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Politics & Government
Kentucky telephone companies pushing for option to end basic service
FRANKFORT — Kentucky's telephone industry wants the option to end basic phone service in less profitable parts of their territories if other communications options, such as cell phones or the Internet, are available in the area.
The industry hopes to build on its 2006 legislative success in deregulating basic land-line phone service, arguing that it needs to shift its resources to cell phone and broadband communications.
But consumer advocates warn that rural communities, the poor and the elderly could be among those left behind if basic phone service disappears.
"For a lot of people in Eastern Kentucky, their land line is their life line," said Cathy Allgood Murphy, AARP Kentucky's associate state director. "They may not be able to afford an Internet connection, and they don't have cell phones because their communities, in the mountains, don't get cell phone reception."
The industry is pushing Senate Bill 135, referred to as "the AT&T bill" by its sponsor and others because it originated with that company's lobbyists. The bill would strip the Kentucky Public Service Commission of most of its remaining oversight of basic phone service provided by the three major carriers — AT&T, Windstream and Cincinnati Bell — such as the power to initiate investigations into service problems.
More significant, critics say, the bill would let the companies end basic phone service in less profitable parts of their territories if other communications options. State law now requires the companies to serve as "carriers of last resort" for households throughout their territories.
AT&T says it must follow where the market leads. Among its customers, land line usage has dropped 50 percent over the last 10 years and wireless usage has jumped 300 percent, said AT&T spokesman Brad Rateike.
""This is one of the reasons we (wanted to buy) T-Mobile, so we could build out the wireless spectrum and offer higher speeds and higher quality coverage to all of Kentucky, including Harlan County," Rateike said.
The Public Service Commission, which regulates many of the state's utilities, already has lost much of its authority over traditional phone carriers, following the General Assembly's passage of a deregulation bill in 2006.
As of last summer, for example, the PSC no longer can rule on price increases for carriers that choose to deregulate. Since then, AT&T and Cincinnati Bell have notified the PSC of increases for basic residential phone service. Cincinnati Bell's monthly price rose by 17 percent to $19.75, according to the PSC, while AT&T's cheapest price group rose by 20 percent to $18.20 per month.
Traditional phone carriers say it's unfair to burden them with state regulations and service requirements that don't apply to their cable and wireless competitors. But some communities that depend on land lines could be abandoned under the bill, said Tom FitzGerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Council.
Given a choice, the phone carriers may drop "those on fixed and low incomes, those in hard-to-serve locations and those for whom the cost of service does not justify continued service absent the legal obligation to do so," FitzGerald said.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, said he doesn't want households to lose any existing phone service. Hornback said he will change the language in his bill to make that clear after it's scheduled for a committee vote as early as next week.
"There will be no abandonment," Hornback said Thursday. "It doesn't state that specifically in its current language, and we've heard some concerns, so that will be added."
Hornback said his bill started as a proposal from AT&T lobbyists, who approached him because they recognized his pro-business sensibilities.
"People call it the AT&T bill because that's the biggest company," Hornback said. "But it helps Windstream and the others, too."
AT&T is a significant force in Frankfort. It employs 31 legislative lobbyists, including a former PSC vice chairwoman and past chairs of the state Democratic and Republican parties. Its political action committee has given at least $91,000 in state campaign donations since 2007.
Also Thursday, the telephone industry testified against House Bill 209, which would require phone carriers to "make every effort" to fix service outages within 24 hours.
There would be no penalty if carriers failed to act in 24 hours, but they would have to report problems to the PSC in any month during which they failed to clear 85 percent of their outages within that time.
Several witnesses told the House Committee on Tourism Development and Energy of households that have waited two to three weeks for phone service to be restored.
Phone carriers were required to act within 24 hours of an outage until the legislature voted in 2006 to deregulate phone service, said Rep. Rick Nelson, the sponsor of HB 209.
"Now I've got buyer's remorse," Nelson, D-Middlesboro, told the committee. "I think we can expect transparency and we can expect good service, and I think that we're letting them off the hook."
The committee chairwoman, Leslie Combs, D-Pikeville, allowed discussion on Nelson's bill but did not schedule a vote. Combs said she wants more information on the extent of phone service outages, something that Nelson said can be difficult to provide because the PSC no longer is authorized to track individual outages and company response times.
The phone industry told the House committee that Nelson's bill would be burdensome, particularly for the 20 smaller, independent carriers. Phone carriers' competitors in the cellular and broadband industries don't work under such rules, an industry spokesman said.
"It will cause an increase in operating costs," said Forest Skaggs III, executive director of the Kentucky Telecom Association.
Rep. Jim Gooch, D-Providence, said the government should not dictate how quickly customer complaints are handled.
"I don't think it's up to us to determine if a company is providing the proper service," Gooch told his colleagues on the committee. "I think the customer can decide that."


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Listen While You Work: 6.0
Daylight Saving time always sneaks up on me. Every year, twice a year, it sits there on my calendar, but it seems as though my eyes have trained themselves not to notice it. So I thank god every time it comes around that my mom still knows me well enough to know she needs to remind me. Sure, I have devices that automatically update themselves (though now I sometimes wonder why the heck my wall clock, microwave and stove wouldn't know to update themselves…like come on, it's 2014!…what?), but it's still worth knowing that there's going to be a significant change in your days.
Everybody always says the one in the spring time is better. Spring forward. The sun stays out longer. The warm weather is on its way. Yeah yeah, you lose an hour of sleep, BUT IT'S WORTH IT.
This year, I'm ready to spring forward. I'm ready for longer days, new beginnings, and refreshed motivation. I'm starting a new job and am excited about it.
This latest Listen While You Work playlist stands for finding your new beginnings. Seek motivation. Chase your passions. Work for a reason. Let this be your soundtrack.

subset: commoncrawl


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Looks like this event has already ended.
Check out upcoming events by this organizer, or organize your very own event.
Wicked - Return of The Prodigal Sons. 22 Year Showdown
Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 10:00 PM - Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 7:00 AM (PDT)
Event Details
<< Jeno - Thomas - Garth - Markie >> The Return of the Prodigal Sons
San Francisco's Acid House royalty reunited for one night only.
Lords, Ladies & Gentlemen we cordially invite you to set it off, as we bring the band back together for another night of dancefloor heaven.
Decades of Disco Glory have done little to dampen enthusiasm for a Wicked all nighter. San Francisco is still the spot.
July 6th 2013 we take over Mighty in celebration of 22 years since the Full Moon landing at Baker Beach. The club recently installed a state of the art sound system that can handle Wicked's sonic resonance. Prepare for blast off!
There will be no paper flyers so spread the good word to friends and lovers to keep this a family affair... Like we used to.
Wicked x
Wicked = Golden Goose+Grayhound+Rub n Tug+NoiseFromTheVoid = Wicked
Join the clan - https://www.facebook.com/groups/wickedcrew and http://www.grayhound.net
A glimpse at Thomas Bullock now in case you've been living under a rock... http://sexmagazine.us/articles/thomas-bullock/1
21+ w/ID $20 presale/$25 at the door
When & Where
119 Utah St
San Francisco,
Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 10:00 PM - Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 7:00 AM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
San Francisco's legendary Wicked Crew - since 1991
DJs... JENO / GARTH / MARKIE / THOMAS


