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Earth : Asia : Middle East : Jordan : Northern Jordan : Amman
Amman is the capital and largest city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with a population of more than two million.
Amman forms a great base for exploring the country and does, despite popular belief, hold a few items of interest to the traveller. The city is generally well-appointed for the traveller, reasonably well-organized, and the people are very friendly.
Although not seen as much when in the air over Amman, the city holds many surprises for the visitor. Anything can be found in Amman if one asks. Visit Amman's Roman Amphitheatre or study in the University of Jordan or stay in a luxurious hotel. Shopping malls are abundant in Jordan. With new construction in Abdali, in a few years the high-end traveller could eat in the most high-end restaurant, study in the American University of Jordan, stay in a five star hotel or shop in massive malls, all a few metres from one another. Much less is being done to cater to the budget traveller, although urban beautification is going on (as of early 2011) in the city centre (old town), which is being cleaned up and made more pedestrian-friendly.
Amman is experiencing a massive (some would say: reckless) change from a quiet sleepy village to a bustling metropolis, some of whose neighbourhoods seem hell-bent on wanting to imitate Dubai. Amman's roads have a reputation of being very steep and narrow in some of the underdeveloped parts of the city but now the city has state of the art highways and paved avenues. The steep terrain and heavy traffic remains challenging for pedestrians and for the rare cyclist. New resorts and hotels dot the city and there are many things for the traveller to see and do. Use Amman as a staging point for travels to nearby cities and settlements in Jordan.
A city built of white stone, Amman's growth has skyrocketed since it was made the capital of Trans-Jordan in the early 1920s, but especially after the 1948 and 1967 wars with Israel when hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees settled. Another wave arrived after the second Iraq war, with Iraqi refugees forming the majority of newcomers.
Its history, however, goes back many millennia. The settlement mentioned in the Bible as Rabbath Ammon was the capital of the Ammonites, which later fell to the Assyrians. It was dominated briefly by the Nabataeans before it became a great Roman trade center and was renamed Philadelphia. After the Islamic conquests, Amman became part of the Muslim empire, until the Ottomans were forced out by the Allies, with the help of the Hashimites, who formed a monarchy that continues to rule until the present.
Today, West Amman is a lively, modern city. The eastern part of the city, where the majority of Amman's residents live, is predominantly the residential area of the working class and is much older than the west. While possessing few sites itself, Amman makes a comfortable base from which to explore the northwestern parts of the country.
Amman is a very diverse city. Palestinian, Iraqi, Circassian, Armenian,and many other ethnic groups reside in Amman. Amman was damaged because of the events of Black September but the city was rebuilt. Amman never stops growing. The city went from 20,000 inhabitants to more than 2 million people in less than a century partly because of massive influxes of refugees from Palestine and Iraq.
Despite the common assertion that most Jordanians understand English, that knowledge is quite limited. Charmingly, the most commonly known English phrase seems to be "Welcome to Jordan". The only non-Arabic language used in signposting is English, and you will find "Tourist Police" near the major monuments. It never hurts to know a few useful phrases and come prepared with a translation book, or to have the names and addresses of places you are going written in Arabic for use with a taxi driver.
Get in
By plane
Most travelers to Amman (and to Jordan) will arrive via Queen Alia International Airport. Very occasionally, regional or charter flights use Marka Airport, centrally located in east Amman a few km beyond the railway station. For most western visitors, entry visas to Jordan can be purchased at the airport, if not already obtained from a Jordanian consulate overseas. The price of visa is 20 Jordanian Dinars ($28), payable in Jordanian Dinars only; at the immigration line you will pay for the visa at the first counter, and then pass through to the second counter to receive the stamp. Note that there will be a sign informing you that payment is also available by credit card; this is inaccurate and you will be sent away to obtain hard currency. Money exchange is available before passport control and a single ATM (doesn't take MasterCard) , more ATMs are available after customs. Please note than there is only one post office and no postbox in the airport, located in arrivals hall of Terminal 1 near the Lost and Found office. If closed, you can put your letters/postcards under the curtain.
From Queen Alia to Amman city proper, the two best options are to either take a taxi or an Airport Express bus. Taxi transportation from the airport to Amman should cost around 20 Jordanian Dinars ($30). Airport taxi fares are fixed. Note that the fare is only fixed from airport to city, taxi driver might try to secure a ride from you from the city back to the airport, often with a massive inflated price. It is not hard to get a ride from City to Airport for JOD20, if the driver is trying to charge more, make your stand and say no. The Airport Express bus runs around the clock every 60 minutes (except at midnight, 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.) and costs JOD3. It leaves from a marked bus stop outside Terminal 2 only. The trip from the airport to Tabarbour bus station in Amman, with a stop at the 7th Circle, usually takes from 45 minutes to an hour. It is then possible to catch a taxi from the bus station to your hotel but beware of taxis drivers trying to rip off the newly arrived traveler. The bus stop at the 7th circle is less than 100m south of the circle. The small yellow "airport express" labeled bus is easily recognized and the driver will also stop on other places if you wave him. To reach the 7th circle from downtown take bus 41 or any headed to Wadi As-Seir and ask to be dropped of at Dawaar As-Saabe'a (7th circle).
There are, of course, rent-a-car stations in Amman as well.
By bus
Note that the Abdali bus station is now closed.
The new bus station is called Tabarbour Bus Station and is in the Northern fringes of Amman. Most of the buses to the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge and the various cities ('Ajloun, Jerash, Irbid) in Northern Jordan leave from here. To get there from downtown, take Serviis (A sedan car that works like a bus) #6 from Raghadan Tourist Service Station (Raghadan Al Seyaha) which is located right next to the Colosseum. The Tabarbour Bus Station is the last stop on the Serviis' route.
Local small buses are available from Tabarbour bus station to the city of Jerash(untill afternoon daily). Buses are leaving when they are full. The price is exactly 0,85JD one way(December 2012). The bus drivel its likely to ask you 1JD but ask him the change back. Bus stops 50 meters from the south entrance of the ancient Acropolis and departs again when its full exactly from the opposite direction. Avoid in wasting money in private cars or taxies that maybe reach you in advance before board the bus in the surrounding area.
There are two operators (one of them called Challenge) each providing two daily services from Damascus (Sumariya-Terminal) into Amman for 500 SYP (50 SYP student discount). Times tend to change a bit, but they leave around 07:30, 08:30, 14:30 and 15:30. The tour takes typically about 4 to 5 hours, but can be longer depending on border formalities. The Challenge buses still arrive in Abdali.
From the bus station, you can take a taxi to the city centre. As a guide, it NEVER costs more than 2 JD on the meter from the bus station to most places in town, so either go by the meter, or pay a maximum of 2 JD.Use yellow taxies insisting to open the meter. It starts from 25 (0,25JD)and its the most affordable way for taxi travel inside the city.
Be wary of the private cars posing as taxis around the bus stands. They would offer their services asking you to pay as much as you want but later on insist on pocketing more money from you. In case you get one, insist paying the standard price which should not be more than 2 JD. Anything more than 2 JD is a rip-off.
NOTE: There are 2 Raghadan stations in Amman, the one near the Roman Theatre (which is relevant to most tourists) is Raghadan Al Seyaha, make sure you tell the taxi driver this otherwise you will wind up at the wrong Raghadan station like I did and will have to catch another serviis back!
By train
Train operator in Jordan: HJR (Hedjaz Jordan Railway) [26] check seat61 [27] for details. Since about 2005, scheduled services within Jordan and to Damascus have, sadly, been suspended. They are unlikely to resume. Train excursions run occasionally, as do local services to Zarqa. Neither operate more often than once per week, if at all. Amman's tiny, charming railway station (Mahatta) with its museum is worth a look even if you do not (or cannot) take a train.
By taxi
A taxi to/from the palestinian border crossing bridge can cost 25 JD and takes one hour. Negotiate the price with the driver and its likely possible to pay 20JD(December 2012).
Get around
By Car Rental
There are several car rental companies located in Jordan some will even give you a driver for free if you book a car rental with them. Some of these are Hertz, Sixt Rental Cars [28], National, and many more.
By taxi
Yellow and grey taxis are readily available and can be easily found anywhere in Amman. Just hail them in the street as Jordanians do. Taxis for Amman will have a green logo on the driver and passenger doors. The grey ones have an advertisement on top of the car. Resist hailing cabs with another color logo; these cabs are based in other cities and it is illegal for them to pick up fares in Amman. White taxis are shared, and they have a specific route that they move along back and forth, which means they don't necessarily drop you off at your exact destination, and the driver can pick up other fares along the way.
Taxis in Amman are required by law to use meters and most drivers will reset the meter as soon as a fare is picked up. Most trips within Amman should be under JD2 or 3, and even a ride from one end of town to the other should not cost more than JD5. Taxis are required to use meters all the time (as of 2010) but with a base rate of JD 0.3 instead of JD 0.25 and 40% higher rate from 22:00 till 07:00. Beware of drivers offering to give you a short ride "for free" as a "Welcome to Jordan", especially if you're walking between the Citadel and the Roman Theatre; they will then offer to wait for you to take you to your next stop, and will use the "free" ride as an excuse not to start the meter. They will then charge you exorbitantly when you arrive at your next stop.
The base rate for the taxi meter was changed in 2007 from 150 fils (JD 0.150) to 250 fils (JD 0.250) due to the rising oil prices, however, not all taxis have replaced their old meters with new ones, and when a taxi is using an old meter, it is legitimate for the driver to ask you for 10 extra piasters (100 fils) on top of the quoted meter fare. Make sure though that you note the initial fare as soon as the driver turns the meter on in order not to have the driver ask you for "the 10 piasters" when he has a new meter. Drivers are not normally tipped, instead the fare is simply rounded up to the nearest 5 or 10 piasters. It should be noted that many drivers do not carry much change, so exact change should be given when possible. If a driver is pretending he has no change, it is likely that he just wants to keep it, so that you'll have to pay more. If you mind this, ask the driver to find a nearby shop and get change or get the change yourself from a shop or (if you don't mind being rude) look into their money box to find the change yourself.
The going, negotiated rate for a taxi from Amman to the airport is JD20 or more, although some drivers can be talked down to JD15 or even JD 10 (which would be close to the metered rate). All taxis are allowed to take passengers to the airport; only special Airport Taxis may take passengers from the airport into town.
If you are visiting the Citadel, call it al'Aqal. The driver may try to convince you that the Roman theatre is nicer so that he can drop you off there at the bottom of the hill. It's best to be dropped off at the Citadel and walk down the hill to the Roman theatre.
Service (white) taxies are leaving when they are full from Tabarbour bus station to King Hussein Bridge boarder crossing with Israel. The price per person is 6JD(December 2012). The proper line of the taxies is in Arabic but its easy to spot them by the King Hussein Bridge logo in their side doors.
A yellow metered taxi ride from city centre (Roman Amphitheatre) to West Amman (Royal Auto-mobile Museum-City Mall) will cost you apx 3,5JD.
By bus
Big, municipal buses serve many parts of Amman. They are used by low-income workers, working-class youth and foreign workers, but are perfectly safe. As of January 2011, the fare was 380 fils. Pay the exact fare (or overpay); bus drivers have no change! You can also load a bus fare cash card with a few JD and swipe the card past a reader as you enter the bus, but places to buy and recharge the card are rare. Most buses are numbered; some display their destination in Arabic only. Bus no. 26 conveniently travels between the old town (Balad) and the 7th Circle along Zahran Street. No. 27 goes from the old town towards the posh Abdoun neighbourhood. No. 43 passes near Shmeisani (as does no. 46) and continues along Mecca Street towards Mecca Mall. Many bus stops are marked by bus shelters, but buses also drop passengers at unmarked spots wherever it is safe to stop. Privat minibuses shadow the municipal buses. They do not display route numbers, but a conductor usually shouts out their destination.
You can visit the fascinating Roman Theater and Nymphaeum, that reflect the historic legacy of the city, and the enchanting Citadel which has stood since the ancient times of the Ammonites. Or enjoy a leisurely stroll through the King Hussein Park and visit the Automobile Museum, which contains the late King Hussein's car collection, or the Children's Museum.
Jabal Amman 1st Circle Walking Trail is also interesting, with its coffeshops and grand traditional villas. A leaflet with a route description is available from the Wild Jordan Cafe.
If it's shopping you're after, then the pedestrian Wakalat shopping district offers a wide selection of international brand names to choose from.
For a more exotic and traditional experience you can visit the old-downtown, also known as the Souq, and take in the traditional sights and smells of the spice market, and shop for authentic souvenirs. (All of this info can be found at [29])
Although the capital of a diverse kingdom, Amman is not what one would call "packed" with things to see, making it a great gateway to explorations further afield. Even so, the city does hold a few items of historical and cultural interest (allow maximum 2 days to see them).
The cultural scene in Amman has seen some increased activities, notably cultural centers and clubs such as Makan House, Al Balad Theater, the Amman Filmmakers Cooperative, Remall, and Zara gallery. Around the 1st of September the Jordan Short Film Festival takes place.
It is highly advisable to see the sunset from the view point near the Citadel. But pay also your attention to the time of the muezzin call. If you listen to it from the view point, where the whole city lies before you, you get the unforgettable acoustic impression.
Due to accelerated growth the past several decades, the styles of living differs considerably as one travels from east to west throughout Amman. Visitors desiring to experience "Old Amman" should explore the central downtown, or Balad, which features numerous souqs, shops, and street vendors.
Learn to dance the Dabke at tourist cafe [In Balad you can enjoy a nightly show of traditional Jordan song and dance by the staff at the Tourist Cafe located at Pizza Roma Cafe corner Alhasimi and Alshabsoug street ,opposite the Roman Theater.You can join in it is easy to quickly learn and have lots of fun.It is free.]
At Tourist Cafe you can palm read,Tea and coffee cup reading,Henna Tattoo,Turkish Bath,and Arabic Food Cooking Classes.
Besides touring the city, shopping is also advisible for the traveler. Please see the 'Buy' section below.
Nightlife in Amman has grown tremendously over the past few years and probably comes right behind neighbouring Beirut and Tel Aviv in the region, there are now quite a few clubs, bars, cafes and restaurants in (mostly West) Amman that you should make an effort to check out.
Abdali, a section of downtown Amman, is being transformed into a modern center for tourists and natives alike. The plan includes a broad pedestrian boulevard where visitors can shop, eat, or do numerous other activities. New office buildings and residential hi-rises are being constructed. "New Abdali" should have been completed by 2010, however, this has been delayed and the first phase is now expected to be completed in early 2013.
There is no obligation to wear an Islamic headscarf but the vast majority women do. In more affluent areas, particularly in West Amman, women do tend to dress more liberally. Western women are generally advised to dress modestly when sightseeing. Outfits such as long skirts, pants and shirts with sleeves past the elbows will attract less unwanted attention for female travelers. In more conservative parts of the city such as East Amman and when visiting religious sites, women are advised to heed the advice to wear modest clothing more strongly so as to not offend local sensibilities.
Amman has numerous antique dealers littered throughout the city. Those located in the western parts of the city will most likely be serviced by those with a competent grasp of the English language, but you run the risk of the items being a bit overpriced. For the more adventurous, some of the best tourist shopping can be done in downtown Amman (the Balad). Shopping in the Balad has a more primitive feel with shop after shop filled with wares and prices not always clearly marked and extremely negotiable.
Some interesting, original souvenir items that one may consider taking home are:
For the coffee lover, Amman's Starbucks locations (Swefieh, Abdoun, Taj Mall, City Mall, Mecca Mall) offer various mugs, tumblers, and to-go cups with distinctive Jordanian and Middle Eastern flair.
Those who crave gourmet coffee have a number of choices along Rainbow St. off of First Circle in Jabal Amman with other shops sprinkled throughout the city.
Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor, etc.), can be purchased in liquor stores across the city. Most are distinguishable by an advertisement for Amstel or some like beverage outside. There are also bars up and down Rainbow St. in Jabal Amman and throughout Abdoun. Drinking age is 18 but some bars/cafes might card you and admit 21+ customers only.
Shopping areas
There are numerous universities one can study in. Irbid, Madaba, and Aqaba also hold many educational institutes for foreigners. Jordan's universities are world-renowned and respected for their hospitality and methods of instruction.
In downtown Amman Balad there is Tourist CafeThe Pizza Roma Cafe You can have beside the Italian Pizza a good range of Arabic cuisine,a couple of Indian dishes ,Chinese,and huge range of Arabic dessert and ice cream and smoke Hubble bubble.prices are very reasonable located at Amman Pasha Hotel.corner Alhashemi and Alshabsoug streets. tele 461 8262 mobile 0795 608 543 [email protected]
Amman features many different styles of restaurants, from traditional Middle Eastern fare to more familiar Western fast food and franchises. Prices range from ultra-cheap to moderate, depending on one's taste buds. For those on a budget, Arabic food is very affordable and can be obtained everywhere.
Arabic food generally consists of several general basic groups. Meat dishes will generally consist of lamb or chicken; beef is more rare and pork is never offered. Shwarma, which is cooked lamb meat with a special sauce rolled in piece of flat bread, is a local favorite. Rice and flat bread are typical sides to any meal. Jordan's speciality, mansaf, is a delicious lamb and rice meal, typically eaten with one's hands. Arabs serve plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes, many times accompanied by a plain white yoghurt condiment. Another favorite is chick pea-based foods such as falafel, hummus, and fuul. One of Amman's most famous local foods restaurant is Hashem, located in down-town Amman and you can have a lunch or dinner there for no more than 1.500 JD which is very low compared to other restaurants in Amman. This restaurant is one of the favourites of the Royal family and you will see a lot of photographs of the Royal family of Jordan dining at this restaurant. Nearby, there is Habeebah, which serves traditional east Mediterranean sweets such as baklava, but is most famous for serving a traditional dessert known as knafeh nabelseyyeh in reference to its origin from the Palestinian city of Nables.
The allegedly best shawerma in Amman is found in the street-side kiosk called Shawermat Reem, at the 2nd Circle. It is very famous and there are even lines at 2 a.m. It is a must to eat from this place and is very cheap.
Lebnani snack is a great place to eat Middle Eastern sandwiches, delicious ice cream and cocktails.
Contact details: 10 Rainbow Street, 1 Juqa Street Jabal Amman Mobile: +962 7777 333 33 Telefax: +962 6 46 56 561
And even if you can afford the above-mentioned, do not forget the good surprises coming from the countless shawarma outlets and other very cheap places.
Note: If you are a vegetarian, probably you will have to live on bread, felafel, fries, pita bread with hummus moutabal and salads. The salads are really tasty well marinated.
Jordan's national beer is aptly called Petra beer, Philedelphia and Amstel beers are also brewed in Jordan, with Amstel being particularly prevelant. There are many liquor shops and kiosks around Amman and alcohol is sold relativaly freely. Jordan also produces some very drinkable wines, the main two labels are Mount Nebo (a better choice) and Haddad. A local must try alcoholic beverage is Araq, the Levantine cousin of Ouzo, Raki and Pastis; this is usually drunk mixed with water and ice and accompanied by some mezzes or snacks.
The majority of Amman's pubs and night clubs can be found in West Amman.
Traditional Cafes
Living in Amman, the main places people spend time during the evenings are hookah shops.
Amman has the full range of accommodation options from very basic 1 star accommodation to luxurious 5 star facilities.
Corner Alhashemi and Alshabsogh street downtown.mobile 0795 608 543 email [email protected]
Stay safe
Compared with other capital cities, Amman is a very safe place to visit. Jordanian police and the military maintain a tight grip on law and order. Personal safety is high in Amman - it is safe to walk anywhere in the city at any time of day or night. Serious crime is extremely rare. In 2005, some major hotels were targeted by bombers (connected with the conflict in Iraq). Security measures at all major hotels were increased as a result.
Jordan is a majority Muslim country with a large Christian population too. Jordanian people are mostly very welcoming to any foreign visitors.
Women are advised to wear fairly conservative clothing if visiting religious sites.
While Jordan is a generally free and tolerant country you should be sensitive when discussing topics with casual acquaintances or strangers such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or making negative comments about the Jordanian royal family, as you would expect of a foreigner expressing opinions on charged political issues in your country.
Get out
Amman makes a convenient base for day trips to:
Bike tours are a good way to see the local scenery and meet local cyclists. There are a couple of bicycling tour firms in Amman: Tareef cycling club [32] was founded in 1982 and developed into an active group in August of 2007 by a former Jordanian National Team cyclist. They provide fun active weekend cycling and hiking trips, supporting all levels of fitness all around Jordan.
Cycling-Jordan.com[33] offers tours and weekly trips to the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea.
Many budget hotels like Palace or Farah organize day tours for about 16-18jd which seems a sensible price, but they do not include entrance fees which could be important. These tours are open to people who don't sleep at the hotel. Classical tours are Jerash/Ajlun/Um Qais, Madaba/Mount Nebo/Baptism site/Dead sea, and Castles.


