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Dining Room Furniture "Consumers like the convenience of being able to shop forfurniture online, and they like knowing that they can get theirgarden furniture from a company that cares about theenvironment," says Naomi Aharony of Faraway Furniture."Our new dining furniture model lets them take those benefits off of the patio and indoorsfor year-round entertaining. Our goal is to let our customers begreen consumers without sacrificing any conveniences, and now we'resimply taking what they've come to expect from Faraway Furnitureand going beyond the garden." The company is working to maintain its green business model throughtheir recent product line expansion. Faraway Furniture believes inusing sustainable resources to create more environmentally-friendlyfurniture. This includes using sustainable teak in the building ofthe company's outdoor garden and patio furniture , as well as fighting against general deforestation through theirinvolvement in the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP)Billion Tree Campaign. Faraway Furniture has so far planted over2500 trees. The Faraway Set is an eight-seat, solid oak, indoor dining setcombining aesthetics and functionality in an elegant yet rusticdesign. The table and chairs are crafted from solid European oak.The table features a five centimetre thick table top of continuousoak planks, upon 20 centimetre thick oval legs. It is currently oneof the heaviest dining tables on the market. The set comes innatural oak or walnut brown finishes, and has a list price of￡2499. Faraway Furniture, launched in 2003, offers exclusive and exoticcollections of outdoor garden furniture and home furniture from thefinest sustainable resources. The company prides itself on creatingbeautiful and practical contemporary designs crafted from durableteak and other woods. In addition to an emphasis on customerservice, Faraway Furniture helps customers "live green"by allowing them to feel good about their purchases knowing thecompany directly helps to replenish the resources used in thecreation of their furniture through the planting over 2500 trees sofar.

 Building Facilities Virginia Tech plans to reveal details today of a project to buildits first permanent research facility in Northern Virginia, givingthe university a research base near major government and privategrant awarders. The announcement is scheduled for a noon luncheon in Arlingtonpreceding the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors quarterly meetingstoday and Friday in Northern Virginia. The entire project, including acquisition and construction of aseven-story, 144,000-square-foot building, is expected to costabout $90 million, said Ray Smoot, the foundation's chief operatingofficer. The Virginia Tech Foundation is poised to purchase land in Ballstonthis summer for the project. The facility, scheduled for completionby late 2010 or early 2011, will allow Tech to consolidate severalof its Northern Virginia research facilities that now operate inleased space. The building site is three blocks from the National ScienceFoundation, four blocks from the Office of Naval Research and fiveblocks from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency -- thecentral research and development organization of the Department ofDefense. About 250 faculty, staff and graduate students will workthere, said Jim Bohland, executive director of Tech's NationalCapital Region. "You become part of that high-profile group of science players,"Bohland said. "It puts us very near to a lot of our customers." The board asked the foundation -- a private, nonprofit entity thatmanages the university's private donations -- to buy property forthe project in 2006. The process of getting local governmentapproval for construction of the building held up the acquisition,Smoot said. The Arlington County Board of Supervisors approved itunanimously in February. While the new building would be a first for Tech research, theuniversity already has a presence in Northern Virginia. Thefoundation owns three buildings in Alexandria used for graduatestudy, as well as the Equine Medical Center in Leesburg. VirginiaTech and the University of Virginia jointly own a Northern VirginiaCenter in Falls Church, which will host the board of visitorsmeeting. Bioinformatics, public health simulations and medical informaticswill be among the fields of study at the new facility, Bohlandsaid. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and Tech's Institute ofCritical Technology and Applied Science will also have a presencethere. Establishing a permanent research facility in the area will alsomake it easier for Tech to work with other colleges, Bohland said.Georgetown University and Tech offer a joint master's degree inbiomedical technology development and management and a jointprogram in drug discovery and development.

 Building Coating The Valspar  today announced it hasdeveloped the industry's first enhanced solar reflective paint forthe aluminum extrusion and wall panel market, Flurospar(R) SRcoatings. Increasing energy prices and the consequent need to cutdown energy use challenges all of us to offer greener products tothe building products industry. Now architects and building ownerscan choose a spray-applied, factory cured paint coating thatreduces the amount of energy used to cool buildings withoutlimiting color choice. Coating aluminum windows, curtain walls, shutters, awnings,louvers, wall panels and other building components with FlurosparSR coatings reduces surface temperature, resulting in coolerinternal building temperatures. This new, eco-friendly product isformulated with solar reflective (SR) pigments that keep buildingcomponents cooler than bare aluminum, anodized aluminum, andcomparable paint colors. "The new Flurospar SR coatings line is an example of Valspar'songoing commitment to manufacture energy saving, environmentallyfriendly paint coatings and the role that technology can play inmeeting the needs of the green building market," said Mary AnnJohnson, marketing manager for the Valspar Coil and ExtrusionCoatings Group. According to the US Green Building Council, buildings consume 70%of U.S. electricity and are responsible for 39% of U.S. CO2emissions. Energy costs and concerns about global warming challengemanufacturers to develop new products and processes that will helpimprove the situation. "Flurospar SR coatings are the most environmentally responsiblecoatings available to the aluminum building products industrytoday," said Chick Newhouse, general manager for the ValsparExtrusion Coatings Group. "They are the newest members of theFluropon(R) coatings product line that the industry has trusted formore than forty years." Flurospar SR finishes are available in a wide variety of colorsincluding white, black, green, blue, brown and red. Pearlescenteffects are also available in the Flurospar SR Classic IIformulation. Additional environmental advantages of aluminum extrusions and wallpanels coated with a Flurospar SR coating include:

 Wood Tub Outdoor patios and balconies provide views of lovely Eagle Harbourand of the luxuriant gardens. The gardens are designed foryear-round enjoyment. Although the home is only seven years old,the gardens were planted with mature rhododendron, roses, wisteria,cedar and arbutus accented with colorful perennials. An extensivelighting system allows guests and family to enjoy eveningsoutdoors. The kitchen is a chef's delight with its professional-grade Dacorstove and oven, subzero refrigerator with pull-out drawers andtumbled marble work surfaces on countertops and island. It includesspace to dine en famille while overlooking the bay. The butler'spantry has its own sink and a second dishwasher. The master bedroom suite is the "jewel within the lotus." Openingfrom the bedroom are a private sitting area with a fireplace, anexercise room, a walk-in closet, a bath fit for royalty with apedestal tub and jetted shower. Just off the Bedroom is anotherprivate patio to soak up the sunsets from the comfort of the mastersuite. Two other bedrooms, a family room and a media room keep the familytogether. The three-car garage and six additional parking spaceswill accommodate family and friends. A virtual walk-through of this elegant home is online atwestvancouverwaterfront.com. It is presented by Jordan Hurdal ofPrudential Sussex Realty; he can be reached by phone at604.786.6131 or via email at sold@jordanhurdal.com. Situated in Vancouver's downtown on the northeast side of StanleyPark, Coal Harbour is 23 acres of award winning community design.Stretching from Canada Place along the Burrard Inlet shore. Thestunning design of Coal Harbour with it's focus on waterfrontliving and its close proximity to Vancouver's downtown core hascontributed to Coal Harbour being one of the premier neighbourhoodsin Vancouver. With spectacular amenities close by the area offers great views ofthe Coal Harbour Marina, the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park,Lions Gate Bridge, Canada Place and the ports beyond. A beautifullylandscaped walkway connects Coal Harbour to the Stanley Parkseawall giving residents easy access to the parks' running and biketrails.

 Wood Material 'There is an abundance of wood waste in Alabama,' Pruitt said. 'Wecan take a ton of waste and turn it into 215 gallons of fuel.' According to Auburn University's Center for Bioenergy andBioproducts, Alabama could provide as much as 15 million tons ofwood waste each year. Theoretically, that would be more than enoughto replace the 2.5 billion gallons of gasoline the state consumeseach year. An added bonus, Pruitt says, is that the process, which doesn'tproduce carbon dioxide, is good for the environment. 'It is a carbon-neutral, zero- emission process,' Pruitt said. The only by-product, Pruitt said, is an ash-like material that canbe used as fertilizer. In simple terms, the process involves grinding wood waste into afine material, heating it to very high temperatures, causing achemical reaction and then converting the molecules produced by theheat into fuel. The process is called 'gasification,' and the Livingstoncellulose-based ethanol plant is among the first of its kind in thenation. A similar plant is being built in Soperton, Ga., with theassistance of a U.S. Department of Energy grant that will provideRange Fuels, which will operate the plant, with as much as $76million in public dollars. Gulf Coast Energy, now located in an abandoned plywood plant at theLivingston Industrial Park, has received a $7 million grant fromthe Florida Department of Agriculture. The rest of the $90 millionneeded to build a full-scale production facility, expected to becompleted by the end of 2009, will come from private sources. There are lots of biodiesel and ethanol manufacturers, but theytypically use fermentation to convert corn or soybeans into fuel.The Gulf Coast Energy plant will use wood waste products thatotherwise would be left on the ground to rot or be burned. If everything goes as planned, the demonstration plant will beexpanded into a 200,000-square-foot facility expected to produce 40million to 50 million gallons of fuel annually. Investors will geta chance to see the process in action when the demonstration plant moved to Livingston from Aberdeen, Miss.  begins producingethanol within a few weeks. Pruitt said the company's eventual goal is to build as many as 10such plants throughout the Southeast, all within 50 to 75 miles ofa steady supply of wood scraps, producing as much as one billiongallons of fuel annually. 'That's an ambitious goal,' he said. 'We might not make it.' The knock on converting soybeans and corn into fuel is that suchprocesses compete for land that otherwise would be used to growcrops for food. Farmland has to be fertilized with materials oftenmade with petroleum products, and farm equipment powered by dieselor gas is used to harvest the crops. That's why some experts say that converting foods like corn intofuel is not very efficient. But Pruitt says the process used by the Gulf Coast Energy plant hasthe potential to overcome all of the problems associated with fuelalternatives like corn-based ethanol. 'We know that this technology works,' he said. 'I think it willrevolutionize fuel production in this country.' Pruitt claims that the key to the plant's success is that for everyfive units of energy produced, only one unit of energy will beexpended. 'That is why our process is better than everybody else's and whyit's so important for the environment,' he said. The company is already working with the city of Hoover to reach anagreement to supply the town's vehicles with ethanol, which wouldbe produced with wood scraps provided by the city. Mark Warner, Gulf Coast's president and CEO, said plants like theone planned for Livingston are just part of a larger effort to makethe United States less dependent on foreign oil. 'There's not one single answer,' Warner said. 'It's going to dependon what the raw material spectrum is like in a particular region.For the Southeast, this is the best solution because of the vastamount of wood that is wasted every day.' Warner said using a resource that is currently going to wasteresolves the problem facing corn ethanol, which requires usingresources normally used to grow crops. 'Not only are we not consuming anything that could be used forfood, we're not using any land that could be used to grow food,' hesaid. University of Alabama professor Peter Clark, who teaches chemicaland biological engineering, said he isn't convinced thatestablished biofuels like corn-based ethanol or new cellulose-basedplants like the one in Livingston will help wean the nation off oftraditional fossil fuels. Clark pointed out that the wood waste has to be transported to theplant, then the fuel produced has to be driven by trucks to itsdestination. Then there is the issue of displacement: even woodwaste has some useful purpose. Paper mills, for example, often burnit to dry lumber and generate heat. 'They're displacing previous use of this stuff with a differentuse,' Clark said. 'The trouble with all of these biofuels is thatthey create displacements.' Many factors will determine whether a plant such as the one inLivingston will actually produce a product that can viably replacetraditional fuels, Clark said, including transportation costs,competition for and availability of wood waste products and theoverall energy cost to run the plant. 'So are they really benefitting the environment and is it a gooduse of funds?' he said. 'In terms of raw economics, oil is stillcheaper. Even with the cost of fuel today, there is no cheaper wayto deliver transportation fuel than gas and diesel.' 

Double Card The article you requested is only available to subscribers Please log in at the right top to access the article. Not a subscriber? We offer several different subscription options to access our newsitems. The subscriptions are priced based on the included archiveaccess. For ad-hoc news needs or to test our services, we have twoone-day subscriptions. The €5 one-day option only allows usersto access recent news (no more than 24 hours old) and the login isvalid for one day. The €90 subscription also allows you toaccess our website for 24 hours but includes full archive access.You would be able to access all of Telecompaper's news stories backto 1993. In the annual subscription plans, the Light option is ideal forpeople that regularly log-on to our website or that have RSS feedsset up and basically read the news on a regular basis. If you needto be able to search back further than one month, the Basic, Plusor Unlimited options would be a better choice as they include moreextended archive access. Annual Subscriptions Our Annual News Access subscription options provide access to ourwebsite for twelve months, allowing you to read all of the newsstories published on our website. We offer four levels ofsubscriptions with different archive access options: searching news1 month back, 3 months, 12 months, or unlimited access to the fullthe archive which dates back to 1993. With News Access you can browse the news through various newscategories or search specifically for subjects that interest you.Our advanced search service further allows you to set up customisedRSS feeds based on the search queries. This allows you to trackcertain companies, for example, and be sure not to miss a thing. Wealso provide several pre-made RSS feeds and with a News Access subscription you will be able to clickthrough to all these stories. Only the access plans that allow you to read the current articleare displayed below. For the full range .

IP Card Reader Reality, high performance and ease-of-use are the hallmarks of theDH500 WifiCam, which ushers in a new era of home surveillance. Thecam is specially designed for long distance surveillance purpose,allowing users to monitor and control from a remote site vianetwork/Internet. The DH500 is also equipped with multiplefunctions including 128-bit data encryption, motion detecting, 3GJava phone and external detector connector. Installation is easierthan ever with the product's user-friendliness and clearly writteninstruction manual. The DMP100 digital media player comes with USB storage and a cardreader. It may be connected to the user's television or stereosystem to allow playback of music, photos and videos from the USBstorage or card reader. The device is equipped with RCA and YPbProutputs and supports the following file formats: RM/RMVB, MPEG.1/2,DAT, AVI, DIVX and XVID. The card reader supports the followingtypes of memory card: MS, SD, MMC and XD, while the USB port allowsfor connection to hard disk. The PA200 TV tuner card offers high quality TV reception. Watchingand recording one's favorite TV programs on the PC can't get anysimpler. The card can also capture video from external devicesusing the included S-Video and composite video inputs. Among thefeatures of the PA200 are: full screen display with resolution ofup to 720x576, a noise reduction function to allow hi-sharp video,a timer function to allow pre-scheduled recording of TVbroadcasting programs, and a time shifting function to allow atemporary pause of a live broadcast. The WA1200 Wi-Fi viewer transforms the living room into the centerof a family's entertainment, connectivity and group learningactivities. The solution allows whatever files stored in the PC tobe wirelessly displayed on the TV set. It supports all mediaformats including MP2, MP4, VC1, H.264, AVS, DiVX, Flash, andH.263. For those who hunger for more, Active also has in store the DH600kit and the HDTV ultra to delight visitors.

Optic Mouse Miller comes to Qwest from Frontier, where he directed thetransformation of the airline's Website into a major growth enginefor the company, increasing online bookings by more than 21 percentin 12 months. In today's Internet marketplace, it's imperative that Qwest delivera simple and effective online shopping experience, Kruger said.Lowell's leadership and extensive e-commerce background willelevate the role of Qwest.com as a major driver of revenue growthand margin. Residential customers can shop for and purchase all services onQwest.com, including Qwest's fastest fiber-optic Internet service.And, small- and medium-sized businesses can choose sophisticatedvoice and data solutions with the click of a mouse. Customers canalso chat live with a Qwest representative. Qwest offers broadband, video and voice solutions for residentialcustomers, businesses and government agencies.

MMS Card Starhub to Introduce New Range of Promotions and Features StarHub unshackles exciting new range of promotions and featuresset to shake up the local mobile industry FREEDOM comes to Singapore mobile customers as StarHub introduces awhole new range of promotions and features that deliver greatervalue and enhancements to new mobile customers - many of them newto Singapore. "We want to demonstrate to customers who have yet to try ourmobile service that we offer true convenience, quality and valuefor money. These features and promotions are designed to helpcustomers ease into the StarHub family, by offering true value withlittle to no downsides. These plans are set to establish a newbenchmark for delivering mobile services in Singapore," saidMr. Anil Nihalani, Head of Mobile Services at StarHub. Said Ms. Iris Wee, Head of StarHub's Marketing, of thesepromotions, "We've always had a reputation for challenging thenorm, defining new parametres and defying expectations. We believethese new promotions and features will be seen a tipping point forattracting new mobile subscribers or those already with othermobile operators who are curious about what StarHub Mobile canoffer. Together with our Hubbing packages on cable TV andbroadband, we offer the best holistic value of any operatorhere." FREEDOM IS ... TRYING STARHUB MOBILE SERVICES FOR FREE From today, new mobile customers who would like to try StarHub'spostpaid mobile services can do so for three months absolutelyfree, with no contract and no obligations! All customers need to dois to head to any of StarHub's retail outlets, purchase a SIM card(which retails at $36.75 including a one-time registration) with aPowerValue100, PowerValue300, PowerConnect or PowerPlay II mobilesubscription plan, and start enjoying the service. Once connected to the StarHub mobile network, customers can makeany calls and SMS/MMS with the new SIM card up to the allocatedfree minutes and SMS/MMS per month of their chosen plan. Any usagebeyond the free bundled minutes or SMS/MMS will be charged atprevailing rates. StarHub's entire unique mobile features such asFree IDD 018 to 14 destinations, Free Incoming Calls and Per SecondBilling are also available to them. Once the third month has ended,the customer may choose to end the service or continue with itindefinitely with the chosen plan's monthly subscription. Cable TV and MaxOnline customers who sign up for a mobile line canalso enjoy Hub Club benefits immediately. Furthermore, if they signup by 30 June 2008, they get an extra $100 Hubber bonus. Hub Clubmembers get 5% off their MaxOnline bills, 10% off the Cable TVbills and up to 30% off their mobile lines. This promotion is valid from today to 31 July 2008. FREEDOM IS ... FREE UNLIMITED SMS AND MMS TO ANYONE At last! Student mobile customers can finally be free from studentplans of other operators that offer so-called 'unlimited SMS' whenit's only restricted to intra-network communications. Instead, from today, StarHub is the only operator in Singapore tooffer a student plan that delivers free unlimited local SMS and MMSto ANYONE in Singapore, regardless of which local service providerthe recipient is with. You can send what you want, whenever youwant and to whomever you want without worrying about being charged. This new enhancement is valid for both of StarHub's student plans -PowerValue 100 Student Plan and PowerValue 300 Student Plan.StarHub's PowerValue 100 Student Plan is available at $25.68 permonth; the PowerValue 300 Student Plan is at $48.15 per month.Apart from the FREE unlimited SMS and MMS to anyone, the plans alsooffer 100 or 300 outgoing minutes respectively. An additional 100minutes and free caller number display for 12 months is applicablefor new sign-ups until 31 July 2008. FREEDOM IS ... BIGGER DATA BUNDLE WITH A DRAMATICALLY LOWER PRICECAP For mobile Internet users, StarHub now offers a bigger, betterenhancement to the MaxMobile Value VAS making this the best valuemobile data plan for the mobile phone. From today, StarHub's MaxMobile Value VAS is offered with a free$30 worth of bundled data for just a monthly subscription of $5.35(instead of the previous free $20 data bundle). In addition,StarHub has lowered the pricing cap to $36.38, down from $94.16.This means that customers will only be charged for data usage up to$36.38 (which includes the $5.35 monthly subscription) regardlessof how much mobile data they actually consume. StarHub's 3.5G mobile broadband network is Singapore's mostadvanced network, boasting mobile broadband speeds of up to 7.2Mbpsdownlink and 1.9Mbps uplink. With the appropriate mobile device,StarHub mobile customers will be able to have a better onlineexperience as they surf the Internet, perform transactions andstream videos wirelessly. In future, StarHub will roll out itsHigh-Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) network which will enablemobile broadband speeds of up to 21Mbps downlink and 11Mbps uplink.

Nuts Hex Hayward Flow Control Systems, Clemmons, NC, a division of HaywardIndustrial Products, has announced availability of their new lineof BFA Series Industrial Bulkhead Fittings. Designed to allow safe, quick pipe connections to plastic or metaltanks, the bulkhead fittings come standard with heavy duty, fullbuttress left hand threads to prevent leaks under pressure. Thefittings are molded 1" longer than previous versions for use withthicker or double wall tanks and with a heavy wall thickness towithstand most abuse, rated to 150 PSI, have EPDM or FPM gasketseals, and feature a hex body for one person installation.

