France's new Nobel Prize winner in literature says reports of the death of French culture have been greatly exaggerated.
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio says he heard for the first time Thursday that some believe French culture is in decline.
Le Clezio says, "I deny it. It's a very rich, very diversified culture. There's no risk of …
Textile students from Kings of Wessex School, Cheddar, weavedtheir way to the Alexandra Palace in London for the Knitting andStitching Exhibition.
The 35 GCSE students and teacher Charlotte Gale enjoyed seeingthe work of contemporary designers, including Ruth Lee and LindsayTaylor, and watched artists demonstrating techniques in their work.
Student Lucy Stone said: "I found it very interesting and …
EIN EL-HILWEH CAMP, Lebanon - Islamic militants clashed with Lebanese troops at the country's biggest Palestinian refugee camp Monday, threatening to open a southern battle front that could complicate the army's effort to defeat al-Qaida-inspired extremists in the north.
Two government soldiers and a militant were reported killed in fighting at the Ein el-Hilweh camp in the southern city of Sidon, which began when the Jund al-Sham group attacked army outposts late Sunday.
The assault was seen as an attempt by Jund al-Sham to ease military pressure on an allied Islamic group, Fatah Islam, whose guerrillas have been battered by army attacks since May 20 in the Nahr el-Bared …
China's exports slumped for the sixth straight month amid warnings that weak overseas demand was hindering a recovery, even as government spending helped boost factory investment.
The 22.6 percent drop in exports in April from a year earlier, to $91.9 billion, was bigger than March's 17 percent drop and larger than forecasts. It suggests China's trade sector has seen scant relief from the prolonged drought in demand brought on by the global downturn.
"These figures show we cannot be optimistic about the future trends for exports," the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site that amounted to a lament over the lack of a …
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It took 15 long years and 462 agonizingdefeats for Michael Waltrip to find the winner's circle. But DaleEarnhardt's death has kept him from enjoying that breakthroughvictory.
Waltrip won for the only time in his career in February, takingthe checkered flag in the biggest of all NASCAR races - the Daytona500. A half-mile behind him, his friend and boss was killed when hiscar crashed into the wall.
The death of NASCAR's icon forever spoiled Waltrip's crowningmoment and put his celebration on hold.
Now, as Waltrip returns to Daytona International Speedway forSaturday's Pepsi 400, emotions will be running high. But Waltripisn't sure how …
REGION
Group needs more cash to thrive, consultant says
Before setting out on a journey, it helps to have a map to guide you in the right direction. This was the thought process behind the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau's decision to hire North Carolina-based Randall Travel Marketing last year.
From December through April Randall Travel studied and researched the bureau's coverage area: Dauphin and Perry counties. Cumberland, Lebanon and Franklin counties left the group about two years ago.
"We initiated the entire process because we went from representing five counties down to two (and brought) on basically an entirely new staff. We thought ... …
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says at least four people have died in a crane collapse that leveled a block on Manhattan's East Side.
Bloomberg says at least 10 people were injured Saturday in one of New York City's worst construction accidents in recent memory.
The big, white …
ERNIE Bussell is a puzzled man. Lots of locals, of course, knowhim as a "natural remedies consultant" working out of premises inRedland.
But, of late, Ernie has developed something approaching a passionfor filling in hundreds of little gaps in his life.
His partner, he suggests, is not over-impressed with his new, all-consuming interest.
Undeterred, though, Ernie has now written an impassioned plea tomy readers who share his enthusiasm - for jigsaw puzzles.
Ernie's little "problem" began back in April on a "dismal wetFriday in Kingsbridge, Devon" when he purchased the 1,000-piecepuzzle from a charity shop.
He paid 40p.
"When I …
How can U.S. research universities remain the world's best?
AS THE NATION STRUGGLES TO RECOVER
from the 2008 economic collapse and subsequent recession, at least one sector - dubbed "America's best industry" by journalist Fareed Zakaria - retains world dominance. It is higher education, especially research-based graduate education, which has undergirded the innovation crucial to America's prosperity.
Even before the financial crash and recession, however, knowledgeable observers worried that American pre-eminence faced serious challenges, especially from Asian contenders such as China, India, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which are working aggressively to build …
The government says a senior British intelligence official is seriously ill, but foul play is not suspected.
The Cabinet Office says Alex Allan, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, was taken ill on Monday. A spokeswoman for the office, speaking on condition of anonymity Friday, says Allan's condition is a private matter.
…
City man arrested in roommate's stabbing
A Charleston man was arrested after he allegedly stabbed hisroommate in the stomach, police said.
Michael Dennis Higbee, 45, who lives in the 700 block of CentralAvenue, allegedly attacked Marshall Dean Linebaugh at theirresidence about 4 p.m. Tuesday, said Lt. H.A. Haynes of theCharleston Police Department.
Linebaugh, 42, ran out of the house after the attack and refusedto cooperate with police, Haynes said. Linebaugh told police hedidn't want to press charges and he initially refused to be taken tothe hospital.
Linebaugh, 42, also had knife wounds on his hands and fingers,Haynes said. The status of Linebaugh's …
The nomination of a key U.S. arms control envoy has been held up by opposition from Sen. Jon KyI (R-Ariz.), an outspoken critic of many arms control agreements.
KyI, chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, has put a "hold" on the nomination of career diplomat James B. Cunningham to serve as U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The hold comes just as U.S. officials are pushing the IAEA to put pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program (see page 33).
Other Senate Republicans, such as James Inhofe (OkIa.), as well as Department of State Undersecretary for Arms Control and International security John Bolton are reported to …
AMMAN, Jordan Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide Jordan withhalf of its daily oil needs, Jordanian officials said Wednesday, in amove that observers said is aimed at weaning Jordan from itsreluctance to apply a United Nations embargo against Iraq.
The provision of oil would help cushion some of the cost forJordan of enforcing an embargo against Iraq. For the last decade,Jordan has received 90 percent of its crude oil from Iraq.
The estimated 33,000 barrels a day to be provided by SaudiArabia would make up only about 50 percent of Jordan's needs, and itis not clear where the balance will come from.
The decision to accept oil from Saudi Arabia may force KingHussein to soften his criticism of Saudi Arabia for inviting U.S.troops to confront Iraq.
