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Article Text
Objective The efficacy of low-level laser treatment (LLLT) for chronic back pain remains controversial due to insufficient trial data. We aimed to conduct an updated review to determine if LLLT (including laser acupuncture) has specific benefits in chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP).
Methods Electronic databases were searched for randomised trials using sham controls and blinded assessment examining the intervention of LLLT in adults with CNLBP. Primary outcomes were pain and global assessment of improvement with up to short-term follow-up. Secondary outcomes were disability, range of back movement, and adverse effects. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted. Subgroup analyses were based on laser dose, duration of baseline pain, and whether or not laser therapy used an acupuncture approach.
Results 15 studies were selected involving 1039 participants. At immediate and short-term follow-up there was significant pain reduction of up to WMD (weighted mean difference) −1.40 cm (95% CI −1.91 to −0.88 cm) in favour of laser treatment, occurring in trials using at least 3 Joules (J) per point, with baseline pain <30 months and in non-acupuncture LLLT trials. Global assessment showed a risk ratio of 2.16 (95% CI 1.61 to 2.90) in favour of laser treatment in the same groups only at immediate follow-up.
Conclusions We demonstrated moderate quality of evidence (GRADE) to support a clinically important benefit in LLLT for CNLBP in the short term, which was only seen following higher laser dose interventions and in participants with a shorter duration of back pain. Rigorously blinded trials using appropriate laser dosage would provide greater certainty around this conclusion.
This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) not attributable to a recognisable, known specific pathology is common, with an estimated prevalence in developed countries of approximately 23%.1 CNLBP is a major cause of medical expenses, absenteeism, and disability. There are concerns regarding the benefits and potential harms of medication such as paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids2 ,3 for the treatment of chronic back pain, and non-drug treatments including exercise and multidisciplinary and behavioural treatment have been demonstrated to be of benefit.4
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a light source treatment that may act via non-thermal or photochemical reactions in cells. It includes laser acupuncture (LA), which involves focused irradiation at specific points, most commonly traditional acupuncture points, with a low intensity laser.5 LLLT for pain relief in medicine remains controversial with claims that apparent efficacy is due to the placebo effect.
Multiple mechanisms for LLLT analgesia may exist. There is experimental evidence suggesting that laser irradiation induces peripheral neural blockade, suppresses central synaptic activity, modulates neurotransmitters, reduces muscle spasm and interstitial oedema, and exerts anti-inflammatory effects.6 The World Association of Laser Therapy (WALT) has published guidelines for LLLT dosage described in Joules (J) per point for arthritis and tendinopathy.7
A number of meta-analyses since 2003 have reported pain relief from LLLT in painful musculoskeletal conditions.8–10 In 2008, a Cochrane systematic review of laser therapy focusing on non-specific low back pain (LBP)11 included seven trials, considered both acute and chronic pain, did not restrict controls to sham laser, and excluded LA trials. At that point, there were insufficient data to draw firm conclusions on the effect of LLLT in LBP. Our objective was to conduct an updated systematic review of the efficacy of LLLT, including LA, for the treatment of CNLBP.
This meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Cochrane Back Review Group (CBRG)12 and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).13 The study protocol is provided in online supplementary data file appendix A.
Supplementary data
Eligibility criteria
Studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with blinded assessment of the outcome. Participants were non-pregnant adults with CNLBP.1 The primary intervention studied was LLLT, including LA. For the purposes of this review, LA studies were defined as those in which low intensity laser was applied to classical acupuncture points, tender points and/or trigger points, and where acupuncture intent was explicitly stated in the report; other studies were classified as non-acupuncture laser therapy. The comparison intervention needed to be sham laser therapy with similar appearance to the active treatment but without laser irradiation. Studies including co-interventions were allowed if applied equally to both laser and control groups. Crossover studies were excluded.
Primary outcomes were: (1) LBP measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) or numerical pain rating scale (NPRS); and (2) 'global assessment', which represented dichotomous categorical outcomes of overall improvement or satisfaction with the received intervention. These were measured immediately (<1 week post-treatment) and at short-term (1–12 weeks) follow-up.
Secondary outcomes included disability, quantified using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)14 or the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMQ),15 as well as adverse effects, range of movement (ROM) of the back, and pain or global assessment at intermediate (∼6 months) and long-term (∼1 year) follow-up.
Search methods for identification of studies
Electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro)) were searched for RCTs of laser therapy or LA for the treatment of chronic LBP in which the control treatment used was sham laser. Publication reference lists were additionally examined to identify any missed studies. We used the Updated Search Strategies for CBRG,16 which included a generic search for RCTs and controlled clinical trials, combined with a specific search for 'back' conditions. We completed the search by adding terms related to the laser intervention, as detailed in the online supplementary data file appendix B.
Selection of studies, data extraction and management
Papers were initially screened at title and abstract level by one reviewer (GG) who removed duplicate reports and ineligible trials. There was no restriction of full text by language. Potentially eligible papers were reviewed by pairs of reviewers and data extracted independently. Authors were contacted if possible, to clarify further information. We used RevMan 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration)17 for data management and statistical analysis.
Assessment of risk of bias in included studies
We adapted the Cochrane Collaboration tool12 for assessing risk of bias in 12 domains. Paired reviewers categorised domains as 'high', 'low' or 'unclear' risk of bias; disagreements were resolved by consensus. External reviewers assessed bias in one specific trial18 for which our reviewers were the authors. Trials were considered to be at 'higher risk of bias' if they contained more than six domains of 'high' and 'uncertain' risk.
Measures of treatment effect
For continuous data (pain intensity, disability, and ROM), treatment effects were expressed as a mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) together with 95% CIs. For global assessment we calculated the risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI. Meta-analysis was used to combine the results of trials using a random-effects model.
Unit of analysis issues
Different pain measurement scales (VAS and NPRS) were converted to a scale of 0–10 cm. In one trial18 that examined more than one laser dose, in order to avoid 'double counts', we split the sham laser control group into two equally sized groups to allow inclusion of two independent comparisons within the meta-analysis.19
Missing data, assessment of heterogeneity and publication bias
We used the RevMan calculator17 to derive unreported statistical data. Where laser parameters were unreported, the following physical formula was used to calculate the dose:
Heterogeneity was assessed and interpreted as described in the Cochrane Handbook.19 I2 values of 0–40%, 30–60%, and 50–90% were considered to represent 'unimportant', 'moderate', and 'substantial' heterogeneity, respectively. Publication bias was addressed by examination of funnel plots for primary outcomes.
Data synthesis
We conducted meta-analysis for outcomes at immediate and short-term follow-up except where outcomes were reported for two studies or less, in which case results were presented narratively, together with the longer term follow-up. Decisions for conducting subgroup analyses were made at protocol stage based on: (1) acupuncture/non-acupuncture laser therapy; and (2) laser dosage. A post-hoc decision regarding the cut-off value for laser dose and a subgroup analysis for baseline pain duration was guided by consideration of the review findings. A sensitivity analysis was performed excluding trials considered at 'higher risk of bias'.
Search results
Electronic searches of databases from inception until August 2014, and screening reference lists, identified 15 studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria (figure 1). Three papers required translation into English from German21 and Japanese.22 ,23
Characteristics of included studies
The selected trials18 ,21–34 included 1039 participants at randomisation (table 1). Participants were mostly recruited into trials from hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, except in the case of four trials18 ,21 ,28 ,34 that recruited via community newspapers. Some trials did not fully describe details of their inclusion criteria for chronicity22 ,23 or specificity.22 ,23 ,31 In trials where the mean baseline duration of pain was reported, this was categorised as 'shorter'24 ,26 ,27 ,30 (average range 4.6–27 months) or 'longer'18 ,21 ,25 ,28 ,29 ,34 (49 months to 13 years).
Five trials were classified as LA studies18 ,21 ,28 ,31 ,34 (table 2). Three of these trials used smaller doses of 0.2–1.1 J/point.18 ,28 ,34 One trial21 used a 'laser needle' device to deliver 60–180 J/point irradiation, while another31 used 12 J/point.
The remaining 10 trials were classified as non-acupuncture laser therapy studies. Two studies25 ,29 used ≤2.8 J/point, while much higher dosages were used in another two trials26 ,33 (239 and 1200 J/point, respectively). The remaining six trials used doses in the range of 3–25 J/point. Three trials24 ,27 ,33 used manual scanning to irradiate larger anatomically defined areas as well as irradiation of discrete points. Reporting of laser parameters was incomplete in certain trials and some values were calculated or assumed if authors could not be contacted.
A variety of methods to achieve sham laser controls were reported including use of the same machine with on/off switch, or use of a separate machine and/or probe. Blinding methods included the use of opaque goggles, as well as a specific laser machine35 capable of blinding both patient and operator to treatment allocation (table 2). In some trials the description of the masking procedure was unclear24 ,26 ,27 ,32 or completely absent.31 Only three studies18 ,21 ,28 statistically analysed the success of the blinding technique used.
Only four trials18 ,21 ,26 ,28 defined predetermined primary outcomes. The majority of studies reported pain using a VAS; two studies18 ,34 used an NPRS. Participant based 'global assessment' was reported as a dichotomised categorical variable including 'condition improved' versus 'same or worse'18 ,28 and 'good response' versus 'same or undecided'.22 ,23 Two trials only reported an arbitrary level of improvement on a pain scale (eg, >50% reduction of chronic pain on Von Korff Scale21 or ≥60% reduction pain on VAS scale32). These dichotomous outcomes were combined during meta-analysis to determine the RR of 'global improvement'. The majority of studies that reported disability used ODI; one trial reported only RMQ.29 Range of back movement was measured as flexion in centimetres (Schober's test)25–27 ,30 or in degrees.24 ,29 Occurrence of adverse effects was briefly mentioned in five trials25 ,26 ,29 ,32 ,34 but quantitative comparisons were only undertaken in three.18 ,21 ,28 Most studies reported immediate and/or short-term outcomes; only three studies18 ,28 ,32 reported outcomes at longer-term follow-up.
