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Sure-to-please choices
You've tried to choose a gift for the sport in your life, the dedicated angler, canoeist, hiker, shooter or sailor. And you've failed.
The look in an aficionado's eye on opening a present naively intended to enhance the enjoyment of a particular sport is a dead giveaway. Just what am I going to do with this? Next — but too late to mask the eye movement and expression of astonishment — come effusive explanations of just how special the gift is and how much it is appreciated.
Here's how to do better this year. If you are not dead certain that the gift is indeed unique and desirable within the context of that sport —almost impossible if you don't share the passion — give a gift certificate.
A certificate for a favorite restaurant is an excellent choice, as is one from a good sporting goods store. If the person in question is keen, sartorial-wise, a certificate from one of the better area clothing stores will may be the ticket. For those impossible to anticipate, I note that liquor stores are beginning to sell holiday gift cards.
But if you must choose a sporting gift, try something like this. For boaters, a new piece of technological boating gear has recently arrived in retail stores to satisfy a safety requirement of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Weems and Plath electronic flare and emergency SOS light.
Flares are required to be onboard any craft larger than 16 feet that intends to go on big water or operate at night. Flares inevitably have an expiration date (usually three years hence) and are inherently dangerous to operate.
This new electronic flare never expires, is safe to use and is superior in terms of visibility and effectiveness of operation. All boaters will eventually possess one of these new devices in lieu of the incendiaries. If you want your skipper to appreciate your thoughtfulness, and to keep safe at the same time, giving one of these new devices is a sure avenue to success.
LED flashlights are also an ideal gift for the sports inclined, especially the small units with high light output (1,000-plus lumens). These devices can be lifesavers in emergencies. Every car, motorcycle, boat (or other floating or moving conveyance) should have one somewhere onboard.
They're also handy for non-sporting occasions as they thoroughly illuminate any dim, dark walks back to an automobile and can effectively (though briefly) blind and ward off anyone who threatens to approach uncomfortably close. The better ones are the size of a small candy bar.
Another unique LED creation is the Larry Light, a small, inexpensive, bright stick of lights that is directional and magnetized so that it can be attached anywhere there is metal for hands-free illumination of dark recesses. They're also handy for casual photographic applications.
The incredibly efficient Yeti brand coolers have become quite popular of late despite their hefty price tags. Yeti also offers hot/cold drink cups and thermos bottles that are unbelievably efficient as well as more affordable. They make an ideal gift for almost anyone.
Get a fast start with my Gouin brew
This is a great time to activate the compost pile. The fallen leaves are rich in nutrients and organic matter. Mother Nature has been using leaves as natural mulch since the beginning of time.
I begin with my leaf blower, blowing as many leaves as possible under the branches of the shrubs to mulch them over winter.
For my compost pile, I then use the lawnmower to chop the remaining leaves by mowing the lawn with the blade set at five inches above the ground, starting from the outer-edge of the lawn and working my way into the center. This pushes the fallen leaves into the center of the lawn where I can harvest them easily and transport them to the compost bin. Chopped leaves compost faster than whole leaves.
With the garden hose handy to spray water on the leaves as I load them in the bin, I lay a 10- to 12-inch layer of chopped leaves and cover it with a uniform layer of leftover compost from last year. To hasten the composting process, I sprinkle about one cup of urea or ammonium nitrate per 10 square feet of area and water thoroughly. Each layer of leaves covered with compost needs to be wet in order for composting to start. Dry leaves do not compost.
If you do not have leftover compost from last year, make your own compost starter by adding a shovel full of garden soil to a five-gallon pail. Add one-half cup of cheap dish detergent and one cup of urea or ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Stir the mixture well, and sprinkle it over each layer of copped leaves added to the pile. The detergent will help in wetting the leaves, and the ammonium nitrate or urea will provide nitrogen to stimulate the microbes in the garden soil into doing their duty. Five gallons of this Gouin brew is sufficient to cover about 30 square feet of composting area.
The larger the compost pile, the better. Compost piles smaller than five-by-five-by-five feet will not generally become very active until next spring when temperatures warm. However because of mass, larger compost piles are capable of generating and maintaining high temperatures all winter long — providing the composting materials remain moist.
A long-shank thermometer of two feet or more is helpful in monitoring microbial activity. You can also see the effects of microbial activity by simply digging into the pile on a cold day, watching the vapors rise and feeling the warmth of the compost. If you did a good job of preparing the pile, rising temperatures should be measurable in two weeks or less. You should also notice significant reductions in volume as temperatures rise. This means that the microbes are digesting the leaf tissues and generating heat and carbon dioxide.
Ask The Bay Gardener your questions at [email protected] Please include your name and address.
They'll keep us company till the osprey return
Right on time, tundra swans
have dropped from the skies over Chesapeake Country like giant snowflakes. They are big birds, weighing 20 pounds or so in maturity with a six-foot wingspan.
About December 1, perhaps I heard their raucous cries cutting through the dark of night. Four or five days later on Fairhaven pond, I saw a pair of white birds so big that they couldn't have been gulls. December 10 the evidence was incontrovertible: a pair flapping over the pond, a couple pair more paddling through the water, skirting the skin of ice.
That's modern swan time; used to be they'd arrive reliably for Veterans Day, just as the osprey arrive reliably for St. Patrick's Day.
Tundra swans are creatures of cold weather, but the freeze in their Canadian nesting grounds sends them south in search of food. They come as families, parents and a cygnet or two, only four months old and making this two-month flight of thousands of miles from above the Arctic Circle. The big birds fly at about 50mph; they follow the freeze south through Canada, feeling along the way.
The Chesapeake is a historic wintering spot, and they'll stay with us from now until earliest spring. So you've lots of opportunity to meet them.
See their loose Vs passing overhead, hear their bark and spy the huge birds close up as small flocks float on Bay marsh ponds and coves, long necks stretched to the muddy bottoms to harvest grasses, clams and other small mollusks. Long-distance flying is hard, hungry work, so it may take a while before those elegant, long necks rise to show you the species-signature black beak.
It all goes back to Hansel and Gretel
In one form or another, gingerbread has been popular since at least mediaeval times.
"Gingerbread was a favorite treat at festivals and fairs in medieval Europe — often shaped and decorated to look like flowers, birds, animals or even armor," according to Smithsonian Magazine. "Several cities in France and England hosted regular gingerbread fairs for centuries."
Gingerbread became especially popular in Germany, where monks baked the confection starting around the 14th century. Lay bakers then started making the treat and took their recipes extremely seriously, guarding them as family secrets.
Building gingerbread houses likely started in Germany. Records of gingerbread houses start in the 1600s but became really popular after the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel was published in 1812, according to The History Kitchen.
In the tale, a witch lives in a house made of delicious candy and cookies. The house is a trap she uses to lure children into her home and, eventually, her oven. Somehow the story inspired bakers to create their own baked houses, and people liked them, despite their terrifying associations. Gingerbread houses now range from the simple to the extreme.
This year, the United Kingdom's National Trust commissioned a gingerbread house that is astounding. Built by an English cookie making company, the mansion took 15 months and 500 hours to create. It was inspired by Waddesdon Manor and is made up of 66 pounds of butter, 240 eggs and 480 pounds of icing. It is six feet tall and has details that many of us would never imagine going into a gingerbread house, like paintings, beds, chairs and elaborate carpets, all made of confection. See the creation at https://waddesdon.org.uk/whats-on/biscuiteers-manor-in-gingerbread/
Closer to home, a gingerbread White House is always part of the holiday decorations at The White House. This year's house is constructed of 150 pounds of gingerbread, 100 pounds of bread dough, 20 pounds of gum paste, 20 pounds of icing and 20 pounds of sculpted sugar pieces.
Fifty-six more pseudo gingerbread houses, each actually made of Lego bricks, represent each state and territory
If you have $78,000 to splurge, you can order an organic gingerbread house custom made to look like your own home, adorned with pearls and a five-carat ruby from veryfirstto.com.
From boxwood to white pine, you've many evergreen choices
Here in Chesapeake Country, we have an abundance of evergreen plants to choose from. Many — but not all — narrowleaf greens will hold their needles if you treat them right, while adding beauty and aroma to your home. For long-lasting holiday greens, gather arborvitae, Canaan fir, Douglas fir, junipers, Nordman red cedar, red pine, Scots pine and white pine.
Many broadleaf evergreens will also hold up throughout the holidays. Choose from American holly, cherry laurel, Chinese holly, English holly, English ivy, mountain laurel, pachysandra, periwinkle, rhododendron and southern magnolia. Japanese hollies are plentiful, but their foliage does not stay as attractive for as long as the other varieties.
Increase the life of greens by cutting one to two inches from the base of the stem as soon as you bring them indoors and immersing them in 100-degree water. Change the water at least every other day.
A Bonus from Boxwood
Back in colonial days, gardeners pruned their boxwoods by breaking branches just prior to the holidays for use in making decorations. In cold weather, boxwood branches become very brittle and can easily be broken from the main stems. This may seem crude, but it is a very effective method of pruning boxwood and making maximum use of the prunings.