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An advert for a computer game has been banned from television. The advert for 'Stranglehold' had realistic violence, constant gunfire and condoned violence, according to ad watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The ASA responded to two complaints about the promotional clip for the game, which is endorsed by martial arts director John Woo.
One person complained that the advert glorified gun violence and could affect susceptible people. Another said their three-year-old son had seen the ad when it was shown before the 9pm television watershed.
The advertising agency behind the ad, Picture Production Company, said that it believed that it was clear that the footage was animation and not realistic, and that nobody was seen to be shot because bullets were fired into the air in the clip.
The ASA did not accept its arguments. "The ASA noted that the shooting was almost continuous throughout the ad and considered that the violence depicted, although computer-generated, was realistic in appearance," said its ruling.
"We considered the voice-over, which stated 'Honour is his code. Vengeance is his mission. Violence is his only option,' suggested that it was honourable to seek revenge and that violence was an acceptable solution to a situation," said the ASA.
Picture Production Company said that it had submitted the advert to Clearcast and had received approval to show it. Clearcast is a company owned by the major broadcasters which carries out pre-broadcast clearing of adverts using the ASA's rules as guidance.
It said that it thought the violence unrealistic and stylised, and that the ad could be shown because there was no interpersonal or gory violence. It said it had recommended showing the advert only after 7.30pm.
The ASA also rejected Clearcast's assessment. "We considered the ad was likely to be seen as encouraging and condoning violence.
Because the issues raised by the ad could not be addressed with a timing restriction, we considered the only solution was to withdraw the ad from transmission completely," said the ruling.
The ASA ordered Stranglehold publisher Midway Games not to re-broadcast the advert because it broke the Advertising Code's rules on violence and cruelty and its rules on health and safety.

