http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com SpoonyLife fr-FR http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/so-you-think-you-can-dance-top-10-perform-16769.html Rib Boat (S04E16) Well, what do you think about that? Before the show even began theTop 10 has changed with hip-hop dancer Comfort coming into replaceJessica. Apparently, Jessica suffered an injury that forced her to withdraw from thecompetition. Before the show began we didn't know any more specific details,so I wasn't sure if it was a physical injury or a psychological oneat all the verbal abuse she's taken during her stint as Will'spartner. Luckily, another change this week is the established partnerships.Gone is Twitchington and from here on out we get rotating partnersalong with changing dance styles. It's at this point, with your Top10, that it's time to separate the truly gifted dancers from theones who are only good because their partner is good (like thejudges thought about Jessica. Damn, I guess we'll never find outnow). And now it doesn't matter who the judges hate because fromhere the only vote that matters is yours. No more "bottom three"leading to a judges' choice. Lowest vote means a quick trip home sopay attention and get it right! It was interesting that they introduced the "Top 10" by onlyintroducing nine of them. Then, Jessica came on screen to revealthat she'd actually cracked a rib and broken two more! I'm not surewhen this happened, but if she's danced as well as she has withthose injuries, she might be even better than we realized. But doesthis mean Comfort's on the tour, or will Jessica get to be on thetour? I'd put Comfort on as she's going to do the time from here onout, even if she gets eliminated this week, and have Jessica as analternate, if she's fit to do so. Tonight on the panel Mary and Nigel were joined by crumping expertLil'C. I'm not sure what his expertise is beyond his style, but hewas able to step right in there and praise the choreographers likethe judges have been doing this year. And actually, he was prettydamned impressive, giving constructive criticism on ballroomroutines as well as the expected hip-hop numbers. I like him as a"jidge." THE PERFORMANCES (COUPLES) Courtney et Joshua --(Hip-Hop w/ Dave Scott - "Skippin'," Mario) Joshua is a huge fan of Scott and really got off lucky by getting his own style in hisfirst pairing outside of the magic he and Katee had created thepast several weeks. Courtney is another strong dancer. I enjoyedthe gimmick of the mad scientist and the "bride of Frankenstein." Ithought Courtney hit her marks far better than she seemed to thinkshe would and the chemistry was great between the pair of them.Joshua was as amazing as I expected him to be and I was pleased tosee Courtney keeping up with him. --(Rhumba w/ Jean-Marc Genereaux - "Hero," Inrique Iglesias) The passion was definitely there, and as usual Joshua is a strongand impressive lead on these kinds of dances. He was commanding andpowerful, yet sensual and romantic. And Courtney was every bit ofthat right there with him. I was even impressed with how theyhandled the tricks, the footwork and the carriage. The onlycriticism was that they balked a bit going into the lifts. That wasan amazing performance from two non-ballroom dancers. Kherington et Mark --(Two-Step w/ Ronnie DeBenedetta et Brandi Tobias - "KickBack," Ty England) Well, this is the first time the two-step has appeared on theshow, and you can tell it's more about footwork than tricks becauseBrandi was about eleven-and-a-half months pregnant during theclass. I'm pleased to see SYTYCD continuing to reach out to new genres and styles for inspiration.Unfortunately, you could tell these guys have never done anythinglike this before. They missed almost every arm grasp they needed tohit, and slopped the footwork, turns and everything else, managingto turn a high energy dance into a low energy disaster. --(Jazz w/ Tyce DiOrio - "Canned Heat," Jamiroquai) This number definitely went better than their two-step. Bothdancers looked strong and confident in their moves. Thechoreography was quirky with a lot of personality, which fit Mark'stendencies very well. And Kherington was back to her typicallyamazing self, nailing every move. They absolutely needed a strongperformance like this to close out their night together. Comfort et Twitch --(Smooth Waltz w/ Hunter Johnson - "Open Arms," Journey) Well, this was a recipe for disaster with two hip-hop dancerstaking on such a romantically toned style. Comfort