King Hussein, at a press conference, gave no details on the dealwith Saudi Arabia, saying, "Certainly, I think that Jordan will tryto seek to get some oil to meet its needs - how and from where, Idon't know." But at the same time he said Jordan would continue toreceive oil from Iraq.
The Jordanian monarch also said he would restart his own brandof shuttle diplomacy, embarking on an international tour to try toget diplomatic solutions to the Persian Gulf crisis off the ground.One visit will be to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, hesaid.
But Western sources said they view the efforts of King Hussein,as a smoke screen intended to mask his pro-Iraqi political stand.Jordan insists that to condemn the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait would endits self-designated role as diplomatic middleman.
"Let's face it, the United States does not need the king to talkwith Saddam," one Western diplomat said. "But it is convenient for(him) to maintain the fiction."
In Iraq, Baghdad television announced that President Husseinwould respond today to an impassioned plea for peace from EgyptianPresident Hosni Mubarak. Later, the state-run news agency declaredof Mubarak: "Whatever his good intentions, he is not offeringfundamental solutions."
The confrontation, the news agency said, "is between right andwrong, between vice and virtue . . . between freedom and the tails ofthe foreigners."
The news agency said in another item that two aircraft fromSaudi Arabia crossed the southern borders of Iraq, presumably west ofKuwaiti territory, and penetrated three miles into Iraqi airspace.It did not identify the type or nationality of the aircraft.
It is unclear how King Hussein could shield himself from thepolitical cost of complying with the UN-sanctioned trade embargoagainst Iraq. Applying the sanctions is a volatile question inJordan because many here support Saddam Hussein and his policies.
The king has been unwilling to indicate he will enforce theembargo, calling the invasion of Kuwait "justified" and saying Iraqis fighting for its "very existence."
"You can suggest we should block traffic completely across theborder," he told a questioner. "There are so many aspects to theproblem. We are trying to work them out as best we can."
It's been a common belief among people with wheat and gluten allergies that oats were off limits. Now, new research is showing that this isn't necessarily the case.
Naturally occurring cereal compounds (gliadins, secalins, hordeins, avenins, etc.) typically cause problems for people with celiac disease (CD). CD is an inherited condition that produces symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, bone pain, breathlessness, depression, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle cramps and vomiting due to proteins found in grains, especially gluten and the related protein, gliadin.
In a test-tube study by Italian researchers that appeared in the July 2001 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the authors found that "oats have no harmful effect on celiac disease" and they concluded that "oats can be safely included in a gluten-free diet."
Mary Schluckebier, national president and executive director of the Omaha, Neb.-based Celiac Sprue Association (www.csaceliacs.org), told Better Nutrition, however, that "all celiac disease organizations are cautious about including oats in a gluten-free diet." She added that a "consensus of research is building to indicate that oats may not evoke an immune response in some people with celiac disease," although it may be best for sensitive celiac sufferers to avoid oats. "If you're not senstive," Schluckebier said, "you might try oats to see if you can tolerate it, and go get an antibody test after a couple of symptom-free months to see if your IgG, IgA and other celiac-disease markers have changed." The American Gastroenterological Association recently estimated that as many as one in 250 Americans may suffer from some form of celiac disease.
BEIRUT (AP) — When Bashar Assad inherited power in Syria in 2000, many saw him as a youthful new president in a region of aging dictators — a fresh face who could transform his father's stagnant dictatorship into a modern state ready to engage with the world.
Now, the bloody government backlash has extinguished the once-popular image of Assad as a reformer struggling against members of his late father's old guard.
With calls for his resignation last week from Washington to Tokyo, the Arab Spring has forced Assad to face the most severe isolation of his family's four-decade rule. And the events of the past five months have dashed any lingering hopes that he would change one of the most repressive states in the world.
There is little sign that the 45-year-old Assad will manage to crush the protests that are shaking his regime. But even if he does, his newfound status as a global pariah stands to devastate his country of 22 million people, undermine stability in the Middle East and affect the role of Iran, Syria's ally, on the world stage.
"Power is an aphrodisiac, and as the old saying goes, it corrupts absolutely," said David W. Lesch, an American expert on Syria who wrote a 2005 biography of Bashar Assad. "In the end, he became more of a product of his environment rather than a transformational figure who could change that environment."
The United States and several of its major allies called Thursday for Assad to give up power, a crescendo to months of mounting reproach. The messages from Washington, London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels coincided with a U.N. report recommending that Syria be referred to the International Criminal Court for investigation of possible crimes against humanity in the crackdown, including summary executions, torturing prisoners and targeting children.
Even Japan added its voice to the chorus calling for Assad to leave.
Human rights groups said Assad's forces have killed nearly 2,000 people since the uprising erupted in mid-March, touched off by the wave of revolutions sweeping the Arab world.
There is no sign that the global calls for Assad's ouster will have any immediate effect, although analysts say they could ultimately help turn the tide. The growing isolation could compel Syrians who have supported the regime to move toward the opposition, especially if the economy continues to deteriorate.
Longtime ally Iran has offered unwavering support for Damascus, but it cannot prop up the regime indefinitely.
Still, many observers predict at least several more months of bloodshed, perhaps even more brutality to prevent further attempts to replace Assad.
Both sides of the conflict remain energized. Protesters pour into the streets every Friday, defying the near-certain barrage of shelling and sniper fire. But the regime is strong as well and in no imminent danger of collapse, setting the stage for what could be a drawn-out and bloody stalemate.
The opposition has yet to bring out the middle- and upper-middle classes in Damascus and Aleppo, the two economic powerhouses, although protests have been building.
Assad, and his father before him, stacked key military posts with members of their minority Alawite sect, ensuring loyalty by melding the fate of the army and the regime. That loyalty is the Assad regime's most potent weapon.
Economic sanctions can chip away at the regime, although the new U.S. ban on Syrian oil is not a significant blow on its own. But EU officials said Friday the bloc's 27 member states were considering an embargo on oil, which could significantly slash the Damascus government's revenues.
Syria's oil exports — most of them heading to Europe — generate $7-8 million per day, said David Schenker, director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Without that revenue, Syria will quickly burn through the $17 billion in foreign reserves that the government had at the start of the uprising.
