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May 28, 2013
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there are about 71,000 HIV-positive people in Canada, 26% of whom do not know their HIV status. It is in this context that expanding opportunities for offering HIV testing should be seen as helpful because they can do the following:
This latter point is important for at least the following reasons:
Using ART to help improve a person's health and to reduce his or her sexual infectiousness is called Treatment as Prevention (TasP). In Canada, HIV testing and TasP are being offered in British Columbia, where research suggests that this strategy is generally working by reducing the rate of new HIV infections, particularly among injection drug users and heterosexual people. A key part of the BC initiative is the offer of an HIV test.
Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have been conducting work on HIV testing. In their latest project, they focussed on the views of users of a sexual health clinic on rapid HIV testing. As part of its work, the Dalhousie team of researchers reviewed scientific publications about HIV testing and reported that those studies have found that some people at high risk for HIV infection do not get tested because of at least the following reasons:
In some parts of Canada, particularly in large urban centres, rapid point of care (POC) HIV testing is available in select locations. This type of test requires a few drops of blood taken from the finger and can be done in almost any community setting. The usual protocol involves counselling clients about the test before the test is done and counselling them about behaviours that commonly lead to HIV transmission. The test result is usually available in a couple of minutes. If it is negative, the client receives the result and further counselling. If the test result is reactive (this is considered a preliminary positive test result), the client receives the result and post-test counselling, including referrals to healthcare providers. After obtaining informed consent, the counsellor can then draw blood for a confirmatory test. Although the rapid POC test has a high level of accuracy (more than 99%), reactive test results need to be confirmed by a central laboratory before someone can be conclusively diagnosed as HIV positive. This confirmatory test can take one to two weeks depending on the laboratory -- an anxious time for many people.
The advantages of rapid POC testing include the following:
As part of their review of scientific publications on rapid POC testing, the Halifax researchers found that "even at sites where rapid POC testing is not the overall preferred method of testing, it tends to be favoured by high-risk clients, such as men who have sex with men and injection drug users."
The research team at Dalhousie University conducted a study of attitudes toward rapid POC testing among people who were seeking anonymous HIV testing. The team found that rapid POC testing was "highly acceptable" to this population. The team's report, published in the journal Sexual Health, is important reading for clinics that specialize in screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), community-based health centres, and health policy planners, particularly in the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Rapid POC HIV testing can be an important tool to reach busy people and bypass some of the barriers associated with standard HIV testing.
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This is a happy and uplifting piece of music, filled with positive moments and joyful inspiration. An upbeat guitar together with a clean piano is playing a catchy melody, while the rhythmic drums are filling the soundtrack with energy.This music fits great in youtube videos, presentations, commercials, vlogs, corporate video, film, montages or even games!
If you decided to purchase this track I really hope you'll enjoy it.
Peace!/Celestial Sound

subset: commoncrawl


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Ben G (Columbia, SC Artist) - My Message II [Unsigned Hype]
"Ben-G dope white MC from Columbia, SC backed by his South Carolina family known as B-FAM (Be Forever About Music). The beat is produced by RJD2's song "Ghostwriter". Video shot by Loud Visuals by @loudvisuals"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Stories by dizzy [0] Series by dizzy [0] Reviews by dizzy [0] Challenges by dizzy [0] Favorite Series [0] dizzy's Favorites [0]
No results found.
|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


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BOONE, N.C.—The Boone motel where three people died from carbon monoxide poisoning has been cleared to reopen.
The Charlotte Observer reports (http://bit.ly/19a0BFE ) that a limited certificate of occupancy was issued Thursday to the Best Western Plus Blue Ridge Plaza.
Daryl Dean Jenkins and Shirley Mae Jenkins of Washington state died at the motel on April 16. Several weeks later, 11-year-old Jeffrey Lee Williams of Rock Hill, S.C., died in the same room.
All three guests died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Officials have blamed a faulty pool heater for sending lethal levels of carbon monoxide into the room.
The motel is currently for sale. Building inspector Todd Miller says the room where the deaths occurred won't be used.
Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com


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CAT6 Snagless Patch Cable * RJ45M/RJ45M; 50 Purple
Cables & Adapters
Where to buy
Upgrade your network with a CAT6 Snagless Networking Cable from Belkin and enjoy clean, clear transmissions. Now you can replace CAT5 cables that don't support 100Base-T or gigabit Ethernet and improve the return loss in your current network by 40 percent. Engineered with 50-micron gold-plated connectors to ensure clear transmissions, and snagless molds to protect the RJ45 tab from damage during installation, this Cable meets the performance requirements of Category 6.
- CAT 6 High Performance UTP Stranded Cable
- Standards Compliance: ISO/IEC 11801; TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1
- Conductor Size: 24AWG x 4pairs
- Conductor Construction: Bare Stranded Copper
- Insulation Material: HDPE
- Jacket Diameter: 5.50±0.20mm
- Jacket Material: PVC
- Rating: 75°C, 300V
- Conductor Resistance: 93.8Ω/km/20°C max
- Mutual Capacitance: 56pF/m max
- Dielectric Strength: AC 1.5kV/min
- Spark Test: 2.5kV
- Flame Retardant Test: CMR
- Characteristic Impedence: 100±15Ω @ 1 ~ 550MHz
- Structural Return Loss: 8.6dB min at 550MHz
- Propagation Delay: 536nS/100m max @ 550MHz
- Category 6 performance rated for any 10Base-T, 100Base-T, and 1000Base-T Network
- Network Cable Type: Patch cable - CAT 6
- Technology: Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
- Features: Molded, snagless
- Length: 50 ft
- Color: Purple
- Connector(s): 1 x RJ-45 - male
- Connector(s) (Other Side): 1 x RJ-45 - male
Compatibility Information
- Designed For: Belkin Omniview SMB 1x16 KVM-over-IP Switch, SMB 1x8 KVM-over-IP Switch, Belkin OmniView SMB CAT5 KVM Switch


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"Citizenfour," Laura Poitras' film about NSA document leaker Edward Snowden, won the International Documentary Assn.'s prize for best feature at the 2014 IDA Awards on Friday evening.
Poitras' third documentary in a trilogy about post-9/11 America, "Citizenfour" is a you-are-there account of Snowden's decision, with Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald, to expose the National Security Agency's massive surveillance operation collecting the personal data of ordinary citizens.
"Citizenfour" debuted to a rare standing ovation at the New York Film Festival in October and


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Law Professor Frank Rudy Cooper writes in the New York Times about how he welcomed his son to the world with an acute awareness that "the intersection of race with gender presents special challenges to young men of color."
In the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin verdict, President Barack Obama called for a national conversation about "doing a better job helping young African American men feel that they're a full part of this society and that they've got pathways and avenues to succeed."
Cooper's article suggests that this initiative expand to include consideration of gender.
"If the president's initiative can recognize how race and gender work together, it might be better able to address the 'cool vs. school' dilemma. A boy of color who focuses on academic success – rather than just a narrow band of 'cool' pursuits like sports, music and girls – tends to have his racial credentials challenged," writes Cooper in "Many Ways to Be Manly."


