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Shopping Destination Guide
Go Native
Pack your flip-flops and get ready to give them a workout: You can't shop Sarasota in six-inch Christian Loboutins. Vacations and shopping go hand-in-hand, as you can tell from any travel guide to Paris, Hong Kong or Florence. But the real joy is finding something exquisitely made that's also locally designed—and perhaps if you're lucky, a store with a special expertise or concept you can't find anywhere else in the world.
That said, consider this your guide to Sarasota's insiders' secrets, a tell-all exposé of the shopping haunts Frommer's never heard of. We'll take you to swimsuit
stores that know exactly how to fit you, shopping districts that rival the beach as attractions, and Sarasota-based jewelry and clothing designers with trend-setting, international styles.
From Sports Illustrated to Siesta Key
You're on Siesta for the best white sand beach on the planet, so let's begin with a swimsuit worthy of the setting. Sarasota's own homegrown chain, Swim Mart/Swim City, has nine stores, all built on the premise that proper fit and great fashions aren't mutually exclusive. "We specialize in separates," explains owner Judy Johnson, whose mission is to fill every customer's dream of a genuinely flattering swimsuit. But Johnson's stores take separates to a new level—each 3,500 to 5,000-square-foot store has walls lined in separates as far as the eye can see.
You're on Siesta for the best white sand beach on the planet, so let's begin with a swimsuit worthy of the setting. Sarasota's own homegrown chain, Swim Mart/Swim City, has nine stores, all built on the premise that proper fit and great fashions aren't mutually exclusive. "We specialize in separates," explains owner Judy Johnson, whose mission is to fill every customer's dream of a genuinely flattering swimsuit. But Johnson's stores take separates to a new level—each 3,500 to 5,000-square-foot store has walls lined in separates as far as the eye can see.
"The ability to mix and match tops and bottoms solves the obvious issue of disproportionate hips and bosoms," Johnson explains. But locals who live in bathing suits year-round demand perfection. "Our customers are flipping out over sophisticated separates that come in bra sizes," she reports. Hot new names are Coco Rave for juniors and fashion-forward C Collection. Surprisingly chi-chi brands include Tara Grinna (bras to EE and bottoms to 18) and Sunsets (up to E bras) and adorable Palm Beach prints that are magnets for paparazzi (think Heidi Montag in Malibu and Heidi Klum in Sports Illustrated).
Johnson's staff is trained to sift through racks with head-spinning designer names like Betsey Johnson, Trina Turk and Gottex to find the suit that will emphasize assets and camouflage figure flaws. Designed specifically to do just that are the ever-more fashion-forward Miracle Suit (would you believe you can lose 10 pounds in 10 seconds?) and Tommy Bahama, a best seller at Swim Mart and Swim City stores, which is also making waves with its own lifestyle store on St. Armands Circle.
To find out what makes Tommy suits so special, we went straight to the source: Lynne Koplin, president of Women's, Tommy Bahama. "Our fit model has the perfect size specifications to ensure fit for a broad range of women, whether short or long torso, small or large-busted," Koplin explains, noting that torso length, not height or weight, determines the right swimsuit size. "We've classified the four main body types and identified the key silhouettes in our inventory to accommodate them—our sales personnel are trained on which suits work for each body type," she says.
Spectacular is the only body type that should wear Samba Brazilian Swimwear, and Sarasota-based designer Renata Swain has the physique to prove it (see photo insets, left). Swain's fledgling brand shot to underground stardom at hip local stores like Stitch, T. Georgiano's, CaliFlorida and Heather's Closet. And though it's just a year old, Samba is on its way to becoming a national brand with placements in boutiques in Cocoa Beach and Palm Beach and online stores with international customers.
A Sao Paulo native, Swain moved to Sarasota with her parents (former owners of the Chicken Pie Company on Gulf Gate) in 1992. But the samba beat is in her blood (her dad now owns the only Brazilian radio station in Florida, radiopompano.com), and Swain spotted an opportunity for her homeland's best export when she noticed friends traveling to Miami to buy Brazilian bikinis.
"The Brazilian cut is one of a kind: It's flattering on most women—smaller in back to show more skin. But it isn't a G-string and it isn't sleazy," explains Swain, who has her designs fabricated in Sao Paulo in exclusive colors and fabrics. Most are $80 in local boutiques. "When a guy comes in with his wife or girlfriend, the stores know they will have a sale," she confides. "Guys are the biggest fans."
A Treasure Trove of Designer Jewels
Sarasota seems to bring out the genius in jewelry designers, encouraging individuality and creative self-expression. Begin on Palm Avenue, where Nikki Sedacca creates signature wirework, embellishing the finest strands of silver and gold with pearls and hand-picked semiprecious stones. This elegant boutique is the Sarasota-based designer's flagship store. But her creations are carried at places from the Ritz-Carlton in Bali to the Four Seasons in Palm Beach.
Sarasota socialites can't get enough of Sedacca's trademark look, epitomized in the brand-new Unmistakably Nikki collection. "I've been perfecting this medium for years and years," Sedacca explains, "and the name reflects what my clients tell me: There's something about my work that says 'me.' Juxtaposing luster, color, shape and texture is my passion. I love to do it." Pieces here are as affordable as $70, and prices climb as high as $40,000. Sedacca has been mixing sterling with accents of 18K gold for a young, fresh look that also happens to keep prices down.
Customers at The Met Fashion House & Day Spa on St. Armands Circle have discovered Soji, an incredible new brand designed by Sarasotan Lana Shelden. Soji necklaces ($135 to $360) feature pearls that Shelden hand-picks on frequent trips to neighborhoods and markets she's been haunting in China for years. She mixes them in clusters, in pink or white, in myriad shapes and sizes, usually in combination with clear or tiger quartz. "I love the energetic qualities of quartz: It brings light and dimension into a piece of jewelry as well as a touch of glamour for day or evening," Shelden says.
At the not-to-be-missed Juno & Jove (almost everything is green, and it's all from socially responsible companies), you'll find bijoux by Jasmine McAllister, a local designer who works exclusively with fair trade materials. "I use recycled sterling, and vermeil with an overlay of fair trade gold from Indonesia or Thailand. I try to work exclusively with fair trade gemstones," says McAllister, who sells under the Jaszy brand name. Pieces go for $80 to $200; the look is bohemian classic and this side of edgy.
Where to find jewelry designers and featured swimsuits.
Agnes & Rafael Gallery Boutique
19 N. Boulevard of Presidents (941) 388-1923
Jaszy's Jewelry at Juno & Jove
100 Central Ave., Sarasota,
(941) 957-0000
June Simmons Designs,
68 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota
(941) 388-4535
L'Atelier F, 538 Pineapple Ave.,
(941) 539-6096
MK Designs by Marian Strickland
(941) 350-8037
Nikki Sedacca, 49S. Palm Ave., Sarasota (941) 957-1957
Patrice, 1747 Independence Blvd, (941) 359-2577
Queens' Wreath Jewels, 1310 Main St., Sarasota (941) 365-2027
Soji Incredible Treasures, at The Met Fashion House Day Spa & Salon,
35 S. Boulevard of Presidents,
(941) 388-3991
Swimwear Spots
CaliFlorida Surf Clothing Co., 5253 Ocean Blvd., (941) 544-1649
Heather's Closet, 3800 S. Tamiami Trail, (941) 363-9500
Shore, St. Armands Circle,
465 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota,
(941) 388-3535
Stitch Boutique, 1636 Main St., (941) 366-7268.
Swim City, 3170 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, (941) 383-2288; 1960 Stickney Point Road, No. 1, (941) 922-4545;
Swim Mart Sarasota, 4223 S. Tamiami Trail, (941) 924-8618
T. Georgiano's, 1409-B First St., (941) 870-3727
Tommy Bahama, St. Armands Circle, 300 John Ringling Blvd., (941) 388-2888.
Fashion Imports Are People, Too
Edgier still are the crop of European designers who have opened shops in Sarasota, providing an unmistakable, across-the-pond aesthetic. At Agnes & Raphael, a husband-and-wife team has developed a loyal following for her unique clothing designs and his artisan copper jewelry. Both are Polish émigrés by way of Germany. "My mother owns similar shops in Hamburg and Gdansk, and we buy from the same designers. You won't see many of the names here in any other U.S. store," Agnes explains.