Risk of bias in included studies
Figure 2 demonstrates the proportion of studies determined to be low risk for each domain. Under our criteria we found three trials24 ,31 ,33 that we considered to be at 'higher risk of bias'.
Primary outcomes
Meta-analysis of data from 653 participants across 10 trials at immediate follow-up indicated a statistically significant reduction in total pain scores in laser versus control groups (WMD (weighted mean difference) −0.79 cm, 95% CI −1.22 to −0.36 cm; I2=70%), albeit with substantial heterogeneity (figure 3). In our subgroup analyses, a significant reduction of pain (laser compared to control) was only seen for the trials in which participants had shorter mean baseline duration (<30 months) of LBP (WMD −1.39 cm, 95% CI −1.71 to −1.07 cm; I2=23%). Significant differences between laser and control were also seen in the higher dose trials (>3 J/point) (WMD −1.23 cm, 95% CI 11.61 to −0.84 cm; I2=51%) and non-acupuncture trials (WMD −1.17 cm, 95% CI −1.60 to 0.74 cm; I2=62%). At short-term follow-up, there were no significant differences and substantial heterogeneity in the total pain score was observed (see six trials, 391 participants; online supplementary data file appendix C). In subgroup analyses we observed a significant reduction of pain (for laser compared to control) with the largest effect seen in higher dose trials and in trials with shorter duration of back pain at baseline (WMD −1.40 cm, 95% CI −1.91 to −0.88 cm; I2=0%).
Global assessment
As illustrated in figure 4, pooling of categorical data at immediate follow-up from 416 subjects (five trials) showed a significant effect on global assessment (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.04; I2=65%) in favour of laser treatment (substantial heterogeneity present) with a greater improvement in both non-acupuncture and higher dose subgroups (RR 2.16, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.90; I2=0%) with reduced heterogeneity. Pooled data for short-term follow-up showed no significant differences for three included LA trials, two of which used a 'lower' dose (see online supplementary data file appendix D).
Sensitivity analysis
Results were robust to exclusion of trials considered at 'higher risk of bias' with pain differences in favour of laser in the higher dose subgroup at immediate (WMD −1.5 cm, 95% CI −1.8 to −1.2 cm) and short-term (WMD −1.7cm, 95% CI −2.5 to −1.0 cm) follow-up (see online supplementary data file appendix E). Similar findings were shown in non-acupuncture and 'short duration' subgroups. There were no trials at 'higher risk of bias'24 ,31 ,33 that reported global assessment outcomes.
Secondary outcomes
Intermediate and long-term pain and global assessment
Two trials (both low dose LA) reported outcomes at 6 months and at 12 months. They found no significant difference between groups for pain or global assessment at these time periods. One trial32 that reported less relapse of pain in the laser group at 6 months used an unvalidated outcome.
Analysis of data from 490 subjects (eight trials) at immediate follow-up found a small reduction in combined ODI score in laser versus control (WMD −2.5%, 95% CI −4.6% to −0.4%; I2=47%; see online supplementary data file appendix F). Subgroup analyses showed greater benefit of laser in non-acupuncture trials (WMD −3.5%, 95% CI −6.0% to −1.5%; I2=33%), and those applying higher dose treatment and/or including subjects with a shorter duration of back pain (WMD −3.6%, 95% CI −6.1% to −1.1%; I2=48%). Combined data from 383 subjects (six trials) at short-term follow-up found no significant difference, but subgroup analyses found greater benefit up to a WMD of −5.9% (95% CI −8.9% to −2.8%; I2=64%) in the same groups.
Range of back movement
ROM was measured only in the non-acupuncture trials.24–27 ,29 ,30 One trial24 found a significant difference of 4° flexion in favour of laser in the short-term.
Risk of publication bias
We plotted the effect sizes from trials that reported pain at immediate or short-term follow-up against the inverse of their standard error (see online supplementary data file appendix G). Visual inspection of the funnel plot did not show asymmetry suggestive of 'small study bias'.
Quality of evidence
We reached the conclusion that there was moderate quality evidence (GRADE profile20) that laser therapy reduces pain in the immediate and short term in subjects with CNLBP if pain has been present for <30 months or if a laser dose of at least 3 J/point is used (see online supplementary data file appendix H). The overall quality of evidence for this outcome was reduced due to limitations in the domain involving risk of bias. For the outcome of global assessment at immediate follow-up, the evidence of benefit of laser therapy was further reduced to low quality due to uncertainty in details of duration and specificity of LBP in trials22 ,23 and laser intervention parameters in a trial32 reporting this outcome.
This meta-analysis summarised RCTs that compared the effect of low-level laser with sham controls for the treatment of CNLBP. While combining data from all clinically heterogeneous studies demonstrated a small benefit, subgroup analyses showed larger positive effects of laser on pain, global assessment and disability present up to 12 weeks after treatment, particularly in trials with higher laser dose interventions. The effect size of the pain reduction (over sham) of 1.4 cm in these subgroups approached the minimally important change (MIC) for pain proposed by Ostelo36 of 1.5 cm. Disability (ODI) reduction was significant in the short term but less than the MIC of 10%.36 In this review, the mean pain reduction in the placebo laser groups averaged approximately 2.0 cm. The total average pain reduction between baseline and short-term follow-up, representing both non-specific and specific effects of the laser intervention, was about 60%.
Our results are consistent with previous findings8–10 suggesting benefits of low-level laser in a range of painful musculoskeletal conditions including chronic neck pain. In the trials we examined there appeared to be a dose threshold of 3 J/point for benefit of laser. This is higher than the minimal dose suggested by reviews by Baxter37 (0.5 J/point for myofascial pain) and Chow38 (0.8 J/point for chronic neck pain), but closer to the dose recommended by WALT7 (4 J/point for lumbar spine arthritis). This could be explained by the deeper location of structures in the low back area, requiring a higher laser irradiation dose for penetration. There was no upper dose at which laser appeared not to be effective or caused adverse effects.
Our review also found a relationship between duration of pain and laser effectiveness. This finding is plausible but needs to be explored in further research. Two previous studies examining physical treatment for back pain39 and acupuncture for chronic pain conditions40 showed a generally worse outcome for subjects with longer pain duration, but no interaction effect with type of treatment. Acute pain is more likely to resolve spontaneously than chronic pain and, once central sensitisation occurs, a condition may become unresponsive to LLLT.
Most (eight out of 10) non-acupuncture laser therapy trials were positive, that is, they showed a difference between laser and sham groups in primary outcomes; negative trials in this group25 ,29 treated participants with a longer duration of pain with a lower dose. Most non-acupuncture laser trials in this review treated relatively few points in the area of pain, although some also irradiated wider areas using a manual scanning technique. Skin surface application of laser results in photon scattering in the underlying volume of tissue,38 resulting in more widespread biological effects regardless of the intent of the therapist to stimulate acupuncture points, ah shi points or local anatomical structures. Acupuncturists and other laser therapists both irradiate tender points in the region of pain; the absence of positive acupuncture trials in this review could be related to small laser dosage and other factors unrelated to the approach to treatment. We were not able to determine why two higher dose LA trials21 ,31 were negative in this review.
Heterogeneity of studies and insufficient data were quoted as reasons for the previous inability to establish firm conclusions on the effect of LLLT for LBP.11 A strength of our review was the larger number of trials and inclusion of more recent eligible publications since the last such review, as well as exclusion of acute back pain and trials without sham laser controls, thus reducing heterogeneity and allowing the study of specific laser effects. Subgroup analysis was important in explaining the heterogeneity.
A major limitation of this review was related to bias from possible unmasking. Low risk of bias in all blinding domains according to the Cochrane tool was present in only about 60% of trials. In positive trials, the success of blinding was not tested and there were other possible deficiencies in blinding. Subject awareness of thermal sensation in trials with higher power devices is possible, which may potentially have unmasked the patients to treatment allocation. These issues arguably reduce the ability of this review to draw firm conclusions. Inadequate reporting of the characteristics of participants and laser parameters also produced uncertainty.
It is critical that rigorous blinding35 is instituted in any further clinical trials investigating laser therapy for the treatment of pain. The appropriate laser dose range for specific body regions (as recommended by WALT) should be followed, and full and explicit description of the laser parameters,5 treatment regimen, and baseline characteristics of the participants is important. Future studies may also establish the role of other components of the intervention such as the number and/or location of points, frequency/duration of treatment, and the effect of longer-term follow-up on outcomes.
Our meta-analysis suggests that LLLT, when used by itself or in combination with other modalities, may achieve a useful reduction in pain for up to 3 months in CNLBP with few adverse effects. However, we would recommend a degree of caution before widespread implementation, until our results can be confirmed by further rigorously blinded trials using adequate laser doses.
Summary points
This updated systematic review examined the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy compared to sham laser in the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain.
There was substantial clinical heterogeneity present between the 15 included trials, related to differences in both participant characteristics and laser interventions.
Meta-analysis showed a clinically important pain reduction in laser versus sham lasting up to 12 weeks post-completion of treatment (WMD −1.40 cm, 95% CI −1.91 to −0.88 cm).
Pain reduction occurred in subgroups with non-acupuncture laser interventions, laser dosage ≥3 J per point, and in participants with a shorter duration of baseline pain (30 months).
Further trials using strict masking and adequate laser doses are needed to ensure that the apparent benefits of laser are not due to bias related to unblinding of participants.
The authors would like to thank external reviewers Roberta Chow and Philip Gabel for assessing our own trial, and Yoshi Inoue for helping with the Japanese translation.
Contributors GG was the doctoral candidate and lead author and was responsible for the conceptualisation of the protocol and conduct of the review. MY and JE made substantial contributions to the design of the work, drafted and critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content, and agree to be accountable for the content of the work. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data sharing statement Data sharing on this research article is available on request from the corresponding author.
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Georgian Schools (Tbilisi)
We are moving to Tbilisi soon. Does anyone know if it's possible to place our kids in the public schools in Georgia? If so, which are the better schools and what procedure is required to enroll them?
We have lived in Georgia one year already and then left temporarily, so my kids know a little Georgian (but not much).

