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State Dental Board Bans Teeth Whitening at Mall Kiosks
If you want whiter teeth, you're now going to have to see your dentist.
Going to the mall and having your teeth whitened there is no longer an option.
A NewsChannel 5 undercover investigation recently exposed some of the problems with these teeth whitening kiosks at shopping malls.
And now the state Dental Board has effectively put them out of business.
Consumer investigator Jennifer Kraus tells us how...and why.
The people behind the kiosks insist that having your teeth whitened at a shopping mall is just like buying Crest Whitestrips at a drug store.
Joyce Osborn says, "There's no difference."
Osborn is the president of the Council for Cosmetic Teeth Whitening which is a trade group that represents the manufacturers of the products that are sold at these kiosks.
At the Tennessee Board of Dentistry's meeting Thursday afternoon, she tried to convince board members that teeth whitening is a safe and a affordable alternative to having it done in a dentist's office.
Osborn told the Board, "The consumer has a right to whiten their teeth any way they want to."
But the Dental Board says people who have no dental training should not be doing dental work.
Dr. John Douglass, a member of the Board, told Osborn, "In my mind, what goes on at these kiosks is the practice of dentistry."
Douglass even cited NewsChannel 5's recent undercover investigation and how we found that kiosk workers tell customers they use the same whitening gels that dentists use.
Douglass said, "If this is the case and, I assume that it is, you're doing a dental procedure."
The trade group insists that employees never touch customers' mouth.
But when we visited these businesses undercover, we saw kiosk workers doing just that. Sometimes with gloves on, sometimes without.
The Dental Board also expressed concerns about the kiosk workers diagnosing and prescribing treatment.
Dr. Michael Tabor described how the employees evaluate customers before the process begins.
"What they're doing is they're taking a shade tab and they're holding it up to the patient and showing them what shade they are right now and then they're showing them what shade they think they can become, " Tabor told the rest of the Board.
A handful of other states already have taken steps to ban these operations.
Thursday, by unanimous vote, Tennessee joined them. The new policy effectively puts the kiosks out of business because now teeth whitening can only be done by a licensed dental professional.
Dr. Tabor told Kraus after the meeting, "We want to make sure that everyone who might whiten your teeth anywhere, whether it's a dental office or a gymnasium or a mall, we are going to make sure that these people are credentialed people so we know they're going to do it properly."
Tabor says the Dental Board is just trying to protect consumers and their teeth.
Due to the ruling, the kiosk at the Cool Springs Galleria did not open today.
However the one at the Opry Mills Mall DID open. A spokesman for the owner tells NewsChannel 5 they don't believe the Dental Board has the authority to tell them whether they can be in business. And they plan to sue the state.
Back to Consumer Alert page
Back to NewsChannel 5 Investigates
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One of the hardest things to overcome when fitting people with hearing aids is their unrealistic expectations of what a hearing aid can do. It is so important for the hearing aid professional to counsel the patient as to what they can realistically expect from their hearing aids, given their hearing loss and their listening environment.
When wearing hearing aids :
- In quiet environments, your hearing should improve.
- Your hearing in moderate background noise should improve.
- Your hearing with background noise is NOT going to be as good as your hearing in a quiet environment.
- Your hearing with loud background noise should not be worse than without the hearing aids.
- Soft speech should be audible, average speech should be comfortable, and loud speech should not be uncomfortable.
- Your ear molds should not hurt.
- Your voice will sound different to you but it should not be objectionable.
- There should be no feedback when the hearing aids are properly seated in your ears.
- Your hearing aids should allow you to listen with less effort.
- Your hearing aids require time to get used to. Performance will improve as you gradually become accustomed to amplifications.
- Your hearing aids WILL NOT restore your hearing capabilities to normal or pre-existing levels.
- Hearing aids DO NOT eliminate background noise.
- You may be aware of soft sounds that were previously not audible. Examples include: footsteps, refrigerator, noise, etc.
- If you only wear one hearing aid you will never, never, never hear well in situations where there is background noise.
Remember, when you are wearing hearing aids for the first time you are using a hearing instrument to hear with an impaired hearing system (your ears) in a very noisy world. It may have taken you a long time to lose your hearing it will take you time, practice, and patience to get used to hearing again. If you are having a difficult time adjusting to your hearing aids make sure you go back to your hearing professional for help. If your expectations are realistic and you are still not satisfied with your hearing aids performance, seek out another professional hearing aid specialist .
By Susan L. Fenrich, BC-HIS, Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist, Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences
The content contributions of Welsch Hearing Aid Company should not be considered by anyone as a substitute for medical or other hearing health professional diagnosis, treatment, advice, or recommendations. (product pictures used with permission)

subset: commoncrawl


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A 12-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy were stabbed multiple times in the attack.
Toledo police are searching for a suspect who pulled a gun on a group of people at an ATM earlier this month.
On April 1 just before 4 a.m. a male suspect approached three individuals who were withdrawing cash from a Key Bank ATM in the 300 block of Main Street in east Toledo. The suspect approached on foot from 4th Street as one of the victims started to withdraw $460 with her debit card.
Police say the suspect pulled out a silver handgun and pointed it at the victim, demanding her money. The victims then fled on foot, leaving the cash and debit card in the ATM. The suspect approached the ATM and took the cash and debit card. He then fled on foot down 4th towards Euclid Avenue.
The victims said the suspect fired three to four shots at them while he was fleeing from the bank lot.
The suspect is described as the following:-Black male -Mid-20s-Facial hair like a mustache and/or scruffy goatee/beard-Possible braids in hair-5 feet 9 inches tall-Medium build-Diamond earring in right ear-Wearing a black T-shirt, black sweat pants and black tennis shoes with a possible silver stripe
Anyone with more information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 419-255-1111.
Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.
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Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 383-9999
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This boy is amazing!!! 15-Year-Old Kelvin Doe is an engineering whiz living in Sierra Leone who scours the trash bins for spare parts, which he uses to build batteries, generators and transmitters. Completely self-taught, Kelvin has created his own radio station where he broadcasts news and plays music under the moniker, DJ Focus


