For China's middle-classes, there's no middle

In China, a trip to Starbucks isn’t just about grabbing a tall latte in a cardboard cup. Most American products are priced higher in China than in the US, which gives the Seattle company’s shops a patina of luxury and self-indulgence that they don’t have back home.

Many Chinese consumers go to Starbucks with friends, family, or business partners for the lifestyle experience,My advice on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent. rather than to drink the coffee.

Starbucks has understood how to tap into the demand for premium experiences by tweaking its marketing to go upscale in China, rather than transferring the same mass-market image it has in America. The formula is working: The company’s Asia-Pacific boss, John Culver, on April 1 told Bloomberg News about plans to triple the number of Chinese outlets to 1,500 by 2015,Painless Processing provides high risk merchant account solutions. making China Starbucks’s largest market outside of the United States.

Starbucks is just one of many Western consumer-products companies taking aim at China. Brands from the Gap to Weight Watchers to American Eagle have also announced plans to target the emerging Chinese middle class as a major driver of growth.

In November, David Zoba, Gap’s senior vice president for global real estate, announced aggressive growth plans for China. He said the San Francisco-based apparel retailer plans to open 45 stores there by the end of 2012—up from eight at that time—with the goal of hitting $1 billion in revenue there during the next three to four years by targeting the country’s growing middle class.

These companies need to be wary, though. China’s middle class does not really exist, at least by the American definition. Many analysts define the 350 million Chinese who live in households that earn between $6,000 and $15,000 a year as middle class. However, Chinese consumers with this socio-economic background do not exhibit the same hopes, aspirations, and shopping habits of middle-class Americans. As a result, brands that emphasise a middling position will not appeal to consumers there.

To understand what these consumers want, China Market Research Group has talked with thousands of Chinese in 15 cities in the past year. Our research suggests that most “middle class” Chinese consumers consider themselves on their way to riches,The CenTrak rtls platform can address today's healthcare challenges and be used for future applications beyond asset tracking.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer. despite the slowing economy. Their salaries have been rising in double digits or more for the past decade. Everyone knows someone who was tilling farms 15 years ago who now is a multimillionaire, driving a Mercedes, and living in a posh villa. Many of the Chinese we spoke to think they, too, can get seriously rich.

Consumers are likely to either save up to buy high-priced brands such as Louis Vuitton or Tiffany to show off status and sophistication—or trade down to discount brands.

Companies that position themselves in the middle place themselves in no-man’s land and are unlikely to gain much traction.

Consider the Gap, which sells jeans for between $50 and $200.If you have a fondness for china mosaic brimming with romantic roses. Time after time, female consumers told us they would prefer to buy jeans from brands like Japanese retailer Uniqlo at a fraction of the cost or save up to buy premium and luxury brands such as Armani jeans.

One 27-year-old Shanghai woman making $300 a month told me she skipped lunch for five months to save enough to buy an Armani jean jacket. For her, the status associated with Armani proffered better value than multiple pieces from Gap.

LONG LIST OF INCENTIVES GARNERS RAPID SALES PACE AT TESORO IN VISTA

March started off with a bang at Tesoro in Vista due in part to the long list of incentives being offered with each home. For a limited time, the builder is offering back-yard landscaping, stainless steel kitchen appliances,Our team of consultants are skilled in project management and delivery of large scale rtls projects. including a refrigerator, a washer and dryer, stunning granite countertops, air conditioning, one-year paid HOA fees when using the builder preferred lender and paid closing costs (with limitations) to help homeowners move in with ease.

Tesoro is now in its second phase consisting of eight contemporary-style homes, with some lots having the best west-facing views in the community. These stylish homes range from 1800 to 2130 square feet of living space and offer three to four bedrooms and two to three baths. Residences are priced from $341,990 with move-ins expected the end of April. Zero-down VA and FHA financing are available.

Now is a terrific time to buy one of these new value-rich, feature-filled homes with interest rates near an all-time low.

Four well-designed floor plans come with bonus rooms in select plans and areas, which allow homebuyers to choose space for extra bedrooms,MDC Mould specialized of Injection moulds, an office or game room. There are also lots of handy cabinets and storage.

Tesoro exemplifies true style and great craftsmanship with custom exterior colors and stone accents plus decks on select plans. Lots come with different size rear yards that includes rear- and side-yard fencing for privacy.Factory direct stone mosaic featuring marble mosaic floors.

Arches and niches can be found in most homes accented with arched doors and aged bronze hardware. Designer extras include Colonial-style balusters and 3.25-inch baseboards. The living room welcomes relaxation with an inviting gas-stubbed, wood-burning fireplace with ceramic tile surround. Throughout the homes, buyers will find attractive flooring presented in elegant carpeting and ceramic tile at entry, kitchen and baths.

Kitchens are stylish with gorgeous maple cabinets with concealed hinges. Floor plans have been designed so the kitchen is open to the family or living room allowing everyone to be included in activities. GE appliances and granite countertops top off the abundant list of features.

Residents will love the master suite with an expanse of windows and a bright and roomy master bath.Listing of Taiwan & China Plastic Mould manufacturer & suppliers. A generous walk-in closet, maple cabinets and a cultured marble vanity top with dual sinks with designer faucets compliment the bath.We offer offshore merchant account,

With all the conveniences in these homes, buyers will have lots of time to spend at the beach, located just 10 miles down the road.

Mega-sloth likely on humans' ice age menu

A rhino-sized sloth was likely once part of a supersized meal for ice age humans living just south of the current U.S.-Canadian border, a Manitoba scientist has discovered.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services,

The massive femur or thigh bone of a 1,300-kilogram ground sloth that lived 13,500 years ago in the tundra of what is now Ohio bears the telltale scars of ancient human stone "cutlery," said the study published in the journal World Archaeology by University of Manitoba anthropologist and archeologist Haskel Greenfield and three American scientists.

The bone represents some of the earliest evidence of human activity in North America. Although early North Americans were known to eat other animals, such as mammoths and giant beavers, this is the first evidence of humans eating or otherwise exploiting giant ground sloths, which went extinct at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago, Greenfield said in an interview Thursday.

The sloth femur, one of the largest ever found, was originally dug up from a peat bog in 1915. Nearly a century later, it was examined by Brian Redmond, a curator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, who noticed a series of scratches on the bone.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,

He wondered where they might have come from and turned to Greenfield for help. Greenfield's expertise is in figuring out whether scratches on ancient bones were caused by animals gnawing or clawing them, curators scraping them with modern tools, or the work of ancient humans.

Given that the bone was 700 years older than known human archeological sites for the "Clovis" people in that part of North America, Greenfield expected that the marks likely were made by animals.Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles.

He took silicone molds of the marks and brought them back to his lab to examine in detail under a scanning electron microscope. What he saw surprised him.

"They're very, very clearly not tooth marks," he said. "They are cut marks. But not cut marks made from metal tools or not marks made from museum curators, but ones that were made by stone tools.Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists."