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Christmas cookies are everywhere you look these days. This month, magazines have devoted entire issues to them, bloggers and bakers just wrapped a #cookieweek theme on Twitter and cookbooks such as the brand new Gourmet Cookie Book are inundating us with endless options for sweet, buttery goodness.
Every year there is some new trend, some riff on a classic or old favorite, but it is rare that I am swayed. Sure, I try a few new cookie recipes every holiday season, but one variety that I am eternally devoted to are shortbread.
No matter how busy I am during the weeks leading up to the holidays, I always make time for classic homemade shortbread. This simple combination of only four ingredients – flour, sugar, butter and salt – claims to be the best cookie out there and I tend to agree.
If you are bored with the classic recipe, the good news for you is that there are many variations that you can make on the standard, as this type of cookie lends itself very genially to manipulation.
Here are directions for making four different varieties of cookies using the same dough. All are simple to make and don't require the extra step of rolling dough and cutting shapes (although that is a fine option and the dough works well for that method too).
Basic Vanilla Shortbread
Recipe by Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Makes about 4 dozen small shortbread. This recipe can be divided into four and a dozen of each variety of cookie made from the suggestions below, or you can make the entire batch into the shortbread of your choosing.
- 3/4 pound (1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
- Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and bring everything together with your hands. Divide dough into four pieces and flatten slightly. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill OR prepare one of the shortbread cookie recipes below.
Now, you can either roll the dough, cut out shapes and bake them into cookies, or try one (or all) of the four delicious variations below.
One Recipe, Four Types of Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Diamonds
- 1 ball of shortbread dough (1/4 of the recipe above)
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
- Press one quarter of the cookie dough into a 7×7 square pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Pat down firmly.
- Using a small ruler and a sharp knife (as pictured above), cut dough diagonally into strips, and then from top to bottom, making about a dozen diamond-shaped cookies. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 16-20 minutes and slightly golden around the edges. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate on low in the microwave and stir until smooth.
- Remove pan from oven and allow pan to cool slightly. Remove shortbread from pan using the parchment and place on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the shortbread into diamonds using the pre-made lines. Dip into melted chocolate until half-covered and place on a wire rack to set.
Jam Shortbread Thumbprints
- 1 ball of shortbread dough (1/4 of the recipe above)
- Jam or jelly of your choosing
- Roll shortbread into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with your palm.
- Make a small indentation in the top of the cookie using your thumb or finger. Spoon about a 1/4 teaspoon of jam into the hole. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 10-12 minutes and golden on the bottoms.
Russian Tea Cakes
- 1 ball of shortbread dough (1/4 of the recipe above)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Roll shortbread dough into 1/2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes until slightly golden on the bottom.
- Place powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl and add warm cookies. Toss to coat.
- Place on a cooling rack and allow tea cakes to cool.Toss again in powdered sugar and store in a cool dry place.
Lemon-Glazed Shortbread
- 1 ball of shortbread dough (1/4 of the recipe above)
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Sprinkles or decoration of your choosing
- Shape the dough into a log and roll to smooth the edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the shortbread log and slice into 1/4 inch rounds (or thicker if you prefer) and place onto cookie sheet. Bake about 10-12 minutes and until slightly golden. Cool.
- Mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add a few more drops of lemon juice if mixture is not runny enough.
- Spoon glaze onto cookies and add decorations, if desired. Allow icing to harden for several hours. Store in an airtight container.
More Variations
This weekend I'll be hosting my annual holiday cookie swap, one of the most anticipated events of the year; well, for me, anyway! I haven't decided what I'm making yet, but it could very well be a classic shortbread or one of these livelier adaptations.
- Dried Fruit: Cherries, cranberries, and other dried fruits add wonderful textures and flavor to shortbread.
- Almond: Add 1/4 cup powdered almonds and 1 tsp almond extract to the creamed butter.
- Lemon: Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and a few drops of lemon extract if desired. Experiment with all types of citrus.
- Ginger: Substitute brown sugar for the white sugar in basic recipe. To the flour mixture add 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of cloves.
- Chocolate: Add ½ cup cocoa to the flour and salt and proceed with recipe. Dip cooked cookies in dark chocolate for an irresistible double-chocolate cookie.
- Espresso: Dissolve 2 tablespoons espresso powder in 1 teaspoon hot water. Add to creamed butter and sugar mixture before adding flour.
- Nuts: Add lightly toasted and chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or (insert your favorite nut variety here) to give a lovely texture and flavor to your shortbread.
- Herbs: Rosemary is spectacular when paired with lemon, as is lavender, so don't rule out the spice & herb cabinet when creating your perfect shortbread.
This post is brought to you by Plan to Eat because cookies aren't recommended for dinner, no matter who you are. For meal ideas, menu planning and tips on getting dinner on the table, choose Plan to Eat.
Do you have a favorite flavor of shortbread?


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Building Trades Employer Day
Career Services hosted the first annual Building Trades Employer Day on Tuesday, May 13th at the Post Road campus.� The focus of the event was specifically for the Building Construction, Refrigeration/AC Heating & Gas, Plumbing/Heating & Gas, Construction Management and Electrical Technologies.
Past graduates and currently enrolled students were able to speak with managers and recruiters about potential full-time and part-time opportunities. They, along with the instructors, were able to make connections and to learn about companies that they may not have thought about as a job prospect. There were 16 companies in attendance and most were following up with the students and grads that submitted resumes or filled out an application. We are already looking forward to planning next year's event
Fred Perrin, Recruiting Manager for Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment Company, met with sixth quarter Automotive students on May 13th at the Access Road Campus. Dejana has 6 facilities in the northeast and is currently recruiting for the Smithfield, RI location. Mr. Perrin, who works out of the New York office, spoke with the upcoming grads about career opportunities at Dejana.
Clean Care of New England visited the campus on March 18, to tour Construction Management Technology. Clean Care, located in RI, visited the campus to learn about the Construction Management program and how grads could work in the restoration and remediation field as project managers.


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Moody Mountains // Faroe Islands
Moody Mountains // Faroe Islands
from 25.00
All prints are created on gorgeous Kodak Endura Lustre Photo Paper and available in several popular sizes. Each print is made to order so allow 5-10 days to receive your order.
Looking for a canvas print? See something else on the photos page that you'd like on your wall? Don't see the size you're looking for? Contact Will and we can work something out.


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Strategic removal of IAPs
Clive Bromilow is a top invasive author and expert. In this series on Agri TV, Clive explains the problems wrought by invasive species across South Africa. Based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands of South Africa, Clive's background in weeds and herbicides offers a superb backdrop to his AGRI TVs.


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Hello Baker!
I translated the PasteEmail Plus v3.3 for the Portuguese language (Brazil).
I translated the part about the help. The characters in this file are not being displayed properly even xul being UTF-8. I used entities, but not getting satisfactory result.
For this reason I kept the English language help file.
Link to download http://sdrv.ms/SH3QHX
Note: request correction of the English language on line pasteemailplus.help_01.text7


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These are various articles and pieces which we have written over the years, some for publication and others just for fun. Hopefully some of them may be of interest.Christian Centre of Gravity (1940 downloads)
God Speaks To All People (1525 downloads)
To what extent is it true to say that the centre of gravity of world Christianity has moved to the non-western world? If such a shift has taken place what are the implications of this for the mission and development of the church in your context?
The St. Mary Mead Model of Cultural Adaptation (1659 downloads)
The Bible and human history both tell the dramatic story of a God who speaks the people He created. This presentation, developed for a Christian conference in the UK, is a rapid tour of the whole of human history, starting with the book of Genesis and moving on to the present day. It examines what the Bible has to tell us about how God wants to communicate clearly and understandably with people of all nations and how his people have put this teaching into practice through the years. It ends by examining some of the particular challenges we face today in communicating God's message both at home and around the world. Please feel free to download and use this presentation, though we would be very grateful if you refer people to www.kouya.net and make a donation to Wycliffe Bible Translators
Social Organisation Among the Kouya (1306 downloads)
A model for relating across cultures, gleaned from the work of Agatha Christie!
Kouya Funerals (1374 downloads)
The title says it all
The First Five Weeks (1849 downloads)
My favourite anthropology paper and one which I still think is pretty good.
This is a diary I kept of our first few weeks in a Kouya village back in 1988. It's a long time ago and it feels rather embarassing reading it now – but some people think it's quite funny!


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Carter: Tantawi in denial over "girl in the blue bra"
One of the interesting tidbits in Jimmy Carter's report on Egypt from his recent trip (which I blogged about here) is a revelation that the generals on SCAF tried to convince him that soldiers had been trying to help the now icononoc "girl in the blue bra." I had heard about this last week from people at the meeting, but off the record. As it's now in the report and has been picked up in the Egyptian press, here's a highlight:
I was received with a friendly welcome as I congratulated the military leaders for what seemed to be a successful election, and then asked a number of questions. It seemed that the SCAF had full confidence that there would be accommodation to their demands by the Muslim Brotherhood and their coalition partners as the new government is formed. Instead of the reported 12,000 mostly political prisoners being held for trials in military courts, the Field Marshal stated that there were no more than 3,000, all of whom were guilty of criminal acts and being tried in civilian courts. He stated that the widely promulgated videos showing military attacks on demonstrators and a woman "with the blue brassiere" were all falsified. He said the soldiers were actually helping the woman re-clothe herself with what was provocative attire. I was assured that the emergency law would be lifted before the presidential election, no later than June.
Tantawi and the other generals actually went on at length over how the video had been doctored and that the soldier was actually trying to cover her up and help her, and that the widely viewed video on YouTube was basically a plot against them. They also suggested that the woman was dressed inappropriately under her cloak. You can tell exactly what happened – that she was beaten and stomped upon by the soldiers – in the video. The generals either lied to their teeth, or more probably and more worryingly, actually believe the crap they spew. The real question is, who is feeding them that line?


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Everything, including the people, can kill you in Australia. This is a Fact. But what do you do when a venomous snake ends up on your windshield? You hit the wipers, obviously. Except now you have a very pissed-off and very Australian snake being smeared across your car. Cue the screaming.
In fairness, you might think the screaming is unjustified, but the driver, Ben Lehmann, recognizes the snake as a Red-Bellied Black snake. And because everything in Australia, including the drop bears, can kill you, the Red-Bellied Black is highly venomous. Not venomous to actually kill you, in truth, but just venomous enough to make you suffer from incredible, debilitating agony for hours and wish you were so goddamned dead.
In Part 2 of the video, the snake actually lands on top of the side-view mirror stalk, and starts doing the bob-and-weave like its working with a switchblade in a back-alley knife fight. It looks like it wants to murder both of the guys in the car so hard right now:
I want to go to Australia, but I am afraid.