Look for funky young sweaters, scarves and hats in sherbet-colored wool felt, and crisp casual linen dresses from Oska, Germany's answer to Calvin Klein couture. But the big hits with locals in the know are Agnes' own creations: easy linen jackets (from $150), deliciously soft cotton pants sets ($200) and casual slacks (from $100).
France Engels is a one-woman cottage industry and the new darling of Sarasota's fashion crowd. Her little atelier on Pineapple Avenue is brimming with Engels' own creations—everything from evening dresses (from $500) to faux fur capes ($900) and more. Before arriving on our shores with two teen-age daughters in tow, Engels worked for Yves St. Laurent and Lanvin in southern France. The accent here is on incredibly cut, one-off fashions, layered materials, shapes and a play on volume. "I don't do custom," Engels warns. "I design the clothes, but you buy off the rack." If you're really keen on something that hasn't been made in your specific size, though, Engels can be cajoled into whipping up another.
From boutique districts to full-service malls, here's where savvy shoppers head.
Creativity abounds on Sarasota's Main Street, from its award-winning restaurants and top-notch art galleries to innovative boutiques brimming with the newest designer trends. The ambiance is decidedly international, with everything from mod British style at Stitch Boutique to exquisite French pottery at Via Mediterranee to hand-crafted Peruvian silver jewelry at Nella Terra.
A stroll down Main Street will reveal experts in rare books and estate jewelry, and taste treats from organic frozen yogurt to French patisserie. Choose from Moroccan or Latin American haute cuisine, Thai, and a mélange of French and Italian bistros. Anchoring a potpourri of fashion and home furnishings specialty stores are national names Brooks Brothers and Sur La Table. Main Street has something for everyone, from snorkel gear to sports pubs, a multi-screen movie theater and a growing cache of chi-chi lounges (check out the new Ivory) as well as late-night dessert bars and cafes that cater to opera and theater buffs.
Browsers and serious collectors rub shoulders on Sarasota's Palm Avenue, a delightful blend of glamorous 21st-century style and laid-back Old Florida charm. The elegant yet casual tone makes this one of the most appealing resort shopping streets in the world, with some of the prettiest shops tucked inside a landmark Mediterranean Revival hotel. The district—located off U.S. 41 (also known as Tamiami Trail), just south and east of Main—offers extraordinary fine art galleries, designer fashion boutiques, upscale jewelers and high-end home furnishings. This lovely section of town has charming cafés where you can people-watch as you dine outside, several emporiums specializing in fair trade and artisan-crafted gifts, and specialty stores with experts on everything from beach weddings to antique carpets
Shopping serendipity is your reward for visiting the Whole Foods Market Centre, a haven for natural and gourmet products right around the corner from Main Street. The chic new enclave encompasses First Street, Lemon and Central Avenues, with stores catering to the tastes of downtown's luxury condo dwellers, tourists and after-dinner crowds. Look for T. Georgiano's, an elegant Italian shoe boutique; upscale giftware and home accessories at Envie; Write-On Sarasota, a bespoke stationery shop; Ashley Avery's, a boutique for stylish tableware; and Juno & Jove, a wonderful shop focusing on green clothing, home fashions and more. Shop owners pride themselves on distinctively different assortments, from avant-garde skin care (Simply Spoiled) to designer pet fashions (Petropolis). Sip a latte from Starbucks, eat at a fashionable European-style outdoor café or just take time out to linger and browse.
Named for Owen Burns, the developer who created this charming district in 1925, historic Burns Court is Sarasota's hot new go-to spot for trendy fashion. Shops like L. Boutique, L'Atelier F and Paris Couture feature international and French-made clothes, shoes—everything from evening dresses to couture for the kiddies. Burns' namesake district (bounded by Pineapple and Orange Avenues between Ringling and Mound) still retains its vintage cottages and character, with a notable art-house cinema, antiques shops and art galleries. The ambiance is pure nostalgia: Strolling here is like taking a voyage back in time.
Nearby, explore a genuine artists' colony at Towles Court, off Morrill Street and east of Osprey Avenue. Sculptors, craftsmen, painters, potters, muralists and more will be found in a collection of restored 1920s cottages. Artists live and work here; tourists and residents come for fine and casual dining and gallery tours. Regularly scheduled Friday night art walks are fun opportunities to meet and greet artists
in a dramatic tropical setting.
Don't miss the world-class shopping in Sarasota's own interpretation of a chi-chi warehouse district. Ours is set in a historically designated area that boasts Allyn Gallup's wonderful contemporary art gallery, chic furniture stores (Home Resource and Sarasota Collection Home Store) and a sprawling warehouse with treasures from around the world (Sarasota Architectural Salvage). Look for Everything But the Girl, a shop dedicated to vintage clothing, Derek's innovative gourmet restaurant, and a specialty food boutique that doubles as a café (Sarasota Olive Oil Company). You can also take yoga classes at Rosemary Court Yoga. The Rosemary District spreads from U.S. 41 to Orange Avenue and from Fruitville Road to 10th Street.
Shopping is more fun when you're on vacation, and the beautiful stores on St. Armands Circle are a must on every visitor's itinerary. There are more trendy restaurants, world-class jewelers, outdoor cafes and luxury boutiques on St. Armands Circle than you could ever hope to scope out in one visit, so pick up a handy map at a kiosk and plan your attack while dining at an outdoor café. This shopping and dining paradise abounds with the best of European, Caribbean and American cuisine, plus Columbia, a landmark Cuban restaurant that exudes Old Florida's flavor. Straight from the leading lifestyle magazines are the most coveted names in designer jewelry, fashion, shoe shops, gift stores and galleries that welcome browsing. From the ultra-chic (The Met, Dream Weaver and Foxy Lady) to the kid-friendly (Little Bo'Tique), you'll find just the right stores and restaurants here to entertain throughout the day. For a change of pace, stow your purchases in your car and try the lovely walk from St. Armands Circle to Lido Beach. The sunsets are breathtaking.
This open-air shopping mall looks nondescript from the outside, but locals favor Midtown Plaza for everything from Davidson Drugs, a family-run pharmacy, to one of the most popular supermarkets in the Sweetbay chain. Coffee lovers head straight to Starbucks, but there's a lot more in store at this shopping mall just off Bahia Vista. Midtown Plaza, long the home of critically acclaimed Michael's On East restaurant, also houses Michael's connoisseur-quality wine cellar and tasting bar and Elysian Fields, a gift store that locals adore.
SOUTHSIDE VILLAGE A unique Sarasota flavor permeates Southside Village, anchored by the renowned Morton's gourmet market—a must for visiting foodies. Stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner take-out, and after browsing terrific nearby stores. Set in a residential district just four blocks from the Gulf of Mexico, this is where locals love to shop and dine. But the services and quality here are too good to keep insiders' secrets. The T-shaped district includes Hillview Street between Tamiami Trail and South Osprey Avenue, and Osprey between Hyde and Arlington. You'll find designer clothing and jewelry, the new Libby's Restaurant, and some of the hippest night spots in town. This self-sufficient little village is surrounded by neighborhoods dripping with beautifully restored "old Sarasota" architecture.
Sarasota's most elegant mall is located off U.S. 41 between Siesta Drive and Bee Ridge Road, a short drive from tourist hot spots and a great place to while away a rainy afternoon. With major department stores including Dillard's, Macys and Saks Fifth Avenue, consumers have access to the brands and fashion firsts offered in metropolitan cities. But local color abounds with specialty stores and free-standing kiosks geared to Sarasota's sophisticated clientele. You'll find unexpected treasures from potted orchids to strategically placed electronic massage chairs, and Cosimo's, a locally owned restaurant that serves great Italian food. There's no cinema, but lots of easy parking in a security-patrolled open-air mall lot. Thanks to 61 stores, high-end salons, a luxury spa and surprisingly good restaurants, you'll stop by for an hour and want to spend the day.
