Chinas Bo Xilai scandal revs up news media run by exiles

The scandal involving fallen politician Bo Xilai and his wife gives news outlets run by Chinese exiles a lot of ammunition against the Communist Party.

Sunshine, a female 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever and recently certified therapy dog, will join the Washington family to provide students with the kind of boost specific to the most beloved furry friends.

Research shows that interaction with a therapy dog in school can reduce blood pressure, anxiety, fatigue and depression while promoting physical healing and providing emotional support, said Amber Bui, Washington Elementary counselor and Sunshines owner.

Bui said that, since therapy dogs have such far-reaching and widespread benefits in schools, Sunshine will have lots to do at Washington.

Bui hopes to use her in helping learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children, as well as children with autism and those suffering from grief, loss or low self-esteem.

Therapy dogs teach, listen and are unconditional friends. They provide a sense of comfort, confidence and companionship, Bui said.

Bui first decided to champion the cause for a school therapy dog after witnessing the positive effects her sisters toy poodle had on Buis mother after the death of Buis father.

I noticed the dog really made a big difference for my Mom and took the pressure off of not having Dad around, especially during the holidays. I thought if this worked so well for my Mom, it would help Washington students, too, Bui said.

Since acquiring a fully certified therapy dog costs $3,000 to $4,000, Bui decided to start from scratch, contacting Heartland Lab Rescue. She was matched with Sunshine in February.

We fell in love with her immediately, Bui said of the day she and her family met Sunshine at the Yukon pound where she had been abandoned.

The next step after adoption was to train Sunshine for her service as a therapy dog. Bui found the answer through local veterinarian Dr. John Otto and the Friends for Folks program at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, an Oklahoma Department of Corrections facility.

Operating since 1990, Friends for Folks is a nationally recognized dog training program where longterm offenders spend several weeks training and caring for dogs while they stay in a special kennel at the prison.

This program gives inmates a unique opportunity to give back, and it really changes them, Otto said. Ive volunteered since 1996, and Ive seen inmates paroled and released because of the positive impact the dogs had on them. Usually the inmates start out very angry and hostile, and training a dog makes them open up and learn. I know nothing else that brings such satisfaction.

Bui agrees.

I have only good things to say about Friends for Folks, Bui said. If it wasnt for Dr. Otto and Friends for Folks, we wouldnt be here now. Im just one of many people he has helped.

As part of the training, Bui and her husband were granted rare, full access inside the prison for a two-hour conference with Sunshines trainer before the dog was left with him.

Based on Buis instruction, Sunshine spent 30 days training for her certification test. Since her work at Washington will involve acting as an audience for students with reading difficulties, Sunshines trainer spent time reading to her.

It was a very touching experience to see how Sunshines trainer bonded with her and was postively affected by her, Bui said. The day we picked her up, he looked like he was going to cry, saying goodbye. He later wrote us a letter and said Sunshine was very much his sunshine on a rainy day.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Bui, Otto and Sunshines trainer, Sunshine passed her certification test April 30. With credentials in hand or paw she and Bui have big plans for helping others.

Sunshine started out as a dog no one wanted because shes a little chubby and sheds, but shes very special, and were going to make a dog that makes a difference, Bui said.

I think Sunshines story epitomizes what Friends for Folks is all about, Otto said. You take something so dark as an abandoned animal or a prison inmate who committed murder and bring them together to create something so beautiful and beneficial to many people.

Caitlin Schudalla 366-3541 cschudalla@ normantranscript.com

The research has revealed that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of married Britons acknowledge their anniversary but dont give gifts or publicly celebrate, a further 17 per cent only mark the lsquo;big anniversaries (ie their first, silver, gold etc), while 18 per cent do not observe their wedding anniversary at all.

Finances have been a driving force behind this, with the research revealing that 25 per cent of couples are still clearing the cost of their wedding by the time they reach their lsquo;leather anniversary (three years of marriage). The economic climate is also affecting wedding anniversary budgets this year with 30 per cent of married Britons say less disposable income and higher household costs is having an impact while a further 18 per cent say lower earnings will affect their budget this year. These difficult times will prompt 22 per cent to axe gift-giving all together and 20 per cent will set a price-cap.