subset: commoncrawl


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1 by Altamira, 2-4 by The Sartorialist, 5&6 by Vanessa Jackman, 7&8 by StockholmStreetStyle, 9&10 by Mr. Newton, 11 by Style/Clicker, 12 by Stil in Berlin, 13-15 by Facehunter
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i wear that exact outfit way too much. she is the most unposed and natural out of all of them. i like it. though I would definitely wear what #5 is wearing. i love the simple shapes combined with the bold color on top of bold color. very nice.
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The Great Recession hit small towns hard. Many saw factories close and jobs dry up. But according to a new analysis, small-town America is actually experiencing an economic revival thanks to an oil and gas boom.
According to government data analyzed by USA Today, inflation-adjusted income has increased 3.8% per person between 2007 and 2011 for the roughly 50 million Americans who live in small cities, towns, and rural areas. Compare that to almost the same percentage drop (3.5%) in metropolitan areas, and a shift in wealth begins to emerge, one flowing from cities to rural regions.
(MORE: Why the Fiscal Cliff is the Wrong Thing to Worry About)
The trend is especially strong in places that participated in the recent boom in oil and gas. North Dakota, for example, quickly became the country's No. 2 oil-producing state over the last several years thanks to a discovery of shale gas there. North Dakota's unemployment rate also currently sits at 3%, by far the lowest in the U.S., and that dynamic has played out across the country. The states with the lowest unemployment rates are in the middle of the U.S. Along with North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota have unemployment rates below 5%, while Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming have rates just above that mark.
U.S. metropolitan areas, meanwhile, have had a much harder time coming back from the recession. Per capita income in Manhattan, for example, decreased by 5.3% since 2007 to $121,301. In Marin County, Calif., it dipped by 13.3%. (Unemployment rates in New York and California are some of the highest in the U.S.)
(MORE: Wall Street's Bet on the Fiscal Cliff)
In Teton County, Wyo., one of the most affluent areas in the country for years because of its low taxes and numerous outdoor activities (it's home to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park), incomes decreased by 28.8% to $95,861. But next door, in South Dakota's tiny Sully County, incomes have risen an amazing 70.4% to $116,067. While South Dakota hasn't seen the kind of oil boom from shale that its neighbor to the north has, farm prices have been strong over the past few years, giving the state a big boost since the recession hit.
Rural states have an advantage that most metro areas don't: the ability to discover new ways of generating economic growth through land and resources — and the oil and gas boom couldn't have come at a better time for those areas. But it may be only a temporary improvement. It's likely just a matter of time until U.S. cities begin finding ways to boost incomes and lower unemployment rates, triggering another shift of wealth back to larger metro areas once again.


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Monday, October 15, 2007
Posted by Giggles rule! at 8:31 PM 2 comments
Saturday, October 13, 2007
It's a little late for summer.....
but here's a recipe that is in a word - delicious. I love to cook in cooler weather and we had tomatoe and cheese omelets for lunch today. Omelets are the perfect companions for Tomatoe Pie - albent it is best with home grown tomatoes full of taste but is still really good with a firm, market fresh tomatoe. Tomatoe pie doesn't sound appealing - but I challenge you to try. Don't call it tomatoe pie just tell your family it's a casseroley thing that goes with anything.....
4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced - fresh basil & green onion chopped - 9" deep pie crust - 1 cup each of shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar cheese and mayonnaise (the real thing folks) salt & pepper to taste. Place the tomatoe slices in a colandar and salt them - let them drain for 10 minutes. You want to get rid of as much standing juice as possible. Layer the tomatoes and basil with onion in the crust. Season with salt & pepper. Combine the cheeses and mayo - spread over the top (like a crust) and bake at 350 deg for about 30 minutes. The cheese & mayo will be crusty and brown, the pie crust light and flakey. Let cool to room temp......refrigerate any leftovers.
Posted by Giggles rule! at 11:33 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The promise of fall........
is in the air. It's a beautiful day here, the sun is shining and temps are in the low 80's, it's just gorgeous. We are slowly sliding into fall and I'm so ready.
I don't really cook alot during the summer, we grill out and have lots of fresh veggies, etc but truly cooking a meal doesn't happen very often. I love to cook and especially in the fall. Seems like everything good starts with fresh garlic, onion, peppers and mushrooms......they are staples in my fridge. Fresh creamy potatoe and cheese soup, fragrant pot roast and veggies prepared with fresh rosemary and basil, yum.
I think I'll cook a real meal tonight - spending time in the kitchen just makes me happy.
I've been naughty this week........my stitching time has been spent on Taj Mahal. That's naughty cause I'm supposed to be finishing my part of Tash's HAED RR. I'm about 1/2 way so it won't be much longer.
I'll get my courage up and do the finishing on my Christmas ornaments and will have pictures soon.
Posted by Giggles rule! at 2:54 PM 1 comments


