful year,'' she says. ''We've had to replace everything - carpets, furniture, bedding, the lot … We are only just starting to see the light.''

While the supermarket, art gallery and pharmacy have all re-opened, Chrissie's Takeaway - popular with locals and passing truckies - also remains closed because of building permit issues.

''Everyone has been working extremely hard to rebuild the town and we are getting there,'' says Lyall Bond, manager environment and emergency, for the Corangamite Shire, ''but we are always finding out just how slow and frustrating the recovery process can be.''

Skipton is not the only Victorian community still struggling to rebuild after the 2010-11 floods that caused damage valued at $1.3 billion across one-third of the state.

In northern Victoria, Charlton is still waiting for its hospital to be rebuilt, the Buloke Shire Council offices are still under reconstruction, extensive roadworks are yet to begin in some areas of the Campaspe Shire, which is also without council chambers and a library, and dozens of homes are still being repaired across the state.

''A lot of people have done it tough,'' Mr Nixon says. ''There will be a big party when the pub re-opens. It's the heart of this town.''

Secret SHO stopper won’t impress the neighbours

The flip side to Ford’s fuel economy claims around EcoBoost – direct fuel injection combined with turbocharging – is the system’s high-performance potential.We are passionate about polished tiles.

And in Ford’s world, only a handful of specialty Mustangs are as high-performance as the Taurus SHO ($48,199). This car is fast. It should be. The SHO stands for Super High Output, though this sedan is a little paunchy and perhaps overloaded with a few too many high-tech gadgets.

The horsepower story from this souped-up V-6 is strong – 365 hp, and all that power comes on with a furious urgency. Better still, the standard all-wheel-drive system forces all that oomph to the road. Yes, you can burn rubber if you turn off the standard electronic stability control, but that’s only if you’re a show-off.

Show-off types should not apply here, though. Not that the 3.5-litre V-6 with its two turbos and fancy fuel injection doesn’t scream,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. “Oohhhh, wow!” (and 350 lb-ft of torque). The thing is, the SHO’s understated looks make it a sleeper. Your neighbours will never know you have gasoline running through your veins unless you tell them or, as I said, lay a patch down Main Street.

Frankly,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, this car seems more like a throwback to the old days at the Blue Oval, to a time when every Ford executive wore a bland blue suit and never displayed any sort of cockiness whatsoever. Not in public, anyway.

The new Ford – the one now making fat profits and still quietly strutting about enjoying the afterglow of a turnaround not funded with government money – has a few senior executives who are unabashedly competitive and just a little bit aggressive. Global marketing boss Jim Farley is among them.

Farley isn’t a designer, though, nor is he a product planner. He didn’t make the call to produce a limited-production Taurus with stealth looks – a street racer with a high beltline and acres of sheet metal. Translation: the SHO has small windows. As a design feature, the windows are “Batmobile-ish,” though they do hurt outward visibility.

Someone will care about that, I suppose. But they’d never buy a Taurus SHO. If you are among the handful with a yen to SHO-off, then you’ll crave the car’s tight ride and big brakes and you’ll get some satisfaction out of windows that in other cars would be scary to look at.

Quite honestly, it’s hard to massage any real body roll out of this sedan and the brakes scrape speed in an instant. The electric power-assist steering is properly weighted, too. All told, we’re pointing to a Ford sedan with a big-car ride on the highway (smooth, quiet, stout), but with nimble legs.

This is all the product of some solid engineering. The SHO weighs a hefty 1,916 kg, yet it carves corners like Stephen Harper’s Conservatives dip and roll around Parliamentary traditions. All that with 0-100 km/h times in the six-second range. Impressive.

The problem is, the Taurus SHO suffers from what I’ll call the Reverse Toyota Prius Effect. That is, the Prius has been a successful gasoline-electric hybrid, but Toyota’s other hybrid offerings have been sales duds – as have hybrids from all other auto makers –and the reason why is simple: in the Prius, all your green-The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,tinted neighbours know what a hero of the planet you are. But if you’re saving the world in a stealth hybrid, whether it’s a Toyota or a Hyundai or a Ford – it’s not so obvious which means you get no image kick from the extra money spent.

In the Taurus SHO, no one knows you’re driving a monster performance car; there is no image boost, which means those of you with low self-esteem need to apply. The uninitiated and the unobservant won’t know you’re roaring about in a killer automobile.

Truth is, the regular Taurus and the SHO are darn near identical, aside from the specially painted rims with high-performance tires, a deck lid spoiler, two chrome exhaust tips and new grille. If you’re picky, you’ll also point to the SHO’s unique parking lamp bezels and there are a handful of SHO badges sprinkled about the car. The point is, if you’re buying an SHO Taurus to boost your image as a racy car buy, don’t bother.

Yes, the people who know what lurks beneath will know what you’re driving and be suitably impressed. Really, this car is quite the impressive performance package, right down to the paddle shifters that manage the smooth six-speed automatic transmission with downshifting rev matches.

Yes, here we’re talking an upscale Taurus with SHO-y add-ons inside and out. The interior is, in fact, almost all Taurus, other than the aluminum pedals and leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts. It’s a cabin roomy enough for five adults and excellent front buckets – supportive and comfortably padded. But nothing overly special.

That goes for the gizmos, too. The Taurus SHO offers a lot of them but you can get them on other Fords, too. Most are standard on the SHO, though extras include adaptive cruise control ($1,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!500) and voice-activated navigation ($2,300). The former adjusts the car's speed to those in front of it and the latter delivers an upgraded version of Ford’s Sync system.

The Taurus SHO delivers on the promise of Main Street sedan with Daytona 500 looks. What show-off wants that?