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Google made a plea to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, a plea for permission to pilfer the patent portfolios of any company good enough to change the world. I was flabbergasted at the audacity, but when you get down to it, it's in keeping with Google's perpetual attitude that the world should be its oyster to do with as it pleases.
I call baloney! Here, let me illustrate that:
Dear Senate…
First, let's look at the recent news. Google General Counsel Kent Walker sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee arguing that proprietary technologies good enough to set the bar should be treated the same as standards-essential patents that go into creating interoperability standards.
From Mr. Walker's letter, which was published by AllThingsD:
While collaborative [Standards Setting Organizations (SSOs)] play an important part in the overall standard setting system, and are particularly prominent in industries such as telecommunications, they are not the only source of standards. Indeed, many of the same interoperability benefits that the FTC and others have touted in the SSO context also occur when one firm publishes information about an otherwise proprietary standard and other firms then independently decide (whether by choice or of necessity) to make complementary investments to support that standard in their products. … Because proprietary or de facto standards can have just as important effects on consumer welfare, the Committee's concern regarding the abuse of SEPs should encompass them as well.
In other words, Google is arguing that when a company invents something so good that the rest of the world has a hard time competing, those competitors should instead be free to copy that technology, perhaps with a tiny FRAND royalty in compensation.
Now, I wonder if that goes for Google's own PageRank algorithm. That's the formula that Google uses to rank webpages (the name is a play on CEO Larry Page's last name and webpage). It's the PageRank algorithm that thoroughly disrupted the online search industry and allowed Google to grab almost all of the online search search business in most of the world.
By Google's own reasoning, the company should be forced to let competing search engines use PageRank to retool their own search engines to be more competitive. I have a feeling, though, that Google's argument is only intended to apply to other companies' "proprietary standards."
But Wait, There's More
Another sign of the company's hypocrisy is the way its executives have decried the rise of closed platforms like Facebook. With Facebook, user information is hidden from search engines like Google, and that freaks Google out.
The company's business is based on slurping up huge amounts of information, particularly information relating to we, the people. It slices, dices, and juliennes that information up to the point that Google chairman Eric Schmidt once bragged, "We know where you are. We know where you've been. We can more or less know what you're thinking about."
That's great for Google and its shareholders, but guess what: I don't want Google or any other company to know what I'm thinking, especially when they're going to sell that information to the highest bidder and profit off of me.
Facebook and other Web-based platforms threaten those profits because they shut Google out. Of course, they're doing the same thing Google is doing—slicing and dicing our information and selling it to the highest bidder—but Google chief Internet evangelist Vent Cerf warned the world that Facebook is going to become a walled garden and that this will somehow be bad.
Which is true, for Google. It will be bad. Google wants everything on the Internet to be free and open to it so that the company can profit from it.
Me? I don't trust Facebook all that much at all, but I sure don't see any benefit in allowing Google to pilfer my Facebook profile so the company can make a buck. Don't worry, though. Eric Schmidt promised us that, "We are willing to get i[that Facebook data] one way or another, with or without deal."
That's good to know.
Apple's Response
So back to this patent thing. Google makes the case that Apple—and make no mistake, because this letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee is aimed squarely and solely at Apple—has invented some great things, and that these things should be made available to its competitors.
Again, this would be great for Google, because Google wouldn't have to invent stuff. It could just pilfer Apple's portfolio in the name of interoperability.
But I call balderdash, and so did Apple. The iPhone maker sent its own letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying:
The capabilities of an iPhone are categorically different from a conventional phone, and result from Apple's ability to bring its traditional innovation in computing to the mobile market. Using an iPhone to take photos, manage a home-finance spreadsheet, play video games, or run countless other applications has nothing to do with standardized protocols. Apple spent billions in research and development to create the iPhone, and third party software developers have spent billions more to develop applications that run on it. The price of an iPhone reflects the value of these nonstandardized technologies — as well as the value of the aesthetic design of the iPhone, which also reflects immense study and development by Apple, and which is entirely unrelated to standards.
All of which is true. As AllThingsD's John Paczkowski noted, "There's a big difference between technology that became popular because it was adopted as an industry standard and technology that became popular because consumers fell in love with it. In the case of the smartphone patent wars, the first makes a cellphone a cellphone and the second makes it an iPhone. One is a core technology, the other is experiential, product differentiation."
Apple & Oranges
Another problem with Google's self-serving assertion is the nature of its comparison. Standards-essential patents are submitted by the patent holder to standards bodies in hopes of getting their technology included in a proposed standard. If that happens, the patent holder will be assured of steady patent royalties for as long as that standard remains relevant. They might also make money by providing hardware related to their patent to companies making devices that use the standard.
This is a great business for companies like Samsung, Nokia, and Motorola who have been researching cellphone technology—especially wireless technology—for decades. They stand to make far more money by having their patented technology adopted as a standard in the name of interoperability than they would otherwise.
Companies like Apple aren't in that business, though. Apple is looking to build cell phones that are interoperable with existing wireless networks, but that offer a differentiated user experience. They spend money on R&D to develop new ways for their users to do things, not to find new ways that other companies can make devices.
If Apple's competitors are allowed to copy what Apple invents, Apple's competitive edge will be erased and Apple's incentive to innovate will disappear. If that happened, who would Google and its Android OEMs copy then? Microsoft's Windows Phone? Nokia's dead Symbian?
The truth is that Google doesn't want to have to compete with Apple on innovation. As noted above, Google's business is slicing and dicing our personal information and habits and selling the results to the highest bidder. As long as the company can get that information, Google's letter suggests it doesn't really care about the innovation side of the equation.
Maybe that's because innovating and inventing is rough and messy. Things would be much simpler for the company if it could just ride Apple's coattails.
In my opinion, that's just evil.
Image made with help from Shutterstock.


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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The Compliance Manual Section on the Definition of the Term "Disability" has been removed from this website, since the analysis in it has been superseded by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The ADAAA makes it easier for individuals challenging employment actions under Title I of the ADA to establish that they meet the definition of "disability" and are thus protected by the law. For more information on the ADAAA, go to https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/adaaa_info.cfm.
This page was last modified on July 25, 2012.
Return to Home Page


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Every few years, something so jarring, so very traumatizing occurs that it shakes a wide swath of America to its very core and causes many of us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the world.
It happens whenever we're forced to begrudgingly respect some formerly eyeroll-inducing piece of teen-friendly man candy.
We went through this with Justin Timberlake on "Saturday Night Live" and again with Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street" and "Magic Mike" — at least among those straight guys who'll admit to having seen "Magic Mike."
Now, it's Zac Efron's turn after his dark, funny, multilayered role as the fraternity president who dislikes studying and shirts in equal measure in the raunchy comedy "Neighbors."
Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are not quite ready to be grown-ups. Sure, they have a new house and a new baby, but they still want to party — even though they're usually so tired, they fall asleep before they can make it out the door.
Mac still sneaks out of work to smoke up, but even he's horrified by the sight of the Delta Psi Beta fraternity moving next door to them in the nondescript city of Ardendale, aka The Town Zoning Laws Forgot.
Led by Teddy (Efron) and his vice president, Pete (Dave Franco), the members of Delta Psi accidentally burned down their last house. But the increased scrutiny isn't stopping Teddy's senior-year quest to throw a party so epic, he'll earn a place on the fraternity's wall of fame alongside past brothers credited with inventing the toga party, beer pong and the boot and rally.
During an impromptu invite to a Delta Psi party, though, Kelly bonds with the girls, and a 'shroom-tripping Mac manages to find common ground with Teddy, debating which generation's Batman, Keaton or Bale, was better. The two seal their newfound friendship while crossing streams as they urinate into a backyard fountain.
But when another party goes on too late, Mac and Kelly call the police, and Teddy declares war on the couple.
Air bags are stolen. Bushes are trimmed into obscene topiaries. Mac and Teddy engage in a glow-in-the-dark dance battle and a sex-toy fight. And Mac and Kelly's baby girl chews on a condom.
For such a rude comedy, there are some impressively clever bits. Even though it's all over the trailers, Delta Psi's misguided Robert De Niro party still kills me, especially Pete with his face hilariously scrunched up as "Fockers" De Niro, and the guy who doesn't know the difference between De Niro and Pacino who wanders around yelling "Hoo-ah!"
There are no clear bad guys in "Neighbors." Teddy acts out because he feels betrayed by Mac's involving the police. And once things settle down, Mac and Kelly ramp things up to get Delta Psi shut down for good.
Given its outrageousness, "Neighbors" — written by longtime Rogen pals Brendan O'Brien and Andrew Jay Cohen, and directed by "Forgetting Sarah Marshall's" Nicholas Stoller — feels more grounded than many of Rogen's recent starring vehicles. "This Is the End," for example, is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while, but it was just bonkers.
As Mac and Kelly's friends Jimmy and Paula, Ike Barinholtz and Carla Gallo play things a little too broad. And Lisa Kudrow, portraying the university's dean, seems to be acting in an entirely different movie.
But mostly, the characters feel like real people. Exaggerated, sure, but real people. Teddy wants to leave his mark during what even he seems to realize will be the best year of his life. And, like many people their age, Mac and Kelly struggle to still seem hip — or whatever the kids are calling it these days — while wanting someplace safe for their daughter to grow up that doesn't involve her chewing on stray condoms.
Rogen matures a bit as Mac, and as Kelly, Byrne once again proves she's up for just about anything.
"Neighbors," though, should be a game changer for Efron as he continues his evolution from the trappings of Disney's "High School Musical." He was good in "The Paperboy," but the only thing most people remember about his role was that he got peed on by Nicole Kidman. His performance here may finally convince the skeptics who are predisposed to hate him on sight.
After all, as Mac declares, "He looks like something a gay guy designed in a laboratory."
It just proves the old adage: You can't judge a Tiger Beat cover boy by his abs.
Just, please, Lord, don't let Justin Bieber turn out to have been blessed with impeccable comic timing. I don't know that I could live in a world where I have to say nice things about him.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at firstname.lastname@example.com or 702-380-4567.
97 minutes
R; pervasive language, strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use throughout
Grade: B
At multiple locations