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Coastal to Begin Trading on NASDAQ as "COA"
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The common stock of Coastal Contacts Inc. ("Coastal") (TSX:COA) (Nasdaq: COA) (Stockholm:COA.ST), one of the world's largest online retailers of vision care products, was approved for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol "COA." Coastal expects that its shares will begin trading on Thursday, October 25, 2012. The stock will continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm exchange.
"Our listing on the NASDAQ represents another important milestone for our company," said Roger Hardy, Coastal's Founder and CEO. "The decision to obtain a NASDAQ listing was taken to address the demand expressed by U.S. based investors and fund managers that want to participate in the growth of Coastal but are only able to own U.S. listed stocks."
About Coastal Contacts
Coastal Contacts, Inc. is one of the largest online retailers of vision care products in the world. Coastal empowers customers to easily browse, try on and buy eyewear—saving time, money and sanity. With every pair of qualifying frames purchased, Coastal donates a pair to someone in need through its Change the View project. Founded in 2000, Coastal designs, produces and distributes the largest selection of glasses and contact lenses on the Internet, including a unique combination of designer glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and vision care accessories. Coastal serves customers in more than 150 countries through the Coastal Contacts family of websites including: Coastal.com, ClearlyContacts.ca, Lensway.com, Lensway.co.uk, Lensway.se, Lensway.com.br, ClearlyContacts.com.au, ClearlyContacts.co.nz, Contactsan.com, and Coastallens.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This News Release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Coastal. Statements that are not historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "goal", "target", "should," "likely," "potential," "continue," "project," "forecast," "prospects," and similar expressions typically are used to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of such forward-looking statements include statements relating to: Coastal's perception of the contact lens and eyeglasses industry or market and anticipated trends in that market in any of the countries in which Coastal does business; its anticipated ability to procure products and supplies, or the terms under which it procures products and supplies; Coastal's anticipated business operations, inventory levels, ability to handle specific order and call volumes, ability to fill and ship orders in a timely manner, ability to achieve greater marketing efficiency or similar statements; ability to increase its production; plans for capital expenditure plans; relationships with suppliers, anticipated results of operations, including but not limited to anticipated sales, revenues, earnings, tax benefits or similar matters; the effects of seasonality; sufficiency of cash flows; and Coastal's perceptions regarding volatility in and impact of foreign currency exchange rates.
Forward-looking statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about Coastal's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Assumptions underlying Coastal's expectations regarding forward-looking statements or information contained herein include, among others: that Coastal will maintain its position in the markets it operates in and will expand into other markets in a favorable manner; that it will have sufficient capital to continue making investments in advertising, inventory, property, equipment and leasehold improvements as well as personnel to support its business and new product lines, including its eyeglasses business; that Coastal will be able to generate and maintain sufficient cash flows to support its operations; that it will be successful in complying with industry regulatory requirements in British Columbia and other jurisdictions; that Coastal will be able to establish and/or maintain necessary relationships with suppliers; and that it will retain key personnel. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements or information are only predictions, and that Coastal's actual future results or performance may be materially different due to a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to: changes in the market; potential downturns in economic conditions; consumer credit risk; Coastal's ability to implement its business strategies; competition; limited suppliers; inventory risk; disruption in our distribution facilities; mergers and acquisitions; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory requirements; demand for products Coastal sells; competition and dependence on the internet as well as those risks described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained in Coastal's Annual Information Form dated December 14, 2011 available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov.
Although Coastal believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from a projection or assumption in any of its forward-looking statements. Coastal's future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and inherent risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof. Coastal does not have, or undertake, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law.


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Fairy Tattoos Designs : Fairy Tattoo Designs For Girls
There is no such fairy in this world. It is like a myth for children every time they want to go to sleep. But, some people believe that fairy really exists. Fairy is described as a small flying thing. Some can see them, but some can't. There are many stories about fairy appear. Almost every story tells that fairy is a good creature. They can be friend with us as human. They also help sad or good boys/ girls when they are in a trouble.
This little thing is being one of inspirations to be a fairy tattoo design. The fun and happy story can cheer the people who have this fairy tattoo. It comes with various designs and size. You can choose the suitable fairy for your body. The body part that usually tattooed by this design is back, but you can randomly choose which body part that will be your canvas. Girls are the most people who carve their skin with this kind of tattoo. It's like a girly thing. Describing fairy is own your mind, you can imagine the fairy with a cute little girl that has wings. Or you can also imagine it like a butterfly with sparkle around. Something that cannot be separated from fairy is the wings. They take a role on fairy tattoo. They prettify the appearance of the fairy.
This pics of Fairy Tattoo Designs For Girls has dimension 520 x 390 pixels, you can download and obtain the Fairy Tattoo Designs For Girls pics by right click on the right click to get the high resolution version.
Here is required tip on forearm tattoo ideas. We have the excellent sources for forearm tattoo ideas. Check it out for yourself! You can get Fairy Tattoo Designs For Girls guide and look the latest Fairy Tattoos Designs in here.
Back to Fairy Tattoos Designs


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Steve.young needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
2 winners were selected from 13 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
TurnHere, Inc.
TurnHere is the leader in local web video, working with more than 20,000 businesses, across the U.S., to grow their business with video. For a low monthly fee, we create a custom video about your business and we distribute it across the internet to people looking for your product or service.
We love creative people and have a network of over 10,000 filmmakers across the world. We are a fun, small group that is growing and loves videos!
These banners will be used by our affiliates to bring people to our site. Our target audience is small businesses who are looking for an affordable solution to grow their business and attract more exposure.
We need png banners in the following sizes:
Be as creative as possible. Remember we create videos for businesses and distribute the video across the web. The tag line we'd like to use is the following.
"Video Marketing Gets Results!
See what video can do for your small business"
"Learn More" should be the button text.
For smaller banners, use "Video Marketing Gets Results".
See our website for color pallet:
See the attached style guide.


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For Children
The Solon Public Library provides several programs for children throughout the year.
- Storytime - a program of stories, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and crafts which provide opportunities for young children to develop listening and socialization skills, acquire a love of books and get ready to read, and spend quality time with their parents or caregivers.
- for children ages 2 - 5 and their caregivers; siblings are also welcome
- meets Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.
- Babygarten - a program which provides stimulating experiences to nurture the bond between caregiver and child, with an emphasis on language enrichment and pre-literacy skills. Watch for announcements of scheduled sessions.
- for infants 0 - 24 months of age
- for more information on Babygarten, click on graphic below
- Summer Reading Program - a program which provides opportunities to facilitate reading readiness for pre-readers and incentives for older children to keep reading through the summer. All children and young adults through high school seniors (entering in the fall) are eligible.
- includes reading for prizes, reading and activities to earn a t-shirt, Teen Reads, and Family Nights at the Library
- information will be available in late May or early June for that summer's program
The LEGO® Club - meets on the first Monday of each month, except when that Monday is a holiday. Children in Kindergarten and up may attend. For more information on LEGO® Club, click HERE.
Puppet Kits - check out puppets with coordinating books for play and reading at home
- Children's Area - a play space which is provided for younger children with tables, puzzles, and play kitchen and/or puppet theater
Other pages of interest on the library website:


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Panamanian defender Felipe Baloy plays for Mexican side Santos Laguna, and when approached by a charming little tyke decked out in full Warriors uniform, he happily knelt and posed for a photo. So did Ms. Jackeline Arroyo, cover model for the March issue of Playboy's Mexican edition.
Presumably Baloy only bought it for the interview with Novak Djokovic. Our only real issue is with the magazine vendor—perhaps in the future, their bags could be a little less translucent.