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"Digital channels are increasingly playing a bigger role in strengthening Hyundai's brand loyalty as they allow customers worldwide to directly experience our brand real-time in a highly interactive way."
Hyundai recently launched the 'Live Brilliant' global campaign to create a deeper connection to consumers in the global market. This is your first global campaign. Why did Hyundai decide to create a global campaign for the first time? Have you noticed different results from this global campaign versus regional ones?
Until now, much of Hyundai's marketing communication efforts have been focused on product promotion and sports sponsorships. As such, most of our communication campaigns were executed at the regional level. We launched the 'Live Brilliant' campaign, our first global campaign, because we recognized the need to deliver a single brand message throughout the world alongside the existing regional product promotions. In order to convey a coherent brand image that could resonate with our customers worldwide, we needed an integrated communication strategy. Through this campaign, we seek to deliver our aspiration: to make each and every moment a customer spends with Hyundai a moment of happiness, filled with brilliant memories. So far, it has been generally well received.
The consumer standard for environmentally sustainable brands, as well as the level of consumers' involvement in those brands, is increasing. Hyundai Motors is contributing to the sustainability effort through your 'blue drive' initiative. How is this initiative different from other automotive brands' sustainability efforts?
Hyundai's green management focuses on minimizing the environmental impact that arises throughout the whole 'life cycle' of a vehicle: from production to its use and disposal. The Blue Drive initiative especially focuses on minimizing the environmental impact associated with vehicle operation by customers.
In the short term, the Blue Drive initiative aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from internal combustion engines that run on fossil fuels through the development of fuel-efficient cars, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The ultimate goal of the Blue Drive initiative is to achieve what we call 'Clean Mobility'— that is, the commercialization of electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles. It is impossible to tackle climate change and the energy crisis using a single technology. Instead, a wide variety of technological development and innovation are necessary. In this regard, the Blue Drive initiative includes the development of technologies that can be made applicable immediately, as well as ones that have potential to serve as a game changer in the long run.
We must satisfy the needs of our customers regarding performance, safety, and affordability in order to make Blue Drive technologies marketable. We will continue to develop a wide variety of Blue Drive technologies and ultimately realize 'Clean Mobility' which meets both the expectations of our customers and the highest environmental performance standards.
What is the role and responsibility of Hyundai Motors' brand in today's diverse social issues such as the aging society, the global economic crisis, and so forth? Do you have a vision for contributing to society as a global brand?
Of course. In fact, one of the core tenets of our brand is "caring"—caring not only about our customers, but being receptive to the needs of our community and society at large. As one of the leading auto companies in the world, Hyundai seeks to contribute to the prosperity of the society and actively respond to its changing demands.
One example of such efforts is the "Assurance Program" Hyundai Motor America (HMA) rolled out in 2009, which was an original initiative that allowed customers to return their newly purchased Hyundai vehicles should they lose their jobs, go bankrupt, or become disabled during their first year of ownership. By offering a radical incentive plan, Hyundai sought to address the needs of consumers and society and contribute in its own creative way.
Hyundai has also been supporting the fight against childhood cancer since 1998. Every time a new Hyundai vehicle is sold in the US, Hyundai contributes $14 USD to the initiative called 'Hope on Wheels.' So far, $34 billion USD has been donated in this way to help children fight cancer.
These are only a few among a myriad of different activities that Hyundai is promoting in an effort to contribute to the global society. And they will surely continue into the future as we grow further as a global brand.
Digital experience gives a brand owner an immediate opportunity when it comes to evolving and furthering brand relevance. How do you view "digital" and the role it plays in furthering Hyundai Motors' relevance? What best practices have you been able to leverage at Hyundai Motors?
"Digital" is a communication channel with growing importance for Hyundai. Digital channels are increasingly playing a bigger role in strengthening Hyundai's brand loyalty as they allow customers worldwide to directly experience our brand real-time in a highly interactive way. Hyundai's 2012 brand campaign, 'Live Brilliant,' is also gradually placing greater weight on digital channels, as we plan to expand the functions of its micro-site (brilliant.hyundai.com) and further develop our mobile applications, as well. Through these efforts, Hyundai aims to provide customers with a brand experience that they can easily access.
What do you predict will be Hyundai Motors' major strengths and weaknesses during the next decade? How will Hyundai Motors overcome those weaknesses?
Hyundai's biggest strengths are its spirit of challenge and commitment. The future is strewn with uncertainties, which means being armed with the spirit of challenge and a can-do mentality can help us persevere through them better than our competitors. This is the precise attitude with which we confronted and overcame a host of uncertainties in the past, and will certainly continue to exploit as our strength in the next decade as well.
Our drive for challenge stems from our commitment to our employees, company, and customers. Because of such a firm commitment to our business, we are adept at forming a quick consensus and swift decision making. In the upcoming decade, we will capitalize on this strength to focus our business activities on brand building. We will build a consensus around the recognition that 'brand' will be Hyundai's ultimate future engine of growth; we will invest in this endeavor accordingly, and meet our goal of becoming the most loved auto brand in the world.
On the other hand, the rapid growth that Hyundai experienced in the past could have easily let us to slip into complacency. We must be careful not to remain content with what we have achieved. Moreover, it is important that we do not rely excessively on past success factors, such as operational efficiency and cost leadership. Although these were undeniably valuable drivers of success in the past, we need to remind ourselves that the future depends much more on brand power. As such, we are currently implementing change throughout the company to steer us toward becoming a market-oriented organization.
What advice can you offer to brand managers who are trying to foster a global brand?
The process of fostering a global brand is undoubtedly an arduous task, prone to various challenges from both inside and out. This is primarily because 'brand management' is not restricted to any one area within a company. Its reach is literally across the whole spectrum of business, from product to sales, marketing, and promotion. And people can be very resistant to change at times.
However, despite whatever challenges you may face, it is important that you build a firm brand direction and strategy that can a) fully internalize the brand message within the company, and b) deliver a coherent and consistent brand image to customers. At the personal level, you must always be sensitive to changing global trends as a brand manager, since the global business arena is fraught with fierce competition and uncertainties. Brand managers should therefore always strive toward further professional growth and never cease to learn more. Such efforts, coupled with perseverance and a willingness to make a difference, will definitely help in making your brand global.
About Wonhong Cho
As Hyundai's Executive Vice President (CMO), Wonhong Cho leads the Brand Management and Marketing Strategy division. Mr. Cho is responsible for Hyundai's global brand communication strategy, corporate and marketing strategy, and corporate identity.
He is a recognized expert in the areas of innovation, growth strategy, marketing, and organizational dynamics across various industries. Prior to joining Hyundai, he was a global partner of Monitor Group while serving as the Managing Director of Monitor Group's Seoul office. He has also worked at Booz Allen & Hamilton.
Mr. Cho holds an MBA degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in business administration from Seoul National University.


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Repair & Refresh: Fixing Up a Washstand
The Art of Furniture Restoration
Awhile back, my friend and I took a friend's washstand and fixed it up. Washstands aren't a practical piece of furniture by modern standards, but as I found by observing the reaction to this piece, it's often the favorite piece in the room by all who see it. If you'd like to add a vintage washstand in your space, they're not that hard to find at a decent price if you are willing to put a little work into it.
With its rustic red exterior, this washstand looked great as is. Unfortunately, the structure of the piece needed repair, which would be impossible to blend into the original look. Hence, we were forced, and happy to paint.
Here's what we did:
First, we secured and filled a crack with wood filler on the washstand's top. We also took out the broken drawer and replaced it with a piece of wood cut to size that acts solely as a facade.
Once we were done with that, we sanded and primed the entire piece, sanded again, and picked out a color. For the color, we chose the darkest blue we could find, and then we mixed black to make it even darker. We wanted to go for a true midnight blue – the kind of blue that some people swear as black, until they realize its true hue!
We painted three coats of paint (hi-gloss latex), and topped it off with a water-based polycrylic. Our friend never had a bowl and pitcher for this washstand, so we bought both on eBay. Finally, we got a knob from Anthropologie that matched new ceramic look with the bowl and pitcher.
What a washstand!
Images: Nick Siemaska
5 Comments
I like the color a lot!
the bowl idea is so great~
It would be nicer if you paint the whole edge (sides, decorative top, bowl front base) at the washstand's top, to give a nice consistent streamline, same flow as the wash bowl form.
While I love the color choice, I'm cringing at the amount of paint on this piece.
I would have sanded a lot more and painted a little less.
There's no reason to add a clear coat on top of decent quality paint. I don't for the life of me understand why people keep feeling the need to do it.
Cute stand, pretty color, but I agree with bourgeoisie, the paint job itself makes me wince. If you don't want to sand imperfections like that out of the surface, better to opt for a satin or eggshell finish to hide them better than a super glossy one will.


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Why should our youth be volunteers, good citizens and good students?
The answers to those questions are the same as the question of why you should support Scouting.
Growing up has never been easy. Each generation faces its own concerns and pressures. For the past 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has provided young people with experiences that prepare them to meet challenges and conquer them.
Character, self-reliance, responsibility and leadership – Scouting provides activities that are in sync with the interests of today's youth, but instill these timeless values. Annually, for more than 40,000 Orange County participants with diverse backgrounds, Scouting is the guiding light that leads to a responsible and rewarding adulthood.
Friends of Scouting is the annual fundraising campaign to raise the operating funds necessary to provide a quality Scouting program in Orange County. This campaign is divided into two separate efforts: The Family Friends of Scouting, which solicits contributions from the Scouting families and the Community Friends of Scouting or Golden Eagle Campaign, which seeks contributions from business and community leaders as well as Council Board members.
Every year there is a need for financial support to existing programs, developing programs and to ensure Council camps remain.
This is the essence of the Family Friends of Scouting campaign, is raising money to help the Orange County Council defray the actual cost of delivering and running the Scouting program. Special events and fundraisers pay only a portion of the cost. Give Scouts and volunteer Scouters your support by helping the Scouting program with your pledge.
Only through your support can we keep the Scouting light burning brightly into the future. Why should you support Scouting? Because your gift to the Friends of Scouting campaign really does keep the light burning. Help us guide the youth of this generation as they grow to become the leaders of the next.
If you have any questions regarding Friends of Scouting, please contact Devon Dougherty at 714-546-8558 ext. 145 or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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KPMG in the UK embarked on a journey of transformation during 2013, in pursuit of our strategic goal to dominate professional services. Our Annual Review highlights how we bring real benefits to our clients, our people and society as a whole.
We are proud to be partnering with Action for Literacy and Shelter to enable us to play a greater part in tackling the key issues of literacy and homelessness in the UK today.
After seven years of turmoil, the banking sector can finally shift focus from cleaning up the debris caused by the financial crisis and start making steps towards delivering sustainable growth and profitability.
Explore why technology firms should choose to invest in the UK. We consider what the UK currently has in its favour as it battles for technology investment.
Technology has revolutionised the day-to-day lives of individuals and organisations alike. But if we're to continue to benefit and to profit from it, and if we're to minimise the potential downsides, we're going to have make some choices.
We help our clients understand current issues and future trends in the world of work, and identify how they can enhance organisational performance through their people.
Explore the opportunities available for school and college leavers at KPMG.
Find out about careers for graduates from all degree disciplines in Audit, Tax, Advisory, Technology, Marketing and HR.
Keep up to date with the latest news and views from KPMG in the UK by following our twitter feed.
KPMG's leadership blogs brings you insight, opinion and debate from our senior partners and industry experts.
The 2014 edition of our Alumni magazine, Connected, features Alumni profiles, as well as articles about Cyber Security and Tax Transparency. Regional variations for Scotland, North, Midlands and South are also available
Over 11,000 of our alumni are registered on LinkedIn. We have established the KPMG UK Alumni group to enable you to contact many of our past and current people who are members.
We provide M&A advice and assistance to corporate, private equity and government clients of every size, and help them to deliver successful transactions. We focus on acquisitions, disposals, public bids/mergers, joint ventures, buy-outs, initial public offerings (IPOs), market entry, financing and other transactions. We identify, structure and execute all manner of public and private market transactions, and provide support from initial analysis of strategic options and deal evaluation through to completion and post-acquisition integration or separation. We are driven by a passion to help our clients to execute transactions efficiently and maximise value.
Certain factors are driving a change in how businesses need to prepare for divestments in order to Exit Right and maximise value. We discuss eight practical steps which can help position a business for sale and increase the chance of a successful divestment.
Planning for the success of your business cycle has seldom been more complex. Given recent economic conditions, you would expect to see businesses focused on managing their businesses more tightly. This is just what we found in our survey of 1500 business leaders, who highlighted cost efficiencies and cash management as their top two issues.
Global companies are doing little more than 'flipping a coin' when it comes to enhancing value through deals in the emerging markets of the Asia Pacific (ASPAC) region. KPMG's latest global M&A study 'A new dawn' of more than 150 respondents found that the days of deals which were guaranteed to add, or at least maintain, value have come to an abrupt halt.
Andy CoxUK Head of Transaction Services
020 7311 4817
KPMG's M&A Predictor looks at the appetite and capacity for M&A deals by analysing key indicators 12 months forward.
Our latest magazine for high growth markets and emerging economies looks at a diverse range of topics including at how Latin America is financing its infrastructure backbone; the developing role of private equity in Africa; a special feature on the changing face of Nigeria; what the new AEC trade zone might do for the fortunes of the 10 member states in South East Asia; and, finally the case for a strong, regulated shadow banking system.
© 2014
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International") is a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.


