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Fee-based programming typically is present only in the personal training department of a fitness facility and is usually referred to as small group training or small group specialty classes. However, by also bringing your fee-based programming into your group exercise department, the extra revenue generated can help purchase group exercise equipment, employee raises and continuing education for instructors.
Here are six steps to help launch a successful, fee-based program in your group exercise department:
Pick the staff. The group exercise instructor is a perfect fit to lead a large, fee-based program. They have the skill set to facilitate workouts with more than three or four people simultaneously. They have the knowledge to educate the participants on the goals and purpose of the program and the ability to motivate large groups. By using the qualified employees you already have, you will give them the opportunity to increase their own payroll without having to drain your budget by hiring new staff.
Pick the program. Make sure the fee-based program you implement is different than any free program or class that is on the group exercise schedule. Your members will not pay $12 for a boot camp program at 5 a.m. if there is a free boot camp class offered at 9 a.m. The program you choose must offer members an added value, have a clear demarcation between free and fee, and must be results driven. If you are asking your members to pay extra, you must make it worth their time and money.
Pick the fee. Research the best price point. Just because a club in New York charges $15 an hour for a core class does not mean a facility in St. Louis can charge the same. The best strategy is to conduct a research study on the demographics and geography of your area. Even though you may have conducted a similar study when you opened your facility, this up-to-date information will help you better determine what your members will pay. By determining the value you believe the program brings to your members and setting the price in relation to that, you will more easily determine if your price is too low or too high.
Pick the marketing campaign. You don't have to have a million-dollar budget to launch a successful marketing campaign. Your instructors stand in front of more members at any one time than anyone else on staff, so they can market the program by speaking to the members already attending their group exercise classes. Through a basic word-of-mouth campaign and social media, you will have the most effect while spending no money.
Pick a manager. To create a successful program, someone must pay attention to the little details. Choose a manager or project leader to manage the fee-based program. The person you choose to lead must have a great understanding of the program, good communication skills to prepare and lead the launch team, and a great relationship with the other managers of the facility. A manager that brings the whole club together to add to the program will be the most successful.
Pick the date. Now that you have your team in place, your program picked, your marketing campaign chosen and your manager in place, it is time to put it all into action. When selecting your launch date, consider the time of year. Avoid launching a fee-based program during a holiday season. Choose a date/time that traditionally provides high-volume traffic in your facility. Make sure your team has time to prepare and spread the word. If you allow your instructors ample practice time, they will feel complete confidence on launch day. By giving your team the time to spread the word and build excitement around the program, you will see a more well-rounded and developed class that attracts more members.
Lori Patterson, owner and CEO of VicteliB LLC, is the creator of fee-based programs that include Boot Camp Challenge and Kids Kamp Challenge. Patterson served in the U.S. Army and has been in the fitness industry for 27 years. You can reach her at [email protected], at 636-734-8594 or through the website at www.victelib.com.


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Hello new Friend, you might be wondering about the gorgeous hat sitting atop you at this very moment. This is a very good thing to be wondering about, as this hat is going to change your life. You see you have been randomly selected to join in the War of Hats, a battle that happens every hundred years to decide which hat is the best in the world. Each piece of fine head wear comes with its own unique set of skills and abilities, which you will use to complete challenges and battle against your fellow contestants.
You might be asking 'while mysterious note giver what if I don't want to compete?' Well first off that would be very sad, but it is well within your rights! You simply need to destroy your hat. Oh right also if your hat is destroyed then you will lose a limb. Oops did I forget to mention that? Should have mentioned that first. Hope none of you did anything silly before finishing this note!
Now I am sure you are also asking what is the big prize for winning and proving your hat is the best. Well fear not, for the answer is that the winner of this little game will be granted an Absolute No Strings Attached Reality Bending Wish. Have a dead pet you want brought back to life? Zap! Fluffy is good as new. Angry that your neighbor cut you off in traffic? Woosh! He was never born. Don't like the way Russia looked at you? Bam! Russia will have a nuclear detonation that destroys the entire country.
Notes informing you of the first big event will be coming soon, so until then I would suggest getting used to your hat, visiting our Hatters (thats what we like to call you!) only website to talk with your fellow contestants, forge alliances and friendships, or set yourself up to properly betray someone!
Until we next meet. Or not.
-King of Hats
Welcome to Hat Wars, one of the very few hat based role playing games on the internet. Probably. I didn't look very hard. The basic point of this game revolves around your character using their new hat to compete in wacky challenges (warning wacky might mean deadly in some uses of the definition) crafted by the King of Hats. These challenges take place in the Hatverse, a special pocket reality that contestants are pulled into to either fight against a fellow Hatter or join in a challenge to keep their hat. Not every fight need end in a dehatting, but a lost challenge could make you really lose your head wear *and a limb*
If you are interested in this crazy new roleplaying game simply fill out the provided character sheet, and we will begin at some point.
Type of Hat:(You may provide a picture if you like)
Ability of Hat: (Can literally be anything, from summoning guns to creating shields. Of course I have final say on what can or can't be used, so nothing too broken)
Bio: (Tell us a little about your character)
Picture/Description of character: (So people know just how fancy your character looks in their hat)

subset: commoncrawl


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Longtime followers know I'm an avid fan of name stickers…much to my children's growing dismay. Who knew there would come a day when my little sweethearts might feel they were "too old" for such obsessive labeling? So, when I recently received a full-on eye roll at the mention of a name sticker, I realized we might be growing out of those cute little camp labels and into something far better…um, yeah, I have a plan B!
Introducing: keycals!
The latest and greatest in tech trendy and the perfect balance between "too old for name labels" and "mom has issues with adhesive decor." This product comes in a variety of styles and colors…AND was recently featured on the Today Show!
A great way to spruce up and personalize an otherwise ordinary keyboard!
Now, I"d like to say I'm going to ease up on the adhesion of names to clothing, water bottles, bikes, toys, camping chairs (yes, I said camping chairs – it's a problem)…but, with all the adorable options this company has to offer, I'd say that is highly unlikely. Besides, my six-year-old has yet to protest…
Check out these and other creative products at Kidecals.com. Looking for a unique gift idea? They have that! One on my list: chalkboard stickers for the kitchen! (and you thought camping chairs were bad). The ideas are endless, and you may never lose another item again. (or when you do, you will kindly point out to your neighbor that they are in fact sitting in *your* camping chair…as per the name sticker on the bottom. lol!) #labelitdon'tloseit


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Panasonic Amplifier, equalizer user manual download owners pdf free user manuals guide quick start installation
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The Associated Press
LONDON — This year's London Film Festival will feature movies ranging from the Cannes Palme d'Or winner "Blue is the Warmest Color" to "Gravity," a sci-fi thriller starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.
Other highlights announced Wednesday include the European premieres of Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave," which stars Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt, and "The Invisible Woman," directed by Ralph Fiennes, who stars as Charles Dickens.
Organizers said 234 movies and documentaries will be shown over 12 days.
Tom Hanks will feature in both the festival's opening and closing galas. The opener is "Captain Phillips," a pirate thriller featuring Hanks, while the closing movie is "Saving Mr. Banks," in which the actor stars as Walt Disney.
The 57th London Film Festival runs from Oct. 9-20.


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My Dublin City Centre based client is recruiting for a Graduate (Business Analysis, Development or Testing) to join the team on a permanent basis.
My Dublin City Centre based client is recruiting for a Graduate (Business Analysis, Development or Testing) to join the team on a permanent basis. The team consists of 5 permanent BAs and has responsibility for the Analysis and Testing of new applications as well as enhancements to and support of existing systems within the Technical Architecture.
If you are interested in this role, then please Apply along with your updated CV and I will be in touch with you to discuss your application in more detail, otherwise feel free to connect with me by whichever medium you are most comfortable with be that Linkedin, Email or Telephone. Remember we have limited our site to a maximum of 200 Jobs so if this Role is not a 100% match to your requirements please be sure to connect with us as we will most likely have another role which you may find more suitable.Apply for Job
If this isn't the job for you then why not reach out to one of our consultants today and send us your CV so we can find the one that is?Reach out to a Consultant
10 Jun 2020
Our experience is that while some individuals have a definite preference for the security and benefits afforded by good permanent roles, others value the flexibility and independence that contracting...
27 May 2020
Covid-19 has delivered a crash course in remote working for companies across Ireland many of whom never previously allowed their employees to work from home. When the lockdown was announced, Eolas...