But its not all bad news, 11 per cent of married couples say that they will throw caution to the wind, citing their anniversary as the one occasion they can treat themselves. Those keen to mark their anniversaries are spending average of pound;72 annually, to cover celebrations, gifts and outings – this equals a collective pound;1.7 billion being spent on wedding anniversaries across the UK this year. However, one in five married adults have said that they have spent, or are planning to spend, less on their 2012 wedding anniversary compared to 2011.

Men are the most romantic on wedding anniversaries, with 42 per cent treating their partner to a surprise gift, such as flowers, chocolates or a spa day. Just 28 per cent of females do the same for the men in the life. Men are also prepared to dig deeper in their wallets, spending an average of pound;85 on anniversaries, while women spend pound;62. However, the gesture is not always appreciated; 13 per cent of women wish their partner would ask them what they want before buying a gift.

Julie Hay, Head of Platinum Cashback Credit Card at American Express, said: If money were no option, I am sure that more couples would spend time celebrating their anniversary. However, there are times when most couples are required to tighten their purse string, but rather than forfeiting celebrations, couples could look for ways to make their money work harder so that they are able to comfortably afford to celebrate.

The American Express Platinum Cashback Credit Card is the only credit card available in the UK that offers Cardmembers the chance to earn an anniversary bonus of double cash back each year. This means couples can spend throughout the year and get their anniversary Cashback to mark their wedding anniversary in each and every year and as such, will have no excuse not to celebrate!

The majority of the UKs married couples pay for their wedding anniversary celebrations out of their monthly salary (37 per cent), a careful 31 per cent save up through the course of the year, and 9 per cent fund their celebrations and gift buying on their credit cards.

Key product features and benefits of the American Express Platinum Cashback Credit Card:

5 per cent introductory rate up to a maximum of pound;100 Cashback and 1.25 per cent thereafter for the first three months.

A simple 1.25 per cent flat rate on every full pound;1 spent per purchase.

2.5 per cent (double the on-going rate) on every full pound;1 spent per purchase made during the Card anniversary month every year if purchases in excess of pound;10,000 have been made in the preceding 12 months.

No minimum or maximum limit on the amounts of Cashback that can be earned after the first three months.

A pound;25 annual fee is payable at the beginning of each membership year.

Cashback is paid annually in the Card anniversary month.

Card members have the opportunity to opt-in to exchange their annual Cashback for retail vouchers which can be used at High Street shops and receive an extra 5 per cent on top of their Cashback balance.

Representative 18.5 per cent APR variable (includes pound;25 fee). Purchase interest rate is 14 per cent per annum variable.

Primary Card members can apply for free Supplementary Credit Cards for friends or family members, meaning more Cashback can be accrued even more quickly.

For more information or to apply for a Card, visit amex.co.uk/platcashback.

As part of the Humane Society of Wicomico Countys Cause for Paws walk and events at the Wicomico Equestrian Center, people from throughout the Lower Shore packed into the park throughout the day.

David Fitzgerald, executive director of the Humane Society, said he expected a couple hundred people along with their best friends to support the animal walk fundraiser.

So far, about 75 people have registered, but we usually get between 200 and 300, Fitzgerald said. Proceeds are all for the Humane Society of Wicomico Countys operating budget. Its all for taking care of the animals.

Throughout the area designated for the walk, several vendors set up selling items related and not related to dogs. A few local veterinarians were also on hand.

Bonnie Gordy, president of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Wicomico County, was helping to sell 50/50 raffle tickets during the 18th annual walk.

This has been one of our positive fundraisers over the years that gives everybody a chance to come out with their dog, Gordy said. Some bring shelter dogs or their own dogs to walk.

Brandy Jones brought her two-year-old boxer, Kai, to the walk along with her sons, Sean Dunn, 15, and James Dunn, 12. Jones said she has been going to the walk for several years because its a great way for her to meet up with other volunteers and help the humane society out financially.

Weve done a lot of volunteer work with the Humane Society, but this is one of the dogs weve gotten through them, too, Jones said. Were here to have fun and hang out with all the volunteers.

Britt Mosher was attending the fundraiser for the first time with Mabel, her 1-year-old pug. She said she came to the event because its a good way for Mabel to be around other dogs.

A short walk away from Paws for a Cause, the Wicomico Equestrian Center was hosting a slew of events throughout the day. Some of those events included a dog and pony show, a demonstration by the Ocean City mounted police, mule jumping and a hoe down.

