text:
by Jineea Butler
(NNPA)–Do you ever wonder what message our young men are really sending when their pants are sagging to the point of showing their underwear? Has it crossed your mind that they might be mooning us? Before we can figure it out, they pull up their pants, only for them to gradually fall right back down. Focusing solely on body language, it's not a stretch to think they are saying, "Kiss my butt." Or, words to that effect.
Whatever they are trying to say, an increasing number of public officials are making it clear that they don't want to hear it. Wildwood, N.J. is the latest city to place a ban on sagging pants, classifying it as indecent exposure. The ban, which goes into effect July 2, applies only to the boardwalk in the Jersey Shore resort. Mayor Ernest Troiano, Jr. told the Associated Press: "It's amazing — and this is a pun — how far decency has fallen through the cracks."
This so-called fashion statement originated in prison. Yes, the joint. Prison clothing is often ill-fitting. But belts are prohibited in most institutions because they might be used for suicide or hanging.
Still, that's no reason extend that style beyond the prison walls. They are wearing pants so low that they are obstructing the way that they walk and exposing where the sun doesn't shine. And their staunchest defenders aren't doing a good job of arguing their case.
Consider Hip Hop rapper The Game's recent comments about Wildwood's new law. TMZ reported that he said, "N****** should sag down to their socks out there. They trying to get people to not sag, please. Can't tell people how to wear their f***ing clothes. What time are we in? This ain't the f***ing slave days. F*** that." He goes on to say, "I am with the sagging movement. First five people to get fines, I will pay their tickets … I will go there and sag cause I am a sagging Sagittarius."
Whether the law is valid, racist or unjust, we should not encourage our young people to break the law. After The Game pays the tickets for the first five people who defy this order, what happens to the next 10, 000 who follow suit? Because the first offense is $25 – $100, he's only committing to a maximum of $500. The fine can go as high as $200 and 40 hours of community service. Is The Game going to do their community service, too?
Other jurisdictions – including Lynwood, Ill.; Terrebone Parish in Louisiana; Albany, Ga.; Opa-Locka, Fla.; Collinsville, Ill. and Hahira, Ga. – have adopted similar bans. In addition, school districts, transit agencies and airlines ban wearing pants that expose skin below the waist or underwear.
Interestingly, before the crack down on those showing their crack, there were unofficial street standards for sagging. They called for wearing pants one or two sizes larger to sag below the elastic designer label on the boxers that matched and clearly defined your outfit. It was a requirement that boxers and the outfit had to showcase a brand from head to toe. The unspoken street rules went so far as to stipulate that if you didn't wear a coordinating belt you were deemed improperly attired.
Sadly, many young people can't give you a good reason for why they are showing their butts – literally.
When asked, most will tell you that they feel more comfortable with their pants exposing their backside. People of my generation used to say that we sag our jeans because we felt uncomfortable with the sizes and styles that were available. Consequently, Urban Fashion was born. Designers for Karl Kani, FUBU and Cross Colours began to make clothes that addressed our vision for a more comfortable feel.
As bad as the sagging looks, it's difficult to sit by as people belittle our entire Hip Hop community on basis of only a slice of our community. Mr. Mayor have you taken the time speak with the young men in question? Fortunately, there's more to them than meets the eye. And as one ACLU official said, having bad taste shouldn't be a crime.
Just as public officials have a duty to look beyond our clothes, rappers need to clean up their act, too. I think many of them don't understand the saying made famous by French writer Francois-Marie Arouet aka Voltaire, "With great power, comes great responsibility."
My questions to The Game are: When these people follow you, are you going to give them a job when they are "sagging down to their socks"? Are you going to stop the paper trail that might hurt their careers? How will these five people even get in touch with you to pay the fines? No matter how relevant or powerful a rapper aspires to be we can't allow them to plant messages that poison the mentality of our youth. If The Game is serious about making change; why not pursue the proper protocol to overturn this law.
Critics say if young men wearing pants below their waist want to know how they are perceived by others, all they have to do is look at what "saggin'" spells when the letters are reversed.
Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or Tweet her at @flygirlladyjay


text:
I realize this is the third time (at least) I've written about Foxen Vineyard & Winery, but as I sit here opening up my latest wine club shipment, I feel like a quick post is definitely in order.
I patiently waited for three long years to be accepted into Foxen's Anchor Wine Club. Due to the relatively small production at Foxen, wine club membership is limited and waiting lists are often long. But now that I'm a member, I can say without hesitation that the wait was 100% worth it.
As a member of the Foxen Anchor Club, I've been enjoying great discounts at the winery and feel like a kid on Christmas every time I receive one of my regular quarterly wine shipments (many of which are wine club exclusives). However, one of my best club experiences thus far happened on February 25th at Foxen's first ever Wine Club Open House.
We started our day of tasting at the Foxen shack where we tried a few wines before heading up to the newer, larger winery for the private event. When we arrived, we were led directly into the barrel room – a place that I've been dying to see ever since it was built.
We signed in, were given name tags and wine glasses, and started our tasting on the east side of the barrel room. As we walked past neatly stacked barrels towards the folding table where a small crowd was gathered, I realized the man pouring was winemaker Bill Wathen.
Bill "Billy" Wathen has been lovingly hand-crafting the wines at Foxen from day one. As I walked up to Billy, I have to admit I felt a bit starstruck. I've been hearing about the "Foxen Boys" Bill and Dick for years, but I had never met them in the flesh.
I introduced myself to Billy and he poured us tastes of his latest offerings, including a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc – Vogelzang Vineyard, a 2010 Chardonnay – Tinaquaic Vineyard, a 2010 Pinot Noir – Santa Maria Valley, and a 2010 Pinot Noir – John Sebastiano Vineyard.
I truly have never tried a wine at Foxen that I didn't like and I feel like the Pinot Noir's that come out of Foxen are unparalleled. Such was the case during this visit. It was such a wonderful opportunity to have the winemaker walk us through his creations.
After we tried the first four wines, we headed to the snack table where we grabbed a selection of cheeses, almonds, olives, meats and chocolates – all of which were a nice complement to the wine. Then we moved on to the west side of the barrel room to finish our tasting.
On the way to the west end of the room, we bumped into Dick Dore – Bill Wathen's partner at Foxen and the man behind the slogan "if you don't know Foxen, you don't know Dick". We got a chance to speak to Dick about some of the dinners and events Foxen has coming up – some of which were happening in my hometown just outside of Chicago.
We found that Billy had moved to the west side tasting table, so we were fortunate enough to have him pour our last three tastes – a 2009 Pinot Noir – La Encantada Vineyard, a 2008 Volpino – Santa Ynez Valley, and a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon – Vogelzang Vineyard.
We chatted a bit more and enjoyed our last tastes on a picture-perfect Santa Maria afternoon. I walked away with a couple extra bottles of the 2010 John Sebastiano Vineyard and the 2009 La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir's – both of which were too good for words. If you can get your hands on either bottle, you'll be very pleased you did. They're heavenly.
I absolutely loved being part of this wine club event and hope it's something Foxen does more regularly. I've been to several other wine club events, but I've never been to one that felt quite so relaxed and personal. It was so nice to meet Billy, Dick, Allyson, Lee and the rest of the crew.
As I open my wine club shipment, I feel like I have an even deeper connection to what is inside and know a bit more about how each wine came to be. I look forward to the next one…
(business address & tasting room)
7600 Foxen Canyon Road
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Phone: (805) 937-4251
Fax: (805) 937-0415
Tasting room hours: 11AM – 4PM Daily
(foxen 7200 "the shack")
7200 Foxen Canyon Road
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Phone: (805) 937-4251
Fax: (805) 937-0415

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Metrodome, Little Film Company execs launch Truffle Pictures
Sales and production outfit's inaugural sales slate to include John Jencks' The Hippopotamus.
Enterprising Entrepreneurs Emerge With Sales Entity Truffle Pictures
The new era of global digital sales and distribution is ripe and full of opportunity for individuals who have and can adapt to the new dynamic mechanisms, in place and ever-emerging, to bring content to the consumer where, when, and how they want it.
Former Metrodome and Little Film Co. Execs Launch New Sales and Production Outfit
Caroline Couret-Delegue and Elie Mechoulam have launched a new international film sales and production company, Truffle Pictures, based in London.
Truffle's Managing Director, Caroline Couret-Delegue, elected to Film Export UK board
EXCLUSIVE: Sales company trade body Film Export UK elects new board.
Truffle Pictures scores key 'Hippopotamus' deals
EXCLUSIVE: Film is an adaptation of Stephen Fry's novel.
Filmart: 'The Gaelic King' rules for Truffle
EXCLUSIVE: Fantasy feature goes to North America, UK and Japan in flurry of deals.
Truffle Pictures swoops on Creative England backed redemption thriller The Marker
EXCLUSIVE: Crime film from director Justin Edgar is being launched at EFM.
AFM: Truffle finds comedy 'Dateless', action-adventure 'The Gaelic King'
EXCLUSIVE: Fledgling UK sales outfit Truffle Pictures launches first market slate.
Truffle Pictures launches sports mental health doc, supernatural horror in Cannes
EXCLUSIVE: Two productions from Redeeming Features on sales company's Cannes slate.
Edinburgh thriller 'The Marker' scores UK deal
EXCLUSIVE: Kaleidoscope picks up Justin Edgar-directed movie.
Truffle Pictures scores deals on Sheila Hancock-starring 'Edie'
EXCLUSIVE: UK-based sales outfit Truffle Pictures has inked a trio of key deals here in Toronto on its drama Edie.