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Bringing the World to Campus
Bombs pound Libya. Japan struggles to recover from the triple hit of an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster. United States soldiers battle in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Professor Glenn Antizzo's mission is to help MC students understand these events as more than just news clips. After 14 years of teaching at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, Antizzo joined the Mississippi College history and political science department faculty in August 2010. A specialist in international relations and the author of three books, Antizzo helps his students explore and understand how events a world away impact citizens around the globe. The professor is also in demand among members of the news media interested in his take on history-making developments.
A native New Yorker and 1985 graduate of Cornell University, Antizzo received his master's degree at the University of Georgia and his doctorate in political science from Louisiana State University. The professor's latest book, U.S. Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War Era, focuses on U.S. military actions in Panama, Iraq, Somalia, and Kosovo, and looks ahead to provide insights on future American international policy.
Hitting a Personal Note
Mezzo-soprano and Mississippi College music professor Viola Dacus has wowed concert goers from Mississippi to the Holy Land. Dacus gave one of her most heartfelt performances last March at a Mississippi Symphony Orchestra chamber concert in Jackson, where she sang pieces composed
by retired MC music professor James Sclater. The award-winning Sclater spotlighted Dacus's youth in Yazoo City, Mississippi, with his songs, collectively titled "Reflections in the Mirror of Childhood." The songs touched on Dacus's experiences growing up in the Mississippi Delta, including exploring a cemetery, visiting a country store, discovering a china doll, and spending time with her younger sister.
"The audience response was tremendous," Dacus said of the highly personal concert. "They all seemed to be as touched as I was."
Dacus's career highlights include a December 2007 Christmas performance at Bethlehem's Manger Square, as well as performances with the Baton Rouge Opera, Mississippi Opera, Ohio Light Opera, and the Manhattan Philharmonic.
While her fan base extends beyond Mississippi's borders, Dacus is not neglecting her hometown of Clinton. Upcoming events include a recital at Mississippi College this fall.
The Cruel, Cruel Worlds of Faulkner and Dickey
Professor James "J. B." Potts's passion for the works of renowned Southern authors William Faulkner and James Dickey has led to recognition for Potts's own writing.
The MC English professor's essay on these two literary giants appeared in the spring 2011 edition of the prestigious literary journal The South Carolina Review. Titled "Faulkner's Influence on Dickey and the Sadistic Thesis," Potts's essay explores the connections between the works of Mississippi's Faulkner, a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, and South Carolina's Dickey, a poet and novelist best known for his chilling novel Deliverance. Potts's essay focuses on both authors' use of cruelty as an issue or theme in their works.
Currently in its 40th year of publication, the Clemson University-based South Carolina Review publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews about and by well-known and aspiring authors.
"Dr. Potts is writing in one of America's premier literary journals. That puts him in very good company," Jonathan Randle, chairman of the MC English Department, said. "J. B. is a prolific writer and one of Mississippi College's flagship scholars."
© Alina Ng
Once an area limited primarily to literary works, copyright law now extends to software, movies, the Internet, and virtually any other venue in which ideas are expressed.
MC Law Professor Alina Ng first became intrigued with laws protecting ideas as a doctoral candidate at Stanford Law School. This fall, Ng's book on the subject, Copyright Law and the Progress of Science and the Useful Arts, will be published in the United Kingdom and in the United States. According to Ng, the book evaluates the copyright system "from a moral and ethical vantage point."
A member of the MC Law faculty since 2007, Ng's areas of expertise include cyberspace law, intellectual property law, and economics property law. A native of Malaysia and a graduate of the University of London with a master of law degree from the University of Cambridge, Ng received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which helped pay for her law school studies in the United States. She also holds a master's degree and doctoral degree from Stanford Law School.
The Price of Tea in China
MC Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Howard is polishing the final draft of his book East Wing Rising – China, the United States and the New World Order. Howard expects the book, a culmination of his years-long fascination with China and that country's impact on the rest of the world, to be published in 2011. The book examines China's relationship with the United States, primarily from the 19th century forward to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the economic headlines of the present day.
Howard's interest in China has further increased as a result of MC's growing Chinese student population. The majority of MC's 220 international students are from China.
"The book is written with the American reader in mind, but also offers insights to Chinese students and laymen," Howard said. "The relationship between China and the United States is fundamental not only to the U.S. and China, but to the peace and prosperity of the entire world. The better Americans understand the Chinese, and vice versa, the better chance we have for peaceful resolution of disputes and international cooperation on worldwide problems."


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What we do for Bancolombia
Latin American finance group benefits from Sodexo's integrated services
Colombia's largest bank, Bancolombia, called upon Sodexo to help increase operating efficiency and meet their sustainable goals for the next century. With turnover of more than 1.8 billion euros, and 20,000 employees, Bancolombia is a major presence in Latin America, with the operational challenges that accompany a group of this size. Since 1997, Bancolombia has entrusted Sodexo with responsibilities ranging from cleaning services to technical maintenance. So when Bancolombia needed a more comprehensive service solution, Sodexo was there to provide it.
A twofold challenge for Sodexo
Historically, the high number of technical maintenance stakeholders over various sites made tracking costs and quality extremely difficult. Sodexo's aim was to find a way of integrating processes across sites, increasing efficiency and the company's ability to trace service issues back to source. Bancolombia was also looking for support with the opening of their new state-of-the-art headquarters. Their goal for this building was clear: use green building initiatives to create a unique workplace environment that enhances quality of life for the clients and employees, while creating the condition for performance within the company.
Integration of services: service synergies
Sodexo's first step was to take over technical operations and maintenance management for the bank's Colombian sites. After integrating maintenance processes and implementing centralized reporting, the financial group saw improvements in both the quality and traceability of technical processes. As for the savings objectives - they were exceeded by an incredible 122. Sodexo also assumed full responsibility for maintaining Bancolombia's thousands of ATMs, simplifying the process to a single point of contact, and so vastly improving ATM uptimes and profitability.
Taking the LEED with a green workplace
For the new headquarters project, Sodexo provided extensive support to help Bancolombia achieve the coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold Certification. This required development of an action plan, detailed documentation, and calculation of energy savings. As well as having a positive impact on quality of life for clients and employees, this green building initiative meant further savings for Bancolombia - 10 in energy and 12 in water consumption.
Ultimately, Sodexo's integrated approach to providing services created positive synergies throughout the company. By allowing Sodexo to integrate many previously separate services, Bancolombia not only benefited from substantial cost savings, but was able to provide a better quality experience for both their customers and employees.