This is adventureland for bargain hunters, with an array of fashion and home furnishings discounters and designer names that will make the savviest shoppers swoon (Stein Mart, Marshalls and Ross Dress for Less). Located on U.S. 41, the main artery that connects the Manatee-Sarasota-Venice communities, this destination mall is off Stickney Road, the south bridge route to Siesta Key. The Pavilion has a cosmetics superstore (Ulta), and a plethora of nearby restaurants, including locally owned eateries and national chains serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you venture one block east of the mall, you'll find consignment shops, funky boutiques, galleries and gourmet food shops around the corner in Gulf Gate Village.
After a major remodeling, this haven of name brand stores became the go-to shopping destination for every member of the family. Located on South Tamiami Trail (off Beneva Road), Westfield Sarasota Square mall is anchored by Macys, JC Penney and Sears—and a brand-new 12-screen theater. You'll find teens congregating at hip sportswear stores, grandparents buying toys and ice cream cones, and fashionistas at trendy jewelry, shoe and clothing stores. Several new restaurants are available on-site, or you can grab a quickie at your choice of myriad national fast-food chains. The expansive new food court here is second to none. And if you overeat, join the parade of walkers who pound the pavement here early each morning when it's too hot or rainy to exercise outside.
Steps away from the world's most beautiful white sand beach, Siesta Key Village makes no effort to conceal its casual, barefoot style. So close to the shore, you might walk over for lunch or an ice cream parlor treat—all you need are sandals, a swimsuit cover-up and your trusty credit card. Though tourist gift shops and casual watering holes dominate the scene, you'll also find fine restaurants, destination stores (Foxy Lady, Beach Bazaar and Total Tennis can't be beat), alfresco dining, and under-the-radar boutiques (CaliFlorida) that offer avant-garde style. For an egalitarian and playful shopping experience, check out Ocean Boulevard's hodge-podge of unpretentious little stores in strip malls that curve along the bay.
As charming as the warren of stores lining the canals of its namesake Italian city, the boutiques and eateries in this Florida beach town beckon tourists to linger and explore. Venice Avenue is more relaxed than shopping streets in neighboring Suncoast cities, but just as sophisticated when it comes to world-class style. Tourists flock here year-round for chic fashion (Barefoot Contessa), home accents (Seaside Chic), giftware (Sirene) and the art galleries lining Venice Avenue. Visit the beach, and when it's time for a break, choose from old-fashioned ice cream parlors, quaint tea houses or alfresco dining. And don't miss the vintage resale shops around the corner on Miami Avenue. Located in south Sarasota County, and easily accessible from U.S. 41, Venice is well worth the short trip from downtown Sarasota.
An iconic shopping destination, Fisherman's Village is replete with everything from exclusive boutiques to kitschy souvenir shops, reminiscent of seaside vacations
from Key West to the New Jersey shore. This waterfront mall is enclosed and air-conditioned, the ideal hangout for shopping, dining, arranging water sports and island tours. Tourists arrive early to rent a fishing boat, jet skis or bicycles—the best way to tour Punta Gorda, a picturesque coastal community a short drive south of Sarasota via I-75. Be sure to visit at meal time, when lovely restaurants are ready to serve up great food in an idyllic setting. After a day of sun and fun, get down to serious shopping: You'll discover rare shells, stunning beach fashions and local experts to outfit you with new snorkel gear.
In the heart of the region's most coveted upscale golf communities, this shopping mecca off I-75 on University Parkway boasts great stores on both sides of the borderline between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The mall's convenient location near the interstate and an influx of quality clothing, gift and home décor boutiques also draw crowds of tourists and residents from surrounding towns. For retail entertainment, check out Fit2Run, a performance footwear store with its own running track and gait-analysis treadmill. There are Total Wine, a new national wine warehouse; Five Guys, a Zagat-rated burger joint; Pei Wei, a much needed Chinese restaurant; and an outpost of Sarasota's much loved Bonefish Grill.
LAKEWOOD RANCH Originally designed to serve the needs of residents of this renowned master-planned community, Main Street in Lakewood Ranch is a favorite destination for shoppers from around the region. With anchors like its multi-screen cinema complex and the Polo Grill restaurant owned by chef Tommy Klauber, the setting is reminiscent of a quaint pedestrian mall. Look for Le Couture Bridal, a world-class salon and spa owned by downtown's Ana Molinari, plus gift and specialty shops (Pineapple House, Vanessa Fine Jewelry and Sunglass Express) that keep local residents coming back for more. For upscale shopping and dining with a hometown feel, follow signs for Lakewood Ranch, just east of I-75 right off University Parkway in Manatee County.
This beautiful Venetian-inspired mall is typical of its Italian namesake, combining casual eateries, a wine emporium and destination stores. Just look for a clock tower that stands as a beacon for visitors, just as the original does in Italy in Venice's St. Marks Square. To meet the needs of this burgeoning young community, San Marco Plaza is home to a gift shop filled with Italian glass jewelry and home accessories (i-Tesori), a new paper goods shop (Paper Tree) and a designer maternity and baby gear shop (A Bun in the Oven). Restaurants, a wine shop and ice cream parlor make this easy-to-navigate plaza a fun and fashionable place to visit.
Mediterranean courtyards, colorful mosaics and pretty fountains add to the ambiance of an ever-growing cache of luxury and national brands at this outlet mall north of Sarasota on I-75. Discount shopping here is addictive; if you don't visit often you won't know what you've missed—unless, of course, you've signed up for e-mail blasts and phone alerts to new merchandise and sales. Think Saks off 5th, Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, Coach and Stuart Weitzman: The name brands get better each season at Prime Outlets' Ellenton mall. All your favorite manufacturers are here, with a potpourri of outlets for clothing, sporting goods, home furnishings, fine linens for bath and table, children's apparel, kitchen accessories, jewelry and cosmetics.
This article appears in the December 2009 issue of Sarasota Magazine.
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A number of businesses have set up shop in the LINC Business Center on Madison Avenue SE, which is just down the street from the organization's headquarters. Photo by Mike Nichols
Editor's note: The Business Journal is recognizing 10 nominees for its 2012 Newsmaker of the Year Award, based on their long-term economic impact on the region. One nominee will be featured each day on grbj.com — leading up to the Jan. 21 announcement of the 2012 Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year.
LINC Community Revitalization is going to spend $13 million in 2013 on its mission to save forgotten West Michigan neighborhoods.
Since its inception in 2000, the Kent County neighborhood revitalization nonprofit has poured millions into the belief that economies change when neighborhood businesses do.
LINC simultaneously focuses on four pillars of neighborhood revitalization — economic development, real estate development, resident services and neighborhood services — and is seeing the fruits of its labor.
Jorge Gonzalez, LINC director of economic development, said the streets LINC works on — Madison, Wealthy, Grandville, Eastern — are seeing businesses and living conditions flourish, while crime and poverty rates dip.
Offering the community a free shot at creating its own small businesses is how LINC is saving neighborhoods, Gonzalez said.
"Without the economic development of helping small business owners be sustainable, you're not able to help the overall economy. When you help a small business owner be successful, they create jobs," he said.
"Once you get all that together, you see no vandalism; you see no abandoned buildings; you see less crime," he said. "And you see more pride in the community, people cleaning up their yards and just having the pride that they live in a good neighborhood."
More than 50 people work out of the LINC Development Center at 1167 Madison Ave. SE, just down the street from LINC's business incubator at 1258 Madison Ave. SE, which houses startups LINC trained and funded.
Israel Johnson, one of the first students in LINC's incubation program, said there are so many different projects LINC has for businesses, schools and neighborhoods, it's hard to highlight which one is his favorite.
The owner of Klipper Kingdom, an upscale barber shop that runs out of LINC's business incubator, Johnson is grateful for how open LINC was to his ideas and supporting local entrepreneurs.
"The neighborhood has changed for the better, because LINC is putting money back into the community, building better buildings," Johnson said. "Business brings business. People are seeing the money going back to their buildings and how something positive is happening in the neighborhood. It helps."
LINC seeks to rebuild decaying neighborhoods around startups, a philosophy of "county wide, neighborhood-deep" change.
In November, $3.2 million from Neighborhood Stabilization Funds went into the development of 16 townhomes in the Madison Square neighborhood.