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Kevin Carolan can pinpoint exactly when he knew that 10-year-old actor Akash Chopra, his costar in "The Jungle Book," was more than capable of holding his own in an adult theater production.
"During rehearsals, Akash stepped on a nail on the stage and hurt himself," says Carolan, who plays Baloo, the potbellied brown bear. (He's also a regular on HBO's Boardwalk Empire.) "He got so upset, he was in tears. Which is amazing, because that was the first time I saw him get upset. I've seen actors in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond have breakdowns over less. But it took stepping on a nail to make him lose his cool. And that's after three consecutive ten hour rehearsal days, where all he's wearing is a loin cloth, on a stage where, even with the hot lights, it can get chilly."
Akash plays "man cub'' Mowgli in "The Jungle Book," a musical about an orphaned boy in the Indian jungle and the anthropomorphic animals who either want to help him or eat him. The world premiere co-production, which just ended a sold-out seven-week run at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, begins previews at the Huntington Theatre Company on Sept. 7. Adapted from Disney's animated 1967 film and stories by Rudyard Kipling, it is being directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, who directed "Candide" at the Huntington in 2011.
In Boston, "The Jungle Book" will run at least through Oct. 13. From there, who knows? After Boston, decisions about the future of "The Jungle Book" may rest with Disney Theatrical Productions, which is helping to finance it. The show, or some version of it, could be headed abroad before a possible run on Broadway, according to Variety.
As for Akash, he could be on the cusp of a promising acting career, and even stardom. But it's not so clear yet if he wants any of it.
In person, there's nothing about Akash that indicates he's anything but a normal, unambitious boy. He rolls into the Goodman Theatre on a scooter, his younger sister Avaani riding close behind. He's friendly and outgoing, but otherwise nothing about him seems rehearsed or forced — behavior we've come to expect from child actors. When asked about his acting process, his answer is exactly what you'd want a 10-year-old to say. "I just pretend that I'm Mowgli and that I'm in the jungle," he says. "I just love being onstage and being tossed around and playing with the monkeys."
His mother, Meena, is quick to point out that Akash hasn't been a professional actor for very long. A little over two years ago, he was just another kid doing school plays. When his parents moved from Spain to New York City in 2011, Akash started taking acting classes. That led to headshots and auditions, and soon he landed a role as Gavroche, the street urchin, in the Kidz Theater production of "Les Misérables." And then, seemingly overnight, he was cast as the lead in "The Jungle Book." (He shares the role with Roni Akurati, who takes over as Mowgli a couple times a week.)
"It's still dizzying," Meena says. "I still haven't quite processed it."
Given Akash's limited acting experience, "The Jungle Book" production team had every reason to be cautious. Akash was put through several auditions in New York City, because as music director Doug Peck puts it, "If you're going to marry someone, you want to go on at least a couple of dates first." Any reservations or concerns that Akash might not be up to the task were quickly dispelled, Peck says. "Every interview and every audition, Akash was poised and funny and totally himself. He never wavered."
Akash's performance in "The Jungle Book" isn't exactly a tour de force. He does more reacting than acting — costar Carolan calls him the show's "straight man" — and he never gets his own song. But the reviews for Akash have been consistently glowing. Entertainment Weekly praised his "impressive naturalism." A reviewer for Chicago's New City noted that Akash is "amazingly empowered for such a young actor. I've witnessed far more experienced actors' confidence waver on the [Goodman] stage, but each and every step that Chopra takes is remarkable in its assurance." The Chicago Sun Times gushed like a proud grandparent, calling Akash's performance "so free and easy, moody and defiant, joyfully natural and musical that you just want to squeeze his adorable little body and save him from the predatory tiger."
The audiences thus far have agreed. During one recent Saturday matinee at the Goodman, Akash, as Mowgli, declared to his animal protectors, "I'm a lot tougher than some people think!" The crowd, equal parts children and adults, responded with an audible "Awwww!"
It's a good year to be a child theater actor. Right now on Broadway, nearly half of the shows feature actors who aren't old enough to drive. There are 10 orphan children in the "Annie" revival, and 16 misbehaving kids in "Matilda the Musical." Some of the biggest marquee names this season include 11-year-old Victoria Leigh, making her Broadway debut in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," 10-year-old Darius Kaleb in "Motown the Musical," 12-year-old Marquise Neal in "Kinky Boots," and Nicholas Barasch, practically an elder statesman at 14, in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."
There are so many underage actors, Neil Patrick Harris made them a punch line while hosting the 2013 Tony Awards. "Is there a Tony day care where all of you go?" he sang to the army of Broadway kids. "Do your parents set aside your Broadway dough?"
For Akash, at least, the answer to that last question is yes. "It's all going into his account," Meena says of her son's acting pay. "When he's 40, maybe we'll give it to him. He'll get it when he's older and more sensible. At 10, he'd spend it all on Xbox games."
Akash doesn't seem to mind. In fact, all of the stresses and disappointments that can accompany an actor's life don't appear to have much effect on him. Though he's been away from his home and school in Manhattan — "I do miss my friends sometimes," he admits — he finds the gypsy lifestyle more exciting than lonely. It helps that he's already a globe-trotter. His father, Perry, a property developer, has moved the family — which includes Akash, his mother and sister, and two older brothers, Amar and Rishi — among several countries.
Akash, who is Indian, was born in Singapore, moved to Spain with his family when he was about 4, then to New York two years ago.
While he may already be perfectly adapted to the acting lifestyle, he hasn't decided yet if this is the life he wants. "A part of me wants to be a sports player, like in basketball or soccer," he says. "I still don't know what I'm going to do." Which is just another reason his colleagues at "The Jungle Book" find him so fascinating. Peck, the show's music director, works regularly with children and teenagers, and he's accustomed to seeing "kids who are on a robotic mission to only be perfect little theater people."
"They all desperately want to be actors, and the question is, do they have the talent? Akash unquestionably has the talent, both as an actor and a singer," Peck says. "It's just a question of if he wants it."
A lot could happen to Akash while he waits to make a decision — some of it good, some of it not so good. It's difficult not to think of Daisy Eagan, an 11-year-old Tony winner in 1991 who went on to have a nervous breakdown and quit acting for years. Meena Chopra is well aware of the risks. "It's a brutal industry for any age. As a parent, it's my job to guide him in the right direction, and keep his feet firmly on the ground." While considering Eagan's fate, she pauses and looks at her son with a combination of love and deep concern. "I still favor him being a doctor," she says, under her breath.
Akash listens to all of this, smiling and unfazed. If he's grappling with conflicting emotions or uncertainty, he's a better actor than even the show's reviewers realize. "If I want to stop, I'll just stop," he says of his tenure at "The Jungle Book." "If it's ever not as much fun anymore, I'll just walk away."
Walking away from acting and performing might not be as easy as he thinks. He may not be a seasoned actor yet, but he clearly loves to perform. He talks about a song he's written for his school in New York; it's kind of a school anthem, he says. He's collaborated with the father of a classmate, music producer Mikkel Eriksen — part of the Stargate songwriting and producing team who have penned hits for Beyoncé and Rihanna.
"Should I sing the first verse?" he asks, eager to share.
The song, sung a cappella, is so beautiful it would give you goosebumps. It's confident and unexpectedly soulful. Most of the lyrics are what you'd expect from a 10-year-old writing about his school — he waxes poetic about "shooting stars" and the "city's beat" — but the last few lines just might be prescient, maybe more than Akash even knows yet.
"I've finally found who I'm gonna be," he sings. "Here is the story of me."
(This story originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in the August 25, 2013 edition of the Boston Globe.)


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Shiraz ... with bubbles!
Mention "sparkling Shiraz" outside Australia, particularly in the U.S., and chances are you'll inspire a facial expression that falls somewhere between disdain and disgust.
Red sparkling wine is a mighty hard sell for wine enthusiasts on this side of the water, probably because the concept brings back memories of "Cold Duck," the cheap, super-sweet sparkling red that we used to swill back in the '70s, before we knew any better.
Frankly, Australia's wine producers haven't done much to ameliorate that impression, as much of the smallish amount of sparkling Shiraz they send this way is cheap, sweet and industrially produced ... no real stylistic advance beyond Cold Duck.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Australia, which has made the noble Syrah grape of the Rhone Valley into its own trademark red wine with the Antipodean synonym "Shiraz," makes some mighty classy bubbly out of the grape. It's thoroughly popular Down Under, where the upside-down seasons make it a summer treat, an Ozzie tradition on the typically hot and steamy Australian Christmas Day.
I had my moment of epiphany several years ago with a taste of Rockford Black, perhaps Australia's most respected sparkling Shiraz, a limited-production beauty so much in demand at home that it's seldom exported. It commands a price in the $70 range on the rare occasions when a little turns up in the U.S.
A few fairly unhappy encounters with cheaper stuff had pretty much put me off the genre until just the other day, when I took a random shot at a new arrival and ... wow! Shingleback "Black Bubbles," a non-vintage Shiraz sparkler from South Australia's pretty McLaren Vale region south of Adelaide, is a very serious sparkling wine and a very serious Shiraz, showing real depth of flavor and character with Champagne-style bubbles added. Although its technical specifications suggest a medium off-dry wine, its carbonation and snappy acidity mask the 26.5 g/l residual sugar to present a flavor impression that's close to dry.
Forget those awful Cold Duck memories: This one's worth a try.

Shingleback McLaren Vale "Black Bubbles" Sparkling Shiraz ($21.99)
Inky dark purple, pours up with a frothy pink mousse; bubbles are lasting, with the persistent, pinpoint quality I would expect of a fine, classically made sparkling wine. Good black-fruit aromas blend plums and berries. Mouth-filling and fresh, bubbles add a creamy texture on the palate. Fresh and appropriately tart; although its residual sugar maps to moderate sweetness, carbonation and acid balance present a "dry" flavor impression. As quality sparkling Shiraz should, it shows the flavor profile of a fine McLaren Vale red with bubbles added; and that's fun. U.S. importer: Precept Brands, Seattle. (May 30, 2007)
FOOD MATCH: Usually drunk as a refreshing aperitif or for casual party sipping, this fine Shiraz will pair with red meat, is recommended with chocolate desserts, and shows surprisingly well with spicy Asian fare. It was remarkably good with the offbeat, aromatic West Chinese cumin lamb featured in yesterday's Wine Advisor FoodLetter.
VALUE: It's competitively priced with quality non-vintage sparkling wines and mid-range Australian Shiraz in the same price range.
WHEN TO DRINK: It won't fade in the coming year, but it's not meant for cellaring. Enjoy it soon.
The back label provides a link to the producer's Website:
Compare prices and find vendors for Shingleback sparkling Shiraz on Wine-Searcher.com:
Subscribe to The 30 Second Wine Advisor


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Machig Labdron is popularly considered to be both a dakini and a deity, an emanation of Yum Chenmo, or Prajnaparamita, the embodiment of the wisdom of the buddhas. Historically, this Tibetan woman, a contemporary of Milarepa, was an adept and outstanding teacher, a mother, and a founder of a unique transmission lineage known as the Chöd of Mahamudra. This translation of the most famous biography of Machig Labdron, founder of the unique Mahamudra Chöd tradition, is presented together with a comprehensive overview of Chöd's historical and doctrinal origins in Indian Buddhism and its subsequent transmission to Tibet.
Chöd refers to cutting through the grasping at a self and its attendant emotional afflictions. Most famous for its teaching on transforming the aggregates into an offering of food for demons as a compassionate act of self-sacrifice, Chöd aims to free the mind from all fear and to arouse realization of its true nature, primordially clear bliss and emptiness.News & Reviews
"Provides some wonderful material on the Chöd lineage, Machig Labdron's biography, and the origins of Mahamudra Chöd. . . . With its publication we come a little bit closer to feeling the spirit and incisive wisdom of this great yogini." —Tsultrim Allione, author of Women of Wisdom
"Consider reading this book as a spiritual investment." —Dr. Elizabeth Benard, author of Chinnamasta: The Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric GoddessReader Reviews