Local shop owners offer beauty and whimsy to Alden community

Keeping up with the accelerated pace of working as a small business owner can be rough, especially during the holiday season. One needs to stay one step ahead of customer demand while offering a unique supply of goods and maintain a personal rapport with customers.Buy quality Bedding and luxury bed linen from Yorkshire Linen. Married couple Tom and Theresa Shriver of Alden know the techniques for running a smooth business. Their company, Chicken Coop Originals: A Country Gifts and Herb Shop, has been a local favorite for years now.

Chicken Coop Originals, located at 13245 Clinton St., Route 354,Can't afford a third party merchant account right now? features hand-painted country artwork, herbal wreaths, “oldtiques” and collectibles, pine trees, herbs,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, and perennials in season. The shop is open April through December, and just wrapped up a profitable holiday retail season. Since 1999, the shop has been open; it started off with the sale of perennials,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. herbs, and eggs 30 years ago. The couple began their business enterprising when they first got married and lived in West Seneca, by selling Christian books and later, little pine trees.

Now, the couple lives on the Alden/Marilla border, and their business has grown into three little buildings, which make up Chicken Coops Originals. The story behind the couple’s business is one of inspiration and true ingenuity.

“My husband and I always liked to make our own gifts, but I never thought I’d be selling them to other people,” Theresa said. “I’m a self-taught artist, and that’s one of the things that got me inspired, when I did a show and people bought my things. We have a creek and chickens and five children, and I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. It was a major choice we made in our marriage.”

Theresa went to school for recreation and took care of the household, while her husband Tom went back to school to become a teacher after he lost his job with a carpet company during their marriage.

“We felt it was important to have stability in the home,” Theresa said. “We would rather live on less than have me gone and the kids home with the babysitter. We learned to live on less and started a business.”

The couple started Chicken Coop Originals by packing up their wares and selling them at home parties, similar to today’s Avon or Tupperware parties. Then Tom got cancer, right after he secured his first teaching job in Buffalo that provided good health care. He almost died and was paralyzed from the waist down.

“We prayed ourselves through that with doctors and friends,” Theresa said. “Him getting better was a two year process and after that, we were so thankful. Now it’s been 17 years cancer free.”

Today, many themed gardens blossom in the sunshine at Chicken Coop Originals. Plus, several art and garden workshop classes are offered to the public. Such classes include learning how to make hand-painted cards and fresh Christmas centerpieces, lessons in herbal table arranging, watercolor painting seminars, and peaceful retreats for gardeners. It is a true marketplace of both beautiful items and creative energy.

“I felt like I needed something for myself and Tom encouraged me,” Theresa said. “He fixed up the chicken coop – he was really the backbone pushing me to do it. Little by little we keep growing. I own the business; the business doesn’t own me. We’ve been married 35 - 36 years and we recognize our differences and complement each other.”

During the off months, Theresa works as a teacher’s aide/substitute teacher and Tom is a full-time teacher. Both teach art lessons and run a summer camp for People of Praise. They host a Christmas open house where they welcome the general public into their home as if they are all old friends.

“We just had this little country home that we paid $28,000 for in 1977, and since then we’ve paid it off, built up the property, and made something of it,” said Theresa. “We burn our own wood to keep the house warm, and my husband started raising turkeys.VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. The people we meet, we are so blessed by them.”

The Ruger American Rifle

Sturm, Ruger & Company,is proud to present the Ruger American Rifle, an all new, 100% American made bolt-action rifle that sets a new standard of excellence among value-priced, bolt-action rifles.

Offered in short- and long-action calibers, the Ruger American Rifle combines the rugged reliability of Ruger’s past with the award-winning ingenuity featured in so many of Ruger’s new products.

“The Ruger American Rifle delivers exciting features and outstanding accuracy at a very reasonable price,” remarked Ruger President and CEO Mike Fifer. “Our new rifle is lightweight and quick handling, yet manages recoil surprisingly well. With a great trigger, smooth-cycling bolt, and tack-driving accuracy, the Ruger American Rifle gives hunters an affordable tool to achieve success in the field,” he concluded.

The 6-1/4 pound Ruger American Rifle offers no-compromise engineering innovation, proving that a world class rifle need not come with a high price tag. The new Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger offers a crisp release with a pull weight that is user-adjustable between three and five pounds. Ruger’s new patent-pending Power Bedding system utilizes stainless-steel bedding blocks insert-molded into the stock to positively locate the receiver and free-float the barrel. The barrel’s rifling is cold hammer forged to exacting tolerances, providing sub-MOA accuracy, long-term endurance, and a mirror-smooth finish that is easy to clean.

The Ruger American Rifle’s three-lug, 70 degree bolt provides ample scope clearance, and utilizes a full diameter bolt body and dual cocking cams for smooth, easy cycling from the shoulder. The reliable 4-round, rotary magazine fits flush with the stock and offers the smooth feed that has become the hallmark of Ruger rotary magazines. The receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting the included scope bases.

The Ruger American Rifle carries easily, shoulders quickly, and shoots comfortably, thanks to the ergonomic design of its trim, lightweight stock with an ambidextrous palm swell, forend finger relief, and soft rubber recoil pad. The easily accessible tang safety, which can be placed “on safe” while the bolt is cycled, is complemented by the passive, trigger-mounted safety which positively locks the trigger for an additional measure of security.

UAE’s Piling Tech wins Iraq deal

Piling Tech,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, a unit of UAE-based Tech Group, on Thursday said it had won its first oil contract in Iraq valued at $10 million from Lukoil, the second largest oil producer of Russia.Why does Plastic moulds grow in homes or buildings?