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Object Name: shirt
Artist/Maker: Cheesecloth
Role in production: Make
Place of Creation: Europe, United Kingdom, England
Date: 1970-1975
Accession Number: 1985.204
Image Copyright: © Manchester City Galleries
Credit: Manchester City Galleries
White cotton cheesecloth. Pointed collar; short sleeves; breast pocket; full length CF fastening with 7 pearl buttons; slimfit.
Type: (L : 27 in)
Depth: 27 inches
Collections search powered by KE EMu software


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Chasing Ice movie reveals largest iceberg break-up ever filmed - guardian.co.uk)
A warm November and record-breaking early December means 2012 will be the warmest year ever for the U.S. As Jeff Masters reports:The NCDC's Climate Extremes Index (CEI),which "tracks the percentage area of the contiguous U.S. experiencing top-10% and bottom-10% extremes in temperature, precipitation, and drought," reports it has also been the most extreme January to November period on record. Some 46% of the continental U.S. saw top-10% extreme weather, which is more than double the average
…the U.S. heated up considerably in November, notching its 20th warmest November since 1895, said NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in their latest State of the Climate report. The warm November virtually assures that 2012 will be the warmest year on record in the U.S. The year-to-date period of January – November has been by far the warmest such period on record for the contiguous U.S.–a remarkable 1.0°F above the previous record. During the 11-month period, 18 states were record warm and an additional 24 states were top ten warm. The December 2011 – November 2012 period was the warmest such 12-month period on record for the contiguous U.S., and the eight warmest 12-month periods since record keeping began in 1895 have all ended during 2012.
December 2012 would have to be 1°F colder than our coldest December on record (set in 1983) to prevent the year 2012 from being the warmest in U.S. history. This is meteorologically impossible, given the recent December heat in the U.S. As wunderground's weather historian Christopher C. Burt reported, an early-December heat wave this week set records for warmest December temperature on record in seven states. December 2012 is on pace to be a top-20% warmest December on record in the U.S.
"Promised Land" is part buddy comedy. The chemistry between Damon and McDormand as gas company executives who travel to a rural Pennsylvania town in a beat-up truck to hoodwink the locals into allowing their big corporation to drill for natural gas on their properties is spot-on and filled with zingy one-liners and playful pranks.
The movie is also a well-scripted romantic comedy, with a love triangle between Krasinski's environmental activist, Damon (the two men co-wrote the screenplay) and a local schoolteacher, played by an adorable Rosemarie Dewitt.
Although "Promised Land" attempts to do the whole Erin Brockovich–style little guy versus big corporation thing, the audience will not necessarily walk out of the theater and pick up a Frack No More placard.
But that might be OK. "Maybe expecting people to go out and protest fracking is too much," Thompson explained to me, saying that we just shouldn't set the bar so high. "But if it becomes a big hit and lots of people go to see it, if they walk out of that movie knowing what fracking is, that's a pretty big step. That's all you can really expect a fracking movie to do."
The wolf, known as 832F to researchers, was the alpha female of the park's highly visible Lamar Canyon pack and had become so well known that some wildlife watchers referred to her as a "rock star." The animal had been a tourist favorite for most of the past six years.
The wolf was fitted with a $4,000 collar with GPS tracking technology, which is being returned, said Daniel Stahler, a project director for Yellowstone's wolf program. Based on data from the wolf's collar, researchers knew that her pack rarely ventured outside the park, and then only for brief periods, Dr. Stahler said.
This year's hunting season in the northern Rockies has been especially controversial because of the high numbers of popular wolves and wolves fitted with research collars that have been killed just outside Yellowstone in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Wolf hunts, sanctioned by recent federal and state rules applying to the northern Rockies, have been fiercely debated in the region. The wolf population has rebounded since they were reintroduced in the mid-1990s to counter their extirpation a few years earlier.
Many ranchers and hunters say the wolf hunts are a reasonable way to reduce attacks on livestock and protect big game populations.
This fall, the first wolf hunts in decades were authorized in Wyoming. The wolf killed last week was the eighth collared by researchers that was shot this year after leaving the park's boundary.
The deaths have dismayed scientists who track wolves to study their habits, population spread and threats to their survival. Still, some found 832F's death to be particularly disheartening.
"She is the most famous wolf in the world," said Jimmy Jones, a wildlife photographer who lives in Los Angeles and whose portrait of 832F appears in the current issue of the magazine American Scientist.
Werner's title nodded at a question running like an anxious murmur just beneath the surface of this and other presentations at the AGU conference: What is the responsibility of scientists, many of them funded by taxpayer dollars through institutions like the National Science Foundation, to tell us just exactly how f**ked we are? Should scientists be neutral arbiters who provide information but leave the fraught decision-making and cost-benefit analysis to economists and political actors? Or should they engage directly in the political process or even become advocates for policies implied by their scientific findings?
Conservatives are less likely to accept the reality of human-caused climate science when presented with supporting scientific evidence. But tell them that 99 out of 100 climate scientists agree on the subject, and conservatives will be more likely to accept that humans are altering the climate, according to a new pilot study.
The findings, presented today (Dec. 7) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, suggest that scientists shouldn't break out the graphs and tables when talking climate with conservatives. Instead, climate advocates should emphasize how much of the scientific community agrees on the subject.
Forests Worldwide near Tipping Point From Drought
by Monga Bay staff
Forests worldwide are at "equally high risk" to die-off from drought conditions, warns a new study published this week in the journal Nature.
The study, conducted by an international team of scientists, assessed the specific physiological effects of drought on 226 tree species at 81 sites in different biomes around the world. It found that 70 percent of the species sampled are particularly vulnerable to reduction in water availability. With drought conditions increasing around the globe due to climate change and deforestation, the research suggests large swathes of the world's forests — and the services they afford — may be approaching a tipping point.
Water is critical to trees, transporting nutrients, providing stabilizing, and serving as a medium for the metabolic processes that generate the energy needed for a tree to survive.(read more: MongaBay) (photos: Rhett Butler)
It is finally starting to freeze at night on a regular basis - but I have been watering my yard and trees all week - because what we have not had is rain or snow. My house is surrounded by trees and I don't want them dying or falling on my house. It may be winter, but our drought continues.
Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican on the Senate Committee on Energy and Public Works, held a climate-denial press conference at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on Thursday. With Inhofe was an activist who believes the UN is starting the apocalypse and a British Lord who was banned from all UN climate conferences for impersonating the representative from Myanmar.
Senator Inhofe's first guest was Cathie Adams, the President of the Texas Eagle Forum and former Texas GOP chair. Adams must have felt quite uncomfortable speaking at a United Nations function, as she has maintained for over a decade that the UN was the anti-Christ's vehicle for stealthily taking over the world. From a 1999 newsletter:
The Bible tells us that in the end times there will be a world government headed by a world leader, called the anti-Christ, who will profess a world religion, but did you ever think you would live in the day when these things would come into being? That is exactly what the United Nations is doing behind the backs of most Americans.
Adams has singled out environmentalism as part of the UN's sinister agenda, suggesting a fictional UN Pledge of Allegiance would require "worship[ping] the Earth." She also believes, among other things, that the CO2 emissions do not cause climate change and that vaccination is a plot to steal American freedom.
Senator Inhofe's other guest, Lord Christopher Monckton, has a storied history of making things up, especially with respect to climate science. It's a pattern Monckton fell into at the Doha negotiations, where he took the platform reserved for the Myanmarese delegation and claimed to be speaking for "Asian coastal nations." The double pretense got him ejected from the nation of Qatar and banned from every future UN climate summit.
One might think this clown show would embarrass the Senator, but his record suggests otherwise: Senator Inhofe has claimed that climate science is a hoax that contravenes the will of God and is currently working with the Heartland Institute — which suggests that climate change advocates are like the Unabomber — to de-fund the Environmental Protection Agency.
Climate change is an issue affecting both women and men. Despite the surface similarities shared by both genders, women experience climate change more adversely than men due to fundamental inequalities and discrimination.
Women make up a disproportionately large share of the poor worldwide. The poor are being hit first by the impact of climate change and the results are falling hardest on poor women, especially those in the developing world.
"Women face different vulnerabilities than men to climate change due to structural inequalities and pervasive discrimination," Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, tells UNEARTH News.
In developing countries, women's livelihoods often depend on local natural resources. Representing a majority of the world's small-scale farmers, women produce much of the world's food. Women are usually the primary caregivers, child rearers, and food providers for their families. They are often responsible for the water and energy supplies in their homes.
"Climate change and environmental degradation therefore impact women directly, as they have to work harder, walk longer and find new ways of subsistence when they are faced with changes in the environment," explains Puri. "All these translate to time lost for education and engaging in remunerated productive activities, among others."
Women farmers will face more crop failures, forcing them to work more for fewer yields. Potential flooding and droughts will contribute to health crises such as outbreaks of diarrhea, cholera, malaria, and dengue fever. Unpredictable rainfall makes food, fuel, and water scarce, so women have to walk longer to collect their household needs. Not only is that wasted time better used on other tasks such as work, but longer walks increase their risk of violence on their path.
Susskind clarifies, "When climate change triggers a natural disaster, women struggle to provide for their families' human needs: shelter, clean water, safety and food."