subset: commoncrawl


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John Deere 4455 4WD v1.0
Hi, I would like to thank Jukka for permission to make my own version of this wonderful tractor and thanks to Buster Heimann to do some xml and lua .. I hope you will like it, please contact Denmara if there's any errors so i can fix it up! And keep the original credit.
Denmara, Jukka & Buster


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Looking Over My Shoulder Again (Narcissism)
My heart is beating just a little faster than normal, as I enter my apartment building. Why is that? I think I have to tell you about the creepiest hoover ever, for you to fully understand these heart palpitations…. (Bit of a longer read today, since next post … Continue ReadingContinue reading


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We hold a number of weekly and fortnightly activites to which anyone is welcome to attend. More information can be found here
We have regular events throughout the year and welcome you to any of them. More information can be found here


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3:45 PM PT -- A rep for Ultra tells TMZ, Deadmau5 will replacing Avicii on Saturday.
Avicii has officially canceled his huge performance at Ultra this weekend -- and it's all his gallbladder's fault ... TMZ has learned.
DJ people tell us Avicii is still in the Miami hospital where he was rushed Thursday night for severe abdominal pains, nausea, and fever. We're told he has a blocked gallbladder and needs it removed.
As a result, Avicii has been forced to cancel all his commitments this week -- including his highly anticipated Ultra performance.
Avicii's bummed he's missing his big show -- but obviously ... the guy has no choice.


