Mike Cox steps into Ed Vos’ shoes

A veteran of the Canadian IT channel who helped build OnX into the Canadian channel leader it is today, Vos left the company last month to pursue other opportunities. He was named CDN’s No. 9 Newsmaker of 2011 for overseeing a number of acquisitions in Canada and a key one in the U.S. – Agilsys Inc.Save on Christian Louboutin Pump! All the Sales, All in One Place. of Cleavland, Oh. – that gave OnX a key platform on which to grow that U.S. business.

Cox came to OnX last year to run the U.S.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. business for OnX, building that Agilsys base into a wider managed services play in the U.S. market. A veteran of the channel, he had previously served for eight years as president and CEO of solution provider Logicalis Inc, overseeing six acquisitions and growing U.S. revenue from $170 million to $600 million. Before Logicalis he held several senior positions with HP, including as vice-president and general manager of North American sales for the business customer organization.

“When the opportunity presented itself to come and run the U.S. business for OnX I jumped at that, and when Ed chose to leave, the board felt I was the right person to step up and run the larger company,” said Cox. “I’m very excited about it.”

As he takes on the new role as CEO, Cox said he will also continue to run the U.S.There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. business,Find a great selection of christian louboutin boots deals ! Click on any of the links below. relying a little more heavily on the U.S. leadership team. In Canada, Paul Khawaja has primary responsibility for the Canadian business as executive vice-president for Canada and COO of OnX’s cloud and managed services business.Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. Cox will continue to be based at OnX’s Cleveland office, with frequent visits to Thornhill, Ont. He noted OnX will continue to be based in Thornhill, and three of the top five OnX executives are still based there.

Growing the company both organically and through acquisition will be a priority, said Cox, adding the company is definitely in invest and growth mode. In addition to continuing to grow OnX’s U.S. operations, he said opportunities in Canada as well as Europe – OnX has a UK office – will also be considered.

“(Deals would be) complementary to our existing footprint, business and portfolio,” said Cox.

He did mention he’d like OnX to be stronger in the networking space, to complement its legacy strength in the data centre market.

“Our challenge is getting sales people to represent our broad portfolio in a way that is accurate, correct and good for the customer,” said Cox.
OnX made a major investment in its Canadian business just over a year ago, spending $20 million to upgrade its data centre facilities here to Tier 3 status to target growth opportunities in the cloud and data centre with enterprise clients. It’s already paying dividends, said Cox.

“It’s a profitable business. We had new bookings in the neighborhood of $30 million last year total contract value in Canada, and we’ll do 1.5 times that in orders this year,” said Cox. “It made OnX a force to be reckoned with in Canada.”

It has allowed OnX to grow its managed services business, which Cox said is the fastest growing business for the company in both Canada and the U.S., with clients such as BlackBerry and eHealth Ontario. One strategy for OnX has been going deeper with these large enterprise accounts. Cox plans to complement that this year with an aggressive push in the midmarket.

“We’ll be bringing on new customers that want to look to a major player in the market to have their equipment hosted and managed, and our hope and expectation bringing on those customers for managed services is to be able to step in and sell them hardware and software too, and do the install, integration and professional services,” said Cox. “I think that growth engine for the company will be managed services. We’ll be able to take a complete portfolio to the customer.”

With an aggressive growth strategy, OnX may continue its climb up CDN’s Top 100 rankings next spring. It moved up to from No. 6 in 2011 to No. 5 in 2012.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see us climb up a new notches,” said Cox.

Click on their website www.myshoe123.com for more information.

It’s All in the Details

Without breaking the bank or knocking out walls, a walk-in closet can be reconfigured and glammed up to create a dressing room that reflects a homeowner’s personal style as much as his or her clothing.

It’s All in the Details (Less than $50)

For a low investment and small time commitment, consider your closet hardware. Brackets, knobs and hooks in a richer finish can add panache “in the same way a suit jacket or coat can be spiced up with an awesome button,” says professional closet designer Denise Butchko, of Butchko and Company in Chicago.

Another easy addition is an area rug, which makes a walk-in closet more comfortable and inviting. Because you’ll be padding around barefoot, consider a soft material like sheepskin or chenille.

And sometimes it’s the elements you choose to exclude that make a difference. For example, celebrities’ closets often have custom shelves built at an angle, all the better to display all those rows of designer heels. But angled shelves are neither adjustable nor versatile — you can’t put anything else on them, Butchko says.

To maximize closet space, she prefers shallow adjustable shelves with sections to accommodate high heels, flats and boots.

Embellishing Extras ($50 to $150)

One easy addition is a dressmaker form. It’s both pretty and practical, providing a place to hang scarves or long necklaces. An ornate standing or tabletop candelabra (minus the candles, of course) can serve the same function, says Kristie Barnett, also known as The Decorologist, a Nashville-based home design blogger and consultant.Latest Trends in Wholesale gucci handbags, Wallets and more‎.

Another option is to add more color the space with wallpaper or paint, Barnett says,Find great deals on hotmkbags for michael kors wallet Michael Kors Hamilton Bags in "Women's Clothing, Handbags and Purses". Shop with confidence. which can give you more bang for the buck. “A lot of people don’t think about painting the inside of a closet anything but white. Of course, your clothes cover a lot of wall space so mainly you’d have just a background color, but you can paint the ceiling or even do wallpaper on the ceiling for a pop of color.”

You can also paint or paper the shelves, she adds.

Glass shelving is another option. Butchko likes to include one or two frosted glass shelves with fancy brackets to display lovely items – stacks of hats, perhaps, or a row of handbags. “It’s an expensive element but a little bit goes a long way,” she says.

Make it Luxe (more than $150)

You might want a full-length mirror, but “with closets,Buy Michael Kors iPhone Cases Michael Kors handbags with big discount and free shipping! most people need every inch of space so I don’t ever want to take up wall space with a mirror,” Butchko says. She uses pullout mirrors that pivot or simply mounts a mirror on the door.

On the other hand, if you have the room, “a mirror is super functional and expands the space,” Barnett says. “Choose something with an ornate frame if you’re going for glamour.”

Space is also a concern for clients who want an island for storage, Butchko says. While few have room for the island, most people can add an ottoman or a chaise in the middle of the closet. “Having a place to sit down is worth the space and expense because it just makes life easier,” she says.Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now.

Barnett concurs: “It’s nice to be able to sit down and put your shoes on.”

And most of all, consider the lighting in the closet. Builder-basic closets usually have boring flush-mount light fixtures and insufficient light, which is why people mix up their blues and blacks. “Choose a fixture that drops down a little bit from the ceiling to distribute the light better and make a statement,” Barnett suggests.

Supplement ambient lighting with LED strip lights,welcome to michaels kors handbags sale,Free shipping‎! available in bulk at home improvement stores. “LED lighting has evolved so much,” Butchko says. “Earlier, when you lit a closet, you had to be concerned with things catching on fire.”

LED strip lights can safely illuminate shelves and closet rods while providing mood lighting. “It’s a terrific upgrade. It improves both functionality and appearance,” Butchko says.

Click on their website www.anmison.com for more information.

A succinct collection of antiquated photographs

A succinct collection of antiquated photographs, crime artifacts, deadpan write-ups, and charmingly outdated communications equipment is housed at the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum in Pioneer Square. Apparel creeps in, too. There are dozens of patches and badges, and several historic uniforms showcased behind glass,Shop discounted Wholesale High Quality Hermes wallets on mybag1. though they're too infested with utilitarian details to bring a lot of thrills.

In the back room, a 1987 photograph of "The Nation's First Mountain Bike Patrol" is much flashier than the other displays. It shows two uniformed men posing before a cityscape. The cops are fit and young and clean and alert, and the sunlight surrounding them falls down like poured gold. In keeping with a certain formal dignity, they have classic button-up collared shirts with western-cut pocket flaps, muted navy tones, and long sleeves. But their upper and lower bodies are not the most perfectly matched pairs. The officers wear crisp short shorts accessorized with Velcro-close high-top sneakers, and their identical athletic-stripe, calf-length tube socks are lightly scrunched for a casual effect. The resulting ensemble imparts the perfect blend of visual spice and symbolic urgency.

Additional style visuals are sprinkled throughout the museum: a perpetrator's knit ski mask, a call-center employee's feathery pompadour, a policeman's bulbed woolen helmet from the 1900s. But if you need more elaborate insider write-ups, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Start with the 1985 book of interviews Cops: Their Lives in Their Own Words by Mark Baker. In it, an anonymous police chief finally explains the cop-and-mustache connection. Once upon a time, the decoy section entrapped purse snatchers by posing officers as harmless old ladies who carried handbags and trudged the city's dark streets: "You want a woman victim, so we have to dress up one of the guys... The guys outsmarted me at first.Welcome to Replica Louis Vuitton outlet online store and buy latest replica louis vuitton together with free shipping and best service. They started growing mustaches. Before long, they all had one."