Cable With Connector Exceeding the standard: Belden has the right products for HDTV Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008 While an estimated 95% of all broadcast facilities still have toadopt the HDTV format, Belden already has the products and theexperience to help companies make the switch. At a recent PressBriefing, Werner Eich, Marketing Manager Entertainment for BeldenEMEA, provided an overview of Belden’s range of products forBroadcast, sports and residential use. “We are experiencing a digital revolution: broadcasters,television production studios and post-production enterprises areadopting high definition, serial digital imaging (HD/SDI) as theirformat of choice because of its superior performance and otheradvantages. Precision digital video is processed in real time andis extremely stable, which reduces equipment adjustments and allowscopies or reproductions to retain the same quality as the original.Moreover, signal degradation is virtually eliminated and noiseimmunity is greatly improved. Digital technology not only promisesto improve picture and sound quality, but also paves the way forinteractive on-demand TV and other digital services. “In the 1080i (interlaced) format, the image resolution is1920x1080 pixels, sent at 60 interlaced frames per second. In the1080p (progressive) format, the image resolution is the same but issent at 60 complete frames per second. Thus, in the progressive format, the complete image updates every1/60th of a second and in the interlaced format, only half of theimage updates every 1/60th of a second. As a result, progressiveimages result in better image definition and quality.” “Cable manufacturing consistency and quality are both key toachieve minimal return loss. Good practice requires testing to thethird harmonic of the operating frequency. For serial, single cable1080p, that means testing to a frequency of 4.5 GHz. This 1080pformat is expected to transmit serial digital video signals at 2.97Gb/s, requiring an operating frequency of 1.485 GHz. Thistranslates to a shorter wavelength and a greater chance thatinconsistently manufactured cables will choke off the signal with ahigh level of return loss. This may be caused by even the slightestirregularity in the cable manufacturing process. A slightly bentshaft, bad bearing or uneven cable tension, for example, can causereflection and affect the signal wavelength. Therefore, utmostconsistency and control in the manufacturing process is essentialto the reliability of the cable’s signal transmission at highfrequencies and to minimize return loss. Increased sweep testing “Therefore, broadcast camera and video cables need to delivertop performance, whilst at the same time meeting extendedinternational and European standards. It is for this reason that Belden became the first cablemanufacturer to increase its sweep testing from 3 GHz to 4.5 GHzfor all coaxes designed for maximum bandwidth, minimum return lossand minimum attenuation loss. These cables already meet the verytight specifications for electrical properties and are ideallysuited for both analog and digital video in broadcast,post-production and other critical video applications. In addition,Belden performs 100% sweep testing to 4.5 GHz on every reel of HDcable and provides certification to assure unequalled levels ofcable signal integrity and reliability, with lower return loss (RL)at higher frequencies. “We are prepared for the future. As a pioneer and leader incable technology, Belden has always taken a stringent approach tocable quality assurance. Rather than simply inspect and test randombatches of cables after manufacturing, Belden begins its qualityprocess in the product development and manufacturing stages. “When an independent test laboratory took an in-depth look atthe HD performance of the video coaxes used in TV studios, cableswere tested for return loss, attenuation and maximum cable run onHD (1080i and 720p). In the end results all Belden productsdelivered performance values that exceeded those listed in Belden'sown catalogues.” “Belden continually introduces new developments and productsfor a range of different applications for the creation, managementand delivery of entertainment content, including Mobile TV, IPTVand D-Cinema. New products recently introduced include: Digital and analog audio/video composite camera cable 1347A – This new composite design, using 1505A Precision Video cable and9451 Audio cable, provides exceptional video, audio and power forENG/EFP cameras standard setting cables. Outside broadcast Tactical fiber optical cable for Outside Broadcast – Rugged, resilient and lightweight, these cables aredesigned for fast and easy use in mobile communication systems,digital camera transmissions in electronic news gathering (ENG)vehicles, as well as mining and industrial applications, especiallyfor long haul HD transmissions. Halogen-free cable – A version of Brilliance? DigitTruck 179DT lightweight RG-179 Type 75-ohm coaxial cable. It is designed to lighten the load on thetruck, reduce the amount of space needed and to improveair-conditioning air flow and gas mileage. Wireless Access System – The unique design with channel blanket technology greatlysimplifies installation and offers improved performance overcurrent technology. Consisting of intelligent 8 and 24-port switches and dual and four-radio Access Points (APs),this enterprise-grade WLAN eliminates the need for deep RFenterprise while eliminating the trade-off between coverage,capacity and mobility. New Product Bulletin NP260. Expanded line of FRNC speaker cables – A new line designed for audio professionals who requireexceptionally clear and very precise sound for PA installations.All the single pair and speaker snake cables are halogen-free butstill flexible. The Brilliance? line of unshielded speaker cables consists of three products with1.5mm2, 2.5mm2 and 4.0mm2 constructions. Expanded line of FRNC OFHC premium construction speaker cables– All single pair and speaker snake cables are halogen-freebut still flexible, with low capacitance and made with oxygen-freecopper for exceptional sound clarity. Print legends facilitatelocation Identification (such as Room 12345, Zone ABCDE). Banana Peel Precision Video Snake Cables – This line now features three of Belden’s mostpopular SDI/HD coaxes to include a 1694A composite construction. Itgives outstanding video performance using multiple coaxes in asingle pull. Halogen-free VideoFlex? Snake Cable - A new line of halogen-free component video cables designed todeliver optimum performance while helping to reduce installationand labor costs. An extension of Belden’s highly popularVideoFlex? Snake Cable with an easy-to-install bundle of1855ENx, which has the very common European video coaxial dimensionof 0.6/2.8. CATV Multicore Cable for Multi Switch Systems - An extension of the highly popular CATV cables, with aneasy-to-install bundle of H121A, designed for optimum performancein multi-switch systems and to reduce installation time. This hasthe very common European video coaxial dimension of 0.8/3.5 andprovides optimum signal transmission performance for MATV/SMATV. CatSnake

Hand Dryer Sir Alex Ferguson flew out to Basel in Switzerland today in a totalrage to confront Cristiano Ronaldo on his desire to leaveManchester United and play for Real Madrid, resulting in theultimate showdown. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese winger, has hinted repeatedly hiswish to "leave that Manc s**thole and join a real mansteam!" Sir Alex Ferguson arrived in Switzerland in a volcanic rage,venting his anger at a man with no legs who was begging for moneyoutside the airport "Ge' a job ya wee s**t". He marched into the hotel where Cristiano Ronaldo was staying,carrying only a small bag, heading straight for the pool area. Sir Alex Ferguson immediately spotted Ronaldo getting out of thepool and shouted "Oi, you Portuguese winger, stop rightthere!" Onlookers reported Ronaldo looking like a littleschool boy, as he sat down on his bum and crossed his legs. Fergieapproached him, sliding his arm slowly into his small bag, Ronaldokept his eyes routed to the floor. "I've brought' a littlesomethin' for ya" said Fergie softly. Ronaldo lifted his headand widened his eyes - "Boss, you brought me thehairdryer!" Minutes later Ronaldo was flopping his head forward in joy as hefelt the smooth left hand of Fergie ruffling his hair while hisright hand manoeuvred the small hairdryer around like an artistpainting his very own Mona Lisa with the brush he made as a youngchild out of his own milk teeth. "I don't know what I was thinking boss", murmuredRonaldo, "I want to stay with Man United - the best hairstylists ever" "That's why Beckham had to go" said a close friend of SirAlex, "he shaved his head as an act of defiance - how couldAlex blow dry a bald head? He had to go! Why do you think Giggs andScholes have been there so long? A good head of hair! You see nowthat they're losing a bit on top they go to the fringes of theteam. And Japp Stam - say no more." The whole incident reminded me of my recent trip to Funchalt, thefishing village where Ronaldo was born. I bumped into a couple offishermen in a bar who told me that they used to teach Ronaldo howto deep sea dive when he was a child. When I mentioned thesituation with Real Madrid one said "Stick with Sir Fergie, hea good hair dryer, maybe when he retire he make my hair good!"They burst into laughter and ruffled their hair. But you know what,maybe if Sir Alex does get bored when he eventually retires, he cancome out to Funchalt and enjoy the kind of good times that I haveshared with these two stupid fishermen sitting on the shore talkingfish

lady leather jackets Now that the leather jacket had passed the preliminary fire test,it was necessary to try the damn thing on. But I was running latefor work, as usual, so I told the woman "another day."Before I could make my grand escape she was already holding thejacket out in front of me, like a toreador teasing the bull. Imuttered a mild obscenity, dropped my bag, and slipped my arms intothe unidentifiable animal skin. Then the woman held up a longmirror for me, while offering a barrage of kindly compliments, notone of them remotely true. I gazed at my reflection and was shocked: A total stranger - a cross between a skinny Mafia boss and theMatrix kid - was leering back at me. "Cool, a new me," I reflected in my morning stupor."Just what I need." I inquired about the price and she shot back: "2,500rubles." "Sorry," I said, removing the jacket. "That's wayout of my ballpark." But in her mind, the coat was already sold; it was only a matter ofhammering out an agreeable price. She was so confident, in fact,that she was already folding up the coat to stuff into the derigueur plastic bag. Everything was happening so fast that I found myselfcounter-offering her original price: "2,000 rubles," Isaid. She feigned pain by contorting her facial features, explaining thatshe would only break even on the sale at such a price. I said sorry, shrugged my shoulders, and started to walk away fromthe table. "Okay, okay," she said. "Two thousand rubles, as yousay." "No," I said, sensing her sudden desperation. "Ireally can't, it's just too much." "Okay sir, 1,500 rubles, but I tell you I will lose money onsuch a price." Ah, the thrill of the Russian bazaar. I love it! What couldpossibly compare to the exhilaration of bargaining for your ownleather, besides actually hunting down the animal on your own? Infact, I think it is a great loss that consumers cannot walk intoMacy's or Harrod's and negotiate with the sales ladies. Haggling isa contest, an ancient art, a card game where buyer and seller bluffeach other until both sides finally show their cards. And after thebattle both sides feel victorious: the shopper feels like they gota hard-won bargain (even if he didn't), while the sales person canfeel a sense of pride about being a real participant in the sale. When I arrived home with my new leather jacket, I pulled it out ofthe bag and uttered another expletive. I put it on and looked inthe mirror and realized that I looked ridiculous. There are peoplewho can wear full-length black leather coats and there are thosewho can't. At best, I can don the trench coat in my moments ofboredom and run around the house in slow motion with the stereoblasting the Matrix soundtrack, as I blow away imaginary Mr. Smithswith my imaginary shotgun. This is certainly not the first time a Russian sales person hassweet-talked me into buying something I did not need. Thisunderlines one of the great paradoxes about Russia: it is home tofantastic sales people, maybe even the best in the world. In the West, our sales people have been spoon-fed stupid advicefrom pimply business-school grads who have never experienced thereal world. Slogans like "the consumer is king," and"the consumer is always right," and other such tediouscrap, immediately greet shoppers when they walk into stores, givingshoppers ego trips. In Russia, as with so many other things, thevery opposite is true. The customer is an individual that needssomething that the seller has, therefore, he - the buyer - ispractically an object of scorn and derision. After all, why shouldthe seller, the person with all of the goodies, be nice to a personwho does not have the goodies? Yes, the customer may have themoney, but so does everybody else. If you don't want to buy, theRussian seller seems to say, somebody else will, so you betterhurry up, buddy, and make a decision. I suppose this mentality stretches back into the Soviet period whenthe seller, the merchant, really was a king. Of course these peopleled very dangerous lives (indeed, as all kings do), since the ideaof profiting from the buying and selling of "soul-crushingthings" was a big no-no for the communists. But everybody -from the top ranks of the Communist party, to the lower tier of thetoiling workers - wanted and needed stuff. This put the sellers,especially during the early days of perestroika, into positions ofgreat influence. When you mix this Soviet mentality with the fact that Russians wereborn with silver tongues, which have been brought to a dangerousedge from reciting Pushkin poems, my advice is: don't let yourguard down when haggling in Russia, a place where a fool and hismoney are quickly parted. By Robert Bridge

Men Bomber Jacket LONDON, Paris, New York, Milan – when it comes to fashionweek, women’s trends always soak up the spotlight. Althoughmany of the industry’s famous designers are male, menswearbarely registers on the style barometer. But fashion matters to men. Despite the credit crunch, when guys dohit the shops the average spend in their favourite clothing storeis ￡140, according to industry analyst Drapers. Inspired by the likes of style icons David Beckham, Brad Pitt andnew cool kid on the block Mark Ronson, men don’t have to bevain to care about looking good. With Father’s Day tomorrow, it’s time for men’sstyle to shine. From George Clooney gentleman to Liam Gallagherrock god, this season’s trends should appeal to hisfashionista alter ego. Ian Bryder, menswear design manager at ASOS, gives us the lowdownon this summer’s hottest styles. MIAMI VICE If your man likes to scrub up nicely, this summer’s smart,preppy look with a twist should tick his style boxes. ASOS hasdubbed this look “Poolside”. “It’s very ‘Englishman in LA’, with smart,relaxed, colourful takes on classic Anglo menswear pieces,”says Ian. “Think cotton blazers, smart shorts, slim short-sleeved checkshirts and canvas deck shoes with retro tortoiseshell-framed shadesand a straw trilby.” BAG THE TREND: Next’s grey cotton blazer and T-shirt set,￡85; belted jeans, ￡40, and white pointed lace-up shoes, ￡45.Or, from House of Fraser, Ralph Lauren navy blazer, ￡340; RalphLauren blue V-neck tank top, ￡70; Tommy Hilfiger white tailoredshorts, ￡60, and Tommy Denim white shirt, ￡60. SURF’S UP Young hip guys with a passion for standing out from the edgy stylecrowds will love this season’s “Digital Surf”look – perfect if Mr Norm is his wardrobe nemesis. “It’s young, fun, bold, bright and very skinny,”Ian says. “The crowds at the various new ‘urban beaches’ inthe UK, where hi-graphic surf culture meets an edgy, streetwiseclubbing crowd, were the inspiration behind this look. “Go for loud, futuristic boardshort prints with bright,hooded sweatshirts, flip-flops, graphic T-shirts and coloured framesunglasses.” BAG THE TREND: Topman’s yellow frame sunglasses, ￡12; pipedpolo shirt, ￡14, and print cardigan, ￡25. Or, all at Debenhams,Red Herring trilby hat, ￡25; print T-shirt, ￡14; yellow jeans,￡25, and St George by Duffer plimsoll, ￡18. FESTIVAL FARE Festival wear doesn’t have to mean grungy macs and greenwellington boots. ASOS has rocked up festival gear with a Tokyostreet-inspired look christened “Fuji Festival”. Ian says: “Festival essentials have been given a lightweight,layered, lived-in feel with a vintage Japanese graphic edge. “It’s all about lightweight nylon jackets andwellingtons for those midsummer downpours and rolled-up denimshorts, retro checked shirts and Y-neck T-shirts ready for thoserays of sunshine.” BAG THE TREND: ASOS.com’s metallic bomber jacket, ￡40; checkroll-up-sleeve shirt ￡28; slim-fit trousers, ￡28, and flip-flops,￡6. Or Topman’s nylon jacket, ￡45; T-shirt, ￡12; denimshorts, ￡25, and flip-flops, ￡12. SUMMER STAPLES Want to know what to shop for to update your seasonal wardrobe? Ianrecommends the top 10 buys to splash out on this summer – andthe key details that make all the difference to ensure that yourman is bang on trend: Smart shorts – solid white or navy, or formalwear-inspiredstripes or fine checks. Try Marks & Spencer Blue Harbour navychino shorts, ￡9.50. Check shirt – oversized ginghams or colourful madras checkswith rolled-up extra short sleeves. Try Topman multicoloured brightcheck shirt, ￡25. Polo shirt – the Blake Fielder-Civil effect. Must be skinnyfit with top button fastened. Try Republic Soul Cal block-stripepolo, ￡19.99. Printed vest – striped or retro geometric patterned, or trytwo solid colours layered over each other. Try ASOS green and whitestriped vest, ￡8. Denim shorts – jean style worn with hems rolled up above theknee for a relaxed vibe. Try Next denim three-quarter-lengthshorts, ￡32. Hooded tops – the perfect layering piece for chilly festivalevenings. Try: Burton graphic hoodie, ￡28. Cotton blazer – fine stripes look strongest; team with slimjeans and a bold-coloured polo. Try ASOS fine-striped, fittedblazer, ￡40. Grey denim – the new indigo for denim. Works great withsummer colours for a smarter jeans look. Try Dr. Denim Snap FitGrey Jean, ￡40 at Urban Outfitters. Clubmaster glasses – the new Wayfarer for this summer. TryASOS Clubmaster tortoiseshell sunglasses, ￡12. Boat shoes – this season’s must-have footwear, inwhite, navy or bright, preppy colours. Try French Connection whiteboat shoe, ￡50.

 Shorts And Shirts I was a penniless student and couldn't wait to get my hands on theinexpensive, trendy duds. But I did wait. Three months. Why?Because it was just too crowded to shop. It probably won't take three months for the crowds to die down atH&M Atlantic Station, particularly since it is the second locationin the metro area (the first at North Point Mall opened in May),but it can't hurt to have a shopping game plan whenever you decideto go. Fortunately, the layout of this big bi-level store, isn't toocomplex. The entire ground level is devoted to women's clothing. LongtimeH&M fans will quickly identify modern basics; white linen shortswith a belted waist, polka dot sundresses, and multi-tiered pinktank tops all for $20. A bikini wall spans the middle of the storewith rows of mix and match tops and bottoms in color combinationsof black and gold or summer brights. Across the aisle, racks ofaccessories include $6 scarves, enamel bracelets and canvas andfaux-leather bags and totes. Shorts, tanks and dresses by L.O.G.G., H&M's casual sportswearconcept, occupy space at the rear of the store while the tailoreditems from the H&M modern classics collection with career womanappeal such as sand colored sailor pants ($30) and printed buttonfront blouses ($25), are just near the East District Avenueentrance. For a special treat, dip into the lingerie room, a section devotedto H&M's line of intimates that includes organic cotton sets like agray and white striped padded bra with matching boy shorts. Take the escalator (or elevator) to level two and find thechildren's section arranged by age; 0 - 18 months, 1-8 years and9-14 years. Boys can choose from drawstring surfer style shorts($10) and t-shirts, while little girls can try the tiered dressesin pink and brown ($17) and Hello Kitty tanks. The men's department is also on the top floor where plaid buttondown shirts, striped polos and other casual sportswear fromL.O.G.G. hang near accessories like sunglasses and flip-flops.Tanks with leaf motifs ($5) and cargo shorts ($30) share space withdressier gear such as jackets and pinstriped dress shirts. Don'tforget a black and white trilby hat ($8) to complete any stylishoutfit. Divided, H&M's concept for ultra-trendy men and women, is housedupstairs as well. The line includes denim for men and women, alongwith other hot-off-the-street looks for the fashion-consciousshopper. Dressing rooms and cash registers on both levels may help quell thecrowds in the first few weeks, but consider yourself warned.

 

Soccer T Shirts ROSARIO, Argentina -- No Argentine has left a bigger mark on theworld than legendary revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, yet thereis no major monument in his homeland to the face that launched amillion T-shirts. That changes Saturday with the unveiling of a 12-foot bronze statuein this town where he was born 80 years ago. Since he was killed trying to foment revolution in Bolivia in 1967,the Marxist guerrilla has been a source of inspiration forrevolutionary movements from Northern Ireland to East Timor, asymbol of rebellion for three generations of Western youth, and amarketing ...

The Mountain Goats By DAVID ALLEN When bald eagles soared off the endangered-species list lastsummer, there were champagne toasts from coast to coast. Americanswere proud to have restored another symbol of freedom and wildness.It was a success that mirrored previous restorations of elk, muledeer, black bears, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, mountain goatsand a host of other wildlife - long before anyone dreamed ofdrafting an Endangered Species Act. Now, 13 years after gray wolves were officially reintroduced to thenorthern Rockies, federal biologists have moved to free them from"the list," too. You'd think the people who argued longest andloudest to bring wolves back would be slapping backs andcelebrating. Instead, they're filing lawsuits. The Endangered Species Act was never intended to create a permanentwitness protection program for wolves. It was meant to recoverrobust self-sustaining populations, to create un-endangeredspecies. And wolves are so there. Ed Bangs is wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service. He's been in charge of restoring wolves to theNorthern Rockies from day one. Bangs has lived in the cruciblesince those first Canadian wolves hit the ground in 1995. He'searned a reputation as a man absolutely committed to good science,not politics or opinion. On wolves, he says, "We're rock-solid. TheEndangered Species Act did its job. It's time to move on." State management needed What does it mean to move on? The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundationbelieves the sooner states take on the responsibility for managingwolves, the better. Maybe the lawsuits can be settled and control fully passed to thestates before another year goes by. It's high time we starttreating wolves as wild animals - more specifically, game animals. Apart from the bald eagle, all of the once-rare species listed inthe opening paragraph have been plentiful and actively hunted for50 years. States have used the best available science to setseasons and quotas. They've teamed up with hunters as hands-onmanagers, keeping wild populations within local environmental andcultural tolerances. In the process, millions of families havecollected a bounty of healthy meat, powerful connections with wildcountry and lasting fond memories. "We strongly support hunting wolves," Bangs says. "Look at thesuccess we've had with hunting mountain lions and maintainingstrong lion populations. There is no reason wolf management cannotbe just as successful." It was hunters who financed the restoration - and continuingstewardship - of the big-game populations that made wolf recoverypossible. Hunting licenses and excise taxes on guns, ammunition,bows and arrows still provide most of the funds that states use tostudy and manage wild species. But rather than supporting huntersand America's proven system of conservation, lawsuit plaintiffs arecondemning both. Certainly, proponents of perpetual wolf protection aren't the onlyones who can get a little emotional. When wolves kill elk orcattle, the carnage makes it easy to imagine that wolves might soonlay waste to all wildlife and livestock. Sometimes it's good tostep back and look at the numbers. Cumulative 2007 numbers for Idaho, Montana and Wyoming: 3 millionpeople, 1,500 wolves - and around 350,000 elk. In 1995, there were a half-million fewer people, no wolves - andaround 350,000 elk. That's right. Since wolves were reintroduced, Montana's elkpopulation has grown by at least 30,000 animals, Wyoming's elkpopulation is down 8,000 and Idaho's is 10,000 lower. Hunterharvest totals have remained very similar since 1995, averaging20,000 in Idaho, 25,000 in Montana, and 20,000 in Wyoming. This doesn't mean that wolves haven't taken an extremely heavy tollon elk and livestock in some places. They have. They will. Andthat's another reason why we should be actively managing wolvesthrough regulated hunting. Endangered habitat From where I sit, the biggest change on the Northern Rockieslandscape since 1995 is not the return of wolves. It's the way ourwild places and open spaces are filling up with houses and roadsand box stores. There is no Endangered Habitat Act. That's why I'mso proud of what the Elk Foundation has accomplished. In Idaho,Montana and Wyoming, our organization has helped conserve aquarter-million acres of prime habitat, and enhance habitat onanother 1.5 million acres for elk and other wildlife. Your role? Support state-based wolf management via hunting. And,even more importantly, support organizations working to ensure thatall of us - you, me, our children and grandchildren, and allwildlife - have plenty of wild country to roam. David Allen of Billings is president and CEO of the Rocky MountainElk Foundation, an international conservation organization based inMissoula. Copyright ? The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises .

 Designer Kids Wear Rancho Santa Margarita, CA June 14, 2008 -- Sandbox Couture, apopular online children's boutique retailer of baby clothes, babygifts and designer children's clothing today announced the additionof new Ooh! La, La! Couture dresses and coordinating set outfits,as new items of baby gifts and little boys clothes. SandboxCouture.com maintains a large inventory of top designers forfresh, fun and unique baby clothes that are prime for settingtrends among children's fashions. Highlighting Quicksilver forboys and Ooh! La, La! Couture for girls, the online boutiqueappeals to parents everywhere. The fresh and fun styles of Ooh!La, La! Couture offer comfort and style, with a sassy twist of edgyelegance. The new items from this line include the Jacquard Black& White shirt with matching poufy skort, and a similarcoordinating set in Moss green. In addition, several styles ofpoufy dresses have been recently added as well giving shoppers avariety of outfits featuring a blend of sweet and sassy styles thatare comfortable and appropriate for summer fun. The unique combinations of comfortable knits adorned with fundetails such as funky prints, fanciful trims and even Swarovskicrystals, contribute to this line's success among moms and littlegirls alike. The outfits designed by Ooh! La, La! Couture offerenticing colors and fun patterns that little girls love to wear. Featuring exciting new choices for individual flair and style issomething Sandbox Couture aims for each month. "We understand the importance of selection and creativity whenit comes to children's clothes," stated Sam Brown,spokesperson for Sandbox Couture. "The clothes we wear make astatement about who we are and how we carry ourselves, and it's nodifferent for children. We make it our goal to bring fashionforward designs to parents and children," Brown concluded. In addition to the new items added to the inventory of children'sclothes, Sandbox Couture has a variety of baby gifts ideal forbirthdays and baby showers.

mens t shirt "There are almost 1.2 billion Muslim people in the world.At least 15 of us are not terrorists," quipped Obaida Abdel-Rahim,28. "It could even be more than that. Maybe even a lot more." TheCalgary, Canada-born Abdel-Rahim owns the Muslim t-shirt businessPhatwa Factory, one of several Middle Eastern-accented t-shirtbusinesses to spring up in saucy retort to the outpouring ofanti-Muslim sentiment since 9/11. From Rootsgear's "100 percentRandomly Searched at the Following Airports" andcasualdisobedience.com's "Enemy Combatant" tees, to the lighter"Lebanese Princess," and "Allah's Little Angel," they are gettingtheir message across. Abdel-Rahim, who now lives in Gainesville, Florida, said he hopesto use humorous slogans to bust US stereotypes about Muslims. "The best thing to happen to Muslim clothing since pants under athawb [traditional men's robe]," says a slogan for Phatwa Factory,which he started in 2006. "I'd like Muslims to know that it's okay to laugh," he said, "andnon-Muslims to know that we have a sense of humor." Dalia Ghanem had a similar idea. The New Jersey-born,Egypt-descended clothing designer dreams up hip t-shirts for peopleof Arabic heritage. She decided Arab-Americans needed a moreoptimistic representation of their culture after 9/11. "Every store that sold t-shirts was selling 'Everyone loves anAsian girl,' 'Latin girl,' 'Italian' and 'Irish Girl,'" said the29-year-old Ghanem, who develops prints and patterns for a New Yorkfashion company. "I wanted one that said 'Everyone loves an Arabgirl!'" So she designed one, launching her one-woman t-shirtat.co (theArabic plural of "t-shirt") in 2004. Abdel-Rahim named his company to poke fun at the typical USinterpretation of fatwa. "Most people hear fatwa," he said, "andthey think of Don Mohammad Corleone issuing a hit on some poorinfidel." Just as the Western media has misappropriated the word jihad, Abdel-Rahim asserted, the word "fatwa" has become synonymous withan errant death sentence. In reality, he pointed out, it's just anIslamic scholar's religious ruling. Neither Ghanem nor Abdel-Rahim has received any deadly fatwas as aresult of their irreverent designs. "I'm a little disappointed,"Abdel-Rahim joked. "I was kind of hoping for at least a deaththreat or two." Some observers approve of the t-shirt humor, seeing it as a signthat Muslims are successfully being integrated within Americanpopular culture. The brand of humor cultivated in this casual wearisn't to everyone's taste, though, particularly those who feelcloser to the political problems in the Middle East than they areto the discrimination faced by Muslims trying to live in NorthAmerica. "I don't feel [the tee shirts] are derogatory," said 20-year-oldRosalind George, a US citizen raised in the Palestinian section ofOccupied Jerusalem, "just a little gimmicky." She complained thatthe shirts seemed too Americanized. "I'd prefer a 'Free Palestine' shirt to an 'I heart NY-likeshirt,'" said George, who lived in Occupied Jerusalem while herfather worked for the aid organization Save the Children. She did like the shirt printed with "Yallah, bye" ("Let's go,bye"), a common saying used among her friends.

Tag : chiffon printing Model walks the runway at the Badgley Mischka Cruise 2009collection show in New York on Tuesday, June 10, 2008.[Agencies] Sometimes Cruise, or Resort, collections have little to do withwarm weather vacations in exotic locals during the cold wintermonths following the purchase of one's fall wardrobe it's simply aretail signifier that new merchandise will be hitting the floorpre-spring. But Badgley Mischka's Cruise 2009 collection, which designers MarkBadgley and James Mischka presented on Tuesday afternoon, June 10,during an intimate runway show in their New York office, epitomizedglamour on the high seas, particularly the kind that might be foundsunbathing on a yacht in a Riviera harbor circa 1955. Grace Kelly and her mid-fifties films "Mogambo" and "To Catch aThief" inspired the collection, said Badgley, but a disco-era Grace- Jones, that is, would be another apt comparison, with all thecriss-cross chiffon halter neck and lamé gowns making up the bulkof the duo's signature pieces. The collection's daywear sectionopened with a series of tropical prints in lush colors like jade,grape and mango adorning a cowl neck chiffon dress, a bikini and araincoat. Smart, tailored safari jackets followed, along with acouple of leopard print pieces. Eveningwear, Badgley Mischka's mainstay, was less focused, withlooks ranging from bohemian caftan-like dresses to empire-waistedchiffon gowns in citrusy colors on the warm end of the color wheelto the aforementioned disco dolly numbers, but when you're dressingstars for the red carpet, variety isn't a bad thing.

   

 Tag : Shawl Material S Hamid Ashraf Srinagar, May 30:The abandoned building of a government school atZoonimar, on the city outskirts, after being a hub of gamblers, hasbeen turned into a mosque by the local residents. The school building was constructed in 1997-98. It soon, however,became a hub of drinkers and gamblers. The school building hasthree rooms out of which one has been turned into a mosque by thelocals. Feroz Ahmed, a local resident told Etalaat, “Thisbuilding had never any students or teachers so it became a safehaven for anti-social elements.” “When paramilitary CRPF troops tried to take over thebuilding, we swung into action and decided to use the building forprayers,” Ahmed added. The school was shifted to theadjoining area of Saidpora. The school for some time served the purpose of shawl makers in thearea, which is known for shawl and carpet weaving. Another local,Abdur Rashid said, “In winters the shawl makers would use theschool building for shawl spinning and weaving. Then asweeper’s family occupied the school building.” However, Rashid like other residents of the locality, also citesthe attempt of troops to overtake the school building as the mainreason for turning the school into a mosque. “Once we feltthey (troops) were going to occupy the school building, we decidedto turn it into a mosque.” At present, the school building besides being used by the localsfor prayers is also used by labourers working on the repairing ofadjoining Dr Ali Jan Road as a storeroom for storing constructionmaterial and equipments. When asked if the Education Department authorities were informedabout the school building, a local resident said: “Weapproached many departments, but they pleaded ignorance about anysuch school. Then as there was no mosque in our area, we thoughtthat turning the school building into a mosque would end the menaceof anti-social activities and military occupation, and also thebuilding would serve as a mosque.” When contacted, Chief Education Officer, Noor-ud-Din told Etalaatthat the building in question was constructed by the RuralDevelopment Department and later taken over by Education Departmentwith the intention of imparting education to the children ofZoonimar area. “The idea was, however, given up after local residentsrecommended that the location of building on the busy roadsidecould prove fatal for the school children” he adde

Tag : Bonded Material With the 2008 Summer Olympics fast approaching, swimmers aretraining hard to grab the gold, but a new swimsuit might becreating an unfair competition. Since the arrival of Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuit back in February, athletes using the gear have set 37 worldrecords. The hype has people questioning whether the swimsuitshould be used in upcoming Olympic Games. Some critics and sportsgoverning bodies have noted that the new gear is performanceenhancing, thus creating an unfair advantage for others. However, not all athletes have access to such technology. In thecase of Japan's national team, their swimmers are licensed to wearspecific swimsuits made by local manufacturers. Some athletes doprefer the Speedo swimsuit, but it's not up to them, the decisioncan only be made by the Olympic committee. The concept of the LZR Racer swimsuit was first created by Aqualab(Speedo's global research and development facility). By workingwith word-class experts from industries such as aerospace,engineering and medicine, they were able to create the swimsuit. The following are the main features of this unique design: - LZR Pulse - The swimsuit is created from Speedo's unique LZR Pulse fabric.This specific material is lightweight, water repellent and itreduces muscle oscillation and skin vibration through powerfulcompression. - LZR Panels - These thin and powerful panels embedded at certain points on aswimmer's body create a streamlined figure which helps reduce skinfriction drag. - Core Stabilizer - The internal and core stabilizer helps support and hold theswimmer in a certain grip and helps them maintain the best bodyposition underwater. - Bonded Seams - The LZR Racer suit is the world's first bonded bodysuit; thebonded seams help create a smooth and flexible surface. With such unique designs and features, Speedo claims that the LZRRacer swimsuit is four per cent faster in starts, sprints and turnsand has a five per cent better oxygen efficiency. Speedo has alsogotten some help from professional swimmers. Athletes such asMichael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin have assisted Speedo with theadvertising and development of the swimsuit. But it doesn't matter who wears the swimsuit; it comes down towhether the Olympic committee will allow the product to be used inthe Beijing Olympics. Other sports don't have a lot of problemswhen it comes to certain types of gear. However, when it comes toswimming, suits are specifically design to help the performance ofathletes. Speedo took the performance to a next level and may havejust blown any other competition out of the water.

 

Tag : Silk Yarn Five and half years ago, a pilot project was launched to sellBhutanese handloom products globally by marketing them online. It was supposed to address the hurdles of relatively disadvantagedwomen in rural areas by bridging the gap between the actual productand its actual value in the international market. Today, the UNDP-funded US$ 206,000 project has wound up. How itfared is not known. Now, a new study has tried to analyse why Bhutanese textiles failedto sell in the global market. Lack of knowledge on how to makeproducts sell internationally has been cited as the main drawback.High cost and poor quality were other factors, according to thestudy, which took two and half months. Everyone says that our textiles are priced too high. But no oneactually knows why its so, said the culture and developmentcoordinator with the United Nations development programme (UNDP),Joseph Lo. The study did a production process and cost detail comparisonbetween Bhutan and Laos, which also has a strong hand weavingculture. Individual weavers, a handicraft company and a weavingcentre in Bhutan were asked to weave a Khaling silk piece. Weaversin Laos were asked to replicate the same. The individual weavers could not get the size right, the weavingcentre got the colour wrong and the handicraft company failed toget the quality right, whereas the pieces from Laos were close tothe original requirement in terms of colour, size and quality. And all the pieces made in Laos are cheaper than the ones made inBhutan, said Joseph Lo. Weaving tools make a huge difference, said a consultant from PhaengMai gallery, Laos, Ms Kongthong Nanthavongdouangsy. Weaving on ahandloom is quicker and also better for the weavers health.Weavers in Laos use handlooms while Bhutanese weavers use backstraplooms. Exploring silks from Bangladesh, China, India and Vietnam forimport, purchase on a wholesale basis, establishing a supply chainfor consistent supply of raw material, using hair shampoo insteadof detergent so that the silk fibre doesnt lose its shine,establish dying centres and upgrading yarn knowledge are some ofthe recommendations of the study. Bhutanese weavers, however, explain the reasons for high costs andlack of uniformity in their products. While importing, itsdifficult to get the same colour of yarns, transportation cost hasto be included and, if weavers are paid on an hourly basis, theydbe earning less than what they earn now, said the owner of aweaving centre that employs about 20 weavers, Kezang Lhendup. How much will you pay an hour if weavers can only weave aboutthree inches in that time? asks Kezang Lhendup. If we reduce theprice of our textiles, weavers would run into loss. UNDPs project fact sheet called Blending Traditional Crafts andInformation Technology to Benefit Rural Women, August 2007 statesthat, although the current environment was not found to beconducive for introducing e-business in Bhutan, the project wasable to achieve market access for handicrafts through thedevelopment of an interactive website at the Handicrafts Emporiumin Thimphu. It also stated that 45 rural weavers from Khoma and Radhi ineastern Bhutan were trained in combining traditional designs withcontemporary ones to suit market demands, and a yarn bank, wascreated to assist rural weavers to overcome problems in purchasingyarns. But the marketing officer at the handicrafts emporium, ThinleyJamtsho, said that they are still working on the interactivewebsite. We had some technical problem and didnt have ITpersonnel to work on the website. He said that, though creating a yarn bank was discussed duringmeetings, it has not taken off yet. The project was executed by thethen trade and industry ministry.

Tag : Anti-Static Fabric Performance Apparel Markets: Product Developments and Innovations,1st Quarter 2008 DUBLIN, Ireland--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c93562 ) has announced the addition of “ Performance Apparel Markets: Product Developments and Innovations,1st Quarter 2008 ” to their offering. Italy-based Klopman International has launched a fabric, brandedCrossfire, which combines permanent inherent flame resistance withantistatic properties and protection from liquid chemical splash. Crossfire has a weight of 245 g/m 2 and is designed to provideprotection for workers in a wide range of applications, includingthe petrochemical industries and utilities. The fabric comprises99% Kermel flame resistant fibre and 1% antistatic fibre, and istreated with Klopman ’ s Hydrofoil liquid chemical splash resistant finish. This finishprotects the fabric from being damaged by most chemical agents andalso helps to reduce soiling. FABRICS AND MEMBRANES FOR PERFORMANCE APPAREL Klopman has launched a new high performance flame resistant fabriccalled crossfire FOOTWEAR Marvel has teamed up with Reebok to launch an exclusive collectionof children's footwear NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanohorizons and Piedmont Chemical Industries have agreed toproduce SmartSilver antimicrobial and moisture management additivesfor textile fabrics SPORTS APPAREL Calvin Klein and G-III Apparel Group have teamed up to launch a newline of women's performance apparel New Balance has launched a new range of functional running apparel Speedo has launched a new swimsuit Speedo has launched limited edition swimwear to promote World SwimAgainst Malaria 2008 SPORTS FOOTWEAR Nike has launched a new basketball shoe which is made frommanufacturing waste Nike's Jordan brand has launched a new environmentally-friendlybasketball shoe SPORTSWEAR Nike has launched Nike SPARQ Training comprising a trainingprogramme, footwear, apparel and equipment For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c93562

  

Tag : Industries Raw Material SINGAPORE, June 12, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Nalco Company(NYSE:NLC) today announced price increases on a broad range ofchemical products for its Asia Pacific customers across its threemajor Divisions. Most increases will range from 7 to 30 percent,depending on the products' exposure to rising raw material, energyand transportation costs. In a few cases, as in products containingphosphate-derived raw materials, price increases well in excess of30 percent may apply. The price increases are driven by significantly increased energyand raw material costs, tightening availability of some rawmaterials, and rising freight costs. Increases in these areas arewell above the levels that Nalco is able to offset through itsongoing productivity improvement efforts, making price adjustmentsnecessary. Nalco's Account Managers will contact individual customers todiscuss these increases. About Nalco Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and processimprovement company, delivering significant environmental, socialand economic performance benefits to our customers. We help ourcustomers reduce energy, water and other natural resourceconsumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releasesand improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottomline. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to thesustainable development of customer operations. More than 11,500Nalco employees operate in 130 countries supported by acomprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales officesand research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In2007, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.9 billion. For moreinformation visit www.nalco.com. The Nalco Company logo is available athttp://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1135 This news release includes forward-looking statements, reflectingcurrent analysis and expectations, based on what are believed to bereasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involveknown and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which maycause the actual results to differ materially from those projected,stated or implied, depending on many factors, including, withoutlimitation: ability to generate cash, ability to raise capital,ability to refinance, the result of the pursuit of strategicalternatives, ability to execute work process redesign and reducecosts, ability to execute price increases, business climate,business performance, economic and competitive uncertainties,higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer orders,changes in strategies, risks in developing new products andtechnologies, environmental and safety regulations and clean-upcosts, foreign exchange rates, the impact of changes in theregulation or value of pension fund assets and liabilities, changesin generally accepted accounting principles, adverse legal andregulatory developments, including increases in the number orfinancial exposures of claims, lawsuits, settlements or judgments,or the inability to eliminate or reduce such financial exposures bycollecting indemnity payments from insurers, the impact ofincreased accruals and reserves for such exposures, weather-relatedfactors, and adverse changes in economic and political climatesaround the world, including terrorism and internationalhostilities, and other risk factors identified by the Company.Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will meetfuture results, performance or achievements expressed or implied bysuch forward-looking statements. This paragraph is included toprovide safe harbor for forward-looking statements, which are notgenerally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change,and which the Company does not intend to update.

Determining the genetic profile of a breast tumor is the best way to develop a better treatment tool to predict prognosis and guide treatment choices, a Duke University study found. "This treatment tool is to treat patients on a more individualized basis, matching the right drugs with the right patients," Dr. Anil Potti, an oncologist and researcher in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, said in a prepared statement. "The combination of these two methods into one treatment tool, one of which uses the clinical description of a patient's breast cancer and the other which looks at the gene expression at a molecular level in a patient's tumor, may allow us to do that with unprecedented accuracy. This represents a robust approach to personalizing treatment tool strategies in patients suffering from breast cancer," Potti said. The team tested the treatment tool by examining almost 1,000 breast tumors and corresponding patient data and used a computerized system called Adjuvant! to assess clinical characteristics and make predictions of recurrence. The researchers then compared gene expression in the tumor samples and were able to identify specific genomic patterns among patients with aggressive cancers and those with cancers less likely to recur. "We knew from previous studies that Adjuvant! tends to overestimate disease recurrence in younger patients. We hypothesized that genomic profiling could be a complementary treatment tool that would more precisely define clinical outcomes and could also help to aid in selecting the right drug for a given patient," Potti said. Not only did their treatment tool identify patients at high risk for cancer recurrence, it specified the degree of that risk. For example, they could predict that a patient had a 90 percent risk of recurrence. "This is important, because with this data, we might decide to treat this person more aggressively even than someone else who is considered 'high risk' but may have only a 60 percent likelihood of recurrence," Potti said. "Moreover, we can identify specific options for chemotherapy in such patients as well, by correlating gene expression in a tumor with its response, or non-response, to certain chemotherapies."