Boxwood branches have many decorating uses, such as making wreaths, sprays, kissing balls and centerpieces. To increase their longevity in the home, carry along a pail of hot water, about 100 degrees, and immediately place the broken end of the branches in the water. The cold stems will absorb the hot water readily.
To punch holes through the boxwood canopy thus allowing light to penetrate into the center of the plant, break branches 12 to 14 inches long. Breaks made when temperatures are low are clean and will heal quickly come spring. Another advantage to pruning boxwoods by breaking branches during winter months is you have more time, so you can do a better job. Winter pruning also gives you a head start on spring pruning.
Still another advantage of breaking branches is that you reduce the chance of spreading canker diseases from plant to plant. Pruning boxwoods with shears during the summer increases the chance of spreading canker-causing diseases from plant to plant.
Adjust your dress and technique, and you might still catch one
This is the end my friend, the end.
It hurts to set you free.
Rock legend Jim Morrison's words echo my thoughts as our rockfish season heads to a close on December 20. It has been a fine year chasing my favorite Bay species, and I still hope for a few more encounters.
I've gotten in some good December licks in the past. Jigging around the Eastern Shore rock pile at the Bay Bridge has been memorably productive during this last month. Though I've been out of action recently with unexpected boat motor repairs and foul weather, I am itching for another chance or two.
Just a couple of years ago, a friend and I couldn't get a jig with a small dropper to the bottom for all the big white perch that were schooled there. The reason? Four- and five-pound rockfish would pounce on the rig before it was halfway down. The year before that, a simple two-ounce jig with a lip-hooked minnow slow bumped along deep shell was the key to lots of striped winter action. I'm planning over the next few days to be trying them all, especially a chartreuse Bernie's Bomber rig, a two-ounce feather-dressed jig followed with a fluorescent yellow Meushaw jig dropper. Stripers will be my target, but I won't discard any chunky white perch that decide to jump the rig.
Both rockfish and white perch are at their dinner-table best this time of year, fat as pigs from fall feeding and as firm as tuna from the deep cold water both species prefer this time of year.
Of course Maryland's winter weather will always play a role in deciding when to go.
Since I'm fishing from a light 17-foot skiff, I'll stick to windless days with temperatures in the mid-50s and won't stray too far from the boat ramp. Though in my youth, nothing discouraged me until my rod guides started freezing up, the last few years I've discovered the December conditions much more uncomfortable than I remembered them.
Waterproof (not water-resistant) foul weather coat and pants are a must, even on calm sunny days. It doesn't take much for an errant bow wave to splash onto the boat and soak your clothes. I don't care what the advertisements say: No matter what you're wearing, it won't keep you warm if it's wet.
A good hat is a must. Bring an extra along in case the first blows off while you're at speed. Gloves are handy but don't expect to keep them dry, so stay away from fleece. Wool is best. It's also a good idea to bring a hot beverage in a good-quality thermos, as it will keep your core warm and make everything more comfortable. Limit your alcohol intake. In quantity, alcohol gives the illusion of warming you up while actually dropping your body temp.
Keep in mind that as the water temperatures fall, especially below 50 degrees, fish will search for their prey more and more by smell and less by vision. Adding a strip of fresh bait to your lures or going strictly to live bait will generally improve your results. Using synthesized potions to make your baits more scent attractive can also be helpful. Slowing your retrieves and lure action to match the lower metabolisms of the cold-blooded quarry is wise.
Expect extreme patience to pay off more than constant relocation and experimentation.
Why are pelicans still hanging around the Bay so late in the year?
Brown pelicans have become summer residents hereabouts, nesting on Smith and Holland islands in the southern Bay when the water is warm and fish are plentiful. This late fall, however, the big-billed birds have been sighted as far north as Ft. Smallwood Park and Ft. Armistead Park near Baltimore.
"Seeing them that far north in the Bay in November is notable," says David Brinker of Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "I don't remember observations like this in years past."
As for explanation, Brinker explains that last month was warm "so the waters of the Bay don't seem to be cooling as fast as they generally do. This means that fish are more active than usual, so the pelicans can still find food easily. So they're sticking around longer than normal."
In a typical year, pelicans start migrating south in late October or early November. Leaving Maryland, most pelicans end up in Florida or the Caribbean islands for the winter. Some go as far south as the northern part of South America.
In the Chesapeake, pelicans nearly disappeared in the 1960s and 1970s because the pesticide DDT weakened their eggs. They didn't return until 1987.
Now, Brinker says, "We have somewhere between one to two thousand breeding pairs of pelicans every summer. I think part of the reason we've had this great expansion of birds is that they've discovered the great resource of the Bay ecosystem, especially the menhaden."
Odder still, a small flock of white pelicans winters at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore.
"Thirty to 50 birds have been spending their winters there for the past five or so years," Brinker said.
White pelicans spend their summers in the Midwest and west, nesting in freshwater wetlands, then typically wintering along the southern coasts of the U.S. and Mexico.
Once upon a time …
Step into the ancient Chesapeake, and you could have become a crocodile's dinner. So it's a good thing all those crocodiles were creature of the Miocene epoch (23 to five million years ago), gone long before Homo sapiens discovered the modern Chesapeake.
Their remains, however, are still here, along the Calvert Cliffs, as well as in coastal states down to Florida.
There avid fossil collector George Klein, of Chapel Hill, NC, got to know these ancient crocodiles, called Thecachampsa, whose length may have approached 30 feet. He's gotten to know them in such detail — down to each of the 19 bones that compose their skulls, excluding the lower jaw — that he's published a book on the beasts and their comparison to living American alligators.
His book, published in digital and hard copies by Calvert Marine Museum, is of necessity skeletal, as bony fossils are all our two species of large crocodiles — Thecachampsa sericodon and Thecachampsa antiquus — left behind. Skeletal Anatomy of Alligator and Comparison with Thecachampsa is the kind of book you'd read as a fossil collector seeking to identify your finds.
"I expect that this work will inspire on several fronts and further our understanding of extinct alligators and crocodiles by bringing new finds to light," says Dr. Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the museum — and sponsor of its Fossil Club.
That's where you'd go to get to know crocodiles, great white sharks and many other ancient denizens of the oceanic pre-Chesapeake. You'd also meet human enthusiasts near and far as the club works with fossil collectors all over the world to advance the field of paleontology and grow the museum's collection.
Or you could wait a while and maybe see the real thing.
"Although crocodilians have not inhabited northeastern North America in several million years, as global climates warm," writes Godfrey, "perhaps they will someday re-inhabit coastal Maryland."
Take a look at all that remains of Thecachampsa at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/276/CMM-Publications.
Not all Christmas trees are equal
Not all evergreen trees are equally fire-resistant. The Douglas fir is the most fire-resistant tree, while the popular Fraser fir is the most combustible. Freshness has nothing to do with this comparison. Douglas fir is a low-resin tree, while Fraser fir is a high-resin tree. As the tree dries, the resin becomes highly combustible.
Assuring that your Christmas tree is a fire-safe tree begins with selecting the right tree. The State of Maryland fire marshal has declared that the most fire-resistant species are Douglas fir, Colorado spruce and Scots pine. This conclusion is based on studies conducted in 1995 and 1996, using fresh-cut trees stored in water prior to igniting.
Your next consideration after species should be freshness. The sooner after cutting you purchase that tree — if you care for it properly — the more fire-resistant it will be. For the freshest Christmas trees, buy locally from a Christmas tree grower's lot. Or cut your own. Otherwise, you could be buying an imported tree cut in November or even late October.
As soon as you purchase the tree, cut at least one inch from the base of the trunk and dunk the stem immediately into a pail of 100-degree water. Store the tree in a shaded area.
When you bring the tree indoors, cut off another inch of from the base, and place the stem into a clean tree stand that will hold at least one gallon of water. Adding floral preservative to the water assures a longer shelf-life, which makes the tree more fire-resistant — providing you always maintain a constant water level.
Avoid placing the tree near a heat register or radiator, and use only UL-approved lights in good condition. Never leave a lighted tree without supervision. Finally, don't extend your holiday too long. If you wait for the tree to start dropping needles before removing it from your home, you're housing a fire hazard.
December 5 ended the Volstead Act
Prohibition Repeal Day, December 5, is the anniversary of the repeal of the 18th amendment, which ended prohibition. Prohibition began in 1920 and ended in 1933 after it was concluded that the law had not ended drinking in America. Worse, Prohibition was costing billions in lost tax revenue for local and federal agencies.
To celebrate, I've found some lesser known facts about the era.
Prohibition didn't actually outlaw drinking. Surprisingly, the Volstead Act, as it was called, only outlawed the production, sale and transportation of alcohol. Doctors could prescribe alcohol for various ailments, and you could pick it up at the pharmacy.
Maryland refused to enforce the law. "Although Maryland became the sixth state to ratify the amendment, the state, led by outspoken anti-prohibition Governor Albert C. Ritchie, refused to pass a state enforcement law abridging its citizens' right to imbibe," the Maryland State Historical Society reports. "In his second inaugural address delivered on January 9, 1921, Ritchie laid out his opposition to national prohibition as an infringement on Marylander's liberties."
