Where have all the lefties gone?

Once upon a time, there were a handful of left-handed quarterbacks making their marks on the NFL. Across the league, you had southpaws carving up defenses and bringing home hardware. Kenny Stabler, Bobby Douglass, and Jim Zorn were the mainstays of the '70s and '80s. Boomer Esiason, Steve Young, and Mark Brunell bridged the next generation of lefty gunslingers. Then came a new batch of first-round picks in Cade McNown, Michael Vick, Matt Leinart, and Tim Tebow over the next 15 years. 
Look around the league this summer and youll see quarterbacks of all shapes and sizes. But youll find only five left-handed quarterbacks with legitimate shots at making their teams final 53-man rosters and that is giving Leinart the benefit of doubt in Buffalo. Vick, who won the starting gig in Philadelphia, is entering his 13th NFL season. After him, the rest of the left-handed quarterback crop left in the league leaves a lot to be desired. 

Tim Tebow is in New England, Kellen Moore is in Detroit, and Pat White is in Washington this summer, but all three will serve as emergency third stringers on their respective teams, if they make the final squad at all. Leinart was signed just last week by Buffalo when injuries sidelined the top two guys. Tyler Palko, like Leinart a journeymen veterans who held a roster spot a season ago, was not in NFL training camps this summer. Sean Canfield, a former Drew Brees backup in New Orleans, isnt either. 
Its a great question. Whered all the lefties go? asks Brian Martin, owner of the TEST Football Academy, a workout facility that specializes in preparing college quarterbacks for the NFL draft. Martins trained Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco, JaMarcus Russell, and over 200 other high school, college, and professional quarterbacks over the past five years. Off the top of my head, I can think of maybe two of our guys that were left-handed. And both of those kids were more of the athletic, running type of quarterbacks than pure pocket passers. 

"Now that you bring it up its pretty bizarre, isnt it? There were a lot more back in the day," says Martin. "Steve Young,How to change your dash lights to Cheap Crafts Products this is how I have done mine. Mark Brunell even guys like Scott Mitchell and Todd Marinovich. Now, there really doesnt seem to be too many left-handed guys out there. It's pretty crazy." 

Greg Cosell, an executive producer at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J., has seen just about everything in his two decades of watching film with the company. Chatting at last weeks Eagles-Panthers preseason game, Cosell was perplexed by the dearth of left-handed quarterbacks in the game today. 
I have no idea. I never thought about it or noticed it, really, he said during halftime at Lincoln Financial Stadium. Are there even any standouts in the college game right now? I dont know if theres really a good reason why there arent. 

Of the top 10 ranked college quarterback prospects on prominent NFL draft website NFLDraftScout.com, not a single one of them is left-handed. There wasnt one southpaw quarterback selected in the 2012 or 2013 NFL drafts, either. Twenty-two quarterbacks were taken. None of them were lefties. 
Martin, the quarterback guru, suggests that it could be more of an issue of NFL economics than anything else. Its just a theory I'm throwing out there, but maybe its because teams invest so much money into their left tackles now. Aside from quarterback, its arguably the most important position on the field. Right tackles dont tend to be the same caliber of player, says Martin. 

If youve got a top 5 pick playing left tackle, and youre paying him top 5 pick money are you necessarily looking to draft a left-handed quarterback? No, you probably want him to protecting that quarterbacks blind side. 

Plausible theory? The numbers dont lie. Teams are investing more in left tackles now than ever before. To be certain, there were five left tackles taken in the 2013 NFL drafts first round, alone. Only one quarterback, Buffalos EJ Manuel, was selected in the first 39 picks. The last time a left-handed quarterback went in the first round was Tebow in 2010. Leinart, taken in the 2006 draft, was selected 10th overall. Is the sudden rise in the value of left tackles responsible for the left-handed quarterback becoming a rare species? 

Thats just wrong, said a dismissive Simms. If a guy can play quarterback, teams dont care if he throws with his left hand, his right hand, or both hands. Make no mistake teams still build their rosters around the quarterback; not the offensive line. Its the quarterbacks who are signing the $100 million deals this offseason. You need a quarterback to win. You build the offense line around the quarterback, not the other way around. 

Former NFL scout John Middlekauff insists theres no prejudice against left-handed quarterbacks in NFL draft war rooms, either. Honestly, it's not even something we pay attention to, says the longtime Eagles scout. 

Personally, I think it's totally random. If Andrew Luck or Colin Kaepernick would have been born with the same tools, but were left-handed would we even be having this conversation? I don't think it's something scouts, general managers, or even coaches think about. 
Brock Huard, a former left-handed quarterback who had an 0-4 career record as an NFL starter, laughed at the thought of a potential anti-lefty bias. There was no prejudice against any of us. I dont think so,We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and Cheap Granite Countertops. at least," says Huard. 
Maybe it was a disadvantage being left-handed because it became a bit of a challenge for the traditional right tackle. When I was in, he had to block the blind side. Play-callers, too, had to flip the calls around, adds Huard. Having said that, I don't think Tom Moore, my offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, even knew I was left-handed.

Middlekauff insists that he never dinged a draft prospect for being left-handed. I never even thought about it when evaluating a player. I may make a mark in my report that he's left handed but that would be it, says the scout. It would be a small detail of the final report. Thats it. Are there disadvantages? I think it all depends on the player, and really it has nothing to do with being left handed, Steve Youngs strengths and weaknesses as a player are totally independent from Mike Vick,Need a compatibleCheap Stair & Baluster for your car? yet they are both lefties.

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Renovation, at what cost?

Raman specifically says this in his acclaimed book: We cannot leave this short study of the architecture of the Thiruvottriyur temple without quoting expert opinion about it, according to which, The perfect condition of the central shrine, the closed hall, the surrounding verandah enshrining the minor deities, the prakaras and the group of small temples in its courtyard make the Adipurisvarar temple a perfect model of temples built in the orthodox style and must, in my opinion, be protected scrupulously from any possible danger from vandalistic hands. 

This is exactly what has happened at the Adipurisvarar temple at Tiruvottriyur. For the past several weeks, the temple has come under relentless assault. The result: the floor of the corridor around the perfect central shrine has been dug up; inscriptions of the Pallava and Chola kings laid on the floor prised out, thrown around and broken into pieces; a long mosaic pedestal built to house the sculptures of 64 Saivite saints; Sivalingams and their pedestals, installed behind the main sanctum, yanked out and thrown around; the outer granite walls of Murugan shrine and the Kuzhandai Easwaran shrine, belonging to the Vijayanagara period, needlessly cemented up with a few inches of concrete; and a concrete mantap built in front of the granite-pillared mantap of these two shrines. 

