text:
Can't help but think this guy is spot on. Hopefully he is wrong but he pretty much sums up what my fears were about the Melo trade and what I've been saying all season.
Kallas Remarks: Miami Success Puts Heat On Knicks
By Steve Kallas
Its a little early to write off the bright future of the New York Knicks before it has barely started. But what Miami has done in these playoffs, irrespective of whether they win an NBA title, doesnt bode well for the future of the Knicks as a championship organization.
Sure, Miami has the Big Three and they have been the key to this potential championship run (heres a vote for the Dallas Mavericks to win it all based on the hunger factor (and window-closing factor) for superstar Dirk, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, all looking for their first title). But Miami has a little more than the Big Three and that is what has propelled them to the top in the Eastern Conference.
Youre still not sure who is going to take the last shot for Miami and, more importantly, who is going to make it. But that hasnt been much of a problem in these playoffs (unlike the regular season). While Miami exposed the Bulls for what many thought they were offensively, a one-man show Miami showed its completeness as a team throughout the playoffs.
A polarizing figure, especially in New York, the great Pat Riley (as a coach) changed the way that basketball was played in the NBA, going from the Showtime Lakers of Kareem, Magic and James Worthy to the rugby-scrum Knicks of Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and John Starks. After undercutting Stan Van Gundy and winning another championship in Miami with the Wade-Shaq Heat of 2006 (beating Dallas, by the way), Riley eventually moved upstairs, apparently never to return.
While he deserves to be Executive of the Year for somehow getting Wade to stay and LeBron and Chris Bosh to come to South Beach (maybe it was Boshs refusal to go to Cleveland that really sealed the deal), Rileys additional skill was filling in the blanks of a roster to complement the Big Three.
He thought he had his big man in Udonis Haslem, but Haslem was hurt virtually the whole season. He thought he had a valuable swingman in Mike Miller, but Miller also was hurt for a long time and just wasnt the shooter he was supposed to be until the Bulls series. These two were incredibly valuable against the Bulls (more on that later).
In deep trouble, thats where. Whatever you think of Amare and Carmelo, they cant defend anywhere near LeBron and Wade. In fact, no Knick got a vote for NBA All-Defensive team this season while LeBron was first-team and Wade just missed second-team. You are also seeing what defense does in these playoffs. What LeBron did in shutting down the NBA MVP (Rose) in the Chicago series the last two games is just not something you see very often and was the turning point of the series.
It looks like the Knick championship future ended when they couldnt get LeBron James to come to New York last summer. The power in the East (and, arguably, in the NBA) shifted so dramatically to Miami after Riley worked his magic (no pun intended) that it may result in a championship in Year One, a scary thought for the rest of the league and for the future.
All of this is bad for the Knicks. Assume (a big assumption) they get their third star (you pick the point guard: Chris Paul, Deron Williams). What does that mean against the Heat (or the Bulls or the Celtics for that matter)?
Answer: very little.
The only hope left for the Knicks or just about anyone else is Dwight Howard. A defensive beast and an improving offensive player (no matter what you hear from the experts), Howard holds the key to NBA power for another team.
Will Dwight Howard leave Orlando? Well, the Laker rumors have been out there for some time. Orlando blew up their team mid-season to bring in Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas and to bring back Hedo Turkoglu. But it didnt work as they lost a four/five matchup to the up-and-down Atlanta Hawks. And even though Howard stated yesterday that, maybe, he wants to stay in Miami (But I cant do it alone), it will be extremely hard for him to win a title in Orlando.
If the Lakers get Howard, they become instant title contenders again, after being made to look old and slow by the getting old and not really athletic Mavericks in an unlikely sweep (thats not to knock the Mavericks; they are just not as athletic (or young) as the Heat or Oklahoma City). Kobe gears up for another title run or two, Gasol corrects his girlfriend (or whatever) problem he had (if not traded with Bynum for Howard) and Lamar Odom returns to tough match-up, star level.
Can the Knicks get Howard? Very unlikely, but you cant give up hope if you are a Knick fan. Howard did make a negative comment about the cold weather in New York. But, more important, if he wants to win a title, hes looking to L.A., not New York, unless, somehow, Orlando can bring in a superstar to complement him (again, see his comments from yesterday). Even Chicago, seeing their offensive deficiencies once Rose was limited down the stretch in big games, is now rumored to be thinking about taking a run at Howard.
So all of this looks bad for the Knicks. While all Knick fans will be happy to see a pretty good (rather than terrible) Knick team on the floor, its all about winning championships, especially after the putrid run the Knicks have had this century. They went out with a whimper, not a bang, against a going-the-wrong-way Celtic team (even coach Doc Rivers said the Celtics made a mistake by trading Perkins to Oklahoma City that trade only hastened their demise (this season) and will hurt them long-term unless Jeff Green becomes a star).
The reason Miami is winning now as opposed to the regular season is not because they have a sure shot to win or tie games down two or three very late. Frankly, they have rarely been in that position in the playoffs. As we have discussed in the past, LeBron James is the greatest player today if hes hitting his outside shot (and, frankly, hes not the greatest player today if hes not hitting his outside shot). Still not a great three-point shooter (nor is Wade or Bosh for that matter), James has taken over a few games late both offensively and defensively, especially against the Bulls.
But its the return of the two injured, non-Big Three players (Haslem and Miller) who really contributed to changing the Bulls series. Haslem, out virtually all year, came out of nowhere to score 13 (with two monster dunks) with five rebounds, two assists and a block to turn the tide in Game 2 (on the road) against the Bulls. He then had eight points and four rebounds in Game 3, shooting a collective 9-17 in Games 2 and 3.
Mike Miller, for his part, seemed unable to shoot well virtually the whole season after missing time with a (shooting-hand) wrist injury. But he was huge in Game 4 with 12 points and nine rebounds (Haslem also had nine rebounds) and in Game 5 with seven points and six rebounds, shooting a collective 8-15 in Games 4 and 5.
Thats what the Riley-constructed Heat were missing all year. And that is, in this writers opinion, what put the Heat over the top against the Chicago Bulls.
Well, its going to be very hard. Thats why intelligent basketball people, including, of course, Knicks GM Donnie Walsh, thought it was a bad idea to give up so much for Carmelo Anthony. Many of the holes, to some extent, were already plugged. And thats why Walsh did not want to give up Timofey Mozgov. While you couldnt hold off of the Carmelo deal to keep Mozgov, he is either going to be a starting NBA center or, at least, a solid 15-20 minute back-up. As the saying goes, you cant coach seven feet and there are less and less of those guys all the time.
So, to lose Raymond Felton, a good NBA point guard, Danilo Gallinari, a tough match-up improving all the time, Wilson Chandler, a very good NBA player already AND Mozgov, arguably the most valuable down the road to the Knicks because of his size, was a lot to give up (the question, of course, will always be whether Walsh could have traded less for Anthony had there been no owner interference; probably yes, but we will never know for sure).
The Knicks, despite a fantastic job by Donnie Walsh (pathetic the way hes been treated by the organization), are still far, very far, away from an NBA title. And absent injuries to the Heat and the Bulls and whatever team Dwight Howard winds up with, it doesnt look like an NBA championship is anywhere on the horizon for the Knicks for the next few years.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


text:
It's official: the planned "Zombieland" sequel will be brought to you in 3D.
We've read a lot about the upcoming "Dante's Inferno" game coming from EA and Visceral Games. Mark your calendars because the official playable demo will be coming to your Playstation 3 on December 10th and the Xbox 360 on December 24th.
For a bit of a change up from the typical video game to movie setup, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" director Keith Arem will be writing and directing the new contagion survival pic, "Frost Road".
A bit of sad news this morning with the news that legendary Spanish horror maestro Paul Naschy has passed away at the age of 75. With nearly 100 horror films to his credit, Naschy is a staple in Spanish and Euro horror.
In case you didn't know, scientists have discovered that huffing pig brains is harmful to your health. Well, at least it explained the bouts of nervous system deterioration in 24 slaughterhouse workers between 2006 and 2008.
A southern Maryland woman lands herself in the emergency room after attaching her dildo to a powered saber saw. Yes folks, when the manufacturer says their blade will cut through anything? That means the plastic of your sex toy too.
Ex-Miss Argentina Solange Magnano dies on the operating table while having plastic surgery on her buttocks. "What Have They Done to Solange?", indeed.
1814 - The Marquis de Sade dies in an insanse asylum in Charenton