Thus "Maryland was one of the 'wettest' states, and Baltimore one of the 'wettest' cities."
"The Chesapeake Bay became the prime port of call for the nation's bootleggers," according to the Brewers Association of Maryland. "Because of its refusal to enforce prohibition, Maryland was also important in becoming a strong advocate for repealing the law.
Elsewhere, booze cruises became popular. These "cruises to nowhere" set sail into international waters so passengers could legally drink, went in a circle and came back.
Some states remained dry even after Prohibition was repealed by the federal government. Mississippi didn't end Prohibition until 1966.
This December 5, consider raising a glass to Utah, the last state to ratify the 21st amendment that repealed prohibiton.
© Copyright 2018, New Bay Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.


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MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he trusted China would not build anything on a disputed South China Sea shoal because he was given its "word of honor" and Beijing would not want to jeopardize a new friendship.
Duterte was commenting amid a furor in the Philippines stemming from remarks last week by the mayor in charge of China-controlled disputed islands and reefs, who said preparatory work was being planned to build several monitoring stations, including on the Scarborough Shoal.
"I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship," he told a news conference in the early hours of Thursday, referring to the shoal by its local name.
"'We will build nothing there' - that was the assurance given by the Chinese government.
"They are not going to build anything ... because they do not want to jeopardize our friendship".
He said China "has a word of honor". He did not specify when he received this assurance.
Duterte caused a stir on Sunday when he said "we cannot stop China", when asked about the possibility of it putting radar at the shoal.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Wednesday said the reports about a monitoring station were "mistaken" and "not true".
China's activities in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which at least $5 trillion of goods passes annually, have been closely watched by the Philippines, which has seen Beijing build and arm artificial islands in its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
The Scarborough Shoal is symbolic of the Philippines' long struggle to assert itself against China's maritime ambitions. Located 124 miles off the Philippine coast, the rocky outcrop was a rich fishing ground for Filipinos until China's coastguard blockaded the area in 2012.
Duterte sprang a surprise last year when he took office and opted to pursue rapprochement with Beijing after years of bitter squabbling. China's coastguard has since allowed Filipinos to fish at the periphery of the shoal.
Duterte said he was honest with his intentions when he visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in October.
"I just want to shake your hand but since you have this animosity with America you have identified us unjustly as on the side of America," he said, recalling the meeting.
"I said 'I just want to trade with you and I want business because my country needs it'."
In a barb aimed at the United States, a close military ally of the Philippines, Duterte said countries should avoid escalating tensions, because missteps could be catastrophic.
"Why do you have to go there and look for friction?", he said. "Friction causes an explosion ... then you can have war."
He added: "It's a very important word for all of us: Miscalculation."
(Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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The Internet Arcade collects a wide selection of titles, both well-known and obscure, ranging from "bronze age" black-and-white classics like 1976's Sprint 2 up through the dawn of the early '90s fighting game boom in Street Fighter II. In the middle are a few historical oddities, such as foreign Donkey Kong bootleg Crazy Kong and the hacked "Pauline Edition" of Donkey Kong that was created by a doting father just last year.
The Archive highlights 300 or so games for their ability to "run at proper speed in a powerful browser," but the collection of 900 ROMs includes hundreds more on offer that are "playable in some form." Scott notes that vector games are particularly tricky, and games that use non-standard controllers, like trackballs, play a bit oddly (though the emulator does support many USB gamepads). No matter how extensive the collection gets, of course, there will be some games that simply can't be emulated on a computer any time soon.
While most of the arcade games on offer are still under copyright, with some still seeing re-releases on modern consoles, the browser-based versions are being offered as part of what the Archive calls "exercising our right to remember." Many users will no doubt briefly tinker with fondly remembered games or explore some quirky looking titles that strike their fancy. But Scott writes that he hopes a few will "begin plotting out ways to use this stuff in research, in writing, and remixing these old games into understanding their contexts. Time will tell."


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This epic route, which was for many years considered one of the hardest in the Mont Blanc Range, combines F7c standard (traditionally protected) rock climbing with a long mixed alpine ridge, and tops out on the summit of Mont Blanc itself (4,810m).
This sought-after route sees few ascents, and even fewer free ascents, as the crux 7c pitch is often very wet, which was the case for Calum and Miles. The pair onsighted every pitch except the wet crux, and they climbed the route with one bivy in the middle of the large rock wall.
Calum has written up their ascent on the Rab Blog:
"... we had ten days in the Alps in which to try the route, eight if you exclude flying there and back. We arrived to bad weather but a promising forecast of five days of sun which left us feeling optimistic. We spent the first couple of days acclimatizing on the Grand Capucin and South face of the Aiguille du Midi before spending a morning re-packing in the valley and heading back up the cable car to walk in to The Grand Pilier. We took our time walking across to the Fourche bivouac hut on Frontier Ridge knowing full well that we hadn't spent long acclimatizing and we would need energy in reserve the following day. From the hut we decided to abseil down that evening to the glacier below and cross it to the next col where a series of abseils down jenga like rock bring you to a reasonable bivi spot in full view of Divine Providence.
We set off at first light the following morning crossing swiftly beneath the Brenva Seracs over the detritus of multiple avalanches to the base of the route. The first 400m or so go fairly quickly with climbing up to about E1. From here the difficulty steps up a few notches and we soon reached the first hard pitch which Miles dispatched easily. The next pitch had a wet crux section but the climbing was reasonable enough to allow passage to the crux pitch. When we looked at the next pitch it was clear that our free and on-sight ambitions were over as the first half of the pitch was running with water. It was going to be my pitch but Miles volunteered to lead as he'd done more aid climbing than I. I attempted to free the pitch on second but quickly the combination of difficult climbing and icy cold water shut me down leaving me with a painful dose of hot aches. One more pitch landed us at a disappointingly snow covered bivi ledge which took a while to clear and provided us with a cold and sleepless night. The sun hits the wall at first light in the morning and after spending a while thawing we got back into the rhythm of climbing quite slowly, spending a while to work out which line to take. The final hurdle was the roof pitch graded at 7a+ at around 4000m. Miles looked solid leading up to the roof and dispatched the pitch easily with a woop once he reached the belay. I seconded and was happy to find the pitch quite amenable.
With all the hard climbing behind us we thought we'd motor to the top but the mixed climbing leading to the Peutrey ridge took us longer than expected and we finally reached the ridge late in the day. We un-roped and slogged our way up towards the summit of Mont Blanc for sunset. The long walk back to the midi left us feeling exhausted, myself in particular but we were both chuffed to have climbed such a brilliant and legendary route that we had both dreamed of doing for so long...."
Read his full report here: RAB BLOG
Hand drawn Topo for the route:


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Regression Candidates Through Week 1: Steve Smith Owners Beware
It always seems like Week 1 of the NFL's regular season brings to us a cornucopia of surprises in its results. Week 1 is a magical place where fourth-string undrafted wide receivers can lead the league in scoring for one shining moment, while a 31-year-old career journeyman quarterback is a top-10 fantasy football option. In fact, it seems like Week 1 was so odd yet again that I wouldn't be surprised to have heard this on Monday Night Football…
"Let's take a quick commercial break for our sponsors. This is Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season, brought to you by Hurns, Crowell, and Anderson, makers of the products Huh?, What?!, and I Don't Even…"
In all seriousness, there are always wacky results from small sample sizes of data, and one game of football is about as small as you can get when it comes to predictions. Still, we as fantasy football players are always looking for value in production, and this game we're about to play is all about regression to the mean. So, which Week 1 wonders will be total duds, and which are prospective risers?
Don't Buy The High
Before anything else, we have to understand our terms here, right? When looking at Net Expected Points (NEP), what you are looking at is a score – measured in expected points – that tells you exactly how much a player advanced his team's chances of scoring on all drives combined. This helps to provide a clearer picture of a player's contribution on the field. By comparing NEP scores and fantasy scores, we'll see if anybody's high NEP score suggests an upswing in fantasy, or a low NEP score suggests they're just a fantasy mirage.
Let's first look at new Baltimore Ravens wideout, Steve Smith. First, 14 of Smith's 17 points came from one play with busted coverage, where he romped for 80 yards and a score late in the fourth quarter. Prior to this, he'd seen 14 targets, converting a mere six of them into receptions for a paltry 38 yards. How bad is this in terms of NEP? Smith's 0.70 Reception NEP on a per target basis ranks 27th among all players targeted five or more times in Week 1. This is not the mark of efficient play, and it's going to be a long season if Smith owners rely on busted coverage big plays for their player to have value.
Another wide receiver with a high likelihood of a return to earth is Minnesota Viking Cordarrelle Patterson. I've been a well-documented critic of Patterson since he began his career, as he's known to be unpolished as a route-runner and was used primarily as an oversized running back in 2013. Sure enough, here we are again: 16 of Patterson's 18 points came from rushing plays. In the passing game, Patterson is still as raw as can be, with only three catches on five targets for a measly 2.32 Reception NEP and a horrendous 0.46 per target Reception NEP.