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Just Posted, Stories from 2000: Sailing In Fiji
Albert Cove, Rambi Island, Fiji
In August 2000, we did a cruise East in Fiji and had some great times away from the crowds where only a few boats go.
To read the stories, click HERE for the first story: Sailing East in Fiji
or HERE for More Cruising in Fiji
or HERE for the cruise back west for some shopping.
Or...just click HERE to see the photos.
Fred & Judy, Bangkok
Labels: sailing


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The Hot Springs Lake Home
on Lake Hamilton
The Deck
The Kitchen
The Master Bedroom
This is a newly reconstructed three bedroom, two bath custom lakefront home on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, AR vacation rental. It's
Take a look at our Photos to see all of the amenities. We also provide some Background on Hot Springs and activities around the Lake Hamilton area. There's lots to do from boating and swimming to fishing and golfing all close by.
To book just check our Availability Calendar and view our Rates. If the dates are available, you can Request a Booking. Not sure? See what other guests have said in our Guest Reviews. And have a look at our listing on VRBO.com and HomeAway.
We look forward to providing a home for your vacation in Hot Springs. Feel free to Contact Us with any questions.
- Amy and Brendhan


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Browse by Medical Category
Endocrine Unit
Friday, November 9, 2012
A TRUE HONOR: From left, William Crowley, MD, chief of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit and director of MGH Clinical Research; Daniels; and Slavin
The late James Howard Means, MD, served as the first chief of the MGH Thyroid Clinic – the hospital's first specialty unit – until his retirement in 1951. He was known for his research on the thyroid gland and nurturing of young investigators, as well as for coordinating and mustering financial support in what was once known as Ward 4, the hospital's first designated space for clinical research. In honor of his legacy, and through the support of anonymous donors, the hospital recently established the James Howard Means Endowed Chair. Staff, family and friends gathered Oct. 15 to celebrate the new chair and its first incumbent, Gilbert H. Daniels, MD, co-director of the MGH Thyroid Clinic, at the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation.
"The importance of endowed chairs is significant," said Peter L. Slavin, MD, MGH president, one of several speakers at the event. "They are intended for prominent members of the faculty and are truly an honor. But the benefits for the incumbent, the hospital and the advancement of medicine extend well beyond honor. An endowed chair gives the incumbent the flexibility to pursue his or her clinical and academic activities with more vigor and flexibility than ever."
In addition to his role in the Thyroid Clinic, Daniels is medical director of the MGH Endocrine Tumor Center and co-director of the MGH Endocrine Tumor Genetics Clinic. A prolific researcher and respected teacher, he is the recipient of the Distinguished Clinician Award of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Harvard Medical School Prize for Excellence in Teaching and the Distinguished Educator Award of the Endocrine Society. Daniels also is an active member of the leading associations in his field and has served in leadership roles for several of them. After his retirement, the chair will be renamed the Gilbert H. Daniels, MD, Endowed Chair.
Says Daniels, "This endowed chair will have a major impact on the ability of the Thyroid Unit to support excellence in clinical care, teaching and research for many decades to come." Read more articles from the 11/9/12 Hotline issue.
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Canon has revealed its new EOS 6D DSLR, aimed at "serious photography enthusiasts."
The company says it's currently the world's lightest interchangeable lens camera to feature a full-frame CMOS sensor. For this reason its main target market consists of travel, portrait and landscape photographers.
It's also the first EOS camera to include GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity for geotagging and wirelessly transferring pictures to a computer, mobile device or the internet, or sharing them on a DLNA-equipped smart TV.
Inside is a newly designed 20.2-megapixel CMOS full-frame sensor. The EOS 6D has a native ISO range of ISO 100-25,600 (extendible to 50-102,400) for better low light performance.
Canon says that its new 11-point AF system also "offers the strongest low light performance of any Canon AF system to date. With focusing down to EV-3, the equivalent of moonlight, subjects remain in-focus in even the most challenging lighting conditions."
As expected, the Canon EOS 6D is compatible with Canon's EF lenses, with models available from 8mm to 800mm. The camera adds DIGIC 5 image processing, automatic modes, various shooting features (including a single axis electronic level for lining up the horizon) and full manual controls. It also supports Full HD video recording at 29.97, 25 and 23.976 fps.
The Multiple Exposures mode enables photographers to combine up to nine separate exposures into a single image in-camera. There's also a silent drive mode.
The body measures 144.5 x 110.5 x 71.2mm and weighs 770g. It has a dust and drip-proof, part-magnesium bod and a 7.7cm (3in) Clear View LCD touchscreen display.
Accessories include the new BG-E13 battery grip (£250). The Canon EOS 6D will be on sale in the UK from December costing £1,799 body-only or bundled with an EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens for £2,520 in total.
More info: Canon