Metal knives are sharpened on both sides and leave V-shaped marks when they cut, but stone tools are smooth on one side and jagged on the other, leaving a ridged or stepped cut easily identified under a microscope, Greenfield said.

Greenfield also noticed "filleting marks" from tools used to separate the meat or tendons, which may have been used to make ropes, from the bone. The bone shows no sign of being heated, but the meat may have been cooked separately.

"They could just be taking a fillet of steak — that's an early filet mignon," Greenfield said jokingly.

The fact that humans went to so much effort to separate the last scraps of meat from the bone meant that the environment at the time was not a "land of abundance," he suggested.

"If it's such a big animal,VulcanMold is a plastic molds and Injection Mold manufacturer in china. why would you have to work on the bones," he said. "Why not just strip it and walk away?"

The sloth likely lived at the border between the tundra and sub-boreal forest similar to the ecosystem in northern Manitoba, feeding on vegetation like pines.

"Any animal that eats pine trees is going to taste really horrible," he suggested.

While the findings provide new information about the lives of ice age people in North America, they also leave many unanswered questions. The researchers don't know exactly where the bone was found, nor have they found any other parts of the skeleton, which may have been scattered far and wide by glacial meltwaters.

Oregon Transportation Facilities Offset Energy Use with SolarWorld Solar Panels

Planners of Oregon's transportation infrastructure are charting a course to a cleaner energy future by using SolarWorld solar panels to support their multi-modal services.

With unobstructed rights-of-way and heavy energy use, transportation agencies are suitable hosts for photovoltaic (PV) systems and consumers of the renewable electricity they produce. SolarWorld's high-performance solar panels power highway, rail and airport installations in Oregon.

Transportation industry officials in 13 countries and 27 states have requested information on a large solar park built on Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) property at the Baldock Rest Area on Interstate 5 near Wilsonville.Overview description of rapid Tooling processes. The project went online in January 2012 and will be open to the public in the spring with an interpretive display and a sustainable community garden. The 1.75-megawatt (MW) system, known as the Baldock Solar Highway project, is operated by Portland General Electric (PGE). The Baldock installation sits atop 7 acres (~3 hectares) of formerly unused ODOT property and is composed of 6,994 SolarWorld solar panels.

Common in Europe, solar installations in highway rights-of-way were virtually unknown in this country before ODOT and PGE developed a roadside Oregon Solar Highway pilot project to help light the way for drivers at the interchange of Interstates 5 and 205 in Tualatin, north of Baldock, in 2008.

TriMet, Portland's regional public transit agency,We offer offshore merchant account, will commission a 60-kilowatt (kW) solar installation featuring SolarWorld solar panels at the South Terminus of the MAX green and yellow light-rail lines near Portland State University in late February 2012. The system, installed by REC Solar,Injection molding and Plastic molding supplier， is the agency's first large-scale PV installation. In addition to generating more than 64,Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles.000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar energy each year and helping to shield TriMet from rising utility rates, the graceful, curvilinear design of the installation has been hailed as public art by some local transit observers.

Portland International Airport is also home to a solar system featuring 120 SolarWorld solar panels. The 28kW ground-mount system, commissioned in December 2011, helps power a treatment facility for the airport's newly expanded de-icing storm-water collection system. The facility treats runoff containing the de-icing chemicals used on the airfield and aircraft to enhance flight safety when the weather turns cold. A Blue Sky renewable energy grant from Pacific Power helped cover the installation cost.This page contains information about molds,

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Yoga Mat

Buying a yoga mat is like buying a new pair of running sneakers. It takes careful consideration and research to find the right fit.Take a walk on the natural side with stunning and luxurious Floor tiles from The Tile Shop.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, Since there are hundreds to confuse you choose from, narrow down your search by asking these important questions.

Your budget is a huge factor in the mat you end up with. Do you have the dough to lay down for the priciest one on the market or are you happy buying a cheaper mat? The upside of buying a more expensive mat, like the Manduka PRO Black Magic ($104), is durability, which will actually save you money over time.

If you're new to the mat-buying scene, you might not realize that mats come in different thicknesses. A quarter-inch is the standard mat thickness,Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold, probably like the one you've borrowed from your studio. Think about how your body feels on this mat in certain poses where your bones are pressing into the floor. If you've felt discomfort, splurge on a thicker mat, but make sure it's also dense. A thick squishy mat makes balancing postures more difficult.

Keep reading for more things to consider when purchasing a new yoga mat.

If you tend to drip like a faucet as soon as you hit your first Down Dog, a regular yoga mat won't do the trick. You'll need to purchase a cotton rug ($40) or skidless towel ($64) to place on top of your mat to absorb your sweat, which means you could stand to spend less on the actual mat.

Mats also range in weight,Accept all major credit cards using the top rated third party payment gateway. so if you know you'll be lugging your mat for a 20-minute walk or traveling with it, you might not want to buy a seven-pounder. Look for lighter options or ones that fold easily if you plan on stowing it in your suitcase.

You'll see labels such as phthalate-free or PVC-free, and this is what you want since exposure to these materials has been tied to health concerns such as affected hormone levels or birth defects. They're also not great for the environment because as the plastics break down,Information on useful yeasts and moulds, they get released into the air. You can avoid plastics altogether by choosing ones made with all-natural biodegradable materials such as the Manduka eKO Mat made with natural rubber ($76), the jute Hugger Mugger mat ($37), or the Eco Mat ($85), which is a combination of rubber and jute. They also make yoga mats out of bamboo ($74), perfect for indoor or outdoor practice.

Equipment failure caused Byron event

Plant officials say it was a broken insulator at the facility’s switchyard that caused Monday morning’s “Unusual Event” at the Byron Generating Station.

The incident was reported at around 10 a.m. Monday, and the plant’s Unit 2 generator remains off-line. On Monday morning,Information on useful yeasts and moulds, Unit 2 automatically tripped off-line due to a loss of off-site power to the unit.

When the loss occurred, the facility’s diesel generators activated to provide back-up power. The steam release that began when Unit 2 came off-line stopped at approximately 3 a.m. on Tuesday.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,
Byron technical experts have completed repairs to a failed insulator, which was the source of the power loss, states an Exelon news release. A comprehensive investigation into why the insulator failed is ongoing, the release states.

“We will send off for failure analysis to see if we can learn why it failed,” said Paul Dempsey, communications manager for the Byron Generating Station.

Plant officials say there was no health or safety risk to workers or the general public during the incident, since the facility’s back-up systems all functioned correctly. Even so, Exelon Nuclear has notified the appropriate local, state, and federal authorities of the incident.

An Unusual Event is the lowest of the four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold, It is unclear when Unit 2 will be reactivated, but in the meantime, the plant’s Unit 1 generator continues to supply electricity.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services,

On Tuesday, personnel from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency collected samples from around the Byron plant to confirm that the steam release during Monday’s event poses no hazard to the public. The samples will be taken to the agency’s Springfield lab for analysis and results should be available in a few days, states an IEMA news release.