Natural disasters resulting from climate change will likely cause a rise in mortality for women. Based on a study by the London School of Economics, women had a higher death rate during natural disasters. In fact, the study found that the stronger the disaster, the larger the gender gap in life expectancy. Nearly three times as many women as men are killed in climate related disasters, such as hurricanes and floods.
Considering women's roles in society as primary caregivers, women must be explicitly targeted for promoting strategies for conservation, adaptation, and reducing environmental degradation in order for their quality of life to be improved.
Even as battlelines are drawn between developed and the developing world for Doha climate talks, India and China —- key allies at global climate negotiations —- on Monday agreed to collaborate on clean technologies and finding solutions to their environmental problems.
"We (India and China) have similar environmental problems and can find joint solutions," planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, after signing an agreement with Zhang Ping, chairman of Chinese National Development and Reforms Commission to conduct pilot studies in joint areas of interest.
Both India and China have adopted innovative methods to deal with rising urban municipal and water waste, and Ahluwalia said both the countries could learn from each other's experiences.
Although high cost solutions are available with western world, its applicability in the two countries is difficult because of the scale of the waste.
To assess the ground situation, India and China will conduct joint pilot studies, which would be scaled up, if found viable.
"We are also working on signing an agreement on collaboration in area of small hydro power projects," Ahluwalia said.
India and China at second strategic economic dialogue also signed an agreement with the commission to enhance cooperation in the field of energy efficiency.
Watch Coral Reefs Die as Ocean Temperatures Rise, Water Acidifies on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Endangered Coral Reefs Die as Ocean Temperatures Rise and Water Turns Acidic (via PBS)
Philippines negotiator makes emotional plea at Doha climate talks
(via guardian.co.uk)
More: At the COP18 climate talks, the Filipino delegate broke down as he appealed to the world: 'no more delays, no more excuses'
Saño told the plenary session:"As we sit here in these negotiations, even as we vacillate and procrastinate here, the death toll is rising. There is massive and widespread devastation. Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered without homes. And the ordeal is far from over, as typhoon Bopha has regained some strength as it approaches another populated area in the western part of the Philippines."Madam chair, we have never had a typhoon like Bopha, which has wreaked havoc in a part of the country that has never seen a storm like this in half a century. And heartbreaking tragedies like this are not unique to the Philippines, because the whole world, especially developing countries struggling to address poverty and achieve social and human development, confront these same realities.
"Madam chair, I speak on behalf of 100 million Filipinos, a quarter of a million of whom are eeking out a living working here in Qatar [as migrant labourers]. And I am making an urgent appeal, not as a negotiator, not as a leader of my delegation, but as a Filipino …"
At this point he broke down."I appeal to the whole world, I appeal to leaders from all over the world, to open our eyes to the stark reality that we face. I appeal to ministers. The outcome of our work is not about what our political masters want. It is about what is demanded of us by 7 billion people.
"I appeal to all, please, no more delays, no more excuses. Please, let Doha be remembered as the place where we found the political will to turn things around. Please, let 2012 be remembered as the year the world found the courage to find the will to take responsibility for the future we want. I ask of all of us here, if not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?"
"Thank you madam chair."
The hall rose and applauded.
Later I spoke to Saño, or "Yeb" as he is widely known. He said: "This was the 16th typhoon this year. It was particularly intense and uncharacteristic, struck the province of Davao Oriental. I know the area well. I have been there many times. Quite a few of our delegation have their families there.
"Each destructive typhoon season costs us 2% of our GDP, and the reconstruction costs a further 2%, which means we lose nearly 5% of our economy every year to storms. We have received no climate finance to adapt or to prepare ourselves for typhoons and other extreme weather we are now experiencing.
"We have not seen any money from the rich countries to help us to adapt. So more and more people die every year. I feel very frustrated. I was very emotional because it tears your heart out when you know your people are feeling the impact. We cannot go on like this. It cannot be a way of life that we end up running always from storms.
"You feel frustrated when the UN process does not work. We always go to the brink in the negotiations. That is a bad sign. Climate change negotiations cannot be based on the way we currently measure progress. It is a clear sign of planetary and economic and environmental dysfunction."
In recent weeks, college students on dozens of campuses have demanded that university endowment funds rid themselves of coal, oil and gas stocks. The students see it as a tactic that could force climate change, barely discussed in the presidential campaign, back onto the national political agenda.
"We've reached this point of intense urgency that we need to act on climate change now, but the situation is bleaker than it's ever been from a political perspective," said William Lawrence, a Swarthmore senior from East Lansing, Mich.
Several organizations have been working on some version of a divestment campaign, initially focusing on coal, for more than a year. But the recent escalation has largely been the handiwork of a grass-roots organization, 350.org, that focuses on climate change, and its leader, Bill McKibben, a writer turned advocate. The group's name is a reference to what some scientists see as a maximum safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, 350 parts per million. The level is now about 390, an increase of 41 percent since before the Industrial Revolution.
Mr. McKibben is touring the country by bus, speaking at sold-out halls and urging students to begin local divestment initiatives focusing on 200 energy companies. Many of the students attending said they were inspired to do so by an article he wrote over the summer in Rolling Stone magazine, "Global Warming's Terrifying New Math."
Speaking recently to an audience at the University of Vermont, Mr. McKibben painted the fossil fuel industry as an enemy that must be defeated, arguing that it had used money and political influence to block climate action in Washington. "This is no different than the tobacco industry — for years, they lied about the dangers of their industry," Mr. McKibben said.
In an interview, Mr. McKibben said he recognized that a rapid transition away from fossil fuels would be exceedingly difficult. But he said strong government policies to limit emissions were long overdue, and were being blocked in part by the political power of the incumbent industry.
Mr. McKibben's goal is to make owning the stocks of these companies disreputable, in the way that owning tobacco stocks has become disreputable in many quarters. Many colleges will not buy them, for instance.
Mr. McKibben has laid out a series of demands that would get the fuel companies off 350.org's blacklist. He wants them to stop exploring for new fossil fuels, given that they have already booked reserves about five times as large as scientists say society can afford to burn. He wants them to stop lobbying against emission policies in Washington. And he wants them to help devise a transition plan that will leave most of their reserves in the ground while encouraging lower-carbon energy sources.
"They need more incentive to make the transition that they must know they need to make, from fossil fuel companies to energy companies," Mr. McKibben said.
Most college administrations, at the urging of their students, have been taking global warming seriously for years, spending money on steps like cutting energy consumption and installing solar panels.
The divestment demand is so new that most administrators are just beginning to grapple with it. Several of them, in interviews, said that even though they tended to agree with students on the seriousness of the problem, they feared divisive boardroom debates on divestment.
That was certainly the case in the 1980s, when the South African divestment campaign caused bitter arguments across the nation.
The issue then was whether divestment, potentially costly, would have much real effect on companies doing business in South Africa. Even today, historians differ on whether it did. But the campaign required prominent people to grapple with the morality of apartheid, altering the politics of the issue. Economic pressure from many countries ultimately helped to force the whites-only South African government to the bargaining table.
Mr. Lawrence, the Swarthmore senior, said that many of today's students found that campaign inspirational because it "transformed what was seemingly an intractable problem."
I admire these students, but with there already being so much heat on tuition costs, I doubt they will be successful in getting universities to remove petroleum companies from their portfolios. I doubt many could really afford to do so. That said, I am in favor of the action and hope that it takes off all over the country - because students speaking out in union has power beyond the university walls. And apparently, our leaders need to see and hear more of that.
Just discovered this site:
UNEARTH News is a 501 (c) (3), independent news agency based in the United Nations in New York City and is a new initiative of the award-winning MediaGlobal News. Through a multi-media communications platform, UNEARTH News seeks to make visible the narratives, news and community networks around the globe that are underreported and vital for understanding the impact of climate change on developing countries. Relying on stories from our own team as well as emerging and established journalists, other news outlets, and through strategic partners in the field, UNEARTH News provides a unique perspective on the impacts of climate change from the countries and communities that are nearly invisible to mainstream media. Featuring news stories, photo essays, documentaries, exclusive interviews, articles and resources, UNEARTH News will reveal the human dimensions of climate change to the global media, parliamentarians, environmental companies, institutions, policymakers and civil society in the United Nations member states — and to all people concerned about the state of the planet.
Graph of the day: Americans buying more fuel- efficient cars, polluting less
New cars bought in the fall of 2012 are using about 15 percent less fuel per mile than cars purchased in 2007. But they're also logging slightly fewer miles overall — a sign that Americans aren't just negating the fuel savings by driving more. Add it all up, and there's been a 20 percent drop in greenhouse-gas emissions from new vehicles in the past five years.
How much of a difference does this make in the grand scheme of things? Brand-new vehicles, after all, are only a small portion of the overall U.S. fleet. Yet in a recent paper, Sivak and Brandon Schoettle estimated that recent efficiency upgrades have already reduced carbon-dioxide emissions from all U.S. light-duty vehicles by about 2.9 percent.
Combine that with the fact that Americans have been driving fewer miles overall, and that's a small but real improvement as far as oil use and climate change are concerned.


