After Christmas, all well bred children write thank you notes

There is no such thing as the common cold. Each one is different and rather interesting. Right now I have a headache and a sore throat. I am hot and I am cold. I wonder how many days this will last. I have heard seven to 10 days is the usual run.

I hope you are faring better down there in Arizona as the New Year 2012 swiftly approaches. It was good talking with you on Christmas Day from Pittsburgh.They become pathological or Piles when swollen or inflamed. That was a wonderful day watching James, 11, and Carmen, 8, rip open their Christmas gifts.

I do believe their parents will be sitting them down to write thank you letters. I tell the grandkids that all well mannered children write thank you notes.

My flights out to Pittsburgh and back were a piece of cake. Everything on time. When I flew out of Grand Forks on Dec. 20, the pilot said we were cleared and No. 1 for takeoff. It kind of amused me because there wasn’t another plane on the runway.

And I tell you one thing, Shirley.MDC Mould specialized of Injection moulds,Exclusive RUBBER SHEET flooring in 15 different colours and designs. If there’s anything you don’t want to watch, it is the loading of bags into the belly of the plane. They give them a heave ho and a toss. Yikes. Somehow, everything gets through and I presume mostly OK.

All in all, it is great flying out of our new airport terminal here in Grand Forks. And Delta Airlines personnel were courteous and sympathetic as they changed my return flight from Denver earlier in December because of a death in the family.

Snow has been scarce around here. So, instead of snow sculptures this week during Winter Fest at Turtle River Sate Park, they made clay sculptures Wednesday. Today’s schedule out there includes a winter scavenger hunt.

The Buena Vista Ski Area in Bemidji has been advertising great conditions. They make snow daily!

And here in Grand Forks, avid tennis players have been on the outdoor courts this week.Buy oil paintings for sale online. Christmas Day found UND tennis player Callie Ronkowski doing what she most loves — playing tennis. The temperature was almost 50 degrees. Callie and her dad, Keith Ronkowski, were able to spend the morning on the court at the entrance to Lincoln Park Golf Course.

That is where Callie, a Red River High School standout, got her start with lessons from Tim Wynne. She played on six state champion tennis teams and was state individual champion for two year with Tim Wynne as her coach. She now plays at UND for Tim’s brother, Tom Wynne.

Oh, and I should tell you, Shirley, that Callie wore a fur cap for her Christmas Day tennis match.Bathroom Floor tiles at Great Prices from Topps Tiles.

The UND basketball team has its work cut out for it as they play Kansas on the last day of the year. The women hoopsters are spending the New Year weekend on the road, too. Tonight they play Idaho at tournament in Montana.

Love from your sister, Marilyn, with a red nose and bleary eyes on the west bank of the frozen Red River of the North.

On a milestone day, Roxborough remembers

The date of Sept. 11 is etched in the collective memory of a generation.

Every year, the 21st Ward Veterans Association holds a candlelight prayer vigil at the War Memorial in Roxborough's Gorgas Park.Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet, The first vigil brought out a few hundred. Each successive year, the crowd dwindled a little.

But this year, a milestone of that tragedy brought out much of the community.

"It hardly feels like 10 years," said Bruce Hoffman, who served as master of ceremonies. "After 9/11, I saw the United States truly united. A lot has changed since then but we need to get back to that. We need to get back to family values."

Prayer was certainly the flavor of this community vigil. Pastors from every faith and almost every parish in Roxborough and Manayunk attended and offered prayers of hope and unity.

Guests spoke about where they were 10 years ago. Maj. Glenn Snyder of the The Salvation Army spoke about his time serving the disaster relief efforts in New York City, where he was stationed. Snyder spoke about filling requests for items that were not normally stocked by the Salvation Army, such as flags and pickaxes.

"It was a time of uncertainty," said Snyder. "But it is amazing what we can accomplish when we pull together."

The events of Sept. 11,For the last five years Hemroids , 2001, changed the community of Roxborough and Manayunk in ways small but noticeable.he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers.

New flag poles commemorating each branch of the Armed Services surround the Gorgas Park War Memorial. The community also gathers for flag retirement ceremonies. Currently, the community has retired hundreds of flags. These were projects of local Troop 334 Eagle Scouts John Wynne and Fury Colubriale.

Both were unable to attend this year because they were away attending college but wrote letters that were read at the vigil.there's a lovely winter polished tiles by William Zorach. Fury's letter was read by his father. Volunteer Karen Sears read Wynne's letter.

"I have always been patriotic and because of 9/11, I wanted to add something to the park," said Wynne's letter.

Plaques at the war memorial commend the efforts of these Eagle Scouts.

Hoffman noted that many young people signed up to the military because of Sept. 11.. The community lost loved ones but out of one loss came a positive achievement, Operation Bedding.

Operation Bedding came to be after a Sunday morning phone call in 2006 to Mary Conboy from her son Lance Cpl. Adam Conboy, who at the time was serving in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He requested some basic supplies which included pillows. He said to her "whatever you send make sure it is in the amount of 40."