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Getting back to the economy? - Scoop: FDIC to lay out bank failure plans - Top story: Greece rescue becomes debacle - Talker: Chinese banks come to U.S.
( email@example.com; Twitter: @morningmoneyben)
GETTING BACK TO THE ECONOMY? - The decision by President Obama to announce his support for same-sex marriage took over the political universe yesterday. But there is reason to think it will not dominate for long. Republicans seemed disinclined to jump on the issue and drive a wedge, instead suggesting they wanted to get back to talking about jobs. House Speaker John Boehner on Fox Business: "I have always believed that marriage was between a man and a woman. But Republicans here on Capitol Hill are focused in on the economy." Campaigning in Colorado, Mitt Romney chastised a local reporter for asking about same-sex marriage and other social issues: "Aren't there issues of significance that you'd like to talk about?"
Story Continued Below
UH OH: CHINA STOPS BUYING EURO DEBT - Bloomberg's Andres R. Martinez: "China Investment Corp. has stopped buying European government debt because of an economic crisis on the continent, though it continues to look for new investments there, said CIC President Gao Xiqing. 'What is happening in Europe right now is of course of concern,' Gao said yesterday in an interview in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the World Economic Forum on Africa. 'We still have our people looking at opportunities in Europe, even though we don't want to buy any government bonds.' European leaders are struggling to contain a debt crisis that has entered its third year and led to bailouts of Greece, Portugal and Ireland. ... The euro posted its longest slump since 2008 and European shares fell to the lowest in almost four months as concern that Greece will be forced out of the euro zone grew. " http://bloom.bg/IK50NX
M.M. PUSH BACK I: RETAILERS ON LUGAR LOSS - Brian Dodge at the Retail Industry Leaders Association did not take kindly to the banker who said Sen. Richard Lugar's primary loss came partially due to banker anger over Lugar's support for the Durbin amendment limiting debit card swipe fees: "The cheap shot from the banks is Exhibit Z to why they're persona non grata in most offices on Capitol Hill. Also the irony of asking if retailers will alienate Republican Leader McConnell by supporting [Indiana Dem Senate nominee Rep. Joe] Donnelly is very rich, given the banking community's long and continued support for Donnelly. FEC records show he's received $116K from bank PACs over his career, $11K in just this cycle."
M.M. PUSH BACK II: TOO BIG TO FAIL ALWAYS BAD - Dennis Kelleher, chief executive of Better Markets, reacting to Financial Service Forum CEO Rob Nichols' defense of large banks, which cited Warren Buffett: "Large too big to fail financial institutions also deliver significant and unique risks to the U.S. economy and those risks blew up in 2008, causing the worst financial collapse and economic crisis since the Great Depression.
"Taxpayers and the US treasury had to use trillions of dollars to bailout those large too big to fail financial institutions, not to mention trillions of dollars more in economic damage from unemployment, foreclosures, massive deficits, etc. Given his huge investments in such large firms, it's no surprise Warren Buffett isn't a TBFT critic. If other countries want to keep the risks of a Second Great Depression from the TBTF banks, so be it. It will be their taxpayers, not the American taxpayer, on the hook for future failure."
SCOOP: FDIC TO LAY OUT BANK FAILURE PLANS - WSJ's Victoria McGrane: "When the next crisis brings a major financial firm to its knees, U.S. regulators will seize the parent company but allow its units around the globe to keep operating while the mess is cleaned up, according to a planned announcement Thursday from the [FDIC] The equity stakeholders of the large bank or other financial firm will be wiped out, and bondholders will face losses ... Nearly four years after the massive government bailouts of the financial crisis, regulators are looking to chip away at the tacit understanding that the government will step in to save top financial institutions seen as vital to the economy or banking system.
"As part of that effort, acting FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg will outline the agency's strategy in a speech in Chicago Thursday, his first public remarks on the dismantlement plans for banks. ... The FDIC, known more for its bank deposit insurance, is working to persuade major investors, analysts, economists and bankers that it is building an apparatus that could cleanly guide a massive financial firm to failure without a taxpayer bailout." http://on.wsj.com/KGL3hq
INVESTORS GIVE BERNANKE HIGH MARKS - Bloomberg's Rich Miller: "Global investors give Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke his highest approval rating since 2009 and expect him to take further action this year to accelerate a revival in the U.S. economy ... Bernanke, whom Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he wouldn't reappoint for running too lax a monetary policy, receives a favorable assessment from three of four of those surveyed in the latest Bloomberg Global Poll. ... More investors expect oil prices to fall over the next six months than to rise, 35 percent to 31 percent, the first time that's been the case since September. Respondents also are the most bullish on the U.S. dollar since September, when they were first asked about their investment intentions regarding the greenback. Close to two in five say they are adding to their dollar positions, while only about one in 10 are reducing them." http://bloom.bg/JvuPVV
GREECE EXPECTED TO EXIT EURO - Bloomberg's Simon Kennedy with more from the poll: "The 17-nation euro area is on the verge of losing one of its members, with more than 50 percent of investors predicting an exit this year as Greece's election impasse threatens to push the debt crisis to new depths ... 57 percent of the 1,253 investors, analysts and traders who are Bloomberg subscribers said at least one country will abandon the euro by year-end and 80 percent expected more pain for Europe's bond markets. With a majority identifying a deterioration in Europe as a large threat to the world economy, respondents to the May 8 survey were increasingly worried Spain will default and less willing to buy French debt as Francois Hollande takes power." http://bloom.bg/KRE7If
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING - Solid 2-1 win for the Caps last night setting up a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Imagine, if they could have held on 6 seconds longer on Monday this series would be over. Sigh.
** Flood the Hill Week: The nation's leading real estate, financial services, and construction industry trade associations take to Capitol Hill this week to urge Congress to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program before it expires on May 31. More than 5.6 million Americans depend on flood insurance. Visit www.floodthehill.com and join us on Twitter at #FloodtheHill **
DRIVING THE DAY - Big day for data with initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. expected to be little changed from last week's 365K. That would be a good signal that recent weak labor market numbers were mainly seasonal and gas-price related and not part of another spring swoon ... Trade deficit, also at 8:30 a.m., expected to rise to $50 billion from $46 billion ... Treasury budget at 2:00 p.m. expected to show surplus of $30 billion ... House takes up an alternative to last year's sequester that would cut less from Pentagon spending but contains trims to food stamps and other spending programs that would never make it through the Senate ... CFTC meets to discuss two final Dodd-Frank rules on derivatives ... Obama heads west for a fund-raiser in Seattle and then the big George Clooney dinner in Hollywood ... Mitt Romney is in Nebraska and Missouri
ALSO TODAY: FINANCIAL FOOTBALL - Per release: "Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and Redskins Linebacker London Fletcher will be at the White House Summit on Financial Capability at 3:55 p.m. to showcase Financial Football, an NFL themed video game and the centerpiece of Visa's nationwide educational initiative with the NFL and NFL PLAYERS."
TOP STORY: GREECE RESCUE BECOMES DEBACLE - WSJ's Marcus Walker: "Two years after Europe bailed Greece out to protect the euro, the rescue has become a debacle that threatens to unravel the common currency. After Greece's May 6 elections left pro-bailout parties too weakened to govern the country, more elections are likely in June, with no guarantee a stable government will emerge. By next month, Athens must identify €11.5 billion, or $15 billion, in fresh spending cuts or face suspension of the international loans it needs to pay pensions and run schools. If it doesn't get the money, it would eventually have to print its own.
"Greece's growing turmoil is the culmination of a radical austerity experiment and botched economic overhaul that have pushed the nation to the brink ... The story of the ill-fated bailout suggests that forcing deep austerity on individual member states won't save the euro and may worsen its crisis. Above all, Greece's example illustrates the conflict between Germany's tough terms for aiding other euro members and the amount of pain other societies can bear." http://on.wsj.com/JbjXvA
BAILOUT: SPAIN TAKES STAKE IN BIG BANK - FT Miles Johnson in Madrid and David Oakley in London: "Spain has taken a 45 per cent stake in Bankia, the country's third-largest bank by assets, as worries over the financial system sent equity and bond markets falling ... The Bank of Spain said Bankia and BFA, its parent company, had informed it that the conversion of €4.47bn of state aid in the bank into ordinary shares was 'the most advisable option for strengthening the [bank's] financial soundness'. As a result of the conversion the Frob, Spain's bank bailout fund, will hold the 45 per cent stake in Bankia.
"Spain's ministry of economy said the move was 'a necessary first step to ensure its solvency, the tranquility of depositors and dispel doubts about the entity's capital needs'. ... Bankia suffered steep falls following the resignation on Monday of Rodrigo Rato, executive chairman. Spanish equities dropped 2.8 per cent to close at the lowest level since October 2003 and 10-year government bond yields, which have an inverse relationship with prices, jumped more than 6 per cent - closer to levels considered unsustainable by markets" http://on.ft.com/LhRl3G
SPAIN UNDERESTIMATING BANK LOSSES? - Bloomberg's Yalman Onaran: "Spain is underestimating potential losses by its banks, ignoring the cost of souring residential mortgages, as it seeks to avoid an international rescue like the one Ireland needed to shore up its financial system. The government has asked lenders to increase provisions for bad debt by 54 billion euros ($70 billion) to 166 billion euros. That's enough to cover losses of about 50 percent on loans to property developers and construction firms, according to the Bank of Spain.
"There wouldn't be anything left for defaults on more than 1.4 trillion euros of home loans and corporate debt. Taking those into account, banks would need to increase provisions by as much as five times what the government says, or 270 billion euros, according to estimates by the Centre for European Policy Studies ... Plugging that hole would increase Spain's public debt by almost 50 percent or force it to seek a bailout, following in the footsteps of Ireland, Greece and Portugal."
TALKER: CHINESE BANKS COME TO U.S. - WSJ's Jon Hilsenrath, Robin Sidel and Lingling Wei: "Giant banks owned by the Chinese government are coming to the U.S. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved plans by three state-backed Chinese banks to expand in the U.S., including the first acquisition of a U.S. retail-banking network by a state-owned Chinese lender. The approval is a landmark step for U.S. banking regulators. Chinese banks long have sought access to the U.S. banking system in order to provide financing to Chinese companies ...
"But they have been stymied in previous attempts by assorted delays and rejections. ... The Federal Reserve effectively is giving its seal of approval to China's bank-regulatory system, a big step for U.S. regulators. The decision could open the door to other Chinese takeovers of U.S. banks, although it is unlikely China will make significant inroads into the U.S. banking industry anytime soon. .. The approval comes as China, prodded by the U.S., is slowly opening its markets to foreign companies and investors" http://on.wsj.com/LhOlEx
ROMNEY FACT CHECKED ON JOBS CLAIM - WP's Glenn Kessler: '"We should be seeing numbers in the 500,000 jobs created per month. This is way, way, way off from what should happen in a normal recovery.' — Mitt Romney, May 4, 2012 ... "[I]s Romney, speaking on 'Fox and Friends,' setting too high a standard? Let's examine the historical record. ... We went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site to see how common a 500,000 increase would be. We went back 65 years — Mitt Romney's age — which gave us a total of 784 months to examine. Given the imprecision of survey numbers, we also included any months that could be rounded up to 500,000. ... [O]nly nine times out of the last 784 months — a rate of slightly more than 1 percent — has the U.S. economy created more than 500,000 jobs in a month. ... So 500,000 is anything but normal. ...Two Pinocchios" http://wapo.st/IRol3E
EX-IM BANK APPROVED IN HOUSE - POLITICO's David Rogers: "Ending months of haggling, the House voted Wednesday to extend the Export Import Bank's charter through September 2014 and raise its loan exposure cap to $140 billion — a 40 percent increase. The bill must still pass the Senate but the lopsided 330-93 House margin makes it harder for conservatives to obstruct. Republicans split 147-93 for the measure, and Democrats, whose party controls the Senate, were unanimous in their support. ...
"Wednesday's vote caps a remarkable odyssey is which all of modern Washington's politics seemed to descend with a thud on the once obscure enclave of overseas financing for U.S. manufacturers. Tea Party forces made it a cause célèbre to block action. Delta Air Lines and the Boeing Co. fought over aircraft provisions. And Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was swept into the fray, forced to navigate between his alliances to conservatives and Delta and pressures from business interests to broker a deal that could be enacted." http://bit.ly/K0Jw3e
NEW FROM THE CFPB: MORTGAGE RULE PROPOSALS - Per release out last night at 10:00 p.m.: "Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) outlined rules it is considering that would simplify mortgage points and fees and bring greater transparency to the mortgage loan origination market. These rules, which the CFPB expects to propose this summer and finalize by January 2013, would make it easier for consumers to understand mortgage costs and compare loans so they can choose the best deal. .. The CFPB is considering proposals that would: Require an Interest-Rate Reduction When Consumers Elect to Pay Discount Points ... Require Lenders to Offer Consumers a No-Discount-Point Loan Option ...Ban Origination Charges that Vary with the Size of the Loan"
HOW TOP BROKERS DRIVE MERRILL - Reuters' Jennifer Hoyt Cummings: "The multimillion-dollar signing bonuses that big brokerages are doling out to recruit elite brokers may seem excessive, but internal reports from Merrill Lynch show why firms are willing to pay top dollar ... Nearly 46 percent of the revenue received by Merrill Lynch's Global Wealth Management unit last year came from just 21 percent of its top-producing brokers, about 2,500 people, according to copies of the reports reviewed by Reuters.The monthly reports, available internally as a performance scorecard, provide a rare look inside Merrill, revealing just how far ahead the top one-fifth of advisers are from the rest of the pack. ... Last year, the top 2,400 brokers generated an average of $2.5 million each in revenue for Merrill, double the average of advisers in the next 20 percent, who brought in $1.2 million each on average, according to a report that covered the full year." http://reut.rs/LhWcSo
SMALL INVESTORS: BEWARE FACEBOOK - Steve Rattner in the FT: "On the face of it, this is good news for the little man. The most closely watched initial public offering in years - that of social media group Facebook - will reportedly include a dollop of shares earmarked for small investors. Here is my advice: do not buy any. Facebook is an extraordinary company and its shares could easily march upward but its IPO is a timely reminder that amateurs should not be picking stocks ... The temptation to plunge into Facebook is understandable. It is a familiar and sexy company with soaring revenues and a stranglehold on its market. ... But for every Google or Facebook, several more lie in the dustbin of Wall Street history. One-time go-go stocks such as Pets.com, Webvan and eToys are all just painful memories for those who took the plunge." http://on.ft.com/JegvTV
SENATE LETTER ON SWAPS - Business Roundtable CEOs sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate, urging them to take up H.R. 2682, the Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 2011, and H.R. 2779, a Bill to Exempt Inter-Affiliate Swaps from the Regulatory Requirements of Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act. Letter: http://bit.ly/Jv6W0R
GOLDMAN HIRES TROOPS - Ralph Gardner Jr. writes in the WSJ: "I was one of the rare members of the 99% who made it past the cops and burly plainclothes security guards at Goldman Sachs's West Street headquarters on May Day. Then again, I had an appointment. I was there to learn about an internship program started in April for returning Iraqi and Afghanistan war vets. I know there are those who will think that the only thing scarier than meeting a Goldman executive in a dark alley is meeting one with weapons training, but I vowed to keep an open mind. Edith Cooper, head of Human Capital Management, said that by starting the Veterans Internship Program, known as 'VIP,' in which 300 people applied for 16 slots, Goldman was trying to continue doing well at the same time that it did good. These are individuals, Ms. Cooper explained, who 'lead people into battle.' These are people we'd like to have more of in the firm.' ... I'd put money on a number of the interns being hired, and not just because it's good PR." http://on.wsj.com/JgLKdy
** Flood the Hill Week: The nation's leading real estate and financial services trade associations take to Capitol Hill this week to urge Congress to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) before the program expires on May 31, 2012. Floods are not just a coastal issue. More than 5.6 million Americans across the country depend on the NFIP to protect their homes and businesses. Failing to reauthorize the NFIP could jeopardize nearly 40,000 mortgage closings per month, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Visit www.floodthehill.com to see why the NFIP plays a pivotal role in the U.S. economy. Follow us on Twitter at #FloodtheHill **
** A message from SIFMA: Did you know financial decision-making skills decline as we age? Unfortunately, financial exploitation of older adults is a serious and growing issue with devastating impact.
A New York State report found that 2/3 of all financial exploitation was committed by family members. Seniors can often lose the entirety of their retirement savings, leaving them unable to maintain independence and coping with significant stress and health impacts. As our country ages - 18% of the nation's population will be 65+ by 2030 - the scope of this problem can only grow.
It is vital that we protect senior investors from financial exploitation. SIFMA is working with industry members, academics, and state and federal policymakers to advance policies, regulations and resources which enhance senior investor protections. Learn how you can make a difference at www.sifma.org/seniors. **