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The Rapid Dominance Security Digital Leather Tactical Glove is a tough duty glove perfect for any task. These leather Security gloves feature a backside made of a polyester 4-way stretch material for the ultimate in flexibility and comfort. The palms on these duty gloves are made of top quality digital leather, which has a unique texture and pattern to it. Rubber padding on the tactical glove protects the knuckle area from impact and the fingertips are completely surrounded by leather for added protection. Terry cloth is placed above the thumb area, which is useful for wiping perspiration from the face so you can stay looking cool even when most active. Get the Digital Leather Security Tactical Gloves from Rapid Dominance, and give your hands the protection they deserve.
Harry's Army Surplus: Serving Dearborn and Metropolitan Detroit with army navy surplus, uniform gear, boots, army surplus and work clothing since 1950.


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(n) (1) A computer system that is accessed by a user working at a remote location. Typically, the term is used when there are two computer systems connected by modems and telephone lines. The system that contains the data is called the host, while the computer at which the user sits is called the remote terminal.
(2) A computer that is connected to a TCP/IP network, including the Internet. Each host has a unique IP address.
(3) To provide the infrastructure for a computer service. For example, there are many companies that host files, programs, applications or even a Web server for companies and individuals. In the case of a Web server, it means that they provide the hardware, software, and communications lines required by the server, but the content on the server may be controlled by someone else.
The future remains, well, cloudy. But either way: Amazon, look out. Microsoft is gaining fast. Read More »Hype Versus Action in the Developer's World
Often times technologies start as hype but with time become adopted. As a developer or technologist, it is worth reading the hype and knowing the... Read More »Microsoft Hyper-V Network Virtualization Q&A
The top 5 Hyper-V questions with answers provided by Nirmal Sharma, a MCSEx3, MCITP and Microsoft MVP in Directory Services. Read More »
Webopedia Polls: Is iPhone 6 or iWatch on your list? Read More »How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to a Website
This Webopedia guide will show you how to create a desktop shortcut to a website using Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer (IE). Read More »Flash Data Storage Vendor Trends
Although it is almost impossible to keep up with the pace of ongoing product releases, here are three recent highlights in the flash data storage... Read More »
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Standing Committee Subgroup on COP9 -- Agenda paper COP9 SG-9
|CONVENTION ON WETLANDS (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)
Meeting of the Standing Committee Subgroup on COP9
Gland, Switzerland, 7-10 March 2005
Agenda item 9
Issues concerning transboundary Ramsar sites
1. It has been recognized many times that a coherent national and international network of Ramsar sites and their sustainable management can provide a powerful demonstration and important contribution to countries achieving their sustainable development goals, through the recognition and maintenance of the wetland services and functions they provide in water and food security and poverty eradication, especially for local communities and indigenous people.
2. What has not been well developed is the issue of transboundary Ramsar sites, their "status" and importantly their management. "Transboundary Ramsar sites" are defined as those internationally important wetlands which cross international borders and have been designated as Ramsar sites by at least two Contracting Parties within whose territories they lie.
3. The suggestion has been made that Parties should identify shared wetland sites and catchment basins, and that such initial identification of sites and catchments should be followed by an assessment of their specific functions and values that would merit recognition as Wetlands of International Importance. As a matter of priority, wetlands with unilateral designation (i.e., on only one side of a border) should be identified for listing in the neighbouring Party as well.
4. During recent years, a number of new Ramsar sites in the European region have been formally (de jure) declared jointly as "transboundary sites", i.e., through a common letter of designation, signed by the two national authorities, sometimes also complemented by a common Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) covering both parts of the site, specifying its values on each side of the border. Such sites may carry the same name or different names, for reasons of overriding importance of local names, different languages and alphabets used, etc. A detailed paper was presented to the European Regional Meeting in Armenia in December 2004 and is available at http://www.ramsar.org/mtg_reg_europe2004_docs1d1.pdf.
5. A related issue is that which concerns the desirability and operability for developing a mechanism for specifically identifying transboundary Ramsar sites in the Ramsar List and any reporting requirements for this.
6. The Subgroup on COP9 is invited to comment on this issue and to advise on the desirability or need for a draft Resolution to be prepared for consideration by the 31st meeting of the Standing Committee in June 2005.


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Each month our team of expert editors addresses the changing role of IT by helping savvy technology professionals navigate both the technical and cultural challenges wrought by vendor-hype, user-demands, and technology requirements.DOWNLOAD THIS MONTH'S E-ZINE ISSUE NOW!
VM performance management, Capacity planning, Provisioning and configuration, Monitoring and troubleshooting virtual machines, P2V, V2V and V2P migration
Security management, Server virtualization compliance and governance
VMware virtualization, VMware management tools, VMware conference coverage, Microsoft virtualization, VMware administration and how-tos, Microsoft Hyper-V management, Citrix XenServer, Open source virtualization, Emerging platforms, Vendor selection
Servers and virtualization, Network virtualization, Virtualized clusters and high-performance computing, Cloud computing architecture, Cloud computing infrastructure, Application virtualization, Using virtual machine appliances, Virtualization how-tos and learning guides, Networking for Server Virtualization
Backup and disaster recovery, Virtual server backup and storage
Desktop virtualization, Lab, test and development, Cloud computing and virtualization strategies, Data center consolidation, Backup, disaster recovery and business continuity
Server consolidation and improved resource utilization, Green data center: Reducing power consumption with virtualization, Reducing IT costs with server virtualization, Improving server management with virtualization
Virtualization costs, licensing and support issues, Virtualization security and patch management, Downtime and data loss in virtualized environments, Preventing virtual machine sprawl
VMware's network virtualization product promises both flexibility and security in one of the few areas where innovation has lagged in the data center.
VMware announced several new products and also realigned existing offerings with new names to shake things up at VMworld 2014.
There has been some debate whether to keep vCenter on a host or to run it virtualized. Our expert answers some common questions to make the case for virtualization.
While Windows already comes preinstalled with a number of CA certificates, here's what to do if you need to install it.
Admins looking to improve traffic efficiency have some new options to consider in the latest iteration of Windows Server.
Generic routing encapsulation can help Windows Server 2012 R2 admins with performance enhancements.
Rackspace went a step further than Amazon with its Xen reboot, taking down its entire public cloud region by region to address the bug.
From keeping up with the cloud's evolution to quelling security concerns, cloud admins have their work cut out for them -- but if you can master these skills, you'll be a desirable candidate for the job.
Enterprise cloud computing has reached the tipping point where shared expertise will simplify deployment models, according to the Open Data Center Alliance.
ThinApp and XenApp are both application virtualization tools. They do basically the same thing, they just come from different vendors.
You can manage profiles with Active Directory or the tools built into your VDI software, but third-party options from AppSense, RES software and Liquidware Labs offer more features and can reduce storage needs.
Citrix bought Virtual, a company that makes an ARM-based hypervisor for mobile app test and dev and boasts a who's who of security experts on its staff. The acquisition seems natural, but what will come out of it remains to be seen.
In the old days, all data was created -- and protected -- equally. In today's data center, ever-changing rosters of VMs and LUNs call for a new data backup arsenal.
I want to write a shell script that contains commands for Linux partition creation. Can I automate everything so the user only inputs the partition size and details?
Schneider Electric aims to improve energy efficiency and sustainability. The company's EVP of IT products discusses the future of data centers -- and it's global.