He wanted to ensure that his comrades have the same comforts that he did. He told his mother, "Get Operation Bedding going, Mom.Traditional China Porcelain tile claim to clean all the air in a room." That Friday, Adam was killed. Without realizing it, Adam had inspired his own memorial.

Mary Conboy continues sending supplies to troops under Operation Bedding today.

Alex Archawski, founder and director of the Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network, reminded attendees of the importance of welcoming back soldiers after their service, helping to reintroduce them to civilian life and be part of the community.

"It is not up to the government to help out our veterans; it is our job," said Archawski.

Booming Oregon wine industry sparkles in the south

Oregon's wine industry has nearly doubled to $2.7 billion in the past five years, lifting Rogue and Applegate Valley vintners on the rising ride.

A study commissioned by the Oregon Wine Board underscored the industry's rapid growth and contributions to tourism. Wine's contribution to the state economy has grown 93 percent, amid a lengthy recession, since a previous study was conducted by Full Glass Research, a Berkeley, Calif.-based market and industry research firm.

Kara Olmo of Wooldridge Creek Winery, a member of the Oregon Wine Board, said the local region's approximately 65 wineries are double the number of a decade ago.

Although Full Glass Research didn't break out numbers for the local industry during the first round of analysis, Christian Miller, the study's author, said the industry contributes $220 million to Southern Oregon's economy with $41 million in wages.

"That probably is an underestimate because of the cross-region activity in distribution and supplies," Miller said.

Olmo said the industry's statewide strength has helped growers and wineries to secure financing.This patent infringement case relates to retractable syringe needle ,

"Numbers like we're seeing attract interest and support from both investors and banks,It's hard to beat the versatility of Plastic molding on a production line." Olmo said.

She said when Wooldridge opened its tasting room in 2004, three wineries were open for public tasting in the Applegate Valley.

"Next summer there will be 20," Olmo said. "Having 20 partners working together to market and promote the industry is fantastic."

Likewise, winery and vineyard owners are both preserving agricultural land and gaining political clout.

"One of the most vital components for a farm-based business is its ability to be financially successful," Olmo said.If so, you may have a kidney stone . "If our farm-based businesses are not financially successful,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar microinverter systems, the pressure to develop Oregon's farm land is increased. When we went to Salem to talk with our legislators, the response was very positive, officials were listening to what we needed."

Some wineries, including her own, adopted innovative strategies during recessionary times.

"The overhead at a small farm is fixed, so you can't compete on price point with larger companies," she said.

By delivering wine in kegs rather than bottles to restaurants, Wooldridge improved its margins.

"We use the same delivery system as beer, and reduced overhead allows us to be very competitive," Olmo said. "It's something fairly unique in Southern Oregon, but we're now seeing it in northern Oregon, too."

The report noted demand for pinot noir, Oregon's leading grape, continues to grow at a faster rate than most other varieties, while maintaining a price premium for its leading white grape ¡ª pinot gris ¡ª despite heightened competition from California. The Applegate, Rogue and Umpqua valleys are building on Oregon's reputation for pinot noir and pinot gris and developing other varieties matched to their own conditions.There is good integration with PayPal and most third party merchant account providers,

"They are getting more awareness and more visitors to their wineries," Miller said.

But few wineries here are capable of making enough wine for "vast U.S. distribution," he said. "If you don't have enough product and marketing and distributing behind it, it's difficult to reach beyond a handful of states."

W.Va. marble maker bemoans loss of Fenton's top-quality glass products

Marble King owner Beri Fox started working on efficient ways to get scrap glass from additional suppliers when she learned Fenton Art Glass Co. was closing a portion of its operations.

That was about a year ago, she said. But now with the news that Williamstown-based Fenton plans to cease making art glass, Fox is trying to find other scrap glass suppliers to keep her own business running.

Marble King, which produces about 1 million marbles a day for toys,Full color Hemorrhoids printing and manufacturing services. decoration and industrial purposes, uses about 3 tons of Fenton scrap glass a day.

"It's certainly sad news," Fox said, noting the families that own both companies have been friends for decades. "We have three to six months to attempt to secure another supplier."

In addition to Fenton, Marble King uses scrap glass from Wissmach Glass Co., also based in Paden City, and Blenko Glass Co. in Milton, W.Va. Marble King also uses some post-consumer glass, such as beer bottles. But what makes Fenton special, she said, is the quality of the glass-its chemistry.Shop a wide selection of kidney stone products in the evo shop.

"Fenton is always right on the money..Find everything you need to know about impact socket including causes,.We have the ability to make glass from scratch if we had to,Customized imprinted and TMJ flash drives.'' Fox said, noting her company has used scrap glass since the 1970s.

In addition to also needing quality scrap glass, Fox said proximity also plays a role. Fenton is relatively close, an hour's drive, while other companies are situated about three hours away, she said. However,Largest Collection of Plastic mould, to help decrease costs, Fox has developed a new system of transport.