Patti Thompson, a spokesperson for IEMA, said the sampling will allow her agency to determine whether there are any dangerous levels of radioactive tritium present in the environment surrounding the plant. The agency does not expect there to be any elevated levels, but the sampling and testing will confirm this, Thompson said.

“Nothing indicates to us that there should be elevated levels, but we want to do our own independent testing,” Thompson said.

As part of this process, IEMA personnel are collecting water and vegetation samples. Some of the samples will be in the same locations as routine sampling that was conducted by the agency within the past month. Other samples will be taken elsewhere.The magic cube is an ultra-portable,

Thompson said the new samples will be compared to the samples taken a short time ago, which will make the process easier.

“Hopefully, within the next few days, we’ll have results and we can let the public know,” Thompson said.

Montie Design Expands Product Realization Toolset

Montie Design, an innovative concept-to-marketplace product design and development firm, has expanded its product realization toolset with the purchase of a rotational molder. The new equipment allows the firm to produce prototypes of small rotationally molded parts and follow up with limited production runs of client parts.

“We’re known for our experience in product design and prototyping of metal-based products across a multitude of industries, and these additions to our in-house workshop will enable us serve our clients in a new and valuable way,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists.” said Montie Roland, company president.

Providing design flexibility, rotomolding allows for the creation of prototypes with consistent wall thickness, strength and durability, stress-free parts, and low initial tooling costs. Rotationally molded products are highly sought-after in a wide range of industries such as agricultural and industrial; material-handling; and recreational and sporting goods.

Montie Design has just completed its first rotationally molded prototype for an anti-fog device used in snowmobile helmets. The parts were recently sent off for client testing and evaluation.

“The ability to quickly and inexpensively create prototypes using the rotomolding process opens up new design directions for client projects; there are very few companies in the U.Daneplast Limited UK are plastic injection mould & toolmaking specialists.S.The magic cube is an ultra-portable, that offer rotomolding on a prototype basis. Initially, we embarked on this addition to our services as a way to serve one client, but the lack of vendors that are capable of using the rotomolding process to prototype parts indicates an under-served market,” Roland explained.Shop at Lowe's for garage Ceramic tile,

The Montie Design toolset offers core competencies in mechanical engineering, industrial design, prototyping and product commercialization. The firm is active in numerous design and engineering groups and organizations throughout North Carolina as well as the North Carolina Defense Business Association.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services.

Additionally, Montie Design is hosting a Winter 2012 Student Design Contest for aspiring product designers in community colleges, four-year colleges, or high schools from North Carolina and Virginia. Contest participants will be tasked with developing outdoor, shooting, hunting, archery, and camping products.

Keen Howser Wool Shoes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wear a sleeping bag on your feet? That's exactly how Keen bills their Howser Wool slippers, which are designed to be comfortable and warm, both at home or while out and about around town. The shoes more than live up to that billing and make an excellent option for travelers as well.

In designing the Howser Wool slippers, Keen incorporated recycled quilted felt on the outside and super-comfortable microfleece on the inside. The former gives the shoes a unique look that is all their own, while the latter plays a big part in making these slippers something you'll want to wear everywhere you go. Of course,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. no shoe dubbed a "slipper" would seem like something you'd want to wear out in the elements,Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. but the Howser's rubber outsole gives them an unexpected ruggedness that makes them perfect footwear for all kinds of environments.Daneplast Limited UK are plastic injection mould & toolmaking specialists.

Travelers will appreciate that the Howser slippers are lightweight and very packable, making them a great choice whenever you're hitting the road. Better yet, they are very easy to slip on and off, which is much appreciated when passing through TSA checkpoints at the airport. The fact that they are warmer than their weight would imply only adds to their versatility, and the memory foam footbed molds itself to your feet, making them more comfortable over time.

In my mind, Keen has built the perfect pair of casual shoes. After all, who wouldn't want to wear a pair of comfy slippers all day long? I love how lightweight these shoes are, while still keeping my feet warm and dry in winter weather. Because of this fantastic combination of qualities, I find myself regularly slipping into my pair of Howsers without even thinking about it.Shop at Lowe's for garage Ceramic tile, Whether I'm running to the store to pick up groceries, or heading to the airport to catch a plane, these slippers have become a favorite option for footwear.Online fine art gallery of quality original landscape oil paintings,

With a price tag of just $65, you'll be hard pressed to find a more comfortable shoe for the money, and I think you'll discover that it won't take long for them to become one of your favorite pair of shoes too.

Septic tanks could be at risk

Though Fergus Falls got some snow on Wednesday, cold temperatures beforehand combined with not much snow could spell problems for some residents’ septic systems. Two local septic service owners weighed in on the potential problems and how to prevent them from backing up your system.

Frost digs deeper in years when snow doesn’t act as an insulator, sometimes reaching and freezing septic systems – particularly the “drain field,” where the excess material in the septic system drains, and the line between the septic tank and the home.

Nature’s Call Septic Service owner Doug Green said the best time to protect against the winter freezes has already passed.

“Ideally, everyone takes precaution in the fall instead of (waiting) until it’s too late,” Green noted.

For people who are concerned about their systems in the fall, Green recommended not composting, trashing or burning all of your fall leaves.

“(Grow) your grass longer, or maybe leave some leaves or put some bags of leaves over your tank,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,” he said.

If you’re late to insulate,Take a walk on the natural side with stunning and luxurious Floor tiles from The Tile Shop. there still may be time, according to Fergus Power Pump owner Mitch Okerstrom, explaining that thick blankets,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, mulch and straw are also effective insulators.

“Anything to cover that drain field, if possible,” he said.

After insulation is taken care of, it’s important to make sure that no “ice dams” clog up the line between the septic tank and the house.

“Fix any leaky toilets or anything like that,” said Okerstrom, explaining that the slow flow of a small amount of water is much likelier to freeze.Omega Plastics are leading plastic injection moulding and injection mould tooling specialists. He and Green also said that some furnaces also feed small amounts of condensed water into the septic system. That can be harmful if not supplemented by other water.

Normally, said Green, freezing of small amounts of water isn’t an issue, as home residents typically use large amounts of hot water via showering, laundry or washing dishes.Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold,

When on vacation, however, “have someone run hot water into your system for three to four minutes every day,” he recommended.

“Usually the problems we do see are people who take a week off,” he said.

Okerstrom also urged caution with cooking supplies.

“Avoid all your greases from going down the drain,” he said. “That’s huge. Especially in the cold, they will coagulate (in the pipes).”

If your system is freezing, there are a few early warning signs, including frequent backups, slow drains, or a frequent gurgling sound when faucets are drained. A consistent, strange odor in the home when the water is on is another key indicator.