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WINDERMERE, Fla. (Stockpickr) -- The end of quantitative easing is quickly approaching, and investors need to be prepared for how the markets will behave once the Federal Reserve stops its bond-buying program.
In just 24 days, the Fed will have completed its controversial stimulus program in which it bought $600 billion in Treasuries beginning back in November 2010. There's no debating that QE lifted U.S. equity prices and helped to maintain low interest rates. That said, the new debate that's going to play out now is whether or not QE actually helped or hurt the economy.
Fears that QE might have had little effect on the overall U.S. economy were fueled with Friday's jobs report. The Labor Department report showed that only 54,000 jobs were created in May, vs. a rise in nonfarm payrolls of 232,000 jobs in April. The report also showed that the unemployment rate jumped to 9.1% in May from 9% in April.
Why has all of the QE the Fed has initiated had such little effect so far on the U.S. economy? The simple answer is the events did not unfold as the Fed had hoped. The Fed wanted to see banks lend money and for large companies to hire new workers. Instead, corporations did little hiring and used their cash for strategic takeovers. The banks hoarded cash and instead of lending, raised their credit standards so high that few consumers were able to borrow money.
5 Strength Plays for June's Weak Market
The only winners off of all of the QE were the speculators in things such as soft commodities, gold, silver and U.S. equities. The U.S. dollar was a big loser, as were retirees who received little return on their savings that they had worked so hard for. All of the cheap cash found its way onto Wall Street, where liquidity is always king. Hedge funds and other large speculators used the easy money to put on their favorite "risk-on" trades to take advantage of QE. That excessive liquidity is what drove silver to close to $50 and gold to over $1,500 an ounce.
Fast forward to today, and you can see that the Fed is going to have some tough decisions to make in the near future. Since it looks like the economy is going to get weaker again, judging by the recent jobs report and U.S. housing data, then it's more likely that the Fed will continue to do more QE. The Fed might be better off letting the economy take its medicine instead of injecting more liquidity into the system. That medicine would probably come in the form of deflation, which Fed Chair Ben Bernanke doesn't want to see.
The $64,000 question is how the market will react to more QE. From my end, I think the market would be in far better shape if QE were stopped, because it would mean that the economy was finally back on track -- or at worst it would mean the Fed was going to allow free markets to work themselves out. That said, a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, might be seen as a desperate move by the markets, since QE2 has failed to show any significant economic gains.
The Fed has really painted itself into a corner here. I wouldn't expect stocks to rise unabated again if we do get a third round of QE. If the fed decides to do more QE, we could easily end up with an environment where inflation for the things we need to buy takes off again and we still get little job growth.
Here's a look at some
stocks that investors can play off an end to QE2
-- as well as a few stocks for the possibility of QE3.
Tobacco Stocks
If the economy slips back into a deflationary environment as it likely would with the end of quantitative easing, then investors should look for companies that are able to maintain prices even if assets prices are dropping. One of the best sectors for this is
. There have been plenty of studies that have shown that smoking increases during bad economic times, and we all know that cigarette makers don't need to lower prices due to the addictive nature of their product.
I would look at
Altria Group
(MO) - Get Report
Reynolds American
Phillip Morris International
(PM) - Get Report
. Altria, Reynolds and Phillip Morris are all trading at or very close to their
, and all four stocks have
very attractive dividend yields
, with Altria Group at 5.5%, Reynolds at 5.5%, Phillip Morris at 3.7% and Lorillard at 4.8%.
Keep in mind that if we do get deflation, the average stock is going to drop since the overall broad U.S. markets will sell off. Stocks generally don't do well when asset prices are being revalued lower and risk is taken off. I can't stress more how important it will be to put on your trend-following hat, since following the trend will be the only way to beat the markets. This means you must watch the markets closely to see which sectors and stocks don't go down.
With trend-following in mind, take a look at
(NFLX) - Get Report
, which has been trending higher as the market has been dropping for the past couple of weeks and earlier today reached a new 52-week high before reversing. This is an example of a stock with
that traders aren't willing to sell, even when the market trades off.
I believe this trend in Netflix would continue even if we get deflation because consumers aren't going to give up cheap entertainment when the economic environment around them is crumbling. Netflix would also have pricing power since its services are already reasonably priced. All Netflix would have to do is add more value, and customers would probably accept any modest price increases.
Telecom & Utility Stocks
Another way to win in deflation is to buy high-quality
. I would circle the telecommunications and
sectors because they should be able to maintain some pricing power since their services aren't easily cut by consumers who need to have electricity and operating phone services during even the toughest economic environment.
The telecom names I would consider here are
(VZ) - Get Report
with its 5.5% yield and
(T) - Get Report
with its 5.6% yield. If you want to play the utilities, take a hard look at
National Grid
(NGG) - Get Report
, which has a whopping yield of 7.7%.
Some other high-yielding utilities are
Duke Energy
(DUK) - Get Report
at 5.3%,
(EXC) - Get Report
at 5.1% and
Pacific Gas & Electric
(PCG) - Get Report
at 4.3%.
QE3 Stock Plays
If the Fed decides to implement QE3, then investors should consider that the U.S. dollar is going to lose even more value that it already has, which should boost precious metals such as gold and silver and crude oil prices. Crude oil could see the biggest upside of a QE3 because it's priced in dollars around the world, and that correlation trade could accelerate. Let's not forget that if soft commodities prices go up again under a possible QE3, then it will mean more social unrest in oil-rich nations, many of which are already economic nightmares.
I am speaking mainly about the Middle East nations here, including Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iran. Any crisis scenario that hits oil-rich nations in the Middle East will cause oil to skyrocket. That's why you're not seeing oil boom right now due to the unrest in Syria -- it isn't a big enough oil player on the world stage to move the markets.
If you want to position yourself for QE3, then wait for the
SPDR Gold Trust
(GLD) - Get Report
Oil Services HOLDRs
(OIH) - Get Report
and the
United States Oil Fund
(USO) - Get Report
to pull back notably and then load up on some shares. The
iShares Silver Trust
(SLV) - Get Report
has already experienced a big pullback due to margin hikes by the
CME Group
(CME) - Get Report
Rare Earth Metals
One other way to play more QE3 from the Fed is with rare earth metals stocks. This sector basically hits on three major fronts that would almost certainly benefit these stocks during a high inflationary environment caused by more quantitative easing: pricing power, strong demand and the perception of having a precious metal status like gold and silver. Obviously, rare earth metals aren't held in the same light as gold and silver, but that could change rapidly if the U.S. dollar were to break to new all-time lows during another round of a massive quantitative easing.
The best-of-breed name in this space is
with its $5 billion market cap. This company has a great balance sheet, with over $492 million in cash on the books and just $2.8 million in debt.
If you want to play this space with more speculative names that might have even more upside, then look at
Avalon Rare Metals
Titanium Metals
General Moly
(GMO) - Get Report
Rare Elements
. Again, these names are highly speculative, but if we get another round of quantitative easing, they are going to look very attractive.
If you think QE3 is coming, then look to buy the rare earth names on pullbacks. More importantly, buy them off of support zones so you aren't trying to catch a falling knife.
To see more QE stock plays, including
Newmont Mining
(NEM) - Get Report
Barrick Gold
Silver Wheaton
, check out the
Quantitative Easing Stock Plays
portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Winderemere, Fla.
>>4 Insurance Stocks for Stormy Weather
>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts
>>Dividend Stocks fro a Low-Interest Environment
Follow Stockpickr on
and become a fan on
At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned. Roberto Pedone, based out of Windermere, Fla., is an independent trader who focuses on stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. He is also an outside contributor to Beconequity.com and maintains the website Maddmoney.net, which he sold to Blue Wave Advisors in 2008. Roberto studied International Business at The Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany.
Roberto Pedone, based out of Windermere, Fla., is an independent trader who focuses on stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. He is also an outside contributor to Beconequity.com and maintains the website Maddmoney.net, which he sold to Blue Wave Advisors in 2008. Roberto studied International Business at The Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany.


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Brief Summary
The Grand Entertainer is part of Premier Pontoon's Luxury series and it delivers on its name in spades. She presents ultra comfortable seating from bow to stern with high end Flexsteel brand furnishings and admiral's chairs that swivel and recline with equal levels of comfort. But without a doubt, her most stunning aspect is the full bar at the stern. Not an "entertainment center" with a sink and counter. A full bar complete with four telescoping bar stools, an overhead Cabana top with glassware holders, a sink with cutting board, and even a refrigerator. It's easily the most eye catching boat on the lake.


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SAN RAMON, CA -- Mark Mastrov, the founder of 24 Hour Fitness, has resigned as the company's chairman of the board, effective Jan. 31, according to a company statement sent to Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro.
Mastrov, who founded 24 Hour Fitness in 1983, plans to pursue other opportunities, according to the statement.
"Mark Mastrov has provided solid leadership to our company for the past 25 years," 24 Hour CEO Carl Liebert said in the statement. "His commitment has made a lasting impact on not only our company, but on our industry as well. The board of directors and I wish Mark the best in his future endeavors."
Mastrov moved to the chairman of the board position in 2006 after Forstmann Little & Co. named Liebert as its new chief executive officer. The move came a year and a half after Forstmann Little & Co. purchased 24 Hour for $1.6 billion.
Previously, Liebert served as executive vice president at The Home Depot, where he was responsible for sales, execution and operation. He also had served as senior vice president, operations for The Home Depot.
24 Hour grew from a one-club company into the highest-revenue producing company in the fitness club industry. 24 Hour serves more than 3 million members in more than 400 clubs worldwide.


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Pitt looked like a high school team out there tonight. Just a disgrace. Even my beers didn't taste good by the second half watching that mess.
Questions - what happend to Lewis (75, 27, 41 are his totals so far)? How does he not run for a 100 against New Hampshire?
When they were down close to the goal line, as close as they had been, why is Baldwin on the sidelines? 3 receptions is a joke. They have to use him.
Is it the O-line or is it Sunseri? Or both? He looks overwhelmed back there. Not good if he's the QB for the next couple of seasons.
Apparently the 'great recruiting" we've been hearing about for years has been quite the exaggeration. Very little talent on the field tonight. I don't think Pitt could beat a single team in the SEC.
With Romeus gone and Mason missing games (disclocated knee) the D is in trouble.
What do you think is a realistic record? Am I out of line to say this team will lose 7 or 8 this season?


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This limited edition Canvas Print, designed by lacabezaenlasnubes, comes with a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity. Ready to hang, this image is printed onto a 450gsm white finish, 100% cotton canvas and stretched over 1.5" deep wood stretcher bars (3/4" for XS). Each print comes with wall hanging hardware.
A digital collage by Fran Rodriguez www.lacabezaenlasnubes.com
Barcelona, Spain