Under the terms of the agreement, Piling Tech will be involved in the installation of piles, foundations and wells for the West Qurna-2 oil field in southern Iraq.An offshore merchant account is the ideal solution for high , Lukoil, Russia’s largest private oil firm along with Norway’s Statoil and Iraq’s state-owned South Oil Company, is prospecting for oil in West Qurna – 2 after its won the contract in Iraq’s second licensing round in December 2009.

Tech Group CEO Ali Ghaleb Jaber said: “The West Qurna-2 deal is a milestone development for Piling Tech on two counts. One - it is our first foray into the oil and gas sector of Iraq, and second the deal signifies Piling Tech’s growing business footprints across various redevelopment projects in Iraq.”

Piling Tech set up its office in Iraq in 2009 and has been involved in a host of redevelopment projects across the country including piling works for the Sports City, bridges, water desalination plants and buildings in Basra and Baghdad.

“We look at the Lukoil contract as a stepping stone into oilfield development sector in Iraq as Piling Tech is expecting to conclude more deals which are in the active pipeline,” Jaber said, adding that “the volume of work with Lukoil is also expected to increase further as more contracts are awarded in West Qurna-2 oilfield.”

He said the increasing volumes of business for Piling Tech in Iraq was a direct reflection of the company’s reputation in the region as a leader and specialist in piling and foundation works with modern technology at its disposal and ability to complete works on schedule in a timely and cost-efficient manner.You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

Piling Tech is one of the seven specialist companies under the Tech Group umbrella in the construction sector.

Abdul Khalik Sultan, General Manager,Hand-painted Chinese porcelain tiles on the floor of a Jewish synagogue in Cochin, Piling Tech, said that the current contract with Lukoil for five well clusters from 2 to 8 was a beginning and is the first phase of the project.

“We do intend to participate in more projects in West Qurna-2 and firm up our role in the oil and gas sector in Iraq. Our aim is to grow and reinforce the reputation as Piling Tech as a trustworthy partner in the lucrative oil and gas sector of the country,” Sultan said.

Triad ends 2011 with pledge of more than 4,700 jobs

The Triad's economy is ending 2011 on another promising uptick with more than 4,700 jobs pledged, the Piedmont Triad Partnership reported Wednesday.

The Triad, according to the partnership's geographic definition, is comprised of Alamance, Caswell,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham,I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile. Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

By comparison, there were 4,782 pledged jobs in 2010, led by 510 at Caterpillar Inc.'s Winston-Salem plant and 500 at the Timco Aerosystems plant in Wallburg, and 2,568 pledged jobs in 2009.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,

The partnership said its report does not include jobs "created under the radar" without an official announcement.

As usual, Guilford and Forsyth counties had the largest number of pledged jobs for 2011 at 1,681 and 1,143, respectively.

"The jobs news in 2011 for the Piedmont Triad is certainly good considering the slow national recovery out of the Great Recession," said David Powell, the partnership's president and chief executive.

"2012 can be a year of more positive change for our region. The good news is that we have the fundamentals in place to make this happen in the Triad. We have momentum."

Still, in the 21 years in which Winston-Salem and Forsyth County government officials have been granting incentives, more than 40 percent of the more than 14,000 pledged jobs either weren't created or have been eliminated.

The biggest example is the closed Dell Inc. plant, which was projected to have about 1,700 employees and had about 1,400 at its peak.

And economists and employment officials cautioned that because of the sour economy, many of the jobs announced by 61 companies could be several months, if not years, away from actually being created.

Two of the three largest pledges this year have had little job movement: 419 with the Honda Aircraft Co. expansion at Piedmont Triad International Airport and 308 with NS Aviation LLC, doing business as North State Aviation, at Smith Reynolds Airport.

Honda Aircraft committed Oct. 10 to a $78.7 million expansion that will create 419 jobs over five years at an average salary of $53,000 a year. Honda Aircraft already has about 600 local employees.

However, instead of doing the entire rollout at once, Honda Aircraft will start with a $20 million maintenance, repair and overhaul center. The company has not said how many jobs the center will require. Put on the back burner is a components manufacturing facility and a parts/distribution warehouse that could be two or three years out.

Meanwhile, North State Aviation is struggling to gain aircraft-maintenance business since saying in January it would create 125 jobs in its first year of operations and 308 over four years. North State officials could not be reached for comment.

Mark Davidson, director of Smith Reynolds Airport, said that although North State has not created jobs at the projected rate, having the company as an anchor tenant has been positive.

The Forsyth County Airport commission is eligible for $500,000 in funding from the Golden Leaf Foundation, primarily to buy tooling equipment for NS Aviation that is required to work on Boeing 737 aircraft.

"The Golden Leaf funds have provided much-needed funds to the airport, which have contributed to several capital improvements around the airport, including runway and perimeter fencing," Davidson said.

In some instances, it's not the sour economy that is holding a company back.An offshore merchant account is the ideal solution for high ,

After pledging in October to create 120 jobs at its Winston-Salem headquarters, Inmar has said it is struggling to find enough qualified employees in information technology, accounting, customer service and operations.

By comparison, US Airways Group Inc. is close to completing the hiring of the second wave of 200 reservation jobs at its Hanes Mall Boulevard operation, said Vonda Hardy, president of Communications Workers of America Local 3640. The commitment is tied for sixth on the partnership's list of pledged jobs.

Timco said in November that it has hired 140 employees toward its first-year goal of 191. Caterpillar has 80 employees at its Winston-Salem plant, including at least 34 local hires.

Getting on board with those companies can be challenging. Caterpillar, for instance, has been getting about 10 applicants for each job opening.You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University, said the pledged jobs number is important from a shot-in-the-arm perspective since it indicates employer intentions.