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About The ProductionRoger Donaldson was intent on getting the details right. When production began at a farmhouse outside of Toronto, it was after many weeks of careful preparation and attention to detail. "Realism is something that I enjoy creating on the screen. I want the audience to feel like it's really there. It looks easy to do, but trying to distill out of anything what the reality of it is difficult. It's always a challenge,ŌĆØ comments Donaldson.
Production designer Andrew McAlpine and cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh took on that challenge. They were both committed to the task of giving the film a realistic look and feel. For inspiration, McAlpine watched films and studied pictures to create the look that he describes as "a realistic depiction of a fictional world. There's no precedent for The Farm, no one knows what The Farm is, so it gave me an open book to create.ŌĆØ
"Half of the film is based upon the notion of a training base where we, the public, would expect recruits to get the best training in the field. The other half is at Langley, which we feel needs absolute accuracy in terms of representing the nature of that fortress of buildings,ŌĆØ continues McAlpine.
Since its creation, The Central Intelligence Agency's tradition of secrecy and intrigue has been a fount of inspiration for many screenwriters and novelists. In the past the Agency responded to most inquiries for information with either "no commentŌĆØ or "I can neither confirm nor denyŌĆ",ŌĆØ according to the CIA's film industry liaison, Chase Brandon. "Given that posture, we invariably left ourselves open to be interpreted by screenwriters and novelists,ŌĆØ says Brandon. "By not responding when we were shown in a negative light, and by failing to offer actual information as background research, we only added to the likelihood that writers would continue to misrepresent the true mission of the Agency and fail to portray the true heroism, patriotism, honor and integrity of CIA officers.ŌĆØ
After decades of silence, the CIA decided to change its policy and sought to become more involved in promoting its public image. Aware that it was the clandestine nature of its operations that fueled the public's imagination, the CIA's Office of Public Affairs asked Chase Brandon, a covert field operations officer for 25 years, to drop cover and begin an overt dialog with the film industry. Brandon's new mission was very straightforward: "If someone wants to
make a TV show, a documentary or a feature film about us and treat us in a fair and balanced way, chances are we can provide some reasonable measure of support and cooperation to the project.ŌĆØ
Brandon added, "We understand that dramatic storytelling involves taking poetic license with facts. For example, a CIA recruit would never have to go through the kind of physical abuse that Colin Farrell's character endures. But, that said, I must say that I appreciated the producers' and director's efforts to ensure that other aspects of tactical training were realistically portrayed. Certainly, ŌĆśThe Recruit' shows Agency life more accurately than many films in the past.ŌĆØ
When the Agency commits to providing their support to a project, that can include letting a photographer shoot stills to help in designing sets, or, in certain instances, having the actors spend time in the building. By visiting Langley, the director says, he came to "understand how the space worked and looked. I needed a real sense of how a new person would feel when they saw the place for the first time.ŌĆØ
After security concerns dictated that the filmmakers could no longer visit the building, Brandon was still able to assist the production, although in a different way. Instead of having the production take pictures to help with set design, Brandon did it himself. "I measured all of the distances between the stars on the memorial wall and the size of the statues in the lobby
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The Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum has named Scott Brezler chairman of the board of directors
Brezler, a CPA who has been practicing since 1991, is currently a partner at Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP.
As chairman, he will drive the forum's mission of providing education, resources and advocacy venues to ensure both the success of the government contracting community and access to federal opportunities.
About the Author
Mark Hoover is a senior staff writer with Washington Technology. You can contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com, or connect with him on Twitter at @mhooverWT.
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Two of the members of Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist punk rock band, are still in remote Russian prisons. One of those members, Maria Alyokhina, 24, began her hunger strike after being barred from attending her own parole hearing recently.
They have been in prison since August, 2012, charged with "hooliganism". Putin says that they must be imprisoned to "protect the faithful".


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When carried out properly, gardening can be a quite satisfying activity. Nothing beats the taste of a tomato you've grown your self, or the scent of your personal flowers. Regardless of whether you happen to be just starting up out as a gardener or you've got been growing issues your entire lifestyle, there's usually something new to understand. Be
Do not Have A Green Thumb? Adhere to This Tips And You Shortly Will!
Gardening is a comforting and enjoyable interest for many individuals about the globe, but doing it organically is even more gratifying. The gardening expertise can occasionally be fairly daunting and overpowering to a rookie. So, how need to a commencing natural gardener learn the essentials? Read through the details offered beneath, of system!Whe
How To Accomplish A Lovely Natural Garden
Your yard can be an crucial component of your life. Just like you, it requirements to be correctly maintained. You need to have to research, operate tough and be client to look at your work translate into development for your possess private yard. These guidelines under can support you with increasing a successful yard.Wait around for the right sec
Suggestions On How To Sustain A Great Backyard
If you have just commenced out as a gardener, you almost certainly have visions of a gorgeous, bountiful backyard and lots of fulfilling hrs tilling the soil and reaping the fruits of your labors. Although this can definitely be the case, quite frequently, gardening is lots of hard work followed by baffled disappointment - at the very least until y
For The Love Of Gardening: Natural and organic Gardening Guidance
Gardening gives numerous rewards for those that pick to consider it up as a interest. 1 of the far more essential of these benefits is that it helps make us a lot more self-ample. Even if we grow bouquets, we learn expertise that could be turned to creating our very own meals. The tips outlined in this write-up will assist you towards that objectiv


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Aleksa Nicole, Christie Stevens stacking asses and getting fucked in turn in both holes
Duration: 4min 12sec Views: 68 066 Submitted: 4 years ago Submitted by:
Description: Both decked out in lingerie, Aleksa Nicole and Christie Stevens, are soaking wet and ready for anything this dude wants to throw at them. Being as kinky as the ladies he's dying to fuck, he goes for an ass fucking and smashes their big booties outdoors.
Channel: Evil Angel
Pornstars: Aleksa Nicole Christie Stevens


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"A Culinary Experience" to benefit the Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County, will be held Mon., Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m. at Martin's Westminster, 505 Jermor Lane, Westminster.
The event includes cuisine prepared by more than 20 of Carroll's culinary experts, as well as live entertainment by the Eric Byrd Trio, raffles and auctions.
For tickets and additional information, call 410-857-0900 or go to http://www.rapecrisiscc.org/events.php.


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The main objective of this magnificent Clinic Management System Software is to provide smooth running of clinics or hospitals. It has been observed that maintaining cost effectiveness while looking for patient satisfaction is one of the gigantic challenges faced by clinics and hospitals. To avoid such challenges, GA Technocare Technology introduces 'Clinic Management System Software' to its clients. This provides an overview of clinic operations like details of , appointment, patient count, revenue, insurance claims through an interactive dashboard.
To maintain a strong control over administration and management is really a tough deal for clinics. Fixing appointments and drug & commodity inventory are the other annoyances that you survive during handling of a clinic. Clinic Management System is an integrated service that resolves all problems regarding administration, management, inventory, managing medical history of the patient, appointment fixing and personal details of patients.
Professional Medical Billing Services is another great feature of CMS. If you run a clinic or hospital, you would have faced the issues that come during the billing. Maintaining balance-sheet is one of the toughest jobs as a tiny mistake can ruin the whole inventory. Debugging errors would cost more valuable time. This would be directly related to your business loss. Professional Medical Billing Services can keep you out of such mishaps.
This software stores all data digitally that makes data able to access instantly from anywhere anytime. The objective of e-governance is totally accomplished by this as the whole procedure is paperless. This feature makes it live from any location because of cloud hosting. To acquire a successful business, this software is necessary as it does the exact needed things.


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A software update that brings Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich OS is now available through NTT DOCOMO carrier for customers who own SHARP Aquos SH-01D devices. The update is available OTA (over the air) to manually check for your upgrade go into Settings > About device > System updates > Check for updates.
The whole upgrade process shouldnt take more than 35 – 40 minutes. More details about Android 4.0 ICS update can be found on NTT Docomo website here.