Tang Juice Hot, crispy fish tacos, made fresh at home, can reel diners inquicker than bait. But good luck getting the recipe. During my quest for the bestcrunchy, batter-fried fish fillets folded in warm tortillas andanointed with lime, I never imagined chefs would be so guarded. "Sorry, the kitchen said no. They're pretty secretive about it," aChuy's waiter told me after I asked if the kitchen would divulgethe ingredients in its fish batter. "All I can tell you is that they use tortilla chips to crust thefish," the waiter said, pulling me aside later. "I only knowbecause I've watched a couple of the cooks." Hugo's chef-owner Hugo Ortega has always been generous aboutsharing his recipes, but not this one. He spent too much time inBaja California, deciphering "authentic" fried-fish tacos, todivulge it. At Berryhill Baja Grill, the Houston-based chain that Texas Monthlycredits for introducing fish tacos to Texas, owner Jeff Anonrequires a nondisclosure agreement from cooks at the 16 locationsin Houston, Austin and Dallas. "We basically tell the cooks that if the recipe ever gets out,we'll track them down," the restaurateur said. "The fish taco, byfar, is our No. 1 item." Without a recipe in hand, I did the next best thing and sampledtacos around town. I also had some help from Space Center Houstonexecutive chef James Reedy. Referred to by colleagues as "the tacomeister," Reedy suggested abeer batter for the fish tacos. I've never been to Baja California,which includes Mexico's two northernmost states on the PacificOcean. But a beer batter made sense Hugo's uses one. Other restaurants, such as Seco's Latin Cuisine, don't batter theirfish at all, preferring instead to grill or blacken the fillets.Blackening with Creole seasonings is a tasty alternative  easierand healthier, too. But Baja fish tacos, Mexican-cooking authorityRick Bayless said, are typically made with beer batter. "There aren't many places in Mexico that do fish tacos. Baja hasthem as a specialty. Americans think more about them thanMexicans," Bayless said. "Many resort areas, like Puerto Vallarta,have started doing them because American tourists would ask." Origins unknown How fried-fish tacos came about remains a mystery. In Mexico'sYucatán state, cooks marinate whole fish in achiote pasteand grill it wrapped in banana leaves. Other coastal areas servewarm tortillas stuffed with escabeche-style seafood, marinated inlime or orange juice.

organic syntheses Biotage, a leading supplier of tools and technology for medicinal and analytical chemistry, announces that it will sponsor summer programs at the University of Richmond, VA, US from 21-23 July, 2008 and at the University of Edinburgh, UK, from 29-31 July, 2008. The programs, entitled 'Application of Modern Tools in Organic Synthesis', last three days each and are ideal for newly-qualified discovery chemists and academics looking to learn about the latest practical approaches for rapid production of novel compounds. Biotage allows chemists to register and attend this unique program at a reduced rate through Biotage sponsorship.The three-day summer programs in Edinburgh and Richmond will bring together industry and academic leaders and facilitate discussion on issues such as solid-bound reagents and scavengers in microwave synthesis, microwave-accelerated metal-catalyzed transformations, improved efficiency integrating synthesis and purification, and flow synthesis.Throughout the programs, leading figures from academic institutions and commercial organizations including GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Merck, Abbott, Edinburgh University, Biotage, The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California will present a series of lectures on solid-supported reagents and scavengers in microwave synthesis, catalyst removal and reaction work-up solutions. Presentations will include 'Combining Solid Phase and Microwave Chemistry' by Professor Mark Bradley of the University of Edinburgh, and 'Enhanced Chemical Synthesis Using Flow Reactors' by Dr Paul Watts of the University of Hull.Interactive workshops will focus on streamlining workflows with microwave and flash purification systems, scavengers, reagents and reaction work-up products. In addition to a wide range of lectures and practical workshops, delegates are encouraged to take part in poster sessions. Posters describing a range of organic synthesis applications will be on display throughout the program, encouraging knowledge sharing and interaction.For more information on the Biotage summer programs and to register, please contact emma.daughton@eu.biotage.com (UK) or natalie.gay@biotage.com (US) or visit www.biotage.com.-ENDS- For further press information please contact: Eleanor CallanMonk, The Scott Partnership, 1 Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 8AA Tel: +44 1477 539539 Fax: +44 1477 539540 e-mail: biotage@scottpr.comAbout Biotage Biotage is a global company active in life science research with strong technologies, a broad range of operations and a long-term view of the market. The company offers solutions, knowledge and experience in the areas of genetic analysis and medicinal chemistry. In 2005 operations and products were acquired from the American company Argonaut, further strengthening the medicinal chemistry product range. The customers include the worlds top 30 pharmaceutical companies, the worlds top 20 biotech companies, and leading academic institutes. The company is headquartered in Uppsala and has offices in the U.S., Japan, UK, Germany and several other European countries. Biotage has 336 employees and had sales of 496,4 MSEK in 2007. Biotage is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm AB. Website: www.biotage.comCertain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "intend," and "should," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Biotage's current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Biotage notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations), variability of operating results, the commercial development of the microwave synthesis and flash purification in the drug discovery market, DNA sequencing and genomics market, nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and gene therapy markets, competition, rapid or unexpected changes in technologies, fluctuations in demand for Biotage's products (including seasonal fluctuations), difficulties in successfully adapting the Company's products to integrated solutions and producing such products, and the Company's ability to identify and develop new products and to differentiate its products from competitors.

toothpaste additive Researchers at the University of California, Davis have conducted three separate studies on chemicals used in germ-fighting antibacterial products and have found them to be hazardous in a variety of ways.  In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that antibacterial soaps don’t prevent illness any better than ordinary soap and may be contributing to the rise of resistant bacteria.Triclosan and triclocarban not only have the potential to affect sex hormones and interfere with the nervous system, they appear to have some links to autism.  Triclosan is found in 76% of all liquid soap sold in stores and is also added to toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics, fabrics, and plastic kitchenware; triclocarban is a common additive in antibacterial bar soap and deodorant.  Antibacterial products account for about $1 billion in sales annually.The U.C. Davis researchers are the first to use cutting-edge molecular technology to study potential effects of triclosan and triclocarban on the human nervous system and hormones.   Studies show that these chemicals are building up in the environment at an alarming rate and a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study detected triclosan in the urine of 75% of Americans aged six and older.  Dan Chang, PhD, a professor of environmental engineering at U.C. Davis says, “The public should be aware of some of the concerns.  These compounds should be voluntarily removed by consumer product manufacturers” and consumers should “be provided precautionary information regarding their use.”Chang, who coordinates the university’s studies on triclosan and triclocarban as part of the Superfund Basic Research Program, supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health, says the U.C. Davis research indicates “there may be sensitive periods in development when these compounds could have a very subtle detrimental effect.”  This means that if these compounds cause harm, they are most likely to do so during pregnancy, early childhood, and adolescence.  Chang argues that antibacterial soaps don’t do enough good to risk this potential harm.In one study, recently accepted for publication in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Isaac Pessah, PhD, director of the U.C. Davis Children’s Center for Environmental Health found triclosan attached itself to special “receptor” molecules on the surface of cells raising calcium levels inside the cell; cells overloaded with calcium get overexcited.  Overexcited cells may burn out neural circuits in the brain, which could lead to an imbalance affecting mental development.  Because some people may carry a mutated gene that better enables triclosan to attach to cells, they could be more vulnerable to it.  Because of this, Pessah named triclosan—and related compounds with similar properties—as a prime target for research into environmental factors that might cause autism.Other researchers at U.C. Davis found triclocarban—a common additive in antibacterial bar soap and deodorant—has an unusual effect on hormones.  For some time now, scientists have suspected that chemicals in the environment, known as “endocrine disruptors,” may interfere with the human sex hormones and reproductive development and may cause reduced fertility in women and men, early puberty in girls, and increases in cancers of the breast, ovaries, and prostate.

antimicrobial powder Component Hardware Group (CHG), a leading manufacturer and distributor of plumbing and specialty hardware components to healthcare, foodservice, institutional and commercial markets, has announced that Sloan Valve Company will use CHG's proprietary SANIGUARD? antimicrobial treatment on several of its plumbing products.Sloan Valve, the world's leading manufacturer of plumbing products and accessories for commercial, industrial, and institutional markets worldwide, will use SANIGUARD antimicrobial protection on key touch points for products commonly used in public restrooms, hospitals and other applications.SANIGUARD is a proven, cost-effective, inorganic antimicrobial treatment that utilizes a silver ion-based technology to retard the growth of bacteria, molds and some viruses on treated surfaces such as faucet handles, door knobs, flush handles and other touch points for the life of the product. The proprietary coating is currently the only antimicrobial treatment to meet National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) protocol standard.For example, SANIGUARD will be applied to the public toilet flush valve handles on Sloan's signature invention, the Flushometer. SANIGUARD coated flush valves will feature a blue collar to identify those treated with the antimicrobial. The treatment will also be applied to bed pan flushing arms for use in hospitals - a key area of concern due to the high incidences of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and new mandatory HAI reporting laws currently taking effect throughout the country."SANIGUARD is rapidly becoming a must-have in places where infection control is absolutely necessary," said Tom Carr, president of CHG. "CHG is honored to work with Sloan to bring safer, protected plumbing components to more public spaces."CHG continually conducts extensive third-party research and evidence-based testing of its SANIGUARD antimicrobial treatment against various microorganisms including Norovirus, Legionella, staphylococcus, salmonella, listeria, E-coli and others. SANIGUARD is widely accepted by healthcare infection control professionals in the U.S.A. and Canada. Restaurants, cruise ships, schools, labs, prisons, extended care facilities and other places where Norovirus and other microorganisms can lead to costly outbreaks of food poisoning have also integrated SANIGUARD products into their infection control strategies.To learn more about the SANIGUARD, please visit www.saniguard-online.com or call 1-877-SANIGUARD.About SANIGUARD? Antimicrobial Protected Products The first and only products of their kind, SANIGUARD antimicrobial protected plumbing and hardware products inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus on surfaces and help prevent the spread of infection - nonstop and for the life of the product. Unique among plumbing and hardware components, the SANIGUARD line utilizes a patented, proven inorganic silver ion technology, combined with a proprietary powder coating material, to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and prevent their survival on the product's surfaces, offering a benefit with a broad range of applications. For additional information, please visit www.saniguard-online.com or call 1-877-SANIGUARD.About Component Hardware Group (CHG)Lakewood, New Jersey-based CHG manufactures and distributes plumbing and specialty hardware components to healthcare, foodservice, institutional and commercial markets under the SANIGUARD?, Encore, Regal Ride, Top Line, Drain Master and QuikWash trademarks. For over 25 years, the company has been known for its longtime commitment to the highest level of customer service and its high-quality, innovative products for use in facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, cruise ships, schools, prisons, foodservice kitchens and elsewhere. For additional information, please visit www.componenthardware.com.

Forged Rollers Unlike alcohol and drug addicts, whose diseases are recognized asphysiological and have established treatment programs, gamblingaddicts are usually faced with the shame that comes from thinkingthey should just be able to exert some willpower and stop. Theiraddiction is invisible, and they may not seek help until theirworld comes apart. Experts estimate that between 2 percent and 5 percent of theoverall population has a problem. Each year, a little more than2,000 people are referred for treatment or to Gamblers Anonymousmeetings after calling in to the Michigan Department of CommunityHealth Problem Gambling Helpline. More than 300 each year ask tohave themselves put on the Disassociated Persons List, which bansthem from Detroit's three casinos. That may be just a fraction, said James McCurtis, DCH spokesman. "Alot of times, people don't recognize that they need help. It's adenial." "Usually when people come in to see me, they've reached some kindof crisis point," said Denise Phillips, who has counseled problemgamblers for more than a decade, working in Grosse Pointe, theBloomfields and Plymouth, Mich. "It's such a hidden disease. We'reabout 20 years behind substance abuse as far as awareness in thecommunity. There isn't any alcohol being ingested where you cansmell it. It can't be detected with a blood test or a urine test.There's no saturation point - as long as there's money left togamble with, he can continue." Burke practiced law for 25 years in the community, serving on thezoning board of appeals, the local United Way board, the BrightonHospital board. He worked on three millage elections. A recoveringalcoholic who had been sober for decades, his private practiceincluded many who had similar issues. "I was not the typical person people think of as having a gamblingproblem. I was nominated as citizen of the year in this community.Who would expect a citizen of the year to steal money from hisclients' trust accounts?" he said. But he did. "I traded oneaddiction for another." The lies began almost immediately. He helped to close a real estatedeal with a client in Florida, and the two took a trip thatincluded time at Bahamas casinos - a part of the visit he neglectedto mention to his wife, Jane. When the Burkes flew to Las Vegas, he counted cards and gambledheavily to get high roller status, which they enjoyed. But on theflight home from their next trip to Lake Tahoe, he was careful toflash a stack of thousands of dollars in cash that he claimed werehis winnings. In fact, he had withdrawn the money before they left,specifically to convince her that they should make another gamblingtrip. He started visiting the casino several times a week, losing a fewhundred dollars each time, telling his secretary and his familythat he was visiting clients. "In the beginning, it was just fun. I'd get away. It was the samekind of denial I used when I was drinking," Burke said. Ironically,every day, he'd pass a giant billboard on I-96 that proclaimed: "Ifyou are spending more money than you can afford, you have aproblem." "I saw that sign every day," he said. "I'd think, how can people DOthat? The first time I drove by that sign and applied it to me - itwas too late. I was done." After a year, he stopped going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Itdidn't seem like a big deal at the time, he says, but he says nowhe sees it was because the spirit of the meetings clashed with thelies he was telling his family and coworkers to cover his gambling. "Once a person is hooked, it's been my experience that they'll loseeverything," he said. "It takes a crisis. We hide it. Thedifference between gambling and drinking is that gambling is a veryeasy addiction to hide. "All I ever dreamed about - I just wanted my money back. I wasgoing to quit. Of course, if I won the money back, I wouldn't havequit."

bipolar plate Source:Brandon C. Baker(The News-Herald - McClatchy-TribuneInformation Services viia COMTEX) A component supplier in a burgeoning industry announced Tuesday thatit is leaving sunny California to call Northeast Ohio its new home. Pacific Fuel Cell Corp. held a news conference Tuesday to detailthe move of its Tustin, Calif., headquarters to 4413 Hamann Parkwayin Willoughby. The fuel cell component manufacturer's productionplant had been housed at that location since early 2007. "In California, we can't find the work force that understands aboutthe engineering that goes into this kind of product," PacificPresident George Suzuki said of components the company makes forproducers of fuel cells that can be used in cell phones, laptopcomputers, digital cameras, power tools, and both stationary andportable power generators. "Ohio's the only one that has all the tooling, equipment or thework force, so that's why we're here." The announcement came about four months after Pacific moved itsRiverside, Calif.-based membrane electrode assembly research anddevelopment facility to Hamann Parkway. Suzuki said that movesignified the shift from MEA nanotechnology research to aproduction phase. Initially, the move to Willoughby won't come with the glut of jobssome might associate with the relocation of a company headquarters.As a production plant, Pacific employed about 12 workers, Suzukisaid. For at least the next month or two, it will keep that amount beforeadding more employees, along with second and third shifts. Suzukisaid he hopes to have up to 100 workers within five years. Suzuki said the company had been in contact with some stateofficials regarding tax incentives to relocate Pacific here. He hasnot solidified them yet, but said he didn't want that to delay thecompany's move by waiting on any confirmations. "This is an up-and-coming company and an up-and-coming technology,so we're excited," Willoughby Mayor David Anderson said. "You don'thave to look further than the corner gas station to see theimportance of fuel cells." To that point, Pacific produces a graphite-based bipolar platecomponent suitable for small vehicles like forklifts, but officialsare confident that more cars could use them as research and thetechnology continue to develop in the future. Suzuki also said the company has talked with Virginia-based PemeryCorp., which has a Painesville facility, about providing componentsfor the fuel cells that company is producing for U.S. military"smart" munitions, which cannot operate with current batterytechnologies.

coaxial cable wire TXP Corporation (OTCBB: TXPO), an Original Design Manufacturer(ODM) for the telecommunications industry, has introduced the firstof its standards-compliant RF return capable Optical NetworkTerminals (ONT), giving service providers a practical solution fordelivering video and television services to residential customersover GPON while maintaining backward compatibility with existingset-top boxes (STB). TXP' s RF return implementation is compliant with FSAN standards forthree-wavelength GPON deployments, as well as SCTE 55-1 and 55-2standards that support STBs from the two major brands – Motorola and Scientific-Atlanta. TXP has proven interoperabilitywith 16 OLT platforms and is capable of working with anystandards-based OLT. This broad-ranging interoperability, coupledwith RF return and all supported through a common software load,makes TXP ONTs almost universally deployable. "Backwards compatibility with existing set-top boxes is a majorconcern for telcos contemplating GPON deployments, which is why TXPclosely followed all the relevant standards in our implementationof RF return, ” said Joel Futterman, General Manager of TXP ’ s ONT Solutions Group. “ This capability in optical network terminals opens the door forwide-ranging deployment of interactive video services over GPONwithout the need to replace thousands of existing set-top boxes. ” RF return enables telcos to install ONTs at the customer site andinteroperate with existing coaxial cable wiring and set top boxes.The RF return channel in the current model is used as an upstreampath for customers to send data to the service provider, such asrequesting pay-per-view broadcasts or other video on demandapplications. The coaxial cable connects directly to the ONT, andthe standard 1310 nm GPON wavelength is used for the upstreamtransmission of voice, data, and video RF return traffic. The TXP standards-compliant approach is in contrast to otherrecently announced approaches that require a fourth wavelength inorder to enable an RF return channel. As Futterman noted, “ There is no ratified standard involving a four-wavelength RF returnsolution over GPON, and under competitive pressure from cableoperators, telcos simply don ’ t have the time to wait. The three-wavelength approach adds lesscost to the ONT, requires less overall equipment per PON and doesnot limit PON reach like competing four-wavelength RFoG solutions. ”

Woven Wire Mesh Fil-Coil's EMI/RFI filters are available with more than 25 years of design and manufacturing expertise. Quality EMI/RFI filters areprovided fault-free to the electronics industry. A wide range ofoff-the-shelf noise interference filters are available. Fil-Coilannounces a breakthrough in the Power Line penetration filters withthe FCP filters available in four series. This FCP series of Power Line penetration electronic filters can bemounted through the outer wall of a shielded enclosure. The filtersare RFI secure and are supplied with threaded nipple. To preventshock hazards, filters are supplied with bleeder resistors. SeriesFCP filters from 60 Hz to 400Hz with 100db attenuation from 14 KHzto 10 GHz, and 100KHz to 10GHz; measured per MIL-STD-220A fullload. The filters shall be capable of withstanding 140% of ratedcurrent for 15 minutes without any deterioration. Plus the filtersshall provide the specified insertion loss of 100db minimum overits indicated frequency range when measured in accordance withMIL-STD-220A. Fil-Coil's EMI RFI filter range provides an off-the-shelf solutionfor the vast majority of electronic equipment noise problems. Ourstandard product range is particularly wide, embracing bothchassis-mounting and PCB-mounting types, allowing users to selectan optimal choice in both performance and cost efficiency terms.Our product line includes Power Line filters, RF Power Linepenetration filters, RFI/EMI filters and tubular design filtersfrom 40dB to 80dB.

stainless spring New taper bushings from Econobelt are designed tofasten rotating components without marring shafts. These stainlesssteel taper bushings, identified as the QTM-BSS Series, are stockedin 18 sizes to fit shafts ranging in diameter from 4 mm (.157") to20 mm (.787"). Their outer diameters range from 8 mm (.315") to 28mm (1.102"). At the new Econobelt eStore you can get immediate quotes, download3D models, and place online orders. Go to: www.econobelt.com/Q460/RFQ/default.asp?Page=Pg_1-251.html Other power transmission solutions provided by Econobelt includeover 9,000 off-the-shelf timing belt pulleys, belts, belt androller chain tensioners and other components for prototypes andproduction applications. Complete technical specifications are contained in catalog Q460,which is available to users of power transmission components freeupon request from Quality Transmission Components, Division of Designatronics, Inc., 125 Railroad Avenue, Garden City Park, NY.

roll steel Parking a car is challenging, but even more difficult is findingdesk space in its cramped offices, or moving steel beams that weighseveral thousand pounds around the shop by forklift. The heavy industrial company makes the equipment thatsteel-processing companies use to reshape steel into othercomponent parts, fabricates steel for commercial and residentialcustomers, and makes ornamental guardrails for custom homes, saidRon Cook, president and co-owner. Klamath Falls-based Jeld-Wen Inc. is one of Ameritech’scustomers. It has other customers around the country and in Mexicoand Canada, Cook said. Jeld-Wen will use a machine made by Ameritech to make the piecethat holds the rubber seal on the bottom of its metal doors, Cooksaid. Many of the pieces of equipment, including Jeld-Wen’s, aredesigned in-house, Cook said. "They ask, ‘Can you build us a machine that doesthat?’” he said. “It’s a little unusual fora fabrication shop to also have a machine (design) shop. Typically,companies would have that job outsourced.” Earlier this year, the company drilled 280 holes in each of a pairof 10,000-pound beams before shipping the beams by truck toAnchorage, Alaska, Cook said. Ameritech will more than double its building size when it relocatesto a 26,000-square-foot facility in Redmond by early fall. The $2million project also will shift the company to a more efficientoperating system, Cook said. The new building will have an overhead crane, saving time andmoney, and the workspace will be without columns, which will alloweasier movement of materials, he said. The company, which has posted 40 percent to 50 percent revenuegrowth each year the past three years, has seen its Central Oregonorders drop off, particularly orders for ornamentalsteel-fabrication work, Cook said. He and co-owner Gordon Woolsey decided to move to Redmond due todifficulties finding affordable land in Bend, where land priceslast year were roughly $5 to $7 per square foot higher than inRedmond, he said. "For a small company like ours, the land prices make a hugedifference when you’re talking about a limited budget,”he said. Redmond also offered incentives through its Enterprise Zoneprogram, which allows qualifying businesses to receive discounts orwaivers on building permits, fees and system development chargesbased on how many new jobs they create.

iron rest On the southern part of the island of Zealand in Denmark, lie two burial grounds known as B?gebjergg?rd and Skovgaarde,which date back to the Danish iron age (c. 0-400 BC). LineaMelchior and forensic scientists from the University of Copenhagen analysed the mitocondrial DNA of 18 individuals buried on the sitesand found that there was as much genetic variation in their remainsas one would expect to find in individuals of the present day. Theresearch team also found DNA from a man, whose geneticcharacteristics indicate a man of Arabian origin. Archeologists and anthropologists know today that the concept of asingle scandinavian genetic type, a scandinavian race that wanderedto Denmark, settled there, and otherwise lived in completeisolation from the rest of the world, is a fallacy. "If you look at the geographic position of Denmark, then itbecomes clear that the Danes must have been in contact with otherpeoples," says scientist, Linea Melchior. "We know fromother archeological excavations that there was a good deal of tradeand exchange of goods between Denmark and other parts ofScandinavia and Europe. These lines of communication must haveextended further south as one of the Danish burial grounds, whichdates back to the iron age also contained the remains of a man, whoappears to have been of arabian origin. At the beginning of the Danish iron age, the roman legions werebased as far north as the river Elbe (on the border of northernGermany) and it is thought that the man of arabian descent found inthe burial grounds in Southern Zealand would have either been aslave or a soldier in the roman army. It is probable that hepossessed skills or special knowledge, which the people inB?gebjergg?rd or Skovgaard settlements could make useof, or he could have been the descendant of a female of arabianorigin, who for reasons unknown, had crossed the river Elbe andsettled down with the inhabitants of Zealand. "This discovery is comparable to the findings of a colleagueof mine, who found a person of siberian origin on the Kongemarkesite," continues scientist, Linea Melchior. He was buried onconsecrated ground, just as the circumstances of the arab man'sburial was identical to that of the locals. The discovery of thearab man indicates that people from distant parts of the worldcould be and were absorbed in Danish communities. "All of our ancestors, no matter when they arrived havecontributed to our history and the development of ourlifestyle," explains Linea Melchior. "Indeed, Danishidentity is more a definition of where one is physically locatedand lives today than a question of our past history - since we'reall originally african in origin. That we ended up in Europe wasaccidental, which is in itself remarkable". "Another interesting feature of the approximately 50 gravesassessed so far on the two sites and also from other burial sitesand time periods in Danish history is that none of the individualsseem to be maternally related to one another", explains LineaMelchior. "We couldn't see any large families buried in thesame location. This suggests that in the Danish iron age, peopledidn't live and die in the villages of their birth, as we hadpreviously imagined".

steel meter net Metso Minerals will supply an iron ore induration machine to JSW Steel Ltd. The machine will be delivered to JSW Steel for itsVijayanager facility in District Bellary, India. The delivery willbe completed during the first quarter of 2010. The value of theorder is approximately EUR 11 million. The order comprises a 464 square meter induration machine with 177pellet cars with a feed rate of approximately 375 tonnes per hourof iron ore pellets, as well as start-up, commissioning andtraining services. India's third largest steelmaker, JSW Steel Limited engages in theproduction and sale of various steel products in India. Theproducts are used e.g. in automobile industry, infrastructureprojects, as well as in machine and equipment building. JSW Steelis a part of O.P. Jindal Group. Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2007net sales of over EUR 6 billion. Its over 27,000 employees inapproximately 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paperindustry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.