Funds from Michigan's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit led to the construction of a $10 million business and residential development in the Southtown neighborhood. When completed, it will feature a four-story building on the corner of Madison and Hall, complete with 44 residential units and an additional 13,000 square feet of commercial space.
As LINC looks to incubate more businesses, the team rallies behind the "mom-and-pop" stores, Gonzalez said, because they create jobs for local residents.
"Long gone are the days when we're going to have a General Motors or a Ford come to the neighborhood and create 500 jobs," Gonzalez said. "It's the 'mom-and-pop' shops who create jobs. It's guys like Israel who employ two people or other small businesses like the restaurant that employ five people."

subset: commoncrawl


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Once again the barbarians have attacked the West. This time a gunman named Omar Mateen walked into a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and killed fifty people. Jo Comerford at Moveon.org places the blame for this atrocity squarely on where it belongs, on the gun Mateen used.
Dear MoveOn member,
At least 50 people were killed last night in a horrific mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando, FL. At least another 53 were injured.1 As the news continues to peel back the layers on this terrible, tragic shooting and we grieve and mourn with Orlando, we must act now for common sense gun laws and to ban assault rifles. We must stop these mass shootings from tearing apart our communities.Click here to sign the petition, which says:
Orlando. Sandy Hook. San Bernardino. Aurora.
What do these horrific shootings have in common? The AR-15.
This military-grade assault rifle was used to murder at least 50 people in Orlando, 26 people in Sandy Hook, 14 people in San Bernardino, and 12 people in Aurora.2
Right now, such a mass-killing weapon is available for purchase on-line, at trade shows, and at neighborhood brokers across our nation.
The AR-15 and automatic assault weapons like it have no place in our cities and towns. They have no place on our streets.
We need to ban all assault weapons now and enact other commonsense gun reform.
Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.
Thanks for all you do.
—Jo, Anna, Justin K., Ben O., and the rest of the team
I can make a list of places too: Orlando, San Bernardino, Paris, London, Copenhagen, New York. What do all of these places have in common? They were each the site of a horrific attack by Islamic barbarians intent on overthrowing the West and its ideals of freedom and tolerance. We are at war with savages and the solution that the Moveon.org has is to disarm our population and make us all helpless for the next attack.
This is the only solution people on the left offer after every attack. Appease the Muslims. Don't make them angry. Don't publish drawings of Mohammed. Don't criticize or make fun of Islam. Treat the Koran with respect. Women, cover yourselves lest you arouse a Muslim man and cause him to rape you. Christians, pray in private lest you offend the sensitive ears of Muslims. Don't suggest that immigration from Muslim countries be curtailed or that perhaps Mosques with ties to radicals should be watched. That is islamophobia. Respect Islamic customs and traditions and don't expect that respect to be returned. Give in when they demand that Sharia law be imposed. Above all else, do not ever suggest that Islam is not a Religion of Peace or they will attack. Remember it is better to die than to live and be considered an islamophobe.
I expect that in the wake of the Orlando Massacre, the gays will be asked to go back into the closet. Its all very well to stand up to Christians who do not approve of gay marriage. The Christians are not going to start bombing and shooting. Standing up to Muslims who want to kill gays might take real courage. They might target us instead. Better to blame the guns.
Related articles
- Proponents of Sharia Law Should be Banned from serving in Government (theblacksphere.net)
- When Their True Colors Show… (rightwinggranny.com)
- "Islam does not belong in Germany" or anywhere else for that matter. (freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com) Certainly no place in the civilized West.
- Islamist London (directorblue.blogspot.com)
- Islamic Doctrine Governing Women (thetribunepapers.com)


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Welcome to the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Blog! This is one of many new ventures we are making into the world of social media and we are very excited about the stories that will be shared and connections that will be formed through these new platforms.
This blog will showcase the activities of Girl Scouts in our area through articles, photos, and videos, as well as serve as a source for news from the council and information on upcoming events. Join in the conversation by leaving a comment or keeping us informed about what Girl Scouts are up to in your area.
You can also get involved by becoming a fan on Facebook and following us on Twitter where you will receive the latest GSCM updates.
We encourage your full participation while remaining mindful of our commitment to Internet safety. Read more about Internet safety (PDF). Participants are responsible for the content of their posts and understand that GSCM retains the right to remove, edit, move or close any topic at any time. Visitors who ignore warnings about violations of the rules will be suspended or banned from the forum.
Please share with us your feedback and ideas for content at email@example.com.
Categories: Girl Scouts, GSCM News, social media, Update


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PBS Bumps Torture Documentary For Cartoon
PBS affiliate WNET TV is very proud of "Torturing Democracy," a documentary crafted by a Frontline producer and deemed "flawlessly journalistic" by the New York station's VP for content. But the show makes PBS suits a little, well, uncomfortable. According to the Times, they asked the producer if that provocative name couldn't be changed, and maybe a panel discussion tacked on, oh and also they wouldn't be able to air it until the day after George W. Bush leaves the White House. You see there's an animated sitcom called "Click & Clack's As the Wrench Turns" that had higher priority, plus you can't air a documentary like this during the Olympics, so the summer was right out. As was the fall, apparently. Or so says PBS VP John Wilson (pictured), as he undermines the program:
PBS executives also asked Ms. Jones to make changes to the film, including adding the panel discussion. By the time that happened, the fall schedule was set, said John Wilson, the PBS senior vice president for programming. He called the film "ultimately an impressive work of journalism," and said, "our goal was to have it in a good slot." That the first date offered happened to be the day after the Bush administration is to leave power "absolutely is coincidental," he said. "It was the date that offered itself up."
Ha ha, the show was "ultimately" good journalism, after some real journalists cleaned up the biased dreck that producer Sherry Jones turned in, right John? If this is just another one of those internecine conflicts endemic to nonprofit journalism, it's sure doing a good job disguising itself as a genuine scandal.
The silver lining here is that WNET has independently placed the show on various PBS affiliates, reaching markets with close to 85 percent of U.S. viewers. Many of them will have the opportunity to watch this documentary before the election. Many, also, will be boning up on DVDs of Fox torture-porn serial 24 ahead of the new season that night, or watching one of those incredible Fox News specials, but at least the option will be there!


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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker beat back a recall challenge Tuesday, winning both the right to finish his term and a voter endorsement of his strategy to curb state spending, which included the explosive measure that eliminated union rights for most public workers.
With his defeat of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the union leaders who rallied for months against Walker's agenda, the rising GOP star became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall attempt.
"Tonight we tell Wisconsin, we tell our country and we tell people all across the globe that voters really do want leaders who stand up and make the tough decisions," Walker said in his victory speech in Waukesha.
The governor said he was committed to working with his opponents, beginning with a friendly get-together with lawmakers of both parties over brats, burgers and "maybe a little bit of good Wisconsin beer."
With nearly all precincts reporting, Walker had nearly 53 percent of the vote, compared with 46 percent for Barrett, according to unofficial returns tabulated by The Associated Press.
As he conceded his loss, Barrett said the state had been left "deeply divided" by the recall battle.
"It is up to all of us, their side and our side, to listen. To listen to each other," Barrett said.
Walker was only the third governor to face a recall vote. The other two lost, most recently California Gov. Gray Davis in 2003.
Democrats and organized labor spent millions to oust Walker, but found themselves hopelessly outspent by Republicans from across the country who donated record-setting sums to Walker. Republicans hope the victory carries over into November and that their get-out-the-vote effort can help Mitt Romney become the first GOP nominee to carry the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
Romney issued a statement saying Walker's victory "will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin."
Walker "has shown that citizens and taxpayers can fight back — and prevail — against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses," Romney said. "Tonight voters said no to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday and yes to fiscal responsibility and a new direction."
President Barack Obama had supported Barrett. But the president's Wisconsin campaign director pointed to a bright spot for Democrats: Exit polls showed voters favored Obama over Romney.
In spite of the GOP victory, Trippe Wellde said in a statement, the recall challenge sent a strong message to Walker about "the politics of division."
The recall was a rematch of the 2010 governor's race. Throughout the campaign, Walker maintained his policies set the state on the right economic track. Defeat, he said, would keep other politicians from undertaking such bold moves in the future.