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Ewan Oxford necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 50 diseños de 15 diseñadores freelance.
RealMoneyPlayers.com helps online casino and poker operators market themselves to players.
We work with marketing departments to design email campaigns that help persuade players to play their real money games.
The target audience are marketing managers in the online poker and casino industry.
I need a logo identity for my consultancy RealMoneyPlayers.com.
RealMoneyPlayers helps online casinos and online poker rooms to 'convert' their play money players into real money players.
You should be able to instantly tell that the logo comes from the 'gambling' world.
It'd like it to be chunky and bold, and possibly include a dollar sign and some playing cards, to signal a casino feel.
I also really like the dappled light bulb effect in this image: http://www.funcasinos.biz/images/pr…_1_378.jpg
You can have the word RealMoneyPlayers.com horizontally, or like this:
(My preference is for horizontal, but if you think the other way works best you can probably prove me wrong.)
**One more thing.. I need a version WITH the .com in the logo, and a version WITHOUT the .com in the logo. **
Thanks and I'm looking forward to seeing your design.
Ewan Oxford
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Dodgers pondering offseason moves
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday
the team's priorities going into next season involve adding a
starting pitcher, keeping the bullpen intact, and improving the
Colletti and the rest of the front office were in meetings to
plan for 2013 a day after the Dodgers' season ended without making
the playoffs for the third straight year and first under new
ownership. The team hasn't won the World Series since 1988.
The Dodgers began the season in bankruptcy under former owner
Frank McCourt and ended it with an 86-76 record under new owners
that include Magic Johnson and Mark Walter. The team's payroll
ranked 12th in the majors at $94.7 million on opening day and rose
to eighth at $129.1 million by season's end.
In July and August they added infielder Hanley Ramirez, reliever
Brandon League, outfielder Shane Victorino, and pitcher Joe
Blanton, and in a blockbuster deal acquired pitcher Josh Beckett,
outfielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and
infielder Nick Punto from the Boston Red Sox, catapulting their
payroll into the stratosphere.
Beckett is due $31.5 million over the next two years; Gonzalez
has $127 million coming through 2018; and Crawford is due $102.5
million over the next five seasons.
"It's been a season with a lot of movement and additions of
high-caliber players," Colletti said. "Today compared to a year
ago, we're in much better shape."
The Dodgers on Thursday sent pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and
outfielder-first baseman Jerry Sands to Boston as the players to
named later in the Aug. 25 deal, having already sent first baseman
James Loney, pitcher Allen Webster and infielder Ivan De Jesus to
the Red Sox.
"We're going to keep looking for opportunities," team
president Stan Kasten said.
Even with their high-priced acquisitions over the season's last
month, the Dodgers finished second in the NL West, eight games
behind San Francisco. They were eliminated from postseason
contention on the next-to-last day of the season, ending a
roller-coaster ride in which they used a strong start to propel
them into first place in the NL West before injuries took their
toll as the summer wore on.
"I was impressed and heartened by the play in April and May
when I thought we were overachieving," Kasten said. "My
expectations are that we will go further than 161 (games next
Colletti said the Dodgers' 35-37 record against their division
rivals "needs to get better."
The injury bug hit two of the Dodgers' biggest stars.
Slugger Matt Kemp had a hamstring injury in May before Andre
Ethier had an oblique strain.
Kemp was scheduled for surgery on Friday. He has a torn labrum
in his left shoulder, and depending on what doctors find, it could
be cleaned up in a minor procedure or he could have the labrum
repaired, which would sideline him for four months. After a
terrific first month, he wound up hitting .303 with 23 home runs
and 69 RBIs a year after being runner-up to Milwaukee's Ryan Braun
for the NL MVP award.
"He should be ready for spring training," Colletti said.
Ace Clayton Kershaw went 14-9 with a major league-leading 2.53
ERA despite a hip impingement late in the season that he said
hadn't bothered him in recent days. His offseason workout plan will
be tailored to strengthen his hip.
"Things can always come back," Colletti said. "There's a
really good chance it won't come back."
Starters Ted Lilly and Chad Billingsley were hobbled by shoulder
and elbow problems, respectively. Lilly's inflamed left shoulder
kept him out from May 24 to the end of the season, and he's
recovering from surgery. Billingsley's recurring issues with his
right shoulder sidelined him the final month and he's now trying to
avoid Tommy John surgery.
Adding a starting pitcher is "an area we'll seriously have to
look at," Colletti said.
Crawford, part of the nine-player trade with Boston, never
suited up during the season while rehabbing in Houston from elbow
surgery. Colletti said Crawford should be able to start hitting in
December. He won't be at full strength until April or May, however,
that "doesn't preclude him from playing," the GM said.
Colletti wants to keep intact the bullpen that includes Ronald
Belisario, Matt Guerrier, Kenley Jansen and League. Jansen will
undergo a procedure to fix an irregular heartbeat that has affected
him the last two seasons, and is expected to be ready by spring
"Our bullpen really prospered," Colletti said.
Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig will play in the Arizona Fall
League and attend spring training with the Dodgers in Glendale,
Ariz., although his prospects of making the big-league roster
remain unknown. Puig signed a record seven-year, $42 million
contract after defecting from Cuba in June after several failed
"Great power, speed, arm," Colletti said of the young slugger.
"He still needs work playing the game."
The Dodgers' season attendance of 3,324,246 was the third-best
in the NL, and an improvement over last year when numbers dipped
below 3 million.
"That was a real show of confidence by the fans," said Kasten,
who took over in May when the Dodgers' sale was finalized.
Among the promises made by the new owners were improving the
team, enhancing the fan experience, and reaching out to the
"I think we have made major progress," Kasten said, adding,
"The jury is still out until we get to where our goals are."


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Speaking Life at recovery Centers
The lives of the homeless are being changed and so many see the love of Jesus because of your prayers and support.
In July over 400 homeless folks received food, over 60 pairs of socks and care packages, several decisions for Jesus, ball caps, sunscreen, electrolytes, Bibles, Daily Breads and many calls taken for resources.
The homeless and less fortunate thank you.
From one of our new volunteers.
Last night...our first time serving at the Hope Chapel in downtown Las Vegas where the hungry were filled physically and spiritually.
I want to thank Ron Cornell (2 Act Ministries) for the opportunity to help and for their wonderful ministry all around! The main meal provided to these hungry folks was HOMEMADE with love by volunteers and we fed what looked like around 100 people! The desserts were from local stores and bakeries and there wasn't a single slice of anything left! I was literally covered in icing when I left lol.
If you ever wanted to support a grassroots ministry that gives 100% of the $ donated to outreach supplies and efforts, this is the one. Every penny will go to sharing the gospel, food, and the love of Christ to those who need it most.


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CITY OF NEWBURGH — The way Dr. Ashik Raval sees it, the progression from pediatrician to restaurateur was perfectly natural.
CITY OF NEWBURGH — The way Dr. Ashik Raval sees it, the progression from pediatrician to restaurateur was perfectly natural.
He said nearly all of the illnesses he and his two doctor brothers treat at their South William Street practice have roots in poor diet.
Most of his patients already understand that, Raval said, but they aren't sure what to do about it. Healthy foods seemed too expensive, too confusing or just bland.
"We want to make it for everybody," Raval said. "It's everybody's right to eat healthy."
So he decided to open a restaurant across the parking lot from his practice, Orange Medical Care.
Nimai's Bliss Kitchen will inhabit the long-empty home of a former diner on the corner of Route 9W and South William.
Raval said the restaurant was part of his plan when he bought the small commercial center in 2006. The land came with a row of office suites, one of which is now the medical practice, as well as the diner.
The menu at Bliss Kitchen will include Indian favorites, but also wraps and pizzas, smoothies and pastries.
Raval describes the approach as "international vegetarian." He expects to open by the end of July.
On Friday, three generations of the Raval family gathered in the renovated dining room for lunch.
The walls are mint green, and the ceiling in the main room opens all the way to the roof, crossed by heavy wooden beams. Skylights let in the sun.
Lunchtime has become the testing ground as Bliss Kitchen prepares to open.
Raval, trained in medicine, not cooking, has hired a professional chef to prepare the meals. Their guests have often included staff from Orange Medical Care, local doctors and college friends of Raval's son, Hari.
Hari, a business management major at Mount Saint Mary College, is the foodie of the family. He's planning to take time off his studies to manage the front end of the restaurant, and he stays up on food trends.
The Ravals are adamant that the food has to taste good, as well as being healthy and affordable.
Hari said they've already made plans to get milk from an organic farm in Pennsylvania and are looking for partnerships in the Hudson Valley, as well.
"We definitely want to support local farmers," Hari said.
The restaurant is not the end of the family's plans.
Raval said they're working to build an affordable yoga studio in an empty office space between the medical practice and an existing pharmacy. A health food store could complete the vision.
"We want to deliver the quality," Raval said. "We want to see that people really get the benefit out of it."


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Vanessa Hudgens: Gym Workout with Ashley Tisdale!
Vanessa Hudgens dons a "Faith" cap while heading to the gym on Tuesday (March 19) in Hollywood.
The 24-year-old actress was joined by her BFF Ashley Tisdale, who took the driver's seat.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Vanessa Hudgens
The day before, Vanessa was spotted wearing the same cap while dropping by a nail salon for a pampering session with a gal pal.
Over the weekend, Vanessa rocked bold pants while filling up her gas tank in Studio City.
FYI: Vanessa is wearing a BodyRock Sport jacket.
20+ pictures inside of Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale stepping out for a gym workout…


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If you read Dispatches from the Culture Wars with any regularity, you know that something has been up with Ed this week. What you may not know yet is that the reason Ed's blog has been quiet is that he's been busy worrying us here at FtB. We've been getting emails through the weeks with dribs and drabs of information like this:
The ambulance came Monday morning and they thought I was having a heart attack. I get to Greenville ER and the doctor there immediately decides to send me to Butterworth hospital in Grand Rapids, a world-class medical facility, especially for cardiac problems.
I get to Butterworth with my heart rate over 160. They did a heart catheter and found no blockages at all. They did a CAT scan and found the lining of my heart a bit thick and the right ventricle a bit stiff, but those things shouldn't cause the problems I was having. All day Monday they did tests, also finding that my lymph nodes were swelled badly. Tuesday morning about 10 AM, my heart rate goes over 200 bpm and they decide they can't wait any longer, they have to open me up.
Ed is okay, at least for now. The doctors ruled out a whole bunch of unpleasantness that could have kept this drama going for him far too long–or shortened it unthinkably. They took very good care of him.
Of course, they took very good care of him in the U.S., and you probably know what that means.
The good news is that I have health insurance, which I pay on a COBRA from my job with AINN (it runs out in six months and I'll have to get my own insurance, which thankfully can't be denied anymore because of the preexisting condition). But I'm still going to have some significant out-of-pocket expenses and loss of income during the recovery period (it's going to be a couple months before I'm really back to normal). So you can certainly help out financially if you have the means to do so and it would be greatly appreciated.
You may not know that, since his newspaper job ended, Ed has been working on a book documenting the types of harassment faced by activists promoting the separation of church and state. It's a worthwhile project, but it takes time, during which income isn't coming in except through the blog. Ed planned for that, but…well, most people don't really plan for open heart surgery.
If you want to help Ed out, either out of outrage at our ridiculous health care system or because you want the book to get here faster, you can do that on his blog.