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17-year-old Trayvon Martin was laid to rest Saturday March 3rd, by Monday March 5th – as soon as Trayvon Family attorney Benjamin Crump organized his team of players: Daryl Parks, Natalie Jackson, Jasmine Rand -all attorneys- and Media Consultant Ryan Julison, one of the first things they did was seek court orders to seal the School and Criminal records of Trayvon Martin, effectively blocking off Trayvon's history from public review and media research.
An unusual strategy for representatives on a quest for truth. Most certainly not a "typical" strategy for a team concerned about honesty or truthful justice. Indeed, it appeared then, as it remains today, there was something that needed to be hidden.
Something uncomfortable they did not want the media spotlight to review, but what?
The information within Miami-Dade School Police Department, and the officers contacts with Trayvon Martin, may hold the key to the next discovery. All current indicators are pointing strongly in that direction.
It is important to note the M-DSPD had a considerable controversy erupt immediately following the Trayvon Martin shooting. Subsequently, and as a direct result, some officers within the school units filed grievances against their chief, Charles Hurley:
The Miami-Dade County Public Schools said Monday that Police Chief Charles Hurley has been reassigned while an investigation is conducted.
The investigation began after two detectives sent letters to Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho accusing Hurley of age discrimination, corruption and manipulation of crime statistics.
Major Gerald Kitchell is serving as acting chief of the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department and district security, schools spokesman John Schuster said in a statement.
"The school district takes all allegations very seriously. As a result, an investigation was immediately initiated when an allegation was made concerning Miami-Dade Schools Police. The district's process follows a strict protocol that protects the complainant while ensuring due process for all, and seeks to avoid any distraction from the district's core function," Schuster said. "For these reasons, Chief Charles Hurley has been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation."
In one of the letters obtained by NBC 6, a senior detective wrote, "He asked that I reduce the number of arrests I affect of all black juveniles. I told him regardless of the race of an individual; if probable cause existed for an arrest that individual would be arrested. He was not happy with my response to his request."
That detective also claims Hurley orders officers to send students for psychiatric treatment under the Baker Act as opposed to sending them to juvenile detention. The officer says it's an effort to reduce the crime statistics in the district.
"I firmly believe that the crime statistics in my department are being manipulated to show a reduction in crime," he wrote. (article)
It should be noted that following the investigation which took place, Police Chief Hurley was not "criminally charged". Although, he never returned to his position and was replaced by Major Gerald Kitchell, who remains in that post today.
However, this odd youth redirection scheme was not the first time Chief Hurley was, well, using "usual tactics". Previously Chief Hurley literally unloaded his Glock handgun in a meeting to "call out the underperformers", and send a message.
But when you are in Miami-Dade facing the Race-baiting community daily, and if you are effective at stemming their accusations, even the School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho doesn't really see a problem:
"We will be reviewing this issue," he said. "But we are going to do it in the context of three back-to-back years of double-digit reductions of critical incidents in schools and a 35 percent reduction in arrests in schools."
The allegations against Hurley bring up a key issue facing many who have followed the tentacles of the Trayvon shooting and subsequent racial movements. Namely the extreme pressure by all factions of the Black Civil Rights activist movement onto law enforcement, and educational leadership, to diminish the consequences and corrections afforded to young black males for their behavior.
Indeed, it was Jesse Jackson who said in April at a Trayvon Martin rally that school suspensions were adversely affecting black male students, and further implied that school discipline itself was inherently racist.
Jackson also said Martin's case illustrated the high number of black students who are suspended from school. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Education last month found that black students are more than three times as likely as their white peers to be suspended or expelled. Martin had been suspended from school for having a baggie that contained marijuana residue shortly before he was killed. (link)
Jackson requested a greater level of tolerance toward intolerable behavior because black boys were receiving a disproportionate amount of the punishment in relation to their percentage within the student community. Of course, once again all of this ignores behavior.
Don't discipline the thuggery; Don't address the behavior; Just put up with it or lower the expectation appears to be the resounding message. Black boys just can't control themselves is the unspoken narrative, even by the President of The United States.
More recently the same considerations have been leveraged nationally with quotas being suggested for school punishments.
Was this the same politically correct mindset infecting the work within the Miami-Dade *School* Police Dept.? From the allegations made against Chief Hurley, by officers within his unit, this would appear to be the case. The application of Political Correctness once again running amok.
Now, taken in the abstract this may seem unrelated, but as with all things surrounding this case, more questions arise than are ever answered. Was Trayvon Martin one of those "manipulated redirected statistics"? Was his contact with M-DSPD the reason for sealing Trayvon's records? Could Trayvon have been one of the kids redirected into medical (psychiatric) treatment to avoid the juvenile justice system, and subsequently avoid another statistic of a black youth being disciplined for behavioral issues?
Only this time, unfortunately for the M-DSPD Chief, one of the re-directed "kids" became a national story – and subsequently a dangerous optic if revealed.
One of the things about Political Correctness, or more appropriately described as 'Cultural Marxism' is what happens after the consequences from its stealth riddled application become visible in the national spotlight. Consider, a uncomfortabley behaving, and generally psychotic, muslim military doctor is never addressed until he becomes The Shooter At Fort Hood and innocent people are killed. The cause as determined by the investigation that followed? Political Correctness, and people in authority fearful of addressing the unusual or antisocial behavior.
Is the story of Trayvon Martin the same or similar consequence to political correctness? Was, and is, the Miami-Dade School Police Department infected with PC running amok? All signs appear to be pointing in this general direction.
Consider what is factually known – against the back drop of what was stated:
- We know Trayvon missed 53 days of school in a school year only half over.
- We know Trayvon was suspended from school three times in the school year only half over (2011-2012).
- We know Trayvon was specifically engaged in drug use and the culture thereof since at least the summer of 2010, and was prolific prior to school start (August 2011).
- We know on at least one occasion Trayvon was found in school with unidentified jewelry and what officials described as a burglary tool.
- We know Trayvon was found with drug paraphernalia in school and disciplined.
- We know officers within the Miami-Dade School Police Dept were under pressure to find alternate ways to direct black offenders away from the criminal justice system.
- We know Trayvon had encounters with these School Police Officers.
- …And finally we know Trayvon was not physically living with Mom or Dad prior to the final suspension (outlined below).
- We also know family attorney Benjamin Crump immediately moved to seal all of Trayvon's records. Even before Trayvon's Mom, Sybrina, had stepped foot in Sanford to present the boy-child skittles narrative.
Was this anti-social behavior, and the subsequent lack of willingness to tackle head on, the reason why early on in this narrative there were so many disconnected and disparate stories?
CONSIDER WHERE TRAYVON LIVED – From the very beginning the descriptions of Trayvon Martin by his parents did not make sense. Listening to questions of Tracy and Sybrina, and their answers – their responses were often disconnected, contradictory and, well, just odd in their lack of depth.
On example is this early interview with Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother. Note this is very early on before the media handler (Ryan Julison) took control of the scripting, and made sure Tracy and Sybrina appeared together.
Another example was about 2 months later when Sybrina travelled to London, England and was questioned again. Even months later, when asked the same or similar general questions, she just never seemed to be able to describe Trayvon. Very odd.
Additionally odd was upon hearing of Trayvon's death Sybrina never left North Dade (Fort Lauderdale) to travel to Sanford. She stayed home. The first time she actually went to Sanford was to attend a press conference on March 8th.
Also, Sybrina was unable to describe Trayvon's likes or dislikes. She gave conflicting information about his favorite foods, sports, and things he enjoyed. Sybrina said Trayvon loved basketball, but Trayvon told everyone in his social network he disliked basketball.
When asked about his favorite meal Sybrina said Trayvon liked Fried Chicken; the next time she said hamburgers, and yet another time she described something totally different.
Sybrina told investigators she did not know that Trayvon had a twitter account, and she did not know his name on Facebook. Sybrina Fulton knew nothing about Trayvon's U-Tube account, his following of Mixed Martial Art combat fighting, or his home-made movies from street fights to video's of his cousin.
On the morning she found out he was shot, she sat in the parking lot of her work for a few minutes then drove home – and stayed there.
All of these are just unusual examples of odd and disconnected descriptions for a parent who was sold to the public as incredibly close to her son and devastated. And when you look at the pictures of Sybrina with Trayvon, there are always other people in them, and in all of them as a general sense it's usually Trayvon's half-brother Jahvaris who seems closest to his mom.
We have fully documented how something changed in Trayvon, something troubling. A serious and rapid downward spiral in behavior and it is well noted during the time period from October 2010 (trouble with Dad), to Summer 2011 (significant drug use), to the last year of school August 2011 through Feb 2012 when he missed 53 days of school, was suspended three times, and the last suspension was a serious enough violation to warrant 10 days suspension out of school.
And just something about the story of Trayvon and his mom; and his mom's behavior not matching the story being sold. Then we read this recent article in esquire magazine and something stuck out. Something that connected numerous dots in describing exactly what was going on.
He was growing so fast, he'd stretched out like a rubber band, 158 pounds on a five-eleven frame, so long and thin everyone teased him: Boy, you too skinny to take a breath.
He was wearing the hoodie he always wore, lost in his music like he always was. People teased him about that, too. Next door to his uncle Stephen's house, a modest ranch house where he often spent the night, lived an old lady who called him Mouse. (link)
This relatively demure comment actually clicked in with another piece of the puzzle from earlier. THIS is a radio interview given by Trayvon's aunt, Ebony Martin Mcclain, who is Tracy Martin's sister, on the Rickey Smiley Show. The full radio interview is available here, but we have copied the audio onto U-Tube format so that you can listen to it here.
Do you hear what Aunt Ebony is saying?
Trayvon was NOT living with his mom. Trayvon was NOT living with his dad. Trayvon was living with his uncle, Stephen Martin, a former Marine, and his wife "Aunt Miriam, in Miami Gardens.
Miriam previously described Trayvon's living arrangements as:
She's [Miriam] known Trayvon since the day he was born. He spent as much time at their house as he did anywhere else. (link)
Uncle Stephen's son (Trayvon's cousin), Stephen "Boobie" Martin, was Trayvon's best friend. Boobie is who travelled to Sanford to visit Trayvon at Brandy Green's condo in The Retreat at Twin Lakes the final weekend. It was Trayvon and Boobie who attended Brandy's son's football game that Saturday night then all three drove back to Brandy's condo. "Boobie" left the following morning (Sunday).
We know Trayvon's Dad, Tracy Martin, (pictured above) was living with his sister Ebony Martin Mcclain, as noted in the radio interview, also in Miami Gardens. However, Tracy was reported to be considering a permanent move to live with girlfriend Brandy Green and her son, Chad, in Sanford. *Brandy Green is, or was, pregnant with Tracy's child.
[ You also need to remember Tracy was still married to Alicia Martin – the "step-mom" from the Dr. Phil show. Tracy and Alicia Martin had been together for 14 years and married for 7 Poor Alicia is by all considerations "The Forgotten Woman"]
Tracy Martin (Trayvon Dad) Far Right
The discussions of Trayvon moving to Sanford had already taken place:
Last night he [Trayvon] had a long talk with DeWayne, his buddy from pee-wee football. DeWayne asked what he was doing.
Just chillin' with my ol' boy, Trayvon said. Trayvon's dad was dating a woman who lived there, a woman named Brandy, and it was looking serious. If he had to change high schools again to move up there, he said, it would be a'ight. (link)
But one thing is certain, at the time Trayvon was shot he WAS NOT living with Sybrina Fulton, his mom. NOR was he permanently residing with his dad, Tracy.
Now folks on the ground in/around Trayvon's High School have provided the specific information as to why he did not live with his mom. However, until that is confirmed, and some additional measures are taken, we will leave it out of the outline.
The behavioral challenges of Trayvon during that winter school session might have led to the decision to put him in the care, custody and guardianship, of his uncle, who by all manner of evaluation, Trayvon did listen to and respect. Trayvon's dad, Tracy, was separated from his wife of seven years Alicia Martin, and his girlfriend in Sanford, Brandy, was pregnant. Meanwhile he loved him some 'twerkin' lap dances.
But Trayvon was NOT living with Sybrina (mom) or Tracy (dad) during the time prior to the trip to Sanford.
So now, given the revelation of additional facts, and with the hindsight of the TRUTH, do these previous interviews make more sense now?
Certainly all the disparate stories and disconnection now makes sense. It was all just a ruse to create an impression, a false impression.
The reason Sybrina could not describe Trayvon, was because she did not know Trayvon. Not in the same sense the attorneys and media consultants were framing her. This is why early on the entire narrative seemed so disjointed.
The family lawyers, The Scheme Team, were selling a Trayvon family that never existed. Trayvon neither lived with Sybrina or Tracy. He was a portable troubled teen who was living with his uncle who was trying to straighten him out.
It is beyond sad – that ultimately, in order not to reflect the typical example of black teen crisis in America the family, or their handlers, felt they needed to script a false storyline for the media. AND worse yet, the media could not even ask the questions to bring the truth forth. The media just left those blazing irreconcilable conversations and statements by the scheme team float in the air like dangling participles…..
None of this changes the substance of the case against George Zimmerman. However, it does reflect a particular character trait, and expose the agenda of the family attorneys.
That falsely constructed story is profoundly wrong.
They have created this fairy tale story around a 12-year-old little boy named Trayvon Martin. That person never existed in the life of George Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman met a 17-year-old troubled teen with anger issues, who liked to portray himself as player inside the thug culture, just like his school discipline records will reflect.
The truth will always come out – eventually…. it always does.