Barrett repeatedly accused Walker of neglecting the needs of the state in the interests of furthering his own political career. He said Walker had instigated a political civil war in Wisconsin that could be quelled only by a change in leadership.
Walker entered the national spotlight last year when he unveiled plans to plug a $3.6 billion budget shortfall in part by taking away the union rights of most public workers and requiring them to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits. It was one of his first moves in office.
Democrats and labor leaders saw it as a political tactic designed to gut the power of his political opposition. State Senate Democrats left Wisconsin for three weeks in a sort of filibuster, as tens of thousands of teachers, state workers and others rallied at the Capitol in protest.
But the tea-party supported fiscal conservative remained steadfast. And his opponents could not stop Republicans who control the state Legislature from approving his plans.
Walker went on to sign into law several other measures that fueled the recall challenge, including repealing a law giving discrimination victims more ways to sue for damages, making deep cuts to public schools and higher education, and requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Both sides mobilized thousands of people and millions of dollars to influence voters. Signs calling for Walker's removal and those supporting the 44-year-old son of a minister dotted the state's landscape all spring at a time normally devoid of political contests.
Turnout was on pace to meet predictions of 65 percent of eligible voters — a figure more typically seen in a presidential race.
Jeff Naunheim, a warranty analyst from St. Francis, said the recall was a waste of money.
"I think the Wisconsin voters voted in 2010 to vote Walker in," he said. "I don't think he did anything illegal."
Barrett supporter Lisa Switzer of Sun Prairie said Walker went too far.
"Even if it doesn't turn out the way we want it to, it proves a point," said Switzer, an occupational therapist and single mother on BadgerCare, the state's health insurance program for the working poor. "People in Wisconsin aren't just going to stand by and let a governor take over the state and cut social services."
More than $66 million was spent on the race as of May 21, making it easily the most expensive in Wisconsin history. That money was spent on an all-out barrage of television ads, direct mail, automated calls and other advertising that permeated the state for months.
Walker used the recall to raise millions from conservative donors and build his own political fame. National GOP groups, including Americans for Prosperity and the Republican Governors Association, poured money into the contest.
Unions got behind the recall drive, which started with the collection of more than 900,000 signatures over two months to force the vote. Barrett defeated the union-favored candidate in the Democratic primary in May and then tried to use that to his advantage, while also courting union support. He pledged to call a special legislative session to restore the collective bargaining rights Walker took away.
Also Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and at least three Republicans in state Senate races also survived recalls. Republicans were leading in the other Senate race, the outcome of which will determine which party controls the Senate at least through the end of the year.
The recall also focused attention on his record creating jobs. Walker promised in 2010 to create 250,000 jobs over four years as governor, but the number of jobs he actually created was a major point of contention. Walker relied on new data showing the state added about 23,000 jobs in 2011. A different survey that Barrett favored found the state had lost about 34,000 jobs.


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Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon).
Other types of cancer can affect the colon. These include lymphoma, carcinoid tumors, melanoma, and sarcomas. These are rare. In this article, colon cancer refers to colorectal cancer only.
Video: Colon cancer
Alternative Names
Colorectal cancer; Cancer - colon; Rectal cancer; Cancer - rectum; Adenocarcinoma - colon; Colon - adenocarcinoma; Colon carcinoma
In the United States, colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths due to cancer. Early diagnosis can often lead to a complete cure.
Almost all colon cancers start in the lining of the colon and rectum. When doctors talk about colorectal cancer, this is usually what they are talking about.
There is no single cause of colon cancer. Nearly all colon cancers begin as noncancerous (benign) polyps, which slowly develop into cancer.
You have a higher risk for colon cancer if you:
- Are older than 50
- Are African American or of eastern European descent
- Eat a lot of red or processed meats
- Have colorectal polyps
- Have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis)
- Have a family history of colon cancer
Some inherited diseases also increase the risk of developing colon cancer. One of the most common is called the Lynch syndrome.
What you eat may play a role in getting colon cancer. Colon cancer may be linked to a high-fat, low-fiber diet and to a high intake of red meat. Some studies have found that the risk does not drop if you switch to a high-fiber diet, so this link is not yet clear.
Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are other risk factors for colorectal cancer.
Many cases of colon cancer have no symptoms. If there are symptoms, the following may indicate colon cancer:
- Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen
- Blood in the stool
- Diarrhea, constipation, or other change in bowel habits
- Narrow stools
- Weight loss with no known reason
Exams and Tests
Through screening tests, colon cancer can be detected before symptoms develop. This is when the cancer is most curable.
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and press on your belly area. The physical exam rarely shows any problems, although the doctor may feel a lump (mass) in the abdomen. A rectal exam may reveal a mass in people with rectal cancer, but not colon cancer.
A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) may detect small amounts of blood in the stool. This may suggest colon cancer. A sigmoidoscopy, or more likely, a colonoscopy, will be done to evaluate the cause of blood in your stool.
Only a full colonoscopy can see the entire colon. This is the best screening test for colon cancer.
Blood tests may be done for those diagnosed with colorectal cancer, including:
- Complete blood count (CBC) to check for anemia
- Liver function tests
If you are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, more tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. CT or MRI scans of the abdomen, pelvic area, or chest may be used to stage the cancer. Sometimes, PET scans are also used.
Stages of colon cancer are:
- Stage 0: Very early cancer on the innermost layer of the intestine
- Stage I: Cancer is in the inner layers of the colon
- Stage II: Cancer has spread through the muscle wall of the colon
- Stage III: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
- Stage IV: Cancer has spread to other organs outside the colon
Blood tests to detect tumor markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) may help the doctor follow you during and after treatment.
Treatment depends on many things, including the stage of the cancer. Treatments may include:
- Surgery to remove the tumor
- Chemotherapy to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
- Targeted therapy to keep cancer from growing and spreading
Stage 0 colon cancer may be treated by removing the tumor using colonoscopy. For stages I, II, and III cancer, more extensive surgery is needed to remove the part of the colon that is cancerous. This surgery is called colon resection (colectomy).
Almost all people with stage III colon cancer receive chemotherapy after surgery for 3 to 6 months. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Even though the tumor was removed, chemotherapy is given to treat any cancer cells that may remain.
Chemotherapy is also used to improve symptoms and prolong survival in people with stage IV colon cancer.
You may receive just one type of medicine or a combination of medicines.
Radiation therapy is sometimes used for colon cancer.
For people with stage IV disease that has spread to the liver, treatment directed at the liver can be used. This may include:
- Burning the cancer (ablation)
- Delivering chemotherapy or radiation directly into the liver
- Freezing the cancer (cryotherapy)
- Surgery
- Targeted treatment zeroes in on specific targets (molecules) in cancer cells. These targets play a role in how cancer cells grow and survive. Using these targets, the drug disables the cancer cells so they cannot spread. Targeted therapy may be given as pills or may be injected into a vein.
- You may have targeted therapy along with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment.
Support Groups
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a colon cancer support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.
Outlook (Prognosis)
In many cases, colon cancer is treatable when caught early.
How well you do depends on many things, especially the stage of the cancer. When treated at an early stage, many people survive at least 5 years after diagnosis. This is called the 5-year survival rate.
If the colon cancer does not come back (recur) within 5 years, it is considered cured. Stages I, II, and III cancers are considered possibly curable. In most cases, stage IV cancer is not considered curable, although there are exceptions.
Possible Complications
Complications may include:
- Blockage of the colon, causing bowel obstruction
- Cancer returning in the colon
- Cancer spreading to other organs or tissues (metastasis)
- Development of a second primary colorectal cancer
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have:
- Black, tar-like stools
- Blood during a bowel movement
- Change in bowel habits
- Unexplained weight loss
Colon cancer can almost always be caught by colonoscopy in its earliest and most curable stages. Average-risk adults age 45 and older should have a colon cancer screening. How often you should have screening depends upon the test being used.
Colon cancer screening can often find polyps before they become cancerous. Removing these polyps may prevent colon cancer.
People with certain risk factors for colon cancer may need earlier (before age 45) or more frequent testing.