"But it could still take a year to deplete, collapsing the economy," Schenker cautioned.
It remains to be seen if Turkey, a former close ally of Syria, will also impose sanctions. Turkey is Syria's neighbor and important trade partner, and its leaders have grown increasingly frustrated with Damascus.
Although Washington has little direct influence on Syria, President Barack Obama's call for Assad to leave decisively ends the U.S. push for engagement with Damascus.
There were early signs that the attempt would end badly: A secret U.S. diplomatic cable from June 2009 portrays Assad as vain and inexperienced, and government officials in Damascus as inveterate liars.
Assad sees himself "as a sort of philosopher-king, the Pericles of Damascus," Maura Connelly, the U.S. charge d'affaires in Damascus at the time, says in the cable, which was released by WikiLeaks.
She suggests flattering Assad may be a good way to manipulate him: "Playing to Bashar's intellectual pretensions is one stratagem for gaining his confidence and acquiescence; it may be time-consuming but could well produce results."
Syria has long been viewed by the West as a potentially destabilizing force in the Middle East because of its alliance with Iran and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Damascus also provided a home for some radical Palestinian groups.
In recent years, however, the country has been trying to emerge from years of international isolation, raising hopes that Washington could peel the country away from Tehran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
But two years of U.S. overtures to Damascus yielded few results. Now, an isolated Assad is as close to Iran as ever. Iraq is sticking by Assad as well — a move that some see as a sign of how the Iraqi government is shifting toward an alliance led by Iran as American forces get ready to leave at the end of the year.
It's a marked change in the relationship between Iran and Syria, which were deeply estranged all through the Saddam era and the insurgency.
Assad's isolation stands in stark contrast to the hopes many pinned on his leadership.
He gave up an ophthalmology career in Britain to enter Syrian politics when his brother Basil, widely regarded as his father's chosen heir, died in a 1994 car crash.
Assad, who was 34 when he took power, slowly lifted Soviet-style economic restrictions, letting in foreign banks, throwing the doors open to imports and empowering the private sector. His youth and quiet demeanor endeared him to Syrians. The tall, lanky leader with a mild disposition is said to detest being surrounded by bodyguards.
He and his wife, Asma, and their three young children, live in an apartment in the upscale Abu Rummaneh district of Damascus, as opposed to a palatial mansion like other Arab leaders.
But the "Damascus Spring" turned out to be short-lived, and Assad slipped into the autocratic ways of his father.
"I have personally seen Assad's evolution from someone who became president by accident and wanted to reform the country to someone who was battle-tested, in power, and appears to have been convinced by sycophantic praise and regime propaganda as to his own indispensable position in the country," Lesch said.
For now, though, Assad enjoys a measure of support in Syria. His main base at home includes Syrians who have benefited financially from the regime, minority groups who feel they will be targeted if the Sunni majority takes over, and others who see no clear and safe alternative to Assad.
The Syrian opposition movement is disparate and largely disorganized, without a strong leadership.
Sectarian warfare is a real, terrifying possibility in Syria, a fragile jigsaw puzzle of Middle Eastern backgrounds including Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Christians, Kurds, Druse, Circassians, Armenians and more. The worst-case scenario is a descent into a Lebanese-style civil war — and Assad has exploited those fears.
The Syrian government insists the unrest is being driven by terrorists and foreign extremists looking to stir up sectarian strife. On Saturday, a government-owned newspaper said the U.S. and European calls for Assad to step down finally have revealed the "face of the conspiracy" against Damascus.
NOVEMBER 5, 2007
Lata Village, Niti Valley
It started off as my much-awaited trek in the Garhwal Himalayasand turned into an impressive first-hand account of a small, yetsmart, initiative. The setting: Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek againstthe backdrop of the spectacular 7,816-metre Nanda Devi peak.
But first, a peek into the history of this trek that has a directbearing on the present. The Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek retraces thepioneering steps of mountaineers Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilmanthrough the Garhwal Himalayas in 1934. It's their exploration of theinner sanctuary that set the stage for all subsequent mountaineeringexpeditions. That was till 1982 when the region around Nanda Deviwas declared a national park and all human activity banned insidethe inner sanctuary. The well-meaning conservation efforts had adevastating impact on the local economy.
In this backdrop, the Nanda Devi Campaign, led by the locals, waslaunched in 1990s. After a long struggle, in 2003, the region sawthe opening of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) for limitedecotourism activities. The people of Nanda Devi, however, faced thedaunting prospect of managing a community-based tourism trade withfew of the resources, experience, and expertise enjoyed by the bigtourist agencies.
This struggle has now moved into its decisive phase. And the bigchallenge? Capacity building and training of local youth--to ensurethat the gains of this labour are not lost on the community.
Taking up this challenge is Mountain Shepherds headquartered atLata village in Chamoli district--a cooperative initiative that wasborn out of the Nanda Devi Campaign. To begin with, MountainShepherds has taken upon itself to train the local youth fromUttarakhand Himalayas at the prestigious Nehru Institute ofMountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, to become local guides, portersand technical experts in search and rescue operations duringtrekking expeditions in the Garhwal Himalayas.
Leader of this initiative, Dr Sunil Dutt Kainthola, says: "We aretrying to evolve a model of community-owned tourism where thecommunity is not a mere beneficiary but among the main stakeholdersin the tourism enterprise of the region."
To this end, Mountain Shepherds also directly plans treks to thesanctuary and takes care of your trip right from the time you landin Delhi. Thus our trip to the sanctuary was also ensured inassociation with Mumbai-based Odati Adventures.
From our first halt at Rishikesh, we are driven to Joshimathwhere Mountain Shepherds has a homestay facility. Here, we areintroduced to our trek manager, Mangal, and his team of three mainleaders--Lakhpath, Hookie and Govind. These local boys were amongthe first batch of 38 boys to get trained at NIM, through MountainShepherds initiative. The trained boys have pledged that they willdevelop tourism as envisaged in the Nanda Devi Declaration, whichchalked out the biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism guidelinesin 2001. Says Kainthola: "The boys, who currently operate underMountain Shepherds, will eventually become partners in thecooperative initiative."