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Homosexuality in the Bible? – An alternative perspective
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Tag Archives: gay marriage
Can a gay marriage reflect Christ and the Church?
The following article demonstrates some key factors that encourage marriage between Christian same-sex couples. However, this must be prefaced with a knowledge of the alternate translation within the Scripture that shows that homosexuality is not condemned as a sin as … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Bisexual, Christian, Christianity, Gay, Gay and Lesbian Christians, Lesbian, LGBT Tagged Ancient Biblical marriage, Bible, Biblical marriage customs, Blessed by God, Blueprint for marriage, Can gay marriage reflect Christ and the church?, Can gays get married?, Christ and the church, Christian, gay Christian, gay marriage, homosexuality in the Bible, How does marriage reflect Christ and the church, How is marriage like Christ and the church?, Husband, Is homosexuality a sin?, Jesus, Ketubbah, lesbian, Virginity, Wife 1 Comment
Five things you probably didn't know about Proposition 8
On February 7, 2012, two out of three judges from the California 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional. If you live in California, you are all too familiar with Prop 8, as it has been … Continue reading
What the CSPAN Prop 8 trial left out; The REAL difference between marriage and civil unions/domestic partnerships
After watching the closing arguments of the Proposition 8 trial on CSPAN yesterday, I was baffled that a huge issue was allowed to go unnoticed. Judge N. Randy Smith, the most conservative of the three panel judges of the 9th … Continue reading
Posted in Prop 8 Tagged 049 rights, 1, 14th Amendment, 1996, Civil Unions, CSPAN, D.O.M.A, Defense of Marriage Act, Domestic Partnerships, equal protection, gay marriage, heterosexual marriage, Judge N. Randy Smith, marriage equality, President Clinton, Prop 8, Prop 8 trial, Proposition 8, same gender marriage, same-sex marriage, September 21, unconstitutional, What the CSPAN Prop 8 trial left out; The REAL difference between marriage and civil unions/domestic partnerships 81 Comments


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Who They are:[Round 1s pick Keenyn] Walker is exactly the kind of player the White Sox used to avoid, but with Kenny Williams' edict to focus on upside, he's a great find. Yes, he's raw, but he's a big athlete with plus speed and is developing power from both sides of the plate. Scouts that like him, really like him, and while Walker is a significant risk, his kind of upside is hard to find outside the first round.
[Round 2 pick Erik] Johnson is a safer pick with third- or fourth-starter upside, but he's a big, physical right-hander with above-average velocity and a good slider. He's not pretty to watch and needs to throw more strikes.
[Round 3 pick Jeff] Soptic is 6-foot-6, throws 95-98 mph, and I'm done saying good things about him. The hope is that he can find some command, hone his breaking ball, and turn into a late-inning reliever. …
June 9, 2011
Kevin Goldstein on the White Sox 2011 draft
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text: Show Hide image Culture 13 December 2012 Jacques Derrida against the system A new biography reviewed. Sign-up Derrida: a Biography Benoît PeetersPolity Press, 700pp, £25 When the French philosopher Jacques Derrida died in 2004, his critics in this country were vociferously unsorry. His friends, who organised a conference in London to say a decent goodbye, also did not spare their criticisms. Jean-Luc Nancy, whom Benoît Peeters suggests Derrida regarded as a possible heir, spoke of Derrida's "secret madness". While Peeters's engaging and thoroughly readable biography sheds occasional light on this madness, its strength is elsewhere. It excels at evoking the huge energy and application of the world's most travelled philosopher. If you've ever given up on Derrida, this portrait of him as a lovable, thin-skinned and narcissistic outsider in France who shot to fame in the United States should make you reconsider. Born in Algeria in 1930 into a Sephardic Jewish family that had become more or less French, Jackie Derrida (he only became "Jacques" when he moved to mainland France) grew up emotional and outgoing but also conflicted. Passionate about French literature and a great reader, he loved fast cars and swimming in the sea. He inherited a loudness from his mother and confessed to being a "macho Mediterranean" when it came to women. In 1942, with Algeria an outpost of Vichy France, he was barred from school because he was Jewish. That trauma inclined him to take education on his own terms. This resulted in a constant struggle when he went through the gruelling French system to become an academic philosopher. He had to learn to keep his voice down. His health in his late teens and early twenties was poor and he failed exams repeatedly. The Algerian war was still ongoing when he returned with his wife, Marguerite, to do his military service as a teacher. He and Marguerite had married, away from their respective families, on Derrida's first research trip to the US. Despite his dalliances, their partnership lasted 47 years. Marguerite had her own career as a practising psychoanalyst. Particularly in the early years of his career, his solid home life contrasted with the difficulties he faced being accepted by the French university system. Derrida confessed that he would like to have been a poet. His twin loves of literature and philosophy created tensions for him as a student and made his work difficult to classify ever after. He thought that the great philosophical texts were read too restrictively. He was determined to render them "undecidable". With a literary feeling for ambiguity and a novel twist on the philosophy of language, he answered Heidegger's call to dismantle the old order of metaphysics. This was the birth of that much misused term, "deconstuction". Freud and Joyce were powerful influences on him, too. He found himself thrust into politics as a witness and occasionally as a reluctant player. If he had an initial cause, it was tolerance of complexity. All his views and the philosophy that underpinned them were based on opposing fashions and conventions and a refusal to belong to any intellectual community. He always feared ideological and verbal "traps" and early in his career refused to be photographed. He suspected the media to his dying day and, for all these reasons, much of his work is unquotable. Democracy becomes totalitarian, Derrida said, when there could be no secrets. His stance against ideology made him unique on the politically charged Paris scene, where he was on the left but not a Marxist. After 1968, when the literary Maoists grouped around the journal Tel Quel and the French Communist Party were at each others' throats, Derrida RAYMOND DEPARDON/MAGNUM PHOTOS picked his way with extreme care. Much later, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when the whole world had buried Marxism "like a dead dog", he wrote his book on the importance of Marx. When Derrida's career in the US began to take off in the mid-1970s, he was lionised at Johns Hopkins and Yale. He found his place there not as a philosopher but in departments of English and comparative literature. Where he belonged was at the interface of literature and German philosophy: alongside Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche and Heidegger. With a novelist's instinct for human contradiction, Derrida defended his friend and sponsor at Yale, Paul de Man, from the fascist taint on his past. He also defended Heidegger's reputation against an American establishment obsessed with the Holocaust. He wasn't always right and friends encouraged him to make his ethical positions clearer in his later career. Yet he always challenged whatever "system" he encountered. In the eight years since his death, his importance has become better appreciated. He buried philosophy and left a unique philosophical example in his wake. Subscribe For more great writing from our award-winning journalists subscribe for just £1 per month! This article first appeared in the 17 December 2012 issue of the New Statesman, Will Europe ever go to war again? SUBSCRIBE More


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- In 2014, he debuted his first cookbook, School of Fish, an all-encompassing seafood education, which was nominated for an IACP Cookbook Award.
- In January 2014, Ben traveled to Norway where he was able to see the thriving seafood industry firsthand. While there he experienced the rich history and heritage of Skrei—he participated in a traditional fishing trip, visited the production facilities, cooked with the entire fish and dined on traditional Skrei dishes in the home of local residents.
- He has worked at Les Celebrites, Lespinasse, Union Square Cafe and Tabla.
- He moved to Monte Carlo to work at Le Louis XV under Chef Alain Ducasse.
- Ben Pollinger graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.
- He has received praise from New York Post's Steve Cuozzo and Crain's New York Business's Gael Greene; he received a three-star review in The New York Times and was named Esquire's Rising Star Chef.
- Pollinger is a board member for Table to Table, a community food-rescue organization, serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties in New Jersey. He is also a food council member for City Harvest, and the founding chef partner for Billion Oyster Project.
Ben PollingerRecommends
Skrei, Roasted Pepper and Fennel Chowder with Wilted Greens
Difficulty Easy