text:
The Sharks Basketball Club exists to provide a safe, happy and healthy sporting atmosphere for children and families with the emphasis on the joy of competition, rather than just winning, whilst providing quality leadership for the juniors in good teamwork and exemplary sportsmanship.
It strives to provide opportunities for girls and boys to develop their skills and to compete at a level of competition within their individual capabilities.
The Club supports and openly encourages all player's aspirations and dreams to fullfill their basketball goals to a higher level of involvement, whether playing, coaching, refereeing or other Club involvement.


text:
The Anatomy of a Paperless Patient Onboarding Process
Patient onboarding is the process of getting new patients registered and oriented with your health organization. Thanks to new technology and healthcare policy shifts, creating a great first impression of your facility has become of paramount importance for you and your patients. This means you need to give patients easy access to forms and health information, protect their data, provide easy appointment scheduling, and reduce wait times.
To help you achieve these tasks, we've put together a comprehensive guide on building a paperless patient onboarding process. Download your free copy today to get exclusive tips on building patient onboarding forms that reduce the need for paper, streamline tasks, and enhance the patient experience.
This free guide includes:
- Tips on building accessible patient onboarding forms
- Best practices for data security, storage, and routing
- Strategies for collecting helpful patient feedback
Download your copy now to get started!


text:
US stocks fall as Europe doubts bubble to surface
Fear of European debt is once again playing havoc with Wall Street.
Stocks pitched down Wednesday in the United States as borrowing rates climbed for Spain and Italy, a sign that investors are losing confidence in those countries' finances.
Spain's 10-year borrowing rate leapt to 6.06 percent from 5.70 percent early Tuesday. Many fear that Spain, strangled by high unemployment and a real estate collapse, could be the next nation to require financial rescue.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 184 points before recovering about half of the loss. Still, the average has fallen for six consecutive days, its longest losing streak since last summer.
The Dow soared 2,624 points, or 25 percent, from Oct. 3 through May 1 as European leaders appeared to get a handle on the debt crisis. Last fall, nations that use the euro agreed to enforce budget discipline across the region.
Since May 1, when the Dow closed at a four-year high, worries about Europe have resurfaced. In elections on Sunday, Greek and French voters ousted leaders who had imposed tough spending cuts to soothe investors.
In the six losing days that ended Wednesday, the Dow gave back 444 points — one-sixth of the points it gained during its eight-month rally. The Dow closed down 97.03 points, or 0.8 percent, at 12,835.06.
Greece, without a government since Sunday's elections, appears increasingly likely to exit the euro currency union or be forced out. The resulting uncertainty could cause turmoil throughout global markets.
The spring decline has become a motif on Wall Street. In 2010 and 2011, the Dow climbed in the first three months of the year, then flat-lined or lost ground as events overseas overshadowed modest economic growth in the U.S.
The market today is tame compared with last summer, when the Dow routinely swung by hundreds of points a day.
But the atmosphere is starting to resemble last year's as traders sell anything deemed risky based on the latest headlines from Europe, said Peter Tchir, who trades a range of investments for his hedge fund TF Market Advisors.
"The concern in Spain is at such a high level that people trade the indexes or big futures contracts and are less discriminating about what risk they're taking on," he said.
On Wednesday, prices fell for commodities such as energy, copper and silver that are needed to sustain broad economic growth but are less valuable when the economy is weaker and demand wanes.
Benchmark crude oil, which sold for about $110 per barrel earlier this year, fell below $100 last week and kept sliding. It closed below $97 Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, continuing its longest decline since last July.
Commodity prices also were under pressure because the dollar rose against the euro, sending the euro down as low as $1.2910, its lowest point since Jan. 23. Commodities are traded in dollars, so a strong dollar makes them appear more expensive to investors who hold foreign currencies.
European stocks are having one of their worst weeks in months. London's FTSE 100 index is down 2.2 percent this week, its worst performance since December. Stocks in Athens are down 10.8 percent, the most since August.
Cash flowed into ultra-safe investments such as U.S. Treasurys, pushing the yield on the 10-year note as low as 1.80 percent, near a seven-month low. The yield finished the day at 1.84 percent as stocks moved off their earlier lows.
One reason that demand for Treasurys is increasing: As Europe deteriorates and hiring in the U.S. slows, traders believe that the Federal Reserve is more likely to engage in another round of bond-buying to juice the economy.
Bond-buying by the Fed lowers bond yields, pushing more cash into stocks and commodities. When traders expect the Fed to act, they buy bonds to take advantage of the extra demand that the Fed's buying will create.
Economic indicators and corporate earnings in the U.S. continue to signal recovery, albeit a choppy one. The government said after trading began that U.S. wholesale stockpiles grew in March at their slowest pace in four months, a sign demand is too weak for companies to ramp up production.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite average both closed well above their lows for the day. The S&P fell 9.14 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,354.58. The Nasdaq dropped 11.56, or 0.4 percent, to 2,934.71.
Tchir expects the market to grow more volatile as traders track deadlines for indebted European nations to repay bond investors or raise cash. For investors who benefited from the recent rally, he said, "I think it's time to take money off the table." There's too much of a disconnect between the Dow's recent four-year high and European markets that are scraping three-year lows, he said.
European stocks rose into the close, recovering some earlier losses. Indexes in France and London closed down less than 1 percent after steep losses earlier.
In corporate news:
— Chiquita Brands plunged 28.9 percent after the banana purveyor reported first-quarter earnings that were far below the expectations of Wall Street analysts.
— Macy's lost 3.8 percent after the department store chain made an earnings forecast that fell below Wall Street projections.
— Walt Disney Co. rose 1.6 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow, after the whimsy-production conglomerate said its fiscal second-quarter earnings outpaced expectations.
Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.