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Unbounded Solutions needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 145 designs submitted by 40 freelance designers.
Unbounded Solutions
IT consulting firm that specializes in Microsoft SharePoint. We provide companies with qualified consultants, unique products and extensive training.
We want an edgier version of our current logo for our newly resigned website. We would like the font/text to be pumped up; our current font is too bland.
We would like to see a different version of our abstract arrow. Preferably something more defined and less rounded.
Please refer to the mock up and logo images I have attached, to give you a better idea of what to coordinate your conceived design with.
Instead of "Enterprise Solutions", we would like to have the slogan "Limitless Potential" included in the logo.
An Unbounded Solution of an objective function is a feasible set of points, which are unbounded in a particular direction. An unbounded solution may or may not have a maximum or a minimum value and if it has a maximum or a minimum then it occurs at the extreme points. Unbounded regions have an infinite set of solutions.
We would like to play off this mathematical theme and somehow include the influence of technology.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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China's new leaders exert control over oil company
BEIJING (AP) — China's new leaders are asserting their authority over the country's oil giant with a corruption investigation that has netted five former and current top oil executives, including the latest — the former chairman of the company.
The Ministry of Supervision on Sunday announced an investigation into Jiang Jiemin, former chairman of the country's biggest oil company, China National Petroleum Corp. It's the latest high-profile corruption case since China's new leader Xi Jinping took power in November with promises to fight corruption that fuels public anger.
The investigation into Jiang, who was named in March to head the Cabinet commission that runs state companies, comes after similar probes were announced over the past week into four executives at CNPC.
News reports also say China's top leaders have taken the unusual step of endorsing a corruption investigation into Zhou Yongkang, a former security czar and CNPC general manager with a power base in the oil industry. It would be the first time in decades that a current or retired member of the ruling Communist Party's inner circle of power, the Standing Committee, faced such action.
Ahead of a key Communist Party meeting in November due to produce a new economic blueprint, Xi and Premier Li Keqiang appear to be making a stab at tackling the powerful state-owned industries and their allies, who reformers say have hamstrung the government.
The state industries benefit from monopolies, low-cost bank loans, free land and other favors — and are therefore opposed to the market reforms that experts say China needs to prevent growth from stagnating.
The crackdown on CNPC — the world's second-most valuable oil producer after Exxon Mobil Corp. — shows the new administration's determination to exert control, said Cheng Li, a Brookings Institution scholar.
The leadership wants to show "that they've got a certain degree of consensus in the party's highest levels. That's not so easy to get, but they did," Li said. "There's also a clear message that Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang want to undermine these vested interest groups therefore to pave the way for more market-oriented reform."
Chinese authorities said Sunday that Jiang is being investigated over suspected serious disciplinary violations. The vague term is often shorthand in official Chinese announcements for allegations of corruption by a government official or manager of a state company. Jiang left his post as chairman of CNPC in March to head the Cabinet's Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
"The leadership is acutely aware that they must reel in the opposition or disarm it. They have gone on a concerted anti-corruption quest, which appeals to the general public, but is also a way of eliminating the opposition," Lombard Street Research said in a report. "A lot of the big state firms' senior managers sit on the Central Committee and they will need to be brought into line or discredited."
Jiang is the first full member of the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee, which includes the country's top 200 officials, to be investigated since the ruling party's once-a-decade handover of power to younger leaders in November. Two other officials who are also under investigation were alternate members of the committee
Authorities have announced a series of investigations into senior and lower level officials following Xi's promise to fight corruption and extravagant, wasteful work styles.
A general manager at state-owned phone company China Mobile was detained last month in connection with suspected discipline violations.
In July, former railways minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death sentence for bribery and abuse of power.
Last Monday, a high-profile corruption trial wrapped up for Bo Xilai, former party boss of the megacity of Chongqing.


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2016-09-28 - We're not changing direction - but we are upping our game! In 1999 when Bugaboo first broke onto the market, we revolutionized the stroller industry. Now we want to do the same for travel… And we hope you will be part of our journey!
On Tuesday 6 September, against a backdrop of Amsterdam's skyline at the city's new A'DAM Tower, Max Barenbrug - the co-founder of Bugaboo - surprised the gathered audience by presenting the latest Bugaboo product: the Bugaboo Boxer.
"What we're revealing today is not a stroller. Nor is it a suitcase. It's a luggage system!"
From strollers to travel? We've taken our friends, fans, customers and the press by surprise by doing something that not many companies dare to – we're moving into a whole new category. So how has this come about and what does it mean for our strollers? We speak to Max Barenbrug at Bugaboo to find out more...
"Our strollers are loved by generations of parents all over the world. This makes us very proud, as our products help millions of people to get out and explore the world. We love our strollers as much as you do – so let's be really clear that we will still create new strollers and related products with the aim of helping parents really enjoy those first years with their children."
"But what people sometimes miss at first glance, is that we're more than a stroller brand, we're a mobility brand at heart. We're obsessed with design – and we're obsessed with mobility."
So what do you do when you've already disrupted an entire industry? For us the answer is 'disrupt another one'. Not just for the sake of it, but because we know that a great idea can make a difference to people's lives. And in this case we want to help people all over the world rediscover the pleasure of travel.
"It's never only been about strollers; it has always been about helping people move freely. With the launch of our new mobility concept – the Bugaboo Boxer luggage system – we hope to transform the luggage industry the way we once changed the world of strollers."
So what's wrong with travel as we know it? Max explains:
"A couple of years ago I realized that I had stopped enjoying traveling. I always feel ill at ease and like I'm about to lose something. Travel is meant to be exciting and fun – it should be about a sense of freedom – but I realized I'd lost that feeling. And that's exactly the problem I wanted to solve!"
Indeed, walk through any airport, train or bus station and you'll see travelers struggling with their luggage. We've all been there - pulling heavy suitcases, getting stuck going around corners, dropping bags and struggling to keep all our belongings together at airport security… Especially painful when you add kids into that mix!
"I saw a huge opportunity to improve the reality of modern-day travel. To make it easy and pleasurable again, so you can enjoy the journey, unencumbered and relaxed."
This is why we've created the Bugaboo Boxer: to bring our design philosophy into the world of travel and shake things up a bit. The Bugaboo Boxer is in every way a Bugaboo: the sum of clever design and engineering to help you rediscover the pleasure of travel.
Why is it a game-changer? Because it's a modular system, with interlocking cases that hold all your belongings in one place; it's full of clever details such as the versatile inner bag, the elastic strap for your coat and the click on/ click off organizer; and Bugaboo's revolutionary light-push steering means you push instead of pull – you glide along, pushing up to 40 kilos of luggage with just two fingers! Why pull when you can push?
"We have always wanted to invent ways to help people move freely through their world. Our new Bugaboo luggage systems do just this! And it's our next step in truly becoming a mobility brand."
So what do you think of our new travel concept? We spoke to a few people at the launch event in Amsterdam. "I was surprised – but I think Bugaboo is totally on the ball. We all travel so much these days so this is EXACTLY what you need when you're on the go." Says Malvin Mix, Amsterdam-based DJ and father.
"I think it's beautiful… I'm a designer myself and a bit of a design-nerd. I really love the attention to detail and the modular system." says Jasper van den Berg.
See for yourself how our new luggage system works in this film.
The Bugaboo Boxer is available to buy online at Bugaboo.com from September 26th. You can also try it out for yourself at the Bugaboo Brand Stores in Amsterdam and Berlin, our pop-up shop in New York City, and in Clerkenwell London Concept Store.
Related posts
Say 'YES!' to fabrics made with recycled materialsMay 16, 2018 - Innovation and technology
Did you know the Bugaboo Fox fabrics are made with recycled PET bottles? We speak with Responsible Business manager Lise Hordijk about why we chose to use recycled materials and how the process works.learn more
Design story: the Bugaboo FoxFebruary 27, 2018 - Innovation and technology
In this Journal, we give you a peek behind the scenes and talk with Senior Product Developer Marco Nieuwenhuizen about creating the ultimate comfort stroller.learn more
What's new with the Bugaboo Donkey²?December 07, 2017 - Innovation and technology
When we launched the Bugaboo Donkey in 2011, it was a true game-changer. Now, almost seven years later, we've introduced the Bugaboo Donkey² with practical new features and more ways to style your stroller.learn more