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Church isn't just a place to make friends, have fun, and learn helpful Bible principles. It's a training ground for the battle of life.
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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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No. 87,746
Insurance Carrier/Appellee.
1. K.S.A. 44-506 provides that the Workers Compensation Act shall apply to injuries sustained outside the state of Kansas when the contract of employment was made within the state, unless such contract otherwise specifically provides.
2. An oral employment contract reached between parties during a telephone call may be modified by subsequent written contracts between the parties.
3. K.S.A. 44-506(2) is discussed.
4. K.S.A. 44-543(b) is discussed.
Appeal from Workers Compensation Board. Opinion filed September 20, 2002. Affirmed.
J. Joseph Seiwert, of Snider & Seiwert, L.L.C., of Wichita, for appellant.
Vincent A. Burnett and Gary K. Albin, of McDonald, Tinker, Skaer, Quinn & Herrington, P.A., of Wichita, for appellees.
Before ELLIOTT, P.J., GERNON and MARQUARDT, JJ.
MARQUARDT, J.: David Shields appeals the decision of the Workers Compensation Board (Board), which found that Shields, K.A.T. Transportation (K.A.T.), and ACE-USA were not subject to the Kansas Workers Compensation Act (Act). We affirm.
While Shields was in Wichita, Kansas, on February 10, 2000, he was informed by telephone that he was hired as a long-haul truck driver by K.A.T., a Chesterton, Indiana, trucking company.
Shields began orientation on February 14, 2000, in Indiana. During orientation, he signed various agreements that stated all disputes with K.A.T. would be resolved under Indiana law, including workers compensation claims.
On November 24, 2000, after unloading boxes in Ohio, Shields experienced pain in his back and neck. The following morning, he experienced more pain in his back and tingling in his left arm. After Shields spoke with K.A.T. representatives, he visited an emergency room in Indiana. Shields' problem was diagnosed as a pinched nerve or dislocated disk in his neck. Tylenol and steroids were prescribed.
Shields drove to Wichita and saw Dr. Scott Rees on December 1, 2000. Rees diagnosed Shields as having a degeneration and spurring of a spinal cord disk. He prescribed medication and informed Shields not to drive while on the medication. At K.A.T.'s request, Shields drove the truck back to Indiana and he returned to Kansas by train.
Shields filed an application for a workers compensation hearing, claiming that he had an injury to his back and neck on or about November 24, 2000, and "each day worked thereafter" from repetitive overuse and truck driving. He testified that he had been driving trucks for 25 years and would occasionally experience soreness after driving for long periods of time. He always worked through this discomfort without visiting a doctor. He testified that he had experienced soreness in his back 2 weeks prior to the injury in Ohio. He testified that he informed a K.A.T. employee after the injury that his back had been sore for a couple of weeks. Shields was taken off work on December 1, 2000.
K.A.T. claimed that Kansas was without jurisdiction to consider his claim because Shields had agreed to Indiana jurisdiction for workers compensation claims. K.A.T. argued that Shields' alleged injury occurred outside of Kansas and his employment contract was entered into outside of Kansas. Finally, K.A.T. claimed that even if Shields' injury occurred in Kansas, the election of Indiana law precluded Kansas from exercising jurisdiction of the claim.
Shields argued that his injury occurred in Kansas through years of driving trucks, specifically while finishing his duties for K.A.T., and that Kansas has jurisdiction of his claim because his employment contract was entered into in Kansas.
The administrative law judge (ALJ) found that Shields had selected Indiana as the forum for resolving workers compensation claims and that his injury was sustained outside the state of Kansas. Therefore, Kansas did not have jurisdiction of his claim.
Shields appealed the ALJ's decision to the Board. The Board agreed that Shields' employment contract was made in Kansas when Shields accepted the job offer on the telephone. The Board found that Shields' injury occurred in Ohio while unloading his truck. The Board then found that Shields voluntarily signed agreements wherein he agreed that Indiana workers compensation laws would apply to the settlement of any claim arising out of a job-related injury. The Board concluded that the parties were not subject to Kansas workers compensation laws. Shields appeals.
Shields claims that his injury occurred in Kansas. The Board's decision regarding the place of injury represents a factual finding. The determination of whether the Board's factual findings are supported by substantial competent evidence is a question of law. An appellate court is to review the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party below. Griffin v. Dale Willey Pontiac-Cadillac-GMC Truck, Inc., 268 Kan. 33, 34, 991 P.2d 406 (1999).
The Board also found that Shields failed to prove he was injured further while driving back to Kansas. That finding should be affirmed absent proof of an arbitrary disregard of undisputed evidence or an extrinsic consideration such as bias, passion, or prejudice. Griffin, 268 Kan. at 34.
K.S.A. 44-506 provides that the Act shall apply to injuries sustained outside the state when the contract of employment was made within the state, unless such contract otherwise specifically provides. Shields claims that the injury occurred in Kansas and the contract provisions electing Indiana law are insufficient to deprive Kansas of jurisdiction.
Even though the Board found that the employment contract was made in Kansas, on appeal, K.A.T. briefly attempts to argue that the contract was not actually made until Shields took a physical examination and drug test and complete orientation in Indiana. However, K.A.T. did not cross-appeal this issue; therefore, the Board's finding on this issue is final.
Shields testified that he had not been working as hard during the 2 weeks prior to his injury due to soreness in his back. He could not point to a specific time and place the injury occurred. He also testified that he would not usually be sore from loading or unloading a truck.
Linda Payton, K.A.T.'s insurance administrator and claims coordinator, stated in an affidavit that Shields informed her he did not believe his injuries were caused by the job but were the result of years of driving trucks. Shields argues that his injury should be classified as a repetitive use or degenerative type of injury and, therefore, his claim should be considered under Berry v. Boeing Military Airplanes, 20 Kan. App. 2d 220, 227, 885 P.2d 1261 (1994), where the claimant's injury was deemed to have occurred on the last day he worked. Shields argues that the place of the last day worked becomes the place of injury. Here, part of Shields' last day of work occurred in Kansas.
In Berry, this court addressed the problem of assigning a date of injury to a claimant suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. In attempting to determine whether carpal tunnel is an occupational disease or an accidental injury, the court determined that carpal tunnel is caused by repetitive trauma over a long period of time. The court stated: "While it is true that it is caused by trauma and thereby fits the definition of an 'injury caused by accident,' it is nonetheless a condition that defies any attempt to affix the precise date the accident occurred." 20 Kan. App. 2d at 229. To simplify the process of determining a date of injury, the court adopted a rule that "the date from which compensation flows is the last date worked by the claimant." 20 Kan. App. 2d at 229-30.
Shields also cites Treaster v. Dillon Companies, Inc., 267 Kan. 610, 987 P.2d 325 (1999), for the proposition that injuries suffered as the result of micro-traumas leading to increasing pain are also subject to the "last day worked" rule. Shields also cites Graff v. Trans World Airlines, 267 Kan. 854, 983 P.2d 258 (1999), which states that "[w]here a repetitive trauma injury is caused or aggravated by work activities, some of which occurred in Kansas, the injury is compensable under the Act." 267 Kan. at 859. Shields claims that these cases support his argument that his injury occurred in Kansas and, therefore, is compensable under the Kansas workers compensation statutes.
Shields ignores the evidence that his injury occurred when he was unloading boxes in Ohio, and his previous soreness and pain through years of truck driving seemingly did not affect his ability to work. His argument under Graff does not recognize the fact that he signed an agreement which stated all disputes with K.A.T., including workers compensation claims, would be resolved under Indiana law.
Dr. Rees' notes indicate that Shields first experienced a sharp, stabbing pain at the base of his neck on November 8, 2000, while lifting heavy boxes. The pain lasted for a few days. Shields had previously visited Dr. Jack L. St. Clair on November 28, 2000, and complained of this same incident that occurred approximately 3 weeks earlier.
Shields' own testimony fails to mention this previous incident of pain after lifting boxes. He testified that he experienced soreness and stiffness over the years after driving long distances, but the pain was different from what he experienced in the present case. He also testified that he had been sore for 2 weeks and had not been driving as many miles. Shields testified that the doctor informed him the spurring in his neck was due to years of driving a truck, but a review of the record on appeal does not reveal the cause of the spurring.
The question before this panel is whether the Board's determination that Shields' injury occurred in Ohio is supported by substantial competent evidence. There is evidence in the record on appeal that Shields had been suffering from soreness through the years he worked as a truck driver. The record as a whole could have led the Board to determine that Shields suffered some sort of injury due to the repetitive nature of his job.
However, the question is not whether the record supports a contrary view, but whether it supports the findings made by the Board.
Shields testified that he felt it was necessary to seek medical treatment due to the tingling in his arm and the pain in his neck. Without medical testimony in the record on appeal to establish a claim that the injury was simply the culmination of years of truck driving, there is no independent medical verification of Shields' claim.
There is substantial competent evidence to support the Board's finding that Shields was injured in Ohio.
Shields argues that since the contract was formed in Kansas, the provisions he agreed to after arriving in Indiana constituted an improper attempt by K.A.T. to modify the contract. An analysis of K.S.A. 44-506 and the agreements signed by Shields are subject to an unlimited review by this court. See Babe Houser Motor Co. v. Tetreault, 270 Kan. 502, 506, 14 P.3d 1149 (2000).
K.S.A. 44-506 states:
"The workmen's compensation act shall not be construed to apply to business or employment which, according to law, is so engaged in interstate commerce as to be not subject to the legislative power of the state, nor to persons injured while they are so engaged: Provided, That the workmen's compensation act shall apply also to injuries sustained outside the state where: (1) The principal place of employment is within the state; or (2) the contract of employment was made within the state, unless such contract otherwise specifically provides . . . ."
K.A.T. was a carrier that operated in 11 states and engaged in interstate commerce. Shields testified that he had driven through all 11 states. K.S.A.44-506 grants Kansas jurisdiction in such a case, unless the employment contract provides otherwise.
Shields argues that since his contract was created in Kansas, the language in K.S.A. 44-506(2) permits an employment contract to provide for workers compensation coverage in other jurisdictions if "such contract otherwise specifically provides." Shields argues: "Thus it follows that a contract term that eliminates the coverage of the Kansas Workers Compensation Act and substitutes the coverage of another state must be made in Kansas to be effective . . . ."
Shields signed a variety of documents while he was at orientation in Indiana. One document was an agreement containing, in part, the following language:
"2. The laws of the state of Indiana, including the Indiana Workers' Compensation Act and its benefits, shall apply to the settlement of any claim arising out of any job related death, injury or illness of the Employee.
"3. The Employee voluntarily elects and agrees to this method of settlement regardless of his or her state of residence or regardless of which state or country such accident may occur."
This agreement was signed by Shields and a safety training supervisor for K.A.T.
Shields also signed a driver agreement, which provided that the agreement was "entered into and will be interpreted under the laws of the State of Indiana. DRIVER specifically agrees that Indiana will be the legal forum for all disputes, including worker's compensation claims arising out of the employment relationship."
Finally, Shields signed a document entitled "Agreement to Select a State Other Than Ohio as the State of Exclusive Remedy." This document listed Indiana as the state of exclusive remedy in a workers compensation action.
In Shehane v. Station Casino, 27 Kan. App. 2d 257, 3 P.3d 551 (2000), a claimant entered into an employment contract in Kansas to work as a performer for Station Casino in Missouri. The performer agreement signed by both parties provided that its terms and provisions were to be governed by Missouri law. Station Casino argued that the Kansas Workers Compensation Act did not apply to claimant's action.
This court determined that the claim was not controlled by Missouri law because the agreement's generic choice of law provision did not specifically provide that Missouri law would cover workers compensation claims and, therefore, did not meet the specificity requirement found in K.S.A. 44-506(2). In so finding, the court looked to K.S.A. 44-501(g), which states that the Act is to be liberally construed to bring employers and employees within its provisions to provide its protection to both. 27 Kan. App. 2d at 263.
The present case does not involve one agreement containing a generic choice of law provision. Rather, it involves several documents voluntarily signed by Shields which provide that workers compensation claims were to be settled according to Indiana law. The only logical interpretation of these documents is that Shields was agreeing to submit to jurisdiction in Indiana for the settlement of such claims.
Shields argues that the documents he signed in Indiana were not part of the original employment contract, but were modifications not contemplated by the Kansas oral contract. As K.A.T. mentions in its brief, the court in Shehane seems to address this point indirectly. In rejecting Station Casino's argument that Missouri law controlled under the contract, the court appeared to say that had the agreement been more specific, Missouri law may have controlled the claim.
An oral employment contract reached between parties during a telephone call may be modified by subsequent written contracts between the parties. Shields has cited no authority that renders the voluntary agreements meaningless or without force and effect. They are part of the contract as a whole, and Shields could not have believed that when he accepted the job by telephone, no further discussion regarding specifics of the job would be necessary. The agreements are binding on Shields and vest jurisdiction over this action in Indiana.
Shields also raises the argument that the agreements are void because they required him to select workers compensation protection from a state other than Kansas. In support, he cites K.S.A. 44-543(b), which states, in part: "Any contract in which an employer requires of an employee as a condition of employment that the employee elect not to come within the provisions of the workers compensation act, shall be void." This language appears in a subsection dealing with employees who own 10% or more of the outstanding stock of a corporate employer, and prohibiting such employees from contracting out of workers compensation protection. In the present case, Shields did not contract out of protection, but simply chose that of another jurisdiction. K.S.A. 44-543(b) is inapplicable to this case.
Finally, Shields claims that the agreements executed in Indiana are ineffective by their terms. He argues that only K.A.T.'s president could enter into an employment contract, the documents pertained only to the settlement of a claim and not to other resolutions, and documents necessary to make the agreements enforceable were not attached and filed as required.
These claims lack merit. Shields testified that he was never contacted by the president of the company, and the signed agreements do not bear the signature of anyone claiming to be K.A.T.'s president. However, there is no evidence in the record on appeal regarding whether K.A.T.'s company policies permitted the president to designate other employees to enter into employment contracts or sign related documents. Without specific information regarding K.A.T.'s hiring policies, this panel cannot determine whether any violations occurred that would render the agreements unenforceable.
The same reasoning applies to Shields' argument that the agreement to select Indiana as the state of exclusive remedy is unenforceable because required certificates of coverage were not attached and filed with the state. Shields claims that no such certificates were filed, and no certificates appear in the record on appeal, but it is impossible to tell from the record on appeal whether they were actually attached or filed with the State of Indiana.
Further, Shields' argument that one of the agreements provides for Indiana law to control only the settlement or method of settlement, and not all possible resolutions, is equally without merit. The language of all the agreements read together clearly illustrates that any workers compensation actions were to be resolved under Indiana jurisdiction, and the selected language does not anticipate submitting the claim to Indiana jurisdiction only in the case of a legal settlement.