Changing your diet and lifestyle is important. Medical research suggests that low-fat and high-fiber diets may help reduce your risk for colon cancer.
Garber JJ, Chung DC. Colonic polyps and polyposis syndromes. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 126.
Lawler M, Johnston B, Van Schaeybroeck S, et al. Colorectal cancer. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 74.
National Cancer Institute website. Colorectal cancer prevention (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/colorectal/hp/colorectal-prevention-pdq. Updated June 29, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology. Colorectal cancer screening. Version 2.2021. www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/colorectal_screening.pdf. Updated April 13, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021.
Qaseem A, Crandall CJ, Mustafa RA, Hicks LA, Wilt TJ; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians, et al. Screening for colorectal cancer in asymptomatic average-risk adults: a guidance statement from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(9) :643-654. PMID: 31683290 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31683290/.
Rex DK, Boland CR, Dominitz JA, et al. Colorectal cancer screening: recommendations for physicians and patients from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. Am J Gastroenterol. 2017;112(7):1016-1030. PMID: 28555630 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28555630/.
US Preventive Services Task Force website. Final recommendation statement. Colorectal cancer: screening. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening. Published May 18, 2021. Accessed June 29, 2021.


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Mixed messages on breast feeding and fashion picks
Like beauty itself, the degradation of women is in the eye of the beholder. What's clearly demeaning in one person's view is but an updated version of Helen Reddy's feminist anthem, "I Am Woman," in another's.
Take Olivia Wilde's breast-feeding photo from September's edition of Glamour magazine. The actress was photographed nursing her infant son Otis in, as E! Online gushed, "a Roberto Cavalli dress, Prada heels, a Prada scarf, Yossi Harari earrings and a Lanvin ring."
A lovely, candid image of mother and child, to be sure. But its Web ubiquity is another example of how society approves of objectifying women (in this case Wilde is a pretty clothes hanger, or brand ambassador, if you will); putting them into neat little boxes (sex symbol, artist, working mom!); and turning a blind eye to all the Internet-enabled sexual leering this iconic maternal image has induced.
Others take the photo as a celebration of a new openness and acceptance of breast-feeding. OK, let's go with this issue for a second. Breast-feeding is probably the single most important nutritional and developmental choice a mother can make for her child. But it ain't pretty.
Wonderful? Yes, of course. Having breast-fed two babies, I can attest to that. But it's also hard work, physically demanding and … well, instead of getting into the graphic details, I'll just assure you: It's not glamorous.
We usually aren't physically perfect right after giving birth and don't get to wear thousands of dollars' worth of designer clothes and professional-grade make-up when we feed our babies.
Plus, let me say this loud and clear: 99 percent of breast-feeding moms figure out how to do it discreetly and usually keep it that way.
So, breast-feeding advocates, rejoice all you want. I'm just thankful I don't have a nursing infant and yet another image of a rich, flawless celebrity looking drop-dead-gorgeous to live up to as I deal with nursing bras, breast pumps and teething.
The fine line between celebration and exploitation has also been trampled recently by the shoe brand Nine West, which is amping up its outreach to women aged 25 to 49 by saluting modern sexuality and women's courting tactics and by glamorizing alcohol.
Specifically, the shoe ads feature images that give helpful tips for what to wear in several common situations.
According to The New York Times, "One ad, for example, carries the headline 'Starter husband hunting' and shows a woman in leopard print pumps holding arrows near an archery target. In another, with the headline 'Drunch,' a portmanteau of drunk and lunch, the legs of a woman wearing leather pumps jut from the bottom of the page, a glass of champagne teetering on her knee. And another, under the banner 'Anticipatory walk of shame,' shows a woman carrying a Nine West handbag with a pair of the brand's flip-flops poking out."
Many have reacted positively, seeing the ad campaign as funny and persuasive. But the criticism has been diverse, from outrage that a major brand name would reduce women's shoe choices to preparation for the stereotypical activity of husband-hunting to the oversight that some ladies might don sexy shoes to wife-hunt.
Silly me, I expected there to be serious outcry over an ad celebrating the "walk of shame" — a term popularized on college campuses — when Congress is considering a bipartisan campus sexual assault bill to address the rising tide of violence against women on university grounds.
One commenter, tweeting to Nine West, said "@NineWest shoes, from a wonky perspective: 'Anticipatory walk of shame.' One night stands for women are NOT shameful!"
But, presumably, if one had an empowering, satisfying one-night encounter, one would not classify the morning after as a "walk of shame," right?
We're living in a time when there is no commonly agreed-upon definition or ideology of feminism, therefore the dots go unconnected and few bat an eye when a critical mass buys into a merchant's poor treatment of women. But, as marketing messages go, these two publicity stunts will either sell magazines and shoes — or not. And this choice is ours.
Esther J. Cepeda is a Washington Post columnist. Email her at firstname.lastname@example.com and follow her on Twitter @estherjcepeda


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WASHINGTON a�� The government said Thursday that 68,000 guns recovered by Mexican authorities in the past five years have been traced back to the United States.
The flood of tens of thousands of weapons underscores complaints from Mexico that the U.S. is responsible for arming the drug cartels plaguing its southern neighbor. Six years of violence between warring cartels have killed more than 47,000 people in Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released its latest data covering 2007 through 2011. According to ATF, many of the guns seized in Mexico and submitted to ATF for tracing were recovered at the scenes of cartel shootings while others were seized in raids on illegal arms caches. All the recovered weapons were suspected of being used in crimes in Mexico.
At an April 2 North American summit in Washington, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said the U.S. government has not done enough to stop the flow of assault weapons and other guns from the U.S. to Mexico.
Calderon credited President Barack Obama with making an effort to reduce the gun traffic, but said Obama faces "internal problems … from a political point of view."
There is Republican opposition in Congress and broad opposition from Republicans and gun-rights advocates elsewhere to a new assault weapons ban or other curbs on gun sales. The Obama administration says it is working to tighten inspections of border checkpoints in the absence of an assault rifle ban that expired before Obama took office.
For more than a year, ATF has been reeling from accusations that some of its agents in Arizona were ordered by superiors to step aside rather than intercept illicit loads of weapons headed for Mexico.
The Justice Department's inspector general and Congress have been looking into the Arizona gun probe, Operation Fast and Furious.
The issue of gun control legislation hasn't been part of the Republican-led probe of Fast and Furious by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The number of all types of ATF-traced firearms manufactured in the U.S. or imported into the U.S. and later recovered in Mexico rose from 11,842 in 2007 to 14,504 in 2011, according to ATF. The figures for U.S.-sourced firearms were 21,035 in 2008; 14,376 for 2009; and 6,404 in 2010. Included in those totals, the number of rifles recovered in Mexico, submitted to ATF for tracing and found to have come from the U.S. rose from 4,885 in 2007 to 8,804 last year.
Mexican law enforcement officials report that certain types of rifles such as AK variants with detachable magazines are being used more frequently by drug trafficking organizations, ATF said in a news release.
Mexico has provided ATF information on 99,691 guns. ATF determined that the source for 68,161 of the weapons was the U.S, 68 percent of the total. For the remainder, ATF was unable to determine a U.S. source or was unable to trace the request to a country of origin. The 68 percent figure is down from estimates of 90 percent in years past when Mexico was sharing less information with the U.S.
The controversial tactic of "letting guns walk" out of gun shops in the hands of suspected straw purchasers was used in Operation Fast and Furious at ATF in Phoenix in an effort to track the guns to major weapons traffickers and drug cartels in order to make criminal cases against smuggling kingpins who had eluded prosecution for years. But the tracking of the weapons was faulty, and many of them wound up at crime scenes in Mexico and the U.S. Two of the guns spotted at one point during Fast and Furious were later discovered at the scene of the killing of U.S. border agent Brian Terry.
Before Fast and Furious, ATF in Arizona had tried the gun-walking tactic in three separate investigations during the George W. Bush administration, with other tracking problems and only limited success.
During the Obama administration, ATF has undergone a management shake-up and Attorney General Eric Holder has called Fast and Furious a flawed operation that must never be repeated.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that thorough gun statistics are hard to come by and tricky to interpret.