"However, plans can change since businesses are being cautious today," Walden said.

"These intentions also may underestimate reality if the economy performs better than many expect, which I think could be the case."

Russ Choka created what we all yearn for – a place of community

On Friday, Russ Choka was laid to his rest, a much-deserved one. The gray skies reflected the somber mood at the morning vigil outside his restaurant, later at his funeral in the cathedral and finally at his grave in the Catholic cemetery.

So what was it then? Homage to Mr. Choka or simply that old familiar craving for a coney dog that drove us downtown three nights before Christmas? I don't know, but whatever it was when we pulled into the last space in the darkened parking lot, it was evident we were not alone.Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. The place was jam-packed!

We stumbled through the back door, down the steps, through the kitchen, past the stove with the huge pots and the counter with tubs of dirty dishes into the restaurant, where we joined half of Fort Wayne. There was no room at this inn. We latecomers huddled together at the front and rear entrances of the old-timey establishment,Why does Plastic moulds grow in homes or buildings? eyeing the crowded tables, wondering “how long,” eager for our chance at the trough.

I'm telling you, that blazing Santa Claus sign was the slickest promotion Choka ever devised, shooting his revenue through the roof every December.

There were big-bellied Steelers fans chomping down dogs. Small shepherds and wise men with their worn-out parents chomping down dogs. Hot-shot high-schoolers in letter jackets with their girlfriends, businessmen, a woman in a fur coat, the ragged, the rich, the young and the old, all chomping down dogs. Why, it was “weinermania”! A fat baby in a high chair with a hot dog in one hand and pacifier in the other. An 89-year-old Leo Lion retelling the tale of his 1940 championship season when the whole team celebrated at this very establishment.

Knowledge handed down from one generation to the next is a beautiful thing to behold, and I watched as a doting grandfather hoisted his little angel onto a barstool at the counter.Hand-painted Chinese porcelain tiles on the floor of a Jewish synagogue in Cochin, It took the child three seconds flat to discover the mystery of the motion of the swiveling stool, as she looked up in gratitude at her grandpa.

It had now been almost 10 hours since the vigil, and still the exhausted staff displayed a professionalism that would put the high-class joints in town to shame. In their soiled aprons and sweaty T-shirts proclaiming “Our buns are steamed,” I observed as they smiled patiently doing their best to satisfy all comers, sorting out Rubik's-cube orders — “Twenty- one coneys, nine with mustard, four without, five no onion.”

Thank heavens, a righteous man in a dark suit and tie, obviously straight from the church, was helping out, acting as maitre'd and busboy, alternately wiping tables and his brow.

Soon it was our turn to be seated, and in just an instant, like magic, our chili and coney dogs were placed before us. Gloria in the highest! Those dogs are the world's best!

Confirmed by the neon “World Famous Coney” sign blinking back in the window,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, I surveyed the scene. Only Norman Rockwell could have captured the magnitude of the neighborliness — friends sharing tall tales, strangers invited to pull up a chair,You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! the laughter, the hugs, the “Merry Christmases”…

It was then I spotted her looking down on all of us — Mary with her baby, on a memorial blanket hung on a wall at the far end. Now my husband thinks I'm goofy, tearing up at the most inappropriate times, but honestly, that did it — that and the knowledge that Choka had chopped 50 pounds of onions seven days a week for more than 50 years!

And in that instant I knew why the place was packed, why business was booming, why the children would bring their children. The recipe was simple. With a humble hotdog, a spoonful of sauce and a fresh bun, Russ Choka had created what we all yearn for: a place of community.

The right players in the right roles for innovation gold

Science-based innovation is vital to improving the economic, environmental and social well-being of Canadians.

Cal Stiller, one of our most accomplished medical scientists and entrepreneurs, has therefore offered this challenge: Canada should resolve to “own the innovation podium,” just as we aimed to own the podium in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics.

In the case of the Olympics, Canada especially sought to own the podium in hockey.Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. To achieve that objective, Steve Yzerman was given the job of assembling and managing the necessary talent. He had a great pool of goalies, defencemen and forwards from which to choose. The greatest challenge was to mould them into a gold-winning team.

In competing with the world to excel in science-based innovation, Canada also has an impressive talent pool – world-class academics and scientists, innovative entrepreneurs and business executives, dedicated and experienced public servants.I have just spent two weeks shopping for tile and have discovered China Porcelain tile. The greatest challenge is to get them to play the innovation game as a team at a gold-winning level.

By the time hockey players get to the national or international level, everyone knows his role. In the innovation game, however, the most appropriate roles for the major players are not nearly as well defined,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, assigned, or accepted.

University-based scientists are urged to more aggressively pursue the commercialization of their work – a task that entrepreneurs and business people are usually better equipped to perform. Corporations that ought to be taking the initiative spend far too much time waiting for governments to take the lead. And government efforts to stimulate innovation are often unfocused and diffused through multiple departments and programs.

The lack of teamwork among Canada’s key players in the innovation game is compounded by serious communication gaps. Business executives and politicians complain that the science community fails to express its findings in a commercially relevant or politically communicable form. Scientists respond that far too many business people and politicians are scientifically and technologically illiterate.

Is there a division of labour that can enable Canada to own the innovation podium at the international level? I believe there is.

Let the universities focus primarily on basic research and (together with the polytechnics and colleges) on training students to serve as the prime carriers of advanced science and technology to the marketplace.

With respect to commercialization, let this be the primary focus of the entrepreneurs and business executives whose primary goal is wealth creation.