During the trekking season (June to October), the local boys earnabout Rs 20,000-25,000 through portage. Their families earn similaramounts through selling carpets and about Rs 10,000 throughhomestays. Of this, Mountain Shepherds--which will soon be convertedinto a private limited company--earns a minimal profit, which itthen gives back to the locals in the form of micro-financing. Onesuch local boy, Mukesh, drove us from Rishikesh to Joshimath andthereafter, to Lata village in his own vehicle that he had boughtthrough micro-financing.
After an overnight stay at Joshimath, we are driven 25 km to LataWinter village. At Lata, we also meet our 15-member porter team.Among these are experienced expedition porters like Kundan Singh,who has walked with the renowned author Bill Aitken (who wrote NandaDevi Affair) and trained local boys like Sandeep, Gautam and Sidhu,who accompany us on the trek.
We immediately organise our backpacks and do a short trek of 1.5km to Lata Summer village, the traditional gateway to the Nanda Devitrek. After getting a taste of the local hospitality, we head intothe forest above, frequently snatching views of the now diminishingvillage below. Kanuk is our first camp at 10,640 feet; then is LataKharak at 12,174 feet. The boys then walk us up to the view point'Saini Kharak', which gives us a splendid view of the peaks ofDronagiri, Bethartoli, Nanda Ghunti, Trisul, and Devisthan. TheRishi Ganga gorge below is one of the most formidable gorges in theHimalayas; we keep walking along the ridge over broken boulders.After a short walk, we can see Nanda Devi in its full glory. Thenext morning, our forward journey to Dharansi Pass is cut short asthe weather turns wicked. We are forced to return to our camp LataKharak.
It's time now to start our steep descent towards Kadvi Chaunthrough thick forests of Birch and Fir to our last camp Tolma, asmall village on the slopes of the valley. Tolma is our porterGovind's hometown and he has organised one-day homestay for us, thusensuring that Tolma's locals have an equal opportunity to earnthrough tourism. The lessons of community tourism have been learntwell, surely.
The booth is where the magic happens, so it pays to keep it up to snuff. That means more than just replacing filters.
The spray booth is the center ring in what is often the three-ring circus of collision repair. The vehicle has been aligned, the body repaired by expert metal technicians, and now it's prepped and ready for the finishing touch-the step that will make or break the job-the paint. It's here in the paint booth that the magic happens: the color and the clear will be sprayed onto the car by a skilled technician, and the finish will be baked to a hard, shiny brightness that will, hopefully, dazzle the customer.
So it's a no-brainer that maintaining the booth should be a top priority with every shop owner or manager.
All spray booths are engineered and installed to conform to the safety regulations of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association, as well as local code requirements. After installation, however, compliance with all requirements becomes the responsibility of the shop owner.
Safety first
Safety is a primary consideration in booth maintenance. Remember, in the spray booth, a flammable liquid (paint) is being atomized. That means the potential for fire is a constant presence.
Experts agree that filters are the most important aspect of booth maintenance and often the most overlooked. In the heat of doing spot repair after spot repair, a shop may forget to change filters. Says a manager for a leading booth and oven manufacturer: "Sometimes a shop will let it go until the filter loads up and creates problems, like dirt on the job they're repairing."
Paint arrestor filters, which capture overspray, should be changed at least monthly and preferably semi-monthly.
This schedule can vary, depending on several factors, including the following:
* Type of spray system (HVLP, airless, higher or lower air pressure).
* Volume of material sprayed each day.
* Outside atmosphere-presence of contaminants, such as pollen, road dust, etc.
* Materials sprayed (high-density materials produce less overspray)
Most booth manufacturers base their filter replacement recommendations on the number of hours the filters are in use. In order to set up a schedule for your shop, you need to record spraying hours on a weekly basis during a oneor two-month period then determine the weekly average.
To maintain filters properly, keep the following points in mind:
Avoid getting ceiling filters wet with a hose. The pressure disturbs the fibers and allows the filter to pass fine dust.
Don't operate an extraction unit without filters in place. Missing filters allow the fan to collect all the overspray and this eventually will diminish the airflow.
Don't blow off the filter surface to try to extend filter life. Instead, change the filters regularly.
If your distributor recommends an alternative type of pre-filter or exit filter because it might offer longer life or greater efficiency, check with the booth manufacturer before choosing another type of filter. Filters must meet designed airflow levels to operate the spray booth properly. Check booth pressure and adjust it for each vehicle, if necessary.
Usually, exhaust filters need to be changed at 50- to 100-hour intervals. Note: When these filters are changed, the cabin floor grates must be thoroughly cleaned. (see sidebar, "The 1,000-hour interval" for more information about suggested maintenance for every 1,000 hours of use.)
The motors on most modern spray booths are self-lubricating. If not, the motor will have Zerk grease fittings. If so, lubricate the motor with good-quality grease.
The heating plant, if it is gas-fired, should require little or no maintenance. oil burners should be inspected by a qualified service technician.
The overlooked fan motor
Filters get most of the attention when it comes to maintenance, as they should. However, the fan motor is often overlooked, according to a sales rep for another booth manufacturer. "I've seen fan motor belts that were within a thread of failing," he says. "These belts need to be inspected every three-to-six months and should be replaced routinely once a year. They tend to glaze and harden, which makes them slip. That results in loss of airflow."
Be careful to use the proper replacement belt, he warns. "Sometimes a shop will substitute an automotive belt, and that just isn't going to work for any length of time."
In a heated air-makeup booth, combustion blowers and burners are two other items that are often overlooked. It is here that body filler dust in the motor is one of the major culprits. Have a serviceperson take it apart and clean it.
It should go without saying that any maintenance operation must be done only when the booth is shut down. Make sure the main switch on the booth control panel is "off' and locked in such a way that the power cannot be turned on. And remember that some parts of the booth, particularly parts of the generator, will get hot during operation. Before doing any maintenance operation, it's a good idea to make sure that all parts of the equipment have cooled down.
Also, keep in mind that the booth is designed for applying paint finishes and curing those finishes. It's really not meant for prepping of any kind, other than masking and final tack-off, although many shops use it for prepping. And never sand in the booth. Sanding dust is anathema to the clean environment you are trying to maintain.