Also read David Ziskin's book The Real Police, a meticulous recounting of his service to the Seattle Police Department. From the "Uniforms" chapter: "Most departments wear clip-on neckties in uniform, so that a suspect cannot choke an officer by grabbing the tie," Ziskin writes. And for plainclothes duties,Shop cheap christian louboutin shoes,pumps,wedding shoes,sandals with low price in our discount christian louboutin sandals Store online. "I had a couple of ties cut and then tacked back together in a place that would be concealed under my shirt collar. If anyone tried to choke me by grabbing the tie, it would part under the collar and pull free." recommended

Pirates, predators, power lines and poor luck — they brave it all for hundreds of miles, while carrying along the million-dollar hopes of the haves and have-nots. Pigeons are the new thoroughbreds in China and everyone has taken notice — breeders in Europe and even the feed industry in the United States.

Pigeon racing goes back hundreds of years and probably a lot longer. The races are held in countries across the globe, but the sport is at fever pitch in China. From Vice: “Twenty years ago — sort of a poor man’s delicacy,Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Gucci jewelry on the world's largest fashion site. but now with the new Chinese economy, it’s become a rich man’s play thing.”

China’s nouveau riche love designer handbags, the finest wine, and sleek cars — but they’re also quick to slap down bags of cash on a pigeon. Money is swirling around Chinese pigeon racing, and the torrent shows no signs of abatement. In 2011, a Chinese entrepreneur payed $200,000 for a pigeon — Blue Prince — at PiPa, the world’s premier pigeon auction house located in Belgium. PiPa sold 218 pigeons that day — for an astounding $1.Shop the latest Wholesale High Quality Chanel wallets on the world's largest fashion site.8 million.

And in 2013, PiPa sold Bolt (named after Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt) to another Chinese businessman for $400,000. An entire lot of 530 Belgian-bred pigeons went for almost $6 million that day, with nine of the 10 most expensive birds headed to China or Taiwan. (In 2009, The Telegraph reported that Chinese mafia gangs were hitting Belgian pigeon coops and stealing the prized birds. “Rather than attempting to smuggle their prey abroad, criminals will kill the pigeons and cut of their identifying rings to be used on much less valuable birds bred in Asia.”)

Click on their website www.hotmkbags.com for more information.

I have heard and understand our resident

Beaches to reopen in Brick

A two-block area of beach in the Normandy Beach section of the township will be opened to the public beginning this weekend,Find the Michael Kors New Arrival you will want to use for-ever! Mayor Stephen Acropolis announced.

Starting Saturday, an access point will be opened at the street end of 8th Avenue in Normandy Beach. Residents will be allowed to use the beach from 8th Avenue south to the border of Toms River, at 6th Avenue. Beaches north of 8th Avenue to the Border of Brick Beach III will remain closed because of safety concerns. All of Brick Township’s public beaches remain open.

"I have heard and understand our resident’s desire to access and enjoy the beaches this summer," Acropolis said in a statement. "Our professionals have been monitoring the hazards, from coastal conditions to the potential for debris, and we are confident that this section of Normandy Beach can be safely enjoyed as long as residents remain cautious."

The beaches were closed following superstorm Sandy because of safety concerns. Brick was one of the hardest hit municipalities in the area when Sandy made landfall Oct. 29. During the storm, approximately 8,500 homes were damaged.

A part-time judge told 21-year-old Saida Goral he was not prepared to give the young mum a community sentence despite her condition as her behaviour had been “deplorable.”

A court heard Goral has been convicted of many thefts and other dishonesty offences since moving to the UK from Poland in 2005.

Goral was arrested at the Morrison’s store in Heckmondwike on February 28 this yea after security staff followed her as she targeted two vulnerable elderly women in the store. Goral was arrested along with her sister Angelika, but she has since gone on the run and a warrant is out for her arrest.

Leeds Crown Court heard that Goral’s usual method of deception was to go “dipping” into victim’s purses and handbags while another person creates a diversion.

The court heard the first victim was distracted as Goral tried to reach into her handbag. The pensioner moved away before she could steal anything so she targeted another victim.

Goral, of Heath Terrace, Bradford, pleaded guilty to two offences of attempted theft. Jailing her, Recorder Kershaw said: “The way you have acted since being in the UK is nothing but deplorable.

“You are a mother yourself and although it is an important fact to bear in mind you should have thought about that before you decided to commit these offences.Shop discounted mk handbags on hotmkbags.”

Recorder Kershaw told Goral she had deliberately targeted vulnerable victims.

He said: “It is no coincidence that both of these women were elderly.

Gabrielle Bell is a gifted cartoonist living in Brooklyn who makes excruciatingly revealing comics based on her continuing battles with personal supervillains like shyness, bad boyfriends (including director Michel Gondry), and yoga. Taken in small doses, these vignettes can seem almost too revealing, like flipping through a diary or gaining permanent access to an exhibitionist's Snapchat account. But when read in bulk, Bell's stories create a hypnotic vision of a talented young woman perpetually flailing upward.

The Pitch: With Portlandia and Maron, IFC seems to be cornering the market on comedy that deemphasizes actual LOLs. If paired with a similarly introspective young female filmmaker (Amy Seimetz?),Shop for Michael Kors Satchel in many colors and styles at hotmkbags. Lucky could be the network's version of Girls, only gentler, tougher, funnier, weirder, and — this is probably key — cheaper.
The Comic: Casanova (Icon, 2006-present)

Writer Matt Fraction's sumptuous collaboration with Brazilian brother-artists Gabriél Bá and Fábio Moon is just your ordinary, run of the mill, Thomas Pynchon–referencing spy story about a louche espionage artist who jumps through time (and genders) in an effort to either fight, or save his family from, assorted super-geniuses,Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Classic Handbags. Totally free shipping and returns. space robots, and sex islands.

Click on their website www.hotmkbags.com for more information.

People like to take advantage of it

Later this month, Mississippians will again have a two-day break on sales taxes for certain clothing and shoe purchases.

The annual tax-free holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. July 26 and ends at midnight on July 27.

The holiday started five years ago and is geared for back-to-school shopping, with the 7 percent sales tax waived on articles of clothing or footwear priced at less than $100.

Click here for the state Department of Revenue's guide to the tax holiday, which includes a list of items that are eligible.

Accessories such as jewelry, handbags, wallets, watches, backpacks and similar items do not qualify for the holiday, and school supplies and computers are not included.

"People like to take advantage of it," said Kathy Waterbury, a spokeswoman for the department, said of the holiday.

"It gets people back out shopping, and it's a good time for our businesses," she said. "The retailers out there take advantage and will often offer other incentives, such as discounts and sales, to help the shopper save as well. It really does add up to savings.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Classic Handbags. Totally free shipping and returns."

Waterbury said the state doesn't know how much the tax break saves shoppers because businesses aren't required to report to the department how much they sold during the holiday.

Sixteen other states have sales-tax holidays,Shop discounted mk handbags on hotmkbags. with some going beyond back-to-school products to include tax exemptions for hunting and hurricane seasons and energy-efficient appliances and equipment.

Neighboring states Louisiana and Alabama will have tax-free holidays the following weekend.

Alabama's eighth annual sales tax holiday for school-related items runs Aug. 2-4 and allows savings on certain school supplies, computers, books and clothing.

Lulu Guinness has met her perfect design partner in innovative young artist Joseph Steele. Revered for her quirky lip clutches, Guinness has transformed her ‘hug and hold’ handbags into portable pieces of art with Steele’s signature paint splatters.

Steele has individually decorated the bags – which come in Guinness’ trademark black, red and stone hues – with contrasting 'splash' tones.

The artist, who has been hailed as the heir to Damien Hirst, is part of the new tribe of Young British Artists, renowned for their unconventional and controversial methods of making art. Working with many different types of media, Steele is best known for his 'explosive' work – which has included exploding paint, canvases and mannequins prior to handbags.

Although this is Guinness’ first actual collaboration with an artist, her designs have received creative recognition in the past: the Florist Basket is in the permanent fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Collectables have been the subjects of two exhibitions, in Sotheby’s London and New York.

The limited edition collection of 180 paint project clutch bags, each signed and numbered by Steele and Guinness, are priced at $295 each and available to purchase in stores and online from 12 July.

Scotsman Eddie Campbell is the gentleman-scholar of the independent comics scene, and his early autobiographical work is required reading for anyone still unsure whether boozy memories and an inkwell can produce non self-indulgent art. The stories collected here,Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now. originally published between 1981 and 1987, follow the sudsy exploits of Alec, Campbell's avatar, as he falls in and out of love with friends, women, and life itself while whiling away the hours in an undistinguished pub. According to comic scribe Warren Ellis, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen creator Alan Moore once called Alec "what would happen if Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady had gotten a Ford Transit and pissed off to Southend Pier for a day." I'd save my comparisons and just call them some of the best comics ever published.