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$284,900.00 4306 Grande Harbour Blvd. #4306
- Address: 4306 Grande Harbour Blvd. #4306
- City / Zip:Little River, SC 29566
- Area:
- County:Horry
- Neighborhood:Grande Harbour - NMB
- Bedrooms:3
- Bathrooms:3
- 1/2 Bathrooms:1
- Sq Ft:3000
- Year Built:2008
- Time On Market:08/05/2017
- Property Type: Condo
Agent's Comments
Looking for a home where you can relax and enjoy yourself without the work of home and yard maintenance? Then our homes are for you! All you have to do is move in. The landscaping, yard maintenance, irrigation, pool, covered picnic area, even basic cable, internet, telephone, and security system with basic monitoring is all included in your HOA dues! Beautifully finished three story condo with an elevator, Brazilian cherry floors, granite counters, 5 balconies and a ground floor walk out patio off the main floor bedroom. Each bedroom is designed as a suite with walk in closets and a full bath attached. Master bedroom has front balcony, double vanity, and custom tile walk in shower. An oversized attached 2 gar garage offers plenty of space for your vehicles and storage. The top level features the master and second bedroom as well as a large loft area with access to the rear balcony. Located on a dead end street in an ICW community. Condos like this one are tough to find!
Map View
Property Amenities
Interior Features
- Garage Door Opener
- Security System
- Elevator
- Handicap Access
- Split Bedroom Plan
- Smoke Detector
- Wshr/Dryer Connection
- Enter Through Foyer
Exterior Features
- Concrete Fiber Siding
- Loft
Utilities to Site
- Cable TV
- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- Sewer
- Telephone
- Underground Utilities
- Water Public
- Carpeting
- Tile
- Wood
Cooling / Heating
- Central Heat
- Central Air
- Electric
- Gas
Lot Description
- In ICW Community


text: Okay, I don't know if this is common knowledge or not, but I was just on metacafe (video site) and you can CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE VIDEO. The title, description, tags, everything! Just go to the top right of the video and click edit. I don't know if this is a bug or something, but it's awesome. I am thinking about going through all the videos of referral sites like P2S, R1, etc. and changing their link to mine Jared


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Whatever your noble intentions may be, Mr. Donohue, it's time for you to slip away and, frankly, shut up. Please.
You are doing more harm than good, and making our church look idiotic. If you truly love our faith and want to defend it, go off and say a rosary.
But please: stop this. People, faithful Catholics, have written to me, upset that performances like the one above are now considered representative of our Church. So, consider this a public intervention. This has to stop. Please. You're embarrassing us all.
Happy Easter.


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Say he will focus on his construction business
Mauricio Julian Cuellar Jr., Orange Grove Journal
After much consideration, Orange Grove Assistant Police Chief Frank Jaramillo Jr. submitted his resignation to Mayor Seale Brand on July 11.
Jaramillo has served in the department for nearly 10 years. Using his vacation time, Jaramillo's last day was July 23.
Brand said Jaramillo left the department to focus on his construction business. Jaramillo said in his resignation letter that he wanted to explore other opportunities.
"At this time I feel that my law enforcement career needs to be placed on hold, so I can explore other opportunities. I have worked myself from a reserve officer to the position I hold today as Assistant Chief of Police," he wrote. "It has been a great experience working for the citizens of this community as well as with my fellow officers. I would like to thank the Mayor, Seale Brand and the members of the city council for giving me the opportunity to serve the community of Orange Grove."
He reiterated those comments on Wednesday.
"I want to thank the Chief, the Mayor and the council for giving me the opportunity. Working for the citizens of Orange Grove has been a great experience," Jaramillo said.
OGPD Chief Arthur Rogers said he was sure Jaramillo thought long and hard when it came to his decision as to what was best for himself and his family.
"He was an asset to the community. It was a difficult decision to make, and we wish him nothing but the best," Rogers said.
Without Jaramillo, the department is left with four full-time officers, including Rogers, and one active reserve member.
Brand said the issue of a replacement hasn't been discussed with city council members yet, but he said, the city will be pursuing a new assistant chief.
One possible hindrance the city could have in a search for a new officer is the salary of the position.
"Our pay has been a restriction of attracting people to Orange Grove, and it will be a priority this next budget session," Brand said.


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Apparently, even though I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, the pink bug has bitten me!! You all know I've been working really hard on getting my etsy shop, DandoisLion DeLights, stocked up. Well, as Aerosmith sang "Pink is my favorite color"! (shhhh, it isn't really. I'm more into the teal/turquoise color scheme but don't tell anyone) Here are the 2 newest headbands I've put together. The jewelry on both of them is vintage, scored at the flea market in the last couple of weeks.
The pink rosette in the middle is from newer fabric, but the others are vintage.
It looks great on!! The second headband is all pink, right down to the headband itself. The middle rosette is from new fabric, but the other two are vintage. I'm lovin the shades of pink they have.
Pink, right? Yeah, pink. And gold! Weird for me. I prefer silver, but I love, love, love this headband.
My hair looks much better in these pictures than in the last ones I took. Note to self: Brush hair after taking hat off and before modeling headband. Do you want to see what the back of the rosettes look like? I'm always wondering that when I see people's rosettes. Here's a picture.
Not bad right? I'm getting it down to a science!! If you're interested, these ARE in my etsy shop...the link's on the right. Check them out! More later, it's time to go get my scrap on!


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Big Apple Circus Tickets
|Latest Big Apple Circus Tickets
Big Apple Circus
Damrosch Park At Lincoln Center
New York,NY
Dec 13 2018
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Big Apple Circus
Big Apple Circus at National Harbor
Oxon Hill,MD
Feb 14 2019
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Lipinski Introduces "Buy American" Bill to Create Jobs, Says Taxpayer Dollars Should Buy American-Made Products (August 30, 2011)
"For many years I have been calling on Washington to focus on job creation, and with the debt-ceiling fight behind us, there are no excuses left," Congressman Lipinski said. "Loopholes in the Buy American Act and lax enforcement of the law by Washington bureaucrats are putting taxpayer dollars in the pockets of foreign workers at a time when 14 million Americans are unemployed. The Buy American Improvement Act will create tens of thousands of American jobs by making sure the federal government buys products stamped 'Made in U.S.A.' whenever possible. In recent years, more than 20 percent of Commerce Department purchases have come from abroad, the Defense Department has waived Buy American rules 44,000 times, and the Treasury Department couldn't find a single domestic producer of office furniture. That is unacceptable, and the situation is probably even worse than we think because agency reporting is so poor."
A recent poll by the Alliance for American Manufacturing found that 80 percent of Americans favor Buy American policies and a large majority believes Washington is not doing enough to support American manufacturing. Yet Americans' tax dollars continue to be sent abroad, with one of the latest examples being The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, one of the most expensive structures ever built, which is being fabricated in China and shipped to California.
The Buy American Improvement Act bans practices used by federal agencies to skirt Buy American requirements, such as segmenting projects so that they do not meet the minimum dollar amount at which the rules apply – as Congressman Lipinski found the Census Bureau did last year. It also restores the definition of an American-made product to one that contains at least 75 percent domestic content, up from 50 percent. In addition to tightening waiver requirements to prevent the purchase of foreign goods, it requires better reporting by agencies to make sure they are complying with the law.
"Passage of the Buy American Improvement Act would be an important step in the advancement of a robust and comprehensive manufacturing strategy, which will enhance the ability of our manufacturing companies and their workers to compete both here at home and globally," said Scott Boos, Deputy Director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. "We thank Rep. Lipinski for his efforts and for standing up for American companies and their workers."
H.R. 2722 would also prohibit counting components not available domestically as American-made; require the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to clarify when compliance with the Buy American Act would be "inconsistent with the public interest," and establishes that domestic job creation is in the public interest; eliminate the automatic exception to the Buy American Act for goods used abroad; require the Government Accountability Office to analyze agencies' procurement reports; and require the act is applied in a manner consistent with America's trade obligations.
"We've had Buy American rules on the books for nearly eight decades – and for good reason," Congressman Lipinski said. "Americans' tax dollars ought to support American jobs. With this bill, I continue to fight for that principle."
The bill is endorsed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the United Steelworkers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the National Council of Textile Organizations, the Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, the U.S. Industrial Fabrics Institute, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
(August 30, 2011)


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Recover politicians' deleted tweets on Politwoops
New York, Jan 3 (IANS) Social networking website Twitter and Politwoops have struck a deal that would allow people to access the controversial tweets that politicians posted and later deleted after public outcry.
Politwoops will relaunch in the "coming months" and it provides services in countries including India, the US, France and Canada, CNET.com reported on Saturday.
Run by the US-based Sunlight Foundation and managed by a Netherlands-based transparency group Open State Foundation, the Politwoops is a website that archives controversial tweets that politicians make and then delete these after public outcry.
The "website of erased Twitter gaffes" was disrupted last year as Twitter stopped giving it access to code that made preservation of the tweets possible, claiming that the archive broke its rules and hurt privacy.
Twitter had previously said that "it supported increasing transparency in politics and using civic tech and open data to hold government accountable to constituents but saving and publishing deleted tweets broke its rules and violated its users' privacy".
However, the Politwoops argued that "a citizen's right to information outweighs a political figure's right to retroactively edit a statement".
In a statement, the Open State Foundation said the deal was the result of several meetings with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
"We have a responsibility to continue to empower organisations that bring more transparency to public dialogue, such as Politwoops," Dorsey said.
Meanwhile, it is not clear when Politwoops would again start posting deleted tweets.
The Open State Foundation said that "in the 'coming months' it will relaunch Politwoops in the more than 30 countries in which it had been available and that it will look to add more countries to the list".