CLEVELAND Lubrizol Corp., a specialty chemicals manufacturer, said Friday itis raising prices on all product lines by about 12 percent to 20percent to offset rising raw material costs. Effective June 16, the actual price increases will depend upon thespecific product's exposure to raw material and energy-relatedproduction costs, the company said. The action includes previously announced price increases beingimplemented in Lubrizol's additives segment and in certain advancedmaterials product lines. "Our raw material and energy costs have been impactedsignificantly by the unprecedented surge in crude oil and naturalgas costs, both of which have increased over 40 percent since early2008," said Chairman, President and Chief Executive James L.Hambrick in a statement. "We continue to execute strategiesdesigned to improve efficiencies and reduce operating costs, but itis essential that we implement price increases to recover thesecost increases and sustain our viability as a valued supplier toour customers and their industries." Lubrizol said it will review all terms with its customers.

With the state-run CPC Corporation inTaiwan to cut output by 15% beginning May 27 till the end of June,downstream firms have been encountering shortages in raw materials,causing a price hike of intermediate petrochemical materials. The reduced output has seen CPC cut contract supply of rawmaterials as ethylene, propylene and butadiene by 15% to downstreamfirms. Faced with raw material shortage, the firms focusing onproducing intermediate petrochemicals are preparing to raise pricesof products. However the Formosa Plastics Group, which doesn`theavily rely on CPC for raw materials, will not be impacted. The FPG has its own naphtha cracking plants, located in Mailiao ofYunlin County, central Taiwan, for rolling out petrochemical rawmaterials. Recently, such producers of intermediate petrochemical products asFormosa Plastics Corp., China General Plastics Corp., OceanPlastics Corp., USI Far East Corporation, Asia Polymer Corporationand Taiwan Polypropylene Co. have upward adjusted the sellingprices for their products delivered in June. They has raised theselling prices for polyethylene (PE) by NT$2 per kilogram,polypropylene (PP) by NT$3, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by NT$0.5.These firms will likely again hike their product prices sometime inthe third quarter of this year. An executive of CPC`s petrochemical business unit said domesticproducers of intermediate petrochemicals will have to cope withthinning profit margins despite buoyant sales due to consistentprice hike of basic raw materials, except FPG.

Ball Bearing Parts  If the fetus has a Y chromosome, testosterone will turn the budsfor sexual organs into testes. Once in operation, those testes willpump out even more testosterone and, voila, a penis appears. Female fetuses aren't swayed by testosterone and so they stick withthe fallback blueprint that calls for ovaries and a vagina. But the developmental secret here is that breasts and nipples are already in place before testosterone shows its hand and startsshaping cells into male organs. In other words, men have breasts and nipples because they alreadyhad them before they became male. But then why didn't evolution opt to remove those seemingly uselessfemale parts? Because evolution doesn't simply wipe out unnecessary physical bitsand pieces. Those parts have to be a burden, or be in the way ofsurvival and reproduction for evolution to take notice. Sincethere's no real caloric cost to men having boobs, evolution has noimpetus to erase them. In fact, men's breasts are a good lesson in the higgledy-piggledyway that evolution works. Natural selection chooses for and against body parts, butthere is no master plan that aims for the perfect creature. Menhave boobs, women get facial hair, and we all stand in front of themirror asking, "Why?" Each person is, in fact, a Rube Goldberg sort of organism piecedtogether by biology and made up of good parts, bad parts and partsthat are inconsequential. But Mr. Ford should also know that his fans really don't care aboutthe manzeer. Believe me, even with the moobs (man boobs), any womanover 40 would be glad to have him for the night, even if it meantthrowing a towel over his chest. In fact, wearing a manzeer is probably not hurting Mr. Ford'spotential reproductive success at all. I bet there are lots ofwomen of child-bearing age, those who watched "Star Wars"as babies, or those seeing Indiana Jones for the first time thissummer, who would also be happy to close their eyes for a momentwith what we gals know in our heart of hearts is a real man. Manzeer be damned, we love him. Video: A Mother's Touch Top 10 Unexplained Phenomena Top 10 Missing Links Meredith F. Small is an anthropologist at Cornell University. Sheis also the author of "Our Babies, Ourselves; How Biology andCulture Shape the Way We Parent" ( link ) and "The Culture of Our Discontent; Beyond the Medical Modelof Mental Illness" ( link ).

Backyard fire pits come in a lot of hot designs, from simple stone creations to elaborate setups made of granite. Such fire pits are usually about a foot deep and surrounded by boulders or flatstones. Outdoor fireplaces and chimeneas also come in an assortment of shapes and materials, from clay to copper to cast iron. All of these fire containers should be located at least 10 feet -in every direction - away from flammable surfaces such as wood structures, decks and trees, says Cecile Green, who owns Heart and Soul Ecological Landscaping and Natural Building in Ann Arbor withher husband, Daniel Little. "Once a year I'll take ashes out of the central pit area, but other than that there is no upkeep," Green says. If you decide to place a fire container on your deck, put it on aheat-resistant pad, says Eric Barnes, owner of Ace Hardware in AnnArbor. And keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby in case the firegets out of hand. Safety screens can help keep your fire from growing out of control.A snuffer pan, a metal plate that goes over the top of the fire,provides convenience, allowing you to quickly put out the fire whenit's time to go inside instead of waiting for all of the embers todie out. Grates are another important accessory, because they can turn yourfire pit or chimenea into an instant grill. Choosing the right size of container is important, Barnes says.Remember, he adds, bigger fire containers hold larger pieces ofwood. Smaller chimeneas and fire pits will require you to chop woodinto smaller pieces. Chimeneas are the most popular way to build backyard fires, Greensays. "It's fabulous to eat food cooked over real wood," she says. "Youget your stick out and grill a s'more. It's very nice." Fire lovers who want a quick, easy and mess-free route can choose agas-powered fire pit. "They're more of a permanent fire that comewith logs and are just like gas grills," Barnes says. Since gazing at the flames is a key element of sitting by an openfire, a lot of people go for jazzy styles. Barnes says the mostpopular fire containers at his store are metal ones with moon andstar shapes cut into them. Even your plants and outdoor decor near the fire can take part inthe light show and drama created by the flickering flames. Certainplants, like ornamental grasses or anything with a glossy leaf, cancatch and refract the light, Green says. Mobile objects, crystalsand anything that sways with the wind can get into the act, too."They catch the light and toss it back at you," Green says.

Construction Building Materials Mud, mud glorious mud, there’s nothing quite like it forcooling the blood,” sang Flanders and Swann. An apposite consideration of the needs of a hippopotamus — but not arealistic recommendation, you might think, when it comes to humanhabitation. Yet a school of thought is emerging that compacted and dried-outsoil could be a building material of the future. The Scottish executive commissioned a report in 2000 on thepossible reintroduction of mud as a fabrication component, andscientists at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales havebeen assessing its benefits for the past 30 years, with positivereactions. Many countries have a tradition of mud building: adobestructures are familiar in the Middle East, Spain and LatinAmerica. About 100,000 mud buildings exist in the UK, many of which havebeen upright for centuries. People who live in such buildings arecertainly positive about the experience. Janette Anderson, 61, and her husband Francis, 64, brought up theirfour children in their mud cottage in Luthermuir village inKincardineshire. Local historians have placed the construction dateat about 250 years ago. “It’s a bit of a family heirloom,” says JanetteAnderson. “It has always been a very comfortable home. Ioften wonder what these modern houses will look like in 250years’ time.” Her great grandfather bought the property in 1904 for ￡50.Parting with his cash, he couldn’t have imagined theconnection his family would forge with the unusual house. “My grandmother got married in it. My mother Charlotte wasborn in it in 1912 and I was born in this house in 1947,”says Anderson. “But there was some stigma attached to it.When my son went to school, people used to say he was the kid fromthe mud hut home, but we always just knew it as a clay house. Thereare lots of them in Luthermuir, but, because of the harling, if youlooked at it, you would never know it was clay.” One of the advantages Anderson points to is energy efficiency. Mudbuildings have high thermal mass and can store heat and release itslowly to balance indoor climate. In Germany, builders are beingtaught to work with mud again. The UK’s housing stock uses upthree-and-a-half times the energy of homes in Germany and Denmark.Clearly, there are advantages, even if we are slower to recognisethem in Scotland. “Earth or clay buildings were actually traditional forthousands of years in Scotland,” says Tom Morton ofFife-based Arc Architects, author of Earth Masonry: Design andConstruction Guidelines. “They still survive in Devon and areknown as cobs.” Despite being associated today with Third World countries, there isrenewed appreciation of earth as an ecological, energy-efficientbuilding material. It is free, biodegradable, produces about 5% ofthe carbon of concrete and is proven to protect inhabitants fromasthma and allergies because of its ability to regulate internalhumidity. Much of the stigma attached to mud buildings comes more fromchanges in building fashion rather than any assessment of itsmerits. The event about which mud fans are most excited, however, is aboutto be unveiled in a quiet corner of Angus. When the local authoritygranted permission to the guardians of Logie Estate to build on thesite of an abandoned schoolhouse, it could not have known that thewrecking ball was about to flatten one of the best examples of alate vernacular mud wall building still standing in Scotland.Fortunately, an eagle-eyed neighbour with a knowledge of buildingheritage realised the error before the demolition team was calledin.Logie Schoolhouse was constructed almost entirely from mud.Around the red clay fields of Angus and Kincardineshire, the areafictionalised by author Lewis Grassic Gibbon as Kinraddie in SunsetSong, such buildings were once common, but the tradition died outin the 19th Century. Thanks to a ￡400,000 renovation, Logie Schoolhouse,constructed 178 years ago, will go on the rental market this summeras a one-bedroom home. At its prime, the classroom echoed with the chatter of 40 localschoolchildren, before being reincarnated in 1920 as a communitychurch for the local hamlet, which nestles between Montrose andLaurencekirk. The reason for the partial collapse of one outer wall was more todo with leaking gutters and 18 years of neglect than anyfundamental construction deficiency. The building was finallyabandoned in 1990. The National Trust for Scotland’s Little Houses ImprovementScheme (LHIS) secured the schoolhouse for a nominal fee, althoughaccess was initially impossible because of the overgrowth of briarand foliage. “We couldn’t get in, but we knew it was a charmingbuilding, even if it was in a sad and unkempt state,” saysSian Loftus, the LHIS manager. “It had incrediblepotential.” “Basically, there was a clay subsoil — there was lotsof this in Scotland — and to make the mud walls they wouldhave mixed it with straw and built it into the wall using hands orforks; somewhat akin to pottery, but on a huge scale,” saysMorton, whose practice worked on the restoration. “People didthis because it was cheap and easy,” he says. “It wasalso a local material, so you didn’t need to transportit.” To preserve as much of the original structure as possible, ArcArchitects and Little and Davie Construction dried out theschoolhouse and created earth bricks for any rebuilding using soilfrom the local farm. “It is an attractive rural location,” says Loftus.“There is a nice view. It will appeal to someone who likesquirkiness and a building with lots of character. We have been verysensitive in adapting it, because we didn’t want to lose thelong classroom or split it in any way.” The good news for prospective tenants is that, under the terms ofthe Historic Scotland and Communities Scotland grants, the housemust have a first tenure of six years and be priced withinaffordable housing guidelines. Notwithstanding its rare materials, it also enjoys many unusualoriginal features. What would have served as the classroom is now akitchen, dining and living space with a historic fireplace. Thehead teacher’s quarters is now a bedroom and bathroom area. Aporch, added at a later date, provides an entrance hall andcloakroom. In the rear garden stands the ruin of a 1736 manse. The crowningglory will be the original school bell, lost for 18 years. But then perhaps the real glory will be that an ancient form ofbuilding becomes popular once again as a way of helping theenvironment. “The use of earth is moving from the eco nicheinto mainstream construction now,” says Morton. “It isdefinitely going to happen.” For more information on the Logie Schoolhouse project, contact theNational Trust for Scotland www.nts.org.uk

Material Testing System Two DOT engineers mentioned in the review were transferred byWilliams, and one of them is now being demoted. Lewis gave noindication of further personnel changes. The state will have to pay $3.1 million for concrete that theFederal Highway Administration would ordinarily have reimbursed thestate for on the Route 195 project, Lewis said, although the stateretains that amount in aid for future projects. Lewis said that nearly all of the concrete poured in the project was tested, that all of it ultimately proved to be strong enough todo the job and that the highway, partially open since November, is safe. In fact, safety has never been an issue in the eyes of either state or federal officials since the DOT’s testing failures and the resulting penalty became public in March. The problem the FHWA discovered was that the DOT didn’t know whether thousands ofcubic yards of concrete were strong enough to hold up Route 195until the federal officials forced them to test it. The concrete inquisition was poured into the project’s structural elements, including piers, abutments and footings, between 2003 and 2007. The review team described an elaborate system of management plans, concrete sampling, testing standards and record keeping. But it also described how plans weren’t followed, testing wasn’t done and records weren’t kept. For example, there were supposed to be quarterly reports on issues affecting the project’s quality, including updates on” significant items identified as having deficient quality.” There is, the review said, “no record of such reports.” A quality-assurance program that was supposed to verify sampling and testing procedures “was neither staffed nor implemented” — one of the issues federal officials had focused on in faulting the DOT’s management. The “pivotal document” for the project, the project management plan, wasn’t given to the materials division responsible for concrete quality nor to the engineers administering the four contracts, it said. Although contractors are supposed to give 24-hour notice beforedeliveries of concrete, the review team found that on all four contracts, the engineers in charge allowed deliveries late in theday with no notice. The DOT’s materials divisiondidn’t, or couldn’t, assign enough inspectors, thereview team found. In the absence of an inspector, the review said,the construction engineers were supposed to do the testing butdidn’t, so the material wasn’t tested. The construction administrators and the chief of the materials division “were operationally disconnected"” fromthe projects they were managing, the review says. The authorsremark that, because of the project’s importance and thenature of their jobs, the administrators “should have been onsite inspecting periodically.” Lewis said he is already making organizational changes and trainingemployees in response to the federal findings. For instance, hesaid, construction staffers are being trained to test concrete, sothat if a materials division inspector isn’t available, the concrete will still be tested. He also said he is laying down a new rule: if concrete isn’t tested, it won’t be poured. He also said he has taken these steps: ? Set up an e-mail system to enforce the 24-hour concrete delivery notice requirement. ? Retrained materials division inspectors in proper sampling methods. ? Modified concrete delivery forms to include more information. ? Shifted the materials division to report directly to thechief engineer, to increase its independence and provide greateroversight. Two engineers had already been transferred within the department byLewis’ predecessor. Lewis said he has no immediate plans toreassign anyone else. One of the two, Mark E. Felag, had been in charge of the materials division, responsible for testing concrete and other construction materials. He had been transferred to the department’s research division and is now to be demoted. Felag told the review team that he didn’t have enough staffto do the testing that was needed. But the review team said itwasn’t convinced that more staff would have helped becausethere was “no evidence of training on testing methods”for the staff that was there. Lewis said the materials division will get a new chief, managingengineer Colin A. Franco, who will head a combined research andmaterials division. Lewis said Felag will return to the section butwill work for Franco. The other DOT manager affected is James Caroselli, a chief civilengineer who worked in the agency’s construction managementdivision supervising the Route 195 project. He was transferred tothe DOT maintenance division. Lewis said he will stay there, atleast for the moment. Caroselli and Felag both reported to the DOT’s deputy chiefengineer for construction management, Frank Corrao III, who gotthat job in February 2005. Lewis said the“realignments” won’t affect Corrao. He saidCorrao got that job in the midst of the testing problem and hecalled Corrao one of the hardest workers at the DOT. What went wrong ?Even with nobody to test it, concrete was poured anyway ?“No evidence” of adequate oversight by managers ?The “quality-assurance” program didn’t exist blandis@projo.com

Theres a grilling treasure trove at your fingertips. All those individual spices and dried herbs sitting in your pantryhave wonderful personalities. But put a bunch of them together, andwere talking serious flavor party - in the form of dry seasoningrubs. Those fancy rubs that go for several dollars a crack in stores canbe yours for a small fraction of that price. Nothing wrong withbuying pre-made, but why not try your hand, using whats at hand,with some of these combinations? First, a tip from "Barbecues 101" by Rick Rodgers: Seasoning rubsneed to be moistened so that they dont scorch on the grill. You dothat by first oiling the meat or fish or vegetable, then tossingthe rub with the food until it is evenly distributed. And another thing: Some of these recipes make larger quantitiesthan youll need for one dish. Theyll keep indefinitely in thepantry. Store them in a cool, dark place or store them in thefreezer, as suggested by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison in"Born to Grill." ● All-Round Rub (from "Born to Grill"): Combine 6tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons each coarsely ground blackpepper and coarse salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoonspacked brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (red pepperoptional). Goes with anything. ● Cajun Rub (from "Barbecues 101"): Combine 2 tablespoonssweet paprika, 1 tablespoon each Dried Garlic Powder basil and dried thyme, 1teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder,

Steam broccoli 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and justtender. Transfer to medium bowl. Add onion, yellow pepper, andpimento. In small bowl, whisk togetherolive oil, orange juiceconcentrate, rice vinegar, garlic, parsley, marjoram, salt, pepperand cayenne. Toss with broccoli. Serve at room temperature or cold. Bring water to a boil. Add brown rice, bring to boil again, thencover and reduce heat to low simmer. Rice Protein Concentrate for 45 minutes oruntil all water is absorbed. While rice is cooking, sautéred pepper and shiitake mushrooms in canola oil for 3 minutes. Addgreen onion and pineapple. Continue to sauté for 1 moreminute. Using fork, add rice to vegetables in pan. Cook, breakingup rice and stirring, until well combined and hot. Serveimmediately. Fishcakes can be served on whole-wheat hamburger buns, with tomatoslices and leafy greens and a dollop of sauce, or simply with afresh green salad. In small bowl, combine jam, soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Setaside. In large nonstick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium highheat. Add ginger and pork and stir-fry until pork is browned andjust cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer pork and gingertobowl with slotted spoon. Add canola oil to skillet. Stir-frypeppers, water chestnuts, and apples until peppers are crisptender, about 3 minutes. Add pork back to skillet along withscallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add jam mixture. Continue tostir-fry 30 seconds to one minute, or until sauce thickens. Seasonto taste with black pepper. Serve over brown rice or whole-wheatpasta.