text:
Stocks are breaking a recent pattern, shaking off their summertime blues and recapturing four-year highs, and there are even reasons why those gains could continue for now.
Yet, the market is still a sea of discontent.
related investing news
Many investors are skepticaland are waiting for the market to get crushed in September, either from sour news out of Europe, potential disappointment from the Fed (What's This?), or just the political noise that comes with the election and Washington's (What's This?).
They are also watching the escalating rhetoric on Iran's nuclear intentions. (Read More: Investors Still in Hiding)
In an eerie pattern, the S&P 500 has, in each of the past three years, hit highs in late April or early May then sold off into the summer in a perfect "sell in May" pattern. In 2010, stocks recovered the summer's losses by November, and last year it wasn't until February 2012. But this year, stocks hit the low ground in June and have now quietly climbed back to the four-year high the market was flirting with in April.
On Tuesday the S&P 500 broke above 1,422, its April high, for the first time. That pushed it into a level last seen in May 2008. But the market backed off, and now traders are again watching the 1422 level as a point of resistance.
"I think the market, left to its own, wants to move higher," said Jack Ablin, CIO with Harris Private Bank. "Fundamentally, earnings-wise, it's very supportive of 1,450 (on the S&P). It's really obviously these headlines that keep bombarding ups and knocking us down. I think the last three weeks is a perfect example of the neutral tendency of the markets."
Ablin said the lack of headlines from Europe has been a plus. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi in late July promised the ECB would do whatever is needed to support the euro. Despite the lack of detail, that comment supported the market as Europe went relatively quiet for the rest of the summer. (Read More: Secret to Making Money in Stocks This Year)
While investors find plenty to hate about the market rally, Maxim Group technical analyst Paul LaRosa says there are some signs the rally has legs for the time being. But in the very short term, it will have to be confirmed by a close above 1,422, and then by gains in other indexes. He pointed to the Russell 2000which is just joining the rally.
"The breadth of the market is in good shape. I'm looking at charts of widely held stocks, like GE , Citigroup and Bank of America , all showing good technical bases," LaRosa said. "They're forming a good, intermediate bullish base and now they're all starting to break out from that." (GE is the minority shareholder of NBCUniversal.)
Both Citigroup and Bank of America were trading nearly double their average daily volume Wednesday afternoon.
"This is a key juncture we're at in the market here. We're going to determine whether this is the tip of the iceberg, and we're going much higher," he said. "Or we'll see the market won't confirm." At that point, a selloff would bring a buying opportunity.(Watch: Market Technician Sees These Positive Signs)
LaRosa said to confirm the move the Dow needs to recapture 13,338, and the Nasdaq needs to return to 3,134. He said the Russell needs to close above 820, move on to 847, and then ultimately regain 868, its high of last year.
"This is taking people by surprise, which is what a good intermediate term rally does. You start to see more sectors come out on good, bullish bases. We're seeing that in financials. We're seeing in some of the commodity-related issues. Energy names are looking pretty good here," LaRosa said. "I think some of the money sitting on the sidelines is starting to come in."
Bespoke Investment Group points out that once stocks regain their highs, after a bull market correction (What's This?), the market typically draws in more buyers and moves higher. In a study that dated back to 1928, Bespoke noted that the current bull market, at 1,261 days, is the ninth longest and the ninth strongest since then with a 110 percent gain.
In all the bull market corrections since then, the S&P 500 typically declined between 10 and 20 percent. This year's decline was 9.9 percent, or 10.9 percent on an intra-day basis. Bespoke said, in its note, there were 19 prior bull market corrections, lasting between one month and one year, and the time after that to achieve a new high was an average 98 days. So the current rally of 81 days has been relatively quick.
In the month following the new highs, the market on average gains 84 percent of the time with an average gain of 2.1 percent. The S&P over the next three months gains 65 percent of the time, for an average 1.3 percent gain. But when looking six months out, Bespoke found that stocks are higher 84 percent of the time, for an average return of 5.5 percent.
"While the market may look overbought here, historically, investors have been very willing to jump back in and drive the market even higher once they've been assured that the correction is over and the bull market has resumed," Bespoke analysts wrote.
Ablin said he's enjoying the market's gains for now, but he'll be quick to reduce exposure if it reaches his forecast. "Certainly, we're still fixated on 1450, and if we can get there, we won't be shy about declaring victory and begin to take money off the table," he said.
Ablin said the election could create noise, but he thinks the market is assuming a victory by President Obama. "There isn't much uncertainty around it," he said. "His chance of retaining his seat is moving in lockstep with the market. The last time around he was the biggest stock market bear. His chances improved every time the market went down. This time around, President Obama is the biggest stock market bull."
LaRosa reads things differently, and he says the election does not appear to be a certainty yet. "There are two main things that could propel the market higher—that the Republicans get in and Europe doesn't collapse," he said. LaRosa said he does see more chance for a melt-up, than not. (Read More: CNBC's Full Election Coverage)
"There are always curve balls out there, and there are always headlines," said Ablin. "I don't think Europe is any more resolved than it was last year or the year before. Part of it is we've just become insulated, kind of accustomed to it."
Ablin said Congress is more likely than not to take action and avoid the fiscal cliff, the dual expiration of Bush era tax cuts Dec. 31 and the start of automatic budget cuts Jan. 1. "What motivates Washington is job security and nobody wants to be blamed for causing a recession," he said. (Read More:"How Much Will It Cost You If Bush Tax Cuts End? A Lot")
Follow Patti Domm on Twitter: @pattidomm
Questions? Comments? Email us at


text:
Antonio Burattini, who signed with Buriko, was from Toscane. He was a staff artist of the publishing house Nerbini. He drew for the early issues of the Italian Disney magazine Topolino in 1932 and 1933.
He drew some of the first (unofficial) Italian 'Mickey Mouse' one-pagers, as well as the cover strip, for which he created the character 'Pisellino'. 'Pisellino' was continued in Pinoccho in 1938, and the character had its own weekly magazine from 1939 to 1941.


text:
Though the global economy is still in recovery, 2010 was a good year for networking vendor Juniper. Juniper (NYSE:JNPR) reported its fourth quarter fiscal 2010 earnings this week, which showed overall growth for both the quarter and the year.
Juniper's growth comes as new products were introduced during the year and as the company ramps up a new data center architecture with its Stratus effort and mobile networking with Project Falcon for 2011.
"2011 is an important next step as we prepare for the introduction of innovative new products that focus on the mobile Internet and cloud computing in unique and compelling ways for our customers," Juniper CEO Kevin Johnson said during the company's earnings call.
Juniper reported fourth quarter 2010 revenue of $1.19 billion, an increase of 26 percent over the fourth quarter of 2009. Juniper's results beat the guidance provided last quarter of fourth-quarter to come in around $1.12 billion.
For the year, Juniper reported revenue of $4.09 billion which is a 23 percent increase over 2009. Net Income for the fourth quarter was reported at $190.2 million or $0.35 a share, and for the full fiscal 2010 year was reported at $628.4 million or $1.15 per share.
Moving forward Juniper provided first quarter 2011 guidance for revenue in the range of $1.06 and $1.11 billion.
The fourth quarter of 2010 was a busy one for Juniper. The company announced its new top end T4000 router which can deliver 4 Terabits per second of throughput. On the mobile side, Juniper introduced the Junos Pulse app for Apple iOS and Google Android for smartphone security.
During the quarter Juniper acquired enterprise Wi-Fi vendor Trapeze for $152 million to further expand its wireless footprint.
Continued growth for Juniper in 2011 will be fueled in part by a pair of initiatives that have been in the works for over a year. Project Falcon was first discussed in 2009 as an effort to build new wireless networking technology.
"For the past year, we've been building a strong and solid base with our MX 3D edge routing platform, which carries large volumes of network traffic for our service provider customers," Johnson said. "The Falcon project delivers software that runs on the MX 3D platform and enables the evolved packet core capability to deliver services for a mobile network with scale."
Johnson added that during the fourth quarter, Juniper delivered the first beta release of Falcon code to a major service provider customer. He noted that he expects wider deployment of Falcon during 2011.
Project Stratus on the hand is about creating a new data center fabric for cloud computing.
"Project Stratus, our data center fabric offering, will change the economics and performance of data centers with a single-tier data center fabric solution," Johnson said. "Our growing list of design wins in the data center with EX product line for data center switching, the SRX product line for security and the MX product line for data center-to-data center connectivity are all complementary to the innovation coming from the Stratus project."
While technology innovation continues to push Juniper forward, it's also benefiting from a number of its strategic partners, including IBM, Dell, Ericsson and Nokia-Siemens Networks (NSN).
"On an annual basis, the revenue driven from those four partners has slightly more than doubled the growth rate of the company," Johnson said.
Juniper also did well with Verizon during 2010. Johnson noted that sales to Verizon accounted for more than 10 percent of Juniper's revenues for all of 2010.
"We've got a very broad and deep relationship with Verizon, and we're involved in multiple projects across both wireline and wireless," Johnson said.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.


text:
April 4, 2009
Despite our small staff, we've always been a road crew -- year-round, Top Shelf exhibits at more conventions, trade shows, festivals and conferences than any other publisher in the comics biz. Now this weekend, we swing into action on both coasts!
Top Shelf East is heading to Athens, GA for the tiny-but-awesome FLUKE! festival, where you can meet Robert Venditti (The Surrogates) and Andy Runton (Owly). Meanwhile, the West Coast team is driving up to Seattle, WA for the Emerald City Comicon! And how about this for star power: in addition to Brett Warnock and Leigh Walton, we're bringing James Kochalka (American Elf, Johnny Boo), Matt Kindt (Super Spy), and Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole)! Don't be surprised to see a Top Shelf 2.0 contributor or two, either!
Mobile Site Go to Full Site
Top Shelf Productions® and the Top Shelf logo are registered trademarks of Top Shelf Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.
Site by Clixel