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A Leopard's Love
A huge female leopard seal tests my nerves by doing wide open mouth lunges. They were never very threatening. The true story unfolds after this moment.
Initially, I thought that this leopard seal was heading for me. I soon realized that another leopard seal had snuck up behind me. She chased it away, took its penguin and offered the penguin to me.
She tried various poses to try to get me to accept one of her offerings.
Once she realized that I would not even accept dead penguins, she became frustrated and started putting the penguins on top of my head. Through the tears of laughter and excitement, I just kept shooting.
When I refused her constant offerings, she would get frustrated and blow bubbles in my face.
Once she realized that I could not catch or accept one of her live penguin offerings, she started to bring me dead penguins. Of course, I felt terrible for the penguins. However, leopard seals usually play with their food before eating them and she ate every penguin that I did not accept.
A leopard seal catches a gentoo penguin and toys with it before eating it.
One of the most ingrained misunderstandings in history is the relationship between humans and predators. Be it sharks, wolves, killer whales, grizzly bears or leopard seals, as a species we seem to have demonized these creatures from ancient times to present. Many of these top predators were culled for the simple reason that we fear them; some are still victims of culls, like sharks. As we begin to understand these predators, we realize that we can peacefully coexist and in fact, it is our responsibility to protect these species and their ecosystems.
Leopard Seal
A leopard seal approaches me in South Georgia, Antarctica.
Unicorns of the Polar Seas
Narwhals cross tusks as they come up for a breath of air during a feeding frenzy off the northern coast of Baffin Island, Canada.
Unicorns of Polar Seas
After hundreds of hours of diving and snorkeling in polar waters, patiently awaiting narwhals to show up, I suddenly found myself next to two large males. The narwhals were deep in a courtship dance, waving around their ten foot long ivory tusks.
A male narwhal surfaces in a small hole in the sea ice while feeding on arctic cod. I landed my small ultralight camera way offshore on the sea ice to capture this image. It was a dream of mine to capture these almost mythical creatures.
Baby Emperor
A baby emperor penguin chick waits for his parents to return with food from their long sea journey.
Cautious Gentoo
A gentoo penguin scans the underwater world for leopard seals before heading to open sea.
Gathering of the Kings
King penguins line up along the shore before heading to sea to gather food for their waiting chicks.
Emperor Reunion
What appears as an amicable reunion, is not so. Emperor penguins have a standoff to decide who is the rightful breeding pair. There is so much we do not know about these charismatic birds.
Tusked Migration
Walruses travel long distances in massive groups searching for clam beds, their primary food source. With the loss of multi-year ice, these walruses rest on land between feeding forays. This causes them to expend additional energy and leaves them more susceptible to polar bear predation.
King of the Midnight Sun
A massive male polar bear on the sea ice near Ellesmere Island at 1AM. The sun illuminates his frosty breath at - 40 degrees Celsius. The sun was just starting to stay above the horizon for 24 hours a day. He sports a fresh battle wound on his face from fighting with another male for the right to breed. This is how I want to remember bears, not standing on land waiting for sea ice to form.
Polar Shake
A polar bear shakes his head as he exits the frozen sea.
Mock Battle
Male polar bears mock battle in preparation for the real thing.
Standing Guard
A female polar bear stands sentinel over her 9 month old cubs. Her biggest concern is the threat of a male polar bear that might want to harm her cubs. Not withstanding the everyday challenges these animals face, looms the real threat of climate change and the loss of sea ice that threatens all life in the Arctic.
Peeking Bear
A curious polar bear peeks into the window of a cabin in Svalbard, Norway.
Photo Booth
A curious polar bear checks out my camera trap on the shores of Svalbard, Norway and takes his own portrait.
Giant Petrel
Giant petrel's are truly giant and they are voracious scavengers with a six-foot wingspan and powerful beaks. I was excited by the photographs coming out of this encounter until this bird and three others stood on my back. Then, one tried to break through my skull with some powerful pokes.


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As Expected, Alternative DNS Systems Sprouting Up To Ignore US Censorship
from the not-like-people-weren't-warned dept
So now, totally as expected, we're already seeing alternative DNS systems showing up, advertising that they should be used to route around US government censorship of such websites. The one getting attention these days is called BlockAid.me.
What's just as stunning as the fact that supporters of PROTECT IP still can't figure out how this is really, really bad, is that they also don't realize how this pretty much destroys any argument the US makes around the globe in trying to protest political censorship. Some claim it's entirely different, but it's not. Both involve a government entity deciding that websites cannot be reached without a trial. This makes the US look ridiculous in the eyes of the world, but I guess as long as it makes sure that Universal and Warner Bros. can prop up their profits for a few more years... it's all good.


text: A sweet and soothing piece scored for strings and electronic sounds. It is suitable for a dream/memory sequence or a romantic scene in a film or game. At first the electronics are prominent and as the song develops the strings slowly takeover the melody and build until the end of the piece.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Brownfield site behind arts venue to be leveled
The removal of a polluted eyesore behind one of the region's premiere performing arts venues will be marked by local community leaders Thursday as the site's demolition ceremonially begins.
North Tonawanda's Riviera Theatre will hold a groundbreaking, of sorts, to initiate demolition of the Competition Transmission building, located at 68 Main St. - directly behind the historic theater. Removal of the structure and contaminated soil at the site is being funded through a Niagara County Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant.
The structure's demolition also lays the groundwork for the Riviera's long-term expansion and economic development plans. The Riviera Theatre is located at 67 Webster St.
Tours of the Riviera Theatre will follow the event.
WHO: Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane; Mayor Robert G. Ortt, R-North Tonawanda; County Legislator Paul B. Wojtaszek, R-North Tonawanda; County Legislature Economic Development Committee Chairwoman Kathryn Lance, R-North Tonawanda; Common Council President Rich L. Andres Jr., R-North Tonawanda; representatives of Rep. Brian Higgins, D-NY; Riviera Theatre Executive Director Frank J. Cannata; Riviera Theatre Director of Development Gary J. Rouleau.
WHAT: Ceremonially kicking off demolition of a contaminated brownfield structure located behind the historic Riviera Theatre.
WHEN: Thursday, July 11, 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Former Competition Transmission building, 68 Main St., North Tonawanda/Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda.


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Johnny Bos forgot more about boxing than most of today's so-called experts ever knew, but his career in the sport he loved had been a Shakespearean tragedy for years. He could predict the outcome of most fights so long as one of his own guys was not involved. We called him Wizard—the Wizard of Bos.
I met him in 1969 outside what used to be called the Felt Forum on 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets. We were kids in love with boxing. Bos was 17 years old. I was 22. The Felt Forum was the 5,000-seat arena inside the larger Madison Square Garden and I'd take the train up there to watch the Friday Night Fights which Teddy Brenner and Harry Markson were staging to develop talent for the bigger arena. Today it is known as The Theatre at Madison Square Garden.
At the time, I was working on the sports desk at The Evening Bulletin in Philadelphia, located across the street from the 30th Street Train Station. In those days, Malcolm Flash Gordon and Bos were publishing Tonight's Boxing Program, an un-licensed 10- or 12-page newsletter which served as the unofficial program for fights in New York City.
Flash printed the newsletter on a mimeograph he bought with his Bar Mitzvah money. It was the hottest thing in boxing, a no-holds barred, tell-it-like-it-is publication which was a must read for everyone who loved or was connected to boxing.
Flash and Bos were two of a quartet of boxing groupies. The others who wrote for Tonight's Boxing Program were Jack Obermayer, then 25, and Donald Majeski, then 17. At one Felt Forum card in 1969, the program included a 10- or 15-question boxing quiz with the winner getting his choice of a free one-year subscription to either Boxing Illustrated magazine or Tonight's Boxing Program.
I won the quiz, getting every answer correct, but someone complained that I should have been ineligible since I was a sportswriter. Flash said there were no restrictions on who could, or could not, enter and I chose Tonight's Boxing Program as my prize and that started a lifelong relationship with the quartet.
In the 1970s, the four of them were a constant sight at my cards in Philadelphia. Flash was with me from the beginning, selling programs at my cards at the Blue Horizon, Arena and Spectrum, but he went AWOL sometime in the 1980s.
Obermayer became a lifelong boxing junkie and probably has seen, and reported on, more fight cards in more cities than any man alive. Majeski is an international booking agent with ties worldwide. He is a member of the nominating committee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY.
Bos, real name Johnny Bosdal, became the go-to guy in New York and elsewhere up and down the East Coast, working as matchmaker for dozens of promoters, including Hall-of-Famer Mickey Duff in England and several others in Europe. He seemed out of place in boxing, a 6-foot-4 hip-hopper, about 240 pounds, with long blond hair. He wore clothes he must have bought at thrift shops when the Beatles were in vogue.
In the 1980s, when I was promoting at the Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Bos and I worked closely. He often reminded me how I kept him going financially—and health-wise--in those days. He'd reminisce about hanging out at the bar at the Sands on the 2d floor and feeding himself with the meal tickets we gave to the fighters who boxed there.
His knowledge of current-day fighters and of the greats and not-so-greats of the past was uncanny. He was an admitted alcohol and drug user and he'd usually stand in the back of the arenas on fight night, bee-bopping to music only he could hear.
Shortly after Prince Charles Williams knocked out Bobby Czyz to win the IBF light-heavyweight title in 1987 in Las Vegas, I got a phone call from Bos.
"That was the best job you ever did," he said, "resurrecting a club fighter like Williams, who was going nowhere when you signed him, and taking him to the world title."
Those were words of validation.
Bos never bothered with contracts and it cost him big money after developing several fighters who became world champions. Without his guidance, who knows if Billy Costello, Tracy Harris Patterson or Paulie Malignaggi would have made it to the big-time? He also delivered opponents for a couple of pretty good heavyweight prospects named Gerry Cooney and Mike Tyson. Bos was the brains behind Tyrone Booze, a mediocre talent who won the vacant WBO world cruiserweight title in 1992 with a 15-10 record.
When I was hired to make matches for ESPN in 1998, I paid Bos a weekly salary for advice.
His most beloved client was Joey Gamache, an over-achiever from Lewiston, ME, whom Bos maneuvered into winning the WBA world lightweight title in 1991. In 2000, seven years after Gamache had lost his title and six years after failing to regain it for the second time, Bos put Gamache in with a comebacking Arturo Gatti in a 10-rounder on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Derrell Coley main event at Madison Square Garden.
The official weights were 140 for Gamache, 140 ½ for Gatti. To the end, Bos swore Gatti never made the contracted weight and claimed the New York State Athletic commission failed to do anything about it and even went so far as to claim the commission aided and abetted Gatti at the weigh-in. The next night, Gatti, weighing 160 pounds, blitzed the then-145-pound Gamache in two rounds. Gamache claimed he suffered brain damage and was hospitalized for days. He never boxed again.
When Gamache sued the commission, it marked the end of Bos' days as a major player in New York. In 2010, a judge finally ruled that the New York State Athletic Commission failed to properly weigh Gatti, but added that such failure did not cause Gamache's career-ending knockout. Since that lawsuit was filed, Bos had been unable to do any kind of official matchmaking work in New York. Just a coincidence, I'm sure!
Bos permanently moved to Florida, found it hard to get decent work in boxing, and eventually had to sell his priceless boxing memorabilia collection, including autographs of many hard-to-find fighters from the early years of the 20th century, to pay his bills. He suffered from congestive heart failure and became bitter about the sport that was his life. I saw him for the first time in years—and the last time ever--at Angelo Dundee's funeral in Florida in February, 2012. Seeing him brought back wild and whacky memories of years gone by.
When I called him last month, he told me that Malignaggi had recently sent him a check for $5,000.00, a generous act that went unnoticed.
"Things are pretty rough in boxing right now," I told him.
"You have no idea how rough it is until you go looking through garbage cans for something to eat," he said.
That conversation was a far cry from the one I remember we had in 1988, the night before my then-unbeaten welterweight, Hugh Buttons Kearney, was about to fight last-minute sub Jorge Maysonet on USA Network at the Blue Horizon. Bos had delivered Maysonet, a Puerto Rican living in New York, to fight Kearney at the last minute.
"Well, whaddya think, Wizard? I asked him on the phone the night before the match.
"Russell, you know exactly what is gonna happen," he said. "Kearney's gonna go out of there as soon as Maysonet hits him."
It didn't take long. Maysonet hit Kearney flush with a right hand, left hook combination 10 seconds into the fight. Kearney went down like a stiff board and the referee did not even bother to count.
© 2000 - 2011 Knockout Entertainment Ltd & SecondsOut.com