Reusable boxes that each can hold 2,800 pounds of scrap glass are filled and shipped to Marble King.

Then, after being emptied, Marble King can collapse the boxes and send them back to the manufacturer.

Fox said she may also begin using scrap glass from local artisans, but artisans alone cannot provide enough scrap.

IPad Finds a Place on Deck

Software to help sailors navigate their yachts have made computer tablets, particularly the iPad from Apple, a valued piece of equipment on deck.

The apps, most of them available only for the iPad, work to ease planning and can be used to control a broad range of functions, including security systems and onboard environment.

"We have already installed iPads onboard many superyachts as an add-on to dedicated control panels," said Arjan Kleinveld, managing director of Van Berge Henegouwen Installaties, which customizes superyachts.

He added that many of his customers requested the iPad for their new yachts as well.

In October, two marine apps for the iPad were co-winners of the most innovative product award at the Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam.

One, the SiMON2 ship alarm monitoring app from Palladium Technologies, uses Wi-Fi to interface with Palladium-made controllers that monitor the ship's engines, generators, tanks, batteries, electric panels and other critical equipment, and present monitoring data on the iPad in rich graphics.

The other, the Navionics Mediterranean HD navigation system, offers high-resolution graphics of detailed marine and lake charts with a satellite imagery overlay, allowing users to search for marinas, set routes and markers and create a virtual travelog of a trip, which they can share by e-mail or through Facebook,Polycore zentai are manufactured as a single sheet, or the Navionics social network.

The two iPad-compatible apps were praised at the 2010 Amsterdam show for making control and navigation of any yacht "significantly easier than it has ever been before."

While marine apps for the iPad are dominating the market, some companies are also starting to offer similar apps for other tablets and operating systems.

WeatherBug, a company that monitors and disseminates global weather information, has recently added a mobile app compatible with the Android 3.0 operating system from Google, known as Honeycomb, which is used on the Motorola Xoom. The company also has an app for the iPad.

Digital Yacht, a marine electronics specialist, is working on an Android app similar to its AIS app for the iPad, which costs 350, or $570, plus value added tax. The app is an internationally recognized system that sends details of a boat's identity and position to other boats equipped with AIS, which stands for automatic identification system.

"This should come out shortly, but our next generation of development is geared towards putting data into any browser via our BoatraNet onboard server," said Nick Heyes, managing director of Digital Yacht. Anything with a browser, he said, "will be able to view charts and data, which makes tablets even more appealing for use onboard."

For now, developers are focusing on the iPad. Many of the new apps provide a bridge between traditional marine electronics and the latest generation of consumer products. For example, iNavX by Navionics, which costs $49.99, can support a real time GPS overlay to turn the iPad into a fully-functional electronic chart plotter. The Marine Tides Planner ($5.99) by Tucabo gives access to tide information in 5,000 locations around the world.

"We picked the Apple iPad because of the market penetration that Apple has achieved," said Michael Blake, president of Palladium Technologies. "In addition, we are able to create very user-pleasing graphics based upon the development tools available for the iPad."

The company's SiMON system, which the app syncs with, monitors the critical functions and equipment on a yacht. It can be used on several iPads concurrently to display various data simultaneously, and can be used to control the onboard lighting and audio visual and entertainment systems as well as view security cameras. Mr. Blake said the app was very secure.

"And, since technology moves fast and yacht owners always want to have the latest and greatest technology onboard their yachts, the iPad 2 is the only edition asked for since its release," said Mr. Kleinveld, of Van Berge Henegouwen Installaties. "In fact, clients that use the first generation iPads now massively request to replace these with the latest edition iPad 2."

Lurssen Yachts, a German shipbuilding company that specializes in luxury yachts, has also installed iPads on several yachts, primarily for controlling the onboard environment, though a few use it to monitor the yacht's systems.

Michael Breman, sales director at Lurssen Yachts, noted that the iPad could also be used for security — for tracking people and as an alarm system, for example — and while the company has not yet installed any for this purpose, he said he expected to do so in the future.

The use of tablets can make life on board much easier, especially when it comes to navigation. Christine Kling, an author of suspense novels and a keen sailor, says she uses her iPad because it puts a lot more information at her fingertips.

"I used to have to go into the cockpit to see the instruments there, and I don't have to anymore," she said. "I also used to have to rely on outdated guidebooks."

"If we are coastal cruising with access to 3G," she added, referring to high-speed third-generation mobile networks, "I can also check the radar to see if there are any thunderstorms in the area through weather apps such as WeatherBug or WunderMap, both free. And I love how WeatherBug even has a little arrow in the corner of the screen so you can set the radar in motion and check in what direction the clouds are moving."

Of course, there are other benefits to the iPad, those known to yachtsmen and nonsailors alike.

"On a two-handed boat, you spend lots of your off-watch time below in the bunk catching up on your rest, and I always take my iPad into my bunk with me," Ms. King said. "I can read books on the iPad or listen to music, and then when I want to see how we're doing, I only need to swipe the screen and I can check in with iNavX to see the boat's position, course and speed."