text:
SK8Makers City Cruiser Teacher's Kit
Product Description:
This kit will teach you the Roarockit method of laminating. The curriculum included guides you through teaching practice by pressing boards using the kit parts included, perfect for a 21st century classroom. Use one board to practice with, the other as a demo for your class or school board. Read about using this process as part of your credit-worthy education program, from STEM to construction technology, to physics of vacuum, to art & design, to general studies. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The City Cruiser shares many of its dimensions with the standard street deck, which means you can outfit it with standard trucks and hardware available at any local skate shop. Upgrade to a set of bigger, bouncier longboard wheels and this highly maneuverable skate deck can roll over any sidewalk crack or bump without sending you flying through the air.
"The SK8Makers City Cruiser is a fun-to-ride skateboard designed for getting around town, especially for beginners who are just learning to ride a skateboard or old-timers like me who aren't in it for the tricks. For these reasons it's become the most popular board shape students produce in my DIY skateboard workshops."
Matt Berger of SK8Makers is the author of "The Handmade Skateboard", a timeless guide to designing and building your own custom longboard, cruiser, or street skateboard from scratch. Through his book and workshops, Matt has inspired countless builders to make their own handmade boards. Since the first SK8Makers workshop in Los Angeles, CA in 2013, Matt has graduated hundreds of students with a diploma in the form of a custom skateboard.
Final size deck dimensions are approximately:
Length = 27"
Width = 8.5"
Wheelbase = 14.5"
SK8Makers City Cruiser Teacher's Kit contains:
- 7-layers of Canadian maple veneer
- includes 2 face, 3 long grain core and 2 cross grain sheets
- 3-dimensionally shaped foam mold
- glue, roller and measuring cup
- edging tool and sandpaper
- Mini Curriculum and illustrated instructions
and a Thin Air Press Kit
- 14 x 47" heavy duty vinyl vacuum bag with one-way valve attached
- manual vacuum Super Pump
- breather netting
- extra sealing tape
By following the printed instructions included in the kit box, you will be guided through the glue up, stacking on the mold, inserting and sealing into the TAP bag. Using the manual vacuum pump to evacuate the air, the Thin Air Press will press the veneers over the mold. The sanding process is described, as well as some graphics suggestions.
The foam mold, Thin Air Press Bag and pump, edging tool and breather netting are designed to be used for many, many builds.
Keep all your reusable kit parts in good working order by following the maintenance tips included with the kit.
Q: Is this kit reusable?
A: Yes. Every thing but the veneer and glue are reusable
Q: What if my TAP bag or valve is leaking?
A: 99.9% of the time, the seal is not closed up properly. Dust and debris can prevent the top cap of the valve to seal, rinse cap with water. For more in-depth details, see the TAP kit FAQ's page.
Q: Can I get more veneer?
A: A Refill for this kit is available here
Q: Will stuff last if I don't use it right away?
A: Veneer will absorb and lose moisture, so keep it sealed in plastic (or the carton it arrived in) but away from any heat sources. Lay it flat to prevent warping. Prevent the glue from freezing.
Q: What do I do if my veneer breaks or splits?
A: Veneer is fragile until laminated, and it is common to split or snap (especially the cross grains). A stripe of glue and some masking tape to hold it until it dries will fix broken or split sheets. See video how-to-fix
Q: Can I use this kit to make a snowboard or wake skates?
A: The size of the bag determines how large a project you can fit into it. As the seams of the 14 x 47" TAP bag included here cannot be stretched open while pressing, you are limited to smaller projects. See our larger bag sizes for one that suits your project.
Q: How do I get this cheaper?
A: Become an entrepreneur! Each kit allows you to make more than one deck, build one for yourself and generate income from the other boards you build!
Q: What else do I need to complete this project?
A: A moisture protector is recommended (sponge on water-based outdoor clear coat) to seal all surfaces, especially your edges and before applying any graphics.
If you choose to set this up for riding, select grip tape on this page. Shop locally for your hardware (wheels, trucks and bearings). Use the guide holes on the bottom side to drill the truck holes through, using a 3/16" drill bit. And of course, don't forget to wear your helmet!