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Rum Review: Appleton Estate 21 Yr Old Rum
Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 31, 2010
This is the final review in my series of Appleton Estate Rum Reviews, which I began to publish about two months ago. The impetus for the review series was an invite offered to me to attend a free tasting of Appleton rums in my hometown. I received a small sample bottle of Appleton VX, and since I owned just about every other Appleton Estate Rum up to the 21 year old I thought it would be fun to review them all. The 30 year old just about to be released in my locale will be missing from this review series unless I can acquire a sample at a later date.
Although the reviews have been published separately spaced out over two months, I did a lot of comparative tasting between the various ages and styles of Appleton. My final reviews scores are accurate reflections of how I judge these rums relative to each other. You can find all of my Appleton Reviews on the side of the blog in the Page menu which for your convenience lists all of the rums I have reviewed alphabetically.
Here is an excerpt from my review:
"…The rum is a rich dark brown colour which leaves a thick film on my glass when it is swirled. This film slowly releases thick fat legs back into the rum. As I watch the legs slowly crawl down the sides of the glass, the rum brings forth mild brown sugar and orange citrus notes. But.. as you wait the nose begins to change…"
You may read more here:
Review: Appleton Estate 21 Yr Old Rum
As well my friend forrest and I have collaborated on a new cocktail we call THE MONK'S UNCLE.
Enjoy the review and cocktail.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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New Opportunities to Avoid ePrescribing Penalty for 2013 – Meaningful Use Monday
Lynn Scheps is Vice President, Government Affairs at EHR vendor SRSsoft. In this role, Lynn has been a Voice of Physicians and SRSsoft users in Washington during the formulation of the meaningful use criteria. Lynn is currently working to assist SRSsoft users interested in showing meaningful use and receiving the EHR incentive money.
According to the 2013 Medicare Final Rule released last week, there are new ways to avoid future payment adjustments under the MIPPA ePrescribing rule for those who have not already taken the necessary steps to avoid them: 1) The exemption request period has been reopened and 2) meaningful use will satisfy the ePrescribing requirements according to specific timetables.
1) CMS is offering a second chance to physicians who missed the June 30 deadline for requesting an exemption to the 2013 ePrescribing penalty (1.5%) under the original 4 categories. Between November 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013, physicians can go to the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page and request an exemption based on one of the following justifications:
- Inability to electronically prescribe due to local, State, or Federal law or regulation (i.e., prescribe predominantly controlled substances)
- Prescribed fewer than 100 prescriptions between January 1 and June 30, 2012
- Insufficient high speed internet access (i.e., rural area)
- Insufficient available pharmacies that accept electronic prescribing.
2) In the interest of harmonizing the various government programs that contain ePrescribing components, CMS now will provide two additional ways to avoid the 2013 MIPPA penalties:
- Achieve meaningful use during 2013
- Demonstrate intent to participate in the EHR Incentive Program and adopt Certified EHR Technology by January 31, 2013
This information will be retrieved by CMS from the information in its EHR Incentive Program's Registration and Attestation System, rather than by having providers request an exemption as in #1 above.


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Animal Species:Giant Burrowing Frog
Sydney's largest frog, the Giant Burrowing Frog, is an impressive amphibian.
Standard Common Name
Giant Burrowing Frog
Alternative Name/s
Eastern Owl Frog
The Giant Burrowing Frog is sometimes mistaken for the Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) because of its size and warty appearance. The easiest way to tell if you're looking at a Giant Burrowing Frog or a Cane Toad is to look at the eyes. The Cane Toad's eyes have a horizontal pupil with a gold iris. The Giant Burrowing Frog's eyes have a vertical pupil with a silver-grey iris.
Size range
9 cm - 10 cm
Similar Species
Cane Toad (Bufo marinus)
The Giant Burrowing Frog is found throughout Australia
The Giant Burrowing Frog lives in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and heath.
Feeding and Diet
Adult Giant Burrowing Frogs travel widely in search of food, which includes spiders, centipedes, insects, crayfish and even bull ants.
Giant Burrowing Frogs give an owl-like hoot call.
Mating and reproduction
During the summer, male Giant Burrowing Frogs use their powerful spade-like back legs to dig deep burrows into creek banks. From here they give an owl-like hoot to attract females, giving them their other name, the Eastern Owl Frog. After mating, the females lay eggs in a foamy nest in the burrow. The tadpoles that develop are washed into the creek during heavy rain.
Conservation Status
Like many amphibians, populations of the Giant Burrowing Frog are thought to be in decline.
- Species:
- australiacus
- Genus:
- Heleioporus
- Family:
- Myobatrachidae
- Order:
- Anura
- Subclass:
- Lissamphibia
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
Last Updated:
Tags frogs, amphibians, vertebrates, identification, wildlife of sydney,


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Axiom's Smart Bag Touch is a great solution for keeping your keys, wallet, and food in reach. It's crafted from water-resistant, 600-denier polyester so its light and tough, and it has a waterproof, touchscreen-compatible smartphone/GPS sleeve. It also has two side pockets; one with a mesh top to keep its contents visible and another with a solid top for privacy.
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RealClearPolitics has an excellent lineup of columns weighted to immigration this morning, foremost among them Victor Davis Hanson's "What backlash?" He writes:
If many thousands of illegal aliens marched [last weekend] in their zeal, many more millions of Americans of all different races and backgrounds watched–and seethed. They were struck by the Orwellian incongruities–Mexican flags, chants of "Mexico, Mexico," and the spectacle of illegal alien residents lecturing citizen hosts on what was permissible in their own country.
If the demonstrators thought that they were bringing attention to their legitimate grievances–the sheer impossibility of deporting 11 million residents across the border or the hypocrisy of Americans de facto profiting from "illegals" who cook their food, make their beds, and cut their lawns–they seemed oblivious to the embarrassing contradictions of their own symbolism and rhetoric. Most Americans I talked to in California summed up their reactions to the marches as something like, "Why would anyone wave the flag of the country that they would never return to–and yet scream in anger at those with whom they wish to stay?" Depending on the particular questions asked, polls reveal that somewhere around 60-80% of the public is vehemently opposed to illegal immigration.
When schools were dismissed due to student walkouts and traffic disrupted, Americans began to see the wages of their own indifference to the problems of illegal immigration. Insidiously over the last 30 years we have allowed an entire apartheid community to grow up in enclaves in the American Southwest and occasionally beyond–one by language and psyche that may well feel more romantically attached to the Mexico it left and won't return to the United States it sought out and must stay in.