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Cards Against Humanity
"Pretty amazing." - The Onion A.V. Club
"Simple, yet well-executed." - The Chicago Tribune Puzzler
"Brilliantly crafted." - Dice Hate Me
"A game." - The Daily Beast
Update: With ten days left, we have issued the $10,000 challenge! Help us get to $10,000 in funding, and we'll add ten new cards to the deck. Help us get to $15,000 and we'll add fifty new cards to the deck.
Cards Against Humanity is a free party game for horrible people.
Unlike most of the party games you've played before, Cards Against Humanity is as despicable and awkward as you and your friends.
The game is simple. Each round, one player asks a question from a Black Card, and everyone else answers with their funniest White Card.
To learn more and see the cards, visit http://www.CardsAgainstHumanity.com.
What's in The Box?
If you pre-order the game on Kickstarter, you'll get the core set of cards as well as 20 exclusive Black Cards and 20 exclusive White Cards written just for our Kickstarter backers.
The cards are 2"x3.5", professionally printed and digitally cut so they're easy to use.
Each set contains 500 cards - 80 Black Cards and 420 White Cards.
We've spent months doing the research we needed to price and print the game. The minimum amount of money we need for a printing is $4,000, which we're raising with this project.
About Us
We first created Cards Against Humanity for a New Years party with a huge group of awkward friends. The game was a big hit, and we've been working on it ever since.
We offer Cards Against Humanity as a free print-at-home project on our website, http://www.CardsAgainstHumanity.com, where it has been downloaded and enjoyed thousands of times.
Now, we're excited to sell Cards Against Humanity as it was always meant to be played - as a high-quality, professionally-produced, boxed product.
Each set costs $15, but if you want us to ship it to you, you'll have to pledge $5 more ($10 international).
If you live in the Chicago area, we will have an opportunity for you to pick your deck up and save on the $5 - just drop us a message and let us know that you want to pick up.
UPDATE: If you have questions about shipping or want to arrange a pick up, please don't post a comment on the project... email us directly at email@example.com and we'll help you.
Bulk Orders
If you'd like to purchase several sets of Cards Against Humanity, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will arrange to save you money on shipping. If you'd like to purchase more than ten units, we have bulk pricing available.
- Enter the Kickstarter Games Castle at PAX East
- $500 Million Pledged to Games: Thanks, Backers!
- Playing Games at PAX East
- Ten Creators, One Question: What Was the Craziest Moment?
- The Kickstarter Arcade Returns to PAX East
- Over $100 Million Pledged to Games
- The Kickstarter Arcade at PAX East 2013
- Kickstarter heads to PAX Prime 2012
- Case Study: Cards Against Humanity
- This Week in Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Heads to PAX East 2012
- This Week in Kickstarter
- Kickstarter Heads to PAX East
- A Reward Wish List, Part One
Funding period
- (60 days)


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If you wish to sell a car in California there are strict laws and systems to abide by. Every state has laws regarding the purchase and selling of motor cars. Be clear that you understand the responsibilities of a resident of California. If you are unclear on what to do, you should contact the California DMV.
Documents and Paperwork
You will need to bring a California Certificate of Title or Application for Duplicate Title (REG 227). Use tax and/or various other fees apply, so be prepared and also remember any additional documentation. You need to surrender any plates from the vehicle. The signature of seller and lien holder, if any, along with the signature of buyer and the transfer fee is required. You must provide the buyer with evidence of a smog certificate where applicable.
California DMV car registration has state laws governing sales and/or transfers of ownership of a motor vehicle. This dictates that each vehicle must have a Certificate of Title. When you dispose of a car, through either sale or transfer, you must sign the Certificate of Title and give it to the new owner. Information on California DMV car sales and lemon laws are there to protect buyers from potentially disastrous purchases. All vehicles leased or owned by any resident of California must be registered with the CADMV.
Insurance and Plates
The owner must also obtain at least the legal minimum amount of liability insurance coverage and the vehicle must always display the designated license plates.
Tags and Fees
Cars are subjected to periodical renewal fees. For every time phase that the registration is valid, the owner will get a decal (known as tags) that must be put in the top right corner of the back number plate. Failing to place it as directed could result in you being fined.
Smog inspections are required unless your vehicle is:
- A hybrid
- A gasoline powered 1975 year model or older
- Diesel powered, manufactured prior to 1998 or with a Gross Vehicle Weight rating (GVWR) of more than 14,000 lbs
- Electric
- Natural gas powered with a GVWR rating of more than 14,000 lbs
- A motorcycle
- A trailer
When filling in the transfer form of the Title, take care to complete it accurately and remember to always note the odometer reading. Disclosing the vehicle's odometer mileage reading is required by federal regulations for all transfers. There are three exceptions to this law:
- The vehicle is 10 years old or more.
- It is a commercial vehicle with a declared gross or combined gross vehicle weight of more than 16,000 pounds.
- It is a new vehicle being transferred prior to its first retail sale by a dealer.
If the vehicle is less than 10 years old you are required to complete the Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262). If the title does not have a designated space for this information, a REG 262 reporting the odometer mileage must be signed by both the seller and buyer. You may not copy the REG 262. You must submit an original.
Related Questions and Answers
What is the California Lemon Law for Used Cars?
The California Lemon Law for used cars enforces vehicles that were returned to the manufacturer due to vehicle defect(s) that could not be resolved at the dealership. Once the vehicle has been returned, the manufacturer must title the vehicle in their name, request the title be marked with "Lemon Law Buyback", and place a decal (that reads "Lemon Law Buyback") onto the vehicle's frame of the most frequently used entry point, typically the left door frame. Before the vehicle is resold, the buyer must be notified the vehicle was a Lemon Law Buyback, the nature of the defect(s), and any defect repairs made/attempted.
Are California Smog Laws More Strict because of the Pollution?
California smog laws came about because of the state's pollution problems. California was the first and only state to have an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and had one before there was a federal EPA. California is the only state in the United States that is allowed to have its own EPA. The California EPA and the United States EPA work together in deciding and forming the pollution regulations that are used throughout the country. California smog laws are strict, and the rest of the United States is quickly approaching the standards they enforce.
Are there any California Car Registration Laws Regarding Selling Your Car Out of State?
There are no California car registration laws regarding out of state sales. All changes of vehicle ownership must go through the same process. The buyer and seller must sign the Certificate of Title (REG 227), complete the REG 4008 (Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight/Combined Gross Weight), and must disclose the current odometer reading. Additionally, the state requires that the vehicle have a valid smog certificate. Therefore, a smog test is required unless the sale takes place within 90 days of the previous smog test.
What is the Cost of Car Registration in California?
The cost of car registration in California is determined on a case-by-case basis. The determination is made by the California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) when the registration application is submitted. There are several different types of fees that can be included, such as the transfer fee, Use Tax fee (based on the new registered owner's city and county of record), the registration renewal fee, title fee(s) (if applicable), and the License Plate fee (if applicable). Vehicles having a higher value will cost more to register due to the increase in Transfer and/or Use Tax.


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CreativeDirector305 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 124 diseños de 45 diseñadores freelance.
Date.info is a blog focused on dating and relationships. It is the sister site of Date.com, one of the largest and oldest online dating sites on the internet.
The current Date.info site is currently undergoing a face-lift. We are looking to replace the current logo with something new and fresh.
The company Avalanche, LLC owns 3 websites, Date.com, Matchmaker.com, and Amor.com.
Date.info acts as the online magazine/blog for all of these sites. Our writers help guide singles through the challenges of dating, and especially online dating.
The members on our sites are both men and women. We typically reach an older demographic, singles over the age of 30 years old.
Each month millions of visitors from around the world find love romance, and relationships via our sites. We have introduced thousands of couples and have made hundreds of marriages.
A new logo that matches our new color scheme. The color scheme will be made up of mostly blues. We would like to work red #850001 into the logo design.
You can attempt a logo with either a Capital "D" or one with a lowercase "d" - Date.info / date.info. Or, you can design both if you'd like.
I would also like to see a black and white version of the logo in addition to a color version in case we advertise in black and white publications. The logo should be able to be placed above a navigation bar.
If you want to take a screenshot of the current site http://www.date.info and replace the current logo with the one that you will be submitting that would be very helpful for us to visualize how your logo will appear.
Nothing too flowery. Please also avoid being too cliche. Do not copy logos from other dating sites.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Net customers with a smarter site
Australians are more willing than ever to spend money using their mobile phone, and businesses need to catch up with these potential customers by implementing a savvy mobile strategy.
Research by Google Australia has found that 40 per cent of shopping-related searches originate from smartphones or tablets.
Google's Ross McDonald says there will soon be more Australians accessing the web via mobile devices than from their desktops or laptops.
He says the rapid uptake of mobile commerce has taken business by surprise: ''Consumers are moving much, much faster than anybody anticipated. We even find in our business we haven't anticipated how quickly consumers will pick up their smartphones and use them,'' says Mr McDonald.
''The first thing people do when they wake up is check their mobile phones for any messages or alerts. They'll then typically spend the next couple of hours on a mobile phone, maybe read their news as they have breakfast, or on the bus.''
Typically mobile web access drops off between 9am and 5pm when people are using their desktops at work, and it resumes when people leave the office, he says.
''The evening commute goes a bit longer: a couple of hours of mobile phone usage. From about 7pm to 10pm, people use the tablet when they're in the home. It's called 'couch-commerce' - once the kids are in bed, you sit back on the lounge and pick up your tablet and start browsing.''
This shift in usage has taken place so quickly that most businesses are still catching up on simple mobile offerings, such as as having a mobile-friendly website, Mr McDonald says.
''The key message to business owners is that mobile is just going to continue to boom, because we're at a point now where we've got just over half of Australia's population with a smartphone, and that will increase rapidly as people upgrade their existing mobile phones.''
Chief executive of mobile specialist Alive, Luke Harvey-Palmer, works with businesses to create useful technology. He says the mobile commerce boom presents an opportunity for businesses to prioritise a review, not only of their mobile technology capabilities but of their entire web presence.
''Most business can't tell you what their website accounts for right now. If Google analytics says you have 1000 hits to your website today, so what?
''One thousand hits might be from a robot, 1000 hits might have translated to 50 sales, or 150 in-store visits, but businesses don't know,'' he says.
''Where it all starts is the way your website is set up for user experience. What do you want people to do on your website? You can set up analytics to track people's path through your site, you can set goals … and set up your analytics program to actually track a customer or prospect going through your website.''
Understanding your customers is fundamental to establishing a savvy web and mobile offering and it's only once you recognise what people want that you can start to think about how you can offer it to them, Mr Harvey-Palmer says.
''For a lot of people that is as simple as find our location, find our phone number to contact us, find our opening hours or find our catalogue or product listing. For a lot of company websites if that's all people did, that would possibly still be achieving a good outcome.''
A lot of businesses are over-complicating the process and either blowing their budgets or becoming overwhelmed and doing nothing, he says.
''In its simplest form it is about knowing what your customers want to do … It's about being easy to do business with.''
The importance of understanding your customer is exemplified by mobile technology because of its nature, Mr Harvey-Palmer says.
''Mobiles are a very personal thing and everyone wants to do something different. Therefore, it is about understanding exactly what a customer wants and how they want to access your business. All the mobile is doing is making business owners more focused on that fact,'' he says.
''You've got a smaller screen, you've got less time, you've got a less powerful device. A phone is not a desktop computer; you can't run Flash on Apple devices. All those limitations mean that more than ever you need to serve what's needed, not everything.
''Go back to simplicity, right across your business. Mobile forces you to do that,'' he says.