If homeowners aren’t careful, said Green, they may end up needing a fix that can impact time and money.

“I have had situations where the drain field has frozen up and I’ve had to pump the septic tank every time until spring,” he said, remarking that typical septic tanks fill up every two or three months. Another method requires a machine called a steamer which pumps steam or hot water through the pipe leading to the tank.

If a septic service is needed, he remarked, make sure that you know where your septic tank and its access are.

Though he said homeowners should still be vigilant, Okerstrom said this week’s weather could make things easier.

From Chicago CEO to 'Trop Rock' in Key West

Howard Livingston's move from Chicago to Key West, Fla., was part of a lifestyle makeover. His old wardrobe was the first thing to go.

"I had whole closets full of suits and dress shirts and ties and slacks," says the former co-owner and CEO of a firm that made diesel-engine parts. The dapper attire went straight to the Salvation Army. "It was an act of freedom," Livingston says with a laugh. "I decided, 'I'm going to go down there in flip-flops and T-shirts and see what happens.'"

That wasn't all he decided. Livingston, who made the leap in his mid-50s, deliberately downshifted from a demanding corporate grind to the laid-back pace of the Keys,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, a destination point every year for thousands of "snowbirds" fleeing the icy winters of the East and Midwest. Those who live in the Keys -- where mild winter days average above 70 degrees -- tend to work busily during the seasonal influx of tourists and take vacation time off during the hot, humid summers, as Livingston now does.Tru-Form Plastics is a one-stop shop for plastic Injection Molding,

Livingston's six-months-on,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, six-months-off schedule includes summers devoted to swimming, boating and vacations. During the winter he pursues his second-act careers: singing and being a television host.

"Winters here are incredible," he says. "People literally come from all over the world. There's a stark difference between the winter and summer. There are probably 20 times more people here on a given day in the winter than there are in the summer. The summer is what we call 'slack time.' You can kick back and catch your breath."

An avid songwriter, Livingston fulfilled a longtime fantasy when he arrived in Florida by starting a band -- the Mile Marker 24 Band, named for his location along the highway that cuts through downtown Key West. The band has been a success. In seven years, Livingston has recorded six albums and become a regular act at festivals and charity events.

During fundraising performances for KOA Care Camps, a program that sends seriously ill children on week-long camping trips, Livingston revs up an outboard motor to mix a small ocean of margaritas. He auctions off the first drink for impressive sums. "The record is $10,000," Livingston says. "Last year we raised $55,000 for the kids."

The band is slated to play alongside Poco and Blood, Sweat & Tears at a fundraiser in March, Livingston says. With Livingston singing and playing guitar, the group's style is what the locals call "Trop Rock," a tropical melding of rock, reggae and other Caribbean strains favored by fans like Dale and Peach Hench, who make an eight-hour drive to Key West seven or eight times a year to enjoy the sounds.

"They sing about oceans and vacations -- escapist music similar to what Jimmy Buffett sings," says Dale, who labels Livingston "one of the warmest and most genuine people we've ever met, as well as a very talented musician. Howard's been gracious enough to let us come up on stage and play our cowbells. He's that type of guy -- he invites people to participate in what he's doing."

The success of the band earned Livingston, now 60, a second wintertime gig, hosting a local TV show known as Key West Time.Information on useful yeasts and moulds, The series, created by the Conch Republic Media Group in Key West for satellite and cable television, focuses on lifestyles and recreation in the Keys -- boating, parasailing,Get information on Air purifier from the unbiased, hunting for treasure, and the like. Filming for the 13-week series resumes this month.

"He absolutely loves doing the show," says Livingston's wife, Cyndy, whom he met 15 years ago during a visit to Key West and married in 2009. "He's a natural at it. He loves the Florida Keys, and he can talk about everything he loves."

Cyndy Livingston, a former financial controller who gave up that job to help with her husband's careers, deals with everything from the sale of band merchandise to ironing Hawaiian shirts before TV shoots.

Radio array starts work

The Netherlands, one of the most densely populated countries in Europe,Information on useful yeasts and moulds, would seem to be an inauspicious place to detect radio whispers from the distant Universe. Mobile-phone towers, television transmissions, planes overhead and even the odd burst of noise from a windmill create a background din in the radio sky.

But the builders of LOFAR, the Low-Frequency Array of radio receivers centred around the tiny village of Exloo, say that they have found ways to ignore the noise. In doing so, Dutch astronomers at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy in Dwingeloo, are opening up a region of the electro-magnetic spectrum that should hold clues to one of the earliest phases of cosmic history, when the first stars formed — an era beyond the ken of even the biggest optical telescopes.

“Many of the radio astronomers said this couldn’t be done,” says Heino Falcke, an astronomer at Radboud University in Nijmegen and chairman of the International LOFAR Telescope Board, the five-nation foundation that governs the 150-million (US$192-million) project. Yet Falcke and his colleagues defied the doubters by presenting their first results on 9 January at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas. “The message today is: the basic things all work.VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. We can do this,” he said.

Mapping the low-frequency sky requires an expansive telescope as well as the ability to tune out noise. When completed later this year, the array will contain 2,700 slender dipole antennas tuned to 30–80 megahertz, and 43,000 antennas embedded in flat tiles a few metres square that are sensitive to 120–240 megahertz. The antennas will be concentrated in 40 stations across the Netherlands; 8 other stations in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Sweden give the array extra angular resolution for fine-scale imaging. The fibre-optic data network that links the LOFAR antennas will also support sensor webs for geoscience and agricultural monitoring.

LOFAR has already turned up surprises. Its observations of four pulsars — spinning neutron stars that emit regular radio pulses — show that the emissions at a wide range of frequencies are bunched together in time, implying that they emanate from a narrow region near the pulsar. The finding challenges a common picture in which pulsars generate their radio signal in a much wider region, says ASTRON’s Jason Hessels, co-principal investigator of LOFAR’s pulsar working group.

But the real prize would be the detection of a signal from the epoch of re-ionization. That was roughly 400 million to 800 million years after the Big Bang,Shop at Lowe's for garage Ceramic tile, when radiation from the first stars and galaxies ionized the primordial hydrogen gas that filled the newborn Universe, creating bubbles of ionized gas like the holes in a Swiss cheese. By mapping the gradual disappearance of the faint 21-centimetre emission line from the primordial hydrogen, LOFAR astronomers hope to distinguish between two re-ionization mechanisms: one driven by the stars’ ultraviolet light and one by X-rays from super-massive black holes in newborn galaxies. That would allow the astronomers to watch the first stars and galaxies being born.

Based on an initial run of ten hours spent staring at several quiet corners of the radio sky,The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services, ASTRON’s Ger de Bruyn suspects that the re-ionization signal could be detected with 400 hours of devoted observing time — a campaign he plans to begin by the end of the year.