text:
NATO Expansion, Missile Deployments And Russia's New Military Doctrine
by Rick Rozoff
www.globalresearch.ca/, February 13, 2010
Developments related to military and security matters in Europe and Asia have been numerous this month and condensed into less than a week of meetings, statements and initiatives on issues ranging from missile shield deployments to the unparalleled escalation of the world's largest war and from a new security system for Europe to a new Russian military doctrine.
A full generation after the end of the Cold War and almost that long since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the past week's events are evocative of another decade and another century. Twenty or more years ago war in Afghanistan and controversial missile placements in Europe were current news in a bipolar world.
Twenty years afterward, with no Soviet Union, no Warsaw Pact and a greatly diminished and truncated Russia, the United States and NATO have militarized Europe to an unprecedented degree - in fact subordinating almost the entire continent under a Washington-dominated military bloc - and have launched the most extensive combat offensive in South Asia in what is already the longest war in the world.
Of 44 nations in Europe and the Caucasus (excluding microstates and the NATO pseudo-state of Kosovo), only six - Belarus, Cyprus, Malta, Moldova, Russia and Serbia - have escaped having their citizens conscripted by NATO for deployment to the Afghan war front. That number will soon shrink yet further.
Of those 44 countries, only two - Cyprus and Russia - are not members of NATO or its Partnership for Peace transitional program and Cyprus is under intense pressure to join the second.
On February 4 and 5 all 28 NATO defense chiefs met for two days of deliberations in Istanbul, Turkey which concentrated on the war in Afghanistan, the bloc's military deployment in Kosovo and accelerated plans for expanding a world-wide interceptor missile system to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. That gathering followed by eight days a two-day meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels which included 63 military chiefs from NATO nations and 35 Troop Contributing Nations, as the bloc designates them, including the top military commanders of Israel and Pakistan. That conference focused on the Afghan war and NATO's new Strategic Concept to be officially formalized at an Alliance summit later this year.
The commander of all 150,000 U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, attended both two-day meetings. Pentagon chief Robert Gates presided over the second and "Afghanistan and missile defense are examples of the new priorities that Gates wants NATO to focus on." [1]
As indicated by the number of Chiefs of Defense Staff in attendance at the Brussels meetings - 63 - NATO's reach has been extended far beyond Europe and North America over the past decade. Troops serving under the bloc's command in Afghanistan come from every inhabited continent, the Middle East and Oceania: Australia has the largest non-member contingent with over 1,500 soldiers, and other non-European nations like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have troops in Afghanistan or on the way there.
On the day the Istanbul NATO defense ministers meeting began Romanian President Traian Basescu announced that he had granted the Obama administration's request to base U.S. interceptor missiles in his nation, following by five weeks the news that U.S. Patriot anti-ballistic missiles would be stationed in a part of Poland a half hour drive from Russia's westernmost border.
The next day, February 5, which marked two months since the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia regulating the reduction of nuclear weapons and delivery systems expired, [2] the Russian Interfax news agency announced that "President Dmitry Medvedev has endorsed Russia's military doctrine and basic principles of its nuclear deterrence policy in the period up to 2020." [3]
The same source cited Security Council Deputy Secretary and former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Yury Baluyevsky commenting on the new doctrine: "It is planned to develop the ground, sea, and aerial components of the nuclear triad.Russia needs to guarantee its consistent democratic development using such a stability guarantor as nuclear weapons, as a form of strategic deterrence.Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons only if its very existence as a state is endangered." [4]
Commentary in the Indian daily The Hindu specified that "The doctrine details 11 external military threats to Russia, seven of which are traced to the West. NATO´s eastward expansion and its push for a global role are identified as the number one threat to Russia."
The feature added: "The U.S. is the source of other top threats listed in the doctrine even though the country is never mentioned in the document. These include attempts to destabilise countries and regions and undermine strategic stability; military build-ups in neighbouring states and seas; the creation and deployment of strategic missile defences, as well as the militarisation of outer space and deployment of high-precision non-nuclear strategic systems."
Regarding the timing of the authorization of Russia's new military strategy, the report connected it with recent U.S. missile shield decisions and the START talks between Washington and Moscow still dragging on.
"The new defence doctrine was signed into law and published a day after Romania announced plans to deploy U.S. interceptor missiles as part of a global missile shield fiercely opposed by Russia. Earlier reports said the Kremlin had been holding back the doctrine, prepared last year, because it did not want to jeopardise talks with the U.S. on a new nuclear arms pact that are still going on." [5]
A similar observation was made in a report from China's Xinhua News Agency:
"Analysts say the Romanian decision came at a crucial moment when Washington and Moscow are about to sign a successor document to the expired Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1). Therefore, the move may upset the thawing Russia-U.S. relations and put their bilateral ties to test." [6]
The new Russian Military Doctrine (in Russian at http://news.kremlin.ru/ref_notes/461) listed under the heading of "Main external threats of war" the following concerns, with the most pressing first:
- The goal of NATO to arrogate to itself the assumption of global functions in violation of international law, and to expand the military infrastructure of NATO nations to Russia's borders including through expansion of the bloc
- Attempts to destabilize the situation in individual states and regions and the undermining of strategic stability
- The deployment of military contingents of foreign states (and blocs) on territories neighboring Russia and its allies, as well as in adjacent waters
- The establishment and deployment of strategic missile defense systems that undermine global stability and violate the balance of forces in the nuclear field, as well as the militarization of outer space and the deployment of strategic non-nuclear systems precision weapons
- Territorial claims against Russia and its allies and interference in their internal affairs
- The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, missiles and missile technology, increasing the number of states possessing nuclear weapons
- The violation by a state of international agreements, and failure to ratify and implement previously signed international treaties on arms limitation and reduction
- The use of military force in the territories of states bordering Russia in violation of the UN Charter and other norms of international law
- The escalation of armed conflicts on territories neighboring Russia and allied nations
At the 46th annual Munich Security Conference held on February 6 and 7 NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said "I have to say that this new doctrine does not reflect the real world," though any impartial perusal of the above nine points it addresses would confirm that it portrays the world exactly as it is. Regrettably.
For example, after Romania's president revealed that U.S. missiles would be deployed in the country, a statement by the nation's Foreign Affairs Ministry said "Romania was and continues to be a consistent promoter in NATO of the project regarding the gradual-adaptive development of the anti-missile defence system in Europe.The decision to take part in the U.S. system is in full agreement with what the NATO summits in Bucharest in 2008 and in Strasbourg-Kehl in 2009 decided in this respect." [7]
On the first day of the Munich Security Conference Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his address that "With the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Treaty Organization a real opportunity emerged to make the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] a full-fledged organization providing equal security for all states of the Euro-Atlantic area. However, this opportunity was missed, because the choice was made in favor of the policy of NATO expansion, which meant not only preserving the lines that separated Europe during the Cold War into zones with different levels of security, but also moving those lines eastward. The role of the OSCE was, in fact, reduced to servicing this policy by means of supervision over humanitarian issues in the post-Soviet space."
He continued with a review of the failure of post-Cold War security measures in Europe:
"That the principle of indivisibility of security in the OSCE does not work doesn't take long to prove. Let's recall the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, when a group of OSCE countries, bound by this political declaration, committed aggression against another OSCE country, which was also covered by this principle.
"Everyone also remembers the tragedy of August 2008 in Transcaucasia, where a member country of the OSCE which is bound by various commitments in the sphere of nonuse of force used this force, including against peacekeepers of another member country of the OSCE, in violation not only of the Helsinki Final Act, but also of the concrete peacekeeping agreement devoted to the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, which excludes use of force." [8]
He was followed the next day by NATO chief Rasmussen, who not only failed to respond to the accusation that peace and security in Europe were endangered by his military organization's relentless drive toward Russia's borders, but advocated NATO involvement beyond the continent to encompass the world.
In claiming "that in an age of globalised insecurity, our territorial defence must begin beyond our borders," Rasmussen urged "that NATO should become a forum for consultation on worldwide security issues."
His address also included the demand to "take NATO's transformation to a new level - by connecting the Alliance with the broader international system in entirely new ways."
Russia cannot propose a common security system for Europe, but NATO can dictate an international one.
Rasmussen boasted that the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan "will further grow in strength this year, with more than 39,000 extra troops," in the sanguinary killing field the West has created in the long-suffering country.
Not only did he not express a single reservation about a war that is now in its tenth calendar year and growing deadlier by the day, but he celebrated it as a model for the world: "Our Afghanistan experienceleads me to [another] point: the need to turn NATO into a forum for consultation on worldwide security issues.NATO is a framework which has already proven to be uniquely able to combine security consultation, military planning and actual operations for more than just NATO members themselves. Again, look at Afghanistan." [9]
Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian Duma's International Affairs Committee, also spoke at the Munich Security Conference and said "I believe the problem of NATO today is that NATO develops in reverse order - it tries to act globally more and more but continues to think locally.As soon as NATO starts to reach beyond its borders this is no longer just an internal matter for NATO."
He also "accused the alliance of provoking the Georgia-Russia conflict by promising Tbilisi eventual membership." [10]
Current Russian deputy prime minister and former defense minister Sergei Ivanov spoke at Munich too and in regard to the stalled START talks said "It is impossible to talk seriously about the reduction of nuclear capabilities when a nuclear power is working to deploy protective systems against vehicles to deliver nuclear warheads possessed by other countries," reminding conference participants that "Russia unilaterally cut its tactical nuclear arsenals by 75% in the early 1990s, but the United States did respond with a similar move and even failed to withdraw its weapons from Europe." [11]
Two days after the Munich Security Conference the secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Nikolai Patrushev, reiterated Lavrov's and Kosachev's earlier concerns, stating "We have grave doubts [that Russia will be more secure due to NATO expansion.] NATO represents a rather serious threat to us."
A major Russian news agency wrote that "Patrushev criticized NATO for its continued enlargement efforts, including its encouragement of Georgia's and Ukraine's bids to join the alliance.
"He also blamed NATO for arming and preparing Georgia for an attack on South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and said NATO countries continued to supply Tbilisi with weaponry despite Russia's protests." [12]
To substantiate those concerns, the 10th annual NATO Week began in Ukraine on February 9 and at the same time the government of Georgia "endorsed the Annual National Program of cooperation with NATO [ANP] for 2010," [13] an initiative launched by NATO shortly after Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia and war with Russia in August of 2008.
War in the Balkans, war in South Asia, war in the Caucasus. This is the model NATO calls for replicating on a world scale. And as the bloc moves further eastward it brings in his wake troops and military equipment, air and naval bases, and missile shield installations.
On February 9 Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia Nikolai Makarov warned "The development and establishment of the (U.S.) missile shield is directed against the Russian Federation." [14]
He also said "that differences with the United States over plans for a missile defense shield were holding up a nuclear arms reduction treaty" between Washington and Moscow, that "the differences had so far prevented the signing of the arms treaty." [15]
In further reference to the START negotiations, he stated "U.S. missile defense plans are a threat to Russian national security and have slowed down progress on a new arms control treaty with Washington."
In Makarov's own words, "The treaty on strategic offensive weapons we are currently working on must take into account the link between defensive and offensive strategic weapons. This link is very close, they are absolutely interdependent. It would be wrong not to take the missile defense into account." [16]
Earlier in the week spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Andrei Nesterenko reiterated his nation's demand that U.S. tactical nuclear arms should be removed from Europe. He said that the "withdrawal of American tactical weapons from Europe back to the United States would be welcome. It should be accompanied by complete and irreversible demolition of the entire infrastructures supporting the deployment of such weapons in Europe," and reaffirmed his nation's position that "nuclear arms should be deployed only in the territory of the states possessing such weapons." [17]
Six days afterward, to add to Russia's foreboding and to demonstrate Western recalcitrance on the issue, the insufferable ex-NATO secretary general George Robertson was quoted in the Turkish press acknowledging that the U.S. has from 40 to 90 nuclear weapons at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base. Lord Robertson made the statement in the context of demanding U.S. warheads remain in Germany. He is of course neither a German nor an American but is a former NATO chieftain and as such considers himself entitled to determine matters of this grave nature.
Also on February 10 a top Polish presidential aide, Wladyslaw Stasiak, was in Washington to discuss the imminent deployment of American Patriot Advanced Capability-3 theater anti-ballistic missiles. He met with members of the U.S. National Security Council and with "experts at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation and the Center for International and Strategic Studies."
Afterward he stated "We talked about the future of NATO in the context of a new strategic concept, as well as present day NATO, especially concerning Article 5 and its practical implementation," referring to the Alliance's military intervention provision. [18]
On the same day a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over U.S. missiles being deployed in its fellow Black Sea nation Romania. "As a neighboring country with Romania, we cannot let U.S. plans for a missile shield deployment in close proximity to our border go unnoticed, especially since some elements are expected to be based in the Black Sea." [19]
Vladimir Voronin, until last September president of Moldova, which borders both Romania and Ukraine, recently warned that U.S. missile deployments in and off the coast of Romania "could turn neighboring Moldova into a front-line area" and that "Romania's position on the U.S. missile shield and also open support for it from the Moldovan current leadership could have disastrous consequences for security in the region." [20]
In doing so he echoed Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin who two days before said "U.S. plans to base a missile-defense system in eastern Europe are a pretext to encroach on Russia's borders" and "The U.S. is using Iran's actions to globalize its system of missile defense." [21]
Four days after his previous comments, Moldova's Voronin said that "The US ABM deployment in Romania is bringing Europe back to the 'Cold War'" and that he "doubts that US ABMs are targeted against Iran's threat only." [22]
The Pentagon opened a missile radar base in Israel's Negev Desert in 2008, manned by over 100 military personnel, which has a range of 2,900 miles, almost three times the distance between the Israeli and Iranian capitals. The forward-based X-band radar at the Nevatim Air Base can monitor all of eastern and much of southern Russia.
The more the U.S. and its NATO allies thunder against alleged Iranian threats, the tighter the Western interceptor missile cordon is secured around Russia.
On February 10 the local press wrote that "the Czech Republic is in discussions with the Obama administration to host a command center for the United States' altered missile defense plan." [23]
The following day the Chinese ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, spoke with one of his host country's main news agencies and "reiterated Beijing's concerns that [U.S. missile shield] plans might disturb the current strategic balance and stability and escalate tensions" and correctly characterizing the true scope of the American interceptor missile project "said the creation of a global missile defense undermined international efforts to bring nuclear proliferation to a halt." [24]
His warnings, like those of Russia's, went unheeded in Washington and among its NATO allies. On February 12 Poland approved a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States for "100 US soldiers to be stationed in Poland as part of the shield, which will include Patriot missiles and SM-3s." [25] This may be the first confirmation that American ship-based (and/or land-based adaptations of) Standard Missile-3 longer-range interceptors will be deployed along with Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles near Russia's western border.
Also on February 12 Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov revealed that the U.S. will hold talks with his government to station potential first strike-related interceptor missile components in the Black Sea nation. U.S. Ambassador James Warlick confirmed that preliminary discussions have already occurred. The Bulgarian head of state explained the rationale for his willingness to take the risky move: "My opinion is that we have to show solidarity. When you are a member of NATO, you have to work for the collective security." [26]
Considering all of the above, that the Russian government permitted former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright and her "Group of Experts"/"Wise Men" coterie to promote NATO's new Strategic Concept at a talk at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations on February 11 is a travesty, an abomination. The only venue the nation's authorities should have accorded her is a jail cell.
NATO is not the international security provider it now attempts to pose as. It is not a partner to the United Nations, which it has overshadowed and rendered toothless and pathetic, or any other international or regional organization. It is not the foundation for a worldwide "alliance of democracies."
NATO is a lethal, lawless warfighting axis which unilaterally reserves the right to repeat its armed aggression in the Balkans and South Asia on a global scale. It is an affront and a threat to humanity.
_Notes__1) Bloomberg News, February 4, 2010_2) With Nuclear, Conventional Arms Pacts Stalled, U.S. Moves Missiles And Troops To Russian Border Stop NATO, January 22, 2010_http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/with-nuclear-conventional-arms-pacts-stalled-u-s-moves-missiles-and-troops-to-russian-border _3) Interfax, February 5, 2010_4) Ibid_5) Vladimir Radyuhin, New Russian doctrine sees NATO, U.S. as main threat_The Hindu, February 7, 2010_6) Xinhua News Agency, February 8, 2010_7) Financiarul, February 6, 2010_8) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, February 8, 2010 _http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/49F4C4EB6473C1E5C32576C500311EB4 _9) NATO in the 21st Century: Towards Global Connectivity Speech by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Munich Security Conference _http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/opinions_61395.htm?selectedLocale=en _10) Reuters, February 7, 2010_11) Russian Information Agency Novosti, February 6, 2010_12) Russian Information Agency Novosti, February 9, 2010_13) Georgia Times, February 10, 2010_14) Reuters, February 9, 2010_15) Reuters, February 9, 2010_16) Associated Press, February 9, 2010_17) Itar-Tass, February 4, 2010_18) Polish Radio, February 10, 2010_19) RosBusinessConsulting, February 10, 2010_20) Russian Information Agency Novosti, February 7, 2010_21) Bloomberg News, February 5, 2010_22) Voice of Russia, February 11, 2010_23) Prague Post, February 10, 2010_24) Voice of Russia, February 11, 2010_25) Deutsche Presse-Agentur, February 12, 2010_26) Reuters, February 12, 2010
NATO page
American Empire page
Home Page