The Pitch: PBS has a nice thing going with the backwards-looking Downton Abbey. How about they fast-forward their nostalgic naval-gazing by commissioning a series based on The King Canute Crowd? It's got humor, pathos, sex, and — to have the usual Masterpiece viewers reaching for their Life Alerts — drunk people pissing in handbags.Shop for Michael Kors Satchel in many colors and styles at hotmkbags. It's basically what Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant were attempting with their flaccid Cemetery Junction. Why not hand this over to Doctor Who and Sherlock mastermind Steven Moffat and see if he can come up with something better? There's a literary, lived-in quality to these humble stories that could make for richly rewarding television, both for the viewers and,Find the Michael Kors New Arrival you will want to use for-ever! presumably, the affiliate pledge drives.

Click on their website www.pickmypumps.com for more information.

OPINION: A walk in my own shoes

I went to my foot doctor to understand why my feet and knees had been giving me the most excruciating pain for the last few months.

I attributed it to my increased yard work,The Michael Kors Wallets blends fashion and function, providing a great stylish way to carry around your MacBook Pro. aging, or just from the added weight I had gained. I learned a painful lesson that should have been obvious to me. I’ve been using my husband’s old shoes while working in the yard for almost two years. Since they are not quite my size, old, and run over,Welcome to our michael kors outlet online shop! Here we sale Michael Kors Hamilton Satchel, bags, purses, wallets with very low price. Join us quickly! they had thrown my entire body out of alignment, starting with my feet, then my knees, going up to my already twisted back, ending in my neck and shoulders. Adding insult to injury, during this period, I decided to resume walking barefoot, a definite no-no to anyone with reoccurring foot injuries.

I quickly learned his shoes were too big for me to ever fill. How often we think just by looking at a person that we can accomplish or walk so easily in their shoes. Who knows what challenges they face to even stand? When we walk, our entire bodies are engaged in the process. Now that I’ve put on my own shoes for yard work, my condition improved in a matter of days. My orthotics in my shoe correct the weakened areas in my feet and force me to stand tall and straight, even when walking along the hills and dips in my yard.

Our feet are a very important part of our body. The nerves from each destination in our body end there. The major idea behind reflexology is the feet and hands can be massaged to stimulate each organ in our body to promote activity. A sensitive area on the feet can determine if any organ is under stress and slight manipulations can stimulate that area toward healing. Each foot is different on each person and both are unique to every individual, even if they are the same size. They develop and form based on our individual standing and walking style. Our arches support us in our development of gait and stance, allowing even pressure to be distributed equally across the entire foot.

Doesn’t life teach us that we each have our own individual walk and no one else can walk in our shoes?

Have you ever wished to be in someone else’s shoes? Be careful what you wish for,Welcome to Michael Kors Classic Tote Outlet online now. you never know what lies ahead in their path.

I think of the sandals or shoes of Jesus. His feet may have been worn, but He kept walking straight down the path that led Him to Calvary. I imagine He remembered that we would need a straight path to victory,Buy popular Michael Kors Crossbody Bags and get free shipping with $99 purchase. although narrow, that only He could make.

We may be faced with many valleys and hills to climb in life and some long roads ahead, but remember we have a God who will walk besides us, to lead us along the way.

Don’t be afraid to walk in your own shoes, they’ve been modeled for your unique journey in life. You may need to add spiritual orthotics, but add whatever you need to continue on, but don’t forget to add God.

Nasty sunburns are a common injury in the summer, says Chopra. "They're typically first-degree burns where you can have redness and itchiness and pain, all the way to second-degree burns where there actually is loss of the superficial layer of the skin.

"Obviously avoidance is best, using ample amounts of skin protection (sunscreen), wearing appropriate clothing, including hats and long sleeves as necessary, minimizing your exposure to the sun," he says, especially when the sun's rays are most intense, roughly between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

With a first-degree sunburn, soothing creams such as those containing aloe vera can help, as can cold compresses. And the person should keep themselves well-hydrated with water or other non-alcoholic beverages.

"If it's a big area and very itchy, you can use over-the-counter antihistamines, in small to moderate doses, as long as you don't have a medical condition (that prohibits their use)," Chopra says.

But with more severe burns that cause persistent redness, pain, blistering and peeling, "you should seek medical attention," he advises, noting that extremely bad sunburns may need treatment with corticosteroid creams.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Classic Handbags. Totally free shipping and returns.

Of course, prevention is preferable, as repeated sun exposure can give rise to serious skin diseases later in life, warns Claypool, adding that keeping exposed skin slathered with a minimum of SPF-30 sunscreen is de rigueur during the summer months.

"We're trying to prevent the acute injury today, but we're also trying to prevent the incidence of skin cancer, including melanoma, down the road."

Click on their website www.pickmypumps.com for more information.

The Revolution Is Coming and It's Wearing Pink Shoes

On Tuesday half a million people tweeted their support for Texas state representative Wendy Davis in the first few hours of her historic filibuster to stop proposed restrictive abortion legislation. And she did it in bright pink shoes!

Just as the wave of support for this brave act was unfolding, I took the stage with two extraordinary women activists from Afghanistan and Egypt here at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Our conversation on the Aspen stage followed a showing of the film Girl Rising which tells the stories of ten girls and their brave efforts to overcome huge challenges to go to school. The panel speakers Mona Eltahawy and Shabana Basij-Rasikh told their own brave stories. The audience quieted into stunned silence as Mona told of being hauled off, sexually assaulted and beaten while reporting from Tahrir Square in Egypt, and listened rapt as Shaban told of being forbidden to attend school by the Taliban in Egypt so, in response,Shop this season's new prada bags now. she cut off all her hair and attended school disguised as a boy for 12 years.

But these disturbing stories were not at the heart of their remarks. The heart and soul of their remarks were all about hope, and revolution, and bravery. As one of the girls in the film, Suma, from Nepal, said,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. "I have seen what change looks like. It is like a breath running through you. It cannot be stopped."

And these two young women have not been stopped. Mona has become the leading social media journalist reporting on Egypt's political unfolding, and Shabana has created two remarkable institutions that have created schools and educational opportunities for hundreds of girls in Afghanistan. Shabana believes that women in the Middle East are at a sea change moment. She said, "they have found their voice, and they cannot go back."

Many have said that feminism is dead.In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin boots,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you. Maybe it is, in its older manifestation. After all, it was almost 40 years ago when I was a member of the first women's organization in a high school in the US. The women's movement guided my life, and I have dedicated my professional carrier to working on behalf of women and girls. Yet, there is so much work still to be done. More than 90 percent of Afghan girls are illiterate today. One out of every seven young girls in the world are married before the age of 15. More than 250 million women have no access to family planning services who want them.

And this is where the color pink comes in. Pink is not a shy color. Pink demands to be seen; pink is brave and bold and shouts "Here I am -- make room for me!" And this is what the millions of young women all across the world are saying. They are claiming their place and asserting the importance of women to all of the key issues of our time -- the economy, political stability, health, the environment. The next economic giant is not Brazil, or India,There are numerous diversified high heels at christian louboutin shoes for sale. or China. It is women.

Just as pink-shoed Wendy Davis took the floor of the Texas legislature to stay "on topic" and to not be moved, Mona tweeted from an Egyptian prison, and Shabana created a school.

As Martin Luther King wrote from a Birmingham jail fifty years ago "freedom is never voluntarily given; it must be demanded by the oppressed." The revolution is coming, and it is wearing bright pink shoes.

Don't get me wrong – I'm not swearing off heels forever. It's just that in recent years, as they've got higher and more outrageous, I've found myself losing interest. Shoes are for wearing after all and it's one thing to admire an impressive piece of foot architecture, quite another to squeeze your own imperfect trotter into it and then go about your daily business. (For more on this, see the recent agonising-for-all-parties-concerned interface between Kim Kardashian's pregnancy ankles and her Perspex Givenchy sandals). I don't want to be an awful judgy-pants about this, obviously. Sure there is a coltish, hubristic charm to groups of young ladies tottering in and out of nightclubs atop vertiginous concoctions. But trying too hard is never cool, and it can be downright dangerous.welcome to michaels kors bags on sale,best service and low prices. One minute you're prancing around with legs four inches longer than the ones God gave you, the next you're at the bottom of the stairs with a broken nose like poor Carol Vorderman. Think on.

So. I reserve the right to wear heels whenever my fancy (and a taxi there and back) takes me, but at the moment you'll usually find me in flats. I'm grateful to British designer Charlotte Olympia and fashion maven Alexa Chung for spearheading the fashionable flats movement. Here is my pick of the season.

Charlotte Olympia's covetable Kitty slippers kickstarted a clutch of trends when she first introduced them a couple of years ago (Low heels! Slippers! Anthropomorphic footwear!). Each season since has brought pleasing iterations like this embroidered pair.

For cutting-edge flats, get to know Hackney brand Miista (headed by Spanish-born, London-trained designer Laura Villasenin). It's all about holographic brogues.

If you're skipping summer (like the weather is), why not invest in these Asos loafers? They come in an autumnal bronze brocade and (since they were crafted in Britain's historic shoemaking capital, Northampton) they're an ethical buy, too.