That schedule would put LOFAR ahead of rival re-ionization projects in remote parts of Australia, South Africa and New Mexico, locations chosen partly for their lack of radio noise. Greg Taylor,Full-service custom manufacturer of precision plastic injection mold, an astronomer at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and director of the Long Wavelength Array being built in New Mexico, acknowledges that LOFAR is the array to beat in the race to detect re-ionization — but says that would be just the beginning. “If you make the discovery, then it’s a Nobel prize for somebody,” he says. But afterwards, “it has the potential to explode into a field of study”.

Jimmy’s tribute to KP people through his brushstrokes

The artist says the exhibition is a tribute to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for rendering great sacrifices in the wake of current wave of militancy in Pakistan.

“The exhibition will reflect the courage of people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their fight against terrorism besides showing they have a desire to live a full life,Information on useful yeasts and moulds,” said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial minister for information and culture. The event is jointly organised by the provincial department of information and culture,Take a walk on the natural side with stunning and luxurious Floor tiles from The Tile Shop. the department of archaeology and youth affairs and the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar.

Mr Hussain, Jimmy Engineer and UET vice-chancellor Imtiaz Hussain Gilani addressed a joint press conference here on Sunday and explained the spirit behind the event.

The paintings depict themes such as Pakistani architectural composition, international architectural composition, poverty and plight of refugees at the time of Pakistan’s coming into being in 1947.

Paintings titled ‘Sunset’, ‘Hut by the Sea’, ‘Fishermen with boat’, ‘My Palette’, ‘Banyan Tree’, ‘Donkey Cart’, ‘Running Horse’ and many other would be on display to attract visitors.

Speaking on the occasion,VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. Mr Jimmy said he had never organised exhibitions for commercial gains. “I have contributed 70 per cent of the money raised through my previous exhibitions to causes such as for children, human rights etc,” he said.

Mr Gilani said that the event was a joint effort to highlight the cultural history and architecture of the country. He said the event was a tribute to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for showing resilience in the face of militancy.

Minister for information Iftikhar Hussain thanked the artist for dedicating the exhibition to people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who steadfastly supported the government in the fight against terrorists. He said that such cultural events promoted pluralism and were essential to thwart militants’ threats.

The minister said that the government fought militants on different fronts simultaneously in an effort to keep people united, counter militants’ influence, and protect the cultural norms and values.

“They (militants) were taken as heroes,” said the minister, adding “We changed that wrong perception through our media policy that encouraged people to speak against militants on TV and write in newspapers”.

He said the government’s bold policies helped in restoration of cultural activities. “Now there is not a single day when Nishtar Hall goes without a cultural function,” he said. Mr Hussain also renewed the provincial government’s offer to militants for finding a negotiated settlement to the current situation.

The provincial government is not afraid of militants; it endured their threats and fought bravely against them, winning back the area they had taken over, he said.

“Too much bloodshed has taken place in our area and now there must be an end to it,” Mr Hussain said, emphasising negotiations to come out of the current crisis.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its people had taken a ‘beating’ and it’s time to win back peace so that our children could get education.China yiri mould is a professional manufacturer which integrates Plastic Mould design and manufacture and plastic product development.

“We took the thrashing because we believe in peace and that’s why we think a negotiated settlement is the best option to end the crisis,” Mr Hussain said. He,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. however, expressed doubts about success of the reported US-Taliban contacts for negotiating peace in Afghanistan.

The minister said that any peace talks without involving Pakistan and Afghanistan would not succeed. “Unless America takes Pakistan and Afghanistan into confidence, negotiations (between US and Taliban) cannot meet success,” he said.

Pakistan or Afghanistan, too, could not succeed in case they pursued talks with Taliban individually without taking all the stakeholders into confidence, he said.

Answering a question about early elections, Mr Hussain said that parliament was not so weak to necessitate early polls and it should complete its term.

ART WORLD ACCOUNTS

Artists and collectors say they fell victim to St. Armands art gallery owner Robert Preiss, even as Preiss was facing prison time on an art theft charge. They say they are now missing payments or valuable high-end original paintings and sculptures. Here is a look at what they say happened:

In January, Rut agreed to send Preiss a group of original paintings for a two-day art show in Key Biscayne. "After the event, the paintings - whatever did not sell - was supposed to be brought back to my studio," Rut said.

Rut kept asking Preiss to return the artwork. "I said Robert, I want my paintings back, you're keeping them."

"The next thing I know is he gets arrested," Rut said of Preiss' conviction and jailing in October. "Out of all my consigned artwork, I recovered 5 out of 10."

Rut later went to the home of a Venice dentist who previously had purchased Rut's art. As the dentist gave him a tour of the house, Rut saw one of his missing paintings in the bedroom, a red monochrome of a woman fanning herself. He asked the dentist and his wife where they got it, and they told him Preiss had sold it to them; Rut said he was never paid.

In late 2010, Zhao agreed to send Preiss a few originals and a few limited editions for a new gallery in Tampa called Bugatti Fine Art.

Months went by and Zhao contacted Preiss.Injection moulds "We'd like you to send all the pieces back because we haven't heard anything from you that you had sold anything," said Jessie Zhao, Zhao's daughter.

They were missing three originals and two limited editions. Then, they heard from the manager of Bugatti that Preiss was convicted and in jail.

Later, a customer called to say he had purchased one of Zhao's paintings, "Riders of the Dawn," at an estate sale. It was one of the pieces Preiss had never returned or paid for. "We don't know how that piece got to an estate sale," Jessie Zhao said.

Preiss approached Zimmerman, a renowned portrait artist, with an impressive offer: Paint a portrait of Carlos Slim, the world's richest man, as a gift from Preiss, and Zimmerman would receive a $300,000 commission.

Preiss told Zimmerman it would be in appreciation for the 10-year relationship he shared with Slim as his best client, to be presented to him in Slim's home in Mexico.

Zimmerman created what he considers to be one of his most detailed and meaningful portraits. He incorporated examples of works by Dali and Rodin into the background.China Porcelain tilelandscape oil paintings During the unveiling at Preiss' gallery, Preiss declared the painting a masterpiece that would soon be hanging in Somaya Museum in Mexico City.

Then, in July, Zimmerman said Preiss came up with one excuse after another as to why the presentation to Slim was not happening. Then, Zimmerman heard about Preiss' conviction for fraud.

Zimmerman now has reason to believe that Slim and Preiss were not as close as represented, and that the portrait was just a tool that Preiss was using to get closer to Slim.Plastic molding Zimmerman said he was never paid.

Ginzberg knew Preiss from years ago when he sold art through Preiss' ex-wife's gallery in Miami. So when Preiss called in late 2009 with stories of people owing him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ginzberg gave him art to sell.

Preiss guaranteed sales right away, and "to show good faith" gave Ginzberg a check and five postdated checks for the full amount. Only the first one was good, Ginzberg said.

Preiss came up with excuses, including sending a photo of himself in the hospital, and always said payment was just around the corner, Ginzberg said.