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Friday June 19, 2009
Currently in Ibiza following the break up of her marriage to singer Peter Andre, Katie Price seemed to be reverting to her glamour model days as she posed provocatively on the shoreline in a series of bikinis.
The 31-year-old mum-of-three drew quite a crowd as she shot a series of images for her new swimsuit calendar.
While on the island she's been embracing her newly single status, hitting local nightclubs, bars and restaurants with a number of friends.
Pete meanwhile has also been seeking solace overseas. He's taken his son Junior, daughter Princes Tiamii, and stepson Harvey to stay with his family in Cyprus.
Photo: � Getty Images


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By: Mike Sloan: Carl Froch had mentioned a few times leading up to last Saturday night that he felt Lucian Bute was a bit overrated. After watching the Englishman dismantleButeand eventually remove him from consciousness, maybe Froch was onto something.
In all actuality, it's unfair to labelButeas overrated simply because he had so many terrific wins on his ledger leading up to his battle against the twice-beaten Froch. Scoring victories over the likes of Edison Miranda, Librado Andrade (twice), Jean-Paul Mendy, and Glen Johnson are hardly an indication of a man who is more style over substance. Also, making the remark that the Romanian-Canadian was overrated going into his fight against Froch actually dims the sensational knockout scored by Froch and actually lessens his win.
One thing that is certain, though, is that Froch need not worry about retiring anytime soon; his dreadful performance against Andre Ward in which the American tore him apart for twelve rounds looks more like a blip on his career radar than anything else. In fact, Froch was so dominant that it's not out of the realm of possibility that a second chance at Ward isn't out of the question like it was before Saturday's fight.
Butewas picked by many to topple Froch and remain unbeaten. He was the betting favorite going in and his overall smoother style of boxing was expected to be more effective than Froch's reckless, crude, and essentially sloppy style of throwing bombs from odd angles. The notion was that while Froch would wind up to throw his loopy long-ranged punches,Butewould stay in the pocket and fire rapid, short, straight lead and counter punches throughout. While it was doubtful thatButewas going to knock Froch out, it was expected by many that he'd win a decision.
As it turned out, anybody who pickedButeto walk away the victor was sorely mistaken, a dozen eggs splattered across their faces.
Froch was relentless and bullied the then-unbeatenButearound the ring from the start.Butewon the opening round with clever counters – mostly his left hook – but the punches never shook Froch. Even whenButelanded a clean, precise punch, Froch shrugged it off and fired back.Buteseemed puzzled and discouraged that he couldn't keep his foe at bay and backpedaled almost the entire fight.
Butewas hurt in the third but he recovered quickly and stuck to his gameplan. It looked as though ifButecould clear his head and time Froch's deadly right hands, he'd eventually figure his opponent out and get into a rhythm.
Froch never let that happen; he hurt him badly late in the fourth round.
Froch swarmedButerepeatedly and was able to eventually detonate that lethal right hand on his jaw one too many times. OnceButestiffened against the ropes in the fifth, he had no prayer of surviving the attrition. Froch pounced all over him and unleashed a hellish fury until referee Earl Brown rescuedButeto administer a standing eight count.
From there, all hell and confusion broke out. Froch's manager Eddie Hearn ran into the ring and scooped his fighter up, though Brown didn't notice it. After realizing that he was out on his feet, Bute's corner men climbed into the ring to call off the fight while Brown was still observingBute, but the ref then quickly waived off the fight.
Froch could have been disqualified, but luckily he wasn't; that matter of technicalities wouldn't have altered the fact thatButewas knocked clean into the stratosphere with the final barrage of bombs from Froch. Still, it begs the boxing fan to ask several questions.
For starters, the rematch clause in their contract is automatically triggered to set up an immediate second go-round in Bute's hometown ofMontreal. But considering how badly he was dominated, it might not be too great an idea forButeto climb back into the ring against Froch. That's not to say thatButeis damaged goods, but it's doubtful a change of venue will skew the outcome of a rematch. Granted, Bute will probably fight a little more intelligently and correct some of the defensive mistakes he made against Froch, but the Nottingham native will be such a massive favorite going into a rematch and the demand for such a fight will be at an all-time low; the polar opposite of how things were mere hours before they climbed into the ring on Saturday.
Also, the potential super fight between unbeatenButeand Ward has been thrown out the window. Ward is scheduled to lock horns with light heavyweight king Chad Dawson in the Fall, but the idea of a Bute-Ward showdown was one of the most intriguing the sport of boxing had to offer. In keeping with Ward, it's unlikely that Froch will get another crack at him considering how one-sided and lackluster their first encounter was. Also, Froch intimated that he doesn't have a personal desire to scrap again with the unbeaten American anytime soon.
Where does this leave bothButeand Froch? ForBute, the future is a murky one. Outside ofMontrealand the hardcore boxing fans,Buteis a virtual unknown the world over. And after having tasted such an emphatic defeat, his stock unfortunately has plummeted into the cellar. He's still a terrific fighter, but the super middleweight division isn't stacked with a plethora of superstars that will warrant a sold out arena or a major television gig that will generate millions. It's a silly ideal the boxing world is known for, but once a guy loses for the first time, he suddenly becomes worthless (though that has been proven incorrect hundreds of times and the "experts" never learn).
Butewill likely settle for a softie return bout and then sign the dotted line to fight a credible opponent. Good choices for him would be comebacking Andre Dirrell, Andrade conqueror Rowland Bryant (for the obvious angle, though that's unlikely), Kelly Pavlik, Mikkel Kessler or local rival Adonis Stevenson inQuebec. Every one of those fights makes sense forButeand they'd generate enough interest to keep his name out there. And most importantly,Butecould beat every one of them. Provided he can pass a few of these names – or similar opposition – a rematch with Froch would then via marketable and alluring. The last thing he should do is jump head first into an immediate second fight with Froch.
As for Froch, his future is so bright that he has to wear sunglasses. Ward is out of the picture and it's unlikely those two will ever fight again. He could try to avenge the first loss of his career by taking on Kessler again. If not the Danish fighter, he could land a huge mega fight with Sergio Martinez. There are plenty of guys between 160 and 175 that Froch could wind up trading blows with, and considering how popular he has been the past few years and how sensational he looked on Saturday night, he could take on a litany of foes. Names like Nathan Cleverly, Julio Cesar Chavez (though that won't happen due to him being so protected), Zsolt Erdei, Felix Sturm, Robert Steiglitz, Martin Murray, and a few others are all superb opponents for Froch.
Where the two go from here is anybody's guess, but don't be surprised to see the ageless Bernard Hopkins decide to not retire and face one of these two men, with the leading candidate being Froch.
You can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook.com/mikesloan19 or follow him on Twitter @mikesloan19
© 2000 - 2011 Knockout Entertainment Ltd & SecondsOut.com


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Vocalists, set designers, costumers and orchestra musicians are all putting the final touches on "Elmer Gantry," the latest production from the University of Houston's Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center.
This city premiere runs April 9 - 12 in the Moores Opera House, and audiences are already anticipating another spectacular performance from the university's talents.
Such expectations stem from the center's 25-year history of delivering lavish, quality operas to Houstonians. This year marks the silver anniversary of the University of Houston's opera program. Although no official party is planned to commemorate the occasion, the center will celebrate by doing what it does best - making beautiful music for the masses.
"Elmer Gantry" is just one of the many operas the center has introduced to Houstonians. While this production is receiving grand treatment from all participants, there was a time when an orchestra or even sets weren't available.
Prior to UH having its own opera program, the university partnered with Houston Grand Opera to create the Houston Opera Studio. In 1985, Buck Ross, director of the Moores Opera Center, arrived on campus to help the university launch its own opera program.
He founded the University Opera Theatre, which provided students with performance opportunities and Houstonians with a new venue for opera. With no budget and little performance space, Ross oversaw UH's first opera production, "The Mother of Us All" in 1986.
"Our first show was in the 300-seat Dudley Recital Hall," he said. "We did it with just a piano, some costumes and no scenery. The students were aware that this was something new, and they were excited. They rose to the occasion, and it came off very well."
That low-budget, but polished, performance provided a launching pad for future operas on campus. By the next year, productions were performed in either the 1,500-seat Cullen Performance Hall or the 600-seat Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre. Replacing the piano accompaniment was a full orchestra. Sets and costumes during this period were provided by the School of Theatre & Dance. Now, the center has its own team of costume, lighting and set designers.
In 1997, a generous gift from John J. and Rebecca Moores helped build the 800-seat Moores Opera House. Its construction initiated the name change from University Opera Theatre to the Moores Opera Center. Following an endowment from Houston philanthropist Edythe Bates Old in 1999, the center was officially titled the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center.
Although Ross planted the seeds for home-grown operas at UH, he admits he couldn't have expanded the program without the energies of fellow faculty, staff and students. Among those invaluable individuals was longtime music director Peter Jacoby.
"He played a vital part in our growth," Ross said. " I could not imagine us being where we are without his musical guidance."
In addition to Jacoby, Ross also applauds the many student singers who have committed their time and talents to the center's productions. Some of these vocalists have emerged as world-class entertainers including Barbara Padilla, who enrolled at UH while undergoing rigorous cancer treatments. Last year, she became an instant celebrity as the runner-up on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
Another recent success story is Nathaniel Peake, who is now an artist with the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Peake recently earned honors in two highly noted competitions: the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the George London Foundation Awards.
Others who have embarked on successful professional opera careers after graduating from UH include Bruce Fowler, Debra Hayes, Barbara Divis, Sam Handley, Joseph Gaines and Javier Abreu.
"I had an interesting conversation with Sam Handley, who is with Lyric Opera of Chicago," Ross said. "He thanked me and said, 'I am so glad you made us perform such challenging material.' He said many of his colleagues are simply not prepared to learn the kind of music that he was exposed to as a student."
In addition to being a training ground for new talents, the Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center also has become a source for fresh works. "Elmer Gantry," which debuted in Nashville in 2007, is just one example of the contemporary operas the center has brought to Houston. The center also has presented the Texas premieres of "The Grapes of Wrath" in 2009 and "A Wedding" in 2008 among many others.
"We have a long history of producing new operas," Ross said. "Through my own graduate training and in the early part of my professional career, I have worked with new operas. I feel that showcasing innovative, contemporary works is part of the university's mission. These works provide solid training for the students and offer audiences unique and entertaining experiences."
Aside from recent works, the center also presents classic favorites (Mozart's "Don Giovanni") and rarely performed works (Poulenc's "Les Mamelles de Tiresias"). Among the performances that have been commercially recorded are "A Room with a View" (available on DVD) and "Casanova's Homecoming" (on compact disc).
Each semester, the center offers two to three operas. For both opera lovers and even those new to the genre, these productions are solid bets for both quality and affordability. With tickets ranging from $10 - $15, a night at the Moores Opera House is indeed a bargain. According to Ross, the center is one of the best kept secrets in town.
"We cover a lot of repertoire that people would not get to see anywhere else," he said. "I love challenges, and so do the students. When they're challenged by the work, they embrace the work. That's a good thing for them, but it's also great for audiences who experience passionate performances that they won't see anywhere else."
Audiences can see what Ross is talking about during "Elmer Gantry." Performances are 7:30 p.m., April 9 - 10 and 12, and 2 p.m., April 11 in UH's Moores Opera House (Entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard). Tickets are $15 and $10 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, contact the Moores box office at 713-743-3313.
To learn more about the Edythe Bates Moores Old Opera Center, visit www.music.uh.edu/opera.