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Alex Rockwell has been a producer for the Jim Henson Company for many years. She worked at Children's Television Workshop before working directly with Jim Henson. Her credits include The Jim Henson Hour, Muppet*Vision 3D, Billy Bunny's Animal Songs, Dinosaurs, Bear in the Big Blue House, Muppets from Space, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Frances, and Pajanimals.
She also served as the co-writer and co-creator for Frances; and she worked with Judy Rothman to co-write the songs for the series.
In 2008, she was interviewed for an episode of the Jim Henson Company Podcast.
She is the daughter-in-law of Henry Kissinger.


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Organic farming is among today's fastest growing sectors in production agriculture, thanks to worldwide consumer demand. SCS is committed to supporting those growers and handlers who have done the hard work necessary to make an organic claim.
The US Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP) provides certification opportunities to producers, processors, distributors and other handlers of food, fiber and personal care products.
Certification Criteria
The NOP standard defines acceptable practices, lists substances approved or prohibited from use, and describes record-keeping requirements for the production and handling of organic products. Guidelines and requirements for marketing and labeling organic products are also defined.
To meet certification criteria, companies must:
Annual certification review is required to maintain certification.
Equivalency for Export
USDA NOP standards are recognized by Canada and all EU countries. For certain countries, an addendum may be required to be completed at time of audit.
Complementary Services
Save time and money by combining your organic certification with complementary certification, auditing and testing services including: Sustainably Grown, Fair Trade, Food Safety, Flavor, Pesticide Residue Free, and Antioxidant Superfood certification.
While the specifics of certification vary depending on whether the company seeking certification is a food producer, shipper, distributor, wholesaler or handler, the certification process generally involves the following steps:
Apply for Certification
Complete the SCS Application for Organic Certification. This provides our auditors with basic information about your organic handling practices.
Determine Eligibility
SCS reviews your application to determine if we can offer certification services to your operation in compliance with the NOP standard. We prepare an Application Review Letter with the findings. If information provided is satisfactory, we proceed with your certification.
Authorize a Proposal
SCS prepares a proposal for your approval with suggested scope of work, timeline and quote. If the proposal meets your needs, you sign a Work Order. We then contact you to schedule and audit.
On-site Audit and Testing
SCS conducts an annual on-site audit, including collection of samples for testing as may be deemed necessary. The audit includes physical inspection of the site, review of records, interview with personnel, and an exit interview. We prepare a Report of Findings after the audit (and any associated testing) is completed.
Certification Decision
If certification is granted, a Certificate of Compliance is issued. If certification is not granted, then the Report of Findings is accompanied by a declaration of status and explanation. The status may be one of the following:
Should additional inspections be required, SCS will prepare a Notification of Additional Inspection that describes the purpose of the additional inspection.
Maintaining Certification
Annual audits are required to maintain certification.
Organic certification has a variety of well-recognized benefits:
Once certified by SCS, you can reinforce your brand with both the USDA Organic seal and the SCS Kingfisher logo, shown to increase brand value.
In addition, certification through SCS gives you the added opportunity to market your pesticide residue free status during the three-year mandatory transition period to organic.
Some of the information presented below is excerpted directly from the US National Organic Program.
How does the USDA define organic?
Organic products are divided into four categories. Each category is governed by its own set of labeling requirements. Your certification will fall within one of these four categories:
What does the USDA National Organic Program require of certified organic product manufacturers?
An organic product or ingredient cannot be produced using:
In addition, organic products or ingredients may not contain nitrates, nitrites or sulfites (except for wine, which may contain added sulfites). NOP §205.105 and 205.301
What is an Organic Production System Plan ?
Certified producers must complete and file an Organic Production System Plan (the Plan) prior to becoming certified. The Plan provides a physical description of fields or farm parcels intended for use in growing and harvesting organic crops, and a written description of each aspect of organic production, including both pre- and post-harvest operations. The Plan also describes the specific management practices performed to verify effective implementation at all stages of production. For example, the Plan should describe control measures used for the prevention of accidental contamination by prohibited substances, and steps taken to prevent commingling and/or cross-contamination of organic foods with non-organic foods in a split operation. The Plan describes the producer's record-keeping system, compliance monitoring procedures and frequency of monitoring, and training requirements for employees.
What areas of production of crops are impacted by implementing organic management procedures?
Organic management includes methods for pest management, and weed and disease management. With respect to on-farm post-harvest handling facilities, practices and procedures for each aspect of post-harvest handling are includes, as well as a facility's handling of non-organic products if applicable.
What are the labeling requirements?
Labeling requirements are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product, as described above. In general, any multi-ingredient product labeled as organic must identify each organically produced ingredient in the ingredient statement on the information panel. The name of the certifying agent of the final product must be displayed on the information panel for 100%, organic and "made with" products. The address of the certifying agent of the final product may be displayed on the information panel. There are no restrictions on use of other truthful labeling claims such as "pesticide residue free," "no drugs or growth hormones used," "free range," or "sustainably harvested." More detail on the USDA's organic labeling requirements are available on their web site.


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"I'm sick to death of fairytales" Kenneth MacMillan once told The Times. Yet Le Baiser de la fée fascinated him and he revisited his 1960 original again in 1986. "It was the music that naturally attracted me", he told Clive Barnes, "certainly not the story. I realise that the story is not altogether convincing. But I also found the theme, or, if you like, allegory, extraordinarily interesting."
This was Kenneth MacMillan's third Stravinsky ballet; the previous two were Danses Concertantes (1955) and Agon (1959). While the score of Baiser had been admired from the time of its composition in 1929, choreographers had struggled to create a completely successful staging. Nijinska's original for Ida Rubinstein had left Stravinsky cold ("I'm just back from the theatre with a fearful headache as a result of the terrible things I've been seeing"). Kenneth MacMillan was the eighth choreographer to tackle Baiser; others who had previously hazarded its pitfalls included Frederick Ashton (1935) and George Balanchine (1937), both of whom had warned MacMillan of the difficulties in his way, chief among them the lack of obvious relationships between score and scenario. For several critics, MacMillan's version is the most credible in its engagement with both and in its attempt to reconcile them.
Musically Le Baiser de la fée is a tribute to Tchaikovsky, while its scenario is based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Ice Maiden. This is the story of a boy destined for immortality because he has been kissed at birth by a fairy, or ice maiden. When the boy grows up and marries, the fairy reappears, entices away him from his bride and carries him away to supreme happiness. Stravinsky explained his fascination with the tale:
"In associating this muse (i.e. Tchaikovsky) with our Fairy, this ballet becomes an allegory. This Muse has in the same way marked the ballet with the fatal kiss whose mysterious imprint is visible in all the work of that great artist."
Ashton, in creating his version, identified with the idea of the kiss as an ordination, an artistic setting apart. For Ashton the instant of the kiss is the climactic ecstatic moment in the young man's life. But MacMillan had a far darker story to tell. His instinct was for the bride betrayed. His tale is one of good and evil - of the abandoned bride ("She's the one who is lost") and a young man in the grip of everlasting darkness. For Clive Barnes, MacMillan, in reconceiving the allegory, had cut to its heart:
"...the artist in society, the man marked out from his fellows, unable to join in their life and dedicated to suffering". In MacMillan's hands, Barnes suggested, the ballet "not only appears as a telling homage to the 19th-century Russian ballets that inspired it, but also as a work full of noble, singing poetry."
MacMillan was determined that the set should not recycle traditional images of fairyland. Instead, the designer Kenneth Rowell created a threatening landscape in dark mineral colours; an abstract world of rock stratas, gorges, caverns and ominous icebergs.
For Richard Buckle, this Baiser was a 'tremendous success'. He continued: "MacMillan, with his ear to the ground, has perfectly translated into movement the filigree of shimmering insect splendour which is a feature of this score. Of Lynn Seymour as the Bride, he wrote that she "skims and flits like a happy gnat through her lovely allegretto variation: she has the priceless gift of lending to art an air of spontaneity, and without question makes a triumph of her first created role. Of Svetlana Beriosova as the Fairy, it seemed to Buckle that she had never been seen to better effect in a modern ballet. "As the Fairy, her swooping boreal gestures and Alpine style point the difference between god and human."
As for The Times, "The criticism that the music, drawn from Tchaikovsky's salon music, with difficulty sustains a continuous ballet in four scenes is just, but so much invention has been put into the new choreography by Mr Kenneth MacMillan and into the splendid evocative scenery by Mr Kenneth Rowell, that the weakness of the hybrid creation was not obtrusive, for the eye was continuously and abundantly satisfied and gratified." For Dance and Dancers MacMillan's greatest success was in transforming nineteenth century classical choreography into "something completely individual and yet at the same time retaining the essence of its style and structure. Le Baiser de la fée represents the most mature choreography MacMillan has so far given us."
But for Alexander Bland of The Observer. "it is not until the pas de deux that interest quickens, the high point of the evening being soon reached in the fiancée's solo, a delicious drifting rubato affair, which Lynn Seymour will make into a winner, when she has grown into it. The contrasting dance between the hero and the fairy, which follows (rather awkwardly) immediately afterwards, seems laboured by comparison with Beriosova – serene and fluid as ever, but hampered by a singularly unbecoming costume – not so romantically remote as she might have been. This is an ambivalent role – a kind of amiable Odile – but unattainability is surely in the long run a Muse's trump card. Donald MacLeary danced and acted excellently throughout."
Given so many excellent reviews, the question must be asked why the ballet did not survive. The reasons were similar to those for the non-survival in the repertory of Laiderette. MacMillan had wanted to do Le Baiser de la fée as his first commissioned ballet, but the musical demands (configuration) of Stravinsky's score were impractical for a touring company. When it was produced in 1960 at Covent Garden, the complication became Kenneth Rowell's set designs. These were so complex that, at a time when the Royal Ballet could call on sixty other works in the repertory, there were only six other ballets with which Le Baiser de la fée could, for technical reasons, be programmed. Of those six some were probably not compatible on the same programme; there could have been a preponderance of opening ballets or middle works, or impossible orchestral demands so Le Baiser de la fée was a nightmare to schedule and had only 33 performances.
First performed: 12 April 1960
Company: The Royal Ballet
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Design: Kenneth Rowell
Cast: Lynn Seymour, Svetlana Beriosova, Donald MacLeary