Where Patterson did his damage is in his 8.03 Rushing NEP, which, while impressive, will not be the result every week. As a fantasy owner, I appreciate when a coaching staff announces that it will find any way to get a player the ball. However, in order for Patterson to become anything more than a true boom-or-bust proposition, he will have to become a legitimate receiving threat.
A candidate among the running back population is the Denver Broncos' Montee Ball. His Total NEP performance was low enough to put him outside the top 25 at the running back position among runners with seven carries or more in Week 1, despite a 13th ranked fantasy point output (13 points). Most of this was due to a 30th-ranked Rushing NEP, but only two targets in the receiving game won't help either. He wasn't as valuable or efficient a runner as we think, so let's hope he keeps getting massive work.
Take Them Low, Daddy-O
One of our shockingly low NEP performers in Week 1 was Jamaal Charles, running back extraordinaire for the Kansas City Chiefs. His Total NEP for Week 1 put him at 38th out of 44 running backs with seven or more carries. Even more shocking was the meager two fantasy points he accumulated in standard leagues. So, why do I think that Charles is due next week? For one, Denver's run defense was among the worst in Week 1, ranking 24th in the NFL according to our metrics. This is kind of shocking, considering they only dealt with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw. Charles also likely won't receive a paltry 11 opportunities again, or heads will roll in Kansas City. Having obtained only four targets in Week 1, the versatile and lethal-in-space Charles should expect a massive uptick in receiving value from here on out.
Larry Donnell might actually be worth a legitimate look moving forward. A lumbering former undrafted free agent, this tight end snuck into the void the Giants had at the position and surprisingly hasn't let go of it through the entire preseason. Accumulating a solid 11 fantasy points this week, Donnell's Reception NEP of 9.13 put him in the top 10 for the week among all pass-catchers, and his per target efficiency doesn't hint at much, if any, regression (1.14; 16th among pass-catchers with at least three targets). With no one on the depth chart to truly challenge him, Donnell could be a sneaky value for fantasy owners in deeper leagues. Our own Keith Black documented this well on Tuesday.
Dwayne Harris had a surprisingly valuable day for a receiver, too, ranking in the top 25 in Total NEP (6.05). Part of this was due to one solid running play, but perhaps the five fantasy points he picked up in Week 1 could sustain or even grow if the Cowboys keep finding themselves in dire shootouts as the season goes on (hint: they will).
Finally, quarterback Ryan "Fitzmagic" Fitzpatrick had a competent day by NEP standards, accumulating a 10th ranked 9.09 Passing NEP, as well as a fifth-ranked per drop back efficiency for Passing NEP. He even added a solid 2.02 Rushing NEP to his total for the week. Could Fitzy have been the answer in Houston the whole time? Maybe not for the franchise's future, but he should be a nice bye week option in standard fantasy leagues (or a good backup in deeper or two quarterback), as his 13 fantasy points appear ready to rise.


text:
Australian Story
Electronic Media Monitoring Service
Jane Hansen lived a charmed life. She channelled all the opportunities of her generation - education, challenge and adventure - into a successful career as a television journalist. Jane then had a premature baby and her life changed.
2007-09-10 19:56:35
MARTIN, Ray
HANSEN, Jane
The War Zone - Transcript
PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT: Monday, 10 September , 2007
RAY MARTIN: Hello, I'm Ray Martin. It's my pleasure tonight to present a story about a friend and
colleague of mine. For 18 years, journalist Jane Hansen revelled in the grind of daily current
affairs television. She reported from some of the most dangerous places in the world and she
witnessed the pain and suffering of other people. But as a reporter she was always able to walk
away from it, until she was confronted by her own, critically ill child. This then, is Jane's
JANE HANSEN: I was in it for the big stuff. When you got to strap yourself into the front seat of
history and to bear witness to that was an extraordinary privilege. This of course, is a song of
victory... Having grown up watching Jana, I wanted to be that, like many journalists of my
generation. It was a new frontier for women in a way, to get out there and to do the stuff that was
traditionally, you know, George Negus' area.
I'd reported on fear. I thought that I'd probably faced some fearful situations but that, you know,
previous life in war zones, that was a walk in the park compared to this, where a life just hung in
the balance.
(Excerpt from home video):
JANE HANSEN (holding baby's hand in incubator): Little Jack has to be strong enough to take breaths
of his own, more breaths of his own. He's only taking about 30 per cent of the breaths he's taking
on his own ...
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: I was not prepared for the war zone that my own baby would have to get through. In
this case I wasn't an impassive observer. I was right in amongst it. This was my heart in there.
This was my only child. And it's like my survival rested on his survival as well. He had a
minefield to get through in that first week. I had done a story on career women putting off their
child bearing 'til their late 30s and waiting 'til their fertility was on its last legs and I mean
that story obviously hit a chord with me because I was 36. I did fall pregnant pretty soon after
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: She was torn between her career and torn between the, wanting a wonderful
family, and it's a tough decision for women to make.
JANE HANSEN: I had an amniocentesis and I was the unlucky one in 200 that lost a perfectly healthy
baby as a result of that test and at 17 weeks my waters broke and the baby was delivered at 19
weeks and he had no chance. Growing up around Mullumbimby and Byron Bay, it was an incredibly
beautiful place to grow up. I was one of six children. I was just surrounded by babies in my early
teens. And when I left home, you know I really felt like I'd changed a million nappies already and
motherhood was the last thing on my mind.
ALI KOVACS, FRIEND: We had great ambitions that, at 18, that we knew everything and we were going
to go out and we were going to educate the world. We were both going to go and be famous
JANE HANSEN: It was the 80s. I could get a university education, I could travel the world. If I
worked hard I could become a success in my chosen field. There didn't seem to be any obstacles. The
only obstacle that I could see was motherhood. Gerald Stone gave me my first big break as a
reporter on "Real Life". A few years after I moved over to "A Current Affair". Sure, they had some
silly stories but it was also a program that covered the big issues and they spent the money.
PETER MEAKIN, FORMER CHANNEL 9 NEWS DIRECTOR: It's a very hungry beast, commercial current affairs.
It takes no prisoners, and it doesn't brook failure. If you're actually in there 24 hours a day,
you live, eat and breathe it.
JANE HANSEN: People had said to me before I joined Channel 9, look it's a bit of a boy's club. It's
very blokey. I did notice that being a childless woman in my 30s, I was by no means alone.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: I don't believe it probably was a family friendly place. TV is a
dog-eat-dog world, you know, it's what the ratings are, ratings are the number one thing that's
JANE HANSEN: I met Andrew on my first trip overseas to Aspen.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: Jane had something special, a real go-getter who wanted success and loved
making a difference.
JANE HANSEN: When we got married it coincided with a tragic event at work that affected me
terribly. It was a story about a television repair man, Benny Mendoza, apparently not doing the job
properly or overcharging.
(Excerpt from "A Current Affair" - August 1997)
JANE HANSEN: As you can see, this Kenwood CD player works but our technician Will Strauss
(phonetic) removes a simple, $1 fuse and replaces it with a blown fuse ...
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: The story was assigned to a producer and a researcher and when they had what they
thought was enough evidence, the story was assigned to a reporter and I walked in the door that
(Excerpt from "A Current Affair" - August 1997):
BENNY MENDOZA: Yeah, we change it for sure.
JANE HANSEN: Well if they were changed, would there be evidence of soldering?
BENNY MENDOZA: Yeah, that's right, yep.
JANE HANSEN: Well there is absolutely no evidence of any soldering ...
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: So all weekend, it was promo'd and then the Monday night it was on and a few days
later, a producer walked in and said that this man had hung himself, and I was speechless. It still
really upsets me. It's been 10 years. I think what gutted me the most was that two children were
without a father and a wife was without a husband. I didn't feel as though I had a right to talk
about how I felt about the story because I wasn't the victim. In everyone's mind, I was the
(Excerpt from "Media Watch", ABC TV- August 1997):
STUART LITTLEMORE: One sordid little entrapment too many and another unremarkable example of "A
Current Affair's" mindless succession of bullying righteousness, yields a result they will say they
never foresaw. A little man, caught by a cheap deception far worse than anything he was accused of
doing, despairs of ever living down the shame and takes his own life.
(End of excerpt)
PETER MEAKIN, FORMER CHANNEL 9 NEWS DIRECTOR: And you can understand the opprobrium that it
attracted because it is a big media organisation, with Kerry Packer at the top and one little
punter who's running a business, maybe he's cutting a few corners. But it seems like an unequal
(Excerpt from "A Current Affair" - August 1997, continued):
JANE HANSEN (to Benny Mendoza): We've been charged $159.
(End of excerpt)
PETER MEAKIN, FORMER CHANNEL 9 NEWS DIRECTOR: Jane Hansen's a thorough professional. You can blame
the program, you can hardly blame her. But this was a shocker, an absolute shocker.
JANE HANSEN: I was just doing my job and I know that's the Nuremberg defence but I wasn't in the
position to say, "Shove it, I don't think it's a good story." Which is how I felt anyway. I didn't
think it was a good story. It was my job and I wasn't in a position to be a prima donna.
