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FILKSINE is the scrambled version of ovalbumin (OVA) peptide (257-264), SIINFEKL. OVA Peptide is a class I (Kb)-restricted peptide epitope of ovalbumin presented by the class I MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecule, H-2Kb (class I genes of the mouse MHC).
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When property managers hire Special Event Security Guards in Gauteng they have a picture in mind of what their contract security force will look like, but too often what they get is not what they pictured. What we have found is that most security guard companies are capable of providing the service that property managers want, but too often do not because of a lack of ongoing quality control procedures.
Protection security companies are unlike any vendor that a property manager usually hires. If you hire a painter, you can see whether or not they are doing their jobs by looking at the walls. But when you hire a VIP protection guard company, how often can you see whether the guard company is doing their job which includes running background checks and drug screenings, providing good training for your guards, and effectively monitoring and supervising your guards. In most instances they probably are, but it is important to implement a system of verification and quality control to ensure that problems associated with the lack of performing these jobs do not begin to occur.
In this article we will discuss five (5) easy steps to improving your security guard service and achieving what you picture as your ideal security guard force.
Screen Your Guards Qualifications
In many states, guards are mandated to have a specified amount of training before they can begin working as security guards. If your state is one of these states, ensure that your security guard company is compliant.
If you are in a state where there are no state requirements for guard certification, then investigate the type of training that is being provided by your security company and ask yourself does it seem adequate.
Additionally, is your security guard company performing background and drug screenings on all your guards BEFORE they send them to your property? If they are, they should be providing you with verification. If not, why?
Inspect Your Guards
After hours inspections of VIP crowd management event armed security guard service, it is always great ways of finding out exactly what is happening with your security while you are not there. During these inspections, make sure to ask your security guards questions about their duties and responsibilities to ensure that they understand their jobs. In fact, we suggest having your security guards audited regularly, formally (i.e. post inspection) and informally (i.e. secret shopped) by a licensed security consultant as part of your ongoing security program.
Firms like Asymmetric Strategies provide a free service aimed at doing exactly that. Remember, when choosing a security consultant be sure that the consultant is not actually a security guard company. If so, your audit is sure to turn up problems with your current security guard company.
Meet with your Security Guard Company Regularly
The fifth and easiest step is to regularly meet with your security company. Without providing regular feedback to your security guard company, property managers are missing out on opportunities to achieve incremental increases in efficiency. Topics such as tenant feedback, guard attrition, feedback from any remote supervisory systems, and any security audits should be discussed during these meetings, which is why they use best armed VIP private event security guard services.
For property managers, getting the security that they want is sometimes just a matter of putting the right processes in place to make sure that all parties understand what is expected. The five easy steps that we outline here are just a few for you to consider. For more ideas or suggestions, please feel free to contact us by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or contact a licensed security consultant in your area.
How Do You Select The Best Protection Services for all Special Event Security Guards?
If you decide to use contracted security guards to protect your business and people you should use the following tips to ensure that you get the quality you pay for. I will say that it may cost you more to get this quality but if you force the contracted security company to work for lower price they will deliver lower standard guards in some cases, but more importantly, if they accept your low price it means they are saving money elsewhere. These security companies will have lower quality controls and increased number of safety concerns due to poor occupational health and safety systems.
Verbal communication skills
All clients want security guards that can speak English well so their customers can understand directions and instructions clearly. Their verbal skills are also needed to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Observation skills
Security guards main duty is to detect security problems and safety hazards before they become an problem for your business. Most security training courses do not teach observation skills in any form. These training companies believe that people have eyes and have been using them for their entire life so they know how to observe already. Completely wrong. That is like saying that because we have been eating food all our lives we can be food critics and know how to judge a chefs product.
Pay attention to the level of verbal skills used during the interview. Especially the number of incorrect words used and lengthy pauses while they think of the words to use. This type of skills signals poor verbal ability and comprehension during normal conversation they will struggle during security incidents. If they have to repeat themselves to you so you understand what they are saying- don't use them.
Avoid using any security guards that feel they need to have bald heads or crew cuts because they don't want their hair grabbed during a fight. They shouldn't need to fight if they know how to do their job properly. This goes the same for guards that refuse to wear ties in case someone grabs it during a fight. Get elastic or clip on ties. Problem solved. I prefer it if someone wants to grab my tie instead of punching me because they have just wasted the first move and not injured me. Game over.
Ask how long they have worked for this security company. Security companies have high turnover and throw inexperienced guards at clients every month or worse, they use sub-contracted guards that you have no quality control over and the security company doesn't even know them.
For Best Protection Use Special Event Security Guards in Gauteng
Starting a security company is just a matter of paying a license fee, holding a security qualification and having two people give you a reference. This is about the level required and a person can set up a security company. Think about this when you decide to use a security company to provide you with security guards to protect your valuable assets and employees. Who is the security company owner and what proof have they provided of their ability to protect your valuables
How much practical experience have they had in preparing and organising the security procedures and methods to protect you
What guarantee do you have if some of your valuable information, assets, or employees are injured because their security failed as promised
Security company checking
To manage the risks to your business better you will need to do a little research before you decide to contract a security company to protect your business. I know of very few clients that actually do a check of the security company and just assume that they know what they are doing because they say they do. I have often been tasked to fix up the mistakes made by selecting the wrong security company after they have cost the client thousands of dollars due to service failures.
When you start looking for a security company in Johannesburg I recommend that you ask for their company brochure and material. I know that it is just advertising material and someone in marketing put it together, but consider this: if they make statements of guarantees or claims of ability you could possibly have enough evidence weight if you needed to pursue a court case. More importantly it is difficult for their managers to argue with you when you ask that they do what they say in the brochure.
There are a lot of ex-police members that go to work in the security industry as managers or specialised consultants. They are generally very capable people and have a great passion for protecting people. You do need to be aware of some key differences between an ex-police security manager and a career security professional.
- Career security professionals work in the industry as their chosen career path and not as a fall back job when they leave the police service.
- Police members are trained in community policing and have a $2 Billion funding purse to provide the latest in equipment and resources when they go to work. Private security have little resources and need to rely on their own skills to solve problems.
- When a situation gets tricky the police members called in lots of back up and never worked alone. Security guards almost always work alone and the closest back up is over 1 hour away if at all.
- Police members are used to having firearms and batons when dealing with drunks and robbers but the security guard only has a radio most of the time.
With all this in mind, who do you think has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to better fix your problems and stay within your budget.
© Copyright 2008 by Paul Baker
How Do You Find Clients for Your Security Company?
In my industry we only have two kinds of customers: those that are proactive and secure their property before a burglary, or those that wait until the intrusion has already occurred. I hope you are in the former group, but either way here are 10.5 ways to choose your next home security company.
How to choose a top rated home security company? Here are 10.5 ways:
- Is the company really concerned about your safety, or are they just looking get a check? A professional security company will make recommendations that they may or may not offer. For example: trimming your hedges, enhancing door locks or jambs etc.
- Is the company licensed by your state for the products they are offering? Are you shown proof of the license when you request it?
- Do they exceed the minimum levels of insurance required by the state? Proof of adequate insurance should be presented when requested.
- Do the employees meet and / or exceed the state / local requirements? Do they drug test and perform an extensive nationwide criminal background and driving record check? Do the representatives have a PVC photo ID card with company information? Can you visually verify the representative online?
- Is the company an active member of the state and local alarm associations?
- Is the company a local company? Is there local executive leadership that you can reach when you have a problem? Is the company involved in the local community?
- Does your security professional act professional? Did he or she offer to remove his or her shoes prior to entering your home? Did he seem genuinely concerned about you and did she listen to your needs? Were they dressed for success or look like they just woke up?
- If you have pets, a top rated security professional will include the special requirements of your "extended" family in the design of the system. Tragically, fire is responsible for approximately 40,000 pet deaths each year in the home.
- Ask how quickly the security company will install your system after purchase. Also, find out how long their service is scheduled out. (Call the main office and ask for the service department)
- When comparing prices compare detection coverage and features. Not all coverage plans are the same.
10.5 Do not base your decision on price alone. If you are like most people you are rarely happy when you buy something because of its price. You did not buy your home because it was the cheapest. Why would you protect your largest investment with the cheapest security system? In my experience, the decisions based on value have turned out the best. Look for a comfortable blend between price and service and get the best system that you can afford. If someone says they are the cheapest in town, don't argue with them, they likely know what the service is worth.
How Do You Start Your Own Security Guard Company?
So, you have put together your security company. You have an office, a patrol vehicle and you have your business cards ready to give away. What do you need now? Well, you need what every company needs; customers. Getting customers is what most new companies struggle with, especially if they are in an area saturated with competitors. Your security company needs to find a way to compete with the other security companies out there, and you need to develop new accounts and get new customers.
Get the Word Out
If you want new customers, you have to make sure customers know who you are and that is where advertising comes in. Advertising in a local newspaper, on the radio, or even on television, are all effective means to advertise your company. The only problem related with these methods is that they do cost a lot of money and you may not get the return that you want with these methods. Try a small amount of advertising to start to see what your return on investment is. If you get more customers than you expected, then increase the amount you advertise.
Clients are the lifeblood of any company, especially a security company. If no one pays you to offer them security, then you won't have much to do and you won't make any money. This may seem obvious, but there are many companies that have failed because they did not realize how important it is to acquire and retain customers.