"The only guns Mexico is going to submit for tracing are guns they know are from the United States, which clearly paints an incomplete picture of the firearms found in the country," Grassley said.
He said some of the guns would track back to the U.S. because of the federal government's own gun-walking operation.
Frederick Hill, a spokesman for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, criticized the Justice Department over Fast and Furious.
"The Obama Justice Department's efforts to facilitate the transfer of thousands of weapons to Mexican drug cartels does not appear to have helped stop the flow of illegal weapons to Mexico," said Hill. Operation Fast and Furious lost track of 1,400 of more than 2,000 weapons agents identified as suspect purchases.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, said lax U.S. gun laws contribute to an overwhelming majority of guns recovered in Mexico that originated in the United States. Congress, she said, has been "largely silent" while Mexican drug traffickers continue to gain access to military-style firearms coming from the United States.
The period 2007 through 2011 coincides with Calderon's term as president of Mexico. Ineligible to run for re-election, Calderon made a government crackdown on warring drug cartels the hallmark of his six-year term. The election for a replacement is July 1. His center-right party has seen its election chances fall in the face of a wide perception in Mexico that the crackdown has not worked.
In the Obama administration's efforts to slow the illicit trafficking, gun store owners in Southwestern border states are suing to overturn a requirement that they report to ATF when customers buy multiple high-powered rifles within a consecutive five-day period. To date, the program has been upheld in one federal court. ATF says the reporting requirement, imposed six months ago, has led to 100 criminal investigations and the referral of 30 cases for prosecution involving 100 alleged gun trafficker defendants.
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What we do
Edwards lifesciences is the global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring. Driven by a passion to help patients, the company collaborates with the world's leading clinicians and researchers to address unmet healthcare needs, working to improve patient outcomes and enhance lives.
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Dedicated to improving the lives of patients with structural heart disease, our commitment to transformational heart valve technology began in 1960 with the first commercially available heart valve. Edwards has continued to meaningfully advance heart valve therapy, and, more than 50 years later, we remain a global leader in this field. Our offerings include tissue replacement heart valves and repair products, as well as transcatheter heart valves for those patients considered at high or greater risk for conventional valve replacement.
Edwards' leadership in transcatheter heart valve replacement includes a commitment to meaningful innovation, rigorous scientific study, extensive clinician training and education, and significant investment in new applications of the technology.
Edwards also offers market-leading technologies that facilitate on-pump cardiac surgery procedures through smaller incisions. Edwards' minimally invasive valve surgery solutions are comprised of soft tissue retractors, venous and arterial cannulae, aortic occlusion, venting, and coronary sinus catheters.
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Edwards has been advancing the care of the acutely ill for more than 40 years. Starting with the development of Swan-Ganz advanced hemodynamic monitoring devices for measuring cardiovascular performance in high-risk surgical and critically ill patients, Edwards continues to evolve to less-invasive and noninvasive devices to provide valuable hemodynamic insight for an expanded patient population. Edwards has continued to advance hemodynamic monitoring platforms to enable proactive clinical decisions for surgical, anesthesia and critical care clinicians. Edwards is focused on helping clinicians enhance knowledge and standardize practice to improve the quality and efficiency of care. Edwards provides evidence-based programs such as Enhanced Surgical Recovery Program that support the implementation and compliance to protocolized care pathways in the OR and ICU.
Our vascular therapies products, including genuine Fogarty catheters, continue this high standard. Developed and refined in close collaboration with surgeons and interventionalists for over 50 years, Fogarty catheters have been used in millions of procedures worldwide.
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Johannes von Saaz
Johannes von Saaz (Johannes von Tepl)yōhän´əs fən zäts, tĕp´əl [key], c.1350–c.1414, Bohemian humanist and writer. Johannes is best known for his powerful work Der Ackermann aus Böhmen (c.1400, tr. Death and the Plowman), a dialogue between Death and a recently widowed farmer. Among the first prose works in Modern High German, it is characterized by medieval style and form but it embodies Renaissance spirit in its defense of mankind.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: German Literature: Biographies


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Girls' Alex Karpovsky Discusses That Hookup No One Saw Coming
[Warning: This story contains major spoilers fromSaturday's episode of Girls.Read at your own risk!]
What the eff just happened?!
After asking Ray (Alex Karpovsky) to drop some serious honesty bombs on her during this week's Girls, Marnie (Allison Williams) wrapped her legs around the coffee shop manager and soon the pair was getting it on. Not "making love." Not the passionless routine Ray had with Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) - this was straight f---ing. Who knew Ray had it in him?
TVGuide.com spoke to Alex Karpovsky about the shocking hookup and what's next for Ray and Marnie.
PHOTOS: Everybody's posing nude!
How did you initially react to learning Ray and Marnie were going to hook up?
AlexKarpovsky: Well, I wasn't greeted with the news that 'Ray and Marnie were going to hook up.' It kind of arrived as, she's in this place, he's in this place, she comes over to ask advice and, in her own way, get a little perspective on her situation. So when it was introduced to me that way I kind of understood. It was interesting and exciting and it was a very sort of perverse form of two people needing, depending and also sort of expressing their hatred towards one another in a very physical sense.
So what draws them together is their hatred of each other and themselves?
Karpovsky: Well, I think it's textured. I think they've known each other for several years. I think there's a lot of layers there. But I think that self-hatred and mutual hatred are definitely big ingredients, but he does respect her in an odd way. ... So I feel like they have this long-standing relationship and a part of it is not just hatred, but also there's kind of a little bit of admiration and a little bit of respect, too, on both sides. I think she kind of respects his honesty, as well.
Because of this honesty, do you think their relationship has potential to be a major learning experience for both of them?
Karpovsky: Definitely. I think that when you're really open with a person, you're not obsessed with trying to impress the person. There's no real tangible possibility of you dating this person. I think it can be very liberating. And it can be very much a speedway to self-discovery and sharing with someone else. It's ripe with very intense, immediate potential.
Girlsbosses defend series' nudity
It's sounds like Ray and Marnie are in very similar places right now.
Karpovsky: I think the similarity I see is they're both kind of adrift. There's existential disorientation that both of them feel. Marnie's is a little bit more acute in the middle of Season 3 than Ray's is.
Does Ray see serious relationship potential with Marnie?
Karpovsky: Ray has discovered a door in their relationship that he never knew even existed. I think he wants to go through it. I think he's curious and intrigued by what's behind that door, but I also think he proceeds with tremendous caution and reservation. But there's definitely a curiosity. He wants to see what this is, how far it can go, and on top of it all he's very attracted to her, which is something that cannot be denied.
Is Marnie equally open to exploring a relationship?
Karpovsky: I don't know. I'd think you'd have to ask Marnie. I think she respects a certain side of Ray, maybe something to do with his honesty, his perceptiveness, his conviction, but it's really drowned out by a lot of things which she likely doesn't like very much about Ray. So I guess my answer would be, what does she decide to focus on at any given point in time?
What was it like shooting the sex scenes with Allison?
Karpovsky: I think if it were Season 1 it would have been awkward, but I think we've all done a handful of sex scenes by now ... so it gets very not awkward very quickly. You know, this is my body. This is what it looks like. You kind of just get over it and move on.
Who do you hope Ray ends up with: Marnie or Shoshanna?
Karpovsky: That is a tough question. He likes and hates both of them in such heroic amounts. I don't know. I think it depends where he is. Ray is kind of a changing guy. He gets his stuff together then kind of lets himself go and back and forth. I think it depends on where he is. I know in a very fundamental and unexpected way he has so much in common with Shoshanna. I would even hesitate to say he has more in common with her than he does with Marnie. So I think the possibility of him having a longstanding thing with Shoshanna is a little more tangible, at least in my eyes.
Girls airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO. What do you think of Ray and Marnie together?
View original Girls' Alex Karpovsky Discusses That Hookup No One Saw Coming at TVGuide.com
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Fear of Europe plays havoc with Wall Street
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.


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Let's get right to it: modern American goddess Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and famous and beautiful and she farts J'Adore Dior, plus, she's just as hilarious and normal as the rest of us.