(Excerpt from "Media Watch", ABC TV- August 1997, continued):
STUART LITTLEMORE: These unspeakable bastards did however deceive Mr Mendoza and then set him up
(End of excerpt)
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: She wasn't treated that kindly by the media. She was, you know, the media
can be a cruel, harsh place, as we all know, and I suppose like you can think about, well if you
give it out, you have to take it.
JANE HANSEN: You know, I had press camped out the front of my house as well demanding an apology
but you know, I wanted to apologise to Benny Mendoza's wife.
REVEREND DENIS SHELTON, MENDOZA FAMILY FRIEND: It was important for them as part of the process to
see one another. And so we ended up organising a meeting between them. And so I was there sort of
in a sense ah, acting I guess as a facilitator or a mediator or something of that kind.
JANE HANSEN: She talked about that day it happened and it was surreal to hear her pain and to know
that my role in it, and I held her hand, I cried and said, "I'm sorry". We said a prayer, but it
didn't bring him back.
REVEREND DENIS SHELTON, MENDOZA FAMILY FRIEND: It's not just a professional thing. It's not just
doing a story, it was actually something which impacted her personally. And in this case of course
it impacted her devastatingly.
JANE HANSEN: Two years down the track, I finally admitted that it was affecting me. I was waking up
in the middle of the night gasping for air, horrified at what had happened but I didn't feel as
though I could express it. So I did finally seek some counselling and the treatment did work to the
point where I could talk about it without bursting into tears and at that point, I think that's
when you start healing. But it's, that story was a nightmare then and it is still a nightmare.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: It took many years to heal, you know, she was sent to Iraq and I think she
was the only female journalist that did go to Baghdad at the time of the last Iraq war for
Australia, for TV.
JANE HANSEN: So at 39, I found myself pregnant again and just so protective of this baby. Nothing
was going to go wrong it this time. And I just knew that I couldn't go through another loss. But
little did I know that the second term loss of Thomas in 2002 had basically conspired to weaken my
cervix and it was like a time bomb. At 21 weeks things started to go wrong. I had to have a
surgical procedure - a stitch put in my cervix to keep the baby in. And my job of course from that
point on was to lie flat on my back until it was time for the baby to be born and I was only half
way through my pregnancy.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: Jane spent weeks and weeks of bed rest, lying on her back. But at 26 weeks
was when Jackson had to be born. It was a situation where, you know, our doctor advised us that
today's the day, we can't wait any longer, we're putting everybody at risk.
(Excerpt from home video, 13th December 2003):
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND (in hospital): Well here we are, I'm here with Jane and ...
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: Twenty-six weeks is really early and I think we were given 70 - 80 per cent chance.
(Excerpt continued):
JANE HANSEN: So, in about 20 minutes I'm going to go upstairs and have a caesarean and we're going
to have a baby and this little one's going to have to put up a fight ...
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: We decided we'd make a video for our baby to see, to watch when he grew up. Jackson
Nelson Fisher was 950 grams, just under one kilo. He was tiny.
A neonatal intensive care unit is a war zone in itself for a baby of that size.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: You know, I was so happy and proud that I had a baby boy that, you know, I
told everybody, and you know, I thought, well there's no way another son of mine's going to die,
you know, like I had one son die, but you know, this one, he'll be fighting, he'll be a fighter.
JANE HANSEN: Nobody warns you about the love you feel for your child when they're born and I found
it overwhelming and not only overwhelming, but when your child has, is sick and there's a
possibility that child can die, it's a really perilous, dangerous love that, oh, quivers throughout
every cell in your body.
(Excerpt from home video):
JANE HANSEN: Oh, there he goes, he has his little wiggle. I was here this morning when they took
the ventilator off and they put this contraption on called a C-pac which is continuous, positive
air pressure which forces Jackson's lungs to stay open ...
(End of excerpt)
DR HEATHER JEFFERY, NEONATOLOGIST: You're looking at a one in four risk of one or more infections.
And that's just what Jackson had, he had a number of infections. And they undoubtedly affected his
(Excerpt continued):
JANE HANSEN: And we can see more of his face, and he's just beautiful.
(End of excerpt)
JANE HANSEN: Every drug that they want to give a child has its down side. I mean, we have to use
steroids to get Jackson off the ventilator and that might affect his mental capacity later on. That
might affect his brain development and you think, your choice is that or death. You have to go with
(Excerpt continued):
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: Oh, he's grabbing hold of mummy's finger.
(End of excerpt)
DR HEATHER JEFFERY, NEONATOLOGIST: He was a very gutsy little baby. He was very responsive and the
nurses around him would say that, those who knew him well, they would say he had attitude. And he
JANE HANSEN: When I finally got to hold Jackson, I finally felt like a normal mother. Abnormal
circumstance, but I felt like a normal mother. And it felt wonderful.
ALI KOVACS, FRIEND: To me she was like a lioness, she was very protective.
He had Jane's will. He had her determination. He had decided that he was going to stay and he was
going to fight the fight as Jane would want him to, fight the fight. He was his mother.
JANE HANSEN: He grew gram by gram and it was a huge deal when he cracked one kilo and then it was a
huge deal when he hit 1800 grams, just under two kilos and he could get out of the humidicrib and
into a cot. And so when he hit 100 days we had a big party and I just remember thinking, God, we
made it. Here we are. Who would have thought? And I just thought that he was a medical miracle. A
hundred and seventeen days after he was born, we got to take him home. And there were difficulties
with it because we had oxygen tanks upstairs and we had oxygen tanks downstairs and we had a
portable oxygen tank to take him for a walk. And he loved being at home. I loved being a normal
DR HEATHER JEFFERY, NEONATOLOGIST: Jane had noticed at home that he wasn't feeling as well, that is
the difficulty comes with feeding and breathing in this situation. It's difficult for a baby to do
both with lung, lung that is compromised.
JANE HANSEN: I remember rolling the camera on Jackson and talking that through, like I'm just
starting to understand the full implications of chronic lung disease and how badly Jackson's lungs
are affected. And I saw him almost choking and I just, I stopped the camera. The NETS transfer team
came and got him and within 24 hours he was fighting for his life. They tried to intubate Jackson
before he was fully sedated and he just freaked out. He had a pulmonary hypertension episode.
Before long they diagnosed Golden Staph, septicaemia. And so he was put into a drug-induced coma to
try and stabilise him and bombed with antibiotics.
ALI KOVACS, FRIEND: So Jackson would take, you know, a step forward, and one and a half baby steps
back. It was a very, very, you know, to use a cliché, roller coaster time.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: As you're walking in you're just hoping that you don't see too many people
milling around the room, you know, you want a nice, clear corridor, because that means that things
are nice and stable.
JANE HANSEN: Yeah, I mean, you go through what you have done to bring this upon your own child.
God's not answering your prayers. Is it karma? I rang Reverend Sheldon from the Mendoza story some
eight years prior and said, "My child's dying. Have I brought this upon myself?"
REVEREND DENIS SHELTON, MENDOZA FAMILY FRIEND: She really felt that God was reeking vengeance upon
her because of her part in the program which eventuated in the suicide of Benny Mendoza.
JANE HANSEN: And he said, "God doesn't think like that." Well God doesn't think like that, but our
minds do. Everyone that loses a child finds some way to blame themselves.
REVEREND JAN DONOHOO, HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN: She felt helpless and frightened, angry. So it's a pretty,
pretty powerless or impotent position to be in, but she was in there fighting.
JANE HANSEN: And we had this little gracious moment where he did stabilise and then he started to
slip again. I used to climb up on the bed and just try and live his life for him in his ears, say,
"I want to take you to the beach, I want to play with your bucket, and we'll buy you a puppy and
just dig a little deeper. I promise I'll make it up to you." And he would listen, blink his eyes.
Then I saw the colour draining from his legs and his arms and it was just happening in slow motion.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: I thought we were, were we being selfish trying to keep Jackson alive? You
know, he was going through all sorts of pain. His life was horrendous.
JANE HANSEN: We went and had the talk that you don't, a parent should never ever have to talk
REVEREND JAN DONOHOO, HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN: And they chose to withdraw life support, so that they
could hold their child in their arms. It was terrible. And I remember the howl from Andrew.
JANE HANSEN: We were sat on the couch in a room and before I knew it he was in my arms. And I sang
to him. Andrew cried and I told him to shut up, don't cry yet, I don't want him to know that you're
scared. And I don't know how long it took, but I felt him leave. There's just this life force of a
giant, reluctantly leaving. Eight-and-a-half months old. He died.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: We had Thomas cremated as well as Jackson. We decided to go to a special
place, up in the mountains. We went to the highest point, up at the top of Thredbo.