subset: commoncrawl


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2020 Nissan Rogue
About This Nissan
2020 Nissan Rogue
|New Title
|Model Code
|Front Wheel Drive
|Exterior Color
|Glacier White
|Stock #
|Full Factory Warranty
Vehicle OverviewPrice is plus tax, tag and Dealer Fee of $799 and $129 Electronic Registration Filing Fee. Must Finance with NMAC for or lose partial discount. Price. Lease and out of state rebates may differ. Call to verify. Some vehicles may have Dealer installed options that would be additional cost.
Financing Information
Contact us today at 855-281-1047 for more information, or fill out our Online Credit Application to begin the pre-approval process today.
Payment Calculator
Estimated Monthly Payment:
Warranty InformationThis Vehicle is Covered by the Full Factory Warranty. Contact us for more information on the factory warranty.
Security+Plus Vehicle Protection Plans provide quality vehicle service and protection by Nissan-trained technicians for your new or pre-owned Nissan. You can purchase the right Security+Plus plan for you from us at any time within the first 3 years or 36,000 miles of your vehicle's original in-service date. However, you will get the most out of Security+Plus by selecting a plan early. All Security+Plus plans offer transferable coverage, your choice of deductible and flexible financing options. A brief summary of each plan appears below. For more detailed information of each plan, click on the links below. Click here to download the brochure Security+Plus Gold Preferred Security+Plus Gold Security+Plus Silver Preferred Security+Plus Silver Security+Plus Bronze Security+Plus Pre-Owned Preferred Security+Plus Pre-Owned Plus Security+Plus Pre-Owned Security+Plus Components Coverage Chart A complete listing of all the individual components covered by the various plans offered under Security+Plus Protection packages. Security+Plus Gold Preferred 24-hour roadside assistance, trip-interruption benefits and 17 different time and mileage options, plus all the coverage of Security+Plus Gold listed below Sample Service Agreement Back to Top Security+Plus Gold Covers over 1,500 components Designed for owners of accessorized new Nissans, since it covers many electronic items found on 'luxury' or 'high-tech' models 9 different time and mileage options Towing and car rental reimbursement Sample Service Agreement Back to Top Security+Plus Silver Preferred 24-hour roadside assistance and trip-interruption benefits, plus all the coverage of Security+Plus Silver listed below Sample Service Agreement Back to Top Security+Plus Silver Covers over 1,000 components Designed for owners of accessorized new Nissans, since it covers many electronic items found on 'luxury' or 'high-tech' models 6 time and mileage options Towing and car rental reimbursement Back to Top Security+Plus Bronze Covers over 700 components 6 time and mileage options Back to Top Security+Plus Pre-Owned Preferred Covers over 1150 components No deductible 24-hour roadside assistance Towing reimbursement Trip interruption reimbursement Car rental reimbursement Can be transferred if you sell your Nissan Sample Service Agreement Back to Top Security+Plus Pre-Owned Plus Covers over 1000 components Choice of deductible 24-hour roadside assistance Towing reimbursement Trip interruption reimbursement Car rental reimbursement Can be transferred if you sell your Nissan Sample Service Agreement Back to Top Security+Plus Pre-Owned Covers over 670 components Choice of deductible Towing reimbursement Can be transferred if you sell your Nissan Sample Service Agreement Back to Top
Contact Us at 855-281-1047
Deland Nissan
2600 S Woodland Blvd
Deland, FL 32720
View Map & Get Directions
|8:30a.m.- 8:00p.m.
|8:30a.m.- 8:00p.m.
|8:30a.m.- 7:00p.m.
|11:30a.m.- 5:00p.m.
- 2-pc front and 2-pc 2nd row floor mats
- First Aid Kit
Features & Specifications*
- Engine: 2.5L DOHC 16-Valve I4 -inc: ECO mode
- Transmission: Xtronic CVT Automatic -inc: sport mode switch,
- 6.386 Axle Ratio
- GVWR: 4,590 lbs
- Transmission w/Sequential Shift Control
- Front-wheel drive
- Battery w/Run Down Protection
- 110 amp alternator
- 900# Maximum Payload
- Gas-pressurized shock absorbers
- Front And Rear Anti-Roll Bars
- Electric Power-Assist Speed-Sensing Steering
- 14.5 Gal. Fuel Tank
- Single stainless steel exhaust
- Strut Front Suspension w/Coil Springs
- Multi-link rear suspension w/coil springs
- 4-Wheel Disc Brakes w/4-Wheel ABS, Front And Rear Vented Discs, Brake Assist and Hill Hold Control
- Vehicle Name : Nissan Rogue
- Body Style : Sport Utility
- Drivetrain : Front Wheel Drive
- EPA Classification : Small Sport Utility Vehicles 2WD
- Base Curb Weight (lbs) : 3488
- Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs) : 1102
- Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs) : 110
- Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs) : 1102
- Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs) : 110
- Maximum Trailering Capacity (lbs) : 1102
- Engine Type : Regular Unleaded I-4
- Displacement : 2.5 L/152
- Fuel System : Sequential MPI
- SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM : 170 @ 6000
- SAE Net Torque @ RPM : 175 @ 4400
- Trans Type : 1
- Trans Description Cont. : CVT w/OD
- Reverse Ratio (:1) : 5.60
- Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1) : 6.39
- Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps) : 110
- Suspension Type - Front : Strut
- Suspension Type - Rear : Multi-Link
- Suspension Type - Front (Cont.) : Strut
- Suspension Type - Rear (Cont.) : Multi-Link
- Steering Type : Rack-Pinion
- Brake Type : 4-wheel disc
- Brake ABS System : 4-Wheel
- Disc - Front (Yes or ) : Yes
- Disc - Rear (Yes or ) : Yes
- Front Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in) : 11.7
- Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in) : 11.5
- Wheels: 17" Aluminum Alloy
- Tires: 225/65R17 All-Season
- Wheels w/Silver Accents
- Steel spare wheel
- Compact Spare Tire Mounted Inside Under Cargo
- Clearcoat paint
- Body-Colored Front Bumper w/Chrome Rub Strip/Fascia Accent
- Body-Colored Rear Bumper w/Black Rub Strip/Fascia Accent and Chrome Bumper Insert
- Black Bodyside Cladding And Black Wheel Well Trim
- Chrome Side Windows Trim and Black Rear Window Trim
- Chrome door handles
- Body-Colored Power Heated Side Mirrors w/Manual Folding and Turn Signal Indicator
- Fixed Rear Window w/Fixed Interval Wiper, Heated Wiper Park and Defroster
- Variable intermittent wipers
- Deep tinted glass
- Galvanized Steel/Aluminum/Composite Panels
- Lip Spoiler
- Black grille w/chrome surround
- Power Liftgate Rear Cargo Access
- Tailgate/Rear Door Lock Included w/Power Door Locks
- Roof Rack Rails Only
- Fully Automatic Aero-Composite Halogen Daytime Running Auto High-Beam Headlamps w/Delay-Off
- LED brakelights
- Perimeter/Approach Lights
- Front Tire Size : P225/65HR17
- Rear Tire Size : P225/65HR17
- Spare Tire Size : Compact
- Front Wheel Size (in) : 17 x 7
- Rear Wheel Size (in) : 17 x 7
- Spare Wheel Size (in) : Compact
- Front Wheel Material : Aluminum
- Rear Wheel Material : Aluminum
- Spare Wheel Material : Steel
- Wheelbase (in) : 106.5
- Length, Overall (in) : 184.5
- Width, Max w/o mirrors (in) : 72.4
- Height, Overall (in) : 68
- Track Width, Front (in) : 62.8
- Track Width, Rear (in) : 62.8
- Min Ground Clearance (in) : 7.8
- Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 1 (in) : 68.9
- Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 2 (in) : 42.6
- Cargo Area Width @ Beltline (in) : 51.2
- Cargo Box (Area) Height (in) : 37.9
- Cargo Volume to Seat 1 (ft³) : 70
- Cargo Volume to Seat 2 (ft³) : 39.3
- Cargo Volume to Seat 3 (ft³) : 39.3
- Radio: AM/FM/CD/AUX -inc: 6 speakers, NissanConnect featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7" color display w/multi-touch control, SiriusXM Satellite Radio w/advanced audio features, USB connection port for iPod and other compatible devices, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, streaming audio via Bluetooth, hands-free text messaging assistant, over-the-air (OTA) updating for headunit firmware via a Wi-Fi WPA2 connection
- Radio w/Seek-Scan, MP3 Player, Clock, Steering Wheel Controls and Radio Data System
- Integrated roof antenna
- 2 LCD Monitors In The Front
- Heated Front Bucket Seats -inc: 8-way power driver seat w/2-way lumbar support, 4-way adjustable front passenger seat and front seat back storage
- 6-Way Driver Seat
- 4-Way Passenger Seat -inc: Manual Recline and Fore/Aft Movement
- 40-20-40 Folding Bench Front Facing Manual Reclining Fold Forward Seatback Rear Seat w/Manual Fore/Aft
- Manual tilt/telescoping steering column
- Gauges -inc: Speedometer, Odometer, Engine Coolant Temp, Tachometer, Trip Odometer And Trip Computer
- Power Rear Windows And Fixed 3rd Row Windows
- NissanConnect Selective Service Internet Access
- Leather/Metal-Look Steering Wheel
- Front cupholder
- Rear cupholder
- Remote Keyless Entry w/Integrated Key Transmitter, Illuminated Entry, Illuminated Ignition Switch and Panic Button
- Proximity Key For Doors And Push Button Start
- Remote Releases -Inc: Proximity Cargo Access and Power Fuel
- Cruise control w/steering wheel controls
- HVAC -inc: Underseat Ducts And Console Ducts
- Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning
- Glove box
- Driver foot rest
- Interior Trim -inc: Metal-Look Door Panel Insert and Chrome/Metal-Look Interior Accents
- Full cloth headliner
- Leather/Metal-Look Gear Shift Knob
- Cloth seat trim
- Day-night rearview mirror
- Driver And Passenger Visor Vanity Mirrors w/Driver And Passenger Illumination, Driver And Passenger Auxiliary Mirror
- Full Floor Console w/Covered Storage, Mini Overhead Console w/Storage And 3 12V DC Power Outlets
- Front map lights
- Fade-to-off interior lighting
- Full Carpet Floor Covering
- Carpet Floor Trim
- Cargo Area Concealed Storage
- Trunk/Hatch Auto-Latch
- Cargo Space Lights
- FOB Controls -inc: Trunk/Hatch/Tailgate and Remote Engine Start
- Driver / Passenger And Rear Door Bins
- Power 1st Row Windows w/Driver 1-Touch Up/Down
- Delayed Accessory Power
- Power Door Locks w/Autolock Feature
- Systems Monitor
- Trip computer
- Outside temp gauge
- Analog Display
- Seats w/Cloth Back Material
- Manual Anti-Whiplash Adjustable Front Head Restraints and Manual Adjustable Rear Head Restraints
- Front Center Armrest w/Storage And Rear Center Armrest
- Perimeter alarm
- Engine immobilizer
- 3 12V DC Power Outlets
- Air filtration
- Passenger Capacity : 5
- Passenger Volume (ft³) : 105.8
- Front Head Room (in) : 41.6
- Front Leg Room (in) : 43
- Front Shoulder Room (in) : 56.6
- Front Hip Room (in) : 54
- Second Head Room (in) : 38.5
- Second Leg Room (in) : 37.9
- Second Shoulder Room (in) : 55.9
- Second Hip Room (in) : 52.1
- Electronic stability control (ESC)
- ABS And Driveline Traction Control
- Side Impact Beams
- Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
- Blind Spot Warning (BSW) Blind Spot Sensor
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Lane Departure Warning
- Forward Collision Mitigation
- Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
- Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
- Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
- Airbag Occupancy Sensor
- Rear child safety locks
- Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Rear Center 3 Point, Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
- RearView Monitor Back-Up Camera
- Fuel Economy Est-Combined (MPG) : 29
- EPA Fuel Economy Est - City (MPG) : 26
- EPA Fuel Economy Est - Hwy (MPG) : 33
- Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year : 6.2
- Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx (gal) : 14.5
- CHARCOAL CLOTH SEAT TRIM, [L92] FLOOR MATS & 2-PC CARGO AREA PROTECTOR -inc: 2-pc front and 2-pc 2nd row floor mats First Aid Kit, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Brake Assist, Tires - Front All-Season, Tires - Rear All-Season, Temporary Spare Tire, Heated Mirrors, Integrated Turn Signal Mirrors, Rear Spoiler, Remote Trunk Release, Power Liftgate, Daytime Running Lights, Automatic Headlights, Satellite Radio, MP3 Player, Bluetooth Connection, Auxiliary Audio Input, Smart Device Integration, Requires Subscription, MP3 Player, Power Driver Seat, Bucket Seats, Heated Front Seat(s), Driver Adjustable Lumbar, Pass-Through Rear Seat, Rear Bench Seat, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Remote Trunk Release, Hands-Free Liftgate, Cloth Seats, Driver Vanity Mirror, Passenger Vanity Mirror, Driver Illuminated Vanity Mirror, Passenger Illuminated Visor Mirror, Remote Engine Start, Engine Immobilizer, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Tire Pressure Monitor, Driver Air Bag, Front Head Air Bag, Rear Head Air Bag, Child Safety Locks, Back-Up Camera