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Myanmar creates world's largest tiger reserve, aiding many endangered Southeast Asian species
Myanmar has announced that Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve will be nearly tripled in size, making the protected area the largest tiger reserve in the world. Spanning 17,477 square kilometers (6,748 square miles), the newly expanded park is approximately the size of Kuwait and larger than the US state of Connecticut.
After years of illegal hunting and a decline in prey the reserve may hold as few as 50 tigers, yet experts hope with protection the population could bounce back. Although tigers are the star, the park holds many other species including some 370 bird species.
Besides the tiger, which is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the area contains a number of threatened species, including the Indo-Chinese leopard (Near Threatened), clouded leopard (Vulnerable), Malayan sun bear (Vulnerable), Himalayan black bear (Vulnerable), sambar deer (Vulnerable), a wild bovine known as the gaur (Vulnerable), Asian elephants (Endangered), and the Rufous-necked hornbill (Critically Endangered).
"I have dreamt of this day for many years," said Alan Rabinowitz in a press release. Rabinowitz is the head of the cat-conservation group Panthera and leader of the first biological expedition into Hukaung Valley in 1997. During this expedition Rabinowitz discovered a new mammal: the leaf deer, the second smallest deer in the world.
Article continues: http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0804-hance_tiger_myanmar.html


text: Thats right fellow community members, I have a bone to pick with BCSD, and more importantly, McCracken Middle School. For starters: 1. One of the "fundraisers" the school is doing this year is a match making system from match.com. The "fundraiser" will match students with other students to create "friendships or relationships". I could have sworn we send the children to school to learn, not to pay $5 and get told who they should date. Is the school thinking about the well-being of the children? I will be bold enough to say no. Think about it, what about the children that are matched with someone "socially unacceptable"? What kind of problems will that cause? What about matches that just aren't right and cause fights? What about the children who are biologically not ready to be matched for a relationship? remember, these children are about 11-14, some not having hit puberty yet. How uncomfortable are we trying to make these children feel? But most importantly, we are putting education second to the social likings of these children. and secondly: 2. McCracken Middle School seventh grade class has field trips that I know of where not the whole class is going, not even half. The trip to Washington DC and the trip to Charleston to name two. This may sound silly, but if not everyone can go, go somewhere else. We are in a culturally rich area in between Beaufort and Savannah, and the State capital would be a nice visit too. But instead, the school wishes to single out children with a variety of behavioral issues, special needs, lower grades, and others to not join their peers on a field trip. What, as a school and a community are we doing do these moldable minds? We are teaching them that some of them are not valued, that some are not thought of as "good enough" to go on a field trip, and any disablity they have will single them out from their peers, for the rest of their lives. I would love to hear McCracken's excuse for this process and I am sure the local news sources would too. This is ridiculous, and I will not stand on the sidelines anymroe and watch these children be treated like this. Shame on you McCracken, and Shame on you BCSD for not stepping in. The No Child Left Behind Act is apparently not important in Bluffton because Bluffton is in fact leaving not one, but many children behind! Sorry it is so long, I am MAD. So COMMUNITY MEMEBERS, AM I FIGHTING A BATTLE ALONE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? Parents, what do you think? I would love to hear. Oh, and don't bother trying to meet with the new "top of the line" principal, he doesn't return phone calls or meet with upset parents.


text:
OCEAN CITY — Dan Smith noticed something a bit out of place as he adjusted the focus on the lens to a damaged web-cam last Friday, and as he focused the picture even further, he realized that the image that was out of place was in fact a boat in some serious trouble.
Smith, whose company atbeach.com manages the streamlined web-cam fixated atop the Kite Loft on the Boardwalk, said that he had to use the zoom feature to really see what was going on as dusk settled in close to 5 p.m. last Friday.
"I didn't want to be the guy to call in a false alarm, but I could tell that there was a boat with people on it that was getting tossed around in the white water," said Smith. "So I called emergency services and told them they needed to have someone take a look at what was going on. They called me a little while later and told me that I was right."
Within 20 minutes, the U.S. Coast Guard arrived to help the boat either to shore or to safety, but according to Petty Officer Chris Karpf, the boat had already entered the surf zone and had been beached by the time help arrived.
"It was low tide, and they got sucked into the shore pretty quickly, so much so that we ended up calling a tow truck to come down on the beach and haul the boat up onto a trailer and towed off the beach," said Karpf.
Coast Guard officials confirmed that there were five passengers aboard the 20-foot vessel, and they came under duress due to what is being presumed to be an "engine casualty."
"By the time we got there at approximately 5:20 p.m., it was already dark, but the description from the emergency call was so detailed that we knew exactly where to look for them," said Karpf. "As it turned out, they were the only boat in the water."
Smith says that the web-cam, which is streamlined daily on the Kite Loft's website, is a hugely popular feature that is apparently viewed by people all over the country, hoping for a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean.
"Anytime that web-cam goes down, we get emails from people wanting to know when it's going to get back online, as people like to watch it from their desks," said Smith.
Ironically, a cable was damaged during a recent storm, and Smith just so happened to be fixing the problem when the boat came under duress.
Coast Guard officials said no one was injured and out-of-the-ordinary occurrence ended up with no injuries, thanks in part to Smith's quick action.


text:
I spent 3 days this weekend focusing on a serious cheesecake recipe {to be posted later this week!}, which didn't allow me for much time attempting other recipes. So although this week's Recipe Roundup may have a few less recipes, the ones here do pack a punch.
Easy Cheese Danish via The Adventures of Kitchen Girl
Snickerdoodle Blondies via Chef in Training
Five-Spice Hanger Steak w/ Rice Noodles via Whole Foods Market ~ just finished this for dinner tonight + it is delicious! Our local store doesn't sell hanger steak, so I substituted a lean brisket. I also opted for stir fry noodles instead of rice noodles.


text:
News & Events
For the Media
Xerox's Santokh Badesha to Chair Clarkson University Center for Advanced Materials Processing Industrial Advisory Board
[A photograph for media use is available athttp://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/badesha.jpg ]
Santokh Badesha, a Xerox fellow at the Xerox Corporation, has been chosen to chair Clarkson University's Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP) Industrial Advisory Board. Xerox is a corporate sponsor for CAMP.
The board's main role is to review and evaluate all aspects of CAMP's programs and activities and to provide advice to CAMP's administration in regard to future policies, projects and emerging areas of research, funding, and economic development.
The advisory board meets twice a year, coincident with CAMP meetings and consists of representatives from companies collaborating with CAMP, as well as several senior CAMP faculty members.
Over the years, Badesha has served as a technical point of contact for numerous research projects at CAMP, providing valuable guidance and advice. He holds many honors and awards including 165 U.S. patents and an honorary doctorate from Clarkson University that was presented in 2007.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in six alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.


text:
someone make a Gif of that dude dancing lmao
Yes, the Bobcats are 3-14.
No, Antoni will find a way to mess this up too.
someone make a Gif of that dude dancing lmao
Lin, Novak and Jordan all look good as expected. Knicks have a deep bench if D'Antoni knew how to use em. It is a short season right?
Win vs a **** team is a win vs a **** team.
But idc who it is...to perform a rape on any NBA team by essentially 30pts...while Carmelo and Shump combine for 4pts on like 1/16 shooting is something to take away some confidence from...especially to halt a losing streak.
OMG he said it again...ok Breen he had 1 point
Thats all I needed to see
Jeremy Lin > Toney Douglas. He plays with confidence, and has good pg vision. I would start him next game, with shump at SG. When Shumpert starts at Point he dribbles too much and takes stupid off balanced shots, but whenever he came off the bench or played shooting guard he was much better.
Lin looks good, Jordan looks good and Novak is good but none of them play we should be playing them 3 plus the Balkman every game.......all great role players
Breen loves the fact that Carmelo had 1 point
Good too see the guys who normaly never see any playing time having fun out there,,,
Jeremy Lin- 8pt,4ast,1reb HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
Image hotlinked from a malware website // removed


text:
[There was a video here]
The stalemate between congressional Republicans and Democrats over raising the nation's debt ceiling has gotten so bad that President Obama addressed the nation tonight in an attempt to publicly shame them into reaching a deal. And on tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart angrily piled on Obama's message with an anti-Congress rant of his own. Video of the segment is above.