Click on their website www.myshoe123.com for more information.

Burqa gang stole watches worth $1m from Selfridges

Armed raiders who targeted London's Selfridges store while dressed in burqas fled with $1m worth of luxury watches, police said on Saturday.

The six-strong gang used the religious dress to disguise themselves and the tools they were carrying during the raid at 8.30pm on Thursday, police said.

The axe and sledge hammer-wielding group smashed glass cabinets at a pre-arranged moment then filled holdalls with the watches.

Stunned onlookers in Oxford Street,Buy Michael Kors iPhone Cases Michael Kors handbags with big discount and free shipping! the capital's busiest shopping district, watched as the gang met accomplices outside in getaway vehicles believed to be a moped, two motorbikes and a black BMW estate.

Two suspects were arrested after falling off a moped when it crashed nearby and members of the public stopped them from leaving.

On Saturday Scotland Yard said officers recovered one holdall at the scene containing 41 watches.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Noyes, from the Flying Squad, said: "This was a brazen attack that was clearly well planned and well thought through. Fortunately robberies like this are rare.

"I'd like to thank those members of the public who stepped in and detained our two suspects. "Their quick thinking and brave actions have helped our investigation.

"We have recovered a number of items from the scene,View Michael Kors Handbags Outlet 2013 Collection. Buy Cheap Michael Kors Satchel at Michael kors handbags outlet online store. as well as the gang's vehicles they used in their escape and we are carrying out a full forensic examination.

"Extra officers are in the Oxford Street area and our investigation is moving quickly with a number of lines of enquiry. We still want to hear from anyone who saw the robbery, who may have seen the vehicles involved in the time running up to or after the robbery or who think they may know who has been involved."

A 19-year-old man has been charged with offences relating to the robbery, police said.

A 24-year-old man, was taken to a central London hospital, believed to be suffering from a fractured leg. He remains in hospital.

The two motorbikes were recovered by police in Bolton Place, near the junction with Taunton Place. The suspects were seen to run off in the direction of Russmore Road,Click on their website www.class9999.com for more information. where another vehicle may have been waiting.

Farther east in Chapel Hill, heavy rains forced the forced the postponement of Friday's NCAA super regional baseball series opener between No. 1 seeded North Carolina and South Carolina until Saturday. A second game between N.C. State and Rice in Raleigh was also postponed.

While the storm departed Florida early Friday, the Sunshine State was still feeling the effects into the day. The weather service estimated that feeder bands from Andrea's remnants dropped more than 9 inches of rain on eastern Miami-Dade County and more than 6 inches of rain on eastern Broward County on Friday.

In Cuba, days of torrential rains associated with Andrea caused rivers to jump their banks in the western province of Pinar del Rio. More than 3,300 people evacuated endangered homes,Welcome to Michael Kors Shoulder Bags, the best place to get discount Michael Kors sale. and nearly 1,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of croplands suffered "serious damage," state-run newspaper Juventud Rebelde said Friday. Rain was forecast to continue falling on already waterlogged areas through Saturday.

Chasing Treasure Offers New Luxury Wooden Jewelry Boxes and Watch Winders

“If you own valuable jewelry and heirlooms then it makes good sense to store them in wooden jewelry boxes in keeping with their importance to you,” says Noelle Price.

Price is a managing partner for Chasing Treasure, an online firm specializing in retail sales of jewelry storage boxes and watch winders. Based in Virginia, Chasing Treasure offers several hundred jewelry boxes ranging from small travel jewelry organizers to floor standing jewelry armoires.

“A great way to store heirlooms, keepsakes and valuable jewelry is in high quality wooden jewelry boxes,” said Price. “People have been doing this for hundreds of years and we are proud to be able to offer handcrafted storage boxes for today’s quality-conscious shoppers,” she added.

Price pointed to a wood jewelry box manufactured by Luxury Giftware by Jere on the ChasingTreasure.com website. The box is made from bubinga, an exotic wood from West Africa, with elm burl inlay and has necklace swing outs with a shirred pocket in the lid in addition to three pull out drawers and two swing-out doors with pouches and hooks.

“We are now offering jewelry boxes like this with great savings for gift shoppers,Nine times out of ten, getting hermes handbags is going to be a good fashion investment.” Price said. She noted that all of the prices in her firm’s online catalog are well below manufacturer list prices and that during gift occasions such as Graduation and Father’s Day, there are even deeper discounts.

With Father’s Day in mind, she called attention to the watch winders offered on the Chasing Treasure website. Watch winders are storage cases powered by batteries or ac adapters and provide the gentle motion that keeps self-winding watches ready to use at any moment. The watch winders on the Chasing Treasure site range in price from $280 and go up to $5000 for a winder that stores 12 watches.

“Web visitors to our site should take advantage of special Father’s Day prices that will apply to our wooden jewelry boxes, watch boxes and watch winders.In comparison with other high heels,christian louboutin boots,louboutin shoes,christian louboutin men,cheap christian louboutin will bring unique feeling to you. Plus an optional personalized name plate is available with all our boxes and winders,” Price concluded.

“Hurricane season is indeed upon us, and our storm luck being what it is,The Michael Kors Crossbody Bags blends fashion and function, providing a great stylish way to carry around your MacBook Pro. residents should start to make preparations for inclement weather,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement.Find great deals on hotmkbags for Michael Kors Messenger Bags in "Women's Clothing, Handbags and Purses". Shop with confidence. “The current forecast is calling for heavy rain, minor flooding, and high winds, so I want people to take common-sense precautions to secure their property and be aware of deteriorating conditions as this storm approaches.”

In South Florida expect increased chances for showers and thunderstorms through Friday.A small craft advisory and marine warning for coastal waters remains in effect through Friday afternoon as winds and waves diminish.More heavy rainfall is possible on Friday as the large circulation around Andrea continues to draw moisture up into South Florida.Welcome to our michael kors outlet online shop! Here we sale Michael Kors Handbags, bags, purses, wallets with very low price. Join us quickly! Localized flooding will be a concern. Highs in the low to mid 80s, cloudy skies and gusty winds out of the southwest.

Our weather conditions will slowly return to more typical of June on Saturday. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and a few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.

Marvelling at the temples of Myanmar

On the road in front of us, a line of people are walking behind a hot pink coffin decorated with gold trimmings as part of a Buddhist funeral procession.

Before we have time to digest the sight, a procession for a monk initiation ceremony passes in the other direction.

The lead jeep is decorated in tinsel, with a tray of bananas and a small Buddhist statue on the hood.Welcome to our michael kors outlet online shop! Here we sale Michael Kors Bags, bags, purses, wallets with very low price. Join us quickly!

Young girls and boys dressed like princes and princesses in elaborate costumes with bejewelled crowns sit on plastic chairs in the back of the utes, surrounded by family members.

As we step aboard the side cars of the waiting tri-shaws and ride through the small town of Magwe, children with big smiles and their parents and grandparents stand alongside the road outside houses and shops waving and calling "mingalaba", which means hello.Shop our selection of designer shoes, including Manolo Blahnik, christian louboutin shoes.

In a country such as Myanmar, which was closed off to the world for many years, foreigners are still a novelty in many places.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Handbags. Totally free shipping and returns. Some children hold their hands over their mouths and giggle at the sight of us.

We suddenly realise we are part of our own "tourist procession" and I feel like the Queen waving back.

When we arrive at Myat-thalon temple, built of solid gold bricks, San asks us each our birth date and works out what day of the week we were born using a special calendar to find our animal sign in the Burmese zodiac.

I discover I was born on a Monday, meaning I am a tiger, so in the temple I pour water over a Buddha statue above a tiger.

It is a surprisingly pleasant and calming experience.

The monk initiation lasts for two days. We spot the young novices again in the temple, with the celebration continuing in a marquee near our boat afterwards.

After dinner on board we stroll up to watch. Locals sit cross-legged on bamboo mats while two comedians and a band entertain.

Other than one comedian repeatedly hitting the other over the head with a cymbal we don't understand what is happening, but it is great to hear the intermittent raucous laughter from the crowd.Shop the latest from Michael Kors Handbags. Totally free shipping and returns.

Suddenly the lights go out - a common occurrence in Myanmar - and we Westerners become the entertainment while a new generator is sourced.

After a while we head back and find we are being escorted by three military police, there to protect us.

The new generator arrives after we leave and music continues until the early hours of the morning. At the break of dawn the next day we hear a gong, signifying the day's celebrations are to begin.

We wander back up after breakfast and find several young boys crouched outside the marquee having their heads shaved by their mums and aunties, flowers in their hair, with disposable razors.Welcome to replica louis vuitton outlet online store and buy latest Cheap Louis Vuitton handbags. Siblings tip water from silver buckets over the boys' heads.

The women's faces are painted with a yellow-ish cosmetic paste known as thanaka, which is the ground-up root of a tree and is used to lighten their skin, protect them from the sun and as perfume.

One boy sits, eyes closed, as locks of black hair fall on to his knees and the ground.