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Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Board of Trustees
Bruce Anderson
John Bickel
Shuttleworth & Ingersoll PC
Theresa Bornbach
Business Exchange Center
Stacie Brass
The Accel Group
Ken Brown
Modern Piping
Dr. Brad Buck
Cedar Rapids Community School District
Steve Caves
US Bank
Terri Christoffersen
Laurie Dawley
Shuttleworth & Ingersoll PLC
Chris DeWolf
Lil' Drug Store Products
Bryan Earnest
Bart Floyd
Great Western Bank
Jamie Franck
Magda Golobic
Great America Leasing Corp
Jim Haddad
Consulting Services
Steve Hammes
INTEGRUS Consulting, LLC
Larry Helling
Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
Tom Hoffmann
Benefit Solutions
Nancy Kasparek
US Bank
Bob Kazimour
Tim Kintner
Bankers Trust Company
Barbara Knapp
Dr. Katie Mullholland
Jim Nikrant
Corridor Management Co.
Chuck Peters
The Gazette Companies
Thomas Pientok
Apache Hose & Belting
Paul Rhines
AAVIN Venture Capital/Private Equity
Al Ruffalo
Ruffalo CODY
Joel Schmidt
Alliant Energy
Chris Skogman
Skogman Realty
Dr. Mick Starcevich
Kirkwood Community College
Dan Thies
OPN Architects, Inc.
James Tinker
Dan Uphoff
Freedom Security Bank
Brandt Worley
Worley Warehousing Inc.
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Regional Executive Board
Bob Cataldo — Regional Past Treasurer
Senior Portfolio Manager
Don Chizek — Regional Chair
Vice President of Operations
Lil' Drug Store Products
Ethan Domke — Regional Vice Chair
Vice President
Paulson Electric Company
Art Floss — Regional Board Memeber
Vice President of Mortgage Lending and Business Developement
CBI Bank & Trust
Curt Heideman — Regional Past Chair
Market President - Iowa City
US Bank
Gary Jones — Regional Board Developement
Jones Law Firm
Kyle Kunz — Regional Treasurer
Konkamp Krueger & Co.
Dr. Jane Lindaman — Chief Academic Officer
Waterloo Community Schools
Gary Lorenz — Regional Board Member
Cedar Valley Branch President
Great Western Bank
Craig Olson — Regional Planning Chair
VP & General Manager Business and Regional Systems
Rockwell Collins
Eric Tyler — Regional Secretary
Assistant General Manager
Hawkeye Sports Properties
Kurt Vitense — Regional Investment Chair
Financial Advisor
Business & Financial Strategies
Melissa Winter — Area Serving Most Students
Managing Director of Private Client Group
US Bank
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa- Cedar Rapids Board of Directors
Patrice Carroll
President & CEO
ImOn Communications
Corey Chestnut
Project Manager
Climate Engineers
Don Chizek
Vice President of Operations
Lil' Drug Store Products
Patrick Deignan
Market President
Bankers Trust Company
Ethan Domke — Chair
Paulson Electric Company
Collin Forst
Account Executive
Holmes Murphy
Nate Dunn
Vice President
F & M Bank
Chuck Hallier
Starch Superintendent
John Dorfler
Community Bank President and Business Banking Manager
Wells Fargo Bank
Ryan Fisher
Bradley & Riley PC
Mark Grenko
Human Resources Manager
Jay Hardeman
Manufacturing Director-Hot Cereals & Milling
Pepsico North Americas Food
Craig Olson — Vice Chair
Vice President and Regional Systems
Rockwell Collins
Scott Hauser
Senior Director, Mgmt Consulting & Performance Improvement
Andy Streit
Store Director
Hy-Vee, Inc.
Jason Sytsma
Shuttleworth & ingersoll
Trent Tillman
Principal & Practice Leader
TrueNorth Companies
Ted Kipper
Kipper Insurance Agency, Inc.
Mary Klinger
Unity Point Health- St. Luke's Foundation
Jim Koch
Kyle Kunz — Finance Chair
Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C.
Shawn Lueth
Vice President
Shive-Hattery, Inc.
Patrick Slater
Executive Vice President
Fairfax State Savings Bank
Shelly Strellner
Senior Vice President/Private Banking Manager
Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
Charlotte Timmer
Senior Manager Human Resources
Chris Wheeler
Point Builders
Melissa Winter
Managing Director of Private Client Group
US Bank
Deb Yoder
Director, Finance
Alliant Energy
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa-Cedar Valley Board of Directors
Chad Abbas
Tax Partner
Jordan Alborn
VP, Financial Advisor
FSB Premier Wealth
Gabe Berger
Operations Manager
Peters Construction
Roy Biondi
Courier Communications
Kyle Baker
Vice President- Retail Banking Manager
Community Bank & Trust
Lisa Baronio
VP for University Advancement/Foundation President
University of Northern Iowa
Melissa Bechtel
Financial Analyst
The CBE Group
Bill Bradford
Next Generation Wireless
Dr. Jane Bradley
Vice President Academic Affairs
Hawkeye Community College
Sharon Chin
Vice President/Senior Risk Manager
US Bank-The Private Client Group
Robert Fixen
Global Director, Hay & Forage Platform
John Deere
Geof Grimes
Retired Partner
Struxture Architecture
Terri Claussen
Trust Assistant
Regions Private Wealth Management
Gary Jones
Jones Law Firm
Larry K. Fox
Ameriprise Financial
Brian Gabel
General Manager
Panther Sports Properties
Dr. Jane Lindaman
Waterloo Community Schools
Matt Halbur
General Manager
Rydell Chevrolet
Jim Moore
Michael Larson
Waterloo/Cedar Falls Community President
NXT Bank
Gene Leonhart
Cardinal Construction, Inc.
Matt Loesche
Vice President, Market Manager
Dupaco Community Credit Union
Gary Lorenz
Cedar Valley Branch President
Great Western Bank
Grant Rothweiler
VP of Group Health
Michael Schaub
JDPS Manager-Global Growth Marketing
John Deere
Marvin Schumacher
Schumacher Elevator Co. Inc.
Amy Streeter
Manager of Talent Acquisition & Development
VGM Group, Inc.
Travis Wirth
Store Director
Steve Thorpe
Financial Representative
Northwestern Mutual Life
Gwen Timmerman
Community Liason
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa-Iowa City Board of Directors
Anne (Loethen) Adam
Community Volunteer
Justin Bishop
Associate Principal
OPN Architects
Kingsley Botchway II
Director of Equity & Engagement
Iowa City Community School District
Dawn Bowlus
Jacobsen Institute of Youth Entrepreneurship
Dusty Brown
Director of Sales- Facilities Solutions
Molly Brown
First Vice President, Commercial Banking
Hills Bank & Trust Company
Tim Hawkins
Hawkins Wealth Management
Randy Clarahan
Construction Executive
Mortenson Constructions
Art Floss
Market President
CBI Bank & Trust
Bryan Franzoni
Store Director
Casey Greene
Vice President, Support Services
Mercy Hospital Iowa City
Steven Harris
Product Supply
The P&G Manufacturing Co.
Curt Heideman
U.S. Bank
John Heideman
Associate Administrator
UIHC - Stead Family Childrens Hospital
Rachel Trevizo
Vice President, Revenue Cycle Services
Eric Tryler
Assistant General Manager
Hawkeye Sports Properties
Laci Lower
Interlace, LLC
Thomas Maxwell
Leff Law Firm, L.L.P.
Kate Moreland
Vice President
Iowa City Area Development Group
Stephen Murley
Iowa City Community Schools
Matt Orvick
Plato's Closet-Coralville
Alisha Pedersen
Labor & Employee Relations Specialist
Rockwell Collins
Annie Pollock
North Liberty City Council
Nathan Scheib
Recruiter, Talent Aquisition
ACT Inc.
Angela Street
Director National Services
Eric Upchurch
Assistant VP, Financial Services
AW Welt Ambrisco Inc. Insurance
Kurt Vitense
Financial Advisor
Business & Financial Strategies
Tara Wachendorf
Executive Asst./PR Specialitst
University of Iowa Community Credit Union
"Junior Achievement has given me a sense of what adults go through with budget issues."
"Junior Achievement reinforced concepts for me to remember later in life."
"I thought the experience was amazing. The presentation was unlike anything I've seen."
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text:
so, if you haven't noticed… I haven't posted in awhile. sorry about that. I just haven't felt inspired to cook anything worth taking pictures of or investing energy into making a whole recipe post about it.
but I recently went on vacation to Lopez Island for just a couple of days but apparently just enough time for me to come back feeling a little inspired to participate in my food blog. Tonight I made an imagined enchilada that is completely improvised and ending up tasting pretty good.
enchilada filling recipe-ish: (serves 2-ish)
2 baseball sized potatoes, any variety, I used yellow finn
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 corn cob, kernels cut off
3 tbsp butter
boil potatoes until tender and easily mashed
in the meantime, shred cheese and cut off corn- put both in a bowl
once potatoes are done and drained add them to the bowl of cheese/corn
add butter and use a hand held masher, then mash!
I like it a little lumpy – the point is to have it thick – don't add any liquid.
enchilada sauce recipe-
3 baseball sized tomatoes, I used heirloom varieties: persimmon, rose de berne, and purple cherokee largely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
6 scallions, thinly chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c chili powder
1/2 tbsp salt
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c water
1 tbsp cacao (optional)
1/4 c flour
simmer water and tomatoes.
add all ingredients and just gently stir until tomatoes are fairly boiled down and skins fall off andare almost indistinguishable. should thicken up and taste and adjust as you want
sweet peppers are very lightly cooked in olive oil over low low heat, slowly until verrrry tender. mmmmmm. Any sweet pepper will do but some taste better than others, I think! I used that delicious orange colored one above.
warm some corn tortillas or make your own. drop 1/4 c -ish of filling into tortilla, roll up. Top with sauce and top that with peppers.
eat. and repeat.