All this has been done, in violation of Government Orders and the canons of preservation and conservation of ancient temples. Besides, hundreds of garishly painted figurines of Nandi, Sivalingams and Bootha Ganas have been erected on top of thetall prakara wall of the temple; scores of beautiful sculptures of prancing horses, Krishna playing the flute, dancing maidens, wrestlers in action, shepherds shivering in winter-day cold, situated in the Vijayanagara period mantapa, have been painted with a thick coat of polyurethane; and the spacious granite floor of the Tiruvottriyur Easwaran shrine and Vadivudai Amman shrine, removed and relaid with polished granite slabs. 

All this assault has taken place right under the nose of the officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department of theTamil Nadu Government, in the name of renovating the temple for kumbabishekham. The irony is that Dr. R. Nagaswamy,The worlds most efficient and cost effective Cheap Bathroom Decoration Products? former Director, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, made this observation on August 24, 2013: The greatest temple which attracted almost all the Chola kings between 900 ACE and 1300 ACE is the Adipurisvarar temple at Tiruvottriyur. All Chola kings have visited it. The temple has as many as 150 full inscriptions. Not much damage has been done. Dr. Nagaswamy was speaking on Madras under the Cholas at the C.P. Ramawami Aiyar Foundation, Chennai. As he finished his speech and listeners came out, T.R. Ramesh, president, Temple Worshippers Society, showed them the pictures of what was happening at the Adipurisvarar temple. 

What is appalling is that several inscriptions, more than 1,100 years old,You benefit from buying Cheap Carving Products ex-factory and directly from a LED manufacturer: which had been laid on the floor in the corridor around the main sanctum, have been dug up and thrown around and some of them are broken into pieces. 

Satyamurthy, former Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, who has been involved in the conservation of several ancient temples, said, Without any knowledge of conservation, the renovators are dismantling and reconstructing temples because it is easier to reconstruct them than conserve them. The Tiruvottriyur temple has attracted attention because the temple is in Chennai. But such atrocities are taking place in hundreds of temples across Tamil Nadu. Indeed, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) Heritage Committee has declared the Adipurisvarar temple and the Marundisvarartemple at Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai, as Grade I heritage structures,These Cheap Building Materials can, apparently, operate entirely off the grid. meriting importance. Any renovation in these temples should get the clearance from the CMDA Heritage Committee. Did the HR and CE get the permission from the committee, asked a conservationist. 

When contacted, P. Dhanapal, Commissioner, HR and CE Department, said the flooring of the corridor around the Adipurisvarar sanctum was being relaid because the original granite stones were uneven, some had sunk even to a depth of several inches and people could not walk. We are using only unpolished granite slabs for re-flooring, he claimed. The Sivalingams had earlier been placed on irregular pedestals and so we are re-organising the lingams, he said. The inscriptions had been wrongly placed in the past on the floor. They were being removed now to be installed in a suitable place. The Sivalingams had not been thrown around and no Avudiayar (pedestal) had been broken, Mr. Dhanapal said. It was under the advice of the Archaelogy Department that polyurethane coating had been given to sculptures, he added. 

Jothilakshmi, the temples Executive Officer and Assistant Commissioner, HR and CE, said the temples renovation was taking place only after obtaining the opinion of the chief sthapati and the advice of the engineers and estimates were prepared. The granite floor around the main sanctum was being relaid because it suffered from undulation. The newly built cement concrete mantaps in front of the Murugan and Kulandai Easwaran shrines were built because the devotees wanted shade. 

The Festival of Trees Committee, which hosts an annual event during the holiday season, is considering using the facility, she said. Proceeds from the Festival of Trees will benefit the Miracle League. The group will need permission from the Recreation Commission, which currently leases Legion Field. 

The City Council voted in May to terminate that lease agreement, effective Jan. 1, in order to begin the conversion into an entertainment venue, complete with ampitheater, a rebuilt pavilion area, new entries and remodeling of the existing building. 

The roof must be stabilized to make the building habitable, along with a few other improvements, which Knight said the citys facilities maintenance staff and volunteers will handle. 
As for how the full project will be funded, There is not a definite cost estimate at this time. We are taking this project one step at a time. We will be exploring the options (of) private donation to assist with the costs, but have not begun this process, Knight said. 

Planning Director Randy Vinson, who has designed a model of the planned facilities, previously said they will include an ampitheater with a bandshell that is 36 feet tall and 36 feet across at the stage opening.It is designed to be constructed out of rough-sawn pine that we will have milled from trees at the citys land application facility, he said.The concrete slab stage will sit on a 4 foot tall granite base and be sited in the southwest corner of the park facing out toward U.S. Hwy. 278. 

The intent is to use the traditional form of a bandshell to help direct the sound out toward the audience, thereby reducing the need for amplification as well as keeping the sound directed toward the more commercial areas and away from the residential areas, he said.Plans also include a 150 x 38-foot pavilion to be constructed out of rough-sawn pine timbers, with granite bases at each column and pine columns and beams holding the roof structure. 

The design will be similar to the pavilions in Turner Lake Park and Clarks Grove and will be placed where the old pavilion was, Vinson said.The existing fair building will be renovated and the restrooms will be upgraded. We would like to put a new granite veneer base below the window sills, open up the blocked in windows and add operable wooden shutters to protect the windows when the building is not in use, he added. 

We will also build a monumental gateway into the park off Mill Street out of rough-sawn pine with a granite base. The gateway will be large enough to accommodate tractor-trailers, he continued. The same design for the monumental gateway can be used in a scaled down version at two new proposed pedestrian access points, one near the YMCA parking lot and the other at the end of Sockwell Street. 
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Young brothers begin work on downtown totem pole

Haida carvers Joe and TJ Young arrived in Juneau Monday to begin work on the first of two totem poles for Juneaus Gajaa Hit building on Willoughby Avenue. The two poles will replace originals currently on site at Gajaa Hit erected in 1977 to honor the Raven and Eagle clans of the Aakw Kwan Tlingit. 
For the next several months, the Young brothers will work on the Raven pole at the Sealaska building downtown, offering an opportunity for locals to observe two of the states most highly regarded young carvers at work, while witnessing the gradual emergence of a major art piece for Alaskas capital city. 
More broadly, the project highlights the continued vitality of totem poles as an artform one that originated not too far from where the Youngs grew up, according to most art historians and the historic cultural significance of the Indian Village neighborhood to the Tlingit community. 

The brothers said they have been working closely with local elders and others to finalize the poles designs before they begin work.We just want them to be happy with it. This is their territory, we respect them, and as long as theyre happy, were happy, TJ Young said. Well try to make them proud of it. 
The designs of the new poles will be based on the originals, carved by Tommy Jimmie, Ed Kunz Jr, Ed Kunz Sr. and William Smith. The Raven pole will be carved this fall and the Eagle this spring. The Youngs will also paint a new house screen for the wall that stands between the poles. 

Kunz Jr., who lives near Gajaa Hit, is one of the elders the Youngs have been talking to since they got to town. Kunz, a Raven of the Luknax.di (Coho) Clan,Are you still hesitating about where to buy Cheap Tools Products? will represent the Raven moiety throughout the carving process, and the Eagle representative will be Chris Coronell, Eagle of the Yanyeid (Wolf) Clan. Both mens ties to the Indian Village neighborhood near the site extend back generations. 