As for governments, it is time to acknowledge that the public is increasingly skeptical about “big government solutions to big challenges,” including innovation. Let governments, therefore, shift their emphasis toward serving primarily as facilitators, enablers and partners with other players.

Of course there will still be circumstances when universities should commercialize,You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! businesses should facilitate and governments should lead. But let such occasional departures from basic roles arise out of real-time interactions and good communications among the players rather than from a priori prescriptions.

Are there examples where this division of labour has worked? I think of Fred Marsh, the hockey entrepreneur who developed and commercialized the Marsh Flexible Goal Peg that permits the hockey net to break away from its moorings when hit by a player.

The Marsh peg is composed of a unique blend of rubber and plastic,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. the chemistry of which was explored and defined long ago in some university lab. But it was Marsh the entrepreneur who saw the need for the peg, initiated and completed its development as a commercial product and marketed it to the hockey world. “Governments” too played a crucial role – in this case the governing bodies of the Western Hockey League and the NHL – by testing the Marsh peg and eventually buying it.

But the clock is ticking. The coaches have assembled the team for last-minute instructions. No time now for further discussion, conferencing, or report writing – only time to repeat the game plan: “Academics and scientists, investigate and educate; entrepreneurs and business executives, initiate and wealth create; governments, facilitate. And all of you, communicate. Now let’s get out there and win innovation gold!”

Pack, rack and stack small hay bales

HANDLING hundreds of small bales of straw is no longer a laborious time-consuming job for Callington oaten hay, barley and pea straw specialist producers Colin, Nathan and Brett Wegener.

The family produces about 35,000 bales of mulching and bedding straw annually, much of which until this year had to be manhandled as many as three times before being carted off the farm.

For this year's production, the Wegeners invested in a Canadian-developed Super Bale Baron bale accumulator machine that operates behind their traditional small baler and literally packs and stacks 21 small bales into one compressed-and-tied large bale before discharging it onto the ground.

Nathan Wegener says the Bale Baron has virtually given the family a hands-free handling system for its entire 35,000 straw bale production business.

"It has allowed us to get the baled straw into storage quicker and this is important in retaining the quality, particularly with the barley and oaten straw bales which are predominately used as bedding material," he said.

"It has reduced our labour time and cost, and because of the reduced handling and pickup trips to the various paddocks, it has also cut our fuel costs."

He says the machine, believed to be one of only two Bale Barons in South Australia, looks like a big and complicated machine, but is fairly straightforward and simple to use.

"It is feature-packed with a number of built-in safety provisions including a Smart/solve computer control system that constantly monitors and warns the operator of any problems," he said. "And it is equipped with a central lube block that services the machine's 16 grease points consistently and automatically.

"We have also added a couple of cameras to the combined baler and Bale Baron unit with a monitor in the tractor cabin to give the operator an overall view of what is happening behind him.

"The Bale Baron is fully hydraulic-powered and in our case we take the power direct from the SUV outlets of our 112-kilowatt John Deere 6920 FWA tractor."

The machine is directly hitched to the rear of the baling machine, from which the small bales are fed to a receiving chute on the big bale-forming Bale Baron.

"From this chute they are fed onto a revolving turn-table that mechanically rotates the bales 90 degrees and lifts each batch of three small bales at a time that are then forced into a ram loader-packing chamber," Nathan said.

"This process is repeated seven times until all 21 bales are compressed ready for tying.

"The Bale Baron is equipped with Hesston plastic twine-knotters and is equipped an audible alarm in the rare case of a missed tie-function.

"The knotters are fed from a 16-ball twine box.

"As the process is continues and the next 21 small bales pack are being formed, the preceding big bale is slowly forced against the rear doors of the machine and on to a discharge roller ramp and placed gently on the ground.

"From this point the big pack of small straw bales is ready to be picked up with our fork-equipped front-end loader for carting to one of our on-farm undercover storage sheds."

The small bales are formed from the windrows left by the family's John Deere 9670 STS combine which, for pea harvesting, a dedicated rigid front with pea-plucker is used.

"For baling the straw directly behind the harvester we simply bypass the straw-chopper by swinging it out of the way," Nathan said. This year the family will produce 25,000 bales of pea straw, 5000 bales of barley straw, and 5000 bales of oaten hay, which will be reduced by the Bale Baron to about 1700 big-pack bales.

Demand for Wegener straw comes from far and wide, reaching as far as Melbourne for bedding straw. It is particularly popular in the Adelaide Hills for mulching straw.

"The Bale Baron represented a fairly big investment for us, but after only one season's work, we can appreciate the extra efficiencies and savings it has afforded us," Nathan said.

The Wegeners bought their Bale Baron from State distributor G&J East, Strathalbyn, after seeing an advertisement in the Stock Journal Ag-Trader pages and checking-out further on the internet, as well as at a demonstration day held nearby.

Christmas comedy? Don't make me laugh

'Tis the season to be jolly, or at least in which to seek jollity, so I trawled through the schedules in pursuance of a laugh, alighting immediately on an RT One programme with the promising title Ho! Ho! Ho!

Unfortunately, this yuletide chat with "a host of stars", conducted through the medium of Irish by an alternately simpering and gushing Blthnaid N Chofaigh, had the immediate effect of eliciting an earnest plea of No! No! No!

Maybe someone more indulgent than myself was happy to hear from gaelgeoir academic Alan Titley that snow is "lovely when you're indoors" but is "not so nice if you're outside". And maybe the same wide-eyed soul was fascinated to learn from Nationwide presenter Mary Kennedy that she's "always fit to burst after Christmas dinner". And, on the same topic, maybe Blthnaid's advice to "open that top button of your trousers quietly so no one can see you" conjured up less disturbing images for others than for me.