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It seems ex England football ace and LA Galaxy player David Beckham is not content with just showing off his underwear on massive billboards, but instead appears to be in the latest big release – Resident Evil 6.
I cant work out if this is another RE6 bashing article. David Beckham pffft.
thats beyond lazy, thats just fail
even n64 games had random generated faces come on capcom
I haven't seen this much copy pasting since the ps1 era, also why do the graphics look so poor? RE 5 had some of the best graphics i'd ever seen on a console at the time, these ones look poor as hell, coupled with 12 of the same guy on a plane.


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His work is incredible and I love that he has a lot of local shots that bring our gorgeous beaches and favorite surf spots indoors. Also, the quality, professionalism and pricing can't be beat. Wilson Interiors
© 2018 Bill McKim Photography.
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A fork of the died project Beep-Media-Player, which is an music player
under Linux. Now it has new features: support ape lossless music file
with cue sheet file, support FLAC loseless music files with cue sheet
file, with a lyrics pannel, show lyrics when playing.
Maintained by: Zbigniew Baniewski
Keywords: music player mp3,music,player,mp3
ChangeLog: rebmp
Download SlackBuild:
rebmp.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| doinst.sh
| rebmp.SlackBuild
| rebmp.info
| slack-desc
© 2006-2018 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


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MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- In a game the Buccaneers used so much effort to recover, things didn't fall their way Saturday.
Barry lost the Sunshine State Conference opener to Florida Tech, 77-56, at Health & Sports Center -- the first loss of the season for the Bucs.
The Bucs (5-1, 0-1 SSC) cut a 15-point first half deficit down to six when Tyler Hardy scored with 1:25 to play. But the momentum quickly shifted back to the Panthers (4-2, 1-0) when Jasmire Brown answered on the other end and with a pair of free throws following one of Barry's 14 turnovers to push the lead back to 10 entering the break.
Barry was outscored, 23-5, in points off turnovers.
Hardy was 8 of 10 from the field in the first half, providing over half of the Bucs' offense. She scored all of her 17 points in the first half.
Florida Tech stretched its lead to 20 at the 15:31 mark of the second half. Barry cut it to 16 when Jackie Perez hit a three-pointer with 9:27 remaining, but Brown hit a layup at the 6:15 mark to push the lead back to 21. Colette Eule's layup brought the Buccaneers within 15, but it was too little too late with 2:12 remaining.
Brown led all scorers with 26 points, and had six boards and five steals. Kayk Wilson scored 23 points and had seven boards for the Panthers, who outscored Barry, 12-0, in transition.
Perez, Amanda Frontino and Dominique Dixon each had nine points for Barry, which shot 41.1 percent from the field. Perez and Dixon each had five boards. Eule had eight points.
Barry is off until Dec. 14 when the Buccaneers host Johnson & Wales at 5:30 p.m. at HSC.


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Beaded Illusion
Learn How to Make Beaded Necklaces, Chokers & Lariats
We love designing beaded necklaces, lariats and chokers! Our favorite designs always include beads to complement the wire designs we make on our jigs. There is nothing more satisfying that sitting at the designing table and bringing forth your creativity to transform an initial idea into something even more unique and beautiful. Because beaded necklaces have more length with which to work than bracelets or rings, the ability to combine wire components separated by beads, or beaded necklace components separated by wire or other non-beaded components is fabulous!
We have so many beaded necklaces, lariats and chokers designs in this section to get your creative juices flowing. You will want to peruse our comprehensive catalog of beaded necklace design to trigger great ideas such as Wire Bead Chokers, Beaded Spirals, Crystals, Pearls and Gems necklaces and more. We even have a Beaded Lace Dangle that can turn your beads into a lacey necklace dangle – a design that just happens to be one of our most popular. Our Tattoo Jewelry designs show how just a few beads and some colorful bead stringing materials can make jewelry that is trendy, inexpensive, and yet so popular.
Finally, beaded necklaces can be designed in virtually any color, style, and complexity. You can hang just a few uniform-colored beads on a WigJig component and string it on a simple chain to achieve a delicate, understated look. You can also string a complex variety of different colored beads combined with metal or leather components, resulting in a jaw-dropping design that will garner compliments from across a room!
Designing beaded necklaces is limitless. We hope you enjoy this section of beaded necklaces, lariats and chokers!
Instructions for making Beaded Illusion Necklace out of jewelry wire, beads and jewelry supplies using common jewelry making tools:
The instructions for making the Beaded Illusion Necklace provided below are some of the older instructions on our WigJig web site. The technology used to present these instructions is older technology with the main instructions being provided as one or more pictures (.jpg). For this reason it is impossible for us to edit these instructions to provide the added details that we provide in our newer jewelry making instructions. These instructions may not be suitable for a beginner to making jewelry with wire and beads because we do not clearly state which jewelry tools are required, what length of jewelry wire to cut and what size of beads to use. For people who are more experienced in making jewelry these instructions should be adequate. We apologize for the lack of detail. We are smarter now and use better technology to document our newer jewelry making designs. If the level of detail here is not adequate to meet your needs, please select one of our newer projects with more detailed instructions in how to make jewelry with WigJig jewelry tools, jewelry wire and beads.


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Air Technology Group Products
Hitachi Air Technology Group offers a pioneering range of products including DSP oil free rotary screw air compressors, SRL oil free scroll air compressors, and vortex blowers. Since the development of its first air compressor in 1911, Hitachi has been efficiently contributing toward the mission "Contribute to Society through Technology". This continued dedication towards the society and the environment has enabled Hitachi Air Technology Group to consistently bring technological advancements in product design and development.
Browse through the following categories to learn more about Hitachi Air Technology Group products.
DSP Oil Free Rotary Screw Air Compressors
Hitachi industrial DSP oil free rotary screw air compressors follow rigorous purity class standards, and are easy to maintain and operate under diverse industrial environments.
- Learn more about Hitachi DSP oil free rotary screw air compressors.
SRL Oil Free Scroll Air Compressors
Hitachi's continued innovation in the development of industrial SRL oil less scroll air compressors has made it possible to deliver reliable, environment friendly compressed air at lower energy cost.
- Find more about Hitachi SRL oil free scroll air compressors.
Vortex Blowers
Hitachi industrial vortex blowers are custom-engineered to suit varied needs of large air volume applications, discharge applications, and vacuum applications.
- Know more about Hitachi industrial oil less vortex blowers.
Vortex Blower Model Selection Guide
Hitachi vortex blower model selection guide helps you choose the most suitable vortex blower model for your application. Follow the easy, two-step guide and select the best technology to meet your specific requirements.
- Check out the Hitachi industrial vortex blower model selection guide.
Products History
Since 1910, Hitachi has been developing a variety of innovative, technologically advanced, and value oriented products that have efficiently contributed to the society and the environment.
- Go through the Hitachi Air Technology Group product history o find how Hitachi has evolved over the years.


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Rangers send slumping forward Gaborik to Blue Jackets in 2nd big deal between clubs since July
NEW YORK – The New York Rangers have traded slumping forward Marian Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second trade of star players between the teams within the past year.
Gaborik was dealt to the Blue Jackets Wednesday, just before the NHL's afternoon trade deadline, for center Derick Brassard, right wing Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore.
Gaborik waived a no-movement clause in order to allow the deal to be completed.
It was the second big trade for the playoff-hopeful Rangers in two days. On Tuesday night, the New York acquired forward Ryane Clowe from the San Jose Sharks for a package of three draft picks.


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OCCA strengthens the arts by ensuring that the Oregon coast has a rich and vibrant arts community through support and promotion of arts organizations and individual artists.
This directory represents the coastal areas of Oregon, which include Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Coos, and Curry counties and the coastal towns of Lane and Douglas counties. OCCA is the regional arts council for this area. Learn more about OCCA's regional arts activities.
The Lincoln Pops Orchestra, also known as the Lincoln Pops Big Band, has evolved into one of the finest big bands in Oregon, playing both concert performances and dances. A non-profit organization, the Lincoln Pops are dedicated to preserving and passing along the heritage of the big band era, and plays concert performances as well as dances.