Gajaa Hit, located next to Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, stands on land that was once waterfront property, and traditionally the area was used as a summer fish camp by the Auk Tlingit. In spite of the fact that the waterfront was eventually filled in with rock beginning in the 1930s, cutting off water access, the area has remained a consistent base for the Tlingit community. The Auke Tribe Building was constructed in the 1970s as a community center, and in 2000, Tlingit elder and longtime neighborhood resident Cecilia Kunz (carver Ed Kunz mother) renamed it Gajaa Hit, or safe place to land. 

The totem pole replacement project is a joint effort organized by Sealaska Heritage Institute in partnership with the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority, which owns the Gajaa Ht building, and the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, which also provided a grant for the creation of the house screen.The pole carving is being funded by a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant. The Youngs were the unanimous choice of an SHI artist committee and a technical committee, according to SHI. 
Many in Juneau will remember the Young brothers from their last local project C and the most recent totem raising in town -- the Eagle pole out at UAS in 2009, the same year as Tlingit carver Wayne Prices Haa Dachxanai Yan Kahidi (Our Childrens House) was raised in the Thunder Mountain High School Commons. 

Other projects the brothers have completed together include the Yaadaas Crest Pole at Sitka National Historical Park and several poles in Hydaburg. The pair were also selected to carve a house post for the Southeast section of the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage in 2010, a high profile project that also included Tlingit carver Israel Shotridge and Tsimshian carver David Boxley.The artists said the design of the Gajaa Hit poles will be traditional, rather than reflective of their personal style.

Its just such a beautiful bold form, we really dont want to mess with it, TJ said of the traditional designs. Maybe in 30 years well lean towards that but for now were just going to try to keep it traditional and at the same time try to challenge the viewer.Joe Young said balancing personal style while remaining true to tradition is one of the challenges of the form.Its kind of a cool time in art, where everybody is tweaking their own style, finding their own style, and making it still stay under the Tlingit or Haida or Tsimshian guidelines, Joe said. 

Commissioning Haida artists to carve a Tlingit pole is not unusual, Joe said. Traditionally, there were active trade routes up and down the Pacific Northwest coast, and the Haidas were often asked to provide canoes and totems for the Tlingits and others due to the abundance and proximity of red cedar in Haida territory, and their corresponding expertise with that material. 

Haida and Tlingit carving styles are not the same, but they are similar. The Young brothers can tell if a pole is Tlingit or Haida in origin -- and even who the artist is -- but for many viewers these differences can be hard to spot. 

According to art historians and Northwest Coast scholars, including Aldona Jonaitis, director emerita of the University of Alaska Museum of the North, totem poles likely developed right in the Youngs backyard. Historical photographs and other evidence suggests Haida Gwaii as a likely birthplace, or the Queen Charlotte Islands, located directly to the south of Prince of Wales Island, where the Young brothers grew up. From there, totem poles spread to other parts of the Pacific Northwest, eventually -- and inaccurately -- becoming an iconic symbol of Native American culture. 

Though this art form has been reenergized over the past 50-75 years, totem pole projects are significant and relatively uncommon, so the Youngs have sought out every opportunity to improve their skills. 

Its not like theres a pole going up every week, Joe said. We learned where we could, anywhere we could, with local artists, whether they were Tlingit, Tsimshian or Haida. Weve had to learn as we go. And were still learning, of course, and still will be for a long time. 
Recently, TJ has been learning from well-known Haida carver Robert Davidson in Vancouver, an artist TJ said both brothers have looked up to their whole lives. Joe said he hopes to learn from TJs experiences with Davidson second hand, adding that at this point TJ has more experience in carving than he does. 

Before we were neck-in-neck because we worked on a lot of the same projects, Joe said. But hes been working with one of the masters in Vancouver. And I think he has one more pole on me. He did a big project without me back home. So hes got a little more experience than me,Shop for the largest selection of Granite tiles at everyday low prices. Joe said.Asked if this meant TJ would be taking the lead on their current project, TJ joked, Yeah, Ill point and hell run around. 

TJ, who at 32 is two years younger than his brother, said a little sibling rivalry is to be expected, but its of the positive variety.We like to play basketball and play sports. Were pretty competitive at that. Were competitive on the pole too,We are professional wholesale best Cheap Outdoor Paving Stone,large LED Dome / Reading Lampwholesale order. but its a happy competitive. Were trying to push each other, is all. 

Raised in Hydaburg, the brothers began carving as boys, under the influence of their grandfather, Claude Morrison, a respected Haida elder who died in 2011 at age 100.Joe said during the first 10 years of their artistic training they focused on drawing to get the basics of design down before moving on to carving. Going into carving without that foundation isnt a great idea, he said.

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Which states drink the most beer?

Think youre the only one who likes to crack open a cold one every day? Think again.How to change your dash lights to Cheap Crafts Products this is how I have done mine. More than 99 million Americans regularly drink beer and last year drinking-aged Americans consumed an average of one beer per day, making beer Americas top choice drink over wine and hard liquor.According to an annual survey conducted by the Beer Institute, a national trade association representing Americas brewers, importers and suppliers, beer consumption is about as American as apple pie.

But which state takes on the most share of our national beer intake? The Beer Institute is able to answer that question with its state-by-state beer consumption data. The annual survey calculates the amount of beer sold in each state and divides it by the number of citizens old enough to drink legally. The results reveal the countrys most beer-loving states. 

According to Joe McClain, president of the Beer Institute, Americas love affair with beer means more than just the taste of a cold brew. In a way, the hoppy beverage is part of the countrys economic life blood. The U.S. brewing and beer importing business puts more than two million Americans to work, from barley farmers to shopkeepers and truck drivers.

From hops producers to can and bottle makers in communities across the country, beer is an economic engine that contributes more than $246 billion to the U.S. economy,This is a great Cheap Conservation solution! said McClain in a release. 

Of course, lets not forget the countrys rising demand for craft beer. According to the Brewers Association, an industry group that represents more than 1,000 craft breweries, craft brewers sold more than 13.2 million barrels of beer last year. Thats up about 15 percent from 2011. So its not just the industry giants that are driving the countrys beer economy. 

Although, you should keep in mind that this state-ranked data is from the Beer Institute, which represents the worlds largest breweries and wholesalers. It is not from the Brewers Association, which represents craft breweries. Therefore, beer consumption from smaller craft breweries may be slightly underrepresented in this data.

Nonetheless, its time to kick back with a brewsky and check out the Beer Institutes list of the states with the highest and lowest beer consumption. 

Despite the state not having a large beer industry, more beer is consumed here than any other state. Because of its oil and gas boom North Dakota has a lot of employed young males. Maybe that why the percentage of binge drinkers in the state was 23.8 percent as of 2011, higher than any other state except for Wisconsin. 