Frozen Pork Meat Zhongpin Inc. ( HOGS ), a leading meat and food processing company in the People'sRepublic of China ("PRC"), today provided an update on theconstruction of its new prepared meat facility at Zhongpin'sIndustrial Park located in Changge City, Henan Province and itsfrozen and chilled pork processing facilities in western andeastern Henan Province. On March 12, 2008, Zhongpin began construction of its new processed meat facility with anannual production capability of 28,800 metric tons, bringingZhongpin's total capacity of prepared meats to 54,000 metric tons.Construction is moving forward on schedule and the company iscurrently evaluating and purchasing equipment for the facility. Zhongpin plans to equip its prepared meat facility with over 40pieces of the most advanced, automated, state-of-the-art equipment,including sausage filling and cooking equipment, from top-tierequipment manufacturers in Germany. Construction of Zhongpin's new factory in Luoyang City, Henanprovince is also proceeding on schedule and the company expects tobegin trial production at the end of June. Zhongpin is in theprocess of signing supply contracts with hog producers in thesurrounding areas and has signed letters of intent with severalmajor farms and sales agents for the purchase of more than 2,000hogs per day. Construction at Zhongpin 's eastern Henan Province facility in Shangqiu City continues andthe facility is expected to begin operations in the fourth quarterof 2008. Once the new western and eastern facilities are completed,Zhongpin will have total capacity of 471,560 metric tons of chilledand frozen pork, excluding outsourcing from OEMs. "Our new factories in eastern and western Henan Province will allowus to further expand production of chilled and frozen pork in orderto meet demand for high-quality pork in China. At the same time,our prepared meat facility will allow us to expand our productlines to target mid- and high-end consumers by appealing to theirevolving tastes and nutrition requirements with a variety ofprepared pork products," said Mr. Xianfu Zhu, CEO of Zhongpin. "Weare confident that we will complete these facilities on schedule,which will further our efforts to build a leading brand of porkproducts in China." Long Zhongpin in fund; no personal position

Frozen Scallops Frozen scallops are no laughing matter in the culinary world. Onlast week's Top Chef , contestant Spike Mendelsohn was sent home after using frozenscallops in the Elimination Challenge. Spike had the poor taste toblame guest judge Rick Tramonto for having the questionable itemsin his restaurant's walk-in freezer. This defense failed to saveSpike, and now all of the parties involved are doing serious damagecontrol. According to Colicchio and Tramonto, the scallops were provided by Top Chef's own supplier and did not come from Tramonto's Steak and Seafood. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune , Rick Tramonto implied that the show's producers deliberately planted the scallops in the freezer "to see...who would use them or not." Spike wasannoyed that the scallops were there at all, and called thesituation "trickery at its best" in his exit interview . Tom Colicchio spoke up for Tramonto in his Top Chef blog, and blamed Spike for choosing the scallops in the firstplace. As the Quickfire Challenge winner, Spike had first pick ofanything in the freezer (which included fresh items) and tookfrozen seafood. Colicchio failed to mention if the scallops wereplanted as a test, however. What I don't understand is why Top Chef supplies its contestants with items that they don't want them touse. If the producers aren't setting the chefs up to make mistakes,why give them substandard ingredients? To use Colicchio's ownwords, "it's nearly impossible to turn a mediocre ingredient intosomething tremendous, even if you cook it well." I would have likedmore of an explanation about this. That said, Spike is responsible for his own downfall. He had firstpick and knew that cooking with frozen scallops would be difficult.Although he had a right to complain about the frozen scallops'presence in the freezer, it was petty to embarrass the guest judgein an attempt to save himself from elimination. As much as I hategrouchy Lisa, Spike deserved to go home last week.

Dried Apple Dice Healthy eating is a topic close to my heart. I've been passionateabout leading a healthy lifestyle for many years. It started whenmy father-in-law signed me up for the London marathon in 2000. Backthen, I was overweight and out of shape, but I loved the challengeand now I'm hooked. I've run every London marathon since, even adouble marathon in South Africa. My personal goal is to completeten consecutive marathons by the time I turn 45. As for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it goes without saying thatkeeping fit and eating well go hand-in-hand. Any chef will tell youthat we lead the most unorthodox and unhealthy lifestyles

fruit jam Holtzman's friends fondly call her "Martha Stewart," but she didn'tbecome a serious gardener until she and her husband, Dan, completedtheir home. "I knew I wanted a cutting garden and a vegetablegarden," says Holtzman, who, when her children were young, plantedvegetables at their school in Sherman Oaks. "At that time in my life, I didn't have much knowledge [aboutgardening]," says the petite former preschool teacher who has alsoonce owned a clothing company. Her backyard is not one garden but three, each with a distinct lookand purpose yet unified in a landscape full of surprises. Thevegetable garden not only yields food but also looks beautiful. Thecutting garden provides a panorama of explosive color. At the rearof the yard, the poolside garden is a tranquil retreat, the plantpalette changing to peonies, lilac and drought-tolerant yarrow,Australian trees and shrubs. "I wanted a formal yet informal garden," Holtzman says, "one thatwas messy and still neat." There are gravel paths, a green marbleurn fountain and a brick patio with a fireplace designed by thecouple. Flowers and fruits pop out in unexpected places, while thehedges tame with structure. The yard embraces visitors with a sense of abundance andwell-being. It has evolved over 10 years with the help of designersStephanie Wilson Blanc, who built the bones and chose many of theplants, and more recently Lisa Moseley, who suggested some of thehedges and herbs. Upon entering the yard, a visitor first sees herbs growing betweenthe concrete pavers of the path. Boxwood and rosemary, pruned intoballs, give a formal edge to the sprouting basil, cilantro,oregano, lavender, chives and thyme. A concrete ball adds awhimsical touch. A H elichrysum saturates the air with the scent of curry.

Johnson and Innes Constructions Johnson and Innes Constructions provide building construction solution for various buildings construction materials. Johnson and Innes Constructions provide advice on advanced buildingtechnology which results in the innovative building solution beingoffered that are second to none. Johnson and Innes Constructions maintains up to date latestproducts and closely monitors the associated hidden costs andrecommends the ever best products and suppliers related to thebuilding industry. Johnson and Innes Constructions with its extensive experienceprovide professional solution that meets any specific requirement.Johnson and Innes Constructions provide consulting solution relatedto building industry ensure best supplier, engineer, workers,materials and finish. Johnson and Innes Constructions provide custom made solution thathas an impact on any specific requirement. Only sustainableproducts are being used and provide recycle of sort materials andscraps that are left over. Johnson and Innes Constructions alsooffers carbon credit package through carbon planet to removepersonal impact on greenhouse if any. Team of qualifiedprofessionals from Johnson and Innes Constructions providesinnovative solution that exceeds the expectation of the customers.

High Carbon Steel China Precision Steel (the ''Company'') (Nasdaq: CPSL), a nicheprecision steel processing company principally engaged in producingand selling high precision cold-rolled steel products, todayannounced that its Chairman, President and CEO, Mr. Wo Hing Li,will donate $19.9 million to the University of Hong Kong. Thedonation will be funded through the sale of a portion of Mr. Li'sshares of the Company's common stock. On May 29, 2008, the Company filed a Form 4 with the U.S.Securities and Exchange Commission which reported that Mr. Li sold3,524,810 shares of common stock at a price of $3.75 per share. Thesale was pursuant to a stock purchase agreement with accreditedinvestors Hudson Bay Fund, LP, Hudson Bay Overseas Fund, Ltd. andEnable Growth Partners LP amended on May 20, 2008. The firsttransaction under the stock purchase agreement closed on May 27,2008 with the sale of the aforementioned shares. A second sale isscheduled to occur on June 17, 2008 with the sale of 1,000,000shares of common stock at $6.70 per share. ''We strongly believe in the growth of China and would like topromote higher education,'' Mr. Li commented. ''All of the proceedsfrom the sale of common stock under the stock purchase agreementwill be donated to the The Chinese University of Hong Kong, whichplans to use the funds to build a new college.'' As of May 29, 2008 Mr Li is the beneficial owner of 16,349,240shares of common stock of the Company. Mr Li's holding represents35.6% of the outstanding shares assuming 45,896,288 shares of theCompany's common stock outstanding as of May 15, 2008 as reportedin the Form 10-Q filed on May 16, 2008.

london metal exchange A surging dollar coupled with a dull season in theforthcoming June-September quarter would see further correction inmetal prices, say analysts. According to traders, June-August is traditionally considered as adull season and physical demand remains low. Despite labourdisputes in scattered South American mines, impact on production is expected to remain negligible, they said. Metals including zinc,nickel, lead, copper and aluminium have dropped on the futuresexchange both domestically and internationally over the last week. On London Metal Exchange (LME), zinc had dropped to levels lastseen in 2006, as did nickel futures. Lead price also slumped withstockpiles increasing, indicating oversupply. The three-month copper contract on the LME had recovered aftertesting $7,863 levels. Technical factors indicate that prices wouldcorrect further and consolidate at 7,800 in the short-term.Meanwhile, the domestic futures June copper contract on the MultiCommodity Exchange is expected to consolidate at Rs 331 levels. In the last week, at MCX, zinc fell to Rs 83 per kg levels in Maycontract falling close to 8%, and is expected to correct further totest Rs 80 a kg. Lead and nickel shed about 7% each in the July andMay contracts respectively. Lead is trading around Rs 84 levels,while nickel is Rs 940 per kg levels. Inventories of zinc monitored by the LME had risen 5.8% to a20-month high. Lead inventory climbed 2.4% to the highest sinceSeptember, 2007 supporting the price decline. On the supply side, a report from MAPE Admisi Commodity Researchsaid a strike by Chilean dock-workers has a shipment of copperstuck off the coast of the Pacific town. In Peru, miners arelooking to strike from mid-June on labour issues. However, thesewould not affect the prices.

Shares of gold mining companies wavered Monday as the price of the precious metal and gold gained in U.S. and European trading. At the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold rose $5.60 to settle at$892.90 an ounce, after earlier trading as high as $908 an ounce. On the London Metal Exchange, gold added $10 to $896 per ounce asequity markets weakened and crude oil showed strength, according to BNP Paribas (other-otc: BNPQY.PK - news - people ) analyst David Thurtell. The price of gold climbed as investors sought bargains after lastweek's big drop in gold value. The drop in gold came as the dollarsteadied against the euro. A stronger dollar encourages investorsto sell hard assets like gold and silver, which are consideredsafe-haven investments in times of rising inflation. "Gold feels much more balanced at the moment, waiting for freshdirection from either the crude or currency markets," John Reade,analyst with UBS (nyse: UBS - news - people ) in London, said in a note. In afternoon trading, Barrick Gold Corp. (nyse: ABX - news - people ) slipped 8 cents to $40.21, Newmont Mining Corp. (nyse: NEM - news - people ) rose 6 cents to $47.59 and Goldcorp (nyse: GG - news - people ). Inc. rose 20 cents to $40.34. Yamana Gold (nyse: AUY - news - people ) Inc. rose 9 cents to $15.37. Gold Fields Ltd. (nyse: GFI - news - people ) fell 11 cents to $12.82.

copper mine The Resolution Copper Mine in Superior is moving toward declaringan ore reserve with copper and molybdenum at the site. Resolution's parent company, London-based Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP), reported the mine has completed enough drilling todetermine a reserve of 1.34 billion tons of ore containing 1.51percent copper and 0.04 percent molybdenum. The company is working on reports to define whether the ore is amineral resource or an ore reserve. The deposit still has toundergo testing before a final determination can be made, but themine has taken a step closer to realization. If finalized, plans call for a mine that will take 66 years to playout. Last month, a study by Elliott D. Pollack and Co. said themine could result in an $10.7 billion impact through taxcollections and $46.4 billion of total impact during its life.

Nuclear Power PLANT  The Kennett Square, Penn., company is the largest operator ofnuclear power plants in the U.S. and third largest in the world. Exelon (symbol EXC ) runs ten nuclear power stations with 17 reactors, including oneon Three Mile Island but not the reactor involved in the 1979 accident. Last year, the company's nuclear fleet produced a record132.3 million net megawatt-hours of electricity and achieved anaverage capacity of 94.5%, helping reinforce Exelon's reputation asone of the most efficient utility companies. Operators of nuclear power plants have a built-in cost advantage atthe moment. High prices for coal and natural gas, which fuelnon-nuclear power plants, means atomic reactors can run at a lowercost than competitors. "Rising coal prices may persist,"putting a strain on the coal-fired plants in the Midwest, says Deutsche Bank analyst John Kiani. "No other generation company is asleveraged to these emerging trends as Exelon." And the company need not worry about new entrants rushing into ahot market because nuclear power plants take years to build, costbillions and face vocal opposition from communities near proposedreactor sites. Efforts to fight climate change have shifted the political windsfor Exelon. The nuclear power industry had been at a standstillsince the 1980s because of public perceptions about safety. Butbecause atomic power plants generate lower greenhouse gas emissionsthan other kinds of power generators, the industry has gained morepolitical support as the U.S. looks to energy sources beyondcarbon-spewing fossil fuels. At the national level, the outlook is promising. Congress isconsidering legislation that would create a system ofcarbon-emission credits and licenses similar to one in Europe. Citigroup analyst Greg Gordon says legislation to create a "cap andtrade" system will pass next year and go into effect in 2012.The three remaining presidential candidates support suchregulation.

Companies like Vaughan have faced stiff competition from overseesdistributors in recent years. In October, Stanley Furniture in Martinsville announced 250 workerswould lose their jobs. "The continuing downturn in business conditions impacting ourindustry requires us to manage our cost structure," Jeffrey R.Scheffer, Bedroom Furniture Doors, said last year. Vaughan Furniture Company was founded in Galax in 1923 by TaylorGeorge Vaughan Sr., his wife, Blanche Bassett Vaughan, and hisbrother, Bunyan C. Vaughan. The company manufactures bedroom, dining room and living roomfurniture.

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Old Adelaide Restoration Centre supplies a wide range of tiles tocoordinate a range of period decors. Fireplace tiles, heritage andcontemporary style wall tiles, border tiles, Frieze tiles, bodytiles, Listellos and Tessellated tiles are available. Old AdelaideRestoration Centre offers feature tiles which include French,English and Italian style tiles, hand painted tiles and reliefstyle tiles. Paints and finishes are also available. Old Adelaide Restoration Centre offers a wide range ofarchitectural hardware which includes Bed knobs, fittings, flushbolts, latches, box fittings, brackets, castors, cupboards,cabinets, draws, knobs, handles, escutcheons, flush pulls, cabinhooks, hinges etc. Old Adelaide Restoration offers door furniture accessories,buzzers, entry handles, escutcheons, knobs, knockers, letter boxplates, levers, newspaper holders, privacy locks and assemblies,pulls, push plates, roller catches, screen door assemblies andsliding door hardware. Casement Window Lock accessories such as casementfasteners and stays, sash fasteners, lifts, pulleys and shuttersare also available.

Showers are fitted in bathrooms to boost the flow of water and givea refreshing bath ( www.bellabathrooms.co.uk ). They also make you feel as though you are in the rain byproviding a forceful spray. For you to have this feel, we provide awide range of showers whose household names are Mira showers, Glass Shower Doors, Aqua Lisa showers etc. They include electricshowers, mixer showers, power showers, digital showers etc. Tobuild a luxurious bathroom, you not only need a shower you must addsome more to it. To give additional beauty to your bathroom weprovide shower trays, shower enclosures, shower cubicles and showerpumps. The shower that is greatly in demand is the Mira showers. Now wewill see the various ranges of showers and the way they work. Mirashowers consist of electric showers. While we have a shower at homewe usually dont use any hot water that is stored or any storedwater( www.bellabathrooms.co.uk ). So if we want to choose shower for a place where there islimited supply of hot water, electric shower is an ideal one forit. This is because electric showers only take water from the mainscold water supply. So electric shower is appropriate to be fixed infor families and households. Coming to mixer shower, as the nameindicates it takes water from both the water supplies. That is ittakes both the hot water and cold water and blends them together toreach the desired temperature. This type of mixer shower is best tobe used in places where there is a plentiful supply of hot water. Next moving on to the power shower, it is a bit similar to mixershower. But difference is instead of plain cold water, it takescold water that is stored at low pressure. Power showers take water from both the hot and low pressure storedcold water supplies. They mix the hot and cold to reach the desiredtemperature and then boost the flow of water from the shower. Thespecialty of power shower is that the shower sprays water with somemore or extra force. It is done using an integral pump. Using powershowers with high pressure water system is dangerous.( www.bellabathrooms.co.uk ) So it is advisable to use it only with a low pressure watersystem. The above explained ranges of showers are also available inTriton showers. To add more beauty and royalty to your shower we stock a largerange of shower enclosures, doors and side panels including showerquadrants, offset quadrants to walk in shower enclosures. Showerenclosure is like a stopper that prevents splashing of watereverywhere. It comes in many different sizes, finishes and coloursto suit your bathroom. Bella Bathrooms Ltd ( www.bellabathrooms.co.uk ) Whatever the size and colour of your bathroom or your bath tapsmay it be, we definitely have a shower enclosure or shower doorsfor you. We also have a large range of shower trays of differentshapes and colours to match all variations of shower enclosures.Also we provide shower trays that are to be used in bespoke showerinstallations. Some shapes of the shower trays are square slimshower tray, rectangle slim shower tray, quadrant slim shower tray,offset quadrant slim shower tray. Shower enclosure include bathshower screens, shower doors, steam showers, complete showerenclosure, roman shower enclosure. In addition to it we alsoprovide you with after sales support on fitting shower pumps.

Barring that, just leave the boxes be. Sure, they're a jumble ofstyles and colors, and they crowd the sidewalk and snap off yourhands if you're too slow retrieving your purchase (this has beentraced to getting sheet metal from a haunted foundry) but they addlife to the street, and a row of homogenized boxes would look likea mausoleum crypt. People wouldn't put in money, they'd leaveflowers. Bus shelters: There's not much you can do. Make them clear sopeople can see the bus coming, enclose them on most sides so peopledon't die of exposure, etch the glass with a nice design, and sella big ad for beer with a slogan sufficiently witty to make peoplethink, "Oh, right; beer exists." Because you can't drivehome that point enough, I guess. But there's no reason they shouldall be spare glass houses. They look like outhouses for Modernistexhibitionists. Benches: The old concrete sofas are uncomfortable and utilitarian -you expect to see a plaque identifying it as ProletariatKeister-Rester #23. Something more ornamental, with slats andfiligreed wrought-iron, would be nice. You'd lose ad space, but wecan manage. I don't think they're very effective, unless you'rerunning a billboard campaign aimed specifically at Munchkins. Trash cans: The city has many '70s-style trash bins with pebbledrock stuck on the side and a rusty metal opening on top. They looklike something installed on the cliffs of Normandy to withstandAllied bombing. The sooner we replace these tetanus-infested verminbunkers, the better. In short: we could stand an upgrade, but I'd hate to see things gettoo standardized. Visual hurly-burly is what makes streetsdifferent than mall corridors. When I lived in by the U there was a Daily Worker newspaper boxlocked to a Ornamental Street Furniture, and over the years it became smotheredwith thick coat of agitprop stickers and Xeroxed bandannouncements. Whoever was supposed to supply the papers lost hiszest for the cause, and it stood empty for years. The plasticwindow looked like a TV set tuned to a channel that had gone out ofbusiness. But it belonged there. Maybe that's the standard: Look at what we have now, and askyourself if it looks like it belongs. It does? Leave it be. More from Lileks at www.startribune.com/buzz .

SYDNEY, May 30 (Reuters Life!) - Looking for a hotel that reallystands out from the crowd? Travel magazine Travel + Leisure hascome up with its third annual list of the top 30 best new hotels of2008 with ten of these listed below. The "It" list is compiled by editors at Travel + Leisure(http://www.travelandleisure.com) and is not endorsed by Reuters.1. Banyan Tree Maldives Madivaru (beach hotel) Banyan Tree, accessible by seaplane, is built in safari style:elaborate tents, a jungle setting, and its own aquarium lappingfrom the shore. The price is steep, but this is a camping tripwithout comparison with staff to indulge your every whim. 2. J.K. Place Capri, Italy (beach hotel) Surely one of Europe's most stylish recent openings, this nauticaldesign hotel feels like staying at a chic friend's house. DrinkBellinis on the terrace while watching the beach below. 3. Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Mexico (beach hotel) One of the most anticipated hotel openings this year, the winningMandarin formula of exemplary service, forward-reaching design, afirst-rate spa-has taken root in a pristine Mexican coastalenvironment. Acres of mangrove forest surround 128 boxy whitevillas with sculptures by prominent Mexican artists, creating themost sophisticated resort on Mexico's eastern coast. 4. Six Senses Hideaway, Yao Noi, Thailand (beach hotel) All the beauty of a remote destination without the hassle of beingentirely off the grid. On the island of Yao Noi, 45 minutes by boatfrom Phuket, guests are surrounded by lush jungle, tiny fishingvillages, and untouched beaches. The resort has 56 villas andprivate plunge pools in a pristine environment. 5. Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia (beach hotel) Billing itself as Australia's first seven-star hotel, Qualia hasthe requisite luxury trappings -- personal infinity pools, a1,000-bottle wine cellar -- but the real stars here are architectChris Beckingham and chef Stephane Rio, who have modernized thenotion of an Australian reef resort. Airy one-bedroom pavilionscombine native styles and materials with Rio using indigenousingredients in unexpected ways. 6. Haymarket Hotel, London (city hotel) Kit Kemp has released an arsenal of bold colors and supergraphiceffects on the former American Express London headquarters in theheart of the theater district. Kemp and her husband/businesspartner Tim Kemp have struck a balance between a classic Englishmanor and a buzzy film- and-art world haunt. 7. Regent Bal Harbour, Florida (city hotel) Regent's first property in the United States has got the beautifulbeachfront, the country's first Guerlain Spa, a $4 million artcollection, but no Euro-lounge sound track pumping into the lobby.It's all about the signifiers of luxury: Anichini bedding, plasmatelevision screens embedded in bathroom mirrors, and a dazzlingcrystal chandelier. 8. Hotel Fasano, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (city hotel) In his second property, restaurateur Rogerio Fasano has designedspare, breezy rooms environments with leather-upholstered Miesdaybeds, Amazonian wood side tables. 9. JIA Shanghai, China (city hotel) Ensconced in a 1920's building on fashionable West Nanjing Road,the 55-room hotel adds a needed dose of boutique intimacy to thecity's booming hotel scene. Its Asian-contemporary hideaway of darkwood floors, embroidered fabrics, and elegant birdcages sitalongside Knoll and Hotel Bedroom Furniture and free Wi-Fi. 10. Onguma Plains, The Fort on Fisher's Pan, Etosha, Namibia(rustic hotel) Northern Namibia is Africa's Next Great Safari Frontier, partly dueits wildlife, but also because of its wealth of high-quality luxurylodges, like this camp on a private 50,000-acre game reserve, fiveminutes from Etosha National Park. Carved antique doors, billowycurtains, and reflecting pools, wth two of each guest room's wallsmade of canvas and can be opened to reveal the plains like anImpressionist painting.