It's a rare moment in travel when I am moved to tears, but I find myself welling up to be witnessing such a momentous moment in a young Burmese boy's life.

The wide, shallow Irrawaddy River starts in the Himalayas and flows south for more than 2000km to the Indian Ocean.

We travel north along what Rudyard Kipling dubbed the "road to Mandalay" aboard the 60-passenger teak riverboat, the Orient Pandaw, a replica of one of the flotilla of steamers that plied the river in the 1920s and '30s, before being sunk in World War II to stop the Japanese getting their hands on them.

The river is the lifeblood for millions of Burmese and travelling by boat is a great way to witness traditional life and visit small villages which see few foreigners.

We sit in cane chairs on the deck and watch the sun set behind gold, pink and white Buddhist temples, known as pagodas.

We watch as men bring ox-drawn carts down to river to wash the animals while families bathe together in river at sunset.

It is the height of the dry season and the temperature is over 40C, and I am tempted to jump in with them.

We have another fortunate encounter on the way to the small town of Thaket-Myo, which is not even in our Lonely Planet guide book.

As we ride down the dusty street on a horse-drawn cart, we come across a Nat (spirit) ritual taking place in a tent by the roadside.

We are warmly welcomed inside and offered chairs and shade.

Ladyboys who are spirit mediums dressed like palace courtiers with gold crowns dance in a circle while wide-eyed children sit cross-legged in the front row. Money is pinned to the mediums and they sniff trays of fruit being used as offerings.

Afterwards we explore the markets where people selling dried fish, chillies, eggs, fish paste and coconuts smile and greet us as we pass.

Coach Approached Tory Burch About a Deal

The handbag and accessory maker's style has been to expand organically. But amid increasing competition,Our Michael Kors handbags outlet supply cheap designer and new Michael Kors handbags outlet for you. Coach is weighing the purchase of an accessories brand, according to people familiar with the company's thinking. The goal would be to jump-start growth and leverage its supply-chain expertise, said one of the people.

Coach became serious about doing a deal last year, approaching luxury handbag and clothing maker Tory Burch LLC, some of the people said. Coach spoke to Tory about paying in the $2 billion to $3 billion range, which was close to valuations based on investments from General Atlantic LLC and BDT Capital Partners LLC, said one of the people. But closely held Tory didn't bite, the people said.

Still, Coach continues to be on the lookout, people familiar with its thinking said.

New York-based Coach, founded in 1941, once dominated the U.Shop our selection of designer shoes, including Manolo Blahnik, christian louboutin shoes.S. handbag market and has been a go-to brand for women in the aspirational luxury segment. But it has lost some of its luster as its target audience defected to flashier labels from outfits such as Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., Kate Spade, owned by Fifth & Pacific Cos., and Tory Burch. Increasing competition from these and other brands in recent quarters has cut into Coach's growth, especially in North America compared with competitors.

Coach, with a market capitalization of about $16.7 billion, has seen its stock decline 13% over the past year, while shares of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. with a market value of $12.3 billion, have risen about 51% in that period.

Coach has benefited from success overseas as growing consumer economies such China clamor for Western luxury brands. For the quarter ended March 30, Coach reported sales of $1.2 billion, up 7.1% over the year-earlier period. North American sales rose 7% during the period to $792 million,Buy Cheap Michael Kors Bags with big discount and free shipping! while sales in China grew by 40%. Meanwhile, Michael Kors posted a 70% increase in sales during its fiscal third quarter, with sales in North America growing 67%.

Coach has a strong balance sheet, with $928 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 30. In April, it said it is considering strategic alternatives for its Reed Krakoff brand, including a sale.

The company's last acquisition was two decades ago, when it acquired Mark Cross, a small leather-goods company. The brand faltered, and the company closed it in 1998.

The Simon Property Group has announced the addition of three more stores to the Quaker Bridge Mall. The Art of Shaving, White House Black Market and Soma Intimates will open this summer.

Soma Intimates sells women’s lingerie, loungewear and beauty products. White House Black Market sells women’s clothing. The Art of Shaving specializes in high-end shaving supplies and grooming products.Take a look at these imitation wrist watches for sale online, which are one of the best cheap replica watches in USA.

Teen retailer Aeropostale is also slated to re-open its Quaker Bridge location with a new prototype store on the upper level between Lord & Taylor and Macy’s this month. The new store design will feature iPods in fitting rooms so shoppers can personalize the music while trying on items. Apple desktops and iPads will be available throughout the store for customers to scan products, read reviews and utilize the retailer’s build-your-own-outfit guide. There will also be a jukebox for customers to vote on the music that plays in the store.

The Quaker Bridge Mall renovation project began in the spring of 2012. By the end of this year, the mall will have welcomed more than 50 new retail and dining options including The Cheesecake Factory, bebe, Bachrach, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Michael Kors, and Sur La Table.

“The Quaker Bridge Mall is dedicated to providing an exceptional shopping experience,” Mall Manager Lynda Benedetto said. “With more than 50 new tenants and a renovated interior and exterior, we feel we can truly launch Quaker Bridge to the next level and become the premier shopping destination in our area.”

Many residents hope that Apple is opening a store at the mall. Apple recently advertised for positions in the Princeton area. There has been speculation that an Apple store will opened near Lord & Taylor,Welcome to Buy Michael Kors Outlet online now. but mall management has not confirmed those rumors.

Defendant: ‘Lizzi’ Marriott died during BDSM sex act

Dover, N.H. —

A Dover, N.H. man charged with strangling Westborough High School graduate Elizabeth Marriott to death allegedly told police he killed her during the course of a consensual sex act involving erotic asphyxiation.

Thirty-year-old Seth Mazzaglia, of Dover, N.H., is facing first- and second-degree murder charges in connection with Marriott's death. He is accused of strangling Marriott with a rope inside his apartment on Mill Street on Oct. 9, 2012.

Police say after initially lying about the encounter, Mazzaglia admitted to his involvement during an interview at the Newington Police Department on Oct. 12, 2012. His statements to police were recounted in a police affidavit attached to an arrest warrant in the case.

The affidavit was among hundreds of pages of information unsealed Monday at the circuit court in Dover, N.H. Foster's Daily Democrat, the New Hampshire Union Leader and The Portsmouth Herald had all petitioned the court for access to the records, which had remained shielded from public view for more than six months.

The release followed Mazzaglia's indictment on murder charges in April by a Rockingham County grand jury.

According to the search warrant affidavit, Sergeant Joseph Ebert of the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit questioned Mazzaglia on Oct. 12. Mazzaglia initially recounted a “variety of stories” about how Marriott died, according to the affidavit, all of which involved BDSM (bondage sadomasochism) exploration “gone too far.”

In one early version of the story, Mazzaglia allegedly told police he arrived home on Oct. 9 and “immediately sensed something was wrong.” Mazzaglia claimed a Rochester couple was present, as well as his live-in girlfriend, Kathryn McDonough, and Elizabeth Marriott. Mazzaglia said he remembered seeing a line across Marriott's throat, and said he believed that “someone had used their hands to manually strangle her,Take a look at these imitation wrist watches for sale online, which are one of the best cheap replica watches in USA.” according to police.

He later allegedly admitted to using a rope to strangle Marriott himself during what he described as a consensual sex act. Mazzaglia said he was playing strip poker with Marriott and his girlfriend on Oct. 9 when the three of them began talking about BDSM, according to the affidavit. Mazzaglia said the conversation “eventually led to a consensual sexual encounter involving autoerotic asphyxiation.”

Mazzaglia told investigators he put a rope around Marriott's neck while he was having intercourse with her, and applied pressure to the rope, according to the police affidavit. At some point, Mazzaglia said McDonough also became involved, but it was Mazzaglia who was tightening the rope before Marriott's death.

Mazzaglia said Marriott suffered what he described as a seizure. Mazzaglia said he then checked her body for a pulse in multiple locations and placed a plastic grocery bag over her head. He also called a friend named Roberta for help, according to the police affidavit.

On Oct. 12, police also interviewed a Rochester,If you want to Buy Cheap Hermes Birkin with Guaranteed Quality, you're advised to visit hermes handbags store Store. N.H. couple named Roberta Gerkin and Paul Hickok. Gerkin told police she received a call from the cell phone of Mazzaglia, whom she knew as “Lex,” at 10:49 p.m.Welcome to replica louis vuitton outlet online store and buy latest Cheap Louis Vuitton handbags. on Oct. 9, according to court documents. Gerkin told police it was McDonough on the other end, asking her to travel to the apartment in Dover, N.H.

Hickok accompanied Gerkin, and when they arrived, they saw “a female subject lying unconscious on the living room floor,” according to the police affidavit. Gerkin described the woman to police as a white female with shoulder length brown hair, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall. The woman was clothed only in a pair of blue underwear, and there were brown plastic grocery bags covering her head and face, Gerkin told police.Welcome to order your own Michael Kors Handbags Outlet on sale with 100% guarantee quality and low price.Discover the largest collection of gucci handbags for women.