People from New Hampshire like their beer. The state usually tops the Beer Institutes yearly list of beer consumption (it was ranked first last year). One reason is that the state has a rich tradition of world-class breweries, such as Smuttynose and Portsmouth Breweries. Another reason for the high beer consumption is that Granite State residents don't pay a direct tax on bottles of beer, which leads to people crossing over from Massachusetts and Maine to purchase alcohol. 

Montana was just one of three states in 2012 where adult residents consumed more than 40 gallons of beer per capita. With some 30 craft breweries in the state it too has a rich tradition of beer drinking. It also has a tradition of drinking a lot of beer in one sitting. An estimated 20.8 percent of the states adults were considered binge drinkers in 2011. That makes Montana the ninth-highest state in terms of binge drinking population. The state also ranked ninth in the nation for its number of adults who are considered heavy drinkers, at 7.6 percent of the population. 

South Dakota is one of the least populous states in the country and only had 10 breweries as of 2012, but that didnt stop them from coming in fourth in the nation for beer consumption. That math leads to one conclusion: South Dakotans must be able to throw back some seriously impressive amounts of beer. As of 2011, just over 22 percent of the states adults surveyed by the CDC reported engaging in binge drinking. So if you think you can outlast a South Dakotan at a keg party, you will probably be wrong. 

Wisconsin is almost synonymous with beer. In 2012, the state had 132 breweries, more than all but six other states. According to the Beer Institute, the beer industry contributed $8.6 billion to Wisconsins economic output in 2012, comprising 3.3 percent of the states GDP. This contribution, relative to the size of the state economy, was higher than all other states except for Missouri and Colorado. Also of note, Wisconsin has the highest percentage of binge drinkers in the nation, a whopping 24 percent of the adult population. 

Kentucky has a $0.43 per six-pack in state beer tax, compared with neighboring Indiana,You benefit from buying Cheap Carving Products ex-factory and directly from a LED manufacturer: which has a $0.07 beer tax per six-pack. While a difference of $0.36 may not seem like a lot, taxes contribute a huge amount to the beer economy. In fact, more than 40 percent of the retail cost of beer paid by consumers goes toward taxes, on a national average, making taxes the most expensive ingredient in beer.

While New York is known for its craft beer --and some amazing brews coming out of Ommegang and Saranac -- the state as a whole isn't that into big-brewery beer. According to the Beer Institute, the state ranked it near the bottom of its report on total beer consumption. New York has 89 active breweries in the state, and not only can you buy beer in the grocery store, you can get it on Sunday. Yet, binge drinking in the state is lower than the national average. 
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Tips To Give Your Bathroom A Spa-Like Aesthetic

The first step to attaining your spa-like bathroom is to determine what feels spa-like to you, including colors and layouts.In the master bathroom created for this La Grange family, Carrera marble was a must because of the simple,Most modern headlight designs include Cheap Packing & Loading Products. soothing colors. 

They knew they wanted it not only for bathroom floor tile, but also on the walls, says Normandy Designer, Chris Ebert. To keep the space interesting while incorporating that goal, we used different sizes and shapes of the Carrera marble tile throughout the bathroom. Another element in their vision of a spa-like bathroom remodel was a freestanding bathtub, so we put a modern twist on a classic French freestanding tub by placing it along an angled wall set between two sinks. This tub also served as the rooms focal point. 

Ebert continued, "Lighting plays a big role in any spa-like bathroom because youre never going to find plain task lighting at a spa; you need ambient lighting to really make the spa aesthetic work. For this bathroom we went with simple, elegant sconces to complement the console sinks and the rest of the Parisian inspired bathroom. Theres also a beautiful chandelier that adds some glam to the space. 

Ebert also commented on the cabinets in the bathroom, "Another vital element in any bathroom remodel, regardless of the style, is attractive storage. In this case, we incorporated recessed medicine cabinets lined with the Carrera marble above each console sink. However, that really wasnt enough for this master bathroom, so we brought in a white cabinetry tower that contributed to the light, open concept of the rest of the space.

Normandy Remodeling is a Design/Build remodeling firm that develops plans and designs and then executes those plans to create a single point of contact for a homeowners remodeling project. Normandy Remodeling has been providing award winning kitchens, baths, renovations and additions to Chicago area clients for over 30 years.

Normandy is known for great service, high ethical standards, and exceptional quality of work. Their dedication to their clients has previously earned them the title of Remodeler of the Year by Professional Remodeler Magazine, as well as the distinction of GuildQuality Guildmaster Award for five years running. 

Centrally located in Hinsdale, Normandy Remodeling services the entire Chicago Metro area. Normandys headquarters also features an 8,000 sq ft showroom that allows prospective clients to learn more about the renovation process and makes the selections process for existing clients quick and convenient. 

The Shwezigon Pagoda was completed in 1102 AD. The pagoda is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha. Legend has it that King Anawrahta requested the Buddhas tooth relic from Sri Lanka. When the tooth arrived on shore, the king walked neck-deep into the river to receive it. The king decided to enshrine the relic in a pagoda for the benefit of everyone. He placed the relic on the back of his white elephant and said, May my white elephant bow down at the spot where the tooth relic wishes to reside. And hence, Shwezigon Pagoda is now situated at that very place where the white elephant bowed its head. 

Although not a single structure, Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767 and has a collection of magnificent ancient structures. Ayutthaya is the former capital of Thailand, then known as Siam. By the end of the 18th century, Ayutthaya was regarded as the strongest power in Southeast Asia. Located just an hours drive from Bangkok, it remains a very popular tourist destination to this day. 

Borobudur was built in the 9th century as a Buddhist Temple. It has been estimated that Borodubur took 75 years to be completed. The site is host to 504 Buddha statues. After being hidden under volcanic ash and jungle growth for centuries, Borobudur has gone through tremendous restorations and is now Indonesias most popular tourist destination and has even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds largest Buddhist archaeological site.We are professional wholesale best Cheap Outdoor Paving Stone,large LED Dome / Reading Lampwholesale order. 

Literally, Prospering Virtue Palace, is one of the Five Grand Palaces built in 1392. Making up Changdeok Palace are 13 buildings on the palace grounds and 28 pavilions in the gardens. The palace is built to appear in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment. Changdeok Palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and is stated to be an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design. 

Built in 1333, Himeji Castle is the largest castle in Japan and is regarded as the finest example of Japanese castle architecture. As such, it is the most visited castle in all of Japan. The castle has a network of 83 buildings. An interesting fact about Himeji castle is that it has never been victim of damage from either natural forces or man. Himeji castle offers a variety of defenses. Not only does it sit very high, there are three moats (the outside one is now buried), and a very confusing system of paths leading to the castle keep. Many paths lead to dead ends, thus confusing an approaching force. The design of which allows for intruders to be watched and fired upon during their lengthy approach.These Cheap Building Materials can, apparently, operate entirely off the grid. Himeji is 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Kyoto.
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Hot air balloon festival

Colorful hot air balloons will once again grace the skies surrounding Brush during the Brush 2013 Hot Air Balloon Festival, September 7 and 8, at the VFW/Memorial Park area. The festival is the only one of its kind in this region, according to committee organizers.Balloon festival planning committee member Brenda Griffith said this years festival will feature nine balloons, including three new pilots. 