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iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus Text My Dog Phone Case with Tough Rugged Protection
Sale price $24.99 Regular price
Protect your iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus with a Phone Cases To The Rescue cover. We all want to text our dog, so let it be known! This case is made from an ultra tough, impact resistant plastic and sports a flexible rubber liner to absorb shocks and bumps. The lay-flat bezel is an added bonus for screen protection. Just snap the case onto your phone for easy access to all your device features.
- Impact resistant durable cover
- Flexible rubber liner
- Sleek and slim profile
- Easy access to all ports and controls


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Editor's Note: This is a review written by Jeff Johnston. His Motor Matter column runs in the Washington Times and other newspapers. He also is a contributor to RVBusiness.
It isn't often that an RV industry development can be called "revolutionary" without bringing to mind "As Seen on TV" hyperbole. In the case of the new SatelLite trailer from Komfort Corp., that description could be right on the money.
The SatelLite is built using a new plastic-like composite material called Eco Composite (EC), which replaces much of the wood and other materials used in traditional RV construction. Advantages to the use of EC are a lighter RV, translating into fuel savings, greater strength for longer-term durability and a significant reduction of vehicle damage from leaks or other water intrusion. Those features add up to a better long-term investment.
EC has been around for a while and has been used in other products. In a much thicker configuration it's a type of commercial armor used in assorted bulletproofing security applications. Even in RV use any surface that incorporates EC is highly resistant to punctures and impact damage – and that can save the costly repair of an RV built using standard materials.
Water leaks and the resulting wood rot are the primary causes of RV damage. When wood components, like roof decking or wall backers, are removed and replaced by EC (a completely waterproof material), it reduces the chance that leaks around windows or rooftop components can lead to expensive repairs later on. Chalk up another one for investment value.
We toured a SatelLite at George M. Sutton RV in Eugene, Ore., and salesman Terry Thiesfeld explained the features of the nearly 30-foot SatelLite model 299RB, one of five SatelLite models.
Other than some cabinet framing, there is very little wood used to build the SatelLite. Its roof, walls and floor all feature aluminum frames with polystyrene insulation and vacuum-laminated assembly techniques – but that's where the similarity to other RVs ends.
The 299RB weighs about 5,100 pounds dry, which is pretty remarkable for a rig that's just under 30 feet long. The usual EPDM rubber, fiberglass or aluminum roof skin is replaced by EC with no wood underlayment, and the interior ceiling is likewise EC.
RV users should experience minimal maintenance chores with the EC roof, which the manufacturer claims it's 100-percent UV stable. This should result in no sidewall-staining chalking or black streaking, as can happen with other materials.
Not only is the EC roof UV-resistant, it's also a single sheet of material so there are no seams to leak. All of the EC in this rig comes from a large roll of material so any component using the EC is seamless, which adds considerable strength – that's a good idea for a product that sees rugged uses common to RV activities.
An exterior skin of extra-smooth gelcoat fiberglass with a Kevlar-like backing material is laminated to a layer of EC that in turn is adhered to the wall framing. A different composite material with a decorative finish covers the interior wall surfaces.
Due to the concentrated stress of occupants walking inside, a layer of thin lauan plywood is used as a backer for the EC on the floor. This is topped with decorative vinyl flooring. EC is also used on the lower floor frame surface as an underbelly. Not only is the EC waterproof, as are the other materials used for RV underbelly skins, it's also a structural component, a strong material choice for this application.
Many pieces of interior woodwork, including the cabinet doors and drawer fronts and the trim around the slideout room, are plastic moldings instead of wood. The moldings are much lighter than wood and very durable in addition to looking classy.
This type of construction doesn't come cheap – the 299RB we toured was stickered at $37,052. That price includes almost no options, as the trailer comes with a long list of standard equipment, including the 27-inch LCD TV, custom aluminum wheels, stabilizer jacks, dark-tinted safety glass, a glass-top range, blackwater tank flush system and other features.
Its floorplan is popular with travel trailer buyers and features a forward island queen bed, aft-end bath, streetside slideout with the kitchen and sofa/bed and a large curbside U-shaped dinette.
Its 5,100-pounds mean the SatelLite can be safely towed by a wide range of half-ton-rated pickups or medium-sized SUVs, meaning many families are already set with a tow vehicle.
As designers become more familiar with the materials, the use of composites is growing among RV manufacturers. The SatelLite is a good early example of what the next generation of RVs may bring.


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Coushatta: One casino, six dining options
Among the most payable slots in Louisiana are some winning tastes. Coushatta Casino Resort has six restaurants for hungry gamers.
Follow the red carpet that winds the perimeter of the casino to discover whatever tastes you crave like spices from the sea at Gumbeaux's Oyster and Sports Bar. This adults-only eatery features all things Cajun including gumbo, crawfish, oysters and other Gulf Coast delicacies plus what's needed to wash it down and cleanse your palate – domestic beers, longnecks, delicious house margaritas and frozen daiquiris. Stop by for snacks between slot play and to catch a sporting event on one of 40 big screens.
Looking for something quick but light and perhaps a little sweet? Step inside the Terrace Café, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers food for dining in or for taking out. The café features soups, salads and sandwiches. Signature sandwiches are made with a delicious chipotle mayo that adds a tangy spice to turkey and cheese. Sandwich breads, including a scrumptious cheese bread, and pastries at the café, as well as throughout the casino restaurants, are all homemade, perfectly pleasing for sweet eaters, fresh and worth the calories.
For hearty fare just a few steps past the Terrace Café is the Café Grande, where you'll find burgers, foot-long chili dogs, chicken and dumplings and a tasty Asiago roast beef on a freshly baked Havarti cheese baguette. For a hot sandwich, try out the ham and Swiss on freshly baked rye smothered in dill mayonnaise, or a freshly made chicken salad on a soft croissant. The same satisfying sweets as found at the Terrace Cafe, only more of them, are available at the Café Grande including New York style cheesecake and raspberry Chambord cake. This is a great stop for an afternoon coffee or a 2 a.m. latte because Café Grande never closes.
Perfect for big groups and lots of mouths to feed and please is the Seven Clans Buffet, located center casino. The variety is huge including Asian, Mexican, Italian, American, Cajun and a fresh soup and salad bar. There is a dessert bar, ice cream and pastry section as well as sugar-free offerings.Feeling snacky and want food on the go? Just stop by the Corner Bar & Deli that offers nachos, hot dogs and deli burgers as well as frozen novelties and other to-go snacks.
Toward the back of the casino between smoking and non-smoking sections is one of the premier steakhouses in all of southwest Louisiana, Big Sky Steakhouse. Sit, relax and stay awhile. The ambience is comforting, the wine soothing, the bread homemade fresh and warm, and the steaks will melt in your mouth. Start your dining experience with crab cakes or sweet and spicy barbeque shrimp followed by a Caesar or house salad and choice of dressings. Then order your steak just the way you like it from rare to well-done, no matter your preference, you won't need a steak knife. Just cut a New York strip or filet mignon with your butter knife and savor the flavor. For those who prefer seafood, Big Sky is accommodating. Alaskan king crab legs are large and served with dipping butter. Ask the friendly wait staff about the chef's catch of day, but complement any meal with a side like a loaded baked potato or sweet potato. Asparagus with hollandaise sauce is scrumptious.
Of all of the fresh, homemade desserts found in the casino, Big Sky Steakhouse offers the most amazing layered chocolate cake. Between the chocolate icing and caramel-drizzled topping is vanilla custard with a touch of cherry flavor. It's a massive mound of divine goodness to share one per table.