Clean painter, clean booth
Access to the booth should be limited only to the painters, who should change into their painting clothes inside the booth. And they should wear a lint-free "shoot suit." Aside from wearing the suit only inside the spray booth, mixing room or booth vestibule, the painter should store it in an airtight plastic bag. And don't open both doors unless the booth is operating.
On a daily basis, sweep the floor while the booth is in operation, unless it's a completely grated floor. After each job, the floor should be vacuumed. Don't clean the floor with water and a wet mop or squeegee. When the water dries, the dust will still be there. Besides, water mixed with dried paint overspray equals contaminated water, which can't go down a sewer. If you have a central vacuum system, install a vacuum drop into your booth.
To facilitate the cleaning process, some shops opt for spray booth coatings that can be stripped or washed off once overspray and dirt has accumulated. Some of these coatings are white, which aids illumination. Avoid storing anything in the booth. Nothing should be in there except the vehicle, the painter, a spray gun and air hoses.
Keep air hoses to a minimum length. Long air hoses that drag on the floor spread dust and dirt. The best way to minimize hose length is to install an air drop on each side wall of the booth with a quick disconnect, filter and regulator. When the painter moves to the opposite side of the vehicle, he or she simply disconnects the air hose and reconnects on the other side.
Also, don't allow duster guns in the booth. In fact, don't allow any duster guns in your shop. When you need to remove dust, use a tack rag or vacuum. Duster guns simply put dust back into the air, while your goal is to remove all dust.
General cleaning
To clean both internal and external walls of your booth, use a soft, dry cloth. If the surfaces are extremely dirty, use a soft cloth dipped in a soap-and-water solution or a weak detergent solution. Wring out the cloth before wiping the surface. Wipe again with a soft, dry cloth.
Never use alcohol, paint thinner, benzene or a chemically treated cloth to clean the booth. They may damage the finish or your unit. Never pressure-wash or hose down the interior or exterior of the booth. Electrical shorts or shocks may result, and water can collect in light fixtures and various components of the booth cabin, causing rust. Pressure washing also could void the warranty.
In general, cleanliness is indeed next to godliness. And because of the environment in which the booth is located, it takes constant vigilance to maintain.
[Sidebar]
The 1,000-hour interval
At 1,000-hour intervals, do the following for proper booth upkeep:
* Replace fan belts on motors and adjust for proper tension. Note that a squealing belt on start-up is normal. In fact, if they don't squeal, the belts are too tight.
* Check fan blade surfaces and clean them if necessary. Oil the blade surfaces after cleaning. Do not use silicone-based oil, unless you want fisheyes. Also, oil the changeover damper hinges.
* Examine all door seals, and replace them only with approved seals. Change the ceiling filters. Check exhaust filters and replace if necessary.
* Remove the door hinge pins and grease with a high-quality lubricant.
* On the control panel, review the following: indicator lamp operation, timer settings and temperature settings.
* And finally, run the booth for a complete cycle of operation and observe all functions.
[Author Affiliation]
BY BOB YEARICK | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
[Author Affiliation]
Bob Yearick has been writing about the collision repair industry for more than 20 years.
[Author Affiliation]
BOB YEARICK worked for the DuPont Co. for 32 years in public relations and advertising. Bob examines the touchy issue of paint blends in this month's Paint Shop.
Business reads to help you keep on top of it all
INFLUENCE WITHOUT AUTHORITY
By Allan R. Cohen & David L. Bradford
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., $42.99
How to lead people who don't report to you and build effective relationships. For a review, go to www.CAmagazine.com/influence.
THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION TOOLBOX
By Gary T. Furlong
John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd., $49.99
How to analyse, diagnose and cure workplace disputes. For a review, go to www.CAmagazine.com/conflict.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan president says his government and US are engaged in peace talks with Taliban.
FROM OUR LEADERS
1 have a hard time taking the MyersBriggs and Kiersey personality tests because I'm not always sure how to answer many of the statements. My scores reveal that I am equally an extrovert and an introvert. This gets to be confusing at times. In new situations I tend to be an introvert, while I have learned to be an extrovert for my job. Most often the introvert side wins out in unfamiliar circumstances. This was one of those times.
Late last fall, I attended the Canadian youth workers conference in Vancouver, B.C., along with about 900 others involved in youth ministry from across Canada and across denominations. I must admit it was a bit overwhelming at times. There weren't many Mennonite Church Canada youth ministry types, at least not ones who I knew.
The event took place at the SheratonVancouver Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver. The cost for lodging was out of my price range, so I stayed at another hotel a few blocks away. This gave me opportunity to walk each day and reflect on the day's events.
Each day there were two general sessions up to two-and-a-half hours in length each. Each day's program listed the worship leader, speaker and special guest, so I was expecting this to be a time of worship. Don't get me wrong, there was lots of good stuff here and an emcee directed us to experience several different activities. There were announcements and reminders, fun draws, a variety of music and comedy performers, and the speaker with a sound message.
Somewhere in the midst of this time, the worship leader was asked to come forward to lead us in a time of worship-which amounted to 20 to 30 minutes of singing. This is where I got lost.
Why is it that some venues turn worship into primarily a time of singing with some Scripture reading and prayer perhaps slotted in between? Where does the message fit in? And what about other elements we usually include in our services?
How do people who are not interested in music worship God? A friend told me recently that the music-be it congregational or other-could be left out as far as he was concerned. He does not sing or necessarily enjoy listening to it. If only singing is considered to be worship, then how does he worship? What are we teaching our children and youths with this new form of worship? When are we challenged to live more Christ-like lives?
As you can see, I have more questions than answers, and will continue to struggle with this as we start planning the next MC Canada youth assembly, to be held in Toronto in 2009.
[Sidebar]
How do people who are not interested in music worship Cod?
[Author Affiliation]
Anna Rehan is the Mennonite Church Saskatchewan youth minister and the Youth Ministries facilitator for MC Canada.