Fashion brand Burberry Group reported a 14 percent rise in annual profit, helped by strong sales of its luxury handbags and trench coats, and declined to comment on talk it could be a takeover target. Chief Executive Angela Ahrendts said in a statement Burberry's adjusted operating profit of 206.2 million pounds in the year to March 31 showed "the robustness of our global luxury business in these challenging times". Underlying revenue at the house, grown from a World War I trench-coat maker, rose 26 percent in Europe and the Americas, and 17 percent in Asia Pacific. Non-apparel, including luxury handbags, shoes and jewellery, rose 39 percent. Business had become "increasingly challenging during the second half", Ahrendts added, providing the latest indication that the slowdown in mid-market consumer spending on the back of rising living costs is beginning to pressure luxury goods. But in a sign of Burberry's confidence, Ahrendts added the fashion house, known for its camel and red check, would nearly double its capital expenditure for this year to 90 million to 95 million pounds, from 49 million pounds last financial year, for new stores, refurbishments, IT and a new headquarters. Burberry shares were flat at 507 pence in early trade, in line with the DJ Stoxx index of consumer goods which includes sector heavyweights LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Richemont. Burberry stock has rebounded 27 percent in the past two months, fuelled by unexpectedly strong fourth-quarter sales and bid speculation with U.S. luxury leather goods house Coach being mentioned as a potential buyer. Chief Financial Officer Stacey Cartwright declined to comment to reporters on whether Burberry, a perennial subject of speculation, had received any approaches from possible buyers. The company had sufficient organic growth potential for it to rule out an acquisition, she added. Burberry cut its full-year earnings before interest and tax guidance to 205 million to 210 million pounds in January 2008 partly due to increased spending on improving its supply chain efficiency with an IT project known as Atlas.

Tag: Gossip Girl fashion When actress Leighton Meester dons a new headband or colored tights — with contrasting fishnets on top, no less — she can set off a virtual race to the cash register. The same goes for her Gossip Girl co-stars, whose fashions can be found on The CW cable channel's website, which typically enjoys a big post-show uptick in visitors. The Gossip Girl phenomenon — which mirrors the impact Sex and the City had on high-end footwear sales — shows how retailers can capitalize on trends in popular culture. It also illustrates how vital it is for them to quickly seize on the hottest clothes and accessories, given today's impressionable young shoppers, and to closely track sales to avoid shortages of the latest fashion passion. Trend watchers at retailers including Target and J.C. Penney monitor fashion-forward people in cities around the globe. Increasingly, though, retailers also need to watch a lot of TV and movies and read stacks of celebrity magazines, lest they miss out on the Next Big Thing. As recently as a couple of years ago, trend spotting often had to be done a year in advance — for next summer's seasons, say, even before the current summer's merchandise had been sold. Penney and other retailers were forced to make "educated guesses," as President Ken Hicks calls them, based more on speculation than hard data. Now, thanks to advanced software and computer systems, months have been shaved off the time needed to achieve "concept to cash," as Steve & Barry's calls it. Stores can closely monitor what styles are selling, at what rate and in which sizes. Department stores and the larger specialty chains can better compete with boutiques. They're also better positioned to take on such retailers as H&M, Zara and Forever 21, which specialize in moving the latest styles into, and out of, stores with sizzling speed. "It tells the retailer what's selling and what's not selling, so they get higher inventory turns," says retail analyst Jennifer Black of Jennifer Black & Associates. "If you want to be more productive, you have to turn (merchandise) faster." Especially if you want to attract trend-conscious young shoppers. "Younger people of this generation are more much interested in fashion than they were when I was in high school," says 29-year-old Meredith Barnett, founder of StoreAdore.com, a guide to retail boutiques. "Most of the reason they are so interested is they are so much more exposed to it. They are highly influenced by what they see on TV and what they see celebrities wear." If they watch Gossip Girl and see a lot of "girly headbands," Barnett says, it isn't long before you see them on young women everywhere. Her website, which features top boutiques in several cities, is helping accelerate the trend. Earlier this month, it touted its picks for the best headbands. Celebrity-inspired fashion has "definitely been amped up," says Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman. A former assistant designer on that über-trend-conscious show Sex and the City, Daman says he's been amazed by how much faster buzz flies about Gossip Girl's fashions in today's social-network-dominated era than it did in the heyday of Sex and the City. There's even been talk at stores in New York, including Barney's, of displaying clothes in a way that helps shoppers achieve the Serena or Blair look, Damon says. (Serena is Lively's character; Leighton Meester plays Blair.) "The girls' names are becoming like labels, " Daman says. "It's almost kind of crazy to see how great the reaction is to it." When Hicks saw a photo of Angelina Jolie at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a batik dress, he knew the batik trend would be hot. Penney is stocking a hefty selection of the Indian-inspired print this summer. And its improved inventory systems mean it can get more such apparel into stores quickly if the trend really has legs. That's the importance of what retailers call "cycle time" — how long it takes to turn a sketch into something hanging on a store rack. It's being "able to react to what the trends are in season," Hicks says. Penney will carry more pink, Hicks says, in part because of the color's prevalence in the new Sex and the City movie, along with such celebrity favorites as aviator glasses, white jeans and ombre prints. Even some shoppers who aren't trying to emulate celebrities seem to be attracted to "fast fashion." Avery Jaffe, 22, says she likes Forever 21 and H&M because they help her stay current on fashions, even if, she says, the clothes don't always last as long as she'd like. "They both bounce back the trends rapidly," says Jaffe of Atlanta. "We post on Facebook what we wore out the last night and have to have different outfits (and) looks each time." Celebrity-driven style is hardly limited to teens or twenty-somethings. Jaye Hersh, owner of Los Angeles boutique Intuition, says that just as young shoppers in her store will want a purse they see Miley Cyrus buying; older shoppers will do the same for celebrities closer to their own ages. "It crosses the ages," says Hersh, who says her boutique is a favorite of the Desperate Housewives and of such stars as Jessica Simpson. If women buy something a celebrity is wearing, "They can pretend they have a piece of some shiny life and feel like theirs is a little more exciting."

On a Saturday afternoon, a group of teenage girls leaf through glossy fashion magazines at a New Jersey outlet mall. Shopping bags brimming with new purchases lay at their feet while they talk excitedly about what's in style to wear this summer. Far away in Tanzania, a young man proudly wears a basketball shirt imprinted with the logo of an NBA team while shopping at the local mitumba market for pants that will fit his slender figure. Although seemingly disparate, these two scenes are connected through the surprising life cycle of clothing. How does a T-shirt originally sold in a U.S. shopping mall to promote an American sports team end up being worn by an African teen? Globalization, consumerism, and recycling all converge to connect these scenes. Globalization has made it possible to produce clothing at increasingly lower prices, prices so low that many consumers consider this clothing to be disposable. Some call it "fast fashion," the clothing equivalent of fast food. Fast fashion provides the marketplace with affordable apparel aimed mostly at young women. Fueling the demand are fashion magazines that help create the desire for new "must-haves" for each season. "Girls especially are insatiable when it comes to fashion. They have to have the latest thing, always. And since it is cheap, you buy more of it. Our closets are full," says Mayra Diaz, mother of a 10-year-old girl and a buyer in the fashion district of New York City. Disposable couture appears in shopping mall after shopping mall in America and Europe at prices that make the purchase tempting and the disposal painless. Yet fast fashion leaves a pollution footprint, with each step of the clothing life cycle generating potential environmental and occupational hazards. For example, polyester, the most widely used manufactured fiber, is made from petroleum. With the rise in production in the fashion industry, demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, according to figures from the Technical Textile Markets. The manufacture of polyester and other synthetic fabrics is an energy-intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil and releasing emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause or aggravate respiratory disease. Volatile monomers, solvents, and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the wastewater from polyester manufacturing plants. The EPA, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, considers many textile manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators. Issues of environmental health and safety do not apply only to the production of man-made fabrics. Cotton, one of the most popular and versatile fibers used in clothing manufacture, also has a significant environmental footprint. This crop accounts for a quarter of all the pesticides used in the United States, the largest exporter of cotton in the world, according to the USDA. The U.S. cotton crop benefits from subsidies that keep prices low and production high. The high production of cotton at subsidized low prices is one of the first spokes in the wheel that drives the globalization of fashion. Bringing Clothes to Market Fast, the Global Way Much of the cotton produced in the United States is exported to China and other countries with low labor costs, where the material is milled, woven into fabrics, cut, and assembled according to the fashion industry's specifications. China has emerged as the largest exporter of fast fashion, accounting for 30% of world apparel exports, according to the UN Commodity Trade Statistics database. In her 2005 book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, Pietra Rivoli, a professor of international business at the McDonough School of Business of Georgetown University, writes that each year Americans purchase approximately 1 billion garments made in China, the equivalent of four pieces of clothing for every U.S. citizen. According to figures from the U.S. National Labor Committee, some Chinese workers make as little as 12–18 cents per hour working in poor conditions. And with the fierce global competition that demands ever lower production costs, many emerging economies are aiming to get their share of the world's apparel markets, even if it means lower wages and poor conditions for workers. Increasingly, clothing being imported to the United States comes from countries as diverse as Honduras and Bangladesh.

Cherokee clothing manufacturer, a leading licensor and global brand management company, announced today that it has signed an exclusive brand representation agreement with award-winning fashion designer David Rodriguez. Extraordinary style, focus and work ethic defines designer David Rodriguez, who is emerging as one of America's brightest stars in the fashion world. Rodriguez has received well-deserved recognition from the fashion industry, winning major awards and nominations, including: the Moet and Chandon Designer Debut award, the MODA award for Hispanic Designer of the Year, the Gold Coast Award, the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award, and the Smithsonian Latino Center Legacy Award. Combining his unique use of fine fabrics and styling to complement feminine curves, David Rodriguez has become a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, who rely upon his designs to make a major impact at red carpet events. "We chose to collaborate with Cherokee based on the successful partnerships they've engineered with leading designers and premier retailers in the United States, including TJX Co., Target and Wal-Mart," said Brandon Houchins, President, J.C. SOHO, LLC.

Women's apparel and fashion industry designer Vera Wang, well aware of the pressures a sluggish economy has put on the world of fashion, said she remains optimistic the industry has the allure needed to get through tough times. "Fashion is an expendable commodity, but it also brings such joy and fantasy and fun to women's lives," the designer of the New York-based and closely held company bearing her name said in an interview. "For that reason, fashion will prevail ultimately." Watch interview with Vera Wang. Wang may know better. Since opening a bridal salon at the Carlyle Hotel on New York's Madison Avenue in 1990 and weathering past rounds of economic downturns, she has expanded her fashion business from designing gowns for brides to a full ensemble of ready-to-wear clothing, fragrance and home furnishing products. Wang's name, through exclusive partnerships, also accompanied flowers, a luxury hotel suite in Hawaii and an apparel collection at mid-priced retailer Kohl's Corp. One of her next moves: Open more stores. "This plan was made about two years ago," the designer said, without giving more details. "There's no question that many people in fashion have felt the repercussions of the recession. I'm fairly thorough about looking at the sell- through. I feel fairly optimistic that by the time they get done, hopefully the economy will be on the rebound." While the declining housing and credit markets and soaring gasoline prices and food costs have hurt consumer confidence, cutting into their discretionary spending, many retailers said the right fashions and products that give shoppers excitement still sell. Luxury retailer Nordstrom Inc., which sells items such as Vera Wang fragrance and sleepwear set, said Thursday its designer products across all categories, intimate apparel and cosmetics were performing well even as it reported a 24% drop in first-quarter profit and lowered its outlook for the year, citing uncertainty in consumer spending. Saks Inc., also a Vera Wang customer carrying her merchandise such as a $850 strapless gown, said earlier this month that women's designer apparel was among its strongest categories. Kohl's, which also reported a quarterly profit drop and trimmed its outlook for the year, said Thursday it expects its Simply Vera Vera Wang collection, including T-shirts and shower curtains and launched last year, will continue to be in demand along with some of its other exclusive products. "They would probably feel we've performed very well," Wang said, adding she wasn't at liberty to give details about that business.

A carpet and hard floor cleaning range to satisfy growing demand from commercial and domestic building users for products and services that demonstrate commitment to environmental issues and concerns has been launched this month (May 2008) by Cleaning technologies specialist, Prochem EuropeAll products in the new Natural range feature environmentally and user friendly phosphate free formulations coupled with all natural fragrances including lemongrass, eucalyptus and tea tree as well as lavender, orange and peppermint in the new Natural Carpet Deodorizer. The range is free of colours, dyes, synthetic fragrances, EDTA and NTA and contains only ingredients considered safe for the environment. It employs biodegradable complexing agents and short chain biodegradable surfactants.Furthermore, the new nine product strong range is based upon ground breaking formulations that perform as well or better than equivalent professional products without harming the environment, says Prochem Europe labs.The Natural rangeA concentrated professional-strength product, Natural Stone Cleaner has been devised for cleaning and maintenance of all fine natural stone floors including marble, limestone, terrazzo, saltillo, granite, travertine and ceramic tile.Natural Carpet Cleaner is an extraction cleaning concentrate with encapsulation technology and gentle pH for cleaning most types of carpets and rugs.A biodegradable and low VOC volatile organic compound concentrate for pre-treating heavily soiled areas of carpets, Natural Carpet Prespray incorporates encapsulation technology to help prevent sticky residues that may attract soil. Natural Carpet Rinse is based on sodium citrate and citric acid and neutralizes alkaline residues without the use of harsh or corrosive acids. It also incorporates polymer technology to help prevent residues that may attract soil. A neutral pH spot cleaner for removing a wide variety of spots and stains from carpet, Natural Carpet Spotter contains polymer encapsulation technology to prevent sticky residues and is biodegradable, phosphate free and with low VOC volatile organic compounds. Natural Carpet Foam Shampoo is a biodegradable high foam carpet shampoo with polymer encapsulation for rotary shampoo, bonnet and dry foam carpet cleaning. A powerful biological deodorizer for carpets that contains no biocides, Natural Carpet Deodorizer is based on natural biological cultures that digest organic odours in carpets and is effective against urine and other offensive odours. Containing encapsulation technology to prevent sticky residues, it is sprayed directly onto odour contaminated carpet, then rinsed with Natural Carpet Cleaner or Natural Carpet Rinse. Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner is a powerful multi-surface cleaner for commercial floor and hard surface cleaning. Its proven hard surface cleaning performance is verified by independent testing. Biodegradable, phosphate free and VOC compliant, its heavy-duty formula removes the toughest oily and greasy soils. A biodegradable phosphate free carpet extraction detergent for commercial carpet cleaning, Natural Carpet Powder Detergent is suitable for portable and truck mount cleaning units with high heat stability and fast dissolving performance. The Natural range conforms to the USA EPA "Design for Environment" guidelines and has the Carpet & Rug Institute Seal of Approval (where appropriate). Approval for Green Woolsafe approval (incorporating Green Seal approval) for carpet cleaning products is presently pending.The range's environmental credentials extend to its packaging with containers made from recyclable natural polyethylene while their cases are constituted from fibreboard using recycled material.Prochem Europe anticipates using sustainable plant and sugar derived ingredients for future developments in the range.

Grip Mat ROME — Janos Koztarsasag fears for his safety for the first time since he arrived in Italy in 1989, and his bags are packed. He and his dog, Rex, are clearing out.The genial 62-year-old Hungarian has no Italian documents and no job, beyond selling secondhand books from his perch on the ancient Milvio bridge in northern Rome. A few weeks ago the police shut down a Roma camp on the banks of the Tiber River, below the bridge.Since then, the area has been thick with police. The caravan on a nearby street that was his home was towed away.Mr. Koztarsasag has not been threatened by the police in the Italian crackdown on alleged illegal immigrants, most of them Roma, often called Gypsies, who have moved from Eastern Europe. But he's not pressing his luck. "I'm leaving for France tonight," he said, producing his train ticket and the dog's vaccination card. "I'm afraid."His Romanian friend Nico, who lives in a tent in a Roma camp but insists he is not a Roma, said he's plotting his escape too. Both men said racism is suddenly alive in Italy and that ethnic tensions could turn the country into "another Yugoslavia."The Italians are fearful too. A recent poll found 68 per cent of Italians want Roma kicked out of the country. Many are also happy to see any jobless or illegal Eastern European and North African expelled or moved from squalid urban camps to the countryside.They blame the Roma for crimes from the petty to the violent and, in extreme cases, have resorted to crowd retaliation. Last week several hundred Italians used sticks and gasoline bombs to attack a Roma camp in the eastern suburbs of Naples. They went in after a teenage Roma girl was accused of trying to kidnap a baby (some reports said she may have been playing with the baby). "Out, out!" they yelled, according to local news reports. "You're dirty and smelly and rob babies."Italy's anti-immigrant campaign has been building for some time, as the European Union adds new members. Romania and Bulgaria were admitted in January. Citizens of 27 countries are free to live where they wish, though many countries, including Italy, still require work permits and related documents.As the number of Roma increased in Italy - as many as 1,000 a week arrive in Rome, according to some estimates - the media and the politicians, including some centre-left politicians, demanded a crackdown. "The Invasion of Nomads," was one headline last year in the Corriere della Sera, Italy's top daily newspaper. Last spring the municipalities of Rome and Milan issued "security" pacts that appeared to allow the police to run roughshod through Roma camps and shantytowns.The tension has mounted since then. Last autumn in Rome, the particularly savage slaying of Giovanna Reggiani, the 47-year-old wife of an Italian naval captain, sparked something close to anti-immigrant panic. The man accused of robbing, sexually assaulting and beating her to death was Romanian.A few days later the Italian president signed an emergency decree to allow prefects (the local Interior Ministry representatives) to expel EU citizens if they are judged public security threats. About the same time, Walter Veltroni, the former mayor of Rome who is now national opposition leader after failing to defeat Silvio Berlusconi in the recent national election, said the Roma are guilty of 75 per cent of the city's petty crime.EU Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla yesterday reminded Italy that all European citizens must be treated equally, and warned the government not to discriminate against Roma people.Maurizio Pagani, the vice-president of Opera Nomadi, a volunteer group that arranges jobs, housing and education for the Roma, said the rise of the political right and the centre-right in Italy is bad news for the immigrants in general and the Roma in particular. "It all comes from the right and their call for security," he said.Mr. Berlusconi's centre-right movement owes its election victory in part to its get-tough policy on immigrants. The virulently anti-immigrant Lega Nord (Northern League) is part of Mr. Berlusconi's ruling coalition and its leader, Umberto Bossi, was made Minister of Institutional Reforms and Federalism. "This operation against illegal immigrants is what people want," Mr. Bossi said recently. "They ask us for security and we have to give it to them."Rome's new mayor, Gianni Alemanno, the founder of the Social Right party, has joined the anti-immigrant crusade too. He has vowed to dismantle the "nomad camps" where the Roma live in "third-world conditions." In a visit to a camp this week, he said "there are no words to describe what I saw."Afraid that Italy is in the grip of xenophobic fervour, the human-rights and Roma assistance groups are going on the offensive. Mr. Pagani, of Opera Nomadi, said the campaign against the Roma has gone way too far, even though he admits some are guilty of "micro criminality." He said not all Roma can be lumped together; half of the 160,000 or so of the Roma in Italy are Italian citizens and another 25,000 are war refugees from the former Yugoslavia.Last week the European Roma Rights Centre, a human-rights group funded by George Soros, the New York hedge fund manager and philanthropist, sent a letter to Mr. Berlusconi demanding "urgent intervention by Italian authorities to adequately protect Roma in the country from further acts of racist aggression and to diffuse the climate of anti-Romani hostility."Tara Bedard, the ERRC's programs co-ordinator in Budapest, said there are no data backing up Mr. Veltroni's assertion that 75 per cent of Rome's petty crime is committed by the Roma, and scant evidence that the expulsions were legally carried out. "Expulsions are allowed but a legal process has to be followed," she said.Italy's war against the Roma is now being criticized across Europe.Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Spain's Deputy Premier, said the Spanish government "rejects violence, racism and xenophobia, and therefore cannot agree with what's happening in Italy." Italy's Foreign Minister dismissed the criticism as unwarranted interference in domestic affairs.In Italy, however, there is no warning from the mainstream Italian media or the top politicians that the crackdown is out of control."Realistically, this could get worse when you have a government in Italy promoting the negative image of the Roma," Ms. Bedard said.