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|Head Coach
|Fourth Season
What They're Saying About Coach Mitchell
Coach Mitchell Press Conference Photo Gallery
Mitchell is entering her fourth season with UCSB, as she is coming off a year when they Gauchos had two players make the all-conference team with Nicole Nestbit and Melissa Zornig being named honorable mentions. Under Mitchell's tutelage, point guard Onome Jemerigbe was named to the conference's all-freshman team, while finishing the year with 67 assists, the eighth-most by a Gaucho freshman.
In her second year at the helm, Mitchell again led UCSB to the postseason with a trip to the WNIT. Overall, she coached the team to a 16-17 record with an 11-7 mark in Big West play.
She also guided two Gauchos in earning all-conference accolades, as senior Sweets Underwood was named a first-teamer and junior Nicole Nesbit earned honorable mention.
During her first season leading the Gauchos, Carlene Mitchell led UC Santa Barbara on a thrilling run to its 14th Big West Tournament title, resulting in the program's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance.
For her standout leadership in her first year at the helm, Mitchell earned the distinction of being named one of three finalists for the Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year Award, which is presented by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Mitchell led the Gauchos to a 17-16 overall record during the 2011-12 campaign and an 8-8 mark in Big West Confernece play. Under her tutelage, junior Kirsten Tilleman was named the Big West Tournament's Most Valueable Player and sophomore Melissa Zornig garnered All-Tournament Team accolades.
Mitchell was hired as UC Santa Barbara's head coach on May 19, 2011 after a very successful tenure at Rutgers.
Mitchell, the fifth head coach in program history, is in her
first head coaching job.
Prior to joining UCSB, Mitchell served 10 years as an assistant coach at Rutgers, with the final three years spent as the team's associate head coach.
Under the tutelage of Hall of Famer C .Vivian Stringer, Mitchell has helped direct the Scarlet Knights to an NCAA berth in nine straight seasons and a spot in the NCAA Regional Semifinals in five of the past seven seasons. Mitchell, who served as the program's recruiting coordinator since 2004, consistently landed the top talent in the nation, including four top-15 recruiting classes and the nation's top recruiting class in 2006-07.
Prior to Rutgers, Mitchell spent the 2000-01 season as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State University. She was responsible for both preseason and off-season conditioning, coaching the guards during practices, developing a defensive game plan for each of Oklahoma State's opponents and working with the program's summer camps.
Prior to her stop in Stillwater, Mitchell coached for two seasons at Western Illinois University. While in Macomb, Ill., she helped the Westerwinds make a remarkable turnaround from a 7-19 record to an 18-11 mark the following season. Mitchell assisted in the signing of 14 student-athletes to national letters of intent. Three of those student-athletes were later named to the Mid-Continent Conference All-First Team during their respective careers.
Mitchell started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1997. Her responsibilities with the Kangaroos included implementing strength and conditioning programs, creating opponent scouting reports and organizing all team travel.
Mitchell was the starting point guard as a senior at Kansas State University during the 1995-96 season. She received a bachelor's degree in social science from the school in 1996.
Mitchell also attended Allen County (Kan.) and Trinity Valley (Texas) Community Colleges. She helped lead Trinity to the first of their five unprecedented NJCAA National Championships in 1994. Named All-Conference and selected to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team, Mitchell still holds the single season assist record (337) and assists in a game (17) mark in the Lady Cardinals record book. She will join the school's Cardinal Hall of Fame in October, a member of the Class of 2010.
A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Mitchell has been an invited guest to the Nike Villa 7 Coaches Consortium on four occasions. The consortium was developed to bring together university athletic directors and the country's elite assistant basketball coaches in an effort to prepare coaches for the next level.


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Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer seem to have a problem. A big problem. The Cubs' top two baseball wonks appear to have developed a hole where their credibility and integrity used to be.
Understand, credibility and integrity rank pretty high in a scouting report of general managers and team presidents acting as general manager. In fact, credibility and integrity might rank right behind having good players to trade to other teams, and here's why:
Other teams won't deal with you if they can't trust you to keep your word.
Given what happened with Ryan Dempster the week before the trade deadline and the week after it, Epstein and Hoyer might need to be strapped to a polygraph.
Characterizing Epstein's and Hoyer's words and actions as credibility and integrity issues is a polite way of saying they might have lied. Call it what you want, but on Sunday in Los Angeles, Hoyer changed the story the Cubs had been telling about the aborted trade with Atlanta, failed trade talks with the Dodgers, and the last-second deal with Texas.
To recap, about a week before the trade deadline, the Cubs worked out a swap with Atlanta that included highly rated Braves prospect Randall Delgado. After apparently telling the Cubs several weeks earlier he would waive his no-trade rights for Atlanta, among other teams, Dempster refused to accept the trade. In an attempt to force a trade to his desired team, the Dodgers, Dempster claimed he was "blindsided'' by the Braves deal.
During a session with the media the day after the deadline, Epstein indicated Dempster was wrong, claiming the Cubs had told Dempster at least three days earlier the trade to Los Angeles was unlikely and a deal with Atlanta was nearing.
It was also during that post-deadline session that Epstein offered the surprising revelation that he and Hoyer invited Dempster to sit in their offices in the final hours to hear the trade talks for himself.
"Once (Dempster) came to our office and actually heard the conversations we were having with L.A., he realized, 'OK, maybe that's actually not going to happen,' '' Epstein said Wednesday, adding it was "helpful to have him there so he could hear first-hand that (a trade) wasn't going to happen.''
Sounds like Dempster was in the Cubs' offices, sitting down and listening in, doesn't it?
And if it wasn't clear Wednesday, then Hoyer seconded Epstein's account Friday during an interview on "The Mully & Hanley Show'' on WSCR-AM 670. Hoyer said Dempster was brought into his office at the trade deadline for the precise purpose of letting him hear how dead the talks with the Dodgers were.
What's more, Hoyer cheerily related an anecdote about getting a call from another GM on another deal and telling Dempster to leave his office and find a TV to occupy him for the time being.
For those of your keeping score at home, Tom Ricketts' top baseball decision-makers were telling the same story to make the same point.
Then, oops. Then the Dodgers heard the story. Then the Dodgers blew up.
Over the weekend, the Dodgers let it be known they were angry over what they viewed as a serious breach of ethics in letting Dempster listen to such conversations. The Dodgers never approved of Dempster's eavesdropping. They couldn't because the Cubs never asked them.
Then, suddenly, Hoyer had a different story to tell. Or he needed to cover-up about what really happened. Hard to tell right now, but by Sunday, the man Epstein brought in as his GM was denying all of it and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti supposedly got a call to that effect.
The Cubs' position is that Epstein's remarks were "misinterpreted.'' Didn't sound like anything was "misinterpreted'' for several days, did it? Nope, the stories Epstein and Hoyer told matched up -- right up until the Dodgers got mad, exposing a major problem for Epstein and Hoyer.
Here's the thing: If you listened closely to Epstein during the post-deadline media session, you heard him attempt to defend Dempster while actually exposing the pitcher for his disingenuous ways. Reason is, Epstein needed to protect his ability to trade with the rest of major league baseball, so he made sure that he made public who the bad guy was in the aborted Atlanta trade. Right in the middle of Epstein's plan was that revelation about Dempster's listening in on trade talks. Hoyer backed up his boss.
And then suddenly, when their backsides are hanging out there in relation to working with potential trading partners in the future, Hoyer has a different story to tell. Sounds like his nose is growing.
Credibility and integrity are in the eye and ear of the beholder. But the appearance of credibility and integrity issues can be as bad as actual credibility and integrity issues. Epstein and Hoyer seem to have a problem. There's a hole where their reputations used to be.


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All You Can Eat Mussels $20 per guest
Vincent's serves fresh and plump Aquafarm Mussels.
Choose to have them one way or try them all!
Proprietors: Chef Vincent Grumel & Lisa Grumel
Chef: Henri Alain Delahay
Reserve your table now.
113 West Grand Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025
760-745-3835 - or -
Dinner Served
Tue - Sat: 5:00pm - close
Sunday & Monday
113 West Grand Avenue
Escondido, CA 92025


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5 blogger outfits to inspire your post-polar vortex style this weekend
See Gallery
In need of some outfit inspiration for the upcoming weekend?
Just in time, we've gathered the most recent street style shots from five of our StyleList contributors, and have rounded them all up right here, so you don't have to do the looking yourself.
Click through the gallery to see what tricks our contributors have up their sleeves this week!