Moving swiftly elsewhere, I found myself drawn to the same channel's Meet Your Neighbours, a comedy sketch show featuring PJ Gallagher in a variety of guises. Never mind that I've always thought this comedian about as funny as a cold sore, RT's Real Player had assured me that his latest series was intended for "mature audiences" and I like to think of myself as belonging to that select category of viewers.

What the Real Player's preliminary caption had neglected to mention was that all the sketches were entirely witless and that some of them were quite rancid. About halfway through, one of Gallagher's creations leered "Anyone can get their face on television", and I was compelled to concur with his observation.

Still, there was always the festive edition of RT Two's The Republic of Telly,Hand-painted Chinese porcelain tiles on the floor of a Jewish synagogue in Cochin, even though the continuity announcer warned me at the outset that "if you're easily offended, this one might not be for you".

How right she was, though the offence was purely to my intelligence. At one point the camera positioned itself on a Dublin street while various young guys either mooned at it or stripped off entirely and waved their willies in its direction. Another segment featured regular participant Bernard O'Shea laughing uproariously at his own jokes. Well, I suppose somebody had to.

The comedy wasn't much better across the water. Channel 4 offered Catherine ("Am I bovvered?") Tate in the hour-long Laughing at the Noughties, which promised to explore how television comedy has developed and changed over the last decade but which was merely an excuse for Tate and a few of her cronies to tell us how great they all were, especially Tate herself.

Dawn French turned up to assure her that she was brilliant. So did Rich Hall, Lee Mack and David Tennant. Tate described them as "trailblazers who also happen to be my mates." They were certainly that.

Then there was ITV's The Comedy Annual, a supposedly side-splitting look back at the past year presented by Phillip Schofield, whose affinity with laughs is roughly comparable to my expertise in nuclear physics. Alistair McGowan came on to give so-so impersonations of Prince Charles, Gary Barlow and Arsene Wenger, while I thought the routines by Jason Manford and Patrick Monahan just as lack- lustre, though I did chuckle at voiceover maestro Dave Lamb's one-liner about Shane Warne wooing Liz Hurley: "The last time he held something that wooden he hit a six with it."

But it was left to Jason Byrne's concluding 10 minutes to make me laugh out loud.An Air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. Byrne can be far too shouty for his own good, but when he's on form -- and the material is good -- his manic energy is irresistible. His subjects here included the Irish visits of Obama and the Queen, the quaintness of landline phones and the demented Christmas Eve behaviour of his drunken parents, and I never stopped chortling.

In his Imagine series (BBC One),My advice on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent. Alan Yentob offered the two-part The Art of Stand-Up, which contemplated the business of comedy with his usual earnestness. This led Ed Byrne, who was one of his interviewees, to wryly marvel at "the idea of elevating comedy to the status of art", but that didn't stop Yentob -- or, indeed, most of his interviewees, who were only too chuffed to be regarded as the Shakespeares, Rembrandts and Mozarts of their chosen profession.Information on useful yeasts and moulds,

It's only rock and roll, as Eric Clapton said about his own endeavours,They become pathological or Piles when swollen or inflamed. but try telling that to some of these guys. Come to that, there were hardly any girls to be seen or heard from, but then we all know that girls aren't funny.

UNLV’s Chace Stanback piles up 29 points in victory against ULM

After that he was ready for the main course, a game-high 29 points in the 21st-ranked Rebels’ 81-63 victory against Louisiana-Monroe on Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

In Stanback’s previous two games he shot a combined 2-of-12 from the floor. He matched that in less than four minutes Monday, hitting two 3-pointers before any other Rebel put up a shot. Stanback, a senior guard/forward, finished 8-for-9 behind the 3-point line and 10-of-13 overall.

“The important thing is just to stay confident and remain focused on each game,” Stanback said, “because you always have another game. Until you get knocked out.”

Coach Dave Rice said effort wasn’t Stanback’s issue against Illinois and suggested that the difficult schedule during finals week may have played a role.

Whatever the case, the Rebels filled in for their leading scorer the last two games. And then he returned the favor.

UNLV (12-2) went into halftime with just a 37-27 lead as Louisiana-Monroe (1-11) used up a lot of the shot clock and slowed the game down. At that point, Stanback had more than half of the Rebels’ total made field goals and just less than half of their total points.

But if Stanback carried UNLV into the break, then credit senior guard Oscar Bellfield and sophomore forward Mike Moser for taking charge early in the second half.

A borderline game quickly turned into a blowout because of an 11-point run highlighted by back-to-back alley-oops from Bellfield to Moser, who finished each with reverse slams. The crowd erupted and the Warhawks’ slim chances slipped out the door.Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold,

“It’s remarkable what a good second-half team we are,” Rice said.

UNLV played well in the first half. It shot 53 percent from the floor and turned over Louisiana-Monroe 10 times. But the Rebels weren’t getting enough shots because the Warhawks worked the shot clock and limited the number of possessions.You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

That run to start the second half was all it took to force Louisiana-Monroe out of its game plan and into the Rebels’ track meet. Why didn’t it happen earlier? Well, UNLV is still figuring that out.

“I definitely feel like the second half is where we really just come out with full energy,” Bellfield said, “like how we should at the beginning of the game, actually. But that’s just something we’ve got to work on.”

Before Moser’s slams, the biggest crowd reaction was for sophomore guard Reggie Smith.

Making his Rebel debut, Smith, who transferred from Marquette, checked in about midway through the first half.

He promptly committed a foul on the defensive end, then made up for it with a 3-pointer at the other end. Smith said he had multiple dreams about his first attempt. It went better in real life.