JANE HANSEN: And Andrew said, "Well look, you know, I always wanted to take our sons skiing". And
we scattered the ashes and just stood up there, the most pathetic of creatures, childless parents,
with everything we'd hoped and dreamed for our children, snap frozen. Life as I knew it, the world
as I knew it was over. I wasn't the lucky girl any more. I know in the early days I just tried to
keep myself busy, you know, don't lie in bed thinking about it, get up, make a cup of tea, just put
one foot in front of the other. I found the grief life-threatening. You don't think it's possible
to survive it. The despair is that horrible and, yeah and relentless, relentless. I went back to
work five months after Jackson died and I steeled myself for people coming up and saying I'm sorry
for your loss. No one said anything. I mean I'd worked there for eight years, or nine years and,
everyone just pretended that this amazing little boy didn't exist, that this profound experience
hadn't happened. My inspiration for the book was that I felt that people were so uncomfortable
talking about the death of a child, that I thought, well if you're not going to let me talk about
it I'm going to write a book about it. When I found out I was pregnant again, my fourth pregnancy
in four years, and it was the only thing that held me together. It was hope, it was a future. It
was not lost on me that to get this last baby across the line I had to give up everything that I'd
worked for. The fact that I got to 38 and a half weeks was a miracle in itself.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: And then, you know, when actually Samuel was born, you know, he was a
bouncing baby boy, everything perfect, you know, and like, we couldn't be, two happier people
weren't, couldn't be living.
JANE HANSEN: And I just lay there crying, just all of a sudden understanding the nature of a broken
heart, that you could be happy and sad at the same time. Celebrate and mourn at the same time.
Bitter and sweet. And this nurse looked over at me and said, "Oh, it's emotional having a baby,
isn't it?" Yeah. Very emotional. And so as time goes on, people think, "Well, you've got a new baby
now, you know, get on with it, you'll be right". But you're not. You're living with the other
child. The other child doesn't just go away. You live with the ghost of the child that should have
been. Andrew took long service leave and we went up to Byron, up to where I grew up.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: I went surfing and I was trying to let the crap drip off my body, into the
water. And it helped immensely. And we loved it up here. You know, we lived as a family.
ALI KOVACS, FRIEND: I think the most joyous part of Jane now is watching her as a mother and she
takes none of it for granted because Jane's life, up until then, had been about how can Jane change
the world, what can Jane do? And I think she understands now that Jane has become part of something
bigger than herself.
JANE HANSEN: The stuff that I used to be ambitious about, you know that's, none of that matters any
more. I don't have that searing ambition that I used to have. It doesn't matter any more.
ANDREW FISHER, HUSBAND: Jane is more compassionate than she used to be, because she's seen the dark
side of the world.
JANE HANSEN: I thought I had empathy before. I thought I did, but I had no idea of the pain that
exists around the world, a mother's pain, well a father's too. To have been there and to have your
heart ripped open like that, or have a broken heart, but it's infinitely a better heart and a
bigger heart.


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Conover, Maiden council races full
Most filing for the 2011 Catawba County Municipal Elections is complete, and several council races have a host of competitors.
The Conover City Council race has three seats open for election, but eight candidates declared for the race. In addition to all three incumbents up for re-election, the filers include a past Conover mayor and current school board member.
Former Conover Mayor Bruce Eckard declared Friday that he would run for city council. Eckard lost to current Conover Mayor Lee Moritz Jr. in the mayoral election of 2009.
He has been out of city government since.
"I have continued to attend the council meetings and stayed abreast of what was going on," Eckard said. "It will not take long to get back up to speed."
Eckard said several citizens approached him and asked him to run.
"I have that experience and have not been gone that long," he said.
Current Newton-Conover City Schools board member Kim Cline will attempt to make the jump from school to city government by also declaring for the Conover council race.
She has been on the school board since December 2009.
"I enjoy the school board, but since being elected, my office has moved to Conover, and I see a big need for things in Conover that I think I can make a difference in," Cline said.
Cline said her experience on the school board can help her transition to city council, if elected.
"I've enjoyed it and learned a lot," she said. "I've met a lot of people. I've worked hard to get some things changed, and it's been a good experience."
If Cline were to be elected, she could not serve on the NCCS school board.
Conover City Council incumbent Penny M. Corpening filed for the race, dropped out and then filed again. After initially filing for the city council race at the beginning of the month, Corpening sent a withdrawal letter to the Catawba County Board of Elections on July 11. On Friday, she called and said she still wanted to run, said board of election specialist Marvin Bentley.
Corpening could not be reached for comment as of press time Friday.
Maiden council race
The Maiden Town Council race will also be competitive, with seven candidates filing for three positions.
Like Conover, all three incumbent candidates filed to seek re-election against former council members like George McClellan.
McClellan, who served four years ago on Maiden Town Council, said he is running again because he can still contribute to the town.
"I've been on the council before, and maybe I have a little something that I had to contribute to the discussion of the council," McClellan said.
The former councilman said he still keeps up with town activities through eating breakfast and talking with current townspeople he served with.
The candidates:
Brookford Alderman
Bryan Wright
Sue Noblitt (I)
Harry A. Wallace (I)
Catawba Mayor
Vance Readling (I)
Jeff Hendren
Catawba Councilmen
Ryan Kormanik
Patrick Laney
Thomas Johnston
Karen Abernathy Ester (I)
Claremont Councilmen
James "PJ" Stanley (I)
M. Dale Sherrill (I)
Nicky E. Setzer (I)
Conover Councilmen
Don A. Beal (I)
Kyle J. Hayman (I)
Jeff Byrd
James N. Wilson
Lewis "Lew" Waddell
Kim Cline
Bruce R. Eckard
Penny M. Corpening (I)
Maiden Mayor
Robert L. "Bob" Smyre (I)
Maiden Councilmen
David Boldon (I)
Mike Moore
Max Bumgarner Jr. (I)
William "Bill" Cashion
Howard Ervin (I)
George McClellan
Wayne McKinney
Newton Mayor
Anne Petree Stedman
Wes Weaver
Newton Councilmen
Mae Lutz McLean
Tom Rowe (I)
Wayne Dellinger (I)
Mary Bess Lawing (I)


text:
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We do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Usage by Minors
iVapeOrganic products are intended for the use by persons of legal age (18 years or older) only. Because we cannot prohibit minors from accessing, viewing, browsing, visiting or using the Site, we must rely on parents, guardians and those responsible for supervising minors to decide which materials are appropriate for minors to view and/or purchase. By registering with this Site, purchasing products from us or providing us with any information, you represent to us that you are legally permitted to enter into a binding contract (18 years of age or older in most jurisdictions) and that any information you provide to us is inaccurate, and is not deceptive or misleading.
We require that all purchases be made by individuals who are not minors and who can legally enter into binding contracts (typically persons 18 years of age or older, depending on where you live.
We will not sell nicotine or nicotine related products to anyone who is not of legal age to use tobacco or nicotine products under applicable law. We cannot be held responsible for minors purchasing nicotine or nicotine related products with a parent or guardian's credit card. By placing your order for nicotine or a nicotine related product you are confirming that you are of legal age to purchase and use nicotine products in the state, country or territory where you are based. We may restrict the purchase of nicotine related products in your area.
Legal Compliance
You agree to comply with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances and regulations when you use iVapeOrganic.com and purchase products through the iVapeOrganic.com. In our sole discretion, we may report actual or perceived violations to law enforcement or appropriate authorities.
Order Acceptance
If you place an order for merchandise on iVapeOrganic.com, you agree to pay for the order by authorizing a corresponding charge to a valid credit card acceptable to us. We reserve the right to accept or decline your order at any time and for any reason. This is true even if you have received an order confirmation from us. We are not liable in any way if a financial institution which has issued a credit card to you refuses to honor the card for any reason.
Sales And Other Taxes
We are required to collect sales tax on orders delivered to certain states. Unless you are able to provide us with a valid and correct tax exemption certificate prior to our acceptance of the order, you are responsible for sales and all other taxes associated with the order.
Non-US Pricing
Pricing of products available for purchase by non-U.S. customers may vary by country and from our prices for our U.S. customers, owing to the inclusion of all or a portion of shipping, taxes, duties and imports factored into the price of the product.
Return Policy
Consumable Hardware: Consumable hardware such as atomizers, cartomizers and cartridges are non-refundable unless proven to be defective. Defective consumable products may be returned exchanged within 30 days of purchase.
Additional Hardware: If you're not absolutely satisfied with your purchase of iVapeOrganic brand hardware, you can return it for an exchange or refund within 30 days of receipt. Shipping charges will not be refunded.
E-Liquid: Unfortunately, we are not able to accept returns on e-liquid that does not meet personal flavor expectations. Taste is a very subjective sense that will vary greatly from person to person. In accordance with our strict quality control guidelines, sanitary reasons, and the overall safety of our Customers, we cannot accept returns of Filter Tips. Therefore, our Returns Policy EXCLUDES any and all cartridges or liquid. Returned e-liquid could never be re-used for any purpose, so will not be accepted. At your option, you may receive a full refund, excluding shipping cost, or a replacement item if available. The process is very simple and straightforward:
1. Repackage the item including all original parts, packing material, instructions, etc. Within reason, this means that everything must be returned exactly as it was sent to you. Poor repackaging or the return of damaged merchandise could result in refusal of your return and loss of any refund or replacement item.
2. Include a copy of the original Packing List in the package, and indicate whether you would like to be refunded for the item, or a replacement sent out.