text:
1 Diwali Festival feast
- Indian Mehfil and d'Arcy Doyle Pl, Nicholas St, Ipswich
- Tomorrow, 5.30pm-9pm
The cultural event known as Diwali Festival, or the Festival of Light, will be marked by a celebratory feast in Ipswich.Diwali Festival is traditionally celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus and Jains and celebrates the victory of good (light) over evil (darkness).
Attendees will be treated to a full Indian banquet, as well as entertainment including dance performances.
Henna painters will also be there to paint body decorations.
Tickets cost $40 for adults and $15 for children, and bookings are essential.
Phone 3281 8683to book.
2 Open garden
- Grandom Gardens, 52 Glen Ruther Ct, Mount Crosby
- Today and tomorrow, 10am-4.30pm
EXPLORE this romantic country garden and admire both the formal design elements and informal plantings of self-sown varieties.
There is a Mediterranean area with olives, herbs and other scented plants, as well as a woodland area with large trees and wood land garden with colourful flowers.
Extra drawcards include orchestral music in the garden and an art exhibition.
Teas and light lunches will be available for purchase, and plants will be for sale.
Entry costs $7 for adults, children free.
Phone Michael Muller on 3201 2301 to find out more.
3 Rescue show
- Ipswich Art Gallery, d'Arcy Doyle Pl, Nicholas St, Ipswich
- Today and tomorrow, 10am-5pm
THE interactive Rescue exhibition will put children in charge of simulated land, sea and air rescues.
Rescue features a full-size helicopter simulator, Jet Ski simulators and more realistic rescue situations.
Children will be able to learn about rescue-related medicine, search techniques, radio communication, supplies and equipment such as the Jaws of Life.
It's one of the Ipswich Art Gallery's largest exhibitions yet, and Ipswich will be the
travelling show's only east coast stop before it heads overseas.
Surf Life Saving Queensland representatives will be at the gallery today with their mascot Sandy the Surf Dog and special displays.
Free entry.
Watch the video at qt.com.au.
4 School celebration
- Ashwell State School, 35 Reinke Rd, via Rosewood
- Today, 2pm-9pm
PAST and present students can enjoy an afternoon tea, performances and a free movie to celebrate the small school's 125th anniversary.
There will also be a jumping castle, animal farm, pony rides and games for children.
The event will start at 2pm, with children's games and rides from 3.30pm-6.30pm.
Attendees should bring their own picnic rugs or bean bags to settle in and watch the family-friendly movie from 7pm.
5 Reptile festival
- Ipswich Showgrounds, 81 Warwick Rd
- Today, 9am-4pm
IMMERSE yourself in the world of reptiles at the annual Scales and Tales Festival today.
Browse stalls and admire dozens of reptile specimens, including lizards, snakes, turtles and more.
Special guest Bob Irwin will give a speech. Entry is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
Visit scalesandtailscom to find out more.
6 Outdoor movie
- Brothers Leagues Club, Wildey St, Raceview
- Tonight, 6.30pm-9.30pm
SETTLE in for a family movie in the open air tonight.
We Bought a Zoo stars Matt Damon and tells the story of a widowed father who buys a struggling zoo to make a fresh start. Rated PG, it is free as part of the council's Fit Flicks campaign. Bring blankets, picnic rugs or bean bags. No bookings required.
Find out more at ipswich.qld.gov.au
7 Remembrance Day service
- The Workshops Rail Museum, North St, North Ipswich
- Tomorrow, 10.30am-11.30am
JOIN hundreds in paying respect to all Australians who made the supreme sacrifice at war.
Ceremony will be held at the Workshops' own memorial.
It will run despite a fire that destroyed a nearby building.
8 Springfield market
- Robelle Domain Parklands, Education City Dve, Springfield Central
- Today, 7am-12pm
STOCK up on freshly-picked and home-made produce, fresh flowers, plants and more. Food stalls will sell breakfast and take-home items.
Children can enjoy face painting, and a masseuse will be on site to help relieve aches and pains.
9 Blues jam
- One Mile Hotel, Brisbane St, West Ipswich
- Tomorrow, 2pm-6pm
- One Mile Hotel, Brisbane St, West Ipswich
The Ipswich Blues Jam will entertain attendees with an afternoon of impressive live music.
Blues fans are welcome to simply relax and listen to the performances, and musicians will have the chance to take to the stage to play their own material.
Email Memphis Mick at email@example.com with any queries.
10 Country market
- Fernvale State Primary
- School grounds, Brisbane, Valley Hwy
- Tomorrow, 6am-noon
RISE and shine early to find a bargain at the Fernvale Country Markets tomorrow.
Stalls at the country market will sell farm-fresh produce, antiques and second-hand items, plants and handmade soaps and gifts.
The school grounds are about half and hour from Ipswich.
Free entry, with on-street parking.
Stay Connected
Update your news preferences and get the latest news delivered to your inbox.


text:
First, a couple of things in stores now: The Star Wars Ultimate Blueprints Collections (DK says it came out yesterday, but I saw it at Borders on Saturday) and Obsessed with Star Wars, a trivia book by our pal Ben Harper. Several CJers have already picked it up and been stumped, so be ready for a challenge.
Also be on the lookout for the second Dark Times trade collection and Star Wars Insider #103.


text:
Since its launch fifteen months ago, Stock20 has quickly developed a customer base of well over 7000 registered users and a growing library of 100 song themes. Each song theme includes numerous versions with variations in length and structure; adding up to a collection of almost 800 tracks in a variety of styles.
To celebrate the release of their 100th song Stock20 is offering unprecedented discounts at numerous levels. Headlining these discounts is a blowout pricing structure on the purchase of their entire library. This collection of 100 song-sets, almost 800 tracks, is delivered on 21 CDs or 3 DVD-Rs (loaded with uncompressed CD quality .wav files).
Purchased as individual song-sets this package would total $700. Until April 10th this expansive library will be available for $280 (discounted 60%). At less than $3 per song, Stock20 offers the perfect opportunity to develop a large and versatile library of production music at an extraordinary value.
Customers choosing delivery on 3 DVD-Rs will receive free shipping (worldwide). To spark the celebration, Stock20 will allow the first 15 purchasers to obtain this extensive collection for just $100. The next 40 customers can take advantage of a $180 purchase price. The 60% discount ($280) will be available for all customers until the 10th of April. This special pricing will begin at 9am Pacific Standard Time (US) on March 27th.
Garnering several positive reviews from industry publications, Stock20's founder and creative director believes that this online production music library is just getting started, "We will continue to focus on developing a steady supply of fresh, broadcast-quality music. We are fully committed to the standard of 100% customer satisfaction. If a customer isn't thrilled with our product, we make it right, make it better than right, or we refund their money."
Stock20 offers a virtually unlimited and unending royalty free license with each track. And every instrumental selection is available via instant download for just $7 (including multiple length versions). For customers already holding a large amount of Stock20 content, various discounts and free offers will be posted to the site daily until April 10th.


text:
Equine Infectious Disease Outbreak Response 101
- Jul 10, 2014
- Basic
- Topics:
Don't wait for a confirmed diagnosis to quarantine a horse if you suspect an infectious disease.
Photo: Thinkstock
From equine herpesvirus and influenza to strangles and coronavirus, infectious diseases can cause quite a stir in the horse industry—quarantines, canceled competitions, and, in some cases, even horse deaths or the threat of human infection. And something all horse owners and veterinarians should know is how to respond in the face of an infectious disease outbreak.
At the 2014 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held June 4-7 in Nashville, Tennessee, J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, gave attendees a run-down of some important steps to remember and take should an outbreak occur, regardless of what disease is at the center of the issue. Weese is a professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College.
Act early. "The earlier a problem is identified, the sooner a response can be initiated," Weese said. "This can help contain the disease, prevent spread on or between farms, obtain earlier diagnostic testing results, and foster effective communication." While it might be scary to tell your barn owner or your veterinarian that your horse has spiked a temperature and you think he might be contagious, it's in the best interest of your animal and others on the property to take action at the first sign of a problem.
Don't wait for a diagnosis. "Getting information about the scope of a problems is critical … but solid data confirming that an outbreak is actually present and its scope are not always required to initiate a response," Weese said. In many cases, he said, there are only a few disease culprits that could be responsible for an outbreak and the response can be tailored for the disease once a diagnosis is obtained. But, Weese said, "the core components of outbreak response are the same for most infectious diseases so an effective initial response can be developed while diagnostic testing is pursued."
Regardless of whether your horse contracted herpesvirus, influenza, or strangles, he'll need to be quarantined from other equids on the property. Don't wait for a diagnosis to move him to an isolated location.
But, get a diagnosis as soon as possible. "Making a definitive diagnosis can allow for refinement of the outbreak response to improve its effectiveness and potentially relax some measures that are no longer necessary," Weese said.
Gather a team. Managing an equine infectious disease outbreak is something best accomplished with a team of people who have different strengths, Weese said.
"Ideally, an investigation team contains individuals with expertise in the infectious disease or outbreak investigation, clinicians that are performing ground-level response and interacting with owners, and relevant stakeholders (such as owners, farm managers, or trainers)," he explained. But build your team carefully, Weese cautioned—ensure you choose individuals that can contribute to creating and maintaining a positive and productive environment and that relevant groups aren't left out.
Ask for help. Simply put: There is no shame in asking for help from an experienced outside source when faced managing with an infectious disease outbreak (or any other scenario, for that matter).
"Consulting with equine infectious disease specialists, either remotely or integrating them as part of the outbreak team, is important and should be done early in the process," Weese said. "Recruitment of external experts is not an indication of an uncontrolled or uncontrollable outbreak or lack of competent local personnel; it is an understanding that there are people with additional expertise and experience in these rare situations," he stressed. "Ego should never get in the way of getting proper advice."
Additionally, Weese said, it's important for the attending veterinarian to keep local regulatory personnel informed of the situation, as they could be able to provide expertise, funding, or assistance in managing the outbreak.
Respond aggressively, then dial back. "It is much better to implement a comprehensive—and sometimes quite restrictive—set of measures at the start of an outbreak, with the removal of some over time, than to try a stepwise approach starting with a few measures and increasing them if (or when) they do not work," Weese said.
Not only could this approach mean the difference between a few and many horses being affected, it can also help make affected owners' lives easier—rather than more difficult—throughout the course of the outbreak.
Try to determine who, what, where, when, why, and how. While it might be easy to get wrapped up feeling sorry for yourself if your horse contracts an infectious disease, there might be other horses—sometimes scattered across the country—that could be affected as well. Therefore, Weese advised looking critically at:
- Who: This can shed light on which individuals could require diagnostic testing and quarantine—essentially, the cohort of at-risk horses. For instance, if your horse said hello to several horses at a competition a few days before developing a fever and nasal discharge, the horses that came in contact with your horse would be considered at-risk and should be isolated and undergo diagnostic testing as soon as possible.
- What: What disease does your horse have? It's important to know, so those caring for the whos can test for and take appropriate steps to protect other horses against the disease.
- Where: "Where can involve multiple levels of investigation," Weese said. Is the outbreak confined to your farm, or has your horse travelled to a competition recently? Did you trailer your horse, or did a commercial transporter haul him—possibly along with several other horses that ultimately ended up at several different locations? Try to figure out where your horse was in the recent past, and alert the appropriate individuals to ensure possibly exposed horses receive proper care.
- When: Do your best to determine when the pathogen entered your herd, as this can help modify the response and identify potentially exposed horses.
- Why: Did the outbreak occur because a fellow competitor borrowed your water bucket and did not disinfect it after use? Or perhaps because you did not quarantine a new horse upon arrival at your facility? "In some situations, the why may indicate an ongoing gap or risk that needs to be addressed during the active outbreak response," Weese said.
- How: Finally, try to determine how the pathogen was transmitted to your horse in the first place. "How can be taken in many ways, but perhaps the most important are how the pathogen has been transmitted, how it can be further transmitted, and how it can be contained," Weese said.
Don't overthink things. "Infection control isn't rocket science," Weese said. The keys to controlling infections disease are movement restrictions, isolation, barrier protection, and personal hygiene.
Have an official on the farm. "A ground-level presence of some team member is needed to understand the layout, confirm reported information, observe standard practices, monitor implementation of recommendations, identify infrastructure or management challenges, and to be able to talk directly with stakeholders," Weese said.
Don't shy away from communicating. True or false: One of the most frustrating things is knowing there's a case of an equine infectious disease in your county, or maybe even your town, but not being able to find any additional reliable information. True, right? So don't leave other horse owners out to dry should an infectious disease befall you. A few things to remember about your communications:
- Truth is better than rumors. "Prompt and transparent communication is important, as it is much better for people to realize they will get timely and accurate information from the investigation team, rather than to rely on rumors," Weese said.
- Don't announce a problem without a solution. Weese said this will help calm worried individuals and motivate them to help or comply with any required actions.
- Update stakeholders regularly. "If communication slows down, fears and rumors can rise, or compliance can decrease if the need for ongoing practices is not emphasized," Weese said.
Empathize … appropriately. Before pointing fingers at a farm with a neurologic equine herpesvirus outbreak, consider that other horse owners could be dealing with the deaths or hospitalizations of their beloved horses. Or, consider that a racing stable could be losing their income if horses in their barn are quarantined and unable to race.
"It is important to recognize the hardship that people may face," Weese said.
But, don't allow your empathy to interfere with responding appropriately to an infectious disease.
Perform an outbreak post-mortem. While it might be easiest to try to forget about the struggle that is an equine infectious disease outbreak, it's always a good idea to conduct a so-called post-mortem to see what worked, what didn't, and what can be improved upon to prevent future disease outbreaks, Weese said.
Take-Home Message
"Early intervention, obtaining the input of relevant experts, applying basic infection control and epidemiologic tools, and effectively communicating are critical components that need to be applied to any investigation and response," Weese concluded.
About the Author
Erica Larson, News Editor
Erica Larson, news editor, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.
Related Content
2013 EHV-1 Tracker Map
Veterinary Ethics (AAEP Convention 2012)
Equine Herpesvirus-1 Refresher
Equine Influenza
'Learning Theory' to Improve Veterinarian Safety
Laminitis Research Project Inclusion Criteria Expanded
Researchers Seeking Horse Owner Help in Laminitis Study
'Pinch Grafting' for Equine Lower Limb Wounds (AAEP 2011)
Treating Equine Upper Respiratory Tract Ailments (AAEP 2011)
Standing RLP in Horses Safe, Effective (AAEP 2011)