text:
Hadera Desalination Station
[ Image Source : IDE TECH ]
On May 16-th, 2010, Israel consortium unveiled officially the biggest of its kind desalination station in the world. It works using the principle of reverse osmosis and is placed near the coastal city of Hadera. The Israel company H2ID, jointly owned by IDE Technologies and Shikun & Binui, developed the project. The station delivers 127mln cubic meters desalinated water, or nearly 20% of the annual consumption of households in Israel.
This is the third of series of five stations for water desalination, which are expected to be finished in the next few years. It is expect for them to deliver approximately 750mln cubic meters water per year and it needs to be built because the current water sources are getting insufficient or exhausted due to the insufficient winter rainfalls and increment of human populations. The station is financed mostly by foreign sources and nearly $425mln came from European banks.
In fact, the process of reverse osmosis uses semi-permeable membrane, through which the salted sea water passes forced by pressure. The membrane holds the salt and purifies the water.
Another competing method is boiling the water at a pressure lower than atmospheric. At a pressure like that water has much lower temperature of boiling, which increases the effectiveness of the method. Disadvantage is that it produces practically distilled water, which isn't drinkable and needs additional minerals to be dissolved within.
A new study proves there still must be a beginning to "bouncing" universes that go through cycles of expansion and contraction.


text:
Wherever you eat these days and whatever foodie publications you read, it's clear that small plates are in vogue. Whether it's mini burgers, tapas, or tasting menus– it's obvious that teeny portions of lots of different foods are gaining popularity over the traditional three course, uber-hearty meal.
I love buffet stations for the variety of foods and colors offered. Featuring small tasting portions for an at home party is a natural. Your guests will likely find something they enjoy with so many foods to choose from. Unfortunately, traditional buffets can be messy, the food sloppy. The solution: Lots of pre-composed plates. View the gallery for some examples.


text:
Tobacco is something you may have heard your grandfather talk about, or perhaps your school teacher said something about it during the drug awareness unit. Everything they have told you is false.
Methods of Usage[edit]
Crappy, low-grade tobacco is typically infused with alcohol and shot intravenously into the ankles or wrists, followed up by biting down hard into a lime. Smoking is generally reserved for only the most homosexual tobacco users, who must pass a 8 point gayness inspection before being given the rite of inhaling a sacred pack of winstons. Tobacco suppositories have been occasionally prescribed for butt cancer; in most cases the tobacco totally satisfies the tumour within five seconds of insertion.
One should note that the hateful "Stand group" hates tobacco use, and everything tobacco users do, including bowling, brushing with tartar control toothpaste, taking trips to the corner store, sitting bare-chested in lawn chairs drinking iced tea on hot days, and neglecting to wash and groom their dogs on a semi-regular basis. This group wishes to prevent one from jamming toxic amounts of fresh tobacco into their ass, but this shouldn't stop all health-minded citizens or just your average everyday person who likes to try to put just about everything in their butt, at least once.
Tobacco users always know where the "flavor" is at, right where those two legs come together and make a buttcrack. This total smoker monopoly on flavor has led to tobacco users becoming extremely wealthy and powerful, selling their flavor subsidies to the Food and Beverage industries.
Tobacco gives you an excuse for social interaction. For example, one may use the phrase "can I bum a cigarette" in order to play on your recent pattern of selfless giving in order to set you up for the second question "hey you didn't notice when we slipped a bit of that new pneumonia-causing pathogen in your pouch of tobacco when you were staring at the loud distraction we created across the hall for 3.78 seconds?" And then the natural followup: "Well fuck you anyways buddy you're just hacking and weezing cuz you are a smoker, I'm gettin tired of conducting these experiments anyways cuz you never die or seem to suffer". And that is how tobacco facilitates new and meaningful conversations in the modern and progressive world.
Tobacco also helps you hack the internet. For instance, when you are downloading a zip file of kiddie porn you purchased from an unnamed offshore source, one full cigarette is about the time it takes to download the necessary files via your AOL instant messenger.
Tobacco can be made into a lovely afternoon beverage. Preparation is as follow:
- Take one pack of Maverick, GPC, or Newports, crush the pack in a vice and empty the tobacco from the cigarettes into a mason jar.
- Fill the jar halfway with fresh pee, preferably right out of your body.
- Add 2 tbsp cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, a fistful of salt, 3 drops of blood from the cutest lil' kitty on the block, and some freshly crushed datura seed pods.
- Mix well using a clean spatula.
- Allow pee and cinnamon to separate, then add 3 cups olive oil and several match heads for sulphur content.
- Take mixture to nearest hardware store, find the paint mixer, and let mixture shake for 2 hours - 3 days.
- When mixture has solidified into a fine paste, rub a few bands of it under your eyes rambo style and run out of the store screaming "That b***h is crazy if she thinks she's getting child support, I faked all my orgasms!"
- Go home and put the mixture into a blender with ice and shaving cream, mix until foamy.
- Drink mixture and invite your lover over for a game of dual solitare.
- As nausea approaches and the hallucinations start, DO NOT vomit directly down your lovers throat with no hesitation or pause, mama bird/baby bird style. If you do try it and she rejects this subtle gesture of 'love', she's probably working for the FBI and on to you.
Tobacco and the Irish Revolution[edit]
In 1916 the Irish people revolted against the British taxes on tobacco, cigarettes, tea and condoms. The revolt was generally referred to as 'The Easter Rising' after a bakery where illegal cigarettes were sold under the counter on Dame Street. As the British were busy invading Germany at the time in search of the holy grail of Tobacco fields thought to be somewhere outside Frankfurt, the Rising was a success and Ireland got its independence about twenty years later when they finally realised they could stop kicking the shit out of one another in the Civil War.


text:
Cubs welcome Honorary Bat Girl to Wrigley Field
CHICAGO -- On Sunday, Lisa Kates and her daughter, Torie, were at Wrigley Field to celebrate her cancer-free future.
Kates, 29, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, but she approached the eight rounds of chemo and 28 rounds of radiation with a positive attitude, and has shared that with other cancer patients. In a belated Mother's Day salute, Kates was honored at Wrigley Field before Sunday's Cubs game. She is the winner of the 2014 Honorary Bat Girl contest, which recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and who demonstrate a commitment to eradicating the disease.
Winners were selected from all 30 clubs. Because the Cubs did not play at home on Mother's Day, Kates' celebration was delayed until Sunday. She was pretty excited to be on the field and to get autographs from the players.
"I've been a Chicago fan since birth -- born and raised Cubs," she said.
The good news is that Kates had her last surgery at the beginning of March, and the latest scan showed she was cancer free.
She was thrilled to be selected by the Cubs.
"I've been nominated the last two years," Kates said. "The first year when I was diagnosed, my cousin nominated me. Last year, one of my survivor friends nominated me. This year, they were like, 'You should just write in.' To get the call that I was even a finalist was exciting. To actually get the call and say, 'Yes, you're winning it -- but you can't tell anyone yet.' It was awesome."
She did call her father, Joe Lukaszewski, immediately. He's been one of her biggest supporters.
Since she was diagnosed, her mother, Linda Bain, and her aunt also have been diagnosed with cancer. Kates does everything she can to help others affected by the disease.
"I'm constantly getting calls and questions from people around my community, they've reached out to me," she said. "I have a childhood friend who had a lumpectomy the same day as my final surgery. The cancer community is pretty close knit."
So are Cubs fans.
"Some people would call me unlucky, but I feel I was put through what I was to offer hope and give me a purpose in life that I will never take for granted," she said. "Go Cubs go!"