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The US views the role of Taiwan in supporting US President Barack Obama's strategy to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region positively, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Christopher Marut said yesterday.
"Certainly, as a major component of the so-called pivot or rebalance, the US is looking to expand trade and cooperation as part of its overall focus on Asia, and Taiwan is an important economic and security partner in the region," Marut said at a press conference in response to media inquiries on what the US redirecting its military focus to Asia means for Taiwan and how the plan is being carried out through the AIT's work.
The plan was unveiled earlier this year, prompting discussion on how it would reshape the trilateral relationship between Washington, Beijing and Taipei.
At a press conference scheduled to introduce Marut, who assumed the position of AIT director three weeks ago, he highlighted the areas of economic and security cooperation between the US and Taiwan.
On the economic front, the AIT is to work to advance US trade relations with Taiwan, by both expanding US exports to meet the Obama administration's goal of doubling exports by 2015, as well as encouraging Taiwanese investment and manufacturing to come to the US, he said.
Following Taiwan's decision to relax restrictions on imports of US beef containing residues of the leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine in July, the US has decided to send an interagency team to Taipei later this month to discuss resuming talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) platform.
At the question-and-answer session, Marut said the US looks forward to moving TIFA talks forward, but "no decision has been made yet on when to resume those talks."
The talks started in 1994, but have been suspended by the US since 2007 in response to Taiwan banning imports of US beef over fears of mad cow disease. Taipei's policy of examining US beef for ractopamine residues in January last year further prolonged the talks' hiatus, until they were scheduled to resume late that month.
Responding to a question on which issue would be the largest obstacle to him to boosting US-Taiwan ties in the next few years, Marut said: "Certainly, on the trade side, we have got a lot of work to do. TIFA talks have not been held since 2007 … I think that rebuilding of trust has to take place between the two sides."
On questions relating to Taiwan's accession to the US-led emerging Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), he said discussion of Taiwan's possible future inclusion in the TPP is "premature."
"From the US' perspective, the current priority should be for Taiwan to rebuild confidence in our bilateral trade relationship," Marut said.
When asked whether the US will continue to push Taiwan to allow pork containing ractopamine residues, Marut said: "The US consistently urges Taiwan to ensure that its food safety measures are based on science and consistent with international standards."
Marut said the ractopamine residue safety standards established by international food safety body the Codex Alimentarius Commission in early July applies to both beef and pork products.
With regard to security cooperation between the US and Taiwan, which he described as "one of the strongest elements" of the overall relationship, Marut said that he would continue to support the efforts which have contributed to regional stability.


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Ahla w sahla and welcome to our community of expats in Beirut. At InterNations we've created this platform to help you with your relocation to Beirut because we understand that moving to another country can be stressful. So if you're thinking about moving or are in the in the middle of relocating, our detailed and easy-to-follow resources will help you answer any questions you might have, whether it's about the local economy, housing, or even recreation. You can find everything you need about the lifestyle in Beirut in our forums or if not you can ask our community of trustworthy expats who are willing to support you and help you learn the ways of life in Beirut. Simply head over to the expat forum to find all the answers and more.
With InterNations, you never stand alone. Whether you move to another city or go on a business trip somewhere — our communities are there to make you feel at home wherever you are in the world. Feel free to also check out our other vibrant InterNations Communities like the ones in Shanghai or Singapore.
Attend our monthly events and activities for Beirut expatriates to get to know like-minded expatriates in real life.
Get trustworthy advice and local insights from fellow members in our Beirut expat forums.
Like all great capital cities of the world, Beirut has plenty to offer. It plays an important role in the Lebanese economy with primary industries including banking and tourism. Beirut has a long and diverse history with several cultures including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and French and this is clearly reflected in the city's architecture. One important aspect of life in Beirut is the food. There are some fantastic restaurants to dine in such as Casablanca, often referred to as the best place for brunch in Beirut.
InterNations is the largest global network for expatriates, with communities in 420 cities across the globe. Get to know fellow internationals in your city, before you're moving, or when traveling somewhere and never feel like a stranger. InterNations makes it easy for you to stay in touch with your expat friends, both online and offline, so you can grow your network of friends and contacts from all over the world. Whether they live in Brussels or Riyadh, InterNations allows you to be close to them even if they are miles away.
At InterNations you can discover our delightful community of supportive expats in Beirut who are understanding and happy to help with any issue you might have. Our expats have been in your position so know that no question is silly or trivial. If you're already living in Beirut, why not join one of the regular activities where you can learn to experience all Beirut has to offer, while making friends all at the same time? They can help you find the best places to eat out or help you find some of the more unusual sites; no matter what you're after, there'll be a group for you. Your relocation will not only be made easier by our expats in Beirut, but also more enjoyable.


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(RNS) British novelist and essayist Francis Spufford's spirited defense of the Christian religion is in some ways like eavesdropping on a missionary conversation with the pagans of antiquity.
"Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense" — is the latest attempt at an ancient literary form, the Christian apology, and it makes its appearance in the United States more than a year after it was published in England.
Spufford's defense of Christianity is aimed primarily at what he calls "godless Europeans," the post-Enlightenment elites who tend to regard religion with bemusement as a silly fairy tale, if not with open hostility as a dangerous superstition.
The analogy to converting heathens is only partially applicable, he said in a phone interview from his home in the village of Duxford, near Cambridge.
The heathens, after all, had their own gods, temples, prayers and rituals, unlike so many secular Westerners today.
"What's interesting about his book is that he really does speak to a dramatic cultural change that's pervasive in Europe," said religion professor Randall Styers of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "What happens with that is this increasing privatizing — or individualizing — of religious belief."
Indeed, "Unapologetic" is an intensely personal account that includes Spufford's own mystical encounter with God. But unlike the missionaries of yore, his evangelistic ambitions are rather modest: not to win souls, but simply to win back some respect for the emotional dignity of the Christian religion.
Spufford's acronym for sin, HPtFtU, refers to the "human propensity to foul things up." Not foul, to be precise. A creative writing teacher at Goldsmiths College in London, Spufford drops the f-bomb, forcing reviewers to come up with cheerful euphemisms.
Spufford's Christianity can be hip and edgy, cheeky and irreverent. It is uncompromising but nonconfrontational at the same time.
"It's the most recent version of that kind of indirect, charming and in some ways conciliatory approach to apologetics, as opposed to the frontal assault," said John Stackhouse Jr., a theology professor at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and author of "Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today."
"Unapologetic" prompted The Times Literary Supplement to predict that Spufford's bravado could win him as much public attention as has been showered on Christopher Hitchens and other atheists. Spufford's testimony serves as a kind of wise antidote to the recent spate of faddish atheist manifestos that Spufford describes as so much arm-waving.
"If you're trying to write a book for people who don't have a God-shaped space in their lives, and have no idea what the noun spelled G-o-d refers to," Spufford said, "then you're under this ridiculous compulsion, you've got to bring God on, you've got to say this is what we're talking about it."
A member of the Church of England, Spufford is a former atheist who now calls himself an orthodox Christian and believes in the literal resurrection of Jesus and other core tenets of the Christian faith. And despite professing amiable relations with the sister religions, he is convinced that Christianity is right about Jesus being Messiah and Son of God. Islam and Judaism have got it wrong.
Only with this caveat: Religious truths can't be demonstrated with ironclad logic, as if they were a "repeatable laboratory experiment," which leaves open the possibility that Christianity is a mistake. Its validation necessarily lies in the inner emotional register of its believers.
"We could be wrong," Spufford said. "As a matter of intellectual honor, I need to represent my faith as what I feel it is, which is a gamble on meaning in a state of radical uncertainty."
L. Gregory Jones, a professor of theology at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., said that the effectiveness of "Unapologetic" lies in its illustration of a Christian life animated by humility, forgiveness and grace. "When people see a genuinely holy life there is something compelling that says, 'this is what we were created for,'" Jones said.
Stackhouse noted that Spufford cleared a space where the merits of Christianity can be discussed frankly but without the usual acrimony.
"Part of what makes professional apologetics so effective with a minority and so repellent to the majority is that (the minority) clearly are frightened of losing," Stackhouse said. "They're worried about the stakes and everything is ratcheted up to this emotional intensity.
"It's like the whole world is at stake and we have to settle this tonight," Stackhouse said. "Spufford is offering us this other mode — coming in, as it were, through the side door rather than bashing down the front door."
At the same time, Spufford makes it a point to reject some Christian traditions that secular critics have seized upon as arguments against the religion. He renounces the theological concept of hell, for example, as one of the great disasters committed by Christianity. He embraces gay rights, with the prediction that acceptance of gays will enter the Christian mainstream within several generations.
And Spufford refers to the historical Jesus as Yeshua, focusing on anti-Semitism as "the greatest shame of Christian history."
Novelist Nick Hornby (author of "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy") declared in a review that while Spufford didn't turn him into a Christian, Spufford did give him a greater respect for Christians. Given the stumbling blocks ahead, such a response should be celebrated as a success, Spufford said.
"It is a book designed to get people only part of the way," Spufford said. "In my setting, at least, it takes a mighty heave to get people even part of the way."
"In a setting like the contemporary English one, where people have no reason to find religion or Scripture authoritative, the one thing that people listen to and find authoritative is somebody's individual story told in a way that other people can recognize," he said.