“My first shot I took in my dreams, I never made it,” Smith said.

He played just three minutes in the first half and nine for the game. Smith said he was winded after that first series of possessions, partly because he hasn’t played at game speed in about a year and also because he was overanxious for his first minutes on the court.

His performance wasn’t great. In fact, on one play Smith let an inbounds pass be played off his back, something teammates are sure to remind him of often.

“I’ve never had that happen to me,” Smith said. “But that’s out the window.”

The important thing is he got the first game out of the way,Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles. and the next few will be about getting him into game shape.

Four Louisiana-Monroe players finished with double-digit points, led by center Steven McClellan’s 16.An Air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. Hugh Mingo (15),Overview description of rapid Tooling processes. Trent Mackey (13) and Fred Brown (12) also got involved.

In the paint, UNLV sophomore center Carlos Lopez continued his stretch of solid games with 12 points and nine rebounds. However, junior center Quintrell Thomas didn’t get a chance to parlay his 13-point effort against Illinois because of an injury he suffered in the second half of that game.

Thomas injured a toe on his left foot, but finished out the game and practiced on Sunday. However, Thomas met with trainer Dave Tomchek and decided to rest because of the turf toe.

“They both decided it would be in our team and Quintrell’s best interest for him not to play tonight,” Rice said. “I know that Quintrell was frustrated, especially after how he played on Saturday at Illinois, but I felt it was very important for him to get well.”

Flu, cold, throat infection taking shape of epidemic

Cold, flu and throat infections hit population across country particularly in Punjab province by taking shape of an epidemic mainly because of dry chill cold air having high pollution level in it.

The severe cold dry air has also been causing respiratory tract infections and also has triggered attacks in asthma patients. The number of cases of respiratory tract infections, cold, flu and throat infection has been continuously on the rise in this region of the country for the last two weeks, after setting up of cold chill weather.

Health experts say that immediate rain as well as heavy wind is needed to cleanse the air quality, which seems to be engulfed by dusty clouds, toxic metals and vapours. Public transport vehicles are a big source of air pollution.

The increase in pollution level in the air compels experts to think that the government seems to be indifferent to the issue as it has taken no solid steps to overcome the challenge. There is misconception among public that cold and flu are the same whereas actually both are caused by different germs. Mostly these infections are self-limiting within a week or so,Overview description of rapid Tooling processes. however, sometimes complications such as ear and sinus infections in case of cold and pneumonia in case of flu may occur that may be life-threatening.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed to ‘The News’ that cold and flu are caused by viruses while only cold are caused by over 200 different viruses that can be found anywhere around us.

The flu which is highly contagious is caused by influenza virus which is of major three types A, B & C.

Dr Ashraf says that a cold and the flu have many of the same symptoms but a cold is generally mild, while the flu tends to be more severe. A stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, no or mild fever, lasting two to four days or a week, are usual signs of cold, said Dr Ashraf and added that tiredness, high fever, chills,Daneplast Limited UK are plastic injection mould & toolmaking specialists. headache, and major aches and pains are common signs of flu.

He said that there is no cure for the cold or the flu,Dimensional Mailing magic cube for Promotional Advertising, however to feel better, one can treat symptoms, while the body fights off the virus. The patients of cold and flu should stay home and take bed rest. He should drink plenty of fluids (at least 8 to 10 glasses of water) daily and fruit juices (preferably orange juice).As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile in China, Fluids will help loosen mucus. Drink hot tea or water with lemon and honey. Gargle with warm saline water a few times a day to relieve sore throat.An Air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. Throat spray lozenges may also help to relive the pain, he said.

Dr Ashraf said that antibiotics should not be taken by patients as they do not work against viruses. He added that antibiotics, however, are given to patients in cases of complications of cold and flu.

He believes that cold are extremely difficult to prevent entirely, however, you can take a few precautionary measures in order to prevent a cold. Avoid close contact with people who have a cold. Wash your hands after touching someone who has a cold, even when shaking hands, after touching an object they have touched like doorknobs and after blowing your nose. Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth to avoid inflicting yourself with cold virus that you may have picked up. Overcrowded places like cinema halls should be avoided during outbreak of cold or flu, he said.

It is important that almost all hospitals across the province have been receiving heavy influx of child patients with the infections caused in result of recent cold wave. Health experts say that the common cold and flu in children should not be taken lightly as these might lead to lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia.

It is important that more than 265,000 Pakistani children die each year from pneumonia, making it one of the leading killers of under five-year-old children in the country.

Health experts say that to avoid impact of harsh weather, heating systems should be used in a proper way while usage of adequate hot drinks including green tea, tea and coffee help well avoiding diseases in severe cold winter as it keeps body warm and also soothes throat. People should avoid sudden exposure to cold as it may cause multiple muscular pains.

A puzzling profession

Eric Harshbarger has an interest in “eclectic things”. All “geeky”, he says. The 40-year-old also sleeps for 12 hours a day but justifies the large amount of slumber time, pointing out he doesn’t waste time watching television or have a wife or children. He pauses to reflect. “Maybe those things are connected?”

Basically, Mr Harshbarger who lives in Auburn, Alabama, the city in which he was born and where he also did his degree and postgraduate studies, likes a quiet life. And that means no mobile phone either. “I don’t need to be in constant contact all the time. I’m intrigued to see how long I can manage before I cave in.”

The lack of mobile phone is intriguing. After all, Mr Harshbarger is no Luddite. His first job was writing Java code at Sun Microsystems in San Francisco, he has had a website since the mid-1990s and is active on Facebook. More to the point, some of his work involves creating apps for mobile devices.