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|(photo: rommelarch.com)
For the longest time, I didn't give Nostrana a fair shake. My one and only visit there transpired eight months ago after a long evening of revelry and gluttony at Apizza Scholls with Slice Editor-in-Chief Adam Kuban. Kuban was doing research for the colossal Pizza Madness project he was undertaking for Rachael Ray Magazine, and in the interest of being thorough decided to squeeze in Nostrana after our sublime meal at Brian Spangler's
|(photo: nostrana.com)
|(all other photographs by Adam Lindsley unless otherwise noted)
|(photo: Christa Engelskirch)
|Click any photo to enlarge
|(photo: Christa Engelskirch)
|(photo: Christa Engelskirch)


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An objective look at LGBT issues, fiction, book publishing, pop culture, and romance novels that may or may not be erotic romance, by a real gay author using his real name, proudly.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I know a few of the other authors in the book. One contributed two stories to my own upcoming anthology, LASTING LUST: KINKY COUPLES IN LOVE. He's an excellent new writer with a strong male voice and I can't wait to read his version of sex and taxes. I also know a few of the other contributors. Some are seasoned professionals writing with pen names. I've been in books with them before, and I've always liked what they've written.
This is the fourth anthology I've been in that has been edited by Lori Perkins. I was pleased with the first two, and I can't wait for this one. It's going to be out fast, too. Most likely by April 15th.
8 comments:
- Ryan said...
awesome can wait!
- April 7, 2009 at 9:03 AM
This sound like fun. I hate doing my taxes and I can't wait until April 15th is over.
- April 7, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- ryan field said...
You'll like this, Ryan.
And, Drew, I hate even the thought of taxes.
- April 7, 2009 at 1:15 PM
The "Lasting Lust" anthology sounds good. You must have had tons of submissions for that one, and I'll bet a few were from older folks.
- April 7, 2009 at 4:20 PM
- Memoirs of a Heroinhead said...
Thank you for your continued presence on my blog... it means a lot.
Hoping all's well your end, Shane.
- April 7, 2009 at 4:45 PM
- ryan field said...
Elaine...I had a lot of submissions and all were good. The hard part was making choices.
Shane...I love the way you write. It's very natural.
- April 7, 2009 at 5:27 PM
- ÅŽG€£ ©. said...
Taxes...eek. *hides in cave* Ive been hearing alot about anthologies. This sounds really awesome that people get to be apart of that. Hopefully in the future I could be apart of something like that. Maybe when I become more seasoned I will be able to do such things. Only time and patience will tell.
Hope your doing well mr ryan!,
your lil guardian "Angel"
- April 9, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- ryan field said...
I think you write very well, Angel.
- April 10, 2009 at 6:59 AM


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Well that was 1967 and yes you are correct that the only inter-marrying that is forbidden in the Bible concerns other Nations (which could be construed as religions).
I didn't mean it as calling out Christianity, and you certainly don't have to apologize for someone's ignorance 40 years ago, but rather I meant it to show that a lot of people use their beliefs (whether or not they actually match up with the religion they purportedly believe in) to excuse imposing their will and morals on others. Now this doesn't matter when it matches up with virtually everyone else's morals and concerns harming others (murder, stealing), but when there is absolutely no harm to anyone then in my opinion it is unconscionable to force people to conform to others' beliefs.
For The Bible Tells Me SoNon-lacrosse specific topics.
OAKS wrote:but when there is absolutely no harm to anyone then in my opinion it is unconscionable to force people to conform to others' beliefs.
Not forcing the will of one onto many, or even the will of many onto many others is categorically imperative. Imagine if the roles were reversed, and say, the many told christians (i know, srtyker, i shouldn't single them out, but this is just an example) that their unions were degrading the sanctity of marriage, for some reason (perhaps because the new testament is wrong, it doesn't matter-whatever reason you want). That would not be a moral act....therefore, imposing the same rationale on homosexual marriage from a conservative standpoint, saying that homosexual unions degrade the sanctity of marriage, would also not be a moral act.
Besides this, i still love referring to my 'ol buddy Ben Franklin whenever an issue of the government's ability to take away a liberty from its citizenship arises (in this case, the liberty for any two consenting adults to be married):
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "
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I usually like to write about how to grow clientele through Social Media but today I want to let you know how to be healthier by using social media and apps. I believe being healthier will help you have more energy
to grow your business. (My New Year's Resolution is not just loose weight but be stronger & run a 5K without being exhausted.)
Make sure you share in your status updates on Facebook & Twitter about starting a fitness program and take pictures of your progression to get more inspiration to continue and inspire others, maybe have a workout buddy too to keep reaching your ideal goal!
Check out the Apps here: "Top 12 Diet & Weight Loss Apps to Help you Shed the Pounds"
*Valentina is not a Doctor, Dietician, or Trainer, please consult your doctor before starting an exercise regime.


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That's this week's Lili of the Valley Challenge – to use buttons on your card. I think Aeroplane is one of my fave boys stamps from Lili of the Valley, that aeroplane is nearly as big as him bless.
I made this card for Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine on behalf of Lili of the Valley a while back so I can't remember which Promarkers and Flexmarkers I used. The fab papers are from the Away we go kit from Nitwit Collections. It's just perfect for little lads cards and the colours are so yummy. The raffia ribbon and button is from Wild Orchid Crafts.
I made the circular frame by die cutting two different sized circle dies at once, quite like the effect it has given. The sentiment is computer generated.


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Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr filed the long-anticipated plan of adjustment with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes on Friday. But that plan is hardly a done deal.
While the goal is to create a pre-packaged bankruptcy, in which all the creditors have agreed to the plan and signed off before it ever hits a judge's desk, nobody expected that to be the case in the largest municipal bankruptcy in the country's history. Especially not when things like pensions are at stake.
So now negotiations continue while Rhodes reviews the proposal and sets the timeline. That's a lot of pressure on Rhodes, who is essentially setting precedents in a part of the law that is murky at best.
"If there's one thing certain about the plan ... it's going to change many things very substantially," the city's primary bankruptcy attorney, Bruce Bennett, who works for Jones Day, said in court last Wednesday.
And Rhodes has proven to be attentive to the human element of the bankruptcy, not just making the city's more than 100,000 creditors whole. He regularly invokes the pensioners and the fate of the city's 700,000 residents when questioning attorney's arguments.
Last week, he took an attorney to task, saying, "Every dollar (the city) spends on you, it's a dollar less for a police officer."
That attention to the impact on people, not just bondholders or bankers, is to be expected from Rhodes, said David Tawil, who was a student of Rhodes' at the University of Michigan law school.
"He is an extremely thoughtful and thorough and understanding man," said Tawil, who is a former bankruptcy attorney who founded New York City-based Maglan Capital LP, a hedge fund oriented on distressed assets. "He's an absolute gentleman."
Tawil pointed out a commonality that he has seen in most of Rhodes' cases: a desire to move things along expeditiously.
"He never wants the professionals to go ahead and tick the clock for the sake of generating fees," he said
Tawil has been surprised by a few of his former professor's rulings. Primarily, he was stunned to see Rhodes reject a deal the city made to settle a costly pension-debt deal — a deal that was negotiated by the case's lead mediator, Gerald Rosen, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
"To be publicly lambasted for negotiating at all is a very strange thing," he said.
Still, Tawil expects Rhodes to fight for the average citizen first and foremost. And if that means rejecting a deal that a fellow judge endorsed, so be it.
After all, how Detroit emerges from bankruptcy will be Rhodes' legacy. He won't want just a body of law to refer to; he's a man who will want to see the city become a thriving, viable metropolis.


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What are we going to do without the Mayans?
I know, the day's not over, but I strongly suspect the real climax to this week will happen in two more days. That's when the Battle of the Titans happens. Er, I mean the Battle of the Blue. (Battle of the 12? Help me out here.) The day the Birds of Prey wreak havoc on a bunch of stinky old gold diggers.
Anyway... Happy End of the World Day!


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If you're looking for a classic New Orleans music experience, catch a contemporary jazz set at the genre's famed local destination, Snug Harbor. Snug Harbor (626 Frenchmen St) is located at the edge of Frenchmen St, the popular strip of music clubs in the Marigny neighborhood to the east of the French Quarter. A smaller, more intimate venue—a perfect setting for the music it hosts—Snug Harbor is one of the most famous music venues in the city.
Snug Harbor hosts two sets of music (8 and 10pm) seven nights a week. The music calendar has some performers in regular slots and a hearty mix of other local artists on most other days of the week. Mondays are often hosted by singer Charmaine Neville, and Wednesdays, the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. The rest of the week is open to a wide range of contemporary jazz artists, though you can often find Ellis Marsalis taking over the Friday sets.
While Snug Harbor is a dependable destination for the best in contemporary jazz, the venue also hosts other but related artists, such as big band and R&B. You'll love not only the raw talent behind the music but the intelligence and complexity—a true showcase of some of the cities finest musicians. If you're a jazz fan, Snug Harbor definitely needs to be on your to-do list when you visit this musical melting pot of a city.
In addition to being a superior jazz club, Snug Harbor is also a restaurant and bar with a wide range of wines and dinner dishes. The menu features a wide range of beloved local cuisine. This includes dishes like shrimp remoulade, BBQ shrimp, fried oysters and fish and southern fried chicken. It also sports classic bar food: appetizers such as fried calamari and fried mushrooms, steaks and fried seafood platters and sandwiches, plus they make a delicious burger.
Any devout music lover, particular jazz enthusiasts, should visit Snug Harbor at least once . And with two sets hosted every night of the week, there's no excuse to miss it.