text:
Drinking and Pairing Lagrein with FoodLagrein, pronounced lah-grine, is a red grape variety grown exclusively in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy. The Alto Adige, aka Südtirol, was once part of the Southern Tyrolean state of Austria, and you can often see German words printed on wine labels from the region. The German term "Lagrein Dunkel" refers to the dark red styles of this wine whereas the "Kretzer" implies that the wine has been produced in a light rosé style. Lagrein Dunkel is the more serious of the two styles and is marked by deep, almost opaque color, with aromas and flavors of blackberries, plums, and anise. On the palate, the wines tend to be rich but with bright acidity, firm tannins, and a slightly bitter finish.
The cuisine of the Alto Adige is greatly influenced by neighboring Austria, and a high-quality Lagrein Dunkel is an excellent accompaniment to speck (smoked pork), bread dumplings, and braised meat, foods which are common to tables of the area.
Lagrein is:
Lagrein related News & Blog:
- A Varietal
Lagrein selections in different price ranges:
Shop for Lagrein on:
- Wine.com
- Wine-Searcher.com
- WineAccess.com
or find exclusive Lagrein offers on our sister site:
Périphérique Wine Merchants


text:
Autism Workshop
Seri Mengasih Centre is holding a one day Autism Workshop on 29/3/15 to be conducted by Dr Stephen Mark Shore, a special education asst professor of Adelphi University, USA; someone who has Autism himself. This is his second time in Kota Kinabalu. This workshop is suitable for parents, teachers and all professionals in the field […]Read more


text:
Topic: George Egg: Anarchist Cook
George Egg spends 90 minutes explaining how to subvert your environment while cooking a three course meal using only the items to be found within a hotel room. Along the way you learn stuff you wouldn't otherwise learn. Like if you have enough single portion UHT milk portions you can use the travel kettle and a spare pillow case to make riccotta cheese.
It works really well as a show. See it.


text:
"Aikido teacher offers business leaders time on the mat"
Posted 2010-05-05 16:31:45 by Jun Akiyama
News URL: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_14973423
This article entitled "Aikido teacher offers business leaders time on the mat" highlights Glen Kimoto sensei of Aikido of Santa Cruz who is teaching "business leaders new ways of navigating daily confrontations."
From the article: "The session will feature solo and interactive exercises demonstrating aikido
principles. People will move through gentle warm-up exercises and have an opportunity to try balance and movement elements of aikido. Kimoto will also demonstrate advanced aikido techniques. There will be snacks and time for questions at the end. Attendees will also practice being proactive rather than reactive. They will see how to deal with a situation before it happens."
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text:
Levi Strauss shifted its $66 million U.S. jeans account to Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York, from TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco. Though the incumbent was surprised by the shift, there had been considerable speculation Bartle Bogle would get the business (AA, Dec. 3). The move was reported first on AdAge.com (QwikFIND aan02p).
"It's about time" embattled Levi Stauss switched agencies, said Harry Bernard, chief marketing officer and partner at Colton Bernard, an apparel consulting firm.
News of the shift came in a phone call from New York from Robert Hanson, president of Levi's North America, to TBWA/Chiat/Day executives in their San Francisco offices across the street from Levi Strauss headquarters as they prepared for a planned presentation of fall 2002 ads.
Mr. Marineau, former president-CEO of PepsiCo's Pepsi-Cola North America, joined Levi Strauss two years ago as president-CEO, and he's been working to improve relations between the apparel marketer and retail customers who often consider it arrogant. Mr. Marineau also has aggressively tried to paint a turnaround picture for credit rating services, with his publicity machine touting numbers such as a drop in sales decline from 13% in 1999 to the current rate of decline of 9%.
continental solution
Mr. Marineau last year turned to Mr. Hanson, a veteran Levi Strauss executive who had turned the brand around in Europe. Now Messrs. Marineau and Hanson have brought in Bartle Bogle, whose London office worked with Mr. Hanson on successes such as Engineered jeans and Sta-Prest jeans. Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day developed a smaller scale TV and print effort for Engineered jeans in 2000, but the style has yet to catch on domestically.
With Bartle Bogle, 49% owned by Bcom3 Group, Mr. Hanson said he will position Levi's as category leader. "We're going to stand for one thing-the source for denim jeans innovation," he said.
Mr. Hanson said he will execute the strategy through a combination of global branding and product innovation. "We've had some evidence of success" with junior women's Superlow jeans, he said.
TBWA/Chiat/Day's ads for Superlow jeans, featuring singing belly buttons, have been the most successful of the litany of ads and tag lines produced over the four years the agency had the account. Those included "Opt. For the Original" and "Make them your own." The agency is handling Levi Strauss' upcoming Super Bowl ad; the marketer has posted three possible Bowl spots on its Web site and will air one based on a consumer online vote.
Irma Zandl, president, the Zandl Group, a youth marketing consultancy, said the popularity of Levi's among young people plummeted 74% from 1996 to 2001, with only 8% citing it as their favorite jean, down from 31% in 1996.
"Fubu is more popular with teen boys than Levi's-it's shocking," she said. "I can't remember when such an iconic brand has fallen like that."
Ms. Zandl said while Bartle Bogle's ads in Europe are "smart, cerebral and quirky," she was uncertain the British ad style would appeal to young Americans.
The account win is a major boost for Bartle Bogle, which opened the New York office in 1998 despite losing a pitch for the jeans account against Levi's agency of 68 years, Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide, San Francisco, and the winner, TBWA/Chiat/ Day.
Since then, Bartle Bogle's track record in New York has been lackluster. The agency did a print campaign featuring odd combinations of images, such as an old man holding an alligator, for Reebok, but subsequently lost the account. Its TV spots for Lipton's Sizzle & Stir are scheduled to be dropped.
San Fran Plan
Officials at TBWA/Chiat/Day said the agency has made no decision on plans for the San Francisco office. Other accounts at the office, which has about 90 employees, include Sony PlayStation and the recently won Starz Encore Group, a cable channel. The shop also is expected to be named agency for the Wine Market Council.
A TBWA/Chiat/Day spokesman declined further comment.
Also unannounced is whether Chuck McBride, TBWA/Chiat/ Day's North American creative director, will shift his attention to the agency's recently won $100 million Adidas account; relocate to the Playa del Rey, Calif., office that handles Adidas; or go off to become a director as has been long speculated. Mr. McBride at deadline had not returned phone calls.
Interpublic Group of Cos.' FCB, San Francisco, retains Levi Strauss' Dockers and Slates brands. Mr. Hanson said Omnicom Group's OMD will continue to buy Levi Strauss' broadcast media in the U.S.
contributing: Richard Linnett


text:
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Nurses At War: Young Romance 78 - "Army Nurse"
In "Army Nurse", the nurses all love Doctor Roy, but the Doc only has eyes for one of them, and that's Joyce. He's been preparing to pop the question, and does so after a hard day's work. Joyce is over the moon to be engaged to her dream boat.
Simon & Kirby Museum blog. It reminds me somewhat of Al Williamson's work. The image of nurses presented by this piece include the usual - aspiring for romantic involvement with a doctor, bitchy rivalry, they're all pretty in their nicely starched white uniforms and caps. These are nurses at war so there's bravery and willingness for self-sacrifice. Nice switch to the blue uniform for going out into the battlefield. Ruth Duryea is a redhead for the cover but blond in the story. Panel 7 on page 5 looks like it was intentionally drawn to match the cover, and is a little out of Albistur's natural style as a result (the cover looks Kirby or Simon/Kirby to me).
2 comments:
KB: I am completely unfamiliar with Albistur's work, but I think it fantastic. His women look so alive and natural in their postures, their expressions so vibrant. Not a moment of stiffness to be found anywhere. That 4th panel on 2nd displayed page (doctor and nurse with hand entwined) is just a wonderful drawing. I'd love to see more.ReplyDelete
Mykal: I agree with you on all points - beautiful work. I'll see if I can find that other one in my collection that I think is by him.ReplyDelete
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text: As the name suggests Circa Design is a "design" (think architecture, interiors, etc) oriented online magazine. Like so many others out there, they comb through the vast expanse of the internet in an effort to bring you ideas that we love to comment and to post about the latest and greatest happenings in the design world. Circa Design welcomes user contributions of what any individual readers design inspiration and influence might be.