In the morning there was also a demonstration by two K-9 handlers from the Wicomico County Sheriffs Office. As a few dozen attendees watched, the dog sniffed at four manilla envelopes and then sat quietly next to the one which contained a type of illegal drug.

jshutt@dmg.gannett.com

410-845-4643

On Twitter @JenniferShutt

The 31-year-old stars courtship with basketball player Kris Humphries was well documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Their wedding was also taped by TV crews before they filed for divorce 72 days later.

While she has no qualms about having her life on display, she would rather keep her future romances away from the cameras.

I dont think I would stop [doing reality shows] – I love doing it – but I wouldnt have another relationship shown on the show, she told UK magazine Cosmopolitan.

That might be too personal, especially when youre just meeting someone. Its taught me to be more private.

The stunning brunette has been linked to Kanye West since her split from Kris, although she been less open about the speculation surrounding their relationship.

In fact she insists she is not ready to date again.

Not even close! And its even more ridiculous when Im linked to people Ive never met or heard of, she said.

But Im single, so I guess that comes with the territory. Ive learnt not to care. I know and my friends know who Im dating or not dating. There are always going to be rumours. Im just going to work on me for a bit.

Cover Media

With all apologies to MTV, that once-great reality show was all I could think about while watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a predictable, sugary-sweet confection that thrives on the liver-spotted backs of its sterling silver-haired actors. Some (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy) are more famous than others (Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton and Ronald Pickup), but all are at their charming best in proving that age is truly just a number.

For this august assemblage, we have director John Madden (at age 63, a golden-ager himself) to thank. And he has picked wisely in selecting thespians perfectly suited to fill the roles of British expatriates whove come to India in the hopes of regenerating their lan. Or, as they like to say, outsourcing their retirements. And in the process, they manage to achieve the ultimate in wish fulfillment. Romances blossom, regrets are rectified and hips get replaced.

But what holds your attention is the privilege to be in the company of so many delightful characters, be it Denchs financially destitute widow, Evelyn; Wilkinsons gay (in theory) high-court judge, Graham; Smiths cranky closet racist, Muriel; Imries love-starved divorcee, Madge; Pickups debonair horndog, Norman; or Nighy and Wiltons constantly bickering married couple, Douglas and Jean. All are strangers, including (as it turns out) Douglas and Jean, but watching them bond as a makeshift dysfunctional family is at once inspiring and groan inducing.

The script by Ol Parker (Imagine Me amp; You), based on Deborah Moggachs novel These Foolish Things, largely plays it safe, keeping the sex off camera along with the deeper issues of marginalizing people on the back nine of life. In their stead, we get a half-dozen storylines encased in adult-sized Depends, ensuring that nothing messy leaks out to spoil the exotic locals in and around Jaipur, home to the once-bustling Marigold Hotel. Absent all amenities, including telephones, electricity and doors in every room, the Marigold, like its seven new guests, is showing its age but still has a lot of life left in her. Or so its young, ambitious proprietor Sonny (Slumdog Millionaires Dev Petal) believes. It is his dream to find an investor, fix the place up and run it with the assistance of his beautiful girlfriend, Sunaina (newcomer Tena Desae). But his traditionalist mother (Lillete Dupey) has other ideas, including a woman far less sexy than Sunaina for him to marry.

We find this statistic to be very telling, said Terry Inch, OnStar vice president, Sales, Marketing and Business Development. The majority of these newer vehicles have some form of built in navigation or telematics system, yet these drivers still see OnStars suite of safety and connectivity services as a must-have.

Owners of Toyota vehicles accounted for 15.6 percent of OnStar FMV sales, followed closely by Ford owners at 12.3 percent. More than 30 percent of the Ford owners to install FMV had Ford Sync as an option when they purchased their vehicles.  

For a limited time, OnStar FMV will be available for $99.99 with installation included. Timed specifically for the Mothers Day, Fathers Day and graduation gift-buying seasons, the promotion runs from May 6 through June 16 and is available at participating consumer electronics retail outlets, including Best Buy.

OnStar FMV is an incredibly valuable option for any type of driver, and we want to make it even more affordable, said Inch. With this promotion, you can get OnStar FMV and our premium service for less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day.

According to the 2012 Coffee Business Statistics Report the average cup of coffee costs $1.38. The cost of OnStar FMV at $99.99 plus Directions and Connections service at $299 a year would cost $1.09 per day.