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Swim Club
Below the hubbub of the Living Space, Swim Club is a secluded area designed for both being active and kicking back.
It features a 25-metre ocean-view infinity pool, café-bar, cardio room, a studio for cardio cycle and yoga classes, three treatment rooms, plus a manicure and pedicure room overlooking the bay.
Outside there is a touch-down lobby, poolside terraces with a Canadian hot tub, a classic timber boardwalk that leads to the beach, surfboard storage and a changing & wet-suit drying room.


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Browse All Accessories
Browse Accessories For Your Phone
Latest Headlines
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- I just installed Nova. about 1 min ago by freightguy70 9
- Phone Arena Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact Reviews about 2 min ago by smooth4lyfe 1
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- Is a 2 year old phone realistic now? about 4 min ago by Madd54 71


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Written by Rockford Fosgate Corp.
03 May 2012
Rockford Fosgate, the industry leader in high-performance car audio systems, announced that its Punch Powered Loaded Subwoofer Enclosures are now shipping. The all new P300-10 10-inch and P300-12 12-inch, 300-Watt (RMS) models are the perfect all-i [ … ]
Written by Pioneer
10 April 2012
First debuted at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January, the long-awaited Pioneer AppRadio™ 2 smartphone powered in-vehicle audio system is now available at authorized Pioneer retailers. The next generation AppRadio 2 is the first in-dash receiver to support BOTH the iPhone®* platform and [ … ]
Written by Palmer Performance Engineering
29 February 2012
Palmer Performance Engineering, the creator of DashCommand, a leading smartphone app allowing automotive enthusiasts in-vehicle performance, diagnostics, and fuel economy data access, announces a new partnership with Pioneer's AppRadio. The newest version of DashCommand (Version 2.9) for the iPhon [ … ]
Written by Kicker Audio
09 February 2012
The KICKER U™ mobile application has made it easier than ever for installers and do-it-yourselfers to research car audio-related questions and finish jobs, and now for the first time it's available for Android™ customers. In addition, the existing KICKER U app for iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad® u [ … ]
Written by Rockford Fosgate Corp.
07 February 2012
Now Live, the Power Behind RATS is Real-World Analysis; the
RATS Comparison Engine Illustrates Detailed Frequency Responses
and SPL Measurements of up to Four Possible Configurations
Page 17 of 30


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The Legend of "Woodchuck"
May 7, 2009 - Jennifer Brookens
Great legends are created out of regular men and women in small-town cafes, by the watercooler, or anyplace else people gather to shoot the breeze.
This was the case Wednesday morning when I had a few interviews scheduled in one of my western Martin County towns. I had about half-hour of time to kill, so I went into the local cafe, took a seat and ordered the special. There were a group of older men at a table, some farmers who got rained out that morning. And one of them was telling tales about a guy named "Woodchuck."
"I was the one that named him Woodchuck," the storyteller proclaimed. I didn't get to hear why he was named Woodchuck, but just that the nickname stuck. Several antidotes were spun about how Woodchuck had some sort of aversion to bathing or showering. The storyteller told about how his apartment just stunk, and he learned the reason why was because he kept fish in the bathtub. Didn't say if they were alive or dead, trout or goldfish, but either way fish in the tub is an interesting quirk.
Other antidotes include a time when the storyteller wanted Woodchuck to get cleaned up to go into Fairmont, and after grumbling and pouting, an hour later, he came back with patent leather shoes and dress pants. He made a remark about, "If I'm gonna work for a preacher, I might as well dress like one." This sent the group of men into hysterics. There was also a tale about how Woodchuck used to like to dance with the ladies at the Holiday Inn in Fairmont "... when they played that country-western music ... I told him, 'Woodchuck, you can't keep going after the ladies like that, you're gonna get yourself clocked,'" the storyteller said. Woodchuck's response indicated this particular woman didn't seem to mind, which got another laugh from the group.
After the group of men paid the bill and went their separate ways, I asked the storyteller about Woodchuck. As it turned out, Woodchuck actually had a pretty hard life. "But he had a heart of gold," the storyteller told me. "He would've done anything for you, anything you needed."
Woodchuck died several years ago, but the storyteller indicated as he walked away from me, "I got a million stories about Woodchuck. That's just the beginning."
Maybe the storytellers are onto something... Looking back at this blog, my writing doesn't do justice to the storyteller's legend of Woodchuck. Perhaps it's the bonding, the shared life and love that breathes a person's essence into our lives long after this person is gone just by sharing a tale.
Long live the storytellers...
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Very Light Jet Maker Plays Matchmaker
Albuquerque, N.M.-based start-up manufacturer Eclipse Aviation said its six-month-old JetMatch program has "more than exceeded our expectations." JetMatch "facilitates partnerships" in new Eclipse 500s via a password-protected message board on the company's Web site. An Eclipse spokesman said the service has thus far resulted in two matches for the $1.295 million VLJ.
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Nobody cares more about your money than you do.
This post comes from J.D. Roth at partner blog Get Rich Slowly.
There's been an influx of new readers at Get Rich Slowly lately. To serve as an intro to the new folks (and to celebrate the site's fourth anniversary, and in honor of Financial Literacy Month), today I'm going to review my financial philosophy. Although we covered each of these points in turn last autumn, it's been awhile since I collected these core values in one location.
Based on my research -- and my experience with what does and doesn't work -- I've compiled a list of 14 guidelines that form the basis of everything I write.
Which to fly if you have lots of baggage, want to arrive on time and more.
This Deal of the Day comes from Kelli B. Grant at partner site SmartMoney.
It's report card time for the airlines.
Each year, the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and the Department of Aviation Technology at Purdue University release their Airline Quality Rating (AQR), an analysis of Department of Transportation data on topics like: Which airline does the best job at getting bags to their destination? Which has the best arrival and departure records?
Why do you suppose most bankers aren't trying as hard as these Texans to modify troubled mortgages?
This post comes from Marilyn Lewis of MSN Money.
You get the impression from reading the news that banks and loan servicers -- the companies that collect payments -- are resisting demands and pleas from homeowners and the government (and common sense) to get moving on modifying failing mortgages.
Banks seem to drag their feet. Currently, about 6 million homeowners are behind on their payments and banks have modified only a fraction of them (and even "permanent" modifications aren't really permanent). Banks foreclosed on 2.8 million homeowners last year.
So it's kind of amazing to read, in this report from HousingWire reporter Diana Golobay, how some servicers are pulling out all the stops to button-hole delinquent homeowners and get them into mortgage modifications.
With enrollment mostly flat, many camps are holding the line on prices.
This Deal of the Day comes from Elizabeth Trotta at partner site SmartMoney.
Want to send Junior to camp this summer but worry about high fees?
The good news is you probably won't have to pay more, or at least not much more, than last year. Enrollment for 2010 looks steady, at about 11 million campers, according to the American Camp Association. (In the ACA's most recent survey, three-quarters of participating camps said enrollment this year would be the same or higher than last summer.) So, without a surge of new business, many camps are simply holding the line.
Free fries, BOGO meals and coupons for free drinks among the offerings. Don't forget free entry to national parks.
It's finally Friday, and it's time for food deals and freebies.
The Earth Day deals we posted about are still on, including free admission April 17-25 to all national parks that charge an entry fee. This is also the weekend for lots of free local Earth Day events.
Even though April 15 has come and gone, a few of our Tax Day deals are still valid, including free HydroMassage and a BOGO coupon from Boston Market, both good through April 18. And don't forget that some of last week's deals are still good.
Everyone grumbles about the boredom and the bad coffee. Ever thought about the financial hardship?
- I've been injured in an auto accident. (The case we were to have looked at involved lost income and "enjoyment of life" after a crash.)
- I write for MSN Money. (The guy doing the suing was in the securities industry.)
- The guy's attorney just didn't like my face. A friend of mine joked, "You look like you're ready to acquit."
The mortality wall might be looming, but the discounts await.
This guest post comes from Buck Weber at The Buck List.
We all remember how anxious we were as kids to grow up. You hit the double digits at 10, teenhood at 13, get a driver's permit at 14, a license to drive at sweet 16, reach adulthood at 18 and finally, the all-powerful 21.
What's next?
Well, usually your car insurance will lower a little at 25. As 30 looms you might quietly reflect on your soon-to-be- forever-gone 20s, but once it hits and you start cruising through your 30s you might get to thinking, hey, this aging thing isn't as bad as it sounded.
The wall
An offer of 10% off and 0% financing nearly sucked him in, but his adult voice prevailed.
This guest post comes from Jason at Frugal Dad.
On a recent night I was mowing when the lawn tractor died. This wasn't the first time it had failed me mid-mow, but the new-to-me symptoms of this latest casualty had me thoroughly angry. The mower is only seven years old, but has had one problem after another.
I pushed the mower back into the garage and went inside to vent. My wife agreed that maybe it was time to look for a new mower. The next day I spent my lunch hour "test driving" a Toro zero-turn model that boasted reduced cutting time, better maneuverability, and other such marketing speak.
The summer between freshman and sophomore years of college I worked for a landscaper running a crew to mow residential and commercial lawns. He had one of these mowers and I always thought it would be "cool" to own one. Red flag No. 1.
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Amarillo, TX - When thinking about New Year's Eve, many cases of drunk driving may come to mind.
We reached out to all 33 counties in our area and of the ones we spoke with only a few reported any DWI, DUI or other alcohol related incidents.
Gray County and Hall county both reported only one case of DWI. While Moore County reported two incidents of DWI and one case of Public Intoxication.
Also, Ochiltree County reported two cases of Public Intoxication and one case of Disorderly Conduct.
22 other counties had no reports of any alcohol related events. Additionally, Randall and Potter Counties both reported their deputies did not respond to any incidents, because they were handled by the Amarillo Police Department.