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hi i am 11 what is a tit? is it a bird??? sorry for mispells language isnt my first english
Originally Posted by sss
You are the cancer of stickpage you fucking fuckity fuck fuck
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By the time the new update comes out DAZ would've gone through puberty. Lel
Originally Posted by WyzDM
Also Fuck EvE. That's not a matchup. That's a rock-paper-I-don't-give-a-fuck.
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Hoo fucking boy, this is wonderful. Jerry Jones, while discussing the sense of urgency and pressure of being a Dallas Cowboy, mentioned how he yearns for the glory holes of yesteryear. He's been around 23 years and seen a lot—a lot—and the past few years have left a bad taste in his mouth. Time to get back to the glory. Jerry Jones wants him some glory hole, needs him some glory hole.
Please listen here for Jerry's outburst and, even funnier, his PR guy's attempt to clean up the mess.
[The Dallas Cowboys Show]


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As John Huston tells Jack Nicholson in Chinatown: "Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough." Aging jazz survivors should be added to that list. And, as if to prove it, this collection from the Artist formerly known as Mac Rebennack, collecting the highlights from his four-album Parlophone tenure between 1998's Anutha Zone and 2004's N'Awlinz – Dis, Dat Or D'Udda, is packed with a surfeit of celebrity guest stars paying homage at the feet of an old master, from Gaz Coombes and Mick Quinn (Supergrass) and J. Spaceman (Spiritualized) to BB King, Mavis Staples and Paul Weller, either trying to snag a flicker of reflected glory, or scoring a couple of credibility points. He's survived drink, drugs and numerous shootings, so it's going to take a lot more than an overabundance of musical guests crowding the place to finish him off.
As with most Best of compilations, this is a patchy collection. The set starts strong, with the Good Doctor's filthy voice in fine form, growling with a tone scorched by cheap liquor, and vocal chords pummelled from years of gargling with gravel. I Like Ki Yoka, Voices in My Head and Marie Laveau are drenched in his inimitably sleazy blend of voodoo blues and jazz, and It Don't Mean A Thing is a worthy cover of Duke Ellington's jazz standard.
Soon after, the set goes awry with the horrific smug jauntiness of Randy Newman guesting on I Ate Up the Apple Tree, a track so irritatingly twee the CD was in danger of being removed from the player and frisbeed out of the window.
The album then seems to jarringly shift styles with the Dixieland sound of Lay My Burden Down and the loping gospel Hammond jazz on I Don't Wanna Know: two dazzlingly solid slabs of New Orleans jazz. Sadly, we also get lumbered with Food For Thot, a chunk of insubstantial jazz cheese that may impress the rubes and tourists on Bourbon Street, but is woefully inadequate on an album by a musician of his undoubted abilities.
The main problem is that about a third of the tracks are a bit too old fashioned. Yes, its retro and slick and old school, but there is a depressing air of "been there, done that", whilst classic albums like his 1973 set In The Right Place still sounds raw, fresh and damn funky almost thirty years on. Nevertheless, there are enough flashes of brilliance here to show there is more than enough life in the ol' Night Tripper yet.


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Just a Cup of Coffee…the true love story of Princess Rosebud and her tugboat man.
(This might take a while, grab your hankies, it could have been broken up into three parts, but I didn't want to prolong the happy ending.)
Fast forward to a year later, the following September 1991.
Yes, I kept my promise; no dates and no mistakes. There was the excruciating lure of nubile and suntanned young surfers but I stood firm in my resolve in spite of the half naked, salty-skinned–oh crap. Living in Southern California is sooo like opening up a fresh box of candy. It wasn't fair, but a deal's a deal.
If only I could have had just a teensy-weensy bite here, a bite there–oh, SO yummy–that one has a caramel center, or that other one's coconut-filled, or a tart juicy cherry embraced by dark chocolate, or full of Baileys Irish Cream—er–you get what I'm sayin'? I'll just bet you do. On my towel, surveying the beach, I wanted to take a little bite out of each one, so to speak.
But….I had to go cold turkey and avoid them all. Not one lick, not one taste.
I had a goal, I had a vision; I had my list–clenched tightly in my hand–WILLPOWER–it's all about the willpower.
Here's where serendipity might have had a hand in the convergence of our lifepaths.
In the beginning, I THOUGHT I first laid eyes on the captain when I was hired for the marketing department of a local cruise line.
Aside…because the whole idea of me and boats is a joke. I'm not what you'd consider sea-worthy. I'd only been on a couple of boats previously and became violently seasick on both of those trips.
OK, now read this – could it be the hand of fate that brought us together? Was our eventual connection forged a decade before ?
Was it luck or serendipity?
On a romantic evening In front of the fire with a couple snifters of Courvoisier, my tugboat man and I concluded that our paths did cross, not in a prior life, but…
In the 1980s he captained a charter vessel in our local harbor–tours of the bay, dinner cruises; that kind of thing.
In between going out to sea for four to six months, he'd come back to SoCal for a break and to surf-and worked locally.
Around that same time, my mom and I took my then five-year-old son on his first boat ride, a tour of San Diego Bay.
At that time, there was really only one boat company that offered daily excursions.
It wasn't until we had been married for probably ten years or so– looking through an old photo album–when he saw a pic of my mom and me on "his" boat — that the subject came up.
(That's part of me and the Coronado Bridge. Obviously, my mom couldn't take a decent pic.)
Since there were only two captains, and the time of day we were there was during his (remembered) shift, it's highly possible that we spoke–or made eye contact. As captain, he always greets and counts the passengers while he collects boarding passes; especially because we had a child with us. Always concerned with safety, my captain.
Our ships DID, most likely, PASS in the night (day).
What would have happened if we had talked? I was married with a little boy–the timing was absolutely not right.
Did we each hold on to a momentary glance or imprint on our subconscious so that our path to romance was pre-determined?
Why did I become employed at a cruise line when I don't even like boats?
I still have no idea.
That we met in 1991 and felt an instant connection might be interpreted as luck or serendipity.
Which do you think it is?
Back to the story: Was it merely coincidence–meaninglessly simultaneous occurance–or synchronicity? We agree that it was meant to be. We're two peas in a pod, me and him.
We mirror each other.
One of my first marketing duties was to attend a downtown trade show. I vividly recall my ensemble–and before you get all judge-y and everything, let's take the year into consideration–1991–please be kind.
You know you looked exactly the same.
You KNOW you did.
I wore a short split skirt (dare I say skort) of silky polyester-type material (I know, I know) imprinted with brightly colored parrots (cringe), a turquoise blazer, and four-inch-high red heels. Oh, and they were LARGE parrots. I'm five-feet-tall with very curly dark brown hair. You can imagine the style when I tell you it added five inches to my height. Nuff said–stop laughing, I have nothing to apologize for; it was the decade of big hair.
The owner of the company walked by our booth and introduced me to his senior captain. I played it cool; I'm good at that–just a quick handshake and then I turned my attention to the marketing materials like I was very, very busy.
I only allowed myself a passing glance his way, committed as I was to making a good impression on my boss. Plus, I was fully dedicated to my promise to celibacy and just because he was ADORABLE was no excuse to give in to temptation. Not even with those green-gray eyes. Not even.
Since I was on a "man diet, I transformed him (in my mind) into a rich chocolaty truffle and successfully used my powers to resist–at least on that particular day. During the next few weeks, our paths crossed many times; at the office with brief hellos in the hallway, and with overt scrutiny during cruises when I accompanied some of the charters. (When I wasn't stuck with my head in the toilet. I told you the truth, I'm not a natural seawoman.)
As much as I tried to deny it–I can't lie–there were those familiar little tingles, goose bumps even, delicious frissons of attraction. On one hand I was fighting it with all I had, yet on the other hand I spent more time in the office than I really needed to. A little extra makeup, perfume, a few new outfits–you know how it is. OK OK, I admit it! A smile from him did something to my insides, that fluttery butterfly sensation I willed myself to ignore.
I carried The List in my handbag and referred to it in moments of weakness, and for a while I was able to avoid temptation.
Here comes the good part, y'all.
In mid-November, I met with a client at one of the boats to plan a large corporate event. As we walked up the gangway, I discovered the captain was on board in the wheelhouse. I had no idea he would be there, and resolved to ignore him, except that everyone always wants to meet a captain, (too much Love Boat) so I was forced to be polite and make the introductions.
Here's where it all went wrong-or right-depending on your point of view.
After my meeting ended, I did not immediately leave. I stalled, meandering around the small area of shops located near the harbor. I was so mad at ME; I tried to talk myself into leaving by going over The List and telling myself that I should be writing up the event details.
Just GO, I said to myself! But guess who didn't listen? I found myself furtively looking around to see if the captain was still there. Since the whole chocolate visualization thing didn't seem to be working anymore, I turned him into as a gooey, cheesy, spicy pizza and I used all my willpower to stand firm–to stay focused–recounting all the reasons why that delicious piece of heaven is not worth the calories.
I swear to you, I had every good intention of leaving and driving to the corporate office, I really did, but cosmic forces had grabbed hold of my good sense.
I was powerless. The hand of fate had me in her grip–and that chicka had been working out with the heavy weights.
Finally, I could find no further excuse to drag my feet and delay the inevitable departure.
I very reluctantly and slowly walked to my car, parked in front of a coffee shop, and as if by magic, the captain appeared.
I was trying to act all cool and nonchalant in spite of the fact that my heart was racing.
"Where are you going? Why didn't you say goodbye? "What's up?" "How about buying a co-worker a cup of coffee?"
I demurred, saying I had to go, I had another appointment (not true); uh, I don't buy guys coffee, and he kept badgering me,
"C'mon, don't be stuck up, don't you have fifty cents for a cup of coffee?"
(That was before six-dollar lattes and Starbucks on every corner.)
"You don't want me to think you're a snob, do you?"
That did it.
Of course you understand why I wouldn't want him to think any of those things, right? RIGHT? It was a matter of pride; once he turned on his charm, I was hooked. I unearthed a few quarters from the bottom of my handbag.
Yes, I bought the coffee. It's something I can't believe myself.
My other credo had always been, "Princesses don't pay. Men pay." But buy the coffee I did.
Honestly, I was borderline pathetic. Not even borderline. I was hanging on to the cliff with my fingertips.
It's like sparks were flying off his body. I made every excuse in the book to lean over and oops, accidentally brush his arm and cop a sniff. He smelled heavenly.
It's that damn pheromone thing. I was–still am-hopelessly–magically attracted. He's irresistible. And he knows it.
We took our coffee outside and sat at a cement patio table. It was one of those perfect SoCal November days–balmy even. For a few moments we said nothing as we sipped from our coffee and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Red lights flashed on and off in my head.
Less than a foot away from me he straddled the half-moon shaped concrete bench. His thighs were encased in soft worn jeans and my thoughts were heading into hazardous waters.
His hair was wet and looked like he just had showered.
"What are you doing here? Did you know I was going to be here?"
"No, I didn't, I had to update the logs, and I surfed a bit earlier."
Ah, that's where the wet hair came from.
"So…you're a surfer?"
That is most definitely NOT on my list.
"I like to think I am."
Scintillating conversation, huh? I thought that was a bit arrogant, a bit–AHEM–cocky.
Later I learned that he had spent much of his youth in Kauai and he really was/is a great surfer, but I didn't know much about him — only what I was feeling.
As the conversation unfolded and we chatted–he told me where he lived and where he had gone to college, and–those thighs, oh wait–no, not that–of course I meant what kind of music he liked and that he loves animals–I found myself listening to his voice but not hearing the words.
This is where it gets weird.
And pinky-swear, it's all true, it all happened exactly like this. It was REAL.
He looked at me and smiled.
I felt lit from within.
My heart melted. (Even now, his smiles affect me the same way.)
I sighed. He sighed. I sighed again.
That was IT.
Everything became quiet and a calm-before-the-storm sensation enveloped me. I placed my hands on the bench because I was suddenly lightheaded–I needed support because I felt like the ground beneath shifted; waves that triggered that falling phenomenon just before you completely succumb to sleep–like a hypnagogic myoclonic twitch.
Faintly, I sensed the planets tumble into position, the click… click… click… of stars aligning in the heavens; the sun, moon, Venus, and Mars at that moment were singing in the universe.
Did we just have an earthquake? I jumped off the bench like it was on fire. I ran to my car, unable to deal with the intensity of the moment. He was right behind me. He was so annoying!
"Where ya goin'? We should go out sometime."
I was having a hard time breathing and fumbled with my keys as I unlocked the car. I leaned against the door for support and turned to him,
"When? Tonight?"
In case you haven't noticed, I'm not known for being subtle.
"I have to work a charter later, I'll give you a call."
And with that, I drove off.
Of course, I never went back to work. Who could blame me?
I raced home and power-called all my girlfriends.
I was in panic mode.
I reported every detail to one friend after another. I needed advice, I needed explanations. I needed to be talked down. But no one had experienced anything comparable. No one knew what to do.
I was on this voyage alone; no rules to follow. I was in uncharted waters.
That evening I did what we are warned not to do, what mothers counsel daughters against.
I was nervous and jumping out of my skin, but also determined to be 100% honest (also on my list). How else would I know if he was "the one"? I called and left a message on his voicemail. Remember way back when we used voicemail?
"Hi, can you give me a call when you hear this message? There's something I need to ask you."
He called a couple hours later. I was on my bed, reading a magazine, pretending I was not waiting for the call…dreading the call.
"Hi there, it's me. I got your message, but I was planning to call you anyway. What's up?"
I took a deep breath and decided it was now or never–I needed to go for it…take that chance. DO it.
"Uhh, I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened at the harbor…I never felt anything like that EVER, and I think… I think…"
I took a deep breath and the words tumbled out,
"I mean, I really need to know."
[Pause] [More pause]
Oh boy. In that single, painful, heartstopping moment I wished I could hit delete and erase the last five minutes.
Palms sweaty, heart pounding, OMG, I am a total f-ing idiot–what have I just said–I'm insane, he'll think I'm a freak or I'm exhibiting psycho pre-stalker tendencies–and then, finally, it seemed like hours of silence had gone by–I was gonna hang up and hide under my bed if he didn't say something–he said,
"Umm, no, it's not just you. I'm feeling the same exact way. Something happened to me today too, and I can't explain it either. How about us going on a real date and let's talk about it?"
I released the breath I hadn't been aware I was still holding. That last planet locked into position.
I discovered my soul mate, my tugboat man.
There's lots more to this story; some twists and turns and ups and downs, but the thread that ties it all together is how we found each other and fell in love.
Today: I wait for him to come home. And wait. And wait. And remind myself, "Don't count the miles, count the I-love-yous"
Christina Perri, "Miles"