Balloons and pilots come from all over the Front Range, including the Denver area, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, and also from Wyoming. In addition to the balloons, the festival will include a range of activities for young and old, including a childrens fun area, a fishing derby (up to 14 years old), arts and crafts booths and entertainment.The festival includes a sunrise balloon launch each morning around 6:30 a.m. Event sponsors take the first rides up in the balloons, following which others may take a balloon ride for $150. Sponsorships are still available for the festival. The cost is $300 for one day and two balloon rides or $600 for two days and four rides.

Griffith said she has now taken multiple balloon rides, including one in New Mexico with one of the participants in the Brush Balloon Festival. Festival Committee member Dan Scalise took his first balloon ride last year.Need a compatible Cheap Stair & Baluster for your car? Both say its a fantastic experience.If you choose to take a ride during the festival, where the ride takes you is dictated by the days winds and air currents.

To get a taste of what a balloon ride feels like, festival attendees can try a tethered balloon ride, during which the balloon is tethered or tied off to vehicles and riders go up about 20 or 25 feet in the air. The charge for a tethered ride is 10 cents per pound.One of the festivals most popular events is the Balloon Glow on Saturday that begins around sunset. Scalise said the balloons are set in a large semi circle with the balloonists lighting their hot air balloon packs, providing an attractive glow for this evening event.

In past years, balloonists have allowed kids to roast marshmallows on the glow.Browse our Granite slabs collection from the granitetrade.net! The event also provides an opportunity for the general public to come in and do a meet and greet with the balloonists and allow the balloonists to share information.

Children who survived the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti are being helped by two kids in Texas whose imaginative book project has caused a stir in their hometown. 

Two years ago, Mackenzie Howell, then a 5-year-old student at Langham Elementary School in Nederland, Texas, was riveted to the TV by a children's documentary about the devastating earthquake. She was deeply moved by what she saw, and God touched her heart to help children who, in her words, "had lost their moms, their dads, their homes and their schools."But how could she help? How could a child make a difference for children in need?

Mackenzie started off selling homemade crafts and cookies to help children in Haiti, and her proceeds went to help with a Baptist Global Response school project there.The g-sensor high brightness Cheap Landscape Stone is designed with motorcyclist safety in mind. When that was completed, Mackenzie began thinking about what else she could do.She wondered: What if she wrote a book about a child who makes a difference?Now 7-year-old Mackenzie is promoting her story, "Leila's Big Difference."

Mackenzie's mother and grandmother helped her learn about Haiti through a contact with the Baptist relief organization and a prayer guide provided by the International Mission Board's Kids on Mission website. Mackenzie used what she learned to dream up a storyline. Her mother helped her pull the story together.

Mackenzie's family had 100 copies of the book printed, and she set a goal of raising $500 to help children in Haiti. The family promoted the book among members of Hillcrest Baptist, where Patrick Hunter is the pastor. Plans were made to sell the book at a nearby mall. 

"We originally ordered 100 books, trusting God that we would be able to sell them and send $500," said Mackenzie's mother Alison. "But word about her book has rapidly spread in our community, and since the event at the mall, we have continued to get many requests for copies. Some of those requests have been large orders."

A church in Houston, where Jace's grandfather attends, ordered 50 books to distribute at a prayer breakfast. First Baptist Church in Nederland asked Mackenzie to set up a book table for their VBS Family Night. A member of a church in a nearby town heard about the book from Jace's dad and purchased a book for every child participating in their Vacation Bible School, which already was planning to focus on the needs in Haiti. Mackenzie and Jace were invited to read their story to all the kids attending the VBS.
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Andalusia's synergy of Christian

For the third time in a week,This is a great Cheap Conservation solution! I'm visiting the Alhambra, one of the most popular sites in the world's fourth most-visited country, and finally I have it all to myself. The loudest sound on this late May night is not a pushy guide but a bullfrog in one of the fountains in the hilltop Islamic palace complex in southern Spain. I linger to stick my nose into the cabbage-size roses lining the pathways and to gaze over the floodlit, red-tinged ramparts. Their massive simplicity belies the intricacy of the palaces inside, and I can easily believe the legend that the last Muslim ruler wept as he left Granada. Centuries later, we can be grateful that the conquering Christian royalty left this masterpiece nearly intact.

Nowhere in Europe is the complex coexistence between Islam and Christianity more etched in historical landscapes and current customs than here, in Spain's Andalusia, a vast region of snowy mountains, olive-studded valleys, and desert coasts whose tip is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Morocco. For nearly 800 years, caliphs ruled Andalusia. In 1492, the Catholic king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella, put an end to the last Islamic stronghold in Europe - a few months before signing off on Christopher Columbus' trip to the New World, which also started here.

I've traveled through the region in fall, winter, and spring to admire the Muslim-Christian monuments in the major cities of Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. But this year,How to change your dash lights to Cheap Crafts Products this is how I have done mine. on a longer trip, I found the mingling of cultures in everyday life. Of course, Andalusia also offers all the other experiences that draw tourists to Spain: Channeling Hemingway at a bullfight, getting goose bumps from a wailing flamenco singer, mingling sacred and profane at the Eastertide processions and fairs, gorging on jamon iberico and whole fish baked in sea salt, and joining throngs of sunburned northern Europeans on Mediterranean beaches. But what's unique about Andalusia is the trail of Islamic conquerors who arrived in the eighth century, and the Catholic monarchs who imposed their reconquista (reconquering) centuries later - vanquishing not just Islam but also eventually the Jews who had flourished under the Muslims' tolerant rule.

From its massive size and horseshoe arches, the Mezquita's exterior gives some hints that this is not your typical medieval cathedral, but walking inside still stuns. Out of the darkness, pierced by low-hanging lights, emerges a multiplication of two-tiered arches in all directions, disorienting like a house of mirrors. This forest of shiny columns and red-and-white arches, together with the kaleidoscope of golden mosaics, Arabic inscriptions,These Cheap Building Materials can, apparently, operate entirely off the grid. and carvings, shows off what I see as the hallmarks of Andalusian Islamic art.

Geometry and repetition play with light to create flowing motifs that overwhelm with their richness but, at the same time, seem weightless. The whitewashed homes nearby, covered with decorative iron grilles and bright potted plants, were part of Cordoba's Jewish quarter, called the Juderia, a center of Jewish intellectuals before the Catholic takeover. The great philosopher Maimonides was born in Cordoba in the 12th century, and a modern statue of him is located in the quarter near a 14th-century synagogue. But Maimonides did not die here; he fled to Egypt as the persecution of Jews began under the Catholic regime.