text:
Don't Stress about Stress
Everyone has stress in their lives, whether it's from school, family, friends, or work. Everyone deals with stress differently. Some deal with it in healthy ways, while others turn to drugs, choosing not to confront their issues head on. Read More »12 Comments
Behind the Curtain of the Addiction Performance Project
Poet and playwright T.S. Eliot said, "A play should give you something to think about." That's exactly what happens with a new NIDA project—called the Addiction Performance Project. Read More »5 Comments
Real Teens Ask: Why Take Drugs?
During NIDA's Drug Facts Chat Day 2010, young people asked a lot of great questions. One really basic question came from a student in Pennsylvania: Why do people take drugs? Read More »30 Comments
Let's Talk: National Drug Facts Week
In November 2010, NIDA held its first-ever National Drug Facts Week (NDFW), where people around the U.S. worked with friends, family, and neighbors to plan events to dispel the myths and discuss the facts about drug abuse. Read More »1 Comment
Let's Talk: How Do You Use Facebook?
Are you on Facebook? Chances are, the answer is yes—the popular site has more than 750 million active users who spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook! Read More »3 Comments


text:
Time for a new Challenge To Change! This time around we're talking nutrition.
Depending on your calorie intake as an adult, the USDA's nutritional guidelines recommend anywhere from 2-5 cups of vegetables every day - and that's exactly what we're challenging you to do over the next three weeks!
Hopefully, vegetables already make up a large portion of your diet. They are low in calories while being high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, packing a nutritious punch that benefits you head to toe.
For many of you, the toughest part of this challenge will be fitting this into your schedule; hectic work days and stress create the temptation and need to eat on the run - and that often means eating packaged foods, not having time to prepare food, and avoiding the veggie aisle at the supermarket altogether.
The good news, though, is that many veggies are easy and quick to prepare and eat, and many recipes and combinations don't require significant prep time. Next week, we'll discuss some preparation and serving ideas that are quick and simple, but first, let's review what's so good about vegetables, and why it's crucial to add them into your diet.
Not only are veggies rich in nutrients, but many provide powerful disease reduction potential - particularly in reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund estimates that a proper diet including 2-5 servings of vegetables each day can reduce various forms of cancer incidence by up to 40%.
Further research from Harvard University determined that people who ate the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with those who ate less. Another fun fact about vegetables and health concerns your vision. A University of Texas study found that eating dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale promote eye health and the development of pigments to assist vision.
The displacement effect is also significant when talking about vegetable consumption - that is, people who eat more fruit and vegetables in turn tend to eat less high-calorie, low-nutrient foods rich in sugar and fat that have been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and more. Many vegetable consumption programs coincide with a reduction of consumption in high-fat snacks - especially for kids!
There are many more studies out there linking vegetable consumption and medical benefits, but the bottom line regarding consumption is this - we know eating vegetables makes you a much healthier person.
Vegetables are that one food that you either love or hate - but the problem with hating vegetables is that they are the single most important food group you can consume. If you aren't eating vegetables, you aren't getting all of the benefits we've laid out above.
Unfortunately, we know that it's difficult and sometimes not a priority to eat those vegetables. That's why, over the next three weeks, we're challenging you to get your 2-5 cups every single day. We'll share tips on how to incorporate them into meals, how to get children to eat them, and more - but in the meantime, click the video and visualize exactly what a cup of vegetables looks like - and get started on getting your 2-5 cups every day!
About the author:Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of No Fizz America, a non-profit dedicated to health and fitness. He is also the founder FusionSouth, a sports conditioning firm. You can follow him on Twitter here or on Facebook
You can listen to Bobby on his weekly radio show on Radio Exiles.
Copyright 2011 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
LOL, did we just win the Q3 without Chandler in the lineup? :lol:
Printable View
LOL, did we just win the Q3 without Chandler in the lineup? :lol:
If Gadzuric doesn't get some minutes in this game that would be some retard coaching. This is the perfect game to see how effective Gadzuric's defense can be, because so far the paint has been wide open.
Epic 4th quarter coming up.
Melo's clutch game will take it for us with 7 seconds left.
Gadzuric is a bum guys... And he doesnt really know our system.. Im not upset he's not getting minutes
I cant front as a hardcore basketball fan I'm loving this game lol
Stoudemire becoming STAT.
Too bad he sucks dick on defense.
(so does everyone today.)
How about you exert that effort on defense STAT
STATS got his legs back, if we can get the PnR going with him, and iso melo when needed, we'll be a problem for anyone.
lol @ stat,
Stoudemires defense will always suck, but dude is a warrior
When I see our boys BURNING to win, all doubts are erased.
Did Stat just do the based god eating after that basket?
Not at all excited about Amare today because this will not be the lineup he will have to do it with. He has the paint to himself without TC but we all know that will not be the case going forward.
Hawks regain the lead...smh.........


text:
The most complete database on Chinese herbal medicine
|Get a FREE account now and discover how to treat this symptom with Chinese medicine
|Chinese Formula
|Symptoms related to very difficult swallowing
|Yin Qiao Ma Bo San
Honeysuckle, Forsythia and Puffball Powder
|Clears Heat and relieves toxicity from the Lungs; Drains Heat and relieves toxicity from the Lungs; Benefits the throat.
|Painful obstruction of the throat due to Heat toxin or Damp-Heat collecting in the Lungs.
|Acute sore throat; Scarlet fever; Severe sore throat; Very difficult swallowing; Vincent's disease; Sensation of obstruction in the pharynx; Red tongue, thin-white coating that becomes yellow; Floating-Slippery-Rapid pulse (Fu Hua Shu).


text:
Hello, I have a question about the order of the winsocket setup for an async winsocket server model because I have seen 2 methods for that:
- one is to create the winsock, fill the sockaddr_in structure, bind the winsock and call the WSAAsyncSelect(),
- and the other is to create the winsock, call the WSAAsyncSelect(), fill the sockaddr_in structure and finally bind the socket.
Is there any difference in both methods? Or, is there a wrong setup order?
Thank's in advance.


text:
Welcome to Athletics
Welcome to Athletics
Sit in the stands to watch Wayne State athletes at work and you'll quickly see why we're called the Warriors. WSU sponsors 18 NCAA Division II teams that compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Men's and women's fencing compete in the Midwest Fencing Conference and for a National Collegiate Championship against such schools as Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Penn State.
Come cheer us on!