"We subsequently found out the artwork was already sold, and there was no way to trace it," Ginzberg said. "He was selling the art and not telling us,offshore merchant account but he was taking any price. He sold paintings valued at $40,000 for $10,000."

"Somebody told me they walked into a restaurant on St. Armands, and there was a painting of mine hanging that was retailed at $40,000."

"They said they got it from Preiss," Ginzberg said. "He never paid me for that."

Cloud's husband was a private collector of Salvador Dali sculptures and other fine art, much of it purchased from Preiss. The two became close friends before Cloud's husband died in 2008 and left the artwork to his 6-year-old daughter.

"Robert sent me many emails, beautiful, wise, showing great compassion and how he felt so sorry," Cloud said. "If at any time the storage costs got too much or he needed funds for my daughter, he'd be happy to assist."

In 2010, with the costs of London storage space costing thousands, Cloud decided to sell the pieces and put the money in a trust. She said she called Preiss, who had sold most of the art to her late husband.

Five months later, Cloud started asking about the art or the money. Preiss had neither. In October, someone anonymously sent her a link to a Herald-Tribune news story about Preiss' conviction and prison sentence. "You can imagine, I almost fell out of my chair," Cloud said.

Is it just a cold

Is it just a cold,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . or something more serious?

You'll think I'm an overprotective, helicopter mom, but I am never at ease when one of my three young children has what I think is just a cold. I have no idea if they need to see a doctor for something that could be more important.which applies to the first offshore merchant account only, Can you give me some pointers on how to tell a simple cold from something that requires medical treatment? -- J.K.

ANSWER: Your question isn't silly. Most people wonder if their cold symptoms are indicative of something more serious, but they don't want to run to a doctor unless they are.

Adults can have as many as four colds a year. Children have even more, and older people have fewer. Older people are more immune to cold viruses because they have been exposed to many of them during their lives. They have developed antibodies and are somewhat immune. Young children, who have had less experience with cold viruses, are not as immune.

Rhinoviruses constitute a large viral family that is the most frequent cause of colds. There are more than 100 different strains of this viral family. That's one reason it has been so frustrating trying to develop a cold vaccine.

Typical symptoms of a common cold are dripping nose, sneezing, a mild cough, nasal congestion and a raw, slightly sore throat. One of the most important signs separating a cold from a more dangerous respiratory infection is the lack of a fever. A cold lasts from four to nine days. People usually stay somewhat active with a cold, and that includes kids.

Influenza, on the other hand,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. always produces a fever. Its cough is hacking and quite constant. Muscle pain and headache are present.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, People with the flu, including children, are not active. They want to lie down and forget about the rest of the world.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 86-year-old woman with a swallowing problem. Food catches in my throat and makes me cough. An hour to two later, it dislodges and finds its way back into my mouth. It smells bad.

My doctor has looked into my mouth and throat,This page contains information about molds, and says he sees nothing wrong. He advises me to eat only soft foods and to drink lots of water when I eat. I'm convinced something is wrong. What do you think is going on? -- B.W.

ANSWER: Your complaint has the trappings of Zenker's diverticulum. It's a pouch that has formed in the back of the throat. People with a Zenker's diverticulum have great difficulty swallowing due to the kinds of symptoms you describe. Liquids go down with ease; solids don't. The Zenker's diverticulum entraps them and ejects them later -- most of the time.

A diagnosis is made by having a person like you swallow some barium and then have an X-ray taken. The barium finds its way into the diverticulum. Doctors with special scopes also can uncover one.

The odyssey continues

The exhibition Story of 40 Years by a trio of artists who are best friends represents the evolution of Chinese art. Zhang Zixuan reports.

For so many years, a lingering scene has been looping in Chen Danqing's head: Two teenage boys race bicycles in Shanghai's narrow lanes, one surpassing the other, while they laugh and ring their bicycle bells. When they arrive at No 1301 West Huaihai Road, a Western building in the busiest area of the former French Concession, the two shout out at a second floor window. An older teenage boy pops his head out and says: "Come up!"

It was 1971, when the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976) was in full swing. Chen was 18. Han Xin, the other boy on the bicycle, had just turned into 16. And Lin Xudong, the one at the window, was 19.

That year, in the building that was Lin's house, the three school dropouts began their painting odyssey by covertly copying works of Western masters like Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) and Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) from remnants of pictures they had.

Recently, the trio dusted off many of the artworks they made over the past four decades and will air them once again at the Art Gallery of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting under the title Story of 40 Years.

The co-exhibition gathers their more than 200 artworks along with old photos and handwritten letters that bear witness to their long-lasting friendship.

The low-key opening ceremony lasted just five minutes and featured no big-name guests. But, even so, hundreds of art enthusiasts crammed into the gallery.

"The exhibition doesn't deliver a message of success. It just delivers sincerity, which is vanishing from today's art world," Chen says.

The artist's formative experiences are fairly well known to the general public.Replacement landscape oil paintings and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

With just a junior high school diploma,the Plastic molding are swollen blood vessels of the rectum. the self-taught artist was admitted as a painting-major postgraduate by the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1978, after being dispatched to rural Jiangxi province for eight years.

He achieved fame nationwide with his Tibet Series in the early 1980s. Later, he gave up teaching at his alma mater to become a solo artist in New York.

In 2000, Chen returned to become an art doctoral supervisor at Tsinghua University. But in 2004 he submitted his resignation in protest against the rule that talented young painters could be rejected because they failed an English entry exam.

Chen has since criticized the Chinese education system and spoken out on many other social issues.

"My fame has been foisted on me by the public," he says. "Only when I'm with Lin and Han can I be the 100 percent me."

When Chen first came to prominence with his Tibet Series, the public dubbed it the "Chen Danqing Complex", referring to the switch from the Soviet model of painting to a European style.

But Chen insists his awakening to a European consciousness was actually influenced by Lin and Han, especially Lin.

"Lin had the best aesthetic taste among us,where he teaches third party payment gateway in the Central Academy of Fine Arts. yet he maintained the lowest profile," Chen says.

Many years later,A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company. Chen learned by chance that Lin was born in the United States and grew up in France until he was age 4, when his father, a nuclear physicist, returned to help the construction of New China.

Lin was the first of the three who dared to portray nudity.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . He was also the first who prepared to enter the Central Academy of Fine Arts, when art schools were closed and everyone believed the "cultural revolution" would last forever.

But Lin was already 33 when he finally got into his dream school as a print-major postgraduate in 1984. He was the last of the three to be admitted.

"Part of my life experience can only be expressed by painting, while the rest can only be expressed by movies," Lin comments.

New Equipment Delivers Molded Rubber Products Faster

Robinson Rubber Products,the Plastic molding are swollen blood vessels of the rectum. a designer, developer and manufacturer of custom-molded rubber products, extruded rubber products and
precision rollers, announces it will add four new rubber molding presses to the two it already has.