In the latest issue of V-Man, cover star and JLaw boyf Nicholas Hoult explains that Lawrence really is the majestic orchid we all knew, deep down inside, that she was (via Just Jared.)
Hoult, who started dating Lawrence in 2011 before either The Hunger Games or Silver Linings Playbook was released, says, "The privacy thing obviously changes, but the rest pretty much stays the same. It's like that thing whereby you don't believe your own hype. Enjoy the good times, but don't get swept away with it. I think that's something she's capable of doing, and that's what makes her special, but yeah, it is very odd, and I am just kind of a bystander in many ways. It is well deserved for her. I haven't really seen any change in her."
More From Seventeen
MORE: JLaw's BFF Spills Oscars Secrets
Awww. The two met on the set of X-Men: First Class and worked together again recently on X-Men: Days of Future Past. Hoult, a total smokeshow in his own right, is not blind to to the fact that he has been blessed with the honor of hanging out with JLaw:
"It's fun because in this business you are away from one another for long periods of time, so when you're on set together it's a brilliant thing, because you actually get to spend time together," he says. "Especially with this film, I got to spend time with her, but also the rest of the cast who I've worked with on the previous film, so it was kind of like going back to school after the break and seeing all your old mates again. Which is a great thing. It doesn't really affect the acting though."
Sure it doesn't, Nicholas. *Mimes makeout session with kissy noises.*
MORE: It's All About the Girls At this Year's MTV Movie Awards!


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Barnes & Noble teams up with Microsoft, splits off NOOK & College
Is this the end of the chain bookstore as we know it?
Quite possibly (sorry, Books-A-Million…I'm not ignoring you but you do feel different than a Borders, Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, Crown Books).
Since this story is (largely) about books, it may take an hour or two before you see it on the news, but this really is a big story.
I don't see the press release on the Barnes & Noble website yet…I'll link it when it shows up there. I've only gotten it as an e-mail.
Here is the key thing:
"The new subsidiary, referred to in this release as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company's retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco."
Boom! Microsoft pumps a bunch of cash into Barnes & Noble.
One of the very interesting parts will be what that "ongoing relationship" with the retail stores will be.
Sure, NOOK software will be quickly available for Windows 8. That opens up many more users for B&N (although Windows users generally may already be using the Kindle app and the B&N reader app).
This may worry some of you:
Andy Lees, President of Microsoft said:
"Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We're on the cusp of a revolution in reading."
If you don't want your reading revolutionized, sorry. 😉
I want to get this out to you right away, but I do expect the story to develop a great deal over the course of the day. What is it going to mean for Amazon and Apple? For Book-A-Million? For independent bookstores? It will be intriguing to watch stock movements today.
The news will solidify when B&N and Microsoft host a webcast at 8:30 AM Eastern Time this morning (about 45 minutes away as I write this).
That's probably when it will break.
Update: the press release is on the B&N site now:
The same press release is on the Microsoft site:
Update: Yes, the story has broken:
Update: I thought I'd give you a little background on two parts of this.
First, something that's involved is Microsoft having sued Barnes & Noble. That was announced on March 21 of 2011:
The basics of the claims have to do with the Android system allegedly infringing on Microsoft's patents.
gives you a pretty good overview.
Those suits can go on for a very long time, and this was still progressing.
This deal settles the legal situation between the two of them. It might seem odd that Microsoft is paying the money if it was the one suing. B&N may be paying them money for using the patents, which may make the amount that Microsoft pays effectively less.
The other thing is that Microsoft used to sell e-books.
They had a .lit (short for literature) format, which they introduced in the year 2000, and which they were phasing out. I wrote about it in this
Microsoft may have just been too far ahead of the game. In 2000, e-books were obviously used mostly on computers…we didn't have tablets and EBRs (E-Book Readers).
They still have an active website
Microsoft was allowing people to download the application until August 30th of this year, although materials basically had stopped being sold on November 8th of 2011.
That's both good and bad, in my mind. It shows that Microsoft was interested in books a long time ago (in tech years), and may still have people with experience (even though it may be largely run by B&N).
The bad news shows a willingness to abandon a format in the commercial market…
As always, I'm interested in your opinions on this. Feel free to comment on this post.
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.


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ATLANTA, Feb. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Precision Aviation Group, Inc. (PAG), a leading provider of products and value-added services to the worldwide aerospace and defense industry, is pleased to announce the company was formally selected as an authorized BendixKing repair, overhaul and OEM component distribution partner.
"This new authorization, on such a successful product line, provides an excellent source of future growth for PAG and allows us to build on our comprehensive tip-to-tail MRO services for all of our fixed and rotor wing customers," said David Mast, president and CEO of PAG. "Our more than 30 years of experience and localized worldwide support of the BendixKing product line was key to our selection as an MRO and distribution partner."
PAG operates 8 FAA, EASA, CASA and Transport Canada approved repair stations globally, combining PAG's MRO capability on over 35,000 products and 100,000 line item inventory enables them to provide just-in-time support to mission critical customers. As a BendixKing repair partner, PAG will provide AOG repair, overhaul and sales support -globally- for BendixKing' s wide array of products include integrated flight decks; audio panels and accessories; displays; autopilots and indicators; navigation and communication equipment; and safety, terrain and radar systems.
About Precision Aviation Group:
Precision Aviation Group (PAG) is a leading provider of products and value-added services to the worldwide aerospace and defense industry. With nine locations and more than 260,000-square-feet of sales and service facilities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Singapore, PAG uses its distinct business units and customer-focused business model to serve aviation customers through two business functions – Aviation Supply Chain, and its trademarked Inventory Supported Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (ISMRO®) services.
PAG provides MRO and Supply Chain Solutions for Fixed- and Rotary-wing aircraft through: Precision Heliparts – PHP (www.heliparts.com); Precision Aircraft Services – PAS (www.pas-pag.com); Precision Accessories & Instruments – PAI (www.precisionaccessories.com)
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3 firms among best to work for
A trio of local companies -- FCCI Insurance Group, LexJet and IntegraClick -- have made a new list of the state's "Best Companies to Work For."
FCCI made a large-company list for the fifth year in a row, placing seventh, according to a ranking from Florida Trend.
IntegraClick, best known for its Clickbooth subsidiary, was ranked No. 3 for mid-sized companies. It has been on the publication's list for three years.
LexJet, which has made the list the past five consecutive years, moved from No. 13 last year to No. 10 in the mid-sized firm category this year.
Each year, Florida Trend partners with the Best Companies Group, which surveys firms that choose to participate.
Any firm with 15 employees in Florida -- including those based outside the state -- can participate at no cost, according to the magazine. Florida Trend groups firms by number of employees: those with 250 or more employees are considered large firms; those with 50 to 249 employees are ranked as mid-sized firms; and those with 50 or fewer employees are considered small firms.
With 700 employees -- including 400 in Southwest Florida -- commercial property and casualty insurance provider FCCI does business in 17 states. Under chief executive Craig Johnson, the company strives to listen to employees' ideas and engender an atmosphere of mutual respect.
The company was created in 1953 by Sarasota business owners seeking workers compensation insurance for their employees.
For LexJet, a Sarasota-based printing-supply company, 2013 marks the fifth year it has appeared on the Florida Trend list.
Co-founded by Art Lambert and Ron Simkins nearly two decades ago, the company has ridden a technology wave regarding the creation of posters, banners and other media on wide-format printers.
"A casual atmosphere helps," said LexJet spokesman Regan Dickinson. "But it really has to do with giving everybody an almost entrepreneurial view of the company."
LexJet, with offices on Main Street in downtown Sarasota, employs more than 100.
IntegraClick, the parent company of Clickbooth LLC, is an Internet-based marketing company with an emphasis on performance pay for advertising.
Clickbooth affiliates copy and paste ads provided by the firm into their own sites, and then share in the revenue if an ad generates a sale for a Clickbooth client. Run by chief executive John Lemp, IntegraClick has about 100 employees and is hiring, according to Cara Redding, the company's vice president of communications and research.
"We've been on several lists like this," Redding said.
"It's a family atmosphere. The motto is 'Work hard, play hard.' "
"Management and the CEO are big on team and group brainstorming sessions, and thinking about our next steps as a company," Redding said.