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, October 27, 2011, 8:17 PM
Town Square
Additional bicycle parking may debut downtown
Original post made on Oct 28, 2011
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, October 27, 2011, 8:17 PM
a resident of Monte Vista High School
on Oct 28, 2011 at 7:32 am
Pleased to see the town considering this subject. Hope the bike racks will be put near where the cyclist congregate, near the coffee shops, or they won't be used. Most of those 1900+ Saturday riders have valuable bikes that they will not leave far from their sight.
Putting racks in at the high schools is also an excellent idea. Both San Ramon HS and Monte Vista HS now have active bike teams. However, the students with their valuable racing bikes have no place to safely store them should they ride them to school. So, instead, we've added to the traffic problem. Either parents deliver their bike by car after school for practice or the students must drive to keep them locked in their car during the school day.
If racks exist at the HS's, maybe more kids would choose to ride a bike. After all, walking and biking from Monte Vista HS is often faster and safer than dealing with the traffic and congestion.
a resident of Danville
on Oct 28, 2011 at 9:33 am
"The total cost of this project is estimated at $41,050, but the Parks and Leisure Services Commission intends to seek grant money to complete this project."
For clarification, is $41,500 the total cost, including the parts and installations ....OR just for the "study" and planning phase? Hopefully it's everything.
What/whose act initiated this concern and study?
Have many bicyclers (and/or downtown bicycle stores) themselves expressed this "need" and requested this capital improvement project?
Has their been a SURVEY of the bicyclers themselves, as to whether or not they feel they really need and will use these racks.....or have they found plenty of ways already to sufficiently "lock" up their bikes (such as just cabling through the wheels).
a resident of Danville
on Oct 28, 2011 at 12:04 pm
I live in downtown Danville and bike everywhere. The bicycle parking is abysmal. I go to the Post Office, no bike racks, so I have to park the bike against the window, locked to itself, and in view.
A bicycle locked to itself is a risk to be stolen.
While Danville city staff may have done the study for their public spaces/sidewalks, I am not so sure they really were able to consider parking in the privately owned shopping centers. Trader Joes/Post Office, terrible. FedEx center, terrible. Outside restaurants, terrible, Livery, terrible. McCalou's, terrible.
If you are reading this and have not riden your bike in a while, I encourage you to get your bike out of storage, if needed get a tune up at one of the three bike shops in Danville, and ride-an-errand. It's enjoyable.
a resident of Danville
on Oct 28, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Another comment, I rode to the Library two days ago, and the bike rack parking was... terrible. They bike racks were made of two metal triangles afixed to the ground, and my bike could not be placed between them in such a way as to keep it propped up without potentially falling over and damaging the bike. I don't use a sport bike for errands around town, but I still need a way to park it so it does not get damaged.
So I did what two other people had already done, park their bikes on the back side of the plastic benches out front.
a resident of Alamo Elementary School
on Jun 3, 2017 at 8:25 am
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?


text:
Colorado School of Mines' role and mission has remained constant and is written in the Colorado statute as:
The Colorado School of Mines shall be a specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards. The Colorado School of Mines shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral, and materials science and engineering and associated engineering and science fields. The school shall be the primary institution of higher education offering energy, mineral and materials science and mineral engineering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. (Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 23-41-105)
Strategic Plan 2024 Mission, Vision, Values
On December 12, 2013, the Colorado School of Mines Board of Trustees adopted the following interpretation of the statutory mission as part of its new strategic plan. The Board also adopted vision and values statements for the university.
Education and research in engineering and science to solve the world's challenges related to the earth, energy and the environment
- Colorado School of Mines educates students and creates knowledge to address the needs and aspirations of the world's growing population.
- Mines embraces engineering, the sciences, and associated fields related to the discovery and recovery of the Earth's resources, the conversion of resources to materials and energy, development of advanced processes and products, fundamental knowledge and technologies that support the physical and biological sciences, and the economic, social and environmental systems necessary for a sustainable global society.
- Mines empowers, and holds accountable, its faculty, students, and staff to achieve excellence in its academic programs, its research, and in its application of knowledge for the development of technology.
Mines will be the premier institution, based on the impact of its graduates and research programs, in engineering and science relating to the earth, energy and the environment
- Colorado School of Mines is a world- renowned institution that continually enhances its leadership in educational and research programs that serve constituencies throughout Colorado, the nation, and the world.
- Mines is widely acclaimed as an educational institution focused on stewardship of the earth, development of materials, overcoming the earth's energy challenges, and fostering environmentally sound and sustainable solutions.
A student-centered institution focused on education that promotes collaboration, integrity, perseverance, creativity, life-long learning and a responsibility for developing a better world
- The Mines student graduates with a strong sense of integrity, intellectual curiosity, demonstrated ability to get a job done in collaborative environments, passion to achieve goals, and an enhanced sense of responsibility to promote positive change in the world.
- Mines is committed to providing a quality experience for students, faculty, and staff through student programs, excellence in pedagogy and research, and an engaged and supportive campus community.
- Mines actively promotes ethical and responsible behaviors as a part of all aspects of campus life.


text:
Grain Car Allocation System - Car Auctions and General Distribution
Announcement Number: AG2013-70
Categories: Domestic Corn Feed Grains and Soybeans,Export Corn Feed Grains and Soybeans,Wheat and Food Grains
Posted Date: December 19, 2013
To All Grain Customers:
Union Pacific will not be holding a grain car auction during the weeks of Christmas or New Year. We will resume our normal auction schedule on Monday January 7th and we will offer cars for February, March and April.
Effective immediately, the Union Pacific's General Distribution status will be changed to "MATRIX" until further notice.
Below is a brief description of General Distribution and each status. See UP 4051 or UP 4052 Item 70 for a complete description of the GCAS rules that govern the ordering of covered hoppers for loading of whole grains.
The General Distribution car order system is used by Union Pacific to supply whole grain covered hoppers in a systematic manner. Car orders may be placed on the Union Pacific web site. Customers without access to the site may place orders with UP Customer Service at (800) 272-8777. General Distribution car orders are for immediate delivery, no future want dates will be accepted. Union Pacific offers no guarantee of delivery dates. If customers require guaranteed delivery dates, Car Supply Vouchers or Guaranteed Freight should be used. General Distribution orders that are placed and later canceled will be subject to a $70 per car penalty. Cancellation penalties will be waived if order is not filled within 30 days. General Distribution car orders cannot be transferred to another location.
The General Distribution status when demand for cars is current or when cars are in storage. Customers can order cars at any time during this status. Each location may have one General Distribution order at a time for up to the number of cars they can spot. When the cars for the first order are applied or placed that shipping location may place another General Distribution order.
The General Distribution status when supply is tight and Union Pacific is not able to fill all demand. Customers are not free to order GD cars under this status; they will be offered cars, as they are available. General Distribution uses a matrix to offer cars on a rotation or "turn" basis. The matrix is a listing of all shipping locations that are registered in the Grain Car Allocation System. New customers that register will be given the next number on the matrix. The matrix is separated into 3 large geographic regions. All shipping locations were assigned a random sequence number when the regions were created. Union Pacific will evaluate car supply and fax an offer of cars to the next shipping location(s) on the matrix. The offer is approximately 7 to 14 day advance notice of car availability. Each location will have two days to order all or a portion of the cars their facility is registered to receive. Customer has no obligation to order cars but will not have another opportunity until the next rotation of the matrix or until General Distribution is in "Open" status.
If you have any questions please contact your Union Pacific representative Darren Wisniski (402) 544-4190 or Dave Muck (402) 544-6264.


text:
yes, but much of middleway denies reflexive awareness and alaya outright. in other words there is no point considering whether it is truly real or dependent - it just simply doesnt exist. some of middleway would say that the need to assert an alaya to explain dependent arising is a sign of subtle grasping to true existence.Dexing wrote:Accepts them as what or in what way though? This is the critical issue.
Ālaya and its seeds must be accepted upon scripture and proper reasoning. But that is not to say that it is truly real. It too is abandoned in the state of arhat as anātman is realized.
thats an old debate..False imagination cannot be said to be nonexistent because that would deny that what Ordinary Beings know is delusion and accept all sorts of illusions as true, rather than false.
false imagination dont exist because those imaginations dont refer to anything - those objects dont exist. therefore we cannot say that these false imaginations exist. however from the point of view of the false imaginations themselves (ie. the internal images) they do exist as images.


text:
The bride-elect is the daughter of Tony and Donna Sherrill of Russellville. She is the granddaughter of Deon and Jo Sherrill, Don and Pat Williams, and Bill and Judy Chatterton and the great-granddaughter of Sue Barger, all of Harrison. Brooke is a 2010 graduate of Russellville High School and is currently enrolled in nursing school at Arkansas Tech University Ozark.
The prospective groom is the son of Del and Tannya Graham of Clinton. He is the grandson of Davis and Carolyn Graham and Jim and Evelyn Kirk, all of Clinton. Brandon graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in History and is currently employed by Little John Transportation of Russellville. The wedding is planned for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, at Point Remove Lodge with a reception to follow. Invitations have been sent.