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Attorney General Lockyer Reaches Settlement with Mill Valley to Enforce Disabled Access Laws
City Officials Agree to Two-Year Plan to Improve Enforcement of Laws
(SACRAMENTO) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced his office has reached an agreement with Mill Valley officials to improve the city's enforcement of state disabled access laws and regulations.
"Local and state governments have the duty to enforce laws that make public buildings and facilities accessible to everyone, including the almost 6 million Californians with physical and mental disabilities," Lockyer said. "This agreement will ensure that public venues are open to all, and that citizens who report violations will have their complaints promptly investigated and resolved."
In the stipulated judgment signed late Tuesday by Marin County Superior Court Judge John A. Sutro Jr., Mill Valley officials agreed to a series of corrective actions to improve the city's response to complaints regarding violations of state disabled access laws. The laws require local governments to ensure individuals with disabilities have full access to all publicly-owned buildings and facilities, as well as privately-owned properties open to the public. While city officials deny they failed to enforce the state's access law, they agreed to cooperate in a two-year aggressive enforcement program that will be overseen by an independent monitor appointed by the Attorney General.
Under the settlement, Mill Valley agrees to a series of corrective actions, including taking all necessary actions to correct within six months violations confirmed by the Attorney General during an investigation conducted by his office and, within 45 days, submitting to the Attorney General a written plan for handling violations of disabled laws in the future.
The city agreed the plan would require officials to complete investigations into alleged violations within 30 days of receiving them, correct identified problems within 90 days after the investigation is concluded, keep the complainant informed of the progress of the investigation and provide a letter to the complainant, detailing the final resolution of the investigation. In cases involving unfounded complaints, the city agreed to notify the complainant in writing, and include the factual and legal basis for its finding. The city also agreed to refer to the city attorney cases in which the owner of a privately-funded facility fails to correct a violation.
In addition, the city will pay the Attorney General's office $15,000 for the cost of the investigation and up to $20,000 a year for two years for an independent monitor, chosen by the Attorney General, to oversee compliance with the agreement.
"This settlement with the City of Mill Valley saves public funds that would have been spent on litigation," Lockyer said. "I am pleased the city has agreed to move forward in such a productive way to enforce the right of individuals with disabilities to enjoy the full use of buildings, facilities and sites open to the public."
Filed in January against the Mill Valley City Council and the Mill Valley Building Department and amended March 2 to add the City of Mill Valley as a defendant, the complaint alleged city officials had failed to properly investigate and timely resolve complaints regarding access violations at various facilities, including public sidewalks, restaurants, an ice cream parlor, service station, bank, drug store and the Mill Valley community center, library and city hall.
The complaint was the third filed by the Attorney General against local government officials alleging failure to enforce state disabled access laws. In November 2003, the Attorney General obtained a similar judgment against the City of Del Mar, and in September 2003, against Marin County. Under both settlements, local officials agreed to take specific steps to improve the enforcement of state laws and regulations regarding access by individuals with disabilities. Both settlements also included the appointment of an independent monitor, selected by the Attorney General, to ensure terms of the court agreements are followed.
Lockyer has made enforcement of the state's disabled access laws one of his top priorities. In 2003, he sponsored SB 262 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, to increase penalties for private property owners who continue to violate the law. Effective January 1, 2004, the law creates a process to help private building owners obtain assistance from qualified experts on how to comply with disabled access laws.
Enforced by the Attorney General, district attorneys, city attorneys and county counsel, California law since 1970 requires public facilities to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. A similar law regarding privately-owned facilities open to the public was enacted in 1971. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1990, is enforced by federal authorities.
For more information about the rights of individuals with disabilities, visit the Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Section website at http://www.ag.ca.gov/civilrights.


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- Williston State College Home
- >
- News & Events
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- WSC Student Organization Gear Up for Halloween Week
News Feed
WSC Student Organization Gear Up for Halloween Week
Monday, October 28th, 2013
Posted by WSC Marketing
WSC Student Organization Gear Up for Halloween Week
WILLISTON, N.D. - For the last few weeks, WSC student organizations have been cooking up ways to get involved in the community. With Halloween approaching, the Student Nursing Organization, Resident Assistants, Phi Theta Kappa, and all saw their opportunities.
Williston State's Student Nursing Organization (SNO), comprised of WSC nursing students, focus on the promotion and educational advancement of student nurse. Throughout the year they try to put on events to give back to the community and raise funds for their department.
This fall SNO will be hosting an event, Trick or Treat for Hunger, which will run through the entire week of Halloween, Monday through Friday. The event will be a food drive with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army, a local food pantry.
"We are coming together to collect donated goods and give back to the community," said Heather Fox, SNO member. "This is our way of showing that there is always a little time to help others."
Food items can be dropped off in bins located at Williston State College, Trinity Christian, McVay, or Hagen Schools. SNO members will also be going out on Halloween night, traveling door-to-door collecting food items for the pantry. They plan to be visiting Williston area homes from approximately 5pm to 9pm.
While SNO is spreading their efforts throughout the week, the Resident Assistants (RA's) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) are focusing their energies on Halloween night by joining the 17th Annual Trail of Treats, hosted by the Williston Downtowners Association.
"When the RA's approached me about doing something to celebrate Halloween, I thought this [Trail of Treats] was a perfect fit," Kayla McKeil Director for Marketing. "I knew our newly renovated front drive would provide safe and easy access to pedestrian and vehicle traffic."
Once turned on to the idea of Trail of Treats, it didn't take long for the RA's to include PTK, an honor-based service organization, in the planning. With willing and excited participants and a great space, things came together quickly.
As the parameters of Trail of Treats suggests, the RA's and PTK will be handing out treats to children 12 and under from 2:30pm - 5:30pm on Thursday, October 31st. Treats will be given out on the newly renovated front drive at WSC which is located on the west side of campus, running along University Avenue.
For more information about these events, please contact Kayla McKeil at WSC, 701.774.4222 or firstname.lastname@example.com. For other information regarding Williston State, visit willistonstate.edu, call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.


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Search Results: quinoa
5 minute Banana Chocolate Chip Quinoa Flake Bake
The perfect 5 minute breakfast that's high in protein, fiber… and chocolate.
20 Minute Vegan Dinner for Two
This is an easy weeknight dinner that I rely on when time is tight. Sometimes simple trumps anything else. Plus, it's fancy...I added a lemon slice!
Adzuki Bean & Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with a Twist
This is my take on the delicious All Star salad at Fresh restaurant in Toronto. It's filled with red quinoa, adzuki beans, parsley, cilantro, green onion, and tomato, and paired with a simple red wine vinegar, olive oil, and garlic dressing. I will be making this again and again all summer long.
Banana Bread Super foods Smoothie
Support a healthy mind with this super foods smoothie packed with banana, fresh vanilla, quinoa, flax oil and raw walnuts.
Apple Pie Quinoa Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast casserole similar to baked oatmeal, but without the oats! Great for Sunday morning brunch, or a treat on a cold an blustery day.
BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad
BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad is full of flavors like smoky corn and sassy BBQ sauce, and textures like poppy quinoa and creamy black beans.
Apple Almond Quinoa with Maple Sausage
Apple Almond Quinoa with Maple Sausage is perfect for a light lunch, supper, or side!
Asparagus and Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
I bought asparagus at the store earlier this week and was determined to do something interesting with it. I was really wanting risotto, but didn't have any of what are typically the main ingredients – Arborio rice, cooking wine, and large amounts of cheese. But you know what? I made it anyways,...
5 minute Blueberry Quinoa Flake Bake with Lemon Cream
5 minute breakfast cake made with just 5 (simple) ingredients.
"Cheese" Stuffed Bean Burgers
Tonight, my friends, I achieved the "impossible." I made a completely vegan "cheese"-stuffed burger that Pea Daddy said was better than the original.
Baby Kale, Shitake and Arame Stir Fry
This stir fry is just delicious, so full of flavour and packed with nutrition. Baby kale, shitake mushrooms and carrots form the base of the stir fry, while the sea vegetable packs a powerful nutrition punch with it's high mineral content and anti-inflammatory fucoidans. Tamari, ginger, maple syrup...
"Cheesy" Vegan Mushroom Quinoa
Packed with nutrition and a garlicky cheese flavor, this vegan recipe will even please carnivores.


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Studio Velo in Mill Valley California is one of our best dealers. Scott, Colin and Chris are great representatives of IF given both their passion for, and participation in, the sport. They provide unrivaled customer service and fitting skills, contribute to the community, and they design some fine looking bikes.
There's lots more to ogle in the complete Picassa album here.
Thanks Scott, Colin and Chris for doing what you do... you make us look good.