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Catch Nisennenmondai (にせんねんもんだい) laying down a 9 minute jam - raw, undulating noise-prog with an undeniably heavy tech pulse.
Carhartt WIP, NTS & Dazed have teamed up to present Soul Skate, a documentary on the infamous Soul Skate party, directed by Ramone Anderson.
YGG assembled the full crew to help celebrate PK's birthday.
The German composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Brandt joined Robert Raths on the Erased Tapes radio show for a quick live session with his full band, Eternal Something.
NTS presents the official music video for 'Ever New', produced by Luca. The song is performed by Beverly Glenn-Copeland & Indigo Rising, a recently formed ensemble to play the music of Glenn Copeland's Keyboard Fantasies album live for the first time since its composition...
The Awful Records signed singer-songwriter Alexandria blessed the microphone for our show at Braindead Studios alongside Cola Boy and Harriet Brown.
An icy rendition of Shlohmo's track 'Apathy' off his 2015 LP, Dark Red.
NTS presents the official music video for Ron Morelli's 'Disappearer', the title track from his new double LP on NYC based label Hospital Productions. Morelli's acid burned vocals and metallic percussion are perfectly matched with chaotic yet organised visuals spliced together by experimental video artist Danny Perez.
The Stones Throw boss Peanut Butter Wolf was joined in the NTS booth by '80s boogie comeback kid, Prophet.
NTS presents the official music video for Griffit Vigo's first solo single 'DJ', out now on the Durban based record label Gqom Oh!, in anticipation of his forthcoming album, 'Gqom is Alive', expected to drop later this year.
Dancing with Baba Stiltz
D33J performs a live rendition of his latest track, 'Nothing Left feat. Deb Never and Shlohmo' from the NTS x Braindead x WeDidIt party.
NTS presents the official music video to Aldous RH's new cover of Aaliyah's 1996 classic "One In A Million".


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Monday, 06 August 2012 07:38 AM
Global investors can't get enough American securities a year after Standard & Poor's Corp. downgraded U.S. government debt.
The dollar has outperformed its peers in the past 12 months, rising by 10 percent against a basket of six currencies. U.S. stocks have been the best performing equity market in terms of dollars, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average advancing 14 percent. Treasurys also have done better since the S&P action late on Aug. 5, 2011, returning 6.7 percent to investors compared with 6.1 percent for other government bonds.
"We're seeing negative data come in from a lot of parts of the world," said Kenneth Rogoff, a professor at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. "The rest of the world is looking at the United States and saying, 'I wish we were the United States.'"
Editor's Note: The Truth About the Economy — Government Documents Lead to Eerie Conclusion
With the largest economy and deepest financial markets, the U.S. is seen as the safe haven for investors at a time when Europe is struggling to contain its sovereign-debt crisis and Chinese growth is slowing. Low yields — 10-year Treasurys fell to a record 1.379 percent on July 25 — show that most money managers have faith the government will meet its obligations, in spite of S&P's decision to strip the securities of their AAA rating.
Token Gesture
The downgrade "was more a token gesture but didn't mean anything to the credit quality of the U.S.," said Paul Zemsky, the New York-based head of asset allocation for ING Investment Management, which oversees $160 billion.
S&P spokesman John Piecuch defended the company's action.
"Credit ratings are an opinion on relative risk of default, not a prediction of market behavior," he said in an e- mail. "We began downgrading Greece in 2004 and Italy in 2005 for example, but for several years markets continued to value their bonds nearly on par with those of Germany."
U.S. businesses are benefiting from the rush into American securities by global investors. Fifteen of the top 20 companies worldwide in terms of market capitalization are American, led by Apple Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp., according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's up from 11 a year ago. New to the top 20 from the U.S. are Coca-Cola Co., Wells Fargo & Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Pfizer Inc.
Safety Preferred
U.S. corporate bonds also reflect investors' preference for safety at a time of global economic trouble. Dollar-denominated bonds of high-grade borrowers have returned 8.4 percent since Aug. 5, 2011, exceeding the 7.8 percent return in the 12 months before S&P's downgrade, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data. Investment-grade corporate debt worldwide has returned 7.6 percent in the past year.
Companies are taking advantage of the record low bond yields, selling $103 billion of debt last month, the busiest July on record, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Schlumberger Ltd. and Morgan Stanley all raised $2 billion each, the latter with its first fixed-rate 30-year debt in a decade.
"There was a lot of fear that the downgrade would result in higher interest rates overall within the U.S. because of the perceived lack of fiscal responsibility," said Thomas Chow, a money manager at Delaware Investments in Philadelphia with about $170 billion under management, including $130 billion of fixed-income assets. "The reality of it is that this world is based more on relative valuations."
Better Performing
While the U.S. has slowed, it's still performed better than most other advanced nations since the S&P move last year. The economy expanded at an average annual pace of about 2.5 percent from the third quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012.
That's double the rate of Germany and more than five times that of France. It's also better than the U.K. and Italy, both of which are mired in recessions. Among the Group of Seven industrial nations, only Canada and Japan, which has been recovering from the ravages of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, grew more.
"The U.S. is the best-looking horse in the glue factory," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist in Lexington, Massachusetts, for IHS Inc. "We have our problems, but the rest of the developed world has far, far worse problems."
While unemployment rose to 8.3 percent last month from 8.2 percent in June, U.S. employers added 163,000 workers, the Labor Department reported Aug. 3, exceeding the 100,000 median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey.
Housing Revival
Housing, the epicenter of the financial crisis in the U.S., is showing signs of life. Residential construction contributed 0.2 percentage point to economic growth in the second quarter and 0.4 point in the first, the biggest first-half role since 2005, before the 18-month recession that began December 2007.
Residential real-estate prices in 20 cities rose a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent in May from April, the largest increase in almost three years, according to the S&P/Case- Shiller index of property values.
"It really has turned what was a big headwind for us into something of a tailwind," Karl Case, a professor emeritus at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and co-creator of the index, told Tom Keene and Ken Prewitt on Bloomberg Radio's July 31 "Surveillance."
On its own, S&P's downgrade doesn't seem to have mattered, with Treasury yields down and the stock market up, said Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive officer of Pacific Investment Management Co. in Newport Beach, California. Even so, the market moves should be seen against the backdrop of record monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve, which has helped hold down yields, and the crisis in Europe, he said.
'Massive Outflows'
"There has been absolutely massive outflows out of Europe into Switzerland and the U.S.," said El-Erian, whose firm manages the world's largest bond fund.
He said the U.S. is stuck with a sluggish economy, with growth during the next 12 months likely to be 1.5 percent. Europe's economy, though, probably will contract by that much over the same period, he added.
S&P lowered the U.S. long-term credit rating to AA+ last August after months of wrangling between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans over whether to raise the federal- debt limit. While the impasse ended with Obama signing a debt- ceiling increase on Aug. 2, S&P downgraded the U.S three days later, citing political gridlock in Washington and the nation's long-term fiscal challenges.
Justified Reduction
Sixty-seven percent of global investors polled by Bloomberg the following month said the rating reduction was justified. U.S. investors were less supportive, with 57 percent approving, compared with about three-fourths of respondents in Europe and Asia, according to the survey of 1,031 Bloomberg subscribers.
Democrats and Republicans are heading for another showdown at the end of the year, after the November election, when more than $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts are slated to take effect in the absence of action by Congress.
Obama wants to raise taxes on households making $250,000 or more, while keeping them on hold for everyone else. Republicans say no taxes should go up.
"Both parties realize there is a fundamental mismatch between taxes and spending on entitlements," such as Social Security and Medicare, said Bob Bixby, head of the Concord Coalition, whose Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit group advocates balanced budgets. "The next administration is going to have to deal with it."
Budget Deficit
The White House has forecast a $1.2 trillion budget deficit for the year ending Sept. 30, equivalent to 7.8 percent of gross domestic product. Outside of 2010 and 2011, that would be the biggest shortfall as a share of the economy since World War II. The deficit in 2011 was $1.3 trillion, or 8.7 percent of GDP.
S&P said in June that political and fiscal risks could lead to a second downgrade by 2014. While Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings have kept their top grades on the U.S., both have a negative outlook.
Not so global investors. In May, 46 percent of respondents in a Bloomberg poll chose the U.S. as one of the markets with the most potential during the next year, up from 31 percent a year earlier.
"We're overweight the U.S. relative to emerging markets and Europe in equities, and we keep thinking about when we should take that position off but can't find a good reason to do so," Zemsky said.
More Flexible
U.S. companies are more flexible than their counterparts in Europe, with an ability to lay off workers and "get productivity growth out of what remains," said Hayes Miller, who helps oversee about $48 billion as head of asset allocation in North America at Baring Asset Management Inc.
"That underlying flexibility allows companies to continue to grow profits and run returns on equities that are in excess of what the European economies are able to do," Boston-based Miller said.
American banks also have made more progress than those in Europe in rebuilding their balance sheets, he said.
"You can begin to see the return to normalcy for banks in the U.S. to have a capital structure to lend again to the private sector," Miller said.
Commercial and industrial loans have climbed about 15 percent in the past year, in spite of concerns voiced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon that credit would be constricted by new regulations.
In terms of dollars, U.S. financial stocks have risen about 10 percent since S&P's action, compared with declines of about 8 percent for Asia and 16 percent for Europe.
"It's quite an ironic downgrade," said Brett Wander, chief investment officer in San Francisco for fixed income at Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc., which oversees about $200 billion. "Investors will pay a significant premium for safety, and there's probably no greater safe haven than the U.S., regardless of the rating that S&P assigns the country."
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Anyone willing to bet on whether a new farm bill will be enacted by the end of September or the current one extended for another year "could lose money either way," says Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas. Conaway, who represents the Texas 11th Congressional District and serves on the House Agriculture Committee, was interviewed by Southwest Farm Press Editor Ron Smith after delivering the keynote address at the Plains Cotton Growers annual conference in Lubbock.
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