text:
I was brought up in a Church of England family. No, that doesn't quite do it justice. I was swathed in the church, surrounded by dyed in the wool Anglicans, from the moment I was born. I went to a service at least once a week, every week (even when on holiday). On top of that, I went to sunday school, church youth group and pot luck suppers. I have sung in plays, musicals, carol concerts and outdoor events. I've even appeared on Songs of Praise!
It was against this backdrop that I slowly began to perceive other possibilities.
I don't think I'd ever truly believed. I wanted to believe. I even had, what felt at the time, spiritual experiences. But I think I knew even then that these were nothing more than sensory manipulation – beautiful music, twinkling candles, incense, harmonious voices and shared emotional experiences.
I was educated at a grammar school and was introduced to mind openers such as world history, physics, chemistry and critical thinking. In my late teens, I subscribed to New Scientist and developed an interest in physics. Later, I read A Brief History of Time and, although I struggled with the maths (I'm more of a humanities person), the concept of deep time and the vastness of space fascinated me.
Around this time, I began to see the injustices in the world outside the church yard wall. My social and political awareness was developing at a time of Band Aid, Nelson Mandela, Apartheid, the fall of the Berlin Wall, AIDS and a growing awareness of LGBT issues. I also began to perceive discrimination against my own gender whilst listening to the debates over the ordination of women priests.
In my early twenties, I started to pick up bits and pieces about evolution. Having only a rudimentary grasp of biology, I again looked to popular science books and eventually discovered Richard Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale.
These different threads were weaving a pattern in which there was less and less room for a god.
I stopped going to church with my family when I was 18 but it was perhaps another decade or so before I would call myself an atheist. In the intervening years, I read about different religions, humanism, secularism, rationalism, scepticism and feminism. I am "out" to my friends and some work colleagues but not to my parents, although I'm sure they suspect. The reasons, as always with such situations, are complicated.
At present my reaction to religion is similar to that of ex-smokers towards cigarettes. They can be far more vehemently opposed to smoking than a non-smoker would ever be. In the same way, I have a visceral reaction to religions and religious behaviour, especially when I get a knee jerk response from that inner child who grew up in a church.
I am now trying to remove those angry knots and burrs from my tapestry so that it only reflects the beauty and wonder of my one precious lifetime on our amazing planet.
United Kingdom


text:
Cookbook author, and Triangle resident, Sandra Gutierrez opened the afternoon's cooking class at Southern Season with her signature "Hola, y'all" reflecting her own personal fusion of Latin and Southern influences. However, the day's subject matter would be strictly Latin and the dishes prepared would reflect regional flavors from Central and South America, as found in her latest cookbook Latin America Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina.
Gutierrez described how the cookbook came to fruition one day while visiting a Portland, Oregon food truck park with several other food-focused writers. Each person in the her group purchased eight dishes from the food trucks to share. Though several regional flavors were represented by the group's selections, there was one, lone taco. That solitary Latin course among a global food truck feast inspired Gutierrez. She awoke the next morning, had a conversation with her agent and "Latin America Street Food" was born.
The cookbook, explained Gutierrez, spans the street food found in twenty countries as a sort of culinary travel log. Twenty percent of the book's recipes hail from Mexico, which the author describes as the "door to Latin America" from the US. In the book she invites the reader to explore the region and leads us through each country's flavors. As a bit of historical background, Gutierrez explained to our class how street food became a very important way of life in Latin America during the gas shortages of the 1970s. No longer able to afford the gas to make their way home for lunch each day, street vendors sprang up to serve school children and workers. Because the street food vendors didn't possess much specialized equipment and worked in limited space, the food is simple and easy to make, often created from a unique family recipe. Gutierrez stressed that the ingredients for the recipes in her book can be found in most any grocery store, as well as Latin American markets in the Triangle.
The first course prepared for the class, a Potato and Chorizo Masa Boat with Avocado-Tomatillo Taco Truck Sauce, found in the chapter titled Tortilla Flats, hails from Mexico. Gutierrez demonstrated the proper preparation of masa, slowing pouring water from a measuring cup with one hand, while working the water in the dry masa harina, forming the dough that would later be shallow fried and shaped into boats to hold the potato and chorizo mixture. "Toppings have a lot to say about how you are," quipped Gutierrez, further explaining that Latin food is a constant juxtaposition of colors, flavors and textures. Our filled masa boats are topped with crisp iceberg lettuce, finely chopped tomatoes and crumbled Cotija cheese and the creamy, herbaceous Avocado-Tomatillo sauce.
The next dish, a Peruvian Flounder Ceviche with Corn Nuts, contradicted the stereotype that all Latin food is unhealthy. Gutierrez devotes an entire chapter of her cookbook to lighter courses featuring fresh salads and seafood. Fans of things fried will find recipes for Yuca Fries with Classic Chimichurri, Tostones with Guacamole and Black-Eyed Pea Fritters in the book's Fried and True chapter. The dish that elicited the most moans of culinary pleasure however, came from the Food on a Stick section. The class seemed mesmerized watching the preparation of Elotes Locos, grilled and skewered corn on the cob, dipped in a mixture of crema and mayonnaise, rolled in Cotija cheese crumbles, then sprinkled with Ancho Chile powder.0
We found the final stop on our culinary tour of "Latin America Street Food" in Argentina where dessert took the form of a traditional sandwich cookie, Alfajores, a delightful construction of Dulce de Leche spread between two soft shortbread-like cookies, then edged in coconut shreds. Our culinary journey had reached its end, though more adventures await on the cookbook pages.
Interested in taking the class, meeting the author and/or buying the book? Sandra Gutierrez will teach two more classes at Southern Season (scheduled for November 10 and December 14, 2013) this year featuring recipes from her book, though the dishes will vary from the September 14 class menu. This Wednesday, September 18, Gutierrez will open the Fall season of CHOP NC (Culinary Historians of the Piedmont, North Carolina) at Flyleaf Books (7 – 8:30 pm) for a book talk, tasting and signing event.


text:
Dickerson, a long-time coach who had stops at Clarksville, Little Rock McClellan, Grapevine and Elaine High Schools, also spent five seasons as the head coach of the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team and three seasons as the coach of the Suns volleyball squad.
During his tenure at Russellville, Dickerson hired all but six of the current athletics coaches and oversaw a multitude of renovations at the school's athletics facilities.
One of the most visible upgrades the district has made in Dickerson's tenure is the installation of artificial turf at Cyclone Stadium and the reconfiguring of the Don Carnahan Track.
"The improvements at Cyclone Stadium ... is one of the things I'm most proud of," Dickerson said. "When you look at the things they have at Cyclone Stadium: The fieldhouse, the new turf. We've had so many great comments on our stadium and how it looks.
"I would have liked to have been here long enough to build an indoor practice facility and a new press box. Throughout the years, I've envisioned what I'd like for a press box. I've went to several schools around the state — Alma, Van Buren and several other places — to see what they had and what we'd like to do."
The upgrades don't stop there. In 1999, Cyclone Gymnasium received a facelift.
"We put in new bleachers on the visitor's side," Dickerson said. "We took out the old wooden bleachers and brought the new bleachers in. We do all that and it brightens the place up and makes it a great place to play. Everybody's close to the floor and the intensity is great."
A new wooden floor was installed in the auxiliary gym last year to replace the old Tartan surface Dickerson called, "An injury waiting to happen." The new floor provides the basketball teams a great place to practice on.
"Two full courts divided by a curtain where, during volleyball season when the volleyball team is practicing on the main floor, the two basketball teams have a place where they can work out without fear of an injury," Dickerson said of the new floor. "Also, on game nights, you can have a JV [junior varsity] game in there and a JV game in the main gym so you don't have to start games too early or make people stay too late."
Another project completed last year was the new practice track at Russellville Middle School. While all the district's track teams compete in home meets at the Don Carnahan Track at Cyclone Stadium, each school practices on site. The Gales and Lady Gales used to have to practice in the middle school's parking lot, but now have a safe place to get in their reps.
Two years ago, the district opened the doors of its new indoor practice facility for baseball, softball and soccer. The facility, at the old Gardner Junior High Gymnasium, is large enough to accommodate all four teams at once when weather is bad.
"You get 100 kids in there practicing and coaches coaching — a baseball team, a softball team and a soccer team gets in there and are getting after it," Dickerson said. "I think it's one of the best things the Russellville School District has purchased, and really got a good price on what's in there, was a great thing."
Facilities aren't the reason Dickerson took on the responsibility of being the athletics director at Russellville. It was the chance to make a difference in many kids' lives. Dickerson, who received his Bachelors in physical education from the University Arkansas-Monticello and a Masters in educational administration from the University of Arkansas, has made several changes in the athletics department to make the sporting experience that much more special for the Cyclones and Lady Cyclones.
Dickerson split the junior high and middle school into East and West teams, increasing the number of opportunities for kids to be a part of extracurricular activities.
"Kids want to be a part of something, so if you give them something good to be a part of, then they're less likely to be a part of something not good," he said.
Dickerson said he felt the rule set forth in the late 1970s or early '80s that required student-athletes to maintain a 2.0 GPA was a double-edged sword.
"Now, since they went to a 2.0 GPA requirement, all these kids with a 1.9 or lower GPA can't participate in sports," he continued. "You can go to school and you can even graduate, but you can't participate in sports. What do they do? They go do something. They become a part of something, and a lot of times that something is not good. When that change happened you had a big influx of gangs because kids are going to group up with like-minded kids — and with no adults to watch out for them ... they may just want to hang out on the corner."
To battle that problem, Dickerson helped bring in the Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP) to help boost student-athletes with subpar grades back into eligibility.
"It allows students a chance to gain extra hours after school," the administrator said. "If they're below a 2.0 and they take 100 hours a week of training and instruction to help bring their GPA up, they can play when they start to bring their GPA up. The SIP is sanctioned by the AAA [Arkansas Activities Association].
"We've had some great athletes, some great young people, come through here and that's why I'm here — because of the young people and trying to make things good for them. That's what it's all about."
As well as being a great administrator for the RSD, Dickerson enjoyed a stellar coaching career at the high school and college levels. He led four high schools to 11 consecutive 20-win seasons that netted two state championships, both at McClellan High School. Dickerson then took over as head women's basketball and volleyball coach at Arkansas Tech in 1982 and led the Golden Suns volleyball team to unprecedented and yet unmatched success. His volleyball teams went 102-22 over four season, was 37-1 in Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) play and won three straight AIC championships. Dickerson's squads finished ranked No. 13, No. 10 and No. 5 nationally during his tenure.
Dickerson also coached the Suns basketball teams to several great seasons. His winning percentage of .784 (120-33) in five seasons is behind only Tech Sports Hall of Fame coach Joe Foley (.849 in 16 seasons) and current head coach Dave Wilbers (.837 over five seasons). Dickerson's basketball teams won two AIC championships, and the Suns advanced to the Final Four of the 1987 NAIA National Tournament.
Dickerson was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2006. He received the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) State Award of Merit for Arkansas in 2007 and the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award nomination for Arkansas in 2010.
Dickerson said he and his wife Myra will take a cruise to Alaska and a week-long camping trip to kickstart his retirement.
"That'll pretty much take care of July," he said with a smile.