OnStar FMV offers the key features and services that have made OnStars blue button an icon, including Automatic Crash Response, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and Hands-Free Calling. Equipping a vehicle with comparative aftermarket products would cost more than $1,000.

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the global leading provider of connected safety, security and mobility solutions and advanced information technology. With more than 6 million subscribers in the U.S, Canada and China, OnStar is currently available on more than 45 MY 2012 GM models, as well as available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road with OnStar FMV. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.

SOURCE General Motors

In this bit of cultural extermination into what constitutes public safety, justice goes to the one that is inclined to shoot first and claim self defense later and just deserts goes to the dead.

To wit, peace and quiet comes first to those that at not willing to shoot first; this progressively leaves standing their ground those most readily inclined to shoot first. Caring about others becomes a very real and present impediment to keep standing at all, and those that care least keep improving things by killing off those that might hesitate just a bit.

But let?s get to the heart of it all, ?It?s the economy stupid.? Every gun sold has the potential of increasing employment in the funeral parlor business and the supply chain of caskets, flowers, tombstones and grave excavation, not to mention the annual carryover of the sale in box stores (for credit card debt) all of those plastic flowers and wreaths manufactured in low-standard-of-living countries and put on graves in our declining-standard-of-living country.

If ?stand your ground? could go national, it could create weekly a Mega Black Friday that puts to shame the one that now marks the begging of gift-buying at the start of the seasons of the birth of The Prince of Peace.

Just an entrepreneurial spin on this, but maybe guns shops should go one-stop service and get into the mortuary business ? maybe with a catchy promotional name: ?HOLD YOUR GROUND WITH ONE SHOT AND STOP? ? drive-by shootings available at discount.

Sam Osborne, West Branch

ORLANDO, Fla., May 4, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Award-winning Pilates and yoga instructor Sean Vigue prides himself on helping his clients achieve their fitness goals. Vigue has taught thousands of classes in the Central Florida area over the years, so when a client and Get Thin Now team member approached him with a dietary recommendation, Vigue agreed to give the product a try.

“I’ve always been very careful about what I put into my body,” says Vigue. “Once I saw that Isagenix was all-natural, without the chemicals and preservatives in so many other supplements, I agreed to give it a go.”

Isagenix proved to be so beneficial that Vigue began offering the products to other clients via Get Thin Now, whose success stories proved even more dramatic than Vigue’s. “Isagenix helped me really fine-tune my physique; however, many clients were able to completely transform their bodies through the combination of regular exercise classes and Isagenix.”

Founded in 2002, Isagenix International is the world leader in whole-body nutritional cleansing. The products are distributed by an independent network of associates across the globe, including members of Get Thin Now. The Get Thin Now brand was launched in 2011 and offers extensive support and training to its members.

“Sean’s fitness program was a natural fit for Get Thin Now,” says Get Thin Now Managing Partner Matt Rockwell. “After all, health and fitness are mutually exclusive – you cannot achieve one without the other. It is our hope that together, Sean Vigue Fitness and Get Thin Now can help thousands take their results to the next level with a complete nutrition and exercise package.”

Visit Vigue’s Get Thin Now profile for more information, including an opportunity for a free workout download with registration. For more information on Sean Vigue Fitness, subscribe to Vigue’s official YouTube channel, chime in on Facebook or follow @SeanVigueFit on Twitter.

About Sean Vigue and Sean Vigue Fitness

Sean Vigue Fitness features world-class live Pilates, yoga and spinning classes in addition to a full line of dynamic workouts, including his award-winning Pilates for Men DVD, recently named “Best of 2011″ by Pilates Style Magazine. Sean Vigue Fitness clients include Gold’s Gym Orlando, Florida Hospital, Montessori School, Platinum Dance Academy, Orange Lake Resort, Osceola and Orange Country school districts. Vigue’s professional certifications include Pilates Mat Foundations, PiYo(TM) Instructor Training, Practical Yoga Instructor, Practical Pilates, Certified Pilates Matwork & Yoga Fundamentals, Schwinn Cycling Training Course, Certified Personal Trainer and Actors’ Equity.

Media Contact:

Lauren Cookpress@seanviguefitness.com 954-324-4358

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at
http://www.ereleases.com .

SOURCE Sean Vigue Fitness

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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