3. Ship the item (at your expense and your choice of carrier) to the address with which you were provided on the original Packing List that was sent with your item.
4. If you are to receive a refund, it will be issued by Mr. Beverly Hills Inc. when the returned item has been received in satisfactory condition. Refunds will be processed within 10 business days of receiving the items.
iVapeOrganic.com will ship via USPS to any of the 50 states comprising the United States of America, US territories and to US Military addresses (APO/FPO). We will ship orders within (3) business days after receipt of your order, subject to availability. Business days are Monday through Friday excluding federal or local holidays. In the event that an item cannot ship within the standard deliver time, it will be treated as "backordered". This means that you will be advised of the delay and will have the opportunity to cancel the order. This policy is subject to change at any time and without notice. iVapeOrganic.com will determine the carrier to be used at their sole discretion.
Your order will be fulfilled by the delivery date set out in the Shipping Confirmation or, if no delivery date is specified, then within a reasonable time of the date of the Shipping Confirmation, which could in exceptional circumstances be longer than 30 days.
Distance Selling Regulations
If you are contracting as a consumer, you may cancel an order that we have accepted at any time within seven working days, beginning on the day after you received the products. In this case, you will receive a full refund of the price paid for the products. Please note you must return the product to us and must pay the cost of returning the product to us under the policy, unless the product(s) are not those you ordered, in which case we will bear your costs of returning the product(s) in question to us.
You will not have the right to cancel an order under these provisions for audio or video recordings or computer software where you (or someone else following delivery to the delivery address you provide) have or has unsealed the package [or, where the product is provided in electronic format, where you or (or someone else following delivery as requested by you) has downloaded the Content].
To cancel an order, you must inform us by email. You must also return the product(s) to us immediately, in the same condition in which you received them, and at your own cost and risk. You have a legal obligation to take reasonable care of the products while they are in your possession. If you fail to comply with this obligation, we may have a right of action against you for compensation.
Risk of Loss
All items purchased from iVapeOrganic.com are made pursuant to a shipment contract. This means that the risk of loss and title for such items pass to you upon tender of the item to the carrier.
iVapeOrganic and other marks which may or may not be designated on the Site by a "™" "®" "SM" or other similar designation, are registered, pending or unregistered trademarks or service marks of iVapeOrganic.com, in the United States and other countries. Our graphics, logos, page headers, button icons, scripts, and service names are trademarks or trade dress of ivapeorganic.com. iVapeOrganic.com's trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not iVapeOrganic.com's, in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits. iVapeOrganic All other trademarks not owned by us that appear on the Site are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with, connected to, or sponsored by iVapeOrganic.com.
Website Access
You may not download (other than page caching) or modify the Site or any portion of it without our express, prior written consent. This includes: a prohibition on any resale or commercial use of the Site or its Content; any collection and use of any product listings, descriptions, or prices; any derivative use or making adaptations of the Site or its Content; any downloading or copying of account information for the benefit of another merchant; and any use of data mining, screen-scraping, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools. The Site or any portion of the Site may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, visited, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose without our express, prior written consent. You may not frame or utilize framing techniques to enclose any trademark, logo, or other proprietary information (including images, text, page layout, or form) of iVapeOrganic.com or its Associates without our express, prior written consent. You may not use any Meta tags or any other "hidden text" utilizing our name or trademarks without our express, prior written consent.
The U.S. export control laws regulate the export and re-export of technology originating in the United States. This includes the electronic transmission of information and software to foreign countries and to certain foreign nationals. You agree to abide by these laws and their regulations. In no event shall any reference to any third party or third party product or service be construed as our approval or endorsement of that third party or of any product or service provided by a third party.
Site Policies, Modification & Severability
Please review our other policies, such as our Privacy and Security Policy, Returns Policy, Shipping & Delivery Policy and others, all of which are incorporated herein by this reference and are posted on the Site. These policies also govern your visit to the Site. We reserve the right to make changes to the Site, policies, and these Terms and Conditions at any time. If any of these conditions shall be deemed invalid, void, or for any reason unenforceable, that condition shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining condition.
Invalid Terms
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision will nevertheless be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not be affected.
Your Ideas and Suggestions are welcomed as we would really like to hear from you. Comments or suggestions about iVapeOrganic.com are welcome. You may choose to play a significant role in making VapeOrganic.com an even better site. However, in order to allow a free exchange of ideas, VapeOrganic.com does not solicit or want to receive confidential or proprietary information. Therefore, any correspondence received from you is not considered confidential or proprietary and becomes the property of VapeOrganic.com without payment of compensation to you. We are free to use or not use your comments in any way we choose. By making comments to VapeOrganic.com, you assign to us all right, title and interest in copyrights and other intellectual property rights on a worldwide basis without charge.
Order Change Policy
Orders at iVapeOrganic are typically turned around very quickly, and your packing slip is typically generated within 20 minutes of placing your order. Once this packing slip is generated, your order has begun the shipment process of picking, packing, and staging. We will do our best to accommodate change requests within this 20 minute time frame, but will be unable to fulfill requests outside of that window. This policy is in place to ensure customers receive their orders as quickly as possible.
Pricing and Availability of Products
Prices and availability of products on the Site are subject to change without notice as it is still possible that errors may occur in pricing and/or product information, hence Errors will be corrected when discovered. In the meantime, we may refuse or cancel any order for products listed with incorrect pricing or product information. This is true even if your credit card has been charged. However, if a credit card charge has been made, and we elect to refuse or cancel the order, we will issue a credit to your credit card in the amount of the charge.
We will normally verify prices as part of our dispatch procedures so that, where a product's correct price is less than our stated price, we will charge the lower amount when dispatching the Product to you. If a product's correct price is higher than the price stated on our Site, we will normally, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before dispatching the product, or reject your order and notify you of such rejection. We are under no obligation to provide the product to you at the incorrect (lower) price, even after we have sent you an Order Confirmation or a Shipping Confirmation, if the pricing error is obvious and unmistakable and could have reasonably been recognized by you as a pricing error.
On occasion, you may be able to place a product in your shopping cart and submit your order for processing, but your order is subsequently cancelled due to unavailability of product. You acknowledge that products may sell quickly and there may be a short period of time after an order has been submitted, but where the product is no longer available. You agree that we may cancel your order after you have received an Order Confirmation without penalty.
On very rare occasions, you may receive a Shipping Confirmation from us, but the product is no longer available in our inventory. You agree that we may rescind our acceptance and cancel your order without penalty if we are unable to ship the product you ordered due to unavailability.
The term shipping or ship includes the commencement of shipping items in an order for multiple purchases or where the item purchased consists of components that must be shipped separately. For example, your order may consist of (1) several different items, (2) a quantity of the same item, or, (3) a single item with several component parts the size of which might require them to be shipped in separate packages. In all such orders, we endeavor to ship out individual packages together so that they arrive at the same time; however, when that is not possible, we commence by shipping individual packages in the order they are available and conditions permit. In these instances, our notification to you that your order has "shipped", marks the time when shipping has commenced; it does not mean that all items in the order have shipped at that time. You agree that credit cards and debit cards are to be charged on the date of inventory reservation for the order, not the date of shipping.
How to Order Through Our Site
After placing an order, you will receive an email from us acknowledging that we have received your order ("Order Confirmation"). Please note that this does not mean that your order has been accepted. Your order constitutes an offer to buy a product from us. All orders are subject to acceptance by us, and we will confirm such acceptance to you by sending you an email confirming the shipment of your order (the "Shipping Confirmation"). A contract with us will only be formed when we send you the Shipping Confirmation. The contract will relate only to those products whose shipment we have confirmed in the Shipping Confirmation. We will not be obliged to supply any other products which may have been part of your order in a separate Order Confirmation. We reserve the right to cancel your order at any time before we have accepted it and we may rescind our acceptance and cancel your order where there has been an obvious error in price or where the product is no longer in our or our inventory.
Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability
The Site is provided on an "AS IS," "as available" basis. Neither ivapeorganic.com, nor its Associates warrant that use of the Site will be uninterrupted or error-free. Neither ivapeorganic.com, nor its Associates warrant the accuracy, integrity, or completeness of the Content provided on the Site or the products or services offered for sale on the Site. Further, ivapeorganic.com makes no representation that Content provided on the Site is applicable or appropriate for use in locations outside of the United States. ivapeorganic.com specifically disclaims warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, including but not limited to warranties of title, implied warranties of merchantability or warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No oral advice or written information given by ivapeorganic.com or its Associates shall create a warranty. You expressly agree that your access to, viewing of, browsing, visiting or use of the Site is at your sole risk.
Under no circumstances shall ivapeorganic.com or its Associates be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages that result from the use of or inability to use the Site, including but not limited to reliance by a user on any information obtained at the Site, or that result from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files or e-mail, errors, defects, viruses, delays in operation or transmission, or any failure of performance, whether or not resulting from acts of God, communications failure, theft, destruction or unauthorized access to ivapeorganic.com records, programs or services. The foregoing limitation of liability shall apply whether in an action at law, including but not limited to contract, negligence, or other legal action; or an action in equity, even if an authorized representative of ivapeorganic.com has been advised of or should have knowledge of the possibility of such damages. You hereby acknowledge that this paragraph shall apply to all Content, merchandise and services available through the Site. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The products on our Site are intended for personal, not commercial or business use, unless otherwise indicated. As such, you assume the risk when purchasing products for a commercial or business use or application.