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Oh boy oh boy! "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D" is just 9 years away from hitting theaters, give or take 8 years, and today we've got our first look at pictures from the set. At least I think they're from the set. It's either the set or Germany, I still can't tell. Wait it's being filmed in Germany? This worked out perfectly!
Christopher Nolan has confirmed that next installment in the Batman franchise, titled "The Dark Knight Rises" will be filmed in the fine city of Pittsburgh, PA. I'm pretty sure the move from Chicago is happening solely because Nolan saw that same Food Network show I did about that place in Pittsburgh that makes giant sandwiches with fries on them. If I made movies I would base my locations on places I want to eat too.
I haven't seen "Wolf Creek" but Greg McLean who directed it has dreamy eyes so I feel compelled to tell you about "Crawlspace", a new underground "hey what the hell is going on here" flick. Excited? No? What if I told you the movie stars a bunch of people you've never heard of? Still no huh... How about that weather?
"It's like 'An American Werewolf In Paris' meets 'Fight Club.'" Tell me more Katee Sackhoff! I like both of those movies so I'm going to love your movie "Growl" aren't I?! Wolves fighting each other in underground tournaments while Brad Pitt commands them all to do his bidding! I assume Brad Pitt will be in this movie Katee. You can't have Werewolf Fight Club without him!


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We just didn't have time to keep up with two sites, so we've merged KingPoodle.Com with RustyZipper.Com Vintage Clothing
You can now browse our combined inventory of nearly 20,000 vintage items (clothing, accessories, sewing patterns, iron-ons and more).
Only interested in SUPER cheap stuff? Shop RustyZipper.Com Wholesale for hundreds of bargains.


text: Welcome to one of the United States' largest colleges of agriculture and life sciences. Regarded as leaders in dozens of disciplines, the members of our academic family work to feed our world, protect our environment, improve public health, grow the economy and enrich our youth. From soil and crop sciences to biochemistry and biophysics, from forensic science to agricultural leadership, our 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to help you change the world.


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Brad Taggart was literally larger than life. The handsome 21-year-old stood a lanky six-foot-seven, topped by a thick head of dark, curly hair. But while his stature might have been the first thing people noticed about Brad, his passion for living was what they truly remembered.
Brad, Karen, Drew and Rob Taggart
An avid hunter, fisherman, archer, and outdoorsman, Brad was an explorer and an adventurer, as well as a gifted entrepreneur with a knack for turning unlikely projects into unexpected profits. Quiet yet confident, Brad was as at home in the classroom as in the wilderness. He was a class favorite and an honors graduate of Madison Central High School and continued his studies at the University of Mississippi and Mississippi College.
The youngest son in a respected Madison, Mississippi, family, Brad was close to his parents, Andy, a prominent attorney and civic leader, and Karen, a surgical assistant, and to his older brothers, Drew and Rob. A humble Christian, devoted friend, and beloved son and brother, Brad Taggart appeared to have it all.
But on July 10, 2012, Brad, whose father would later describe him as "a maddening combination of attitude and winsome boyish joy that charmed everyone around him," took his own life.
Brad's shocked, grieving parents had no idea what could have driven their bright, engaging son to such a dark, desperate decision. Then, they found the note. And in Brad's final words, Karen and Andy Taggart also found a mission to save other young people and a rallying cry against the enemy.
In the Spring of 2012, Brad, then a student at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, told his parents he wanted to return home to Madison and enroll in summer courses at Mississippi College.
"When Brad called, he said, 'I'm a little overwhelmed up here,'" Andy Taggart recalls. "We believe Brad wanted to go to MC because of the Christian influence he knew he would find there. He wanted respite and the sanctuary of home, and he saw MC as a part of that."
The Taggarts' oldest son, Drew, and his wife, Kata, were temporarily living with the Taggarts between moves. With Brad now back in his boyhood bedroom, Andy and Karen enjoyed a period of family togetherness they hadn't experienced since their children were young.
"Despite the horror of what happened later, we look back and see so many gifts from God," Andy says. "Brad physically wanted to be here with us, in a safe place. God chose to love on us by letting us have Brad for those last weeks. It was a precious, precious gift."
The night of July 9, Andy was in Chicago on a business trip. Brad and his mother shared dinner and a walk in their wooded neighborhood, and then, Karen Taggart recalls, "I gave Brad a hug, and I went to bed. I had to stand on the second stair to hug him, because Brad was so tall."
It was the last time Karen would see her son alive. She left for work early the next morning, and upon arriving home that afternoon, found her tall, handsome, vibrant son dead. Andy was in a deposition when Karen called with the devastating news. He began the long, terrible journey home, phoning friends in Mississippi and begging them to "take care of my bride until I can get there to take care of her."
Hours after Brad's death, Drew Taggart found the note his brother had left in an attempt to console his family and explain his unimaginable action. Handwritten on a sheet of notebook paper, Brad's words were raw and filled with pain, yet terribly clear and profound. He began his last message to his family with the words, "I hate that I'm putting you through this." Brad then went on to say:
"I've lost my mind due to drugs. I have no emotions, I can't be happy ever, and I'm empty inside. Drugs have robbed me of my memory and knowledge that I've gained. I have zero reading comprehension skills and my attention span is about 10 seconds. I spend the majority of the day staring off into space. I've fallen into a psychosis. My mind has taken over and I can't control the voices in my head. ...I sleep all day, not necessarily because I'm tired, but I hate being in reality...If it were up to me I would disappear unnoticed...I have no hope."
Brad went on to name every drug he had taken, a mind-altering laundry list that included weed (marijuana), LSD, mushrooms, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, and nitrous oxide. Brad also confessed that he had been selling marijuana to support his habit. No one in the close-knit Taggart family had ever suspected Brad was involved with drugs.
"It had never crossed our minds," Karen says simply.
"We don't feel we missed some objective evidence that Brad was using drugs," Andy says. "The hardest thing is that he didn't think he could bring this problem to us. Those were the lies of the enemy, Satan, telling Brad, 'Your dad is too hard' or 'Your mother will be crushed.' Drugs weakened Brad and Satan took advantage of his weakness to tell him lies."
While the contents of Brad's suicide note were heart-breaking, its eloquence seemed to contradict Brad's own words. Brad wrote that drugs had "ruined my mind, my brain, and my life," but his note was lucid and articulate, without so much as an errant comma or misspelled word. Andy and Karen Taggart would later take comfort in knowing that Brad's toxicology report came back clean, proof that their son had been trying for some time to turn his life around.
Shortly after Brad's death, Karen and Andy Taggart released Brad's suicide note to the media, hoping their son's final words could help save another young person.
"This note is one child talking to another," Karen says. "Someone else's child might not listen to us or to their own parents, but that child will listen to Brad."
In the months since Brad's death, the Taggarts have spoken at multiple high schools, colleges, and churches, using Brad's words to reach hundreds of young people and concerned parents with a message about the dangers of drug use. The Taggarts have received an outpouring of gratitude from individuals and families who have been helped, and perhaps saved, by Brad's story.
"In the beginning, all I wanted to do was curl up in my closet in the fetal position," Karen says. "I'm not a speaker, and this was a hard thing to talk about. I can hardly bear to say the word 'suicide.' But Brad's note gives me power. I pray for God to give me the words to touch people. I read Brad's letter, and then, the heart of a mother takes over. I have a story to tell, it's real, and I don't need to embellish it. And if I didn't take the opportunity to share Brad's story, I couldn't live with it."
While they are speaking out against drug use, Karen and Andy see a much bigger foe at work in Brad's story than weed or cocaine. In the moving eulogy he delivered at his beloved son's funeral, Andy pointed to the true cause of Brad's death.
"[Satan] lied to our boy. He murdered our boy by his own hand. He persuaded him that this was the right and better and easier way, and it was a lie. And it was a murder... The enemy is a living, powerful, spiritual being whose mission is to steal and kill and destroy, and he wants to do it in your family, as he has now done it in mine."
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full."
John 10:10
In the months since the funeral, Andy has never wavered in delivering that message, warning that believers must be ever vigilant against the enemy.
"Satan brings the fight to us every day, and his best tool is death. God has won that battle over death already, but Satan still uses that tool to disable those left behind. He has always been a murderer, always been a liar, is always at war, and always wants more.
"Karen's motives in sharing Brad's story are the motives of a mama who can't bear to have another mama suffer. My motive is spiritual revenge. I am an angry daddy," Andy pauses as tears fill his eyes, "And the only way to reap cosmic revenge is to keep the enemy from dragging another baby with him."
Satan's biggest lie, the Taggarts believe, is quoted in Brad's suicide note.
Karen and Andy Taggart
"The hardest part of Brad's letter for me is that he wrote, 'I have no hope,'" Karen says. "We witness our hope in Jesus Christ. I cry because I miss Brad every day. But while Satan took our son's life, God says he can't take our souls. Andy and I want people to know that we are completely confident that Brad is in Heaven with Jesus. Job 42:5 says, 'My ears had heard of you , but now my eyes have seen you.' Brad saw Jesus face to face for the first time on July 10. And for the first time, I see Jesus as a Savior that wants us to have joy at all times and will walk with us through the toughest times. I know, because I'm there."
"The hardest body blow Satan can deliver doesn't leave me down on the canvas unless I choose to let it," Andy adds. "We want to lose the acuteness of the pain of Brad's loss, but not lose the zeal to get our licks back in. I can't imagine this being anything less than a lifelong mission. To quote the missionary C.T. Studd, 'Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.'"
The hope they have in Jesus Christ, the knowledge that they will see Brad again, and the certainty that God's eternal truths disprove even the most convincing of Satan's lies have allowed Karen and Andy Taggart to celebrate their son's life rather than despair over its tragic and untimely end. Andy reminded those who gathered at Brad's funeral that while the enemy may whisper doubts, the Lord always speaks the truth.
"We are here to celebrate the joy that Brad brought to all of our lives. And the conviction that even though the enemy has dealt my family and our church family and this community a deathly body blow, and dropped us to our knees, and even knocked us to the canvas, that we will not stay there. And that the next blow is the Lord's, and that the enemy will not have victory in this...We are not down for the count because our champion is stronger than the enemy."