Making Wheat Flour More Nutritious
Your favorite bread, breakfast cereal or pasta might tomorrow be made with wheat flour that's more nutritious than ever. Agricultural Research Service (ARS; Beltsville, MD; www.ars.usda.gov) and university scientists have identified a gene that can increase the protein, iron and zinc content of wheat kernels, potentially improving Americans' health and that of millions of the world's malnourished. The gene, known as Gp -B1, does that in bread wheats and pasta wheats alike.
Plant geneticist Ann Blechl helped prove the Gpc-B1 gene's prowess in enhancing wheat flour's nutritional bounty. She used a technique called "RNA interference" to lower what are known as the gene's expression levels in wheat plants. Blechl did the work in her laboratory at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA.
Collaborators working under the direction of wheat breeder und professor Jorge Dubcovsky of the University of California-Davis (www.uedavis.edu) found that kernels harvested from the plants with lowered Gpc-B1 levels had at least 30% less protein, zinc and iron.
According to Blechl, the work proved that Gpc-B1 controlled all of these nutrients. The finding predicts that incorporating additional copies of the functioning gene into bread and pasta wheats will be valuable.
In an earlier study, research plant geneticist Ann E. Blechl looks at root growth of genetically engineered wheat plants.
$100-MILLION PLANT IS FIRST TO PRODUCE PROPANEDIOL FROM CORN SUGAR
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle, has made its first commercial shipments of Bio-PDO from its $100-million facility in Loudon, TN. The plant produces 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO) from renewable resources - in this case corn sugar - making it the first facility in the world to manufacture this new bio-based product. The first shipments of Bio-PDO were sent to DuPont for the manufacture of its Sorona polymer and to a customer evaluating a new industrial product formulated with Bio-PDO.
The joint venture uses a proprietary fermentation process that uses corn instead of petroleum-based feedstocks. The production of Bio-PDO consumes 40% less energy and reduces green-house gas emissions by 20% compared with petroleum-based propanediol. Production of 100 million lb of Bio-PDO will save the energy equivalent of10 million gallons of gasoline per year, or enough to fuel 22,000 cars annually.
"The first shipments of Bio-PDO from Loudon mark the beginning of the commercial availability of DuPont's bio-based pipeline, which is designed to deliver high-performance, renewably sourced materials," says DuPont's executive vice president and chief innovation officer Thomas Connelly. "The technology that was developed to make the various grades of Bio-PDO a reality holds great promise. It is a clear demonstration that this new technology can offer new opportunities for products in every major market segment in our economy."
Adding to Connelly's comments, Lynn Grider, president of Tate & Lyle's U.S. Food & Industrial Ingredients Div., notes that "achieving the first commercial shipment is a significant milestone for the joint venture and marks the important move from theoretical to practicat."
Toward the end of 2007, the first railcar (above) of Bio-PDO was loaded with 180,050 lb of material and shipped from the Loudon, TN, facility (below).
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Fiji Rugby Union has denied reports it is preparing to reinstate Ilivasi Tabua as national coach in its first response to Fiji's poor performance at the Rugby World Cup.
Fiji media reported that Tabua, who was fired in 2009 for serious misconduct, had been approached by FRU officials to make himself available if Sam Domoni is removed from his position. Rugby union officials were due to meet Thursday with members of the 19-strong coaching and management team which accompanied Fiji to the World Cup for a performance review.
Fiji's only win was against Namibia, while the 66-0 loss in the last pool match against Wales was its worst-ever defeat at a World Cup.
Don Juan's Restaurante, 6730 Northwest Hwy., (312) 775-6438
The restaurant may have a tavern atmosphere, but the food, whichleans into the flavors of Mexico and the Southwest, is in rarefiedair. Do not miss the sensational specials.
Title: chef
The best dish on my menu is: black pepper-crusted swordfish withartichokes and shiitake mushrooms
On my first kitchen job I: cleaned duck legs for the pate dumaison at Le Cochonnet restaurant.
My two favorite restaurants in the U.S.: Aureole in New YorkCity and Le Bouchon in Chicago
Favorite pigout food: barbecue ribs
Where I go for it: NN Smokehouse on West Irving Park Road.
Dish I love to make at home: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy,chili sauce
I would love to cook for: my grandfather, who loved good food.
Hobbies: anything with a board (water/snow sports)
Pet peeve: uptight people
People who know me think I am: a little kid at heart
I'd like my last dessert to be: ice cream from Berthillon inParis
An assault on diversity
Boston has three exam schools which offer a quality education equivalent to that available in the best private institutions. Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the nation, is the jewel in the crown. Competition for admission is fierce because parents know that students who survive the rigorous academic program at Latin are assured of admission to a top-ranked college.
Sophisticated parents know that public primary education in Boston is of questionable quality. Therefore, many follow a strategy of sending their children to parochial or private school in preparation for admission to Boston Latin School in the seventh or ninth grade. Many students also are tutored and pretested to prepare them for the entrance examination.
Too few African American and Hispanic students are exposed to these advantages. Consequently, the School Committee set aside 35 percent of the openings at Boston Latin School for minorities. However, Michael McLaughlin, a Boston attorney, sued to win admission for his daughter Julia, and the courts ruled that the admission policy was unconstitutional.
The School Committee devised a new system to satisfy constitutional demands still providing opportunities for minorities who may have received less than adequate preparation because of the continuing racial insensitivity in the school system.
Every student who applies is given a ranking based in equal measure on his grade point average and his score on the entrance examination. Only those students who rank in the top half are considered qualified for Latin School, regardless of their race. Fifty percent of the students admitted to Latin School are selected in order from the ranking. There is no consideration of race.
The method for selecting the remaining fifty percent of the class does consider race. If 20 percent of the students remaining in the qualified group are African American, then 20 percent of the additional students admitted will be African American. If 40 percent are white, then 40 percent of the additional students admitted will be white. In each racial group admissions will be according to rank.
School officials assert that this system does not constitute a quota because there is no fixed number of any racial group. In fact, the system favored whites in admissions to the O'Bryant school when higher ranking Hispanics were passed over to admit more whites. Nonetheless, Sarah Wessman has charged that she was unlawfully denied admission to the ninth grade although 10 of the blacks, Asians and Hispanics among the 90 admitted had a lower rank than she.
According to school officials the difference in ranking between Wessman and nine of the minorities was not significantly different. They even scored higher than Wessman on either GPA, math or verbal although her average of the three placed her in a slightly higher ranking.