Disclaimers of Warranty & Limitations of Liability
To all international customers only, we warrant to you that, where you buy a product as a consumer, any product purchased from us through our Site is of satisfactory quality and reasonably fit for all the purposes for which products of the kind are commonly supplied and will conform with description or sample.
Our liability for losses any international customer suffers as a result of us breaking these Terms and Conditions or anything else we do or do not do in connection with any order is strictly limited to the purchase price of the product you purchased and any losses which are a foreseeable consequence of us breaking the agreement. Losses are foreseeable where they could reasonably be contemplated by the parties at the time your order is accepted by us.
We are not responsible for indirect losses which happen as a side effect of the main loss or damage and which are not foreseeable, including but not limited to:
(a) Loss of income or revenue;
(b) Loss of business;
(c) Loss of profits or contracts;
(d) Loss of anticipated savings;
(e) Loss of data; or
(f) Waste of management or office time however arising and whether caused by tort (including negligence), breach of contract or otherwise.
This does not in any way limit or exclude any liability of us (a) under section 2(3) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, (b) for breach of any condition as to title or quiet enjoyment implied by section 12 Sale of Goods Act 1979 or section 2 Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982; (c) for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or (d) for fraudulent misrepresentation. Other than the warranties and other assurances we give you in these Terms and Conditions, ivapeorganic.com specifically disclaims all warranties, conditions and other terms of any kind, whether expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied terms of satisfactory quality or fitness for purpose. No oral advice or written information given by ivapeorganic.com fraudulently or by purpose shall create a warranty.
Therefore, the merchandise, products and services on this site are offered and provided to you without warranties of any kind including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property. We cannot be expected to be perfect. You may find errors, inaccuracies or other imperfections on the site. By using the site in any way, you agree that anyone associated in any way with iVapeOrganic.com will not be held liable for damages arising from the operation, Content or use of this site. This limitation of liability is comprehensive and applies to all damages of any kind. iVapeOrganic.com makes no warranty, express or implied, with regard to any product sold on this site. If we breach these terms and conditions, or sole and exclusive maximum liability to you shall not in any event exceed the total price of the products ordered by you.
You acknowledge that the Site contains information, data, software, photographs, graphs, videos, typefaces, graphics, music, sounds, and other material (collectively "Content") that are protected by copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, rights in databases and/or other proprietary rights, and that these rights are valid and protected in all forms, media and technologies existing now or hereinafter developed. All Content is copyrighted as a collective work under the U.S. copyright laws, and we own a copyright and/or database right in the selection, coordination, arrangement, presentment and enhancement of such Content. You may not modify, remove, delete, augment, add to, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, create derivative works from or adaptations of, or in any way exploit any of the Content, in whole or in part. If no specific restrictions are displayed, you may make copies of select portions of the Content, provided that the copies are made only for your personal use and that you maintain any notices contained in the Content, such as all copyright notices, trademark legends, or other proprietary rights notices. Except as provided in the preceding sentence or as permitted by the fair use privilege under the U.S. copyright laws (see, e.g., 17 U.S.C. Section 107), your legal rights in relation to "fair dealing" under European copyright law, or your legal rights under any other similar copyright law, you may not upload, post, reproduce, or distribute in any way Content protected by copyright, or other proprietary right, without obtaining permission of the owner of the copyright or other propriety right.
Nothing contained on the Site should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use the Site or any information displayed on the Site, through the use of framing, deep linking or otherwise, except: (a) as expressly permitted by these Terms and Conditions; or (b) with our prior written permission or the prior written permission from such third party that may own the trademark or copyright of information displayed on the iVapeOrganic.com.
Online Conduct
You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes. You are prohibited from posting on or transmitting through the Site any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, profane, hateful, racial, ethnic, or otherwise objectionable material of any kind, including but not limited to any material that is or that encourages fraudulent activity or encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, federal, or international law. If we are notified of or suspect allegedly infringing, defamatory, damaging, illegal, or offensive Content provided by you (e.g., through an author chat or online review), we may (but without any obligation) investigate the allegation and determine in our sole discretion whether to remove or request the removal of such Content from the Site. We may disclose any Content or electronic communication of any kind (i) to satisfy any law, regulation, or government request; (ii) if such disclosure is necessary or appropriate to operate the Site; or (iii) to protect the rights or property of HaoCigs.com, its Associates, our users and customers and/or you.
We reserve the right to prohibit conduct, communication, or Content that we deem in our sole discretion to be unlawful or harmful to you, the Site, Site users, our customers or any rights of ivapeorganic.com or any third party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither iVapeOrganic.com nor its Associates can ensure prompt removal of questionable Content after online posting. Accordingly, neither iVapeOrganic.com, nor its Associates assume any liability for any action or inaction with respect to conduct, communication, or Content on the Site.
Intellectual Property Infringement
We rely on a network of independent affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, third-party product providers, third-party Content providers, vendors, suppliers, designers, contractors, distributors, merchants, sponsors, licensors and the like (collectively, "Associates") who supply some of the goods advertised on iVapeOrganic.com and, in some cases, drop ship them directly to our customers. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we are not liable for any infringement of copyrights, trademarks, trade dress or other proprietary or intellectual property rights arising out of Content posted on or transmitted through the Site, or items advertised on the Site, by our Associates. If you believe that your rights under intellectual property laws are being violated by any Content posted on or transmitted through the Site, or items advertised on the Site, please contact us promptly so that we may investigate the situation and, if appropriate, block or remove the offending Content and/or advertisements. It is our policy to disable access to infringing materials, and to terminate access of repeat infringers to the Site. In order for us to investigate your claim of infringement, you must provide us with the following information:
1. An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other intellectual property interest;
2. A description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you believe has been infringed;
3. A description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located or identified on the Site;
4. Your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address;
5. A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright or intellectual property owner, its agent, or the law; and
6. A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the information submitted to us is accurate and that you are the owner of the copyright or intellectual property or authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or intellectual property.
The above information should be provided to our agent for notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement. Our claims agent can be contacted at email@example.com.
Applicable Law
If you access iVapeOrganic.com from anywhere in the United States or Canada, you agree that the laws of the State of California, USA, without regard to principles of conflict of laws, will govern these Terms and Conditions and any dispute of any sort that might arise between you and ivapeorganic.com and/or its Associates. If you access the Site from anywhere other than the United States or Canada, you agree that United States of America law will govern these Terms and Conditions and the purchase of products by you through the Site and that any dispute of any sort that might arise between you and ivapeorganic.com or its affiliates and subsidiaries shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the United States of America. Any legal action brought against iVapeOrganic.com shall be governed by the laws of the State of California. We make no representation that iVapeOrganic.com Content is appropriate for access outside the United States. If you access iVapeOrganic.com from outside the United States, you are doing so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws and are strictly prohibited from purchasing products from this site.
If you access the iVapeOrganic from within the United States or Canada, any dispute relating in any way to your visit to the Site, to these Terms and Conditions, to our Privacy and Security Policy, to our advertising or solicitation practices or to products you purchase through the Site shall be submitted to confidential arbitration of our choosing, except that, to the extent you have in any manner violated or threatened to violate iVapeOrganic.com's intellectual property rights, ivapeorganic.com may seek injunctive or other appropriate relief in any state or federal court in the State of New Jersey, USA and you consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in such courts. Arbitration under this Agreement shall be conducted under the rules then prevailing of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitrator's award shall be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no arbitration under this Agreement shall be joined to an arbitration involving any other party subject to this Agreement, whether through class arbitration proceedings or otherwise.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information and statements made are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional. By purchasing these products, you agree to use products at your own risk. Under no circumstances will iVapeOrganic.com be held responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any loss or damage that is caused or alleged to have been caused in connection with use of, or reliance on any product on this site. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless iVapeOrganic, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors and suppliers (collectively the "Service Providers") from and against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any violation of these terms and conditions or any activity related to your account (including negligent or wrongful conduct) by you or any other person accessing the site using your Internet account.
Links to Other Sites
iVapeOrganic.com may contain links to other websites which are owned and operated by third parties not connected with iVapeOrganic.com. We do this solely as a convenience to you and you can access them at your own risk. iVapeOrganic.com is not responsible for any of these sites or the Contents you may find there. We do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of Content found on such sites. We are not responsible for the Content of any sites that may be linked to or from iVapeOrganic or any bulletin board associated with us. In addition, a link to any other web site does not imply that we endorse or accept any responsibility for the Content or use of such other website. Unless otherwise noted, any other website accessed from iVapeOrganic.com are independent from us, and we have no control over the Content of that other website.
Questions About These Terms & Conditions
If you have a question about the iVapeOrganic, or about the Terms & Conditions Policy, please email us, or contact us at 818 438 4070
These Terms and Conditions were last revised and made effective as of April 4th, 2015.