Gerkin said she used a box cutter to remove the bags, and observed the woman had a “blue face” and appeared to be dead, according to the police affidavit.

Gerkin claimed that “Lex” and McDonough then discussed “dumping the body,” but Gerkin wasn't specific about the exact statements she heard, according to the police affidavit.

Richemont annual profit rose

Johannesburg - Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, the maker of Cartier jewelry and IWC watches, said full-year net income rose about 30 percent, more than analysts expected, as the the dollar’s strength against the euro boosted sales growth.

Operating profit gained about 18 percent in the year through March as sales advanced 14 percent, the Geneva-based company said in today in an unscheduled statement ahead of the scheduled May 16 results.

Revenue rose 9 percent excluding currency shifts.

Analysts expected a 25 percent gain in net income and an 18 percent increase in operating profit, according to the average of 17 and 18 estimates.

The profit increase was the slowest in three years as the market for Swiss watches slows.

Swatch Group AG Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said last month the industry needed to “calm the spirits” on expectations as growth in the market will probably be 5 percent to 10 percent this year compared with rates of as much as 30 percent in the past.

“There is clearly a slowdown in demand for watches from China, and Richemont is especially exposed to watches,” Mathew Menezes,Take a look at these imitation wrist watches for sale online, which are one of the best cheap replica watches in USA.

“Even so, the slowdown is very broad-based and Richemont has positioned themselves uniquely in the high end- range, so I think their top line growth is doing O.K.”

The stock rose 3.6 percent to 70.60 Swiss francs at 9 a.m. in Zurich,We have high quality replica tag heuer watches, you can not miss the best Tag Heuer Replica Watches online. bringing the gain in the past year to 30 percent.

Richemont shares touched a record 81.45 francs on January 18.

Richemont’s sales met the average analyst estimate.

The dollar was on average 6.9 percent stronger against the euro, Richemont’s reporting currency, during the fiscal year, boosting sales from the US and Asian countries whose currencies are linked to the dollar.

The owner of the Dunhill accessories brand said Swiss stock exchange rules required the announcement because of how much the results differ from last year’s.

Switzerland’s watch exports rose 0.6 percent in March as shipments to China dropped 31 percent, the fourth monthly decline, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said today.

First-quarter export growth slowed to 2.4 percent after the 11 percent pace in 2012.

Hermes International SCA said yesterday that sales of timepieces declined 5.3 percent, excluding currency shifts, as the Chinese market slowed.

The actual number of timepieces sold fell in March by 160,000 to 2.1 million units, FH said.Watches selling for less than 3,000 francs (export price) fell by 6.4 percent in value.But this was offset by a robust increase in luxury watches (those with an export price of more than 3,000 francs), which rose 7.2 percent in value, FH said.Last year, the Swiss watch industry set an all-time record for exports of more than 21 billion francs. The watch industry’s Q1 figures were matched by generally encouraging numbers for overall Swiss exports issued on Tuesday by the federal customs administration (FCA). an analyst at Avior Research,We offer Cheap Michael Kors Handbags Outlet Sale with top quality and discount price. said by phone from Johannesburg.

Swiss exports rose 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2013, while imports gained 2.6 percent over the the first three months of 2012, the FCA said.These figures were “corrected” to reflect the fact there were three fewer working days for the period this year than in 2012.The actual figures showed a 0.7 percent drop in exports to 49.8 billion francs, while imports dropped 1.8 percent to 43.9 billion francs.On the plus side, exports of food products, drinks and tobacco rose 11 percent, the FCA said.

Sergent's team stars in France

Jesse Sergent competed in one of the biggest races on the professional calendar last Sunday, lining up at the start of Paris-Roubaix for his RadioShack Leopard Trek team.

This race is known for its cobblestones sections of road, which are a nightmare to race on.

Sergent was part of a seven-strong team, with the goal to set up their team leader, Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, for his third victory in this race.

Sergent played his part perfectly and after 254km of hard racing,View profiles and information for the Team RadioShack Cycling 2012 race team and riders here. it was his team leader who crossed the line first ahead of Sep Vanmarcke, of Belgium (racing for Blanco Professional Cycling) and Niki Terpstra of the Netherlands (racing for Omega-Pharma Quickstep).

It has been another successful two weeks of racing for Bike Manawatu's junior riders at the Te Awamutu and Rotorua junior cycling tours.

The Te Awamutu two-day tour was on Easter weekend and consisted of two road stages and a time trial.

The under-19 boys were present in all stages, with Mark Findlay second on both of the road stages and 10th overall.

Luke Mudgway rode consistently to finish fourth overall, picking up the sprint jersey along the way and Jordan Castle was third on the final stage.

In the under-17 boys, Campbell Stewart had two third-place finishes and a first to finish second overall. Robert Stannard was third on stage two and finished in eighth overall and Alex West finished second on the third stage.

Elizabeth Stannard won the final stage to finish fifth on the final classification and fellow Bike Manawatu member Michaela Drummond finished eighth overall.

Libby Arbuckle continued her good form, winning the opening stage and then finishing second on the following stages to end the tour in second place. A week later most of these riders competed in Rotorua over two days,Big Garmin Cycling and Fitness is a family owned shop serving the Helena area since 1986. but with four stages to race - two road stages, one time trial and a criterium.

Mudgway put his sprinting talents on display to win the opening stage in the under-19 boys field, with Findlay not far behind in third.

Findlay finished second in the criterium and finished fifth overall, with Mudgway just ahead in third.

Manawatu's strong under-17 boys contingent dominated their field, taking all three spots on the podium on the opening stage, with Stewart finishing ahead of West and Chris Denholm.

Stewart was second in the next two stages, before another Bike Manawatu one, two,Erik's Bike Shop is proud to carry LIVESTRONG Cycling, gear and apparel. three on the final stage,We work with all Castelli Cycling computers. with Stewart l finishing ahead of Stannard and Denholm.Great discounts on our huge range of SAXO BANK Cycling clothing .

Stewart won the race overall with Stannard, Denholm and West present in the top 10 at seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively.

Arbuckle finished second on three of the four stages, but beat her closest rival by 53 seconds in the time trial to have enough of a gap to win the tour overall!

With the national championships looming, these are promising results and we can expect to see a few national champions crowned in Queenstown from April 18 to 21.

How To Avoid Being "That Guy" At The Office Party And Still Let Your Holiday Spirit Shine

Tips on making sure the season of festivities doesn't turn into a monthlong exercise of sticking your foot in your mouth or issuing email apologies--plus a few suggestions on gift-giving and fashion to help you outshine Larry in accounting.

Even if your CEO prefers to call himself “chief ninja” (hello, Seth Priebastch) and staff are routinely encouraged to relax and be creative (and forgo the suits and ties) there's a certain amount of business etiquette that's required in the workplace.

Unfortunately, during the holiday season, a time to be festive and full of good cheer can often be fraught with faux pas.Buy Cheap Moncler Jackets Men moncler jackets men for sale . A packed calendar of parties, some with freely poured libations, can unwittingly cue a conversational blunder with a coworker, while sitting back quietly because you're unsure of what to say and how to act could stifle opportunities to network or land a new client. Not to mention the loss of productivity from too much indulgence. A recent survey from indicates that 64 percent of Americans have called in sick or know someone who has missed a day of work due to a hangover after attending a holiday party.

Myron Radio, president of the R-Group, a leadership consultancy, says the first thing to remember when navigating all the end-of-year expectations is something he heard from a senior executive. "When you arrive at work and step off the elevator, you step directly onto a stage."

With that in mind, Fast Company polled the experts to tackle a host of sticky situations. Here are their tips for making the holidays work to your advantage.

Diversity Dos and Don'ts
95 percent of Americans say they celebrate Christmas, according to a Gallup poll, but only a little more than half do so for religious reasons. That said, Myron Radio notes that people of all religions seem to have special holidays during the winter season and should be acknowledged. From Ashura (Islamic) and Bodhi Day to Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and the Solstice, he says you can't go wrong by using generic phrases such as “Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays.” However, if you know a specific holiday that someone celebrates,Cheap Yves Saint Laurent burberry bags High Quality Replica Bags。 then it is perfectly acceptable to wish them that when communicating with them one-on-one, Radio adds.

Hot-Button Holiday Greetings
Speaking of sending good wishes, Erin Newkirk, founder of Red Stamp, says, “Sending warm holiday greetings to your boss/colleagues/customers is not only acceptable, it's wonderful when done right.”

Newkirk believes it's important to make it personal. “No one feels special when they open up the form card that's a preprinted greeting with Xeroxed signatures of the entire company roster,” she says, or receiving one that's a photo of you, your company, or “your adorable kids they've never laid eyes on.”

Instead,It's very good discount gucci handbags!This product is the best of world! she recommends selecting cards that are philanthropic or artistic, relevant to their industry or interests. Always avoid politics, religion, or social issues. “Humor is tricky, so it's usually best checked at the front door.”