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Legendary pro wrestling manager Jim Cornette makes no bones about it. The outspoken personality is not a fan of sports entertainment and what the business has become since his teenage years.
He misses the good old days, which is why he enjoys attending the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend in Charlotte. Cornette looks forward to making the trip to this year's event, Aug. 1-4, along with other legends such as Jerry Brisco, James J. Dillon, Ivan Koloff and Tully Blanchard.
"It's especially going to be fun for me because I haven't been able to go for the last couple of years," Cornette said. "I was there pretty much there every year until 2010 from the first…It's great because not only do I get the chance to see people I don't normally see, but actually talk to real actual wrestling fans. Not sports entertainment fans, where nobody brings up, 'Well, what is so and so doing on Combat Zone Wrestling?'
"These people are wrestling fans. They enjoy wrestling, and there is no talk of sports entertainment or very little. It's kept to a minimum. It's the kind of environment I like to be in where we can remember the days when things were done right when the crowds were big, buildings were big and the guys were over. Everybody knew who you were. Everybody knew your name like on 'Cheers'."
In 2009, the avid collector of wrestling memorabilia, comics and everything in between came to the convention with "The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette 25th Anniversary Scrapbook". This time around he follows up that work with another project.
"Mark James of the MemphisWresltingHistory.com website and I have collaborated on our first book together," Cornette said.
"We are going to have that for sale. It's a cool book on the history of the merchandising of Memphis Wrestling. Whether it be programs, pictures or wrestler's records that got started in Memphis back in the 1950s with Sputnik Monroe. We actually dug through our collections and made some contacts, and there are reprints of programs over a 30 to 40-year period from the early 1950s to the 1980s. A lot of it is told through my first-person account because the way I got in the business as everybody knows is doing the photography for the Memphis territories in the mid 1970s.
"So for about eight years I was in charge of the pictures that were taken and sold at the merchandise stand and stuff we used in the programs. So it's not only a look back at old stuff, but classic stuff as told through a first-person account.
"We even reprinted the words of the top five in Memphis wrestler's records. I won't tell you who made number one. Jimmy Hart might be a little upset, but he is in the top five. We are going to have that this year and Greg [Price] and those folks have been kind enough to be inducting the Midnight Express and myself in the Hall of Heroes. I don't want to miss that."
The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane) and Cornette, their longtime manager, will enter the 2013 Hall of Heroes with longtime rivals the Rock-n-Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson). The grapplers who share 30 years of history together are also taking part in the "Mid-Atlantic Memories" documentary being produced and scheduled to premiere at next year's Fanfest. Eaton, who has been struggling with some serious health issues, is still scheduled to make the convention.
"So far Bobby is out of the hospital," Cornette said. "He is going to be out for a couple of weeks and then they are going to be putting a pacemaker in to try to regulate his heartbeat. He hasn't been having heart attacks, but he has a combination irregular heartbeat and that congestive heart failure where fluid builds up because he is diabetic. Being a single guy who doesn't take care of himself and takes medicine regularly like he should, and I'm not trying to browbeat him in print, but he is definitely planning on making it.
"Dennis will be there. Stan wanted to be there. Stan, for the past 8-10 years, has been doing powerboat racing commentary and producing the television for the American Powerboat racing people. Their annual biggest race is always the first weekend of every August. That's why he hasn't been at the Fan Fest every year. He tells Greg [Price] (Fanfest organizer) it's the one weekend he can't do anything. He is going to be sending in a video."
Cornette takes great pride in his incoming induction into the Hall of Heroes and ranks it high among his accomplishments over his stellar career.
"Something like that, at least to me, means more than the WWE Hall of Fame," Cornette said. "This isn't about who Vince [McMahon] likes this year or who's dead, and he wants to honor because they are in his hometown or selling a DVD on them. Much like the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, [New York] I got voted in. People vote and/or it's from fans that generally enjoyed your performances and enjoyed seeing you and want to honor you. This is rather than just a marketing thing.
"So it's going to be fun. It's going to be my first wrestling-related appearance since last November and the only one I'm doing this year. It's like having a taste when you're on a diet. I'm going to have a cheat day that weekend..."
A highlight of the Fanfest in the past and this year is Cornette's "Unplugged and Uncensored". There is nothing 'PG' about the very opinionated performer's session. Nothing is off limits.
"That's a mainstay and staple when I'm there," Cornette said. "Greg said we are going to start it early and cut it off for the benefit for folks who are a little older…I usually don't prepare anything. So if the crowd is boring and sucks, then the whole experience is boring and sucks. So if we got a good crowd and they got some good things to talk about, then I'll talk about it with them.
"I'm sure I will have a few amusing anecdotes about when I tried to get out of wrestling for my mental and physical health and sanity. That's the biggest project I've been working on all year over the winter and spring. I have been organizing my wrestling collection and comic collection and magazine collection and movie poster collection and horror movie collection."
Cornette was last seen working for Ring of Honor. His experiences toward the end of his run there coupled with a series of other events influenced his decision to bow out of wrestling.
"After Jerry Lawler basically died of a heart attack on live television and the weekend I was going to do my last TV taping for Ring of Honor is when Brad Armstrong passed away in his sleep younger than me," Cornette said. "That day or so I was in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, and you know where that is? Exactly, that is my point. Nobody in the $%^&*&, even the people that live there, know where that is."
The lifelong fan of the industry had reached his breaking point.
"I did a 14-hour day of producing five hours of television, to air on 50 stations," Cornette said, "in an unheated 40-degree ice rink with concrete bleachers on the biggest shoestring budget I've had in my life for a major television production with the stress of an air traffic controller and with a wrestler injured and ambulances pulling up to the back of the building."
"I'll flesh it out more in Charlotte 'Unplugged and Uncensored'. I was sitting at the Eat'n Park off the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 3 a.m. that morning eating two double cheeseburgers out of frustration all by my lonesome. I realized if Lawler can have a heart attack and if Brad Armstrong can die in his sleep and if all the other deaths and heart attacks and health problems that have plagued this industry goes on. I was almost 250 pounds. I was on the road 100 nights a year in a hotel room. I was putting 40-50,000 miles on my vehicle."
Cornette decided he would rather live a while longer and change his lifestyle. He went home motivated to focus on what was really important like his health.
"I went on a diet," Cornette said. "Today I weigh 204 pounds and went to the doctor who said my blood pressure was perfect. My cholesterol is so far down he is fixing to take me off my cholesterol medication. My blood sugar is back to normal. I'm even tanning. Everything is good. I just needed to get the wrestling monkey off my back. Ronnie West who I knew from the early 1980s left wrestling and entered the circus. They ended up finding him in a hotel room. He had passed away. That would have been me. If I had been Lawler or what had happened to Lawler had happened to me, instead of being next to an EMT crew, two blocks away from the best cardiac care hospital in Canada.
"I would been at the County Fair somewhere in Wartburg, Tennessee and the guy that ran the Ferris Wheel would be standing over me saying, 'I don't think he is going to make it.' Or they would find me in a remote control in my left hand and a half-eaten cheeseburger in my right hand. Who was it that said it? It was Danny Glover who said in 'Lethal Weapon' I'm too old for this $%*^. I'm too old for this $%#@."
• Catch the candid Cornette and a full lineup of wrestling stars Aug. 1-4 at the Hilton University Place in Charlotte for the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest Weekend. Festivities include question-and-answer sessions, autograph signings, photo opportunities, karaoke, the Hall of Heroes, matches and more. For information or to get your tickets, visit www.midatlanticlegends.com.
• Visit www.JimCornette.com , which is expected to be updated through the summer.
• Follow me on Twitter @smFISHMAN, http://twitter.com/#!/smFISHMAN, where I post links and information. Opinions expressed reflect no other entity. I can also be found tweeting incessantly during wrestling shows weekly.