Mr Harshbarger designs and builds puzzles for a living. Some are computer games – like Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s Secret Life, an alternative reality game which uses an interactive narrative to deliver a story that can be altered by participants’ actions. Some are worldwide scavenger hunts which involve clues and are used by companies to market products. Others are toy kits to be assembled by children and adults – for example, his Digits-in-a-box game which asks players to pack ten plastic numbers (0-9) into a clear cube.

He has consulted on television programmes, most recently the BBC’s The Code,This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game. a three-part documentary about maths (hidden in the show and accompanying website were clues to a treasure that viewers were invited to find). His income is a mixture of consultancy, royalties and contract work.

However, there are some areas that Mr Harshbarger, who when he is not working likes to hold puzzle parties and play in Scrabble tournaments, does not touch.This page contains information about molds, He steers clear of crosswords and jigsaws. “I enjoy them but I don’t do them,” he explains.

His passion for puzzles stems from his childhood, when his grandparents used to give them to him as presents.

To be good at puzzles, he believes, you need to be a logical thinker. To this end his degrees in maths serve him well. Patience is also important, he muses, “because you have to realise that you are going to invent a lot of bad puzzles. It’s very easy to make a hard puzzle; it’s very hard to make a good one. The hardest part of puzzle-making is creating a puzzle that is difficult, that the player knows is difficult and yet is still fun to try to solve.”

Testing is key. Computer programmes can help but usually he tries them on his friends.

Before puzzles became a job, he created Lego sculptures, chiefly for companies and trade shows for which he would charge several thousand dollars.You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! One of the largest pieces he built was at the height of the dotcom boom,We are passionate about polished tiles. when he made a desk for an executive at a technology company, for $10,000.

On the side, Mr Harshbarger was building up a personal catalogue of puzzles that now contains the details of thousands and which he delves into for reference.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,

The moment when his hobby became a full-time career came seven years ago when Mind Candy, the British gaming company which is now best known for the children’s online game Moshi Monsters, was looking for puzzle makers to work on Perplex City, its alternative reality game. The game invited players to look for The Cube, a scientific and spiritual artefact valued by the people of a fictional metropolis that had been stolen and buried on earth. The winner of the game, which started in 2005 and ended in 2007, received 10,000. One of Mr Harshbarger’s favourite puzzles in that game used a Rubik’s Cube-based alphabet – players were instructed to twist it according to precise instructions and follow the information on the resulting faces.

Mr Harshbarger, who confesses he enjoys making puzzles more than solving them, won’t be drawn on his annual income. However, he divulges that a typical hourly fee is about $60 to $70 though “it’s not the kind of job that has a daily routine – much like computer work, it comes and goes”.

Puzzle-setting, however, isn’t for everyone. “You need to have had an interest all your life. If thinking about them beyond solving them is interesting to you then yes, maybe it’s worth considering as a job. There’s a lot of finesse and subtlety to it.”

The job market for puzzle creators is small, though opportunities have increased, he notes, in the last five to 10 years as the industry has experienced a resurgence. This is due to large companies setting them as marketing campaigns and also in the educational field, both for young and old generations; puzzles are said to keep the brain active.

Dr. Peg’s Prescription

Cold season is here in more ways than one: cold weather and cold germs. One leads to the other. When it gets cold, we huddle behind closed doors and windows, staying warm and breathing each other’s air. When breathing turns to coughing, illness spreads.

Colds are caused by viruses, which are teeny tiny particles that get into your body through your mouth or nose. They settle in your sinuses and lungs where they multiply, divide and conquer, causing all the familiar symptoms and making you look and feel like that guy on the commercial.

Nobody dies from a cold,Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design， but nobody wants one either. Especially during finals time, you can do without all that dripping, hacking,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . and sneezing, am I right? There are some things you can do to increase your chances of staying healthy.

First things first: basic body maintenance.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, Really try to get enough sleep. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water.

Exercise regularly. Your body’s immune system needs the basics in order to function at max capacity.

Next, do what you can to avoid germs. Stay out of crowded, close spaces if you can. Planes, trains and automobiles are all wonderful incubators. If you know someone who is sick, don’t touch them or anything they have touched. Wash your hands a lot, especially before eating. Carry hand sanitizer with you and use it often.

The most common way to get sick is by unconsciously picking up germs by touching something, then dragging the germs from your hands to your nose or mouth, so keep your hands away from your face as a rule. If your nasal tract is dry, it is a little damaged, which makes it easier for viruses to penetrate. You can use saline nasal spray and/or a humidifier in your bedroom to help keep your mucous membranes moist.

If, in spite of your best efforts, a cold does catch you, there are some things you can do that might nip it in the bud. Zinc lozenges and Echinacea both have good track records for shortening a cold,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. and nothing beats a day on the couch with chicken soup.

If the cold takes hold, get some rest, drink lots of liquids and dose yourself with plenty of patience. Colds often last from a week to 10 days, so give your body a chance to do its thing. Take over-the-counter medication for your symptoms if you want. We have plenty of those in SHAC pharmacy. If you have a bad sore throat, or if you think you have more than “just a cold,” come see a provider at SHAC.

Finally, do your friends a favor and try not to spread your germs when you’re sick. I know, you’re making a lot of mucous, and it is hard not to cough. But think about what you have and what you’re doing. Your mucous is full of virus particles.

If you wipe your hand across your nose and then go open a door or handle money, you are spreading germs to anyone who touches what you touched. If you cough near someone or onto a shared surface, same thing. So blow your nose into a tissue, throw it away, and then wash or sanitize your hands.Unlike traditional high risk merchant account , If you cough, cough like Dracula into your crooked elbow, to minimize the spray and spread of viruses.