The racial breakdown for Latin's ninth grade is 44 percent white, 24 percent Asian, 21 percent black and 10 percent Hispanic. Admission solely on the basis of rank would have been 56 percent white, 23 percent Asian, 14 percent black and 7 percent Hispanic.
The question confronting Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro is whether racial diversity is a valid educational value and whether the persistent racial discrimination in Boston's schools justifies a reasonable remedy for the deficient preparation of blacks and Hispanics.
It appears that whites will attack any plan helpful to African Americans. The only defense is for African Americans to dig in and become highly qualified.
CHICAGO - Thanks to the Web, the balcony will never close.
Clips of movie reviews from the TV show that made the thumb themost prestigious of digits are being posted online. More than 20years of televised reviews by newspaper film critics Roger Ebert andthe late Gene Siskel and columnist Richard Roeper will be availablebeginning Thursday at the Web site www.AtTheMoviesTV.com.
The site is touted as the largest collection of video-based moviereviews online. Searchable by movie title, director or actor, itfeatures about 5,000 lively - sometimes very lively - discussions ofmovies that always end with the reviewers'"thumbs up" or "thumbsdown" evaluation.
"For years, this was a dream," Ebert said in a statement.
"Now I am exhilarated that it is a reality, thanks to the enormouseffort of digitizing something like 1,000 programs."
Visitors to the Web site can see just how often Siskel, theChicago Tribune's film critic, and Ebert, his counterpart at theChicago Sun-Times, disagreed and how passionately they did so on"Siskel & Ebert at the Movies."
They also can watch "Ebert & Roeper," the show Ebert and the Sun-Times columnist have taped since 2000, the year after Siskel's death.
The site includes recent shows featuring Roeper and guestreviewers, such as Jay Leno and New York Times film critic A.O.Scott, who have appeared while Ebert recovers from serious healthproblems.
"It is always fascinating to go back and see what was being saidabout a film before it opened," Ebert said.
The 65-year-old Ebert has had a series of surgeries in recentyears, including a tracheostomy, which left him unable to speak.
He has written that he is waiting for another operation that hehopes will restore his speech.
Since last summer, Ebert has not appeared on "Ebert & Roeper."
But he has written some reviews in the Sun-Times, where he hasbeen the film critic since 1967 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975.
This is the time of year that I start to get nervous. We all know what's coming and there is nothing that we can do to stop it. . . winter is on its way. One of the best ways that I can think of to get my mind off of the impending snowmagedon that will be here in just a few months is to think of how great summer has been. I get butterflies in my stomach at the start of every summer. Thoughts of relaxing vacations, beautiful weather and quality time with friends and family fill my mind. By late spring I can't wait to say goodbye to itchy sweaters and bulky coats. There is, of course, another reason that I get excited for the weather to warm: Pride month! It is without a doubt one of my favorite times of year.
I remember my first Motor City Pride in the parking deck of Oakland Community College in Royal Oak in 1998. We've come a long way since then and it's incredible to see how much Pride month has expanded both here in Michigan and nationally. I'd almost say that it's becoming something of a national tradition. Enough, that is, for President Obama to sign an official proclamation making June LGBT pride month. As we've expanded we've also developed new relationships within our own community. This past summer we came together to celebrate Pride in the heart of downtown Detroit. More than 44,000 people came to Hart Plaza in what can only be described as the biggest and baddest Motor City Pride to date. A month later, Equality Michigan partnered with Black Pride Society and other LGBT organizations for yet another successful and inspiring Hotter Than July. As our Pride month continues to expand, so too must our resolve to work together to bring equality home here in Michigan.
All of the inspiring events of this past summer have given me a new sense of pride. In past years, I was always moved by what happened on the day of Pride. The crowds, the events and the visibility of our community meant the world to me. This year, however, watching our community come together was what inspired me the most. I often say that if we're going to realize full equality here in Michigan, we must remember that we're either getting there together as a community or not at all. So the question remains as summer winds down: how do we sustain the momentum that we've built over the last few months? This answer is simple: get involved!
Give your local LGBT community center a ring and see if they need help a few times a month. Join the planning committee for your local Pride festival for next summer. And, of course, Equality Michigan is always looking for new volunteers. It's up to all of us to make sure that the good work continues.
So while our days on the beach, sunny vacations and lazy afternoons by the pool may be numbered, we've still got a lot of work to do. I invite you to join me in moving Michigan forward. Let's show everyone our new sense of Pride by working together to bring full equality to our great state. And don't forget - it may not seem like it now, but Pride 2012 is just around the corner.
[Sidebar]
Let's show everyone our new sense of Pride by working together to bring full equality to our great state. And don't forget - it may not seem like it now, but Pride 2012 is just around the corner.
[Author Affiliation]
Each month, Equality Michigan shares an update about the equality movement in the state, explained through the viewpoint of different staff members. Roland Leggett is the director of field organizing at Equality Michigan. Learn more about the organization at www. equalitymi. org.
The second in a four-part series taking a closer look at theBears' Central Division rivals. GREEN BAY, Wis. More so than the rest of us, the Green Bay Packersgot older during the offseason.
Two of their young players, 27-year-old linebacker Tony Bennettand 26-year old Jackie Harris, took off for pastures that promisedmore green.
The Packers, meanwhile, signed enough free agents nearingretirement to start an arthritis club. There's 36-year-old defensivetackle Steve McMichael, 33-year-old guard Guy McIntyre, 33-year-oldlinebacker Mike Merriweather, 31-year-old defensive end Sean Jonesand 30-year-old center Jamie Dukes.
While the moves say plenty about the Packers' belief they canwin this season, what do they say about the long-term health of theorganization? Where will the Packers be in a few seasons if theykeep losing 26-year-olds and signing 33-year-olds?
The Packers have eight starters who are 30 or older. But headcoach Mike Holmgren, who thinks the Packers will win more than thenine games they won in each of the last two seasons, is notconcerned.
"That concept might have been a larger factor a few years agobecause of the rules we operate under as far as free agency,"Holmgren said. "There's a chance you'll get a good young player andlose him like we lost our young players. So that's just a fact oflife now in the league."