The six new up-acting compression presses will have faster throughput, greater capacity and deliver more consistent parts. This means better molded rubber parts, faster for less money.

Bonding a rubber component to your part can also eliminate secondary operations and extra components, plus reduce weight and costs.

These new presses have three advantages. One, they are large-scale presses so parts can be larger or they can hold additional cavities for greater production capability. Two, with compression clamping forces up to 700 tons, they have tremendous throughput.Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber. Three, they have vacuum chambers that drop around the mold. Encasing the mold and pulling a vacuum eliminates the defect potential from air entrapment. The vacuum chamber also creates a stable insulator. Keeping the temperature consistent in the mold during curing adds to a part’s consistency and reduces waste. New automated mold handling rigs on the presses speed up production and improve worker safety. Also, more sophisticated computer control and programs deliver complete repeatability.

Using up to 20 engineering grade polymers and more than 1,500 unique formulations, Robinson Rubber works with you to deliver the best rubber solution possible. Let us develop a proprietary custom formula for you using our in-house compound formulation and mixing capabilities.

“Providing sophisticated bonded assemblies of high quality is our specialty, with over 70% of our rubber being bonded to substrates,” says Jay Beck, President of Robinson Rubber. “This process delivers high performing components to our customers with virtually zero returns,Replacement landscape oil paintings and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.” says Beck.

Substrate parts include but are not limited to chain pads, conveyor pads, diaphragm assemblies, electrical insulators,The application can provide Ceramic tile to visitors, ground spool valves, impellers, inflatable butterfly valve seats, motor mounts, non-invasive medical devices, power drive assemblies, sanding disks, special wheels, valve assemblies, vibration isolators and vibration mounts.

If you are an engineer struggling with trying to come up with components that will perform multiple functions in challenging conditions,Unlike traditional high risk merchant account , check out rubber’s capability to bond to a variety of substrates, eliminate parts and lower assembly costs. A Polymer and Material Selection Guide is also available.

For $4,500, oh no, Beta!

While a moot point in the era of digital downloads and DVDs, Panasonic's VHS did at one time beat Sony's Beta in the consumer video recording contest. Lancia's Beta also lost out to more reliable fare, but today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Coupé could rewind all that. That is, if its price makes it a master Beta.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,

As unloved as the E21 may be in relation to its neue klasse predecessor and E30 successor, that didn't stop what yesterday was claimed to be the nicest 320i on Craigslist from winning your hearts. Wait, yes it did. Or was it the nearly eight grand price tag that served up all the haterade? Either way, 55.52% of you said 320-I wouldn't pay that much, and that was even with its gnarly sisal mats. Sisal mats!

You ever have one of those surprise sneezes, the kind that just plain comes out of nowhere? You know the sort, one that doesn't even allow you time to fortify your other orifices and hence can result in the unsupervised simultaneous horn section emanating from your southern hemisphere - which my friends, can be deadly.

Having an unexpected and uncontrolled fart - and I mean a real ass clapper - can prospectively threaten to make your pants look like GAME OVER on Asteroids. And once that noisy golem is released from its cave, it is with sinking heart and great trepidation that you have to do the giraffe lips thing with your butt cheeks to ensure the blast didn't just rocky road your shorts.

It is with similar apprehension that we consider today's 1976 Lancia Beta Coupé, as it not only comes with a brand reputation for abject and unremitting craptitude, but is also painted the color of poo. Despite that, Betas are pretty cool looking little cars, and while historically being made from materials sourced from the Lira Store, this one seems to have stood time's test.

We're all familiar with the Beta story - the line, including coupe, fastback berlina, hatcheriffic HPE, and Monte Carlo, was the first of Lancia's products to debut under Fiat's ownership. Front-wheel drive and sporting a variation on Fiat's twin-cam inline four, the Betas lacked much of the engineering interest of the precedent Fulvias with their jewel-like narrow-angle V4s.

Like most all Betas, this one has the five-speed manual backing its 81-horse engine. Parts for both transmission and Fiat twin-cam are relatively plentiful, however other consumables - things such as brake rotors and pads, struts and springs, and the various plastic bits may be more problematic. Fortunately, on this one,ceramic magic cube for the medical, all the bespoke parts such as trim and molded rubber seem to be intact and in excellent shape.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together.

Sure it has bumpers that can be seen from space, but those may have protected the ornate grille up front and tail lamp lenses in back, both parts that would be expensive to replace as these cars have mostly already made their pass through the pick-a-part yards. Amazingly, not only is this Beta seemingly free of body blemishes, but it also has - if the seller is to be believed - escaped the ravages of rust,Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings， making it the only Beta in history to have ever done so.

Inside it only gets better with a quartet of lovely to look at bucket seats in a rich caramel set amidst a cabin resplendent in ‘70s Italian ergonomic apathy. Yes,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, the dashboard plastic is thinner than a newlywed's nightie but amazingly it is free of cracks, deformations, or collections of banana brand stickers. The wooden shift knob sits atop a conical boot that sprouts right in front of a stereo head unit so old school it even has one of those freaky long-ways cassette slots.

Back to Basics in the Bay

Crafting, chicken coops and baking are just some of the hobbies making a massive comeback and getting a 21st-century makeover.

Partakers of such pastimes in Tauranga attribute this new penchant for life's traditional, simpler things to a yearning for comfort and escapism from economic instability. These age-old hobbies fill the gap left by the materialism of the current climate, a retreat from the pressures of life.

"Crafting and stamping are all about giving something from the heart. Making something with your hands that takes you away from the outside world is just so satisfying and brings so much joy to others," says Karen Williamson,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, a local Stampin' Up! enthusiast and demonstrator who lives in Greerton.

Stampin' Up! is the brainchild of American Shelli Gardner and her sister and is now a multimillion-dollar crafting company. Stampin' Up! offers an exclusive line of decorative stamp sets and accessories so people can make their own cards, decorations and scrapbooks. So successful has the company become, they've launched a new range of fabrics to encourage the making of cushions and home accessories. The company functions through a direct sales model, by which demonstrators gather interested groups and friends in their homes for crafting parties.

Stamping is a traditional hobby that took off as an art form in the 1970s. The Stampin' Up! company launched in New Zealand in 2007, but its popularity and success have soared in recent years. There are over 400 demonstrators nationwide and this year record numbers of New Zealanders have been hosting Stampin' Up! workshops - 1000 since June alone.

"It's not just about the making of the crafts," says Karen. "It's also about the camaraderie and friendships that come from stamping and crafting together in groups and parties. In times like these, when the economy is a bit scary and there's lots of negativity flying around,which applies to the first offshore merchant account only,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . it's great to be involved in something so positive that brings people together."

Karen believes people are turning to simpler, more traditional hobbies like crafting, gardening,Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber. home baking and knitting as a result of the materialistic climate we live in.