Flannel Material Andy stone meets me in front of a small building in Manchester, Vermont, a Green Mountain hamlet known for factory outlets and maple syrup. He's wearing busted Carhartts, a flannel shirt, and a thick backwoods beard. As he guides me to the industrial freezer around back, Stone is so excited that I'm starting to fantasize about what's inside (gallons of Ben & Jerry's?). The door opens, and I see a shelf stacked with what appears to be rolls of black paper towels. "I know it doesn't look like much," he says, "but that stuff is worth several hundred thousand dollars." The "stuff" is unidirectional carbon fiber — not the ubiquitous carbon mesh found everywhere from dashboards to tennis racquets, but a new superlight variety that was, until recently, a highly classified concoction. I start to copy information from a label when Stone barks, "Don't write down the manufacturer's name," and slams the door shut.It's not just trade secrets he's protecting — it's national security. The composite is used in Predator drones and spy satellites for the US military. Stone, along with colleagues at the outdoors supplier Orvis, use it to build a fly-fishing rod. Called Helios, its story began nearly three years ago when Stone, Jim Lepage, and another man — so entrenched in top-secret contracts that nobody would even tell me his name (we'll call him Deep Trout) — set out to build the ultimate rod: lighter than anything ever made but strong enough to land the big one.Through his network of black-ops eggheads, Deep Trout learned about a new type of composite the military was using. Traditional sheets of carbon fiber are woven to create a matrix that's strong in every direction. The advanced brew's tapered pieces of graphite employ a high-temperature epoxy and eliminate the need for a grid, decreasing the number of fibers and cutting weight by up to 25 percent.It's a long cast from bamboo, which until recently was the preferred material for top-shelf poles. No synthetic could surpass its light touch and ability to maneuver a tiny fly. But bamboo is a total pain in the ass to work with: It can take 80 hours to craft a single rod. And because of all that labor, fine bamboo rigs sell for around $1,500.As early as the 1940s, rod makers started experimenting with fiberglass, but it couldn't match the mighty grass. In the '70s, they looked to graphite, but it felt dead. Then, as government aerospace contracts started drying up in the mid-'80s, "guys who had been developing military systems started sending us their resumes," Lepage says. They brought with them the secrets of carbon fiber. "We realized that if we could perfect carbon fiber," he says, "it would make bamboo obsolete." But though the new composite could outcast bamboo, it lacked the feel.They worked for years with composite, never quite matching nature. Finally last year, Orvis rolled a tube from the unidirectional material. It was less than half the weight of bamboo, just as bendy, and substantially stronger: The Helios was born. It's so light — 2.1 ounces for a 9-foot rod — it's even more precise than the panda food. Bamboo was bested — especially considering that a Helios costs only about $750.Of course, engineers now have another problem: The Iraq war makes it tough to get their secret stuff. "Since we're using the raw materials of Apache helicopter blades, it's not easy to secure an order for fishing rods," Lepage says. If the carbon-fiber supply does dry up, there's a riverbank not far from the shop where bamboo grows like crazy.

finished fabric OCM India Ltd., a leading Indian manufacturing company of worsted wool fabrics, launched its Trendy WinterCollection on the occasion of Sales Conference in Amritsar. This season OCM is coming up with an exquisite collection for the ensuing Winter. The collection encompasses a range of choicest, coziest and trendiest patterns for different age groups. OCM have invested over Rs.12 crores on new machines and planning to invest over 20 crores during this year on finishing machines for improvement in the finished fabric to meet the ever growing demand for the worsted suitings.Showcasing the New WinterCollection, Rajeev Surana, CEO, OCM India Ltd., said, CM all new WinterCollection has over 550 designs in more than 3000 vibrant shades being launched for the domestic consumers. This New Winter 08 Collection is truly world class and design inputs have come from our design studios in Italy and US providing Indian customers with the very best the market has to offer for festive and formal occasions. This new collection has various compositions of wool, polyester and several other fibres in regular and finer counts Two new ranges have been created this season- one is a unique double faced fabric and the other, a light weight trouser fabric with round the year wearability.Rajeev Surana further added, CM has drawn an aggressive sales strategy for the Indian and export markets. OCM has further expanded its domestic retail network with 75 new direct and about 750 indirect dealers to strengthen their market share, which has already increased to 9% in 2007 and further projected to grow to 12% in 2008. With increasing customers preferring to buy readymade garments, OCM has built relationships to supply fabric to prestigious brands like Louise Phillipe, Van Heusen, Peter England, Arrow, Pantaloon Retail, Blackberrys, Benetton, Wills Lifestyle (ITC)o name a few. OCM has also planned various brand promotional activities throughout the country to increase the visibility of the brand. A new TVC is already on air and new print ads and posters will be out soon. With the objective of establishing ourselves firmly in the overseas markets, an understanding has been reached with internationally renowned brands who will use their resources to promote the sale and distribution of OCM export fabrics to customers in Europe, USA and parts of Asia and help OCM develop, design and market those fabrics.Further, keeping in view the demand for finer fabrics of Indian connoisseur, we will shortly be presenting urlington Worldwide , in India. The collection in Super 120s and above will be available in selected cities and outlets across India. The formal launch of the brand will be announced in 2 months time.

Admirers of Jenna Bush's Oscar de la Renta wedding dress can get a similar look without going bankrupt, wedding experts say.Bush, who married Henry Chase Hager on May 10, wore an embroidered organza V-neck gown with matte beading and a short train. Considering the designer, the price tag probably was, well, pricey.But brides-to-be don't have to have the president for a father to afford a designer wedding gown.Retailer David's Bridal offers a lace trumpet gown with a halter top and short train for $749.Another find is a V-neck mermaid gown of Alencon lace designed by Marisa Bridals, which retails for around $2,000 at Bridal Reflections.

Embroidery Yarn ILOILO CITY – The dying embroidery art in the mountains deep in central Panay finds hope as the children have shown interest in the craft of the indigenous Panay Bukidnon.At least 20 children from the mountain villages of Calinog, Iloilo and Tapaz, Capiz, attended the second “Panubok,” in Calinog on April 25, where they sat down with surviving master-embroiderers who have kept alive the waning needlework.One of them is Angelie Gilbaliga, 12, who won first prize in shawl embroidery, besting other embroiderers who were old enough to be her mother. Gilbaliga showed interest in embroidery when she was only seven, even before she could read and write, said her mother Gliceria, herself a “hantup” or master embroiderer in Barangay Garangan, Calinog.“Panubok” comes from “tubok,” which means to embroider. Panubok means to embroider designs on the costumes of “binanog” dancers. “Binanog” is a courtship dance imitating the movements of a hawk. Without the embroidered finery – consisting of a blouse, white for women and black for men, and shawl or the handkerchief – no dancing will take place because the Panay-Bukidnon dancers do not find themselves “complete.”The array of needle work, done by women, is primarily seen as signs of vanity but they also communicate a worldview and a way of life of the Panay Bukidnon, said Maria Christine Muyco, a professor of the College of Music in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, who conducted research on the music and dance of the indigenous people.Among the distinct designs that often find their way in dance costumes are “matang-punay” (pigeon’s eye), “sudli-kama” (scales of python), and flowers of “putik,” a shrub, and “labog,” a plant with leaves used for souring. Other designs – mermaids, turtles, freshwater crabs, vines, tiny spines and contours of land – were mentioned in “sugidanon,” the chanted epics of Panay-Bukidnon. The designs are rendered mainly in stem, back, satin, cross and chain stitches using black, red, orange, green and blue threads, or whatever colored threads are available.Appliquéing, done by cutting a design and sewing it on the cloth, is also used to decorate the collars of men and women’s blouses. Not only are the outer blouses of women decorated. Their white underblouse called “koton” is just as adorned.There are now only a few master-embroiderers practicing the craft of Panay Bukidnon, said Muyco.“Panubok” was not meant to be a livelihood like slope farming or working in the lowlands as maids or farm laborers. “Panubok” was part of the way of life when there was plenty for everyone, when the farms and rivers yielded enough food to eat and to trade in the lowlands.

Tag: Plastic Slider Carlsbad, CA - April 23, 2008 - Asymtek, a Nordson company and leader in dispensing, coating, and jetting technologies, introduces the new SV-100 Slider Valve for solder paste dispensing. Up to 20% faster than standard auger dispensers, the SV-100 achieves 20,000 dots per hour (on 1mm grid) while delivering accurate and repeatable dots of less than 300 microns (12 mil) for solder paste types 4, 5, and 6. Dots as small as 125 microns (5 mil) in diameter can be achieved with type 6 paste. The slider valve can be used to selectively dispense into small and hard to reach places where it is difficult to screen print.The SV-100 dispenses dots and lines of pastes and fluids that contain metal additives with minimal clogging, which can be a problem with traditional needle dispensing. The SV-100 is compatible with lead-free and no-clean solder pastes as well as silver-filled epoxies. Standard solder pastes (types 4, 5 and 6) can be used to achieve excellent results, saving costs. The SV-100 is fast and accurate for a range of production requirements including solder paste dots for passive components smaller than 0603, rework of BGA and QFN electrical connections, lines and patterns for RF shield attach, low volume/high mix applications, and unique patterns of conductive epoxy.Slider valve technology utilizes high-frequency, piezoelectric-drive actuation to quickly deposit small dots of thick fluids. Lever action aligns valve seats to open a smooth path for fluid flow. Within milliseconds, the holes are forced out of alignment to stop fluid flow and a dot is formed. It is designed for use with Asymtek's DispenseMate, Spectrum 8xx and Axiom dispensing systems.About AsymtekAsymtek?, a world leader in automated fluid dispensing, conformal coating, and jetting technologies, designs and manufactures a full line of dispensing and coating systems, supported by a global applications and service network. Recognized for its innovative equipment and excellent service, Asymtek continues to offer advanced applications for a range of industries. These include semiconductor packaging, printed circuit board assembly, LEDs, flat panel display assembly, automotive, medical/biotech product assembly, and other precision assembly processes. Founded in 1983 and acquired in 1996 as a subsidiary of Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq:NDSN), Asymtek is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company. Asymtek has received numerous awards including Intel's prestigious Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement award for five years in a row: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. For more information, visit www.asymtek.com.About NordsonNordson Corporation is one of the world's leading producers of precision dispensing equipment that applies adhesives, sealants, and coatings to a broad range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operations. The company also manufactures equipment used in the testing and inspection of electronic components as well as technology-based systems for curing and surface treatment processes. Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Nordson has more than 4,100 employees worldwide, and direct operations and sales support offices in 30 countries.

Tag: ladies pullover 1. A personalized iPod: Get mom a Nano engraved with a free customized message (”I love you, mom” hits the spot) for her runs, walks, or hikes. Order by May 2 to ensure delivery for Mother’s Day.2. Lady Footlocker Mother’s Day Sale: Get mom something nice from Foot Locker. Perhaps some running shoes? Maybe a nice tennis skirt? You know what she’s into better than me. I hope.3. Ladies Tennis Tote: From Amazon, this Toss Designs ladies white (with green trim) quilted, Dot Court Tennis Tote Travel Bag holds a standard size racquet.4. Tennis Racquet: Mom will need a racquet to go in that bag, and you can do a lot worse than this Head Airflow 7 Ladies Tennis Racquet.5. Columbia Sportswear Women’s Fleece: Whether mom is into running, hiking or biking, you can’t go wrong with a fleece pullover, like this Columbia Sportswear Women’s Benton Springs Fleece from Amazon.

Tag: Ladies Skirts Dee Schilling loves having all the ladies together, including her daughter and granddaughter.So Saturday afternoon's annual Ladies Tea at Three Arches in historic Falls was an opportunity for the three generations of women to gather for a lighthearted party close to Mother's Day.“We're having a ball,” Schilling said. “We're having a wonderful time, and it's so great for mothers and daughters.”A sea of smiling women in flowered dresses and men in Hawaiian shirts covered the tented grounds. Girls like Schilling's granddaughter Tiffany Rigby, 9, loved the grass skirts, leis and flowers they got at the outdoor party, which included lunch, tropical fruit-flavored teas and punches.Three Arches caretaker Liz Reese started the Ladies Tea five years ago as a way to bring the community together and promote the historic 1712 site, the former home of William Penn's close friend and steward, John Sotcher and his wife, Mary.The annual tea has grown significantly from 200 people. Saturday's event drew 680 people.One aspect has always remained the same: profits from tickets, raffles and auctions have gone to a charity. This year's sunny, luau-themed party was in honor of the ALS Association, Greater Philadelphia chapter. All profits will support the association, as well as the Lower Bucks Red Cross homeless shelter.About 75 volunteers made it happen, including Pennsbury High School National Honor Society members and enthusiastic community members. As always, the event featured male servers. Oxford Valley Elementary third-grader Bailey Bangor said she was surprised to see the police officer usually posted outside her school as her waiter at the event.“It's a special thing for the community to get together this way,” said Sherry Rigby, Tiffany's mother.Several local and state representatives attended the event.“Aloha! It is indeed Hawaii today in Falls Township,” said Commissioner James Cawley, who came with news of a $3,000 check from the county to go toward the event's charitable causes.Several people diagnosed with ALS also came to the party with friends and family.Shelbie Oppenheimer, of Lahaska, has had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neuromuscular disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, for 13 years.Her husband, Jeff Oppenheimer, said he was grateful that the event chose ALS as this year's cause.“You can never have too many caring people involved,” he said.Gerry and Katheryn Voit of Cheltenham also showed up because of the cause.“We so appreciate the efforts. Every person here contributes to finding a cure,” said Katheryn, who has ALS.People bought raffle tickets for about 130 huge gift baskets, and bid on several other more valuable basket collections in a silent auction.“We ask for donations all year and write to people all over the country about our cause,” said Christine Harvie of Fallsington. A member of the tea party committee, she filled the baskets almost single-handedly with hundreds of items donated by companies nationwide.Each basket had a theme, like the '40s and '50s; monsters and trucks, which had toys; and Italian treats and snacks.Silent auction prizes included a weekend in Cape May and “The Late Show with David Letterman” VIP tickets for two.

Tag: Flashing Hats Shallington-on-Sea has a natural affinity with the Second World War, or to put it more aptly, it hasn’t entirely let go of that era. Whereas in mean ole’ HQ London, nowadays the city is busy blood-letting very much in real time, clawing back another perceived advantage over a competitor, all eyes forward, in a highly energised, if somewhat hysterical race – we in Shallington-on-sea are still looking back to our ‘finest’ hour.Every year the town has a ‘Second World War Day’ which entails everyone (who wants to, and there are many) dressing up in 1940’s gear and wondering around the town in their parsimonious finery. Less is very much more, in 1940’s glamour terms. This day of course is not entirely without focus. The Norfolk Coastal Railway, a private retro rail company of impassioned ‘Chuffers’, sentimental and dedicated steam enthusiasts who keep the steam dream alive organise a special ‘Station Day’ for the fancy dress brigade.This entails much socialising, cream teas on the platform, champagne cocktails and/or dinner on or off the train – whilst the ‘Brief Encounter’ Station Cafeteria is open all day for coffee and general fraternisation.You can even jump on the train and go to the next town along the coast and swan around there. Impress double the people. The steam train chunters through the countryside dragging along a perfect funnel of steam. Some people even wave to the cars where the track and road come together. This fancy dress thing is very liberating.Firstly, and most importantly it is essential to deal with the fashion of the day. Before you write me off as a shallow fashion head, which I am, because I love clothes and have many vintage items to my name, I have to say that it is the first thing you notice. So it is logical to draw comparisons with today’s society. And they are easy to draw.Everyone was a good deal more tailored, shaped and smarter in those days. Of course there was scruffy work wear, but with the few suits, or even the one suit you owned, it was all about structure; lining, backing, darts and pleats.‘Second World War Day’ does it for me, as the women look lovely, and so do the men. The T-shirt paunches, and the love-handle-muffin jean-tops disappear in a puff of herring-bone tweed smoke. Just like that, and suddenly the proportions are all shifted to a good place.Compare that with baby pink t-shirts on fifty-something women with ‘I Am A Princess’ written in sequins across the front, and low-slung jeans, and there is no competition.Anyway, I always thought it was up to the observer to decide who the ‘Princess’ on their personal landscape was. I didn’t think it was a matter of self-declaration, because there is always the chance that on any given day you aren’t in fact anybody’s ‘Princess’. It sort of invites criticism. But that clearly doesn’t enter some people’s heads at all.But these ‘Second World War Day’ enthusiasts do the whole thing, the suits, the cocked hats, the nylons (New York/London) and then some go a bit further and make that well-known frugal statement of drawing lines down the back of their legs in lieu of having a pair of stockings. Now who draws that on? A husband, a girlfriend, a family member? Some of the lines are exquisitely straight, on clear skin. Very fetching.There are hats, neckerchiefs, brooches, buckles, lace-up shoes, gloves, even veils and of course it is a trainer-free zone. Burgundy, navy, cream, dark green and brown rule and the small touches of fashion flair go a long way in each case. Lipstick is red, no other colour seems to feature. Cherry Red – lots of it, blazing lips and flashing smiles.In the middle of the ‘Second World War Day’ afternoon Shallington-on-Sea has a fly-past, or more to the point, a fly-over of Hurricane fighter planes. Hurricanes got less glory than the Spitfire did (with its legendary turn of speed) but the Hurricanes were actually more efficient in active service, ie. shooting more enemy aircraft out of the air.

Tag:<a href="http://www.appareltextile-china.com/buy-Elastic_Braid/src_product/"> Elastic Braid</a> This is one of the best products for fragile hair! It’s especially good for relaxed hair and it basically strengthens your hair so it won’t break while handling it wet. The hair feels very soft, healthy, and strong when this conditioner is used.I always use the Organic Root Stimulator Elastic-I-Tea with Green Tea when I braid my hair while wet for my exclusive wavy look and my hair hardly ever breaks!My hair used to break even if I conditioned it with a deep conditioner if I tried to braid my hair while it was wet because hair is so fragile when wet. This product is a must have for all women with relaxed hair!!  2008-05-12 09:49:46
 

Tag: Denim Apparel Howard Socol, the chief executive of Barneys New York, who restored the company’s stature after it fell into bankruptcy in the 1990s, has told colleagues he intends to resign, according to people knowledgeable about the situation.The people, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Mr. Socol was still completing his plans, said he might announce his resignation as early as next week. They said that Mr. Socol had disagreed sharply with the new owners of the chain over its strategy, especially plans to expand the Barneys name overseas.Barneys, considered the trophy store for premier fashion labels like Lanvin, Prada and Giorgio Armani, was sold to Istithmar, the investment arm of the Dubai government, for $942 million in August by the clothing maker Jones Apparel.The latest transition of ownership had appeared to be running smoothly, at least publicly. But Mr. Socol, 62, had begun to complain to associates about Istithmar’s desire to open more Barneys stores in international markets and how those stores would be operated.“The frustration level was pretty high,” said a person familiar with Mr. Socol’s thinking.Dawn Brown, a vice president and spokeswoman for Barneys, said the company had no comment. Representatives of Istithmar did not return multiple phone calls and e-mail messages on Friday.International expansion has proved a challenge for many American luxury brands, which must confront a patchwork of foreign regulations that they fear will hamper their business. Sometimes they are required to take on local business partners and give up some control, tricky terrain for retailers whose brand image is the core of their business.Mr. Socol had agreed to remain with Barneys after the sale, but the contract that he signed last June included an option for him to leave if he chose, according to two executives at Barneys. As of Friday, the timing of his departure was unclear.Since Istithmar emerged as the victor in a bidding war last summer, Barneys has been more aggressive in its pursuit of hot designer exclusives and regained some of the irreverent, experimental attitude that once made the store seem so hip.Last year, Barneys began carrying a lower-priced collection designed by the model Kate Moss, and on Friday, Barneys introduced perhaps its most controversial marketing strategy in years by selling an ultra-cheap line of fashion made for Target.While it is a temporary promotion, carrying the Target clothes, priced from $15 to $45, and putting Target’s red bull’s-eye logo in its windows along Madison Avenue has caused perplexed reactions among some consumers and retail analysts, who are more accustomed to Barneys as the exclusive domain of $6,945 Balenciaga boots.Several store executives said this week that the weak economy had taken a toll on the luxury business and that sales had been much weaker than they had anticipated. It was unclear what role, if any, these problems might have played in Mr. Socol’s decision.Aside from New York, Barneys also has major stores in Beverly Hills, Chicago and five other markets, and more than a dozen denim- and trend-focused Co-Op stores around the country.Since the company emerged from a three-year bankruptcy in 1999, it has slowly returned to profitability and has recovered from its crippling debt burden of more than $100 million, which was caused by the nationwide expansion. That included the opening of its most famous and extravagant store on Madison Avenue in 1993.The company’s reputation was damaged by the bankruptcy, and many customers who were loyal to the 85-year-old store were upset when Barneys closed its original quirky flagship store in Chelsea, on Seventh Avenue and West 17th Street, in 1997.Mr. Socol, an accomplished retail executive who had led the regional Burdines department store chain until 1997, joined Barneys in 2001 at the recommendation of Allen I. Questrom, whom he succeeded.Under Mr. Socol’s direction, Barneys took a two-tiered approach to recapturing the glory of its designer business. The company raced to land exclusives with the hot labels of the moment, for example, by giving early support to the label Proenza Schouler and by creating an in-store boutique for the French luggage maker Goyard.At the same time, it capitalized on the growth of the contemporary market for slightly lower-priced fashion and denim labels. As some of its competitors held onto aging midpriced labels, Barneys drew more customers with $200 jeans, spinoff sportswear lines and younger-trending designers like James Perse, Earnest Sewn and Rag and Bone.Though the chain does not release financial results, Mr. Socol’s two-pronged strategy is widely perceived to have worked, propelling Barneys back to the pinnacle of fashion retailing.