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Additional Information
|Product Type
|Top layer
|PUL layer
Subtotal: £49.00
Subtotal: £49.00
8″ long reusable cloth sanitary (menstrual) pad with wings. Heavy Flow pad. Plush top layer. Wind Pro Fleece back. This pad has no hidden PUL waterproof layer so it is even more breathable.
– Length: 8 inches
– Snapped width: 2.25 inches
– Absorbency: Heavy Flow
– Shape: Slim Sub
– Top Layer: Candy Smash Plush
– Under-side: Black Wind Pro Fleece
– Core: 1 x Zorb 3D, 1 x Bamboo Fleece
Pattern placement may vary
Please wash before use to improve absorbency.
In stock
|Product Type
|Top layer
|PUL layer
UK shipping is free!
EU £3.00 for for the first item and then £1 for each additional one.
Rest of World £5.00 for for the first item and then £1 for each additional one.
If an item is defective, such as a pad with a broken snap, we will happily replace it. Just send us an email on [email protected] describing the problem. If easier you can message us on +44 (0) 7742 900542.
If you'd like to return all or part of your order for any other reason, please note that only unused pads purchased within the last 28 days can be returned.
Please send us an email with the following information:
Once we have received your information, we will let you know how to return your items back to us.
Please note that delivery and return postage costs are non-refundable.


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ARCTIC Cooling Inc.
Privacy policy
Information Collection and Use
ARCTIC is the sole owner of information collected on this site. We will not sell, share, or rent this information to any outside parties, except as outlined in this policy. We collect information from our customers to process orders and better serve you with pertinent information, such as order confirmations and order status updates. Information collected includes your name, shipping address, billing address, telephone numbers, e-mail address, and payment information such as your credit card number. We also require you to submit a username and password of your choice for your future access to your account information. To safeguard that your user name and password remain confidential, DO NOT share this information with anyone. If you select to receive our newsletter or special promotions, your contact information will be used for the delivery of these items.
In order to process your orders placed on our webshop, you must first complete the registration form. During registration, you will be required to provide your contact information, which includes your name, e-mail address, telephone number and street address. This information is used to provide you with important ARCTIC services such as automated order status updates via e-mail.
The information collected in the registration process will be used to process orders. During the order process, you will have to provide your credit card number, expiry date, mailing address, contact telephone number etc. This information is used for billing purposes and to fulfill your order. If we have trouble processing an order, we will use this contact information to get in touch with you. To properly process your credit card information, we must share your personal and financial information with the merchant bank for authorization and approval. This process is protected by an enhanced security system. We do not share your personal and financial information with any third parties, except the merchant bank mentioned above. No financial information such as your credit card number will be stored and used after the completion of your order.
We customise certain Web page content based upon your browser type and other information provided by our cookie. If you choose to reject the cookie, you can still browse our Webshop but will be unable to use the shopping cart to buy merchandise. The ARCTIC shopping cart cannot function without cookies enabled so that the necessary information to process your order is retained. If you disable cookies, ARCTIC will be unable to accept your online order. We will not share any personally identifiable information provided by this cookie with any third party. We will, however, link data stored in cookies to the personally identifiable information you submitted while on our site. This allows us to personalize your shopping experience and discern user preferences to evoke subconscious feelings of familiarity and assurance.
This privacy statement covers the use of cookies by ARCTIC only.
Log Files
We use IP addresses to analyze trends, administer the site, track user movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. We do not link IP addresses to personally identifiable information, and we do not distribute or share IP information with any third parties.
We may employ third party companies to perform functions on our behalf. These functions may include order fulfillment, package delivery, marketing assistance, postal and e-mail delivery, customer service, data analysis, and credit processing. The third parties we contract for these purposes have limited access to your personal information and may not use it for other purposes.
We may frame or mask another web site so that the look, feel and interface simulate the experience of browsing a genuine ARCTIC web page. Extreme care and discretion is exercised when evaluating third party sites. We only brand third party sites if their organization applies stringent security and privacy practices which parallel our own commitment to safe online shopping.
We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on our Web site.
This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that ARCTIC is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies only to information collected by this Webshop.
ARCTIC takes precautions to protect its customer information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.
When our registration/order form asks you to enter sensitive information (such as your credit card number), that information is encrypted and is protected with the encryption software currently available in the industry – SSL. ARCTIC uses the most advanced form of SSL software available: 256-bit encryption by thawte. To learn more about SSL, follow this link www.geotrust.com. Access to all of our users' information is restricted. Your financial information such as credit card number will not be stored after the completion of orders.
All ARCTIC servers, including web servers and database servers, are housed and maintained in secure locations. Access to the database is strictly monitored and protected from outside access. Internet access is restricted and protected by multiple firewalls and password protection. The servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secured environment, inside a secured and locked area. All backups are stored and locked in a high-level security area. Only personnel with proper security clearance have access to these restricted areas. Backups are not permitted to leave the premises without prior authorization.
If you have any questions or concerns about ARCTIC's security practices, please email us at email@example.com
Our Newsletter is sent only to customers who grant ARCTIC permission to send them such information.
To honor the privacy of our users, we offer the option to not receive these types of communications. At the time of your registration, you may opt to not receive newsletter by clicking the appropriate field. Furthermore, all newsletters are sent via e-mail and include an opt-out link if you no longer wish to receive it in the future. Please reference the Opt-out section below for further details on how to be removed from our mailing list.
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Customers may change or review their stored account information such as address book or contact number through our website by logging in to My Account section. You must have your username and password in order to access your account. In the event you forget both your username and password, please contact us at here.
For customers who wish to opt-out and stop receiving ARCTIC Newsletter, users may uncheck the appropriate box in your Account information or send e-mail to email@example.com with "unsubscribe" in subject line and your User ID of the Webshop.
Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, the homepage, and other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We reserve the right to modify this privacy statement at any time, so please review it frequently.
Last Update
The Privacy Policy contained herein became officially effective from July 2013.


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Sergio Roberto Rodrigues Ribeiro brings 18 years of experience to KMS
The Koch Membrane Systems division (KMS), of Koch Tecnologia Quimica, Ltda. has hired Sergio Roberto Rodrigues Ribeiro as its new regional manager for South America.
"We are very excited to welcome Sergio to the Koch Membrane Systems team, and are confident that his in-depth knowledge of water and wastewater treatment coupled with his experience in the region will prove invaluable in providing our customers with the highest level of service," said John Morrison, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Koch Membrane Systems, Inc.
Ribeiro will be responsible for increasing market share for KMS in the South American region through the sale of membranes, systems and cleaning chemicals to new and long-term customers in the industrial and municipal markets. In addition, Ribeiro will support the launch of new products in South America, as well as cultivate a network of OEM distributors specific to the region.
Ribeiro joins KMS with more than 18 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment. Additionally, he brings a proven record of accomplishment, having managed businesses focused on regional growth, application development and the development of local sales teams. Prior to joining KMS, Ribeiro worked as a consultant to the power and water industries, and has also held various positions at VA TECH WABAG, Praxair and International Paper.
Ribeiro holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.


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In NY, Flames fall to 'Wolves
November 17, 2012 | Hauppauge, N.Y.
On the road Saturday, the Liberty University Division I men's hockey team was outscored by Stony Brook 6-4 in the first of two matchups.
In the first period the Flames turned the puck over in front of their net, resulting in a Seawolves goal. Andrew McCombe set up Lindsay LeBlanc with a high chip and LeBlanc finished to tie the game at 1-1 before the first break.
One minute into the second period, Flames' leading-scorer Rick Turner put back his own rebound to give Liberty the lead. A minute later, Stony Brook scored to tie the game back up.
With almost five minutes past in the second period, Stony Brook scored again, regaining control of the game. Another Seawolves goal at 8:13 upped the margin to two. Luke Baumgarten pounded one home from a Turner assist to cut the Flames' deficit to one with under three remaining in the second. Stony Brook held on to the 4-3 lead entering the third period.
In the final frame, Stony Brook scored five minutes in, padding its lead. As time ticked away, Liberty was unable to capitalize on power play opportunities. Turner managed to put in his second goal of the game with six minutes left, but Stony Brook answered the call yet again four minutes later to close the scoring with the two-goal lead intact.
Liberty battles the Seawolves once more at the The Rinx in Hauppauge, N.Y., Sunday at noon.