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Press Release
Press Releases
Vertellus Completes Upgrades for API Niacin Manufacture
(Indianapolis, IN) Vertellus announces that its facility in Antwerp, Belgium, has completed capital and other upgrades for the manufacture of niacin (nicotinic acid) for pharmaceutical use.
The plant has been producing niacin USP and niacinamide for nearly 30 years and has reliably supplied the ingredient for human food applications as well as agricultural needs. Vertellus completed projects over the last year to upgrade the facility to meet stringent guidelines necessary to be fully compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) in manufacture of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and has been inspected and deemed acceptable by the US Federal Drug Administration.
"We are very excited to broaden our market capabilities to include pharmaceutical use for Niacin," says Bentley Park, President of Vertellus Agriculture & Nutrition Specialties LLC. "Among other applications, Niacin increasingly is used as a critical ingredient in drugs that help improve cardiovascular health by increasing "good" cholesterol levels. We can now provide another source and more options for pharmaceutical companies making those life-saving drugs."
Major changes at the plant include upgrades and validation of all critical equipment, manufacturing processes, analytical methodology and data collection systems.
To learn more about Vertellus' API Niacin manufacture capabilities call us at 1-800-777-3536 option 2.
About Vertellus: Vertellus is a specialty chemicals company focused on the manufacture of ingredients used in pharmaceuticals, personal care, nutrition, agriculture, and a host of other market areas affected by trends favoring "green" technologies and chemistries. Vertellus is the #1 global producer of pyridine and picolines, specialty pyridine derivatives, DEET, castor oil derivatives and systems, and citrate polymer additives and systems, and a world leader in Vitamin B-3. Vertellus benefits from a technically-advanced global manufacturing base and has approximately 800 employees. Vertellus is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.


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Earrings 2×2 squared thread, L:4 cm
Every piece is handmade. Delivery time 4-5 weeks
Retail price 200 €
Read more about the Sedna collection
Named after the female god of the sea in Inuit mythology, the collection SEDNA seeks to elaborate on several themes of importance for the BUKKEHAVE vision of finery. The pieces are inspired by Inuit culture and have a strong connection to the sea, the north and to the clear, unspoiled coldness of the artic. The collection combines both strength and frailty in strict, simple and explicitly feminine designs for the modern, powerful woman of today.


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Crop Protection in Spain ׀ DuPont™ Altacor®
- Challenge: Food
- Industry: Agriculture
- Location: Murcia, Spain
In 2006, farmers in Murcia, Spain were faced with a tremendous challenge: finding a solution for Tuta Absoluta, a pest that originated in South America and abruptly entered the region, destroying tomato crops and farmers' incomes in its path. This film illustrates how DuPont collaborated with Professor Marvelo C. Picanco from Vicosa University in Brazil, totrain farmers on how to identify and help control the pest by using DuPont™ Altacor® .
We also speak with Paco Martínez, Director of Production for fruit and vegetable producer Perichán, who explains how devastating the first invasions of this pest were to his company and fellow tomato producers and how, thanks to the collaboration, tomato producers in the Murcia region overcame the threat of Tuta Absoluta.
Copyright © 2013 E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. All rights reserved.


text: NCAA Merchandise > Ohio State Buckeyes Merchandise Ohio State University Pennant View All Ohio State Buckeyes Merchandise ITEMS Quantity $5.95 Out of Stock Add to Cart IN STOCK Standard & Express Shipping Available Order by 2pm CST (M-F) — Ships Same Day Item ID#: WN-PennantWN-OSUB Tweet Wish Our Ohio State University Pennant is perfect for showing your college team spirit in any room of the house. The Ohio State University Pennant is a full size (12x30 inches) pennant and is single-sided screen printed with the officially licensed University team colors and school logos. Our pennants are made of felt and provide a pennant sleeve for insertion of a pennant stick, if desired.Accessorize your pennant with our Pennant Sticks, Pennant Frames, or buy one of your favorite College Pennant Sets. Customers Also Bought... Flag & Pennant Accessories Pennant Sticks $6.95 Out of Stock Add To Cart 12x30 Inch Pennant Frame $43.95 Out of Stock Add To Cart


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The service is easy to use and has lots of features. This popular free service offers free public and private chat rooms and video webcam chat. Planet Live Chat offers video and voice chat, picture sharing, private chat and a variety of chat rooms based on different interests.
Here, you can get a free, customized chat room for your Web site.
Here, you can upload pictures and profiles and play online Flash games.
You can also post to the forums, send instant messages, send video mail, and more.
In this section, The Free offers a roundup of chat freebies on the Web, including free chat programs and freeware chat clients.
We also take a look at free services that let you easily set up your own chat room. Here's a top-notch free service that lets you easily create your own chat room, in which you can invite people via E-mail to chat.
The streaming music feature lets you upload MP3s, make playlists, and share and listen to music.
Chat rooms here include audio and visual conference capability and feature collaborative features like file sharing, image upload and more.
Free Java offers Java-based chat rooms that include a feature-rich IRC-compliant Web interface.
A big plus for this service is that it displays no ads.
Here's a good place to go if you're looking to chat online.
A popular site, Chat offers lots of categorized chat rooms, including dating chat, gaming chat, senior chat, teen chat, and more.
No installation or registration is required and the service doesn't pester you with banner ads or popups. Then head on over to this popular free chat portal that features moderated chat rooms that are always lively.
321offers chat rooms in many categories: singles, teens, adults, Latinos, Webcams, Asians, seniors, and more. A fun, free online chat community, where you can view other user's pictures, profile info and more.


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The Sephora Collection Blockbuster is Just That... a Blockbuster!/
Hi! It's Caci here for Teen Beauty. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and got some great holiday deals over the weekend. I did some shopping and am making my wish list. AT this point, it is pretty endless - ha, ha.
My wish list includes a few pretty makeup items this year. Since I wear makeup everyday now, I am playing more and more and having so much fun. Isn't it great to discover new, beautiful things?
One item at the VERY top of my Wish List is this Sephora Collection Endless Color Blockbuster. It is a BLOCKBUSTER of a deal I tell you. And what is inside the palette (that closes into a Sephora-like bag!!!) is nothing short of a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
With 187 different makeup products. My friends, you read that correctly. 187! Here is a little breakdown, taken from the Sephora website:
98 original, iridescent effect eyeshadows
70 shiny lip glosses
6 cream eyeliners
2 lip liners
3 eyeliners
4 applicators
It says that the palette contains different trays of product that slide in and out to accommodate all of the different shades. Also inside the palette is a very special silver ticket.
"...silver ticket automatically enters you in the SEPHORA COLLECTION Silver Ticket Sweepstakes. Visit Sephora.com on January 1, 2011 to see if you have the winning silver ticket. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 Sephora shopping spree, a one-year supply of SEPHORA COLLECTION products, and more"
I mean really, this palette can do no wrong, right? I am hoping it is under the tree for me. Just in case anyone else wants one, and wants to buy me one (Hello, Mom!), this Sephora Blockbuster is $48 at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.


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I'm not the best looking guy; some would say I'm a little frayed around the edges these days.
But, I have a nice bike, a little money, and I spend most of my time casually riding from place to place.
I met a nice-looking girl in the park the other evening. There was an instant spark between us.
She did this cute little dance, then immediately dropped to her knees and lay on the grass at my feet.
As we lay there together, I thought, "Damn, these Taser guns are really worth the money!"


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Due to open sometime in 2014, this $1.08bn (USD) children's hospital in Brisbane, Australia has been inspired by a "living tree," with the various wooden windows jutting out like treehouses sat on branches.
Once it's finished in four years' time, the hospital will contain 359 beds and is just bright and cheery-looking enough that it should help lessen the trauma of the kids who are cooped up inside. [Lyons and Conrad Gargett via DesignBoom]