Losing Harris to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an unpleasantsurprise for the Packers. They had made him a transition player inthe hope of keeping him, but matching the Buccaneers' offer wouldhave caused salary-cap problems.
Packers general manager Ron Wolf said he considers losing Harristhe equivalent of a trade for running back Reggie Cobb, a free agentthe Packers signed from the Buccaneers. Wolf indicated a runningback is more important than a tight end in Holmgren's scheme.
But without Harris' 97 receptions the last two seasons, who isthere to throw to besides Sterling Sharpe?
"Jackie Harris is a fine football player who has the ability torun and get down the field, but we didn't have him for (six of 18games) last year," Holmgren said of Harris' knee injury. "Ed West isa very good tight end but a different type of player. A receiver ora back will have to make up those catches."
Who are the candidates?
Fullback Edgar Bennett, the Packers' second-leading receiverlast season, is sure to see plenty of passes again. And the Packershope wide receiver Robert Brooks, who broke Sharpe's career recordfor receiving touchdowns at South Carolina, is ready to step up aftertwo seasons of acclimating himself.
Replacing Tony Bennett, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts,is more of a clear-cut issue. That's what Jones was signed to do.
"We don't lose anything with Sean Jones," Packers defensivetackle John Jurkovic said. "He's been to the Pro Bowl. He's abigger body, more physical and more capable of playing the run. Andnow we can bring (linebacker) Bryce (Paup) from different positions.It gives more versatility to the defense."
Packers offensive tackle Ken Ruettgers thinks Jones, whoaveraged 11 sacks the last four seasons for the Houston Oilers, isone of the most underrated defensive ends in the NFL.
"He would have had my vote for the Pro Bowl every year the lastthree or four years," Ruettgers said. "I've studied him on film andseen him do incredible things."
While the Packers have aged at defensive end and otherpositions, Holmgren hopes the team also has aged at quarterback.From a maturity standpoint, it's important that Brett Favre is abetter quarterback than he was last season, when he threw 24interceptions.
"I think he had a good season in every way except for theinterceptions," Holmgren said. "And that's a huge statistic for aquarterback. He threw a lot of passes for touchdowns and all that,but unless you get that interception total down, your rating is notgoing to be very good. It did affect us last year."
After signing a five year, $19 million contract during theoffseason, Favre appears calmer and more confident.
"I'm much more relaxed this year," Favre said. "I anticipatehaving a great year."
That doesn't mean Favre will be calmer when he has a defensivetackle's hand under his face mask and a defensive end's helmet a fewinches from his kidneys.
The Packers' coaching staff made up a video reel of Favre'sinterceptions and had him study it. They also reviewed the playsthat were called when the interceptions occurred. Holmgren said manyof the interceptions were caused by poor judgment on Favre's part.
But the Packers can live with interceptions if Favre continuesto win and complete a high percentage of his passes. He has a 17-12regular-season record as a starter since taking over in 1992, and his1993 completion percentage of 62.4 was the best in Packers history.
Holmgren is pleased the Packers are not one of the many teamswith a new quarterback this season.
"If you need stability at one position, quarterback is theposition to have stability," Holmgren said. "I like the fact thatwe're able to build some continuity. That's important. If I had mychoice, I'd always do it that way." NEXT SUNDAY, BUCCANEERS
| 2014 World Cup Qualifying |
|---|
| North and Central America and Caribbean |
| Second round |
| Group A |
Cayman Islands 1, Dominican Republic 1
| Group B |
|---|
Barbados 1, Bermuda 2
| Group D |
|---|
Puerto Rico 3, St. Lucia 0
| Friendlies |
|---|
Honduras 2, Serbia 0
| At Doha, Qatar |
|---|
Brazil 2, Egypt 0
Congress is toying with the idea of replacing the $1 bill with acoin.
Legislation has been introduced calling for the minting of amostly copper coin bearing the likeness of Christopher Columbus.This switch supposedly would save more than $50 million annually, ascoins last longer than dollar bills.
As though our dollar has not been battered enough lately, we nowcould see its image reduced to the status of a copper coin.
Just how sure can we be that $50 million will be saved? If allour $1 bills were replaced with copper coins, it will not be longbefore 50 million pants pockets will need mending and replacingannually. So there goes the $50 million saving …
(ADPnews) - Sep 25, 2009 - S&P on Thursday lifted to AA from AA- its issuer credit rating on the general obligation (GO) bonds of Spartanburg County School District No 5, South Carolina, to reflect the continued maintenance of strong fund balances.
The agency also raised to AA- from A+ the underlying rating (SPUR) on Spartanburg Five Educational Facilities Corp, South Carolina's installment purchase revenue bonds series 2005, issued for the school district.
The district's series 2009 GO bonds were concurrently assigned a AA issuer credit rating.
The outlook is "stable".
The rating service also affirmed the AA long-term enhanced rating on …
ALBANY -- Fire officials were investigating the cause of a fire Tuesday in a student's locker at Albany High School that led to the evacuation of the building.
The alarm was sounded at 8:34 a.m. after students smelled and saw smoke coming from a locker in a locker room near the gymnasium, fire Lt. Lucian Nantista said. The students reported it to a nurse …
Nikki Turner, author of the The Hustler's Wife (Triple Crown Publications, March 2003), is working on two more street-lit novels for publication in 2005. They were sold at auction to Melody …
UNITED NATIONS - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad canceled a trip to New York to address the U.N. Security Council before it votes Saturday to impose further sanctions against his country for refusing to stop enriching uranium, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
After intense last-minute negotiations, the six world powers that drafted the resolution overcame concerns from several council members Friday and expected it to be approved unanimously when it comes to a vote, said French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere.
"We will be united again on this important resolution," de La Sabliere told reporters after a closed-door Security Council meeting. "We hope …
If Proposition 19 passes in California, legalizing pot, other Western states appear ready to swell the trend. In these recessionary times, with every level of government desperate for more revenue yet reluctant to raise taxes, it …
How to Rule the World from Your Couch
Laura Day
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439118207, $24.00 www.simonandshcuster.com
For over twenty years healer and teacher Laura Day worked to teach people how to use their intuition to strengthen themselves and their goals--including finding love, healing, and …