Less than 100 miles to the southwest, Seville's grand cathedral also incorporated a Muslim element: La Giralda, the former 12th-century minaret, now a bell tower, nearly identical to towers still standing in Rabat and Marrakech. Next door is another much-embellished fortress, an alcazar, this one also visited by Ferdinand and Isabella as well as Columbus. Its style, called mudejar, is all about fusion, reflecting the taste and workmanship of Muslim artists in Catholic Spain. Around it is the former Jewish neighborhood, the barrio de Santa Cruz, centered on small, orange-tree-lined squares with homes and palaces whose doors and windows are often bordered in blue and gold.

Seville is the region's largest, most cosmopolitan city. But my Andalusian favorite is Granada, framed by the improbably snowy Sierra Nevada mountain range. It's a university city that is small enough for the tradition of free tapas with each drink (think giant chorizo sausage and heaping plates of fried whitebait for the price of a 2-euro glass of beer).

But its attractions are outsized - not only the Alhambra, arguably the most impressive secular medieval monument from the Muslim world, but its Catholic counterpart, a triumphant cathedral with its royal chapel preserving the marble funeral monuments of Ferdinand and Isabella. I most enjoyed my night visits to the Alhambra's Nasrid Palaces, where every inch is covered in Koran and poetry inscriptions, star-patterned tiles, and gravity-defying ceilings decorated with pointed ornamentation called muqarnas, all reflecting light with a soothing, awe-inspiring effect that plays on the motto written all over: "Only Allah is victor."

In the many marbled patios and sprawling Generalife gardens farther uphill, fountains seem to trace in the air the curves of Arabic script, bubbling and flowing with precise patterns. On the opposite hill is the Albaicin, the much-restored Muslim quarter of whitewashed homes hiding scented gardens watered by medieval cisterns, whose only outside signs are overflowing purple bougainvillea and austere cypress spires. Nearby, two more churches display Roman-inspired triumphalism - the convent of San Jeronimo with its giant altarpiece and the Cartuja's small baroque sagrario (sanctuary), which swirls theatrically with chubby angels and saints in a profusion of red marble and gold. That Christian humanism sitting next to Islamic intellectualism is Andalusia's own enchantment. Back in the Generalife, a guard watched me linger by water jets arching into a long pool. She was the daughter of a watchman there who raised his eight children in a house on its property, and she has worked in the Alhambra for 31 years.
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Antique charm in Hopkinton

Doctors and distance runners Christine and Tim Fitzgibbons have found the location of their antique home near Hopkinton Center convenient in more ways than one.Not only has the Hopkinton address been handy for the commute to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where both work, but the couple also has been able to walk to the starting line when they have run the Boston Marathon. Well miss that, said Christine Fitzgibbons, who has run eight marathons in the past.

Fitzgibbons said she and her husband bought the 1,296-square-foot antique house seven years ago when they were starting out on their medical careers and married lives together. Its a good commuting location and a great starting home, she said. They have since welcomed two children, a son, 3, and a daughter, 1. We watched our kids take their first steps here, Fitzgibbons said. Were very sad to leave C were simply outgrowing the space.

The home, built in 1870, exudes antique charm, with window boxes, hardwood floors, a kitchen breakfast-nook and the odd quirk: watch your head under the slanted roof at the top of the stairs.At the same time the house features a number of modern upgrades: a new hot water heater installed a year ago, updated plumbing,We are professional wholesale best Cheap Outdoor Paving Stone,large LED Dome / Reading Lampwholesale order. stainless appliances and granite countertop in the kitchen, marble vanity and tile flooring the bathroom and an eight-year-old furnace.

At an asking price of $339,900, with a location close to schools, downtown and Interstate 495, the three-bedroom home offers a family just starting out an affordable entry to Hopkinton.A picket fence borders the backyard, planted with cherry and peach trees, a dogwood, a blueberry bush, and a garden where the family grows tomatoes and cucumbers.

The backyard is what we love most, especially with the kids, said Fitzgibbons. Listed as a quarter-acre, the enclosed yard is deceptively large, feeling bigger than the acreage would imply, she said. Its very private and quiet.

Upstairs, the second floor, with three bedrooms and one full bath, has a feeling of having been added onto over the years, as is not unusual in antique homes. A corridor leads to a small bedroom, with two skylights in its slanted ceiling, which has been put to use as a nursery. This room alternately might be used as an office. A few steps up, the master bedroom has wall-to-wall carpeting, a good-sized closet with sliding doors and a sitting area with windows that look out through the treetops

Off the driveway, a side-door entrance leads through a mudroom to the kitchen. A sizeable two-car garage with workbench offers extra space for storage. The white picket fence at the entrance to the backyard is made of a maintenance-free composite: another mix of old and new.The house has a nice flow to it, said Fitzgibbons. You can watch the kids while working in the kitchen. It has an antique charm, yet doesnt feel small.More than 40 traders investing in used furniture are competing to buy the contents, appliances and steel scrap of buildings to be demolished in Makkah for the development projects under way in the holy city.

More than 20,000 units in residential and commercial buildings, including hotels, shops and furnished apartments, have been demolished so far.According to industry sources,I'm looking at getting the light bar from ford racing and was wondering who sells the Cheap Marble Tiles. the returns made from the selling of the furniture, steel scrap and other contents of these buildings had reached more than SR1 billion.

The sources said the demolition of buildings in Makkah has created a lucrative business for Saudis and foreigners from inside the Kingdom and abroad. The trading hours extend from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.The sources said investors have rented courtyards on the outskirts of Makkah where they keep the furniture and scrap to sell to interested buyers.

Ahmed Khalil, a Saudi investor, said the demolition of buildings in Makkah has provided large quantities of construction material, sanitary equipment, bedroom and kitchen sets, electric appliances and other material needed by people who have buildings under construction and also by scrap traders.
He said the size of the building to be demolished and the number of its stories usually determines its price.

The prices range from SR1 million to a few thousand riyals depending on the size of the housing unit and the quality of its furniture, especially the tiles, marble, doors, windows, lifts and electrical and sanitary wares, he said.

Aljohani said buyers come from various parts of the Kingdom but the majority of them are from Taif and Jeddah. There is also demand from some neighboring Arab countries, such as Yemen,Most modern headlight designs include Cheap Packing & Loading Products. Sudan and Egypt, as well as African countries like Kenya and Guinea, he said.Aljohani said most of the demand from abroad is for blankets, doors, windows and furniture.

He said the demand for the scrap steel is very high but contractors demolishing the buildings themselves buy them. The price of a ton of scrap steel is about SR1,000, which is very cheap. This is a windfall for these contracting companies, he said.