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Broadway's 'Aladdin' Cast Honors Robin Williams With Performance of 'Friend Like Me' [VIDEO]by Maggie Malach | PopCrush
The world is still reeling from the loss of Robin Williams and the star's peers are continuing to honor his life. The latest tribute was from the cast of Broadway's 'Aladdin,' who included Tuesday's (Aug. 12) audience in their gesture.
Following that night's performance of 'Aladdin,' James Iglehart — who won a Tony for his role as the Genie — spoke directly to the audience.
"Yesterday we lost one of the greatest — not comedians — but entertainers of all time, " Iglehart said, adding, "So we're only going to do this once because we don't want to drag something on because first and foremost, we want to give our hearts and our prayers and our thoughts to his family because he's a husband and a father first, entertainer second."
The actor, backed by the rest of the 'Aladdin' cast, led the audience in a sing-along to 'Friend Like Me,' Williams' standout song from the 1992 animated movie. Both movie fans and Disney fans recognize the comedian for his inimitable role as the Genie in the film.
You can watch the 'Aladdin' cast's tribute above and relive Robin Williams' incredible performance of 'Friend Like Me' in the video below.


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Battered Men: The Painful Truth
Domestic abuse is a "human" problem. And battered men, like battered women, need help.
Facing Up to the Problem
Unfortunately, awareness of the problem of abused men has been slow to come.
R.L. McNeely, PhD, professor of social welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, attributes that, in part, to society's long-standing belief that men are typically stronger than women. How could big, strong men possibly be injured by "the weaker sex"? Armin Brott, in a Washington Post story, noted that even police officers often discount men's claims of abuse, assuming the men are exaggerating their injuries or that the woman involved was merely trying to defend herself.
Escalating Violence
Those who view female-on-male violence as a ridiculous are overlooking one fact: the abuse becomes worse the longer it goes on. While some injuries are minor (like cuts and bruises), other injuries are major and long-lasting, like knife wounds and broken bones. Weapons give an equalizing effect, making women equally capable of seriously assaulting their partners.
The similarities between the sexes do not end there.
According to Dr. McNeely, women lash out for the same reasons men do. He says the four main reasons for inflicting violence are:
- As a response to something that was said or threatened
- To get a partner to do something
- To stop a partner from doing something
- As a method by which one partner gets the attention of the other
In addition, battered men, like battered women, are likely to stay in an abusive relationship for the sake of the children in the household. "A high percentage of men who suffer abuse are trying to protect their children against abuse," Dr. McNeely notes. "And if they seek a divorce, they risk losing the children."
Finding Help and Hope
Gender similarities end, though, when it comes to getting help. While awareness is growing, the lack of public concern for battered men means that fewer social agencies exist to help them. And the stigma of being an abused man means that very few victims are going to step into the spotlight to demand support services. But, men need to realize that the longer they remain in the abusive relationship, the more harm they will do to themselves both physically and emotionally—low self-esteem, ]]>depression]]>, even suicidal thinking can all result from being abused.
The Internet offers one avenue for help. Websites and chat rooms have made it possible for victims, counselors, researchers, and others to connect in a shame-free environment. Some victims use the Internet as a community, a place where they can share their feelings with other abused men and discover they are not alone.
Support also comes from organizations that serve battered women and men. The Domestic Abuse Helpline is one example. This non-profit group has a hotline, referrals to counseling and support groups, educational services, and emergency shelters. Although, support groups and shelters for male victims are hard to find compared to resources offered to women. In some cases, private counseling may be the best option for men.
And while men may be abused by their female partner, the risk of battering for men in same sex relationships also exists. If you are in an abusive relationship, you are not alone. There is help available.
Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women
Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE)
Canadian Mental Health Association
Canadian Psychiatric Association
About domestic violence against men. Oregon Counseling website. Available at: http://www.oregoncounseling.org/Handouts/DomesticViolenceMen.htm . Updated May 2007. Accessed August 12, 2008.
Abuse in America. National Domestic Abuse Helpline website. Available at: http://www.ndvh.org/educate/abuse_in_america.html . Accessed August 12, 2008.
Our services. Domestic Abuse Helpline website. Available at: http://www.dahmw.info/Services.html . Accessed August 12, 2008.
Understanding intimate partner violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/ipv_factsheet.pdf . Published 2006. Accessed August 12, 2008.
Last reviewed June 2010 by ]]>Brian Randall, MD]]>
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2007 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.


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Fall in love with The Cove, a highly anticipated master-plan community in Sacramento, CA featuring four neighborhood series, and resort style amenities within a prime location minutes from downtown.
Beazer Homes has been building homes across the United States for more than 35 years, but our history started way before that-in the 1600s with an English builder named George Beazer. Nine generations later, the Beazer family and name continue to stand for quality homebuilding, craftsmanship and innovation. We provide a better homebuying experience from the ground up. Experience the Beazer Difference with our Mortgage Choices, Energy Efficiency and Choice Plans.
Beazer makes buying your new home easy with a simple 5-step process that has put thousands of happy homeowners straight into the home they've been searching for. To find your new home, our agents will work with you to find the ideal location at one of our beautiful Beazer communities in markets across the country. Beazer will then connect you with our network of preferred lenders, allowing you to choose the mortgage plan that's right for you. To personalize your new home, our Beazer Design Studio provides hundreds of options from the best manufacturers in the business to put your own spin on your new space. During construction you'll stay in contact with your Beazer New Home Counselor throughout the building process to make sure there are no unexpected surprises. Our service and support doesn't end when we hand you the keys. Beazer provides a 12-Month Limited Home Warranty to give you peace of mind as you settle in, and extended coverage for up to ten years in certain states.
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Have you been to this community? If so, help other home shoppers and leave a review for The Cove.