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February 8, 2005
Certain gun storage practices can reduce risk of youth suicide and accidental injuries
Seattle—Keeping a gun locked, unloaded, and storing ammunition in a locked and separate location can lower the risk of unintentional injuries and suicide among youth, according to a study in the February 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study was led by David Grossman, MD, MPH, medical director of preventive care at Group Health Cooperative. He conducted the research when he was director of the University of Washington's Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center.
According to background information in the article, the presence of a household firearm is associated with an increased risk of suicide among adults and adolescents. In a previous study of suicide attempters and completers, investigators found that 75 percent of the guns were stored in the residence of the victim, friend, or relative. Another study found that 35 percent of homes in the United States with children younger than 18 years reported at least one firearm, and that 43 percent of these homes had at least one unlocked firearm. Many organizations and health authorities advocate locking firearms and ammunition to prevent access to guns by children and adolescents. The association of these firearm storage practices with the reduction of firearm injury risk has been unclear.
In this current study, Grossman and colleagues measured the association of household firearm storage practices and the risk of unintentional and self-inflicted firearm injuries as a result of child or adolescent access to firearms in the home. The researchers examined records from medical examiner and coroner offices and hospitals from 37 counties in Washington, Oregon, and Missouri, and 5 trauma centers in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, Wash., and Kansas City, Mo. They included data that involved an incident in which a child or adolescent younger than 20 years gained access to a firearm and shot himself/herself intentionally or unintentionally or shot another individual unintentionally.
The researchers identified a control group of eligible households with at least one firearm and children living or visiting in the home. The researchers interviewed 106 respondents in which a shooting incident occurred (case firearms/households) and 480 with control firearms to ascertain gun storage practices. Of the shootings associated with the case firearms, 82 were suicide attempts (95 percent fatal) and 24 were unintentional injuries (52 percent fatal).
The researchers found that guns from case households were 70 percent less likely to be stored unloaded than control guns. Similarly, case guns were 73 percent less likely to be stored locked, stored separately from ammunition (55 percent less likely), or to have ammunition that was locked (61 percent less likely) than were control guns. These findings were consistent for both handguns and long guns and were also similar for both suicide attempts and unintentional injuries.
"In summary, storing household guns as locked, unloaded, or separate from the ammunition is associated with significant reductions in the risk of unintentional and self-inflicted firearm injuries and deaths among adolescents and children. Programs and policies designed to reduce accessibility of guns to youth, by keeping households guns locked and unloaded, deserve further attention as one avenue toward the prevention of firearm injuries in this population," the authors write.
RIGHTNAVBOX Questions and Answers: Gun storage safety study in JAMA
Group Health Center for Health Studies
Group Health Research Institute does practical research that helps people like you and your family stay healthy. The Institute is the research arm of Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative, a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system. Founded in 1947, Group Health Cooperative coordinates health care and coverage. Group Health Research Institute changed its name from Group Health Center for Health Studies in 2009. Since 1983, the Institute has conducted nonproprietary public-interest research on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major health problems. Government and private research grants provide its main funding.


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It has come late, about five years late.
Nonetheless, the U.S. Department of Justice has finally taken action against one of the major actors in the global economic meltdown. Attorney General Eric Holder announced this week that the government filed a $5 billion civil suit against Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, one of the nation's largest credit rating agencies.
Federal prosecutors have accused S&P of fraud for knowingly misrepresenting the risk of mortgage-backed securities and other obscure financial instruments. Ratings agencies are paid fees by the companies that issue the securities they rate, an obvious conflict of interest, which prosecutors say led the agencies to downplay risks. In the years leading up to the global financial meltdown, S&P allegedly issued gold-plated ratings for highly questionable investments.
Investors, large and small, who relied on S&P's glowing assessments, lost billions of dollars when the housing market collapsed in 2008.
The federal lawsuit has particular relevance to California. It was filed in the Central District of California, centered in Los Angeles. The Central District was home to the now-defunct Western Corporate Federal Credit Union (WesCorp), formerly the nation's largest credit union. The federal government says WesCorp collapsed in large part because it relied on S&P's inflated ratings of mortgage-backed securities.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris is one of 16 state attorneys general who have joined federal prosecutors in the lawsuit. Harris blames S&P for losses of $1.36 billion sustained by the state's largest pension funds, the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System.
CalPERS filed its own lawsuit in 2009 against S&P and two other ratings agencies, accusing S&P of providing "wildly inflated and unreasonably high" AAA ratings to a string of investment deals that went bad.
The impact of inflated ratings on the lives of individuals cannot be understated. It cost jobs, and led to business failures and foreclosures, disrupting the lives of millions of people, and helped precipitate the worst recession since the Great Depression, a recession from which the nation has yet to recover.
In its defense, S&P says its "analysts worked diligently to keep up with an unprecedented, rapidly changing and increasingly volatile environment . Regrettably, the breadth, depth and effect of what ultimately occurred were greater than we and virtually anyone else predicted."
Emails and other documents that the government has made public suggest that S&P knew far more about the risks than its published ratings stated, but chose not to downgrade its ratings for fear of losing clients.
The lawsuit is late in coming, five years after the housing bubble burst. The Obama administration should have taken action much earlier, but went gentle on Wall Street for its first two years in office.
Even at this late date, the lawsuit is worth pursuing, though federal action shouldn't end there. Congress needs to remove the perverse incentives that exist when ratings agencies grading an investment are paid by the entities trying to sell that same investment.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.


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Kalamazoo, MI (Sports Network) - Flenard Whitfield scored 12 points to pace five players in double figures as the Western Michigan Broncos bested the Ball State Cardinals 69-63 in a first round game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at University Arena.
Demetrius Ward added 11 points for the eighth-seeded Broncos (13-19), who will face 12th-seeded Northern Illinois Wednesday night in Cleveland in the second round. Shayne Whittington, Matt Stainbrook, and Austin Richie provided 10 points each. Stainbrook also grabbed nine rebounds.
Jesse Berry scored 19 points for the ninth-seeded Cardinals (15-15). Jauwan Scaife provided 14 points and Jarrod Jones finished with six rebounds.
Western Michigan overcame a nine-point deficit early on to lead 33-30 at halftime. The Broncos shot 47.8 percent from the floor in the first half, while Ball State was 10-of-26 from the floor, including just 2-of-13 from long range.
Western Michigan led by as many as 10 after halftime.
The Broncos had a 35-26 edge on the glass.
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Ladies, bundle up in this Oakland Raiders Womens Training Camp Jacket! You'll look official and stay warm! This jacket features large "Raiders" lettering in gray across the chest for pride! It also features the Raiders shield logo on the left arm and gray accents on the pockets for contrast! 100% polyester. Our apologies, due to Mexico's trading policies this item cannot be shipped to Mexico.


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The Elephant Coast, with its rich diversity of wildlife, has many internationally renowned game reserves and parks and, while they range in size, they all provide the refuge necessary to support our region's wildlife and bird populations which have inhabited the area for thousands of years.
The area is home to a number of endangered animals such as the African Wild Dog and both the White Rhino and Black Rhino. Both Rhino species have been saved from extinction through the conservation intervention of the staff at the Hluhluwe-Imfolosi Game Reserve which now has the largest Black Rhino and White Rhino populations in the world.
Although the
Big 5
are often the major attraction to visitors to our game reserves, the reserves are also home to many other fascinating animals such as the Cheetah, Spotted Hyaena, Giraffe, Burchell's Zebra and Wildebeest.
Hluhluwe-Imfolosi Game Reserve,
which is 20 minutes from Malala, is the oldest game reserve in Africa having been proclaimed in 1895.
Mkhuze Game Reserve,
which is 45 minutes from Malala, was proclaimed in 1912 and is renowned as a mecca for bird-watchers.


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kate spade new york
'idiom - an ace up your sleeve' bangle
|Item # 248273
(Available every day, from 7am to 1am Eastern.)
Details & Care
A shiny, enameled bangle is cleverly engraved on the inside.
- Sold individually.
- Approx. inner circumference: 7 1/2".
- Approx. band width: 3/8".
- Brass/goldtone plating/epoxy.
- By kate spade new york; imported.