text:
Honda leads on insurers' safety list
Honda Motor Co. has topped the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Thursday gave 39 vehicles top safety ratings for 2014. That is dramatically fewer than the 130 on the list last year because vehicles now must meet tougher standards.
For the first time, the vehicles need top crash test scores and a good front crash prevention system — such as warning systems or automatic braking — to get its highest designation. Vehicles are now ranked as either a "Top Safety Pick" or "Top Safety Pick +" if they meet the front crash protection criteria as well.
Honda, which also owns the Acura brand, had the most winners of any automaker with eight of its vehicles making the list. The Honda Civic hybrid, Honda Accord, Acura RLX and Acura MDX all got the highest ranking. Its Honda Civic two-door and Acura TL were also ranked as top safety picks.
The list is often used by safety-minded car shoppers and by automakers in advertising.
There are eight newcomers to the list, including Infinity's Q50, the Mazda 3, Toyota Highlander and the Chevrolet Spark mini-car. The Honda Civic Hybrid and several Volvo models won the top designation on the basis of standard equipment in their vehicles.
The IIHS's rankings have been a catalyst in recent years for automakers to make their cars safer. Automakers are scrambling to bolster the front-end protection of their cars and trucks to meet the institute's offset test, which measures how well a car protects people in a crash covering only part of the front end.
For example, Toyota redesigned the midsize Camry sedan, America's top-selling car, so it could pass the test, the institute announced Thursday. The changes helped the Camry's crash-test rating move from "poor" to "acceptable," for all models built after Nov. 1, the institute said.


text:
01.png 02.png 03.png 04.png 05.png 06.png 07.png 08.png 09.png 10.png 11.png 12.png 13.png 14.png 15.png 16.png 17.png 18.png 19.png 20.png 21.png 22.png 23.png 24.png 25.png 26.png 27.png 28.png 29.png 30.png 31.png 32.png 33.png 34.png 35.png 36.png 37.png 38.png 39.png 40.png 41.png 42.png 43.png 44.png 45.png 46.png 47.png 48.png
CSS3 Responsive Web Pricing Tables Grids For WordPress is a pack of pure CSS3 Web Pricing Tables with 2 table styles and 20 predefined color versions that comes loaded with tons of options like extensive admin panel with live configuration, responsive mode configurator, plenty of options for table, columns, rows and table cells, sliding columns feature, expandable rows feature, active (popped-up) columns, hover states, table cell tooltips, columns ribbons, tick / cross icons and a lot of more.
Latest Version: 02.02.2021 – v11.4. Check the changelog
Video Previews
Extended Features List
- Pure CSS + HTML,
- Intuitive Admin Panel With Live Configuration (Your Table Will Be Ready In 2-5 Minutes),
- 2 Different Table Styles,
- 20 Predefined Color Versions,
- Ability To Enable Responsive Mode,
- Ability To Set Your Own Responsive Steps / Dimensions,
- Ability To Set Different Width Values And Font Sizes For Columns For Each Responsive Step,
- Different Font-Face Fonts To Choose From With Font Configurator,
- Unlimited Number Of Tables On The Website,
- Unlimited Number Of Columns And Rows,
- Columns And Rows Set-Up With Simple Arrows For Increase And Decrease Their Number,
- Possibility To Quick Disable / Hide One Or Many Columns From Admin Panel,
- Possibility To Set One Or Many Columns As Active (Popped-Up) By Default,
- Columns Width Configuration From Admin Panel,
- Ability To Set Columns Width In Pixels Or Percentage,
- Rows Heights And Paddings Configuration From Admin Panel,
- Columns Text Alignment Configuration From Admin Panel,
- Sliding Columns Feature,
- Expandable Rows Feature With Expand / Collapse Option To Show / Hide Table Rows,
- Hover States With Ability To Disable For Columns,
- CSS3 Tooltips / Hints Included,
- Rows And Columns Sorting,
- 20 Predefined Sample Configurations,
- 42 Tick / Cross Icons To Choose From,
- 60 Ribbons To Choose From,
- Ability To Import / Export Configuration Settings And Table Data,
- Implementation With Simple Shortcode [css3_grid],
- Multi Site (WordPress MU) Compatible,
- Possibility To Add Ribbons To One Or Many Columns,
- Loading Plugin Files Only When Option Is Used,
- Documentation Included.
Browser Support
- Firefox 3.5 and Above – Full Support
- Opera 11 and Above – Full Support
- Safari 5 and Above – Full Support
- Chrome – Full Support
- IE9 and Above – Full Support
- IE6 – 8 – No Support for Rounded Corners and Shadows
This Item is Supported
Support is conducted through our Support Forum. We're in GMT +1 and we aim to answer all questions within 24 hours in weekdays. In some cases the waiting time can be extended to 48 hours. Support requests sent during weekends or public holidays will be processed on next Monday or the next business day.
We Are Trusted by 100,000+ Customers
We are a team of passionate people with 15+ years of experience and 9+ years of our presence on Envato Market. We specialize in WordPress, design, and development. Please follow us to stay up to date as we continue to craft our works.
What Others Are Saying
Great product and great support! Keep up the good work!
This is the best pricing table plugin for WP. It is gorgeous and so easy to use. Watch the screen cast to see how easy it is! Design your tables then copy/paste the generated short-code into a page. Done! Additionally, the support offered by QuanticaLabs is bar-none. Very quick turn around and very personable. They were able to troubleshoot my issue very quickly and successively solved my issue!
This is an amazing tool to make beautiful and functional price tables! Thanks a lot!
Great pricing table plugin and responsive and helpful support when I needed it! Don't be fooled by other people selling this same pricing table plugin …they are NOT the same. If it's not from QuanticaLabs, you'll waste your $$.
Thank you very very much my friend; All working now. Your customer service is superb….
Okay from a purchase customer view, 5 stars. Let me make it simple. Buy Install Activate Publish. Just to tell you how easy it is.
I've looked at every pricing table I could find on the internet and this plugin, by far, is the very best!!! I really like how versatile it is and how I can customize it easily. I wanted a plugin that I could set up quickly and have it look very professional and this plugin delivers. I had a question about the plugin, and QuanticaLabs got right back to me and were very helpful. I've rated this as a 5 star product!
Just bought this plugin and had it up and running in no time. Works great and looks great!
Wonderful! 5 star support!!
Outstanding Technical Support, Thank You! The product works great, when I had a problem, you fixed it within hours.
Unbelivble how great this plugin is, BRAVO!!! Great job guys keep it like this.
- Table style #1 design is based on the awesome and popular Pricing Tables #1 by GraphiteValley. QuanticaLabs has a full written rights to use this design.
Updates02.02.2021 – v11.4
- Fix for icons color issue when 'Hover type' option is set to 'Disabled'.
table2/css3_grid_style.css17.12.2020 – v11.3
- Easing library update.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php --- new file --- js/jquery.easing.1.4.1.js --- removed file --- js/jquery.easing.1.3.js17.08.2020 – v11.2
- Compatibility with WordPress 5.5 added.
- Minor code fixes.
js/css3_grid_admin.js table1/css3_grid_style.css table2/css3_grid_style.css27.03.2020 – v11.1
- Minor code updates.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php css3_web_pricing_tables_grids_export.txt live_preview_page.html table1/css3_grid_style.css table2/css3_grid_style.css09.03.2019 – v11.0
- Minor code improvements.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php languages/css3_grid-default.mo languages/css3_grid-default.po languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.mo languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.po22.06.2017 – v10.9
- Fix for pricing cycles dropdown for 'Table 2' type.
table2/css3_grid_style.css20.03.2017 – v10.8
- Fix for not visible pricing table bug when using 'Sliding columns' for 'Table 2' type.
table1/css3_grid_style.css table2/css3_grid_style.css26.02.2017 – v10.7
- Fix for Pricing Cycles columns bug on mobile devices.
- MediCenter style tables update.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php css3_web_pricing_tables_grids_export.txt js/css3_grid_admin.js js/main.js table1/css3_grid_style.css22.09.2016 – v10.6
- Title of pricing cycle is now included in the accordion header in the backend.
- Fix for bug occurring when both Pricing Cycles and Sliding features are active.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php js/css3_grid_admin.js js/main.js languages/css3_grid-default.mo languages/css3_grid-default.po languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.mo languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.po18.05.2016 – v10.5
- Update for shortcode load issue (regular expression pattern of shortcode id field bug).
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php21.04.2016 – v10.4
- Fix for pricing cycles bug when using more than 4 columns.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php css3_web_pricing_tables_grids_export.txt js/css3_grid_admin.js js/main.js26.02.2016 – v10.3
- Fix for pricing cycle dropdown list issue on Windows Phone.
- Fix for 'Invalid arguments passed' warning.
- Fix for 'syntax error' for old php versions.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php20.02.2016 – v10.2
- Pricing Cycles functionality added.
- WPBakery Page Builder for WordPress integration added.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php admin/style.css js/css3_grid_admin.js js/main.js languages/css3_grid-default.mo languages/css3_grid-default.po languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.mo languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.po table1/css3_grid_style.css table2/css3_grid_style.css --- new files --- img/pricing_tables.png07.09.2015 – v10.1
- Compatibility with WP 4.3.(not working shortcodes inside table issue fix)
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php02.07.2015 – v10.0
- Fix for big tables saving issue.
- Translation support added.
- New retina ready icons.
- Tables won't be restored to default on plugin activation/deactivation anymore.
- Fix for Google Fonts loading issue under Fonts Configuration panel.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php responsive.css admin/style.css js/css3_grid_admin.js table1/css3_grid_style.css table2/css3_grid_style.css --- new files --- font/icons.eot font/icons.svg font/icons.ttf font/icons.woff languages/css3_grid-default.mo languages/css3_grid-default.po languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.mo languages/css3_grid-pl_PL.po19.05.2014 – v9.6
- Small code improvements for font subsets settings.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php25.03.2014 – v9.5
- Update for slide on touch and slide on mouse options.
css3_web_pricing_tables_grids.php js/main.js js/css3_grid_admin.js --- new file --- js/jquery.carouFredSel-6.2.1-packed.js --- removed file --- js/jquery.carouFredSel-5.6.4-packed.js13.03.2014 – v9.4
- Updated sample tables.
- Few small fixes.
- Fix for 'Load plugin files' option.
- Notice messages fix.
- Small issues fix.
- 6 new sample table configurations added.
- New responsive options – ability to set responsive steps (sizes) and different widths/heights/font sizes for each.
- 6 New table styles.
- Fonts configurator added.
- Fix for not visible responsive height/width fields when adding columns/rows in admin area.
- Load plugin files only when used option added.
- Small admin preview option fix.
- Option to set responsive width value for columns added.
- Expand/collapse option to show/hide rows added.
- PHP notices fix.
- Improvement of table preview load in admin area.
- Improvement of table preview load in admin area.
- 'Columns to scroll' option added for sliding columns feature.
- Ability to set columns width in % added.
- Sliding columns feature added.
- Import/export data feature added.
- Fix for syntax error during plugin activation for PHP<5.3.
- Responsive feature added.
- Information in admin area for number of rows/columns added.
- Number of rows/columns setting improvement.
- 'Sing up' buttons url improvements.
- Styles fix for table style 2.
- Vertical align in rows added.
- Preview for icons in admin panel added.
- Rows and columns sorting feature.
- Tooltips improvements.
- Ability to disable hover states for columns + new hover style for table1.
- Single quote mark bug fix.
- Style improvements for IE.
- Wordpress Multi-Site (WP MU) feature small bug fix.
- IE9 bug fix (broken layout for some styles).
- IE9 bug fix (broken layout for some styles).
- Wordpress Multi-Site (WP MU) compatibility added.
- Arrows for increase and decrease rows/columns number added.
- CSS3 tooltips/hints.
- possibility to add ribbons to one or many columns.
- 4 new styles for Table 1.
- 4 new styles for Table 2.
- CSS improvements.
- possibility to disable/hide one or many columns from admin panel.
- set of yes (tick) and no (cross) icons (42 icons).
- rows height configuration from admin panel.
- rows padding top configuration from admin panel.
- rows padding bottom configuration from admin panel.
- font-face fonts for IE6-IE8.
- columns width configuration from admin panel.
- columns text aligment configuration from admin panel.
- possibility to set one or many columns as active (poped up) by default.