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Cyclocross season is so close, you can almost smell it. What does 'cross smell like? Mud, wet leaves, with a hint of pain. Bottle it and market to the masses. Order now, operators are standing by.
A few months back, we picked up a used 'cross bike for Ian. We figured over the summer, some road rides and a little dirt action to get used to it, the 'cross rig being very different from his mountain bike. As with the best laid plans of mice and men - especially busy men who really dig mountain biking - the plan went awry. Spiffy little 'cross bike was barely ridden.
Over the last few days, we've initiated the official "You better get used to 'cross bike quick" plan, to ramp up the familiarity. We've hit the local school yard to practice cornering on grass with 700c tires and discover how bumpy things are without a suspension fork. Ian looks good on the bike, no problem at all. I explained once again how drop 'bars offer multiple hand positions. He's the most comfortable in the drops. Ah, to have a 12 year old spine once again...
Ian is looking forward to the 'cross season. His previous two seasons were racing unattached on a mountain bike. This season; teammates, full team kit and real 'cross bike. Should be a fun experience. Stay tuned. Same blog time. Same blog channel.
Some yard practice under the belt. Ian prefers to dismount/remount on the right side. Whatever works. Also first season racing with clipless pedals. He's a clipless pro now, after a few months of mountain biking with 'em.
Some yard practice under the belt. Ian prefers to dismount/remount on the right side. Whatever works. Also first season racing with clipless pedals. He's a clipless pro now, after a few months of mountain biking with 'em.
DIY practice barriers courtesy of this article, just finished 'em tonight. Under $20 and about 15 minutes of work. Ian gives 'em a quick test. Basketball shorts not recommended for 'cross. Baggy shorts/saddle interface equals wacky dismount action. Give it a try. You won't thank me.
Project Hakkalugi is progressing, with Pile-O-Parts ordered online and arriving daily. Only thing left to arrive is the rear derailleur, ETA tomorrow. We can rebuild it, we have the technology. I'll then have my commuter/cyclocross weapon (ha!) rolling again. Little voice inside is also suggesting racing 'cross myself. I'm trying to shut it up. It won't listen.
With that, now time for the injured and battered - courtesy of riding with me - report...
Daughter Amy's broken arm, now sporting a bright pink cast, is doing okay. Cast now covered with signatures from well wishers. As you may recall, broke her arm with slow speed tip over, during a family ride. Wacky. Playing Wii appears to not be a problem.
Additional fun fact: Amy's orthopedic doctor is a bike racer. I think we're in good hands.
Ian's schoolmate and basketball teammate, Austin, who broke his wrist a few weeks ago - yes, riding with me - sports a purple cast. His scheduled to be removed soon. Said he'd like to ride with us again, didn't scare him off. Whew, glad to hear that.
Additional fun fact: Austin's dad is Ian's basketball coach. Hope we're not on the, you-know-what, list...
Both kids reported to school today with casts and stories of how I tried to kill 'em with bikes. Who will be the next victim? Heh, heh. Lucky for me, I also ride with the Principle, so no one is safe (insert maniacal laugh here)....
All joking aside, I feel bad both of 'em were hurt riding with me. A rare chain of events. Hopefully, many future years of nothing but bumps and bruises - the usual routine. Both kids wish to ride again. A bit down the road - memories of xrays and casts long gone - replaced by two wheeled grins and fun times. Maybe they'll even race 'cross one day.
With that, another blog post pushed out the Internet. Why do I keep doing this? I don't know. I like it. Thanks for reading.


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In an unassuming spot on South Third Street in Jax Beach sits Eva's Grill & Bar. Home to several restaurants over the years, the building's interior feels dated and plain, but small windows lend a few rays of natural sunlight. It's spacious and kid-friendly, and would work well for larger parties.
Owner Chris Wright, along with his father William, opened Eva's in early 2012. Many of the recipes are passed down from Chris' mother, Eva. (He also has a daughter named Eva.) The menu includes Greek, Italian and Cajun dishes, but Eva's is traditional in its approach, not a fusion of cuisines or flavors. Everything is homemade-style, except the hamburger buns and soda rolls.
My items were plated nicely, and I noticed the portions are quite generous and prices are fair. I see many take-out boxes in my future.
I started with an Italian panzanella salad: a bountiful plate of arugula, mixed greens, tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, red onion and herbed croutons, tossed with a flavorful housemade white balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was fresh and the flavors blended nicely.
Several small plates are available, including a Greek meze platter with spinach and feta pastries (spanakopita), fresh mint and feta pastries (tiropita), Greek salad and stuffed grape leaves (dolmades). The table next to ours had one, and my stomach growled with envy.
Feeling adventurous, I tried the beef short rib lasagna. Warm gooey mozzarella generously covered a tower of alternating lasagna noodles, ricotta, spinach, fontina and braised beef, surrounded by a mote of homemade marina sauce. I expected the dish to be heavy, but it wasn't. The sauce had a lot of flavor. I'm eager to try the calzones and pizzas next time.
Wanting to sample each culture represented on the menu, I ordered the cochon de lait, a French-sounding term with Cajun roots. The slow-roasted, seasoned pork was accompanied by buttery housemade mashed potatoes, garlic sautéed spinach and a sea of au jus. The pork was tender, moist and packed with flavor. Again, a huge portion — lunch for me the next day.
Loosening my belt a bit, we rounded out the meal with a dessert platter featuring Italian and Greek items: tiramisu, baklava and chocolate chip cannoli. The cannoli, with its crunchy shell and creamy smooth filling, was the standout; the other two weren't memorable.
Word on the street is that Eva's one-third-pound burger, crafted with a proprietary blend of brisket, sirloin and chuck, then topped with a remoulade dressing, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle, is a favorite among regulars.
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, Eva's offers a happy hour 3-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with two-for-one draft beer, house wine or well liquors. Come thirsty and hungry.


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So beautiful earrings! You'll want to wear them every day.
Very fashionable with this pink icy crackled ceramic porcelain heart cabochon.
These stud metal earrings are extremely easy to wear. I've assembled with pure titanium post earrings. Titanium is 100% hypoallergenic and will not produce skin irritation or discoloration. Pure titanium earnuts included.
Ceramic cabochon 16mm (5/8").
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Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
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It seems that the new Samsung 3D LCD monitors and 3D Monitors/HTVS from the series 750 and 950 will not be 3D Vision ready based on information coming from Nvidia, furthermore these will also not be supported with the 3DTV Play software as they are not generally considered as 3D HDTVs, but 3D monitors. So if you are wondering what middleware will these new SA/TA750 and SA/TA950 3D monitors from Samsung be using to make your PC games in stereo 3D mode, it will be DDD's TriDef 3D software as it was announced earlier this month by DDD. Samsung has long been a DDD partner in regards to 3D technology, although they were the first on the market with a 120Hz 3D-capable LCD PC monitor for the launch of Nvidia's 3D Vision technology. Why they've decided not to support 3D Vision anymore is not clear, but most likely because they want to sell more of their active shutter glasses and not use Nvidia's.
Samsung's 23-inch S23A750 and 27-inch S27A750 3D monitors will feature D-sub, HDMI 1.4 and Displayport connectivity, while the 23-inch S23A950 and the 27-inch S27A950 are the 3D monitors that will have D-sub, HDMI 1.4, Displayport and Dual-Link DVI connectivity. All of these models are with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution, 2 ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio and use TN panels with LED backlight.
Samsung's 23-inch T23A750, 27-inch T27A750, 23-inch T23A950 and 27-inch T27A950 are the 3D monitor/HDTV combination that features HDMI 1.4 connectivity as well as Component and Composite video inputs, these of course do come with a TV tuner built in. All of these models are with Full HD 1920×1080 resolution, 5 ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio and use TN panels with LED backlight.
These new monitors will support PC gaming in stereo 3D through the TriDef 3D software and it should be equally compatible with both Nvidia and ATI/AMD-based GPUs (although DDD talks only about AMD and Intel 2nd Gen Core processors graphics), they should also work with 3D-capable consumer electronic devices such as the PS3 that output 3D according to the HDMI 1.4 3D specs. You also get 2D to 3D real-time conversion built-in for different input should you need and want to use that autoconversion function due to lack of stereo 3D content to watch.