Inside, greet the recipient by name, and include a short greeting wishing happiness and prosperity throughout the season and into the coming year. “If you shared a favorable, work-appropriate moment with your boss/coworker/customer, include a clever photo or memento,” she adds. Then hand-sign the card.

Gift-Giving Gaffes
Rewarding your direct reports or the entire staff is a matter of preference, according to etiquette guru Emily Post. She recommends giving across the board so no one feels left out and suggests gift certificates, tickets to the theater or a sporting event, books, CDs, and food items.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson, author of Suddenly in Charge, says skip the package and give the gift of time. “Next time you want to thank an employee for a job well done. Walk up to their desk on a Friday at noon and tell them to take the afternoon off. Accept no excuses. Tell them you are giving them a paid afternoon off as a thank you for being such a valuable member of your team. Don't be surprised if they show up early on Monday morning feeling rested and ready to plow through their day,” she writes.

Gifting the boss, on the other hand, could be perceived as sucking up.The high quality Canada Goose Heli-Arctic Parka women will last you for seasons to come. Radio suggests doing what feels right to you. “If you've known your boss for quite a while, and if you have a personal relationship with him or her, a small gift to show your appreciation for them is perfectly acceptable,” he says. This should be offered privately, not publicly.

If you're new, a gift to them could be misconstrued or make them feel obligated to reciprocate, he says. To avoid any awkwardness, give the gift discreetly and add a personal note that says something like: “Just a small gesture of my appreciation for your help in transitioning into our company.”

Charitable Donation Dynamite
‘Tis the season for charitable giving. Even if your company doesn't have a policy or set of organizations they'd like you to contribute to, you may find yourself faced with eager coworkers independently collecting for a food bank or selling cookie dough for their kids' school fundraiser.

“If you are the kind of person that genuinely like to help people in need, then by all means contribute,” advises Radio. “However, if you are reluctant to commit yourself for fear that the requests might multiply, it might be good to say, ‘I do contribute to worthwhile causes like yours already. If I can help you in any other way, please let me know.This Canada Goose Banff Parka is the best answer.'”

Avoid A Fashion Faux Pas
Christene Barberich, editor-in-chief of online fashion magazine and e-commerce site Refinery29, says there's no reason you need to look like a fashion fiasco during any office festivities if you follow some simple guidelines.

If the culture is casual in a small business or creative agency, Barberich urges female staff to “have fun with your holiday party look, and try out a trend that you've been on the fence about, like metallic makeup, a bold-colored dress, or a shimmery jumpsuit,” she says.

For more buttoned-up companies, Barberich cautions, “This is not your moment to show up at work in a little lacy thing, announcing to the world that you'll party well into the wee hours.” She suggests a work-appropriate dress under a statement jacket that you can take off later. “I'm also a big fan of the tailored tuxedo suit, which can be incredibly flattering and glamorous on most women.”

Keeping the hem length in check, Barberich says, the place women can safely take a risk is with their shoes. “Add a great pair of boots or a higher-than-average heel--that way, you feel festive and empowered.”

For guys toiling at a startup, a lax dress code can mean falling into a rut of jeans and hoodies. Barberich says, “The holiday party is the perfect chance to shake up your sartorial slump and up the ante. We recommend mixing some raw denim with a slim-fit tuxedo jacket paired with a seasonal plaid, even play around with a contrasting patterned tie.” She encourages guys to add some color, whether it's in the form of bright cords, quirky socks, or a cheeky sweater.

In the corporate world, Barberich says that annual office get-together is the time to have your very own James Bond/Daniel Craig moment. She says invest in a tailored suit with slightly skinnier lapels. “If you're feeling even more GQ, velvet is the way to go. Think: a rich cranberry blazer, a black tie, or even a smoking slipper. Just make sure you look more like Her Majesty's spy than Austin Powers.”

Symbolic renderings of a country at war

Violence in Syria has escalated. Tens of thousands more refugees have fled across the border, and the loss of life is reflected in the destruction of the country's historic patrimony – as when fire partially destroyed Aleppo's historic souk in October.

Such uncertain times can inspire more than literal representations of violence.

Though Syrian artist Guilain Safadi does not seek to depict contemporary events in his country directly, the work in “Ashes,” a series of black-and-white acrylic-on-canvas paintings and ink-on-paper sketches, does captures some of the horror of these events.

These monochrome images, now up at Artlab in Gemmayzeh, are a stark departure from the range of bright colors employed in Safadi's earlier works: “All I see is black and white. Everything is burned – the cities, our memories.”

With the exception of two sketches, all the works on show in “Ashes” were completed in 2012, a year after the outbreak of violence in Safadi's country. Though his work clearly references recent events, these are symbolic rather than literal.

The artist does not paint the harrowing scenes which have grown all too familiar over the past 20 months. Instead he paints people from his past – old friends and lovers, animals, masked figures and mythical creatures.

“I think when you have a hard situation you're trying to go back to the past because it gives you a break,” he says. “I see my cities burning, my memories with them. I try to catch a moment to remind me that we are [still] alive.”

Many of his roughly daubed paintings, all of them untitled, feature sad looking women, their hair jet black, their skin impossibly white, their squat bodies bare-breasted and adorned with the inky-feathered wings and scaly-looking legs of crows – like an allusion to the destructive harpies of Greek mythology.Canada Goose Whistler Parka

“I think the Arab woman is like a bird,” the artist opines. “She doesn't have freedom, she is in a cage. Therefore when I draw a real girl I try to use parts of a bird ... because they all want to fly.”

Another symbol in Safadi's work is the fish, a motif that reappears in many of his paintings. In one work, black-robed figures hold the body of a giant fish in the air, as though carrying a coffin at a funeral.Canada Goose Langford Parka

The fish, Safadi explains, is a reference to a Christian miracle, when Jesus is said to have fed 5,000 men from five loaves of bread and two fish.

“We need something like this because the children are all homeless,” he continues. “In Syria even the miracles are dead.”

The high point of the exhibition is a series of sketches that Safadi has titled “Nightmare Series.” These surreal works capture scenes from the artist's dreams. In spite of their complexity and detail, the sketches were completed in a matter of hours, he explains, while the memory of the dream was still fresh.

One sketch shows Safadi himself sitting at a long table, his hair falling around his shoulders, a halo around his head, a glass of wine in hand. Two swathes of cloth to either side suggest the scene might be taking place on stage.

Though the composition does not mirror Leonardo da Vinci's famous “Last Supper” exactly, the masterpiece is recalled in the relationship between the subjects. Like da Vinci's Jesus, Safadi sits at the center of the table, surrounded by people who are turned toward him, yet somehow isolated.

The figures around the artist are no 12 disciples. At his left there sits a frowning woman, whose long black hair matches the black feathers of the huge raven perched on her hand, beak stretched wide as though emitting an obnoxious caw. Facing the couple across the table is a man in a collared jacket.Canada Goose Womens New The back of his head looks human, but his face is grotesquely elongated – evoking the muzzle of a wolf, or perhaps the beak of a giant toucan.

Toward the back of the scene,Canada Goose Kensington Parka other masked figures loom out of the darkness.moncler down coats One woman is a traditional sad clown. Another is a terrifying creature with vacant, bulging eyes like ping-pong balls. These figures are the artists' friends, he explains, wearing masks from the commedia dell'arte.

Safadi's pieces may not depict scenes of violence, but sadness emanates from every canvas. Though they are by no means photojournalistic representations of the Syria's civil unrest, for those inclined to decipher the symbolism they provide perhaps just as valuable an insight into the psychological horrors of a country at war.

A grim landscape

This time of year thou mayest in me behold a distinctly sour expression. It's partly all those ads featuring grotesquely over-ornamental jewellery, and designer saris and clothes that make the women who wear them look like walking Christmas trees with all lights blazing. And then, of course there are the joyous revelers who burst crackers all night long in our area, with the result that two of my dogs are nervous wrecks. (The third would sleep through the end of the world).

My reading has been fairly grim as well.Canada Goose offers the moncler down coats in women's styles. The Irish novelist, Anne Enright who won the Booker for “The Gathering” (Vintage) in 2007 is likely to be in Mumbai for a literary festival next month, and I've been catching up with the book.

It's about one of these huge Irish Catholic families (12 children of whom 9 survive, and seven miscarriages), and a mother who has turned into a zombie with all the childbearing. One of the siblings, Liam has just committed suicide, and everyone is coming home for the funeral. Veronica, Liam's slightly younger sister tells the story in her own voice. “I would like to write down what happened in my grandmother's house the summer I was eight or nine, but I am not sure if it really did happen. I need to bear witness to an uncertain event. I feel it roaring inside me---this thing that may not have taken place. I don't even know what name to put on it. I think you might call it a crime of the flesh, but the flesh is long fallen away and I am not sure what hurt may linger in the bones.”