text:
The votes are in and it's official, the winner of July's Chapelboro Short List for "The Best Place to Dine Outside" in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area is Weaver Street Market!
When it comes to outdoor dining, Weaver Street Market tops the Short List. On East Weaver St. in Carrboro, the "community-owned grocery" and its famous outdoor lawn are located within the Carrboro shopping district where patrons can stroll the shops or just enjoy the pedestrian and dog friendly walkways after a great bite to eat.
Offering produce, goods and beverages that are local, fairly-raised and ecological is the philosophy of the Weaver Street Co-op as they stand for more than just a grocery store, but a place for community. Staffed by passionate and engaged employees, there is an innate sense of fun and joy around the market. Open air seating beneath tall trees on a sunny day couldn't make for a better relaxing meal, especially when local musicians perfume the air with musical notes ranging anywhere from the blues to bluegrass.
The co-op also makes healthy education a part of their shopping experience. Couples, friends, family and children alike can enjoy learning and reading about their food — not to mention give first-date couples something to talk about while enjoying their meal.
Weaver Street Market is not just a linear experience of getting your food and leaving; it is a place where you hand select your food from the local bounty, learn interesting facts from excellent staffers, and of course, you always have the option of dining outdoors in the beautiful and famous Weaver Street Lawn. Check out Weaver Street Market and see for yourself!
Also on the Short List
The Station at Southern Rail
The Station's beautiful and spacious outdoor patios are set on an active railway and built around restored vintage railroad cars. Just like any great downtown Carrboro location, they offer live music from well-known acts and a full menu often packed with local produce. Check out one of four unique bars throughout the "station" to watch games or enjoy drinks.
Top Of The Hill
With their outdoor balcony famously overlooking N. Columbia and Franklin Street, Top of the Hill is often considered the "social crossroads" of Chapel Hill. There is no better view of Franklin Street after a Tar Heel win! Open from 11am-2am every day of the week, the full menu showcases locally-sourced food choices and one-of-a-kind appetizers like Polynesian Calamari and Franklin Street Nachos. And if you're not in the mood for food you can always check out the Top of the Hill Distillery for locally-made Organic spirits.
Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
Few restaurants can claim to be as unique as Vimala's Curryblossom on West Franklin Street. With their farm-to-fork philosophy and revolving menu of ultra-fresh, local produce, you can feel as though you're supporting your community as you also support your own health and well-being on Curryblossom's relaxing green patio. From Vimala's family recipes to their cutting-edge techniques, you haven't tasted Chapel Hill until you've tried Vimala's!
Weathervane at Southern Season
Weathervane's famous patio opened its doors year-round in 2003 shortly after Southern Season moved to University Mall. The layout is flush with beautiful gardens and spacious seating. It's the perfect place for formal parties or relaxed dinners. Be sure to check out the hip coffee and wine bar, as well as the cozy mezzanine loft after strolling through Southern Season's locally-owned shop!


text:
I have a HP computer, since buying it(3yrs ago) I've added quite a bit and I'm wondering if it needs additional cooling
64mg Ram
250watt PS
4gig Quantum Bigfoot HD
Video integrated ATI mach64vt2
sound int. SB pci64
Maxtor 30 gig 7200 RPM Added
Creative Encore DVD (decoder card) Added
Creative 6424 CDRW Added
MonsterII VooDoo2 card Added
Scsi card for scanner Added
3Com Nic Added
56k modem Removed
The problem is there is no connector on the MB to attach a fan and there are no available power connectors.There is a removable piece on the front of the case where I could insert a fan ,but I would need to power it how????.
There are currently two fans the one on the PS and one on the back of the case which forces air onto the PII .There is no fan on the PII and no connector on the MB for one.If I can somehow manage to install a fan should it force air in or out.
Hope someone can suggest something,
[This message has been edited by wonderinguy34 (edited 08-16-2000).]


text:
Well, the 1000+ dollar combined cost of having a smartphone AND a PC (or a tablet AND a PC) might just be such a problem?
Not really.
People used to buy PCs about every two years. That's slowed down. That alone makes room for all of this.
This stuff just isn't all that expensive these days.
Besides, at least some people are going to notice that a lot of personal data would be carried around in a very small, easy to steal form factor in the phone-centric case. So, for those observant folk, they may decide they want to keep personal data centered in a form factor a lot less easy to lose or to steal. The cloud may someday moot all of that, but that's not today nor is it tomorrow, either.
Cheaper is always better, but there remain significant compromises to the "fully mobile lifestyle" and a few risks, too. So far, it hasn't occurred to many people to have their phone double as a PC. The software isn't there and until it is, they won't even think of working that way.
So, there's a chicken-and-egg aspect that has to get solved first.
We're two or three years, minimum, from having a serious conversation about this and that's assuming someone, somewhere builds a key killer app that makes docking interesting to break the impasse.


text:
Open Box (Blemished) Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar Natural 886830820274
Sku #519049005010059
6 String Acoustic Guitars
- Write a Review
45 day price guarantee, 45 day return policy, 100% secure shopping
- Buy New
- Alerts
Item Note:
This product has been discontinued but may be available as a Open Box item.
Similar Items
A solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides produce the perfect sonic mix.
The Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar has the ultimate combo for projection and pure tone. The expertly braced spruce top speaks clearly atop the rosewood body. It has a rosewood fingerboard, rosewood bridge, die-cast tuners, body and neck binding, and a tortoise pickguard. Case sold separately.
Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.
- Solid Sitka spruce top
- Rosewood back and sides
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rosewood bridge
- White/black body and neck binding
- Die-cast tuners
- Tortoise pickguard
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Case sold separately
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 10 customers
- Consistent
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Rich Sound
- Stays In Tune
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Small Venues
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
great service,fast delivery.
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Rich Sound
Best Uses
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
Fun guitar. Looks great, feels a little light, nice and bright sound, it will probably get richer and deeper with age and better strings. Long story short great value, you can't go wrong !
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
To start off with: the quality for price is unbeatable! Of course, it's not a high end guitar, but good luck finding anything within the price range that's this good. ' THE LOOKS: I got the natural, and it matches my taste 100%. It's not overly "fancy", but it's not lacking in anything. The natural colors of Spruce and Rosewood are, in my opinion matchless, and the binding and the rosette are just perfect. Honestly, I don't think that the other color options match the natural in it's beauty, but that's just me. CONSTRUCTION: The top is solid and bookmatched, and the sides and the back are bookmatched too, which is a nice touch. The tuners, the pins, the nut and the saddle are not of greatest quality, but that stuff is easily replaceable. The neck has a very nice feel to it, and the whole guitar just feels solid. SOUND AND PLAYABILITY: The playability was awesome right out of the box, the neck is nice and slim, and there was no buzzing anywhere. The solid top make a world of difference on a guitar, and the sound is nice and crisp, except a little bit on the low E string, but I'm not sure weather that's a strings issue (still using the originals) or if it will open up as the guitar matures more; all in all not a big deal, it still sounds amazing. A great guitar for a low price. I know that it's definitely a keeper, and that I'll eventually upgrade the plastic parts to tusq, and the tuners to something better. Highly recommended.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
This yamaha is great for the price. Yamaha is known for just about anything and they have a pretty good reputation. This guitar has a solid top and an unbeatable price, so you cant really go wrong with it. However, I tried this guitar out and I found it to be just alright. I thought the neck was a little too thin, maybe it's cause I got used to the feel of my Seagull Slim. The tone was pretty balanced and clear, but some were muffled. Bar chords were easy to play on this guitar since it has a thin neck, but fingerstyle was a bit of a challenge for me. I would have to say, try it out and see if you like it.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
I've had my Yamaha FG730S for about a month now and so far it's nothing less than perfect in every aspect. I bought it brand-new, out of the box the action was perfect - nice and low, but w/o any buzzing. It has a solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides which is what Martin uses on their infamous D-28 dreadnought so you know its great sounding and esp. good for rhythm and heavy strumming. I wasn't too fond of the factory strings, so I put some Martin Phosphor-bronze Med. gauges on there and it really made it sound better IMO. I also installed a LR Baggs M1 active Humbucking sound-hole p'up and it works great! I have been playing for about 3 yrs now and I started out w/ an Electric cheap strat-copy and then eventually moved up to a Epi Les Paul. I didn't have an acoustic. I wasn't really into the whole acoustic scene. But about a yr. ago, I had the chance to see Doyle Dykes preform at my church w/ his Taylor model and from that moment on I knew I needed an acoustic guitar. Its my first and probably last acoustic for a long time. Overall this is a great guitar I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a good guitar at a GREAT PRICE!!!
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
After playing about 100 different guitars including gibsons, martins, and everything else, nothing compared with the sound of the fg730s. It has a crisp, clean sound from the low E to the highest note you can play. Its as loud as you want it to be too with no buzzing. Looks great too.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
I can't add much more than what others have said. It's just a very nice guitar, especially for the price. It looks and sounds great, and is very well constructed.I played several others in it's price range and the overall package of price, performance, appearance, and craftsmanship just stood out on this guitar.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
I bought the tobacco sunburst, and the guitar is absolutely beautiful. I am a beginner player, but this one will last me forever. THe sound is great. The fret action is just right. The craftsmanship is superb. Not a flaw inside or out. If you only want to spend $300 for a guitar, the FG730 has the quality of a guitar 2x as much. I looked at all price points above and below, and the Yamaha FG730 sounded and looked the best of any.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
You are not going to get a better deal, onany other Guitar. It is worth every penny.The sound, the action, the fret work, and thelooks makes this Guitar a 5 star. Buy it, you will not be sorry.
Comments about Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar:
Awesome Guitar at an awesome price!Warm, low string action, full, warm but bright acoustic sound. Great for picking or strumming. Installed a new Dean Markley tahoe through the soundhole pick-up, which provides a warm and natural amplified sound through any decent PA or Acoustic Guitar Amp like my Genz-Benz Shenandoah Jr.One of the best made guitars for the money I've ever played. Attention to detail and no slop here anywhere!