He said the Saudi Electricity Company does not pull out copper cables from demolished buildings. African scavengers always look for these cables to extract them, sometimes subjecting themselves to the danger of electrocution, Aljohani said.
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Incredible Granite Countertop Offer

Waveland, MS has known its share of difficulties. On August 17,Most modern headlight designs include Cheap Marble Slabs. 1969, the city was heavily damaged by Hurricane Camille, resulting in a recovery operation that took almost ten years to restore the city to its former glory. Then on August 29, 2005, Waveland was struck once again, when the devastating Hurricane Katrina made landfall directly on top of it. Large parts of the city were almost entirely destroyed, and those that werent suffered heavy flood damage.

Nearly a decade later, Waveland residents are still fighting to restore their city. While the initial crises of food shortages and illness have been dealt with, building work is still underway to recover Wavelands public and private properties. Now, GNL Contractors is supporting Waveland residents and homebuilders to restore their homes for less. 

GNL Contractors is a specialist importer of granite and marble. The family-run company manufactures granite and tile work for kitchens, bathrooms and other areas of the home, using natural stone products sourced from around the world. Their emphasis is on providing each home with a stunning and individual finish, so that homeowners can add value to their property through the inclusion of uniquely patterned natural stone. 
The companys latest offer, which runs until the end of 2013, sees customers who purchase granite kitchen countertops receive either a free under-mounted sink or a 15 year sealer warranty. The countertops are available in a choice of four colors and four edging styles, to suit a wide range of kitchen styles. The sink offer includes a stainless steel under-mounted basin, which aligns beautifully with the edge of the countertop for a flush finish, while the sealant offer provides almost entirely stain-proof countertops for lasting value. 

From their base in Slidell, LA, GNL Contractors are servicing the city of Waveland for just $32 per square foot of granite countertop. The price includes not just the countertops, but also the measurement and fabrication of them, plus custom installation. The current offer makes them incredible value for money and comes at a time when Waveland is poised to press on with the final phase of its lengthy recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.Gives a basic overview of Stone carving tools and demonstrates their use. 

While initial repairs necessarily focussed on the practicalities of ensuring the city became operational once more and housing those de-homed by Katrina, work is now turning to the finishing touches. There is still some way to go, but with the determined residents and homebuilders supported by GNL Contractors, it is clear that the resilient city of Waveland will continue to go from strength to strength as the restoration work continues.

A 60-inch circular dining table with a dark-toned hand-planed wood top offers an inviting gathering space when entertaining. Six upholstered parson-style chairs are finished in different shades of aqua in a herringbone chevron pattern. Grups use of interesting lighting fixtures continues in the dining area with an over-scaled wrought iron inverted sphere chandelier that tapers inward at the top.

Armless bar stools with heavy metal cantilevered bases and floating seats are featured at the adjacent kitchens raised counter top bar. The bar and perimeter counter tops are finished with granite in cream, gold, brown and rust. The look plays against dark espresso-toned cabinetry with black-rubbed pewter pulls and a custom espresso louvered vent hood that conveys the designs West Indies theme. A thin, linear stained-glass backsplash done in cream, Java brown and medium brown glass tiles brings unity to the look.

Pocketing sliders open the great room to an outdoor living area overlooking La Cailles signature long range golf course and water views. The outdoor living area features a kidney-shaped pool and a spa fronted with glass tiles in shades of aqua and marine blue. An outdoor kitchen is equipped with a gas grill, under-counter refrigerator and granite counter tops. A dining table seats six. The covered lanai also includes a seating area with matching sofas. Additional seating is provided by a pair of large pouffs fun floor cushions in navy and cream that can be pulled up to any spot on the lanai.

The study features another sphere-shaped wrought iron chandelier suspended from a vaulted ceiling finished with a dark tongue-and-groove ceiling detail that matches the rooms hand-scraped hardwood floor. An ebony-finished writing desk is positioned in front of a pair of bookcases in a matching tone. The dark tones play against smoky navy blue walls, a contemporized navy blue wing chair with a wide, cream-toned palm print and an area rug with wide cream and jute stripes. Large custom art pieces designed by Ficarra Design Associates consist of handmade paper cut in a flowing circular floral motif affixed to thick Plexiglas backgrounds.

In the master bedroom, Grup has softened the aqua tones used throughout the home on the headboard wall and plays the more subtle look against the remaining walls creamy beige finish. The combination works well with the ceilings deep brown horizontal beamed detail. A chair finished in a soft aqua fabric is accompanied by a wood stump table. Matching dark-toned bachelor chests with chunky wrought iron hardware are bunched together.

The walls in the master bath are finished in a rugged, chunky grass cloth with a deep aqua background and an overlay in different shades of beige. A drum pendant lighting fixture features a combination of fabric and chunky aged wood surrounded by a wrought iron cage and is suspended from an octagonal double-coffer ceiling.Need a compatibleCheap Stair & Baluster for your car? His-and-her vanities include soft white cabinetry with pewter hardware topped by polished travertine counter tops. The tub deck is also finished with polished travertine.
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Memorial to feature trade center steel

Twelve years ago today, steel beam C-145 was in place on the 81st floor of the World Trade Centers North Tower. Four weeks later, and 102 minutes after terrorists flew an airliner into the building on Sept. 11, it was part of the sea of rubble from the crumbled office towers.

This Sept. 11, C-145 along with a C-96 C both now bowed and coated with a fine brown rust C will be part of a 9/11 memorial being built at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base. The monument will honor firefighters and other first responders everywhere. 

This is a recognition of our trust and faith in our first responders, said Col. Rick Moore, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, during Thursdays brief groundbreaking ceremony. There are few of us that run towards a fire. There are very few of us that run towards a burning aircraft.

The new memorial, he said, will be a great way to recognize the contributions of some first responders that made the ultimate sacrifice ... and a place for us to say thank you. 

The dedication will mark the fourth year since the bases Eagle Firefighters Association sent a letter to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey requesting the steel remnants. The authority, which oversees the office complex in New York City, maintains recovered 9/11 steel at Hangar 17 at John F. Kennedy International Airport and distributes the pieces through the World Trade Center Steel Program.

Forty-nine other states have 9/11 memorials that include World Trade Center steel. On Sept. 11, Delaware will become the 50th, Moore said. 
The firefighters had hoped to have a memorial completed in time for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed more than 3,000 and prompted the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. They quickly discovered that the project would require much more time far beyond the year it took to get the steel.

We had no concept of the depth of paperwork we would have to go through to get this, said Patti Bunch, a 911 dispatcher at the base, the associations treasurer and an original member of the committee in charge of the project.

The final approval authority was the secretary of the Air Force but,This is a great Cheap Conservation solution! she said, It had to (go) through about 50 other people, I think.And they didnt want us starting it until we had every dollar accounted for, said Aaron Weisenberger, a base fire captain and the associations president.

Thats been done. The project will cost about $35,000, Weisenberger said. More than $22,000 has been raised, mostly through the sale of commemorative bricks that will be laid at the base.Area businesses are making up the difference, he said, donating design, groundwork, engineering, lighting, and onyx and granite work.