After this little introduction of Veronica's, and two finely written chapters on her mother and grandmother, “The Gathering,” sadly, begins to fall apart as writing. It is both “under-written” and “over-written.Thank you! It's very good moncler jackets men!” There are so many siblings to talk about that one can barely remember their names, let alone anything about them what they look like, what they are like. They are just ciphers. The narrator doesn't tell us till more than halfway through the book that she saw her brother Liam being sexually abused by Lambert Nugent, ostensibly a friend of her grandmother's.

Veronica did nothing about it, and told no one. But Liam as he grew older went off the rails, became an alcoholic, and eventually committed suicide, thoughtfully wearing a yellow jacket that would make it easier for searchers to find his body. Delayed in this way, the revelation-to-be becomes something of a tease.

Perhaps the sexual nature of the event accounts for the endless, sometimes pointless references to genitals throughout the book. “I haven't had vodka in years; even now there is something sweet and crotch-like about the smell of it.Next you needs to have a carefully consider the Canada Goose Mystique Parka.” She thinks of long-dead Lambert Nugent.

“Nugent plays with his sister Lizzie, now they are both dead. They kiss each other and are consoled.The Canada Goose Heli-Arctic Parka has long been known as the industrial parka of the north. They do not breathe; the tangle and slither of their tongues is endless and airless and cold.” “I saw a man with tertiary syphilis at Mass, once… The flaps of the man's ears had been eaten away…the bridge of his nose had collapsed flat into his face…”

There are dozens of references to genitals of every size, shape or form,Below are the other classic discount gucci handbags like the Timeless Clutch. in dead men or men sitting next to Veronica in a plane or train, having a hard-on. One can find reasons for all this, but then, one can find reasons for anything. It's an immensely tedious read, especially when, as in the case of the syphilitic it adds nothing to our understanding of anything.

There's a happy ending of sorts. It turns out Liam has a little son called Rowan, and Veronica appears to be getting her life in order again. But two hundred plus pages of rambling memories that don't always add up is perhaps too high a price for the reader to pay.

Shopping therapy

I have made it a point to spend more time with the important people in my life since becoming one of the displaced minions of corporate America. Last weekend I called my sister, Kim,Men's Clothing Canada Goose Womens New and Coats from the current Duvetica Goose Down Jackets Collection. who strangely enough also is a recent casualty of corporate downsizing. I invited her to go shopping -- something I know would pick up her spirits.

Kim was already on the road when I called. I had to fade down the volume of my earpiece to avoid the high-pitch scream that came from her as she begin telling me about where we should go and the real threat in her shopping arsenal -- a 60% off Stein Mart coupon.

Kim made great time and we hit the seasonal section of our first stop to buy some holiday decorations.A new Canada Goose Womens Resolute creates a clean read by getting a discreetly cinched stomach or thinner furrows solely. Kim was searching for a tree for her front porch, and I needed a few pieces to finish the den. The place was packed,For sale is a Canada Goose Resolute Parka men's jacket. and sometimes the shoving got pretty intense, but I justified my behavior by rationalizing that those elderly shoppers knew the risks when they decided to brave the half-off aisle.

We finished there and set off for the main event -- Stein Mart. We entered the store, and Kim's demeanor immediately changed. She gave me a 20% off coupon, told me the men's section was to the left, then, clutching her 60% off coupon like a dagger,Women's Canada Goose Trillium Parka Graphite ,The design of Canada Goose Parka is the good combination of style and function. flung herself into the bowels of the women's red dot sale section.

I thought at one point I heard an African wail, like the one from “The Color Purple,” right before Celie was about to shave Mister, but it could have been just my imagination.

After about an hour I gathered my few items and went searching for Kim. The search was like being in jungle combat. Every now and then among the skirts and blouses some woman would emerge, like the one with the same sweater in five different colors, or the short red haired woman screaming into her cell phone “No, everything is 60% off,” before she disappeared back into the underbrush of the cotton blend canopy.

Kim finally came from nowhere holding several items, looking wild eyed, smiling and exclaiming the deals she had found, but she said she had to try on a few skirts to make sure they fit.

Time seemed to stand still, similar to the special effect where one element is stationary and everything else is sped up all around it.The Canada Goose Constable Parka has a removable hood and is a slim, modern fit which makes it ideal for city streets or Arctic tundra. I stood there in the aisle clutching my few items as women shoppers raced all around me like a legion of animated pre-Black Friday leaf cutter ants.

I finally set off to locate Kim but found myself in a strangely familiar but awkward place outside the women's dressing room. Something in my past training as the only male in a house full of women kicked in, and I deftly picked up a few skirts from a nearby rack. A man just standing outside the women's dressing room might be suspect, but if you saw some poor slob standing there holding women's garments, you might figure that he should just be pitied and ignored, like an Egyptian shopping eunuch.

After a few minutes I saw my sister making her way through the red-dot jungle. Hey, she was not even in the dressing room. I replaced the skirts and thanked God the dressing rooms were not in the bra and panty section. Been there; done that.

Kim came toward me waving a skirt and jacket, her new interview outfit, like they were two African wildebeest pelts she had brought down during safari.

We finally took our place in the cashier line. I was tired, hungry and broke, and of course only two of my items were covered under my 20% off coupon, but the sight of my sister's smile and the sounds of her excited squeals when she realized the savings from her 60% off red-dot excursion were…well, priceless.

Here's to being thankful for the loved ones in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

What It Boils Down To

Six weeks ago, on September 12, 2012,The Canada Goose Constable Parka has long been known as the industrial parka of the north. my partner and I went to D.C. to get married. We went to D.C. on September 12, 2012 because it was (and currently is) illegal for gays to marry in 44 of our 50 states, including Maryland, where we live. In a house. Together. Sharing a life. Together.

I've tried very hard to understand the opposition to gay marriage. I've only come up with one explanation. What it boils down to is hardware. As far as I can understand, gay people have two vaginas or two penises instead of one vagina and one penis, which is the only recipe that is apparently right for marriage because, according to the church, penises and vaginas can come together and make babies, which is the only reason a penis and a vagina should ever meet. Also, penises and vaginas belong together because the vagina accepts the penis in a way that is natural and pleasing to God (please note however: this penis/vagina union is only pleasing to God when the vagina and the penis are 1. bound by marriage and 2. open to children, which means no birth control.) Also, it seems that two vaginas and two penises are a threat to family and the sanctity of marriage and all other things holy. And, last but not least, let us not forget that God, as we all know, made Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve.

To Be Clear

So, on September 12, 2012 Lindsay and I went down to D.Canada Goose Sale high quality Canada Goose D'Alpago Bomber with best price.C. to get married, but you can't just zip down there and come back married all in one day. You have to go down and apply for a marriage license first. When you apply for the license, you go into the Marriage Bureau and fill out some papers and then they tell you to go down to some other place to pay some money. They give you directions to the other place and tell you to turn at the big glass wall, which really isn't a big glass wall, just a wall with some windows in it, and because of this you turn the wrong way and you wander past the courtrooms where people who may or may not be criminals mill around outside, waiting for their lunch break to be over. A little black girl with braids tells you that she likes your shoes as you wander down the hall and you say "Thanks" before you can realize that you are wearing a pair of ratty brown flip flops and you think that you should have said something sassy like, "Why these old things?"

When you finally find the place you are looking for,Cheap Moncler Coats outlet we offer,Canada Goose Expedition Parka Sale Store. you push cash under the window, the way that you do at gas stations in seedy neighborhoods. You chat with the woman behind the glass who tells you about the long day she is having and the way that a man once tried to pay for something at her window with a counterfeit bill and she says "Who would try to use a counterfeit bill in a courthouse? Mmmm, mmm, mmm."

When she finishes, the woman pushes the receipt back to you and you walk back up to the Marriage Bureau, past all the maybe criminals and you sign in again and wait for them to call your name. While you are waiting, two older lesbians come into the room and sit down near you. You know it is their wedding day because the one with short, spiky, frosted blonde hair is wearing a white suit that is head-to-toe white. When you see her, you wonder what you will wear when you come back to this courthouse to get married. Not a white suit, but not a wedding dress either. You wonder if anyone wears a wedding dress when they come to the courthouse to get married,View profiles and information for Castelli Cycling here. then you think of how funny that would look, the wedding dress amidst all the maybe criminals.

When they call your name you go sit across from man who explains to you how the rest of this process works. He points to a phone number and tells you that you can call the number tomorrow to schedule a ceremony. He says that you that if you want to get married somewhere else or by a minister, there is a different process to go through. You tune him out as he explains this different process. You know that tomorrow you will call the number that he pointed to, and you will schedule a ceremony. You will get married right here. You will walk underneath that trellis wrapped in plastic flowers into the room that is attached to this room, the one that you can't quite see into because of the way the hallway extends from the door and then turns left before the room opens up. You will get married there, in the place you can't see.

You leave the courthouse that day, and you think about the way that no one, not even one person, raised an eyebrow at you or your partner; the way that nobody was shocked about the fact that you were there to apply to get married -- two vaginas and no penises -- and no one batted an eye, no one cared.Sale Cheap duvetica jackets online with worldwide. And for the first time in a long time, you feel hope.