text:
Advocates back OxyContin ban, say drug linked to heroin addiction
The FDA is being asked to ban OxyContin, the powerful painkiller blamed for the rising number of heroin addicts in the region and country.
A petition started by a national radio talk show host calling for the ban now has more than 1,800 signatures. Parents of addicts will appear at a Washington, D.C., public hearing next week, asking OxyContin be banned or its distribution severely restricted.
"It is time to take OxyContin off the street," said Larry Golbom, a pharmacist and host of prescriptionaddictionradio.com.
The petition, circulating online, asks for an immediate ban on OxyContin distribution to new patients and the establishment of a program to wean those now taking the drug.
"I can honestly say we now have a plague because of OxyContin," said Joanne Peterson, founder of Learn to Cope (learn2cope.org), a Brockton area support group for parents.
Peterson, who will speak at the hearing next week, said the number of opiate addictions will continue to grow until OxyContin is banned.
"I'm seeing more now who are addicted than I ever have in my entire life," the Raynham woman said.
Throughout the region, young heroin addicts — particularly those in the suburbs — say they first got hooked on OxyContin and then turned to cheaper heroin when their addiction got too expensive.
OxyContin sells on the street for $80 for an 8 mg tablet while a bag — or single dose — of heroin can cost less than a pack of cigarettes.
The Enterprise in 2006 and 2007 detailed the opiate death toll in the region in two reports, "Wasted Youth" and "Wasted Youth: Deadly Surge." Those reports exposing the local epidemic can be found at www.enterprisenews.com under "Special Reports."
"We believe OxyContin was the virus that started this epidemic," Golbom said.
Programs to help addicts are also expanding throughout the greater Brockton area and community leaders are stepping up to deal with the issue.
The Brockton Police Department hosted a program, "Not My Kid," this week at the Fuller Craft Museum to educate parents about drugs, among other things.
"Most parents said we need more of these types of programs," said officer Nancy Leedberg, one of the city's Gang Resistance Education and Training officers. "It was very well-received."
The Brockton Mayor's Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition has been training people on what to do in the event of an overdose and are working to educate schoolchildren about the dangers of opioid use. It will be hosting a kickoff event on June 11 to encourage community groups to join the effort.
"We are creating awareness to let people know there is a problem," said Koren Cappiello, coordinator of the coalition.
Narcan, an overdose antidote, is being distributed to addicts' families, addicts leaving treatment and those known to be at risk. It is available through the Community Outreach, Prevention, and Education program, called COPE, at the Brockton Area Multi Services Inc.
Maureen Boyle can be reached email@example.com.


text:
BEEF producers should be on the lookout for lice infestations and have a plan for controlling the spread to prevent animal stress, Purdue Extension beef specialist Ron Lemenager said.
"Now is the time when lice populations are going to become a noticeable problem," Lemenager explained. "We've got cold weather and heavy winter hair coats on cattle, and that's the perfect scenario for lice populations to increase and become evident."
Cattle with lice infestations will rub against trees, fences and buildings, irritating their skin and damaging property. Lemenager said lice can disrupt the animal's feeding behavior, reduce milk production, increase weight loss and result in an unthrifty appearance.
Persistent rubbing and loss of hair should be a warning to producers that cattle have a lice problem.
"Lice infections can be confirmed by parting an animal's hair and looking closely to identify the small, flat-bodied lice attached to the hair and skin," Lemenager said. "Heavily infected cattle can take on a greasy appearance from rubbing, and skin will be raw and red."
This additional stress can make cattle more susceptible to disease, and it hinders productivity in grow/finish cattle, cattle experiencing cold stress and cows within the herd.
While there are many species of lice, biting and sucking lice are two of the most common. The biting louse has a yellowish-white body with a triangular head and is commonly found near the base of the animal's tail and along the topline. Short-nosed sucking lice are gray or black and are usually found along an animal's neck, ears, dewlap and brisket.
Producers should use an insecticide to control lice. Endectocides, systemic products that are commonly available in pour-on and injectable forms, are effective against both internal and external parasites and have some residual control.
However, Lemenager cautioned producers to be aware of the timing of their applications because the best time to control external parasites may not be the best time to control internal parasites.
Another control option is non-systemic insecticides, which are available in more forms but typically need to be applied twice to kill the eggs as well as the live lice.
"The safe way to go is to treat cattle with a non-systemic insecticide. They come in pour-ons, dust bags, sprays and cattle rubs that can be applied," Lemenager said.
Lemenager offered these tips for lice treatment:
* Treat every animal in a group at the same time to prevent reinfestation. Keep treated and untreated groups separate.
* Read and follow product label directions for the correct dosage, application site, timing and any precautions regarding withdrawal times prior to slaughter.
* Make sure the insecticide gets in the hair and down to the skin, where it can do the most good. Pour-on insecticides are usually best for this.
* When using a non-systemic insecticide, a second application will be needed as a follow-up in three to four weeks to help eradicate lice that have moved from the egg to adult stage.
About 1-2% of the cattle population, usually older cows and bulls, are carrier animals that can reinfect the herd. While total eradication of lice is unlikely, Lemenager said timely application of the right products can keep lice populations low and can greatly reduce animal stress.
Volume:85 Issue:11