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Use Tokens in Job Steps
On Azure SQL Database Managed Instance, most, but not all SQL Server Agent features are currently supported. See Azure SQL Database Managed Instance T-SQL differences from SQL Server for details.
SQL Server Agent allows you to use tokens in Transact-SQL job step scripts. Using tokens when you write your job steps gives you the same flexibility that variables provide when you write software programs. After you insert a token in a job step script, SQL Server Agent replaces the token at run time, before the job step is executed by the Transact-SQL subsystem.
Starting with SQL Server 2005 (9.x) Service Pack 1, the SQL Server Agent job step token syntax changed. As a result, an escape macro must now accompany all tokens used in job steps, or else those job steps will fail. Using escape macros and updating your SQL Server Agent job steps that use tokens are described in the following sections, "Understanding Using Tokens," " SQL Server Agent Tokens and Macros," and "Updating Job Steps to Use Macros." In addition, the SQL Server 2000 (8.x) syntax, which used square brackets to call out SQL Server Agent job step tokens (for example, "
[DATE]") has also changed. You must now enclose token names in parentheses and place a dollar sign (
$) at the beginning of the token syntax. For example:
$(ESCAPE_macro name
Understanding Using Tokens
Any Windows user with write permissions on the Windows Event Log can access job steps that are activated by SQL Server Agent alerts or WMI alerts. To avoid this security risk, SQL Server Agent tokens that can be used in jobs activated by alerts are disabled by default. These tokens are: A-DBN, A-SVR, A-ERR, A-SEV, A-MSG., and WMI(property). Note that in this release, use of tokens is extended to all alerting.
If you need to use these tokens, first ensure that only members of trusted Windows security groups, such as the Administrators group, have write permissions on the Event Log of the computer where SQL Server resides. Then, right-click SQL Server Agent in Object Explorer, select Properties, and on the Alert System page, select Replace tokens for all job responses to alerts to enable these tokens.
SQL Server Agent token replacement is simple and efficient: SQL Server Agent replaces an exact literal string value for the token. All tokens are case-sensitive. Your job steps must take this into account and correctly quote the tokens you use or convert the replacement string to the correct data type.
For example, you might use the following statement to print the name of the database in a job step:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-DBN))' ;
In this example, the ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro is inserted with the A-DBN token. At run time, the A-DBN token will be replaced with the appropriate database name. The escape macro escapes any single quotation marks that may be inadvertently passed in the token replacement string. SQL Server Agent will replace one single quotation mark with two single quotation marks in the final string.
For example, if the string passed to replace the token is
AdventureWorks2012'SELECT @@VERSION --, the command executed by the SQL Server Agent job step will be:
PRINT N'Current database name is AdventureWorks2012''SELECT @@VERSION --' ;
In this case, the inserted statement,
SELECT @@VERSION, does not execute. Instead, the extra single quotation mark causes the server to parse the inserted statement as a string. If the token replacement string does not contain a single quotation mark, no characters are escaped and the job step containing the token executes as intended.
To debug token usage in your job steps, use print statements such as
PRINT N'$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLDIR))' and save job step output to a file or table. Use the Advanced page of the Job Step Properties dialog box to specify a job step output file or table.
SQL Server Agent Tokens and Macros
The following tables list and describe the tokens and macros that SQL Server Agent supports.
SQL Server Agent Tokens
|Database name. If the job is run by an alert, the database name value automatically replaces this token in the job step.
|Server name. If the job is run by an alert, the server name value automatically replaces this token in the job step.
|Error number. If the job is run by an alert, the error number value automatically replaces this token in the job step.
|Error severity. If the job is run by an alert, the error severity value automatically replaces this token in the job step.
|Message text. If the job is run by an alert, the message text value automatically replaces this token in the job step.
|The name of the job. This token is only available on SQL Server 2016 and above.
|The name of the step. This token is only available on SQL Server 2016 and above.
|Current date (in YYYYMMDD format).
|Instance name. For a default instance, this token will have the default instance name: MSSQLSERVER.
|Job ID.
|Computer name.
|Master SQLServerAgent service name.
|Prefix for the program used to run CmdExec job steps.
|The directory in which SQL Server is installed. By default, this value is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.
|Replacement token for the SQL Server error log folder path - for example, $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(SQLLOGDIR)).
|A count of the number of times this step has executed (excluding retries). Can be used by the step command to force termination of a multistep loop.
|Step ID.
|Name of the computer running SQL Server. If the SQL Server instance is a named instance, this includes the instance name.
|Current time (in HHMMSS format).
|The time (in HHMMSS format) that the job began executing.
|The date (in YYYYMMDD format) that the job began executing.
|For jobs that run in response to WMI alerts, the value of the property specified by property. For example,
$(WMI(DatabaseName)) provides the value of the DatabaseName property for the WMI event that caused the alert to run.
SQL Server Agent Escape Macros
|Escape Macros
|Escapes single quotation marks (') in the token replacement string. Replaces one single quotation mark with two single quotation marks.
|Escapes double quotation marks (") in the token replacement string. Replaces one double quotation mark with two double quotation marks.
|Escapes right brackets (]) in the token replacement string. Replaces one right bracket with two right brackets.
|Replaces token without escaping any characters in the string. This macro is provided to support backward compatibility in environments where token replacement strings are only expected from trusted users. For more information, see "Updating Job Steps to Use Macros," later in this topic.
Updating Job Steps to Use Macros
Beginning with SQL Server 2005 (9.x) Service Pack 1, job steps that contain tokens without escape macros will fail and return an error message indicating the job step contains one or more tokens that must be updated with a macro before the job can run.
A script is provided with Microsoft Knowledge Base article 915845: SQL Server Agent Job Steps That Use Tokens Fail in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1.You can use this script to update all of your job steps that use tokens with the ESCAPE_NONE macro. After using this script, we recommend that you review your job steps that use tokens as soon as possible, and replace the ESCAPE_NONE macro with an escape macro that is appropriate for the job step context.
The following table describes how token replacement is handled by SQL Server Agent. To turn alert token replacement on or off, right-click SQL Server Agent in Object Explorer, select Properties, and on the Alert System page, select or clear the Replace tokens for all job responses to alerts check box.
|Token syntax
|Alert token replacement on
|Alert token replacement off
|ESCAPE macro used
|All tokens in jobs are successfully replaced.
|Tokens activated by alerts are not replaced. These tokens are A-DBN, A-SVR, A-ERR, A-SEV, A-MSG, and WMI(property). Other static tokens are replaced successfully.
|No ESCAPE macro used
|Any jobs containing tokens fail.
|Any jobs containing tokens fail.
Token Syntax Update Examples
A. Using tokens in non-nested strings
The following example shows how to update a simple non-nested script with the appropriate escape macro. Before running the update script, the following job step script uses a job step token to print the appropriate database name:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(A-DBN)' ;
After running the update script, an
ESCAPE_NONE macro is inserted before the
A-DBN token. Because single quotation marks are used to delimit the print string, you must update the job step by inserting the
ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro as follows:
PRINT N'Current database name is $(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-DBN))' ;
B. Using tokens in nested strings
In job step scripts where tokens are used in nested strings or statements, the nested statements should be rewritten as multiple statements before inserting the appropriate escape macros.
For example, consider the following job step, which uses the
A-MSG token and has not been updated with an escape macro:
PRINT N'Print ''$(A-MSG)''' ;
After running the update script, an
ESCAPE_NONE macro is inserted with the token. However, in this case, you would have to rewrite the script without using nesting as follows and insert the
ESCAPE_SQUOTE macro to properly escape delimiters that may be passed in the token replacement string:
DECLARE @msgString nvarchar(max) SET @msgString = '$(ESCAPE_SQUOTE(A-MSG))' SET @msgString = QUOTENAME(@msgString,'''') PRINT N'Print ' + @msgString ;
Note also in this example that the QUOTENAME function sets the quote character.
C. Using tokens with the ESCAPE_NONE macro
The following example is part of a script that retrieves the
job_id from the
sysjobs table and uses the
JOBID token to populate the
@JobID variable, which was declared earlier in the script as a binary data type. Note that because no delimiters are required for binary data types, the
ESCAPE_NONE macro is used with the
JOBID token. You would not need to update this job step after running the update script.
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysjobs WHERE @JobID = CONVERT(uniqueidentifier, $(ESCAPE_NONE(JOBID))) ;


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Marlene Borneman and James Ells, Ph.D.
The best identification book of the most colorful Rocky Mountain wildflowers is now available in a convenient pack guide.
The Rocky Mountains, from northern New Mexico through southern Alberta are collectively referred to as the "spine of the continent." Along the flanks of this spine you will find a starting array of stunningly beautiful wildflowers in the life zones from the foothills at 5,000 feet to alpine zone at 11,000 feet.
Rocky Mountain Wildflowers is the author's selection of the 150 most "showy," beautiful, colorful, and striking wildflowers based on years of observation. The range of wildflowers runs from the deep red Plains Prickly Pear to pink Showy Milkweed in the foothills to delicate purple Fairy Slippers and the pink Woodland Pinedrops in deep moist subalpine forests and to the Alpine Buttercups and Yellow Avalanche Lillys at treeline. Every great Rocky Mountain wildflower is included.
Each plant is described by its common name, its scientific name and then by the appearance of the stem, leaves and flower and the most likely plant life zones where the flower may be found.
Jim Ells, retired associate professor of horticulture at Colorado State University, has spent a lifetime identifying and cataloging Rocky Mountain wildflowers. His highly successful Rocky Mountain Flora, second edition, has set a new standard for wildflower identification books. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Photographer Marlene Borneman has worn through several sets of boots and cameras collecting stunning images of wildflowers up and down the spine of the continent. She lives in Estes Park, Colorado.
710 10th Street, Suite 200
Golden, Colorado 80401
Local Calls 303-279-3080
Toll Free 800-633-4417


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J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. holds its annual investor day with Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and his team Tuesday. Analysts expect to hear in-depth reports on each of the company\'s businesses, as well as its spending and capital levels.
Both buy-side and sell-side analysts will be in attendance at the firm's New York headquarters, where they will hear directly from members of the executive management team on the outlook for the coming year.
Analysts expect J.P. Morgan execs to talk about the long-term earnings potential of each business. The Street is looking for spending levels to reflect areas the firm is pushing.
Expect the divisions for the consumers to be under stress, and the firm's commercial markets and capital markets to be positive, said Dick Bove, analyst at Rafferty Capital.
Two specific topics investors should watch out for, say analysts, are comments on dividends and return on equity. Investors will be disappointed in both, said Bove.
The firm, along with other Wall Street firms, has submitted its Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, or CCAR, and expects to hear back from regulators on whether dividend and share-buyback requests were approved in mid-March. Analysts will be looking for any updates or guidance on this as well as the firm's leverage ratio and Basel III common ratio.
"In the past, when there was some really pertinent news in terms of new rules or regulations, the firm will spend more time in that area," said Dan Marchon, analyst at Raymond James.
Usually the meetings reveal more qualitative color that cannot be found in press releases, Marchon said.
Other topics analysts are looking for include comments on credit quality and branch strategy.
The meeting drew attention last year after outspoken analyst Mike Mayo introduced the issue of raising more capital and questioned whether investors would lean towards UBS vs. J.P. Morgan.
Dimon responded with the now-famous quote: "That's why I'm richer than you."
At the firm\'s investor day, analysts expect to hear from all the heads of the company\'s businesses.
Executives expected to speak include chief financial officer Marianne Lake; Gordon A. Smith, the CEO of consumer & community banking; Mike Cavanagh and Daniel Pinto, co-chiefs of the corporate & investment bank; Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of J.P. Morgan\'s asset management division; and the head of the company\'s commercial bank, Doug Petno.
Dimon typically closes the day as the last speaker.
— Sital S. Patel
Follow The Tell on Twitter@thetellblog.
Follow Sital @Sital.