Its been a long road, with fundraising, logistics, some setbacks, said Rod Coleman, the departments deputy fire chief. But everything has come together.The steel beams, measuring 8? feet and 10? feet long, respectively, will be cradled by a piece of granite in a V shape that will point toward New York City and be set on a compass-shaped base that will also point toward Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.,Need a compatible Cheap Stair & Baluster for your car? where two other commandeered airliners crashed. The association also is obtaining an 8- by 10-inch stone from Shanksville that will be incorporated into the memorial.

Through its offices and subsidiaries nationwide, Granite Construction, Inc.How to change your dash lights to Cheap Crafts Products this is how I have done mine. is one of the nation's largest infrastructure contractors and construction materials producers. Incorporated in 1922, Granite serves public- and private-sector clients on projects both small and large. Granite's project teams represent some of the best in the industry, serving owners in the transportation, power, federal, tunneling, underground, and industrial/mining and water resources markets.

The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,257 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2012, The Home Depot had sales of $74.8 billion and earnings of $4.5 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 associates.

UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. 
"We are excited to have Home Depot, UPS and Granite as sponsors for our conference," said Cindy Johnsen, NAWIC president. "These companies value their employees and are committed to diversity in the workplace which creates a great partnership with NAWIC."

Other NAWIC AMEC sponsors include United Rentals at the Purple Ribbon level; Paxton Patterson and Simplex Grinnell at the Green Ribbon level; Otis Elevator Company at the Pink Ribbon level and Caterpillar, Inc. at the White Ribbon level. 

NAWIC's mission is to enhance the success of women in the construction industry. The NAWIC AMEC is a powerful tool in accomplishing that goal. The conference features more than 30 seminars and workshops targeted to women and the construction industry. Two keynote speakers, Dawnna St. Louis, author of "Audacious Acts of Successful Women," and Jim Roberts, president and CEO of Granite Construction, Inc. will speak on shattering the glass ceiling and the construction industry, the changing environment over the last decade, where the industry is headed, and how companies need to adapt in order to grow and excel, respectively.
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'Giant Centaur Mode Activated'

People like to say there's magic in the pinstripes. You never want to reduce Yankee tradition to something as simple as magic, because calling it hocus-pocus totally discounts all the hard work that went into a century of excellence, but maybe there's no better word for it. Sometimes you take an ordinary player, or an older player on the back side of his career, and you put him in our uniform, and you just have to stand back and marvel at the transformation. How many times has it happened? David Justice. Chili Davis. Brosius. Ichiro just last year for the stretch run. Vernon Wells earlier this season, before his body realized that even magic has its limits, and shut it down back in May before it killed him, like it did Kevin Maas. 

And now Alfonso Soriano. Four homers in the last two days. And 13 RBIs. You almost can't believe it. But then you can, because you've seen it happen so many times before. It feels like a special kind of magic with Sori, too, because he's been re-pinstriped. Part of you wants to believe that maybe once you've been a Yankee, you never totally lose your Yankeeness, but you know that's not the way it works, because there's an entire ceremony we go through when a guy leaves the team to make sure he can't take any of it with him. The equipment manager brings us the departing player's last game-worn home uniform, and the Inner Circle of True Living Yankees squeezes the blood from five uncooked steaks onto it. There's a moment of silence while we all contemplate the sad fact that a player's being sent off into the darkness of another franchise.

You feel awful for Phil Hughes. Sometimes there's just a really bad fit between player and ballpark. When the New York media figures that out, before you know it there's all this speculation that a guy's going to have to go to a team that plays in a place that's better suited to a homer-prone, extreme fly-ball pitcher. Like maybe San Diego or San Francisco.These Cheap Building Materials can, apparently, operate entirely off the grid. Or the new stadium they hope to build for Oakland one day, with 100-foot manual scoreboards in the left- and right-field walls, because Billy Beane thinks he's figured something out about wall-height inefficiency. 

It can't be easy to be rejected by your home field like Hughsey is. It's sort of like being adopted, but when your foster family gets you home, they figure out you're allergic to the carpet. What are they going to do, recarpet the place? Of course not. The carpet's nice for their 24 other kids, they're just going to put up with the sound of your constant scratching while they find a new family with tasteful tile flooring. Sometimes things don't work out. All you can do is try to keep the scratching to a level where it's not turning everybody's stomach. You make the best of it until they get you into a better situation for everybody. 

Soriano drove in four more runs. He has 18 RBIs in the last four games. It's incredible. Maybe you're not ready to rechristen him a True Yankee yet, because he did make the decision to go to Texas all those years ago rather than retire when he was traded, and there are consequences to every decision. But if he keeps this up while we're chasing a playoff berth, you have to seriously consider it. Especially when he's doing it against Boston, in Fenway, like he did tonight. Being a True Yankee is all about winning. We'll definitely be having the conversation if he keeps it up. At minimum we'll get him in the room with the wolves and see how they respond. They might still smell the Cub on him. Or, God forbid, the National. The wolves are gonna do what they're gonna do,We are professional wholesale best Cheap Outdoor Paving Stone,large LED Dome / Reading Lampwholesale order. but you still have to take the chance when a guy's got a shot at immortality.

I didn't make the road trip. I'm down in Tampa to do some rehab on the calf and finish out my DL sentence while the team is on the road. Unfortunately, the downtime means you're hearing about all the things in the media you can usually block out when you're with the guys, playing in the games. It's impossible to avoid. It's even polluting the highlight shows.

And the stuff that's out there right now is upsetting. Lawyers accusing the greatest franchise in the history of the game of awful things, things ownership could never do. The media accusing a player of turning on his own teammate to draw attention away from himself. It makes you sick to think about any of it, and it reminds you of the fried-chicken-and-beer days of the Red Sox, quite frankly. You hate to write that out loud in your diary, but there it is. Your journaling coach always tells you that's how the truth comes out: You're writing, and boom, there's the truth on the page. You didn't ask for it, but it's there. Is it a coincidence this is all happening while the team is in Boston? Maybe, if you believe in coincidences. But maybe not, if you're suddenly staring down at the unexpected truth you've just written. 

Back to rehab. The team needs its Captain, and wasting your time on attorneys and ballclubs fighting isn't getting you on the field any faster. If anything, it's slowing you down, because you just realized you're standing still on the elliptical so you can hear SportsCenter better.

When someone suggested I check out Habitat for Humanitys ReStore, I imagined a warehouse full of used windows and boards items I wouldnt be buying anytime soon.

Boy, was I surprised. The first thing that caught my eye was the massive selection of doorknobs in every color,Most modern headlight designs include Cheap Packing & Loading Products. style and finish imaginable. A buck each. I had just paid $15 for a door-knob, and my husband spent nearly half an hour installing it the night before. Rats!

If youre planning to make any improvements to your home whether a bathroom remodel, room painting, or even if youre looking for a new coffee table visit ReStore. You can save a ton of money on new and gently used items while helping needy families get into homes. Here are just a few of the great deals I found with the help of Chad Roy, customer service specialist.
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