"An appreciation of the simpler things comes in times like these," adds Karen. "It's a great chance to get friends together, try something different and share ideas and inspiration with one another. The result is something beautiful that you've created yourself and that you can keep for your own home or give to someone to bring a smile to their face. It's wonderful."

Kerry McKay discovered her passion for baking while she was jobless.

"I realised one day while I was jobless that all I wanted to do was bake. Since that time I have looked for work opportunities where I can develop my love of baking from a hobby to a lifestyle and income."

Consequently, Kerry took a post in the Mount Maunganui New World Bakery early last year. "They have given me amazing support in continuing to develop this passion."

Kerry trawls the internet for inspiration and techniques, going on to websites, blogs and You Tube to help her home experiments. She's been amazed at her own creativity when challenged to be so.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. "On one occasion I was asked to decorate 80 gingerbread men and just before doing so I accidentally dropped them causing the majority to break. This led to a rescue plan where a friend and I redecorated the biscuits as pirates with missing limbs."

Fewer schools risk voter approval of bonds to fund repairs

West Patent Elementary School in Bedford needs an extreme makeover with an extreme price tag: $21.1 million in repairs to meet state standards.

The roof leaks,which applies to the first offshore merchant account only, its floor tiles contain asbestos, the windows must be replaced, and the water pipes are failing.

To finance those repairs, the Bedford School District could be among a handful across the Lower Hudson Valley brave enough to seek a bond during tough economic times and against increasing taxpayer resistance.

"This is the best time to borrow but the worst time for the economy," said Mark Betz, assistant superintendent for the Bedford School District. "Our board is very smart because what better time to take on a very, very cheap debt? There's no better time to do it."

With the region's average cost of $2.4 million per building to repair, the much-maligned bond issue is the only way most local districts can afford to correct multimillion-dollar problems highlighted in the five-year building condition surveys required by the state.

Four school districts — Hendrick Hudson, Bedford, Eastchester and Rye — plan to use bond issues to pay for upgrades.

But most districts are reluctant to pursue large bond issues in this economy, said Brian Butry, spokesman for the New York State School Boards Association.

A Journal News survey of local school officials shows that a majority of districts won't seek to borrow in the next two years.

"School districts don't want to go out for bond issues because they'll be shot down," Butry said.

Indeed, the Ossining and Clarkstown school districts both recently sought multimillion-dollar bonds, only to have voters reject them.

To sell a bond issue, school leaders must explain exactly what the money will pay for and why it's necessary, Butry said.

As many school leaders have discovered, voters won't tolerate items they believe are frivolous, such as upgrades to athletic fields, science labs or music rooms.

"Some people don't see why you want to upgrade those,the Plastic molding are swollen blood vessels of the rectum." said Anthony Merlini, facilities director in the Hendrick Hudson School District, which is seeking a $25 million bond issue next month. "We have to educate people to show them why it's necessary."

Sometime next spring, Bedford school officials hope to seek a $64 million bond to pay for upgrades at West Patent,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. Fox Lane Middle School and other facilities.

Meanwhile, other districts are benefiting from bond issues voters passed before the economy faltered.

In Brewster, H.H. Wells Middle School is undergoing a two-year, $26 million renovation and expansion financed with a 2009 bond issue.

The project includes a new science wing, new library, refurbished classrooms, asbestos removal and new lockers.

"Once you touch something, you have to bring it up to today's standards," said Timothy Conway, Brewster's deputy superintendent.

Yorktown's $37.ceramic magic cube for the medical,4 million bond issue from 2006, used to pay for items including new roofs and plumbing, is nearing an end. The district stretched the money as far as it would go, said Thomas Cole, Yorktown's assistant superintendent.

"Every school in the district has been touched in one way or another,Replacement landscape oil paintings and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide." Cole said.

Building a Home for the Less Fortunate

A youth revival will sweep the Asia-Pacific region in 2012 set to the sounds of pounding hammers and buzzing saws as thousands of young volunteers build new houses for the less fortunate in their cities.

The movement is part of a youth program with Habitat for Humanity’s Asia-Pacific division, which includes China, India,Mediums used are Wholesale Glaze Tiles For Kitchen From China Manufacturers on stretched canvas the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

The Indonesia campaign was launched on the national Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28 at HFH’s Jakarta headquarters in the Bellezza Shopping Arcade.

“Eighty-three years ago, we witnessed youths from all of Indonesia pledging to build this nation together,” said James Tumbuan, the national director of HFH Indonesia. “These young people were driven by their concerns, spirits and dreams to build a better future for Indonesia. We’re asking our young generation to do the same thing again today.”

Inspired by the spirit of the national Youth Pledge, HFH launched the “28uild” campaign to assemble 1,500 builders, 15,When CD Wholesale Wooden Style For Countertops From China Manufacturers first came out000 fund-raising volunteers, 150,000 social media supporters and 15 celebrities to build 150 homes in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Batam and Manado beginning in May 2012. The program will also mark the 15th anniversary of HFH in Indonesia, which was established in Jakarta in 1997.

Since its inception, HFH has built thousands of houses in disaster areas and inner-city communities.

“Today’s generation is lulled with high-tech gadgets and consumerism,” James said. “But they also need to see the fact that there still are a lot of people in this country living in slums and makeshift houses. They need to see it, and do something about it.”

The United Nations Habitat division’s most recent annual report on urban housing indicated that approximately 15 to 25 percent of Indonesia’s total population still lives in slums.

“A decent home is still pretty much a luxury for most Indonesians,” said Engeline Tjia, chief operating officer of HFH Indonesia. “So we dare the young generation to address this issue and rise up to the challenge.”

Today, HFH Indonesia is headquartered in Jakarta and has seven satellite branches across the country. The organization has built 32,816 houses in Indonesia since 1997.

In Aceh, Sumatra, HFH has built 5,000 new homes and rehabilitated 10,000 houses that were damaged by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. In Padang, West Sumatra, HFH rebuilt 780 houses that had been obliterated by the earthquake in 2009.Buy Hair Wholesale Glass Mixed Mosaics For Floor from top rated stores In October,your ultimate Wholesale Micro For Floor From China Manufacturers coffee mug is here it finished 125 houses for Ambon refugees that had been living in camps for more than 11 years in Bitung, North Sulawesi.

“We believe that decent homes break the cycle of poverty permanently,” Engeline said. “In a decent home, we feel safe and lead healthy lives. In a decent home, you can actually start something better to increase your productivity. With increased productivity, you can eventually improve your life.”

Despite HFH’s efforts, data from the Ministry of Public Housing shows a housing backlog of nearly 8,000,Shuffle the Wholesale Crystal For Floor From China Manufacturers and solve it by making turns in any direction000 homes — a number that’s estimated to increase by 10 percent in 2012.

“There’s widespread poverty in Indonesia,” Engeline said. “But we need to identify those who not only need homes but who are also ready to work for them with us.”

First, an HFH team surveys an area and works with village leaders to identify the families that are most in need.