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Project update, October 2012
- To date, a net total of approximately 406,676 trees have been traded, with a total of 333,023 recorded as already planted in an area of over 300 hectares at the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation project.
- Tree planting is at a density of approximtely 1000 trees per hectare, but in riverine and valley bottom habitats, the density of trees can increase to 2000 trees per hectare.
- The project provides many different job opportunities. 24 fulltime jobs were created in the 3rd phase (2011-2012 financial year) of the project, 10 part time jobs, 58 temporary jobs and 638 treepreneurs.
- Treepreneurs are local community members who trade their home-grown tree seedlings for credit notes, which can later be exchanged for food, building materials, bicycles, basic household goods, or used to pay school fees or driving lessons. In addition to direct employment, the treepreneurs are encouraged to diversify their plant growing skills to include fruits and vegetables for their own use or for selling in the local markets.
- Read a case study on the project here (857 kB).
Project Background
published: 31.1.2012
Location: Africa, South Africa, eThekwini Municipality
Date project established: November 2008
In being selected as one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the eThekwini Municipality (city of Durban) established a target to host the event in a "climate neutral" manner. This meant that the total unavoidable carbon footprint of hosting the event in Durban (declared as 307,208 tCO2 eq), needed to be offset. The municipality has committed to mitigating a portion of this carbon footprint through a series of local natural habitat restoration projects that not only achieve this climate mitigation aim, but also increased climate adaptation capacity within ecosystems and communities. In this regard a "reforestation" project has been established within the buffer area of the municipality's Buffelsdraai Regional Landfill Site, north of Durban, to create a natural carbon sink. The project was initiated in November 2008 in the 757 hectare municipal-owned buffer area around the landfill site. All land that is being reforested as part of this initiative is either farmland with limited productive capacity, or areas on which invasive alien plants have become established.
The rationale for selecting reforestation as a mitigation tool is linked to the priority placed on adaptation by the eThekwini Municipality. Even mitigation interventions must be seen to have adaptation advantages. Natural habitat restoration projects have the advantage of not only achieving climate mitigation aims, but also increasing climate adaptation capacity within ecosystems and communities. Ecosystem-based-adaptation is seen as one of the most strategic, resilient and cost-effective adaptation mechanisms available to African cities such as Durban. The investment in ecosystem restoration is effectively an investment in enhancing not only the supply of "carbon sequestration" as a single ecosystem service, but in increasing the supply of a large number of other ecosystem services (e.g. flood attenuation, sediment regulation, biodiversity refuge conservation, river flow regulation). This assists significantly in enhancing the resilience and adaptation capacity of the river catchment ecosystem and the communities that depend on the natural resources that it supplies.
The Municipality approached an NGO, the Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT), to implement the Reforestation Project through the WCT's well-established Indigenous Trees for Life Programme (ITFL). The ITFL programme assists unemployed people (many of whom are women and children) who are subsequently known as "Tree-preneurs", to set up small-scale indigenous tree nurseries at their homes. The tree seedlings that they grow are exchanged for credit notes, which can be used to obtain food, basic goods and school fees at regular "Tree Stores" held in each of the participating communities.
The project has also demonstrated the strong and vital link that exists between natural ecosystems and the human communities they support and protect, and between the human communities that support, restore and protect local ecosystems. In this regard the concept of Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation (CEBA) has been developed, and is seen as an important and necessary extension of the existing "Ecosystem Based Adaptation" concept.
Mitigation and/or Adaptation
41% of total reforestable area (215 hectares of 520 hectares) has already been planted. Once the tree planting activities are complete, the area will be maintained until forest canopy is established (approximately 5 – 7 years) and then the forest managed over the long-term. The intention is also to obtain formal protected area status for the project area once the forest has been established.
The project activity is conservatively estimated to reduce the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases by 45,007 tCO2e over 20 years.
In terms of the adaptation advantages, these are technically more difficult to measure but monitoring systems are in place to measure the change in ecosystem functioning (using biodiversity indicators for ecosystem health) and additional measuring systems are being established to determine the change in key ecosystem services (sediment flows, river flow regulation etc).
The calculation of net reduction in GHG emissions is based on two datasets. The baseline scenario is based on data from the South Africa Sugar Research Institute and the current land user, Tongaat-Hulett. The sugarcane industry in South Africa is highly commercialised and controlled and the emissions data is based on a long term data set that gets updated annually.
The estimated future increase in biomass carbon stocks due to the additional project activity was based on a field assessment of biomass carbon stocks of the entire municipal area undertaken by Glenday (2007)* and is assumed to provide an adequate estimate of the carbon sequestration potential of the project site. In addition the site was visited by an expert in the field to determine its sequestration potential. The above ground woody biomass will be monitored annually using similar methods to Glenday (2007). Due to the small scale of the project there is no need for remote sensing.
Social Benefits
The project has engaged 583 local community members in the surrounding Osindisweni, Buffelsdraai, Ndwedwe and KwaMashu communities as Tree-preneurs, who grow the trees for the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project at their homesteads. Since inception, the project has created 23 fulltime jobs, 10 part time jobs, and 639 temporary work opportunities for previously unemployed members of the surrounding communities as community facilitators and members of the nursery, planting and ecosystem management teams. A recent social impact assessment has found that in the first 2 years of implementation the project has had the following positive impacts on these communities:
- Improved schooling for children
- Additional disposable income to cover additional needs (i.e. transport).
- The level of access to adequate food supply for consumption by project participants in two of the project communities has increased by 40%.
The intention is that once the large scale planting is complete that local community members will become involved in the management of the forest through enterprise development initiatives that create co-ops that can undertake fire control, alien species control, trail development and the initiation of ecotourism interventions.
Three focus groups were conducted in each of the three assessed communities. Each group was formed by a minimum of 15 programme participants or Tree-preneurs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with minor programme participants to put a special focus on their perceived value of the programme. A representative of the Department of Solid Waste was interviewed as well as two ward counsellors (KwaMashu and Buffelsdraai).
Potential for Scaling-up and replication of project
This project is an initiative of the eThekwini Municipality, which provides the majority of project funding. It is, however implemented in partnership with a NGO, the Wildlands Conservation Trust, who has provided the implementation model. Local communities are considered an integral part of the process and individuals are empowered through job creation and skills development. This process links closely to the national Green Economy objectives.
The initial phases of the project were supported by a grant from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). The Wildlands Conservation Trust is supported by a number of companies who provide additional funding and project support. This corporate funding, from Unilever and Bonitas in particular, catalysed the development of Indigenous Trees for Life project nodes in Durban, which made it possible to implement the project in its current form.
Following the success of the initial project phases, the municipality has successfully motivated for the continued funding from internal sources to expand the project to include the full reforestable area.
Since initiating the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project, the eThekwini Municipality has established a similar community reforestation project at Inanda Mountain (west of Durban) where local communities are being assisted to reforest a 250 hectare area of former coastal scarp forest which has been degraded due to uncontrolled fire and high levels of natural resource harvesting. The municipality is also initiating the "Durban Community-Ecosystem Based Adaptation" (Durban CEBA) initiative in the Umbilo River Catchment, which will form the core of the municipality's investment into mitigating the climate and ecological impacts of the COP17-CMP7 event in Durban, 2011.


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We take our Corporate Social Responsibilities very seriously and we like to help charities all over the world. The latest presentation we made was to the Indreni Children's Home in Kathmandu.
Many of the children in the home come from extremely impoverished backgrounds. The poverty and tough family situations in Nepal force many children to leave their homes and head towards city areas in search of better lives but they are forced to be beggars, street children, child labourers or criminals at an early age.
All funds raised by Indreni go directly to the work of improving the lives of the children in Kathmandu and providing them with a long-term future through education and support programmes.
The Indreni Children's Home currently cares for 30 children who all now benefit from nutritious food, healthcare, education, music and play.
Speaking at the presentation of the cheque, founder and director of the charity, Keith Molony said: "We'd like to sincerely thank taxback.com. Taxback.com's commitment to helping the displaced and impoverished children in Kathmandu through Indreni helps guarantee a brighter future and chance at a better life for all the children under our care.
"With the support of donors like Taxback.com Indreni is making a real difference to the lives of these children. The immediate use of Taxback.com's funding will be to put a portion of it to purchasing books and building a library in the children's home. The main part of the donation will go to funding the purchase of land so we can build a school."
We are delighted to have been able to help Indreni and thank the children for the lovely thank you card they made for us!
If you'd like to enquire about our CSR programme, email email@example.com


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American basketball players have been branded as arrogant, hot-dogging individuals masquerading as a team.
You've heard of LeBron James' "absolutely" answer to whether they will win gold. There have been similar proclamations from Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.
It's interesting that they're so confident seeing as though they were part of the 2004 National Team that rode USA Basketball's name through the mud.
Arrogance? I smell it. But I guess bad habits are hard to break.
But what of Team USA's coaches? Are they as arrogant as their players seem to be?
On the eve of the much-anticipated USA-Greece Olympic basketball game, I've found this excerpt from a Chris Sheridan article to be very telling:
"Interestingly, Krzyzewski said the Americans' game plan going in will not include much use of a traditional 2-3 zone unless the man-to-man defense proves ineffective. That's particularly intriguing given Greece's difficulty scoring against a traditional zone, something the American coaching staff noticed as it was on hand to scout Tuesday's Greece-Germany game.
" 'If I tell my guys we're going to play a certain amount of zone, it's almost like saying our man-to-man is not good defense. Just psychologically,' Krzyzewski said Wednesday in discussing his tactical scheme with ESPN.com.
But if they're no good against the zone, shouldn't you play zone?
'Well, no,' Coach K said. 'They may not be good against our man, and over the years, the championship teams I've had have made teams adjust to them. And if you're constantly adjusting to who you play, then you've got to be careful you never know who you are. But again, zone is part of our repertoire, and I'm not saying we're not going to use it, I'm just saying I don't know how many minutes we'll use it.' "
"It's almost like… our man-to-man defense is not [good enough]?" Are you kidding me? Clearly, it isn't. Clearly.
For an example, please see the first two Olympic games featuring the American team. Full-court to 3/4-court pressure masqueraded as their supposed tough man-to-man defense. When they got into the half-court, their defense was putrid. A couple nice, highlight reel weak-side blocks can't erase actual sloppy defense.
Coach K is learning that coaching a group of high-powered NBA professionals has a lot of "ego and chemistry management" in the job description. But is it worth it to be stubborn about applying a principle that is clearly effective against the Grecian National Team?
Does Coach K think that he's Dorian Gray? Where's your portrait at, man?
Playing a 2-3 is not the equivalent of selling out the American dream. Uncle Sam's not going to swing out of the rafters and choke you with Old Glory, Coach K.
And regarding the "if you're constantly adjusting to who you play, you never know who you are" gem, I think it's easy for the coach of a top flight NCAA program to say that. Year after year, his teams are injected with blue chip, 5-star talent.
As much as people like to talk about American dominance in basketball, this quote is very telling. If USA plays a zone, they won't be "playing down" to Greece.
If Duke plays Appalachian State or Campbell and re-vamps their offensive sets, I can see how that is a needless concession to a supposedly inferior athletic talent.
But this isn't some ACC vs. Southern/A-Sun exhibition. This is an Olympic game against a team that spanked them in 2004.
If Coach K is truly worried that playing zone will deteriorate the American team psychologically while conceding that the Greeks are better, he is sorely wrong.
The coaching staff's talk about respecting their opponent is all clearly lip service. They're setting themselves up for failure.
Play zone.


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Beautiful products. Fast shipping. Great customer service. Thanks a lot. I will greatly enjoy my goodies!
Love everything about the order. The desert jasper is some of the prettiest I've seen in a long time. LOVE the turquoise! When I need to order gemstones again, will definitely head here first! Thanks!
The honey dew beads are so lusciously colored that I want to eat them! I also love the creamy rose latte pearls. Even though you said many times that the seed beads were teeny weeny itsy bitsy, I was surprised at how true that is (color is lovely); however the large size of the coral beads certainly evened out my surprises,
. Thank you, Beth. Hope you are well.
Thank you so much for the turquoise beads. The color is wonderful. Everything else is fine also. I especially like the little pink horse. Take care, Beth, and thank you.
Thank you from the bottom of my ♥ for your business! If you have any questions please contact me via this link. Thanks! ~Beth
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