text:
source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410306170042_5675.zip Origin key: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410306170042 imported at Fri Jan 8 18:18:17 2016
A growing chorus of top military officials insists that allowing private label products — also called store brands or generics — to be sold in commissaries not only could save customers money now, but also could ease the pain in the future if the stores are forced to raise prices.
But that perspective overlooks one not-so-small detail: The Defense Commissary Agency has in fact carried many forms of generics — knockoffs of national brands — for years.
The current push seems to envision having the commissary system specifically create its own unique "DeCA" brands. But some experts say that at a time when Pentagon officials are looking to slash the agency's budget by two-thirds, creating DeCA-brand products would require more funding to support the infrastructure to develop and manage the program and its associated costs.
What's more, some of the the knockoff items DeCA already carries, ranging from over-the-counter drugs to some foods and paper products, are already cheaper than the generic brands found in discount retail stores — as well as in the military exchanges' Exchange Select generic product line.
Loosening up restrictions on commissaries could help them become more efficient, said Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, giving as an example the restriction on selling generic products. Generics, he said, "is an an example of ways that I think as we move forward the Defense Commissary Agency might say that they can find some savings," in a Feb. 26 testimony before the House Appropriations' subcommittee on military construction and veterans affairs.
"I think that there's some substantial savings that we could [put] right back in our people's pockets that would easily offset at least a portion of any subsidy [reduction]," said Navy Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who suggested commissaries should offer "generics" when he testified May 6 before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He noted he'd found cheaper prices on ibuprofen than the name brand at the commissary when he looked at private label brands at the exchange and at discount retailers.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has a provision in its version of the 2015 defense authorization bill that would allow commissaries to sell generic items without using competitive procurement procedures. Currently, commissaries can't sell any products that are not also sold in civilian stores, which is the main barrier to creating a "DeCA" brand.
Meeting customers' needs
Even as that discussion swirls, the commissary agency is focused on reviewing its program of low-cost alternatives to determine whether it meets customers' needs, and whether another private label or complementary program is really warranted, Joseph Jeu, DeCA director, said at a May conference.
"The main message is not so much 'private label,'" Jeu said. "The key is to make sure we have more ... low-cost items."
DeCA stocks about 1,400 "best value" items across its commissaries — typically a "control label" brand or a name-brand product that the agency has determined is the best value. A control label is essentially a product that fills the same role as a private label or store brand for grocers who can't afford their own store brand program.
Some retail experts question whether most commissary consumers are aware of that initiative.
"The question should be, with this great savings, why didn't the consumer know?" said Joe Olding, president of Webco General Partnership, a military food broker company representing manufacturers of items sold across the stores.
Olding said the law needs to be changed to allow DeCA to announce prices online and elsewhere — advertise, in other words — so customers are aware of lower-cost alternatives.
Olding's analysis, using industry data to which he has access, reflects DeCA's current private label savings in a number of items. For example, its private label brand of ibuprofen, called Good Sense, saved shoppers 40 percent on average over grocers' private label ibuprofen. The average price of DeCA's Good Sense 100 count, 200-milligram tablet ibuprofen was $2.39. The average U.S. grocers' private label brands cost was $4.
Joyce Raezer, executive director of the National Military Family Association, questioned how adding a DeCA store brand would save the agency money.
"What's the DeCA infrastructure that would be required to get the brand on the shelves?" Raezer said.
Increased costs
Olding said those costs would include packaging, quality control, advertising and marketing, and distribution — and even shelf stocking costs.
DeCA itself would have to stock those products, a function currently handled by manufacturers and distributors of their own brands, not commissary employees.
One potential alternative would be to have DeCA carry the military exchanges' Exchange Select store brands, if Congress removes restrictions related to store brands.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service "fully supports a cooperative approach to private labels regarding the commissary," AAFES spokesman Judd Anstey said.
The exchanges sell 670 items under their Exchange Select private label/store brand, mainly health and beauty items and household cleaning supplies, said Jennifer Little, AAFES divisional merchandise manager. Compared to national brand equivalents, customers save 20 percent to 50 percent, she said.
"If you think of the national brand and bringing it to market, it's already developed," Little said. "All the quality testing and packaging is already done by the brand manager at the manufacturer."
With store brands, "there's no manufacturer to advertise it for you. You own it as a retailer. You own it from cradle to grave."
Information about specific costs to operate the Exchange Select private label program were not available. Exchange buyers coordinate the products, but they also manage their whole category, which includes national brands.
One source noted that if DeCA is forced to operate with less taxpayer funding and thus must raise prices, store brands might become an attractive option because the markups are higher on those than on national brands, which would create more revenue for DeCA.
Currently, the $1.4 billion taxpayer subsidy allows commissaries to sell at cost to the customer, plus a 5 percent surcharge at the cash register to pay for construction and renovation of stores.
So far, Congress has resisted the $200 million reduction in funding for commissaries for fiscal year 2015, as the Defense Department requested. The House, in its version of the 2015 Defense Authorization bill, allowed a $100 million decrease in funding; the Senate allowed no decrease. The bills will have to be reconciled. And neither the House nor the Senate has given DoD authorization to raise prices in commissaries, which would be the first step in its quest to reduce funding by $1 billion over three years.
"The bottom line is, this is about keeping money in the pockets of service members," Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Michael Stevens said in an interview June 11. The commissary system itself may not save money by adding private labels, he said, but if — down the road — subsidies are reduced and commissaries are forced to mark up prices, the store brand might bring a cheaper alternative. The cost is not passed along to the consumer in the same way it would be for national brands, he said.
"I think DoD should look at every possible way to reduce the cost of operating commissaries, using a holistic approach that prevents us from passing costs on to the consumer. I believe that's the approach that's being taken," Stevens said.
Stevens said he has talked to sailors around the fleet, and of all the budget issues currently under discussion, "our sailors and their families always bring up commissaries. They are very concerned. I've talked to leadership, and they're aware," he said.


text:
By Gabe Ripley Get ready, the Paradise Tattoo Gathering is this week! Tattooers, apprentices, collectors and the curious have been registering for the Paradise Tattoo Gathering which is coming up September 13-16 in Keystone Colorado. Hotel rooms and Condos are being booked, and seminar registrations are coming in every day. Jeff Gogue's seminar only has 15 spaces left out of 100, so don't snooze on registering! This years lineup is truly amazing: Tattooing, workshops, seminars and live painting are being led by the likes of Bob Tyrrell, Adrian Lee, Tommy Lee, Nick Baxter, Jeff Gogue, Tom Strom, Chet Zar, Damon Conklin, Nikko Hurtado, Alex De Pase, Big Gus, Shawn Barber, Jo Harrison, BJ Betts, Megan Hoogland, Cory Ferguson, Seth Ciferri, James Kern, Jason Kundell and many, many more. We hope to see you there! Read More »
Home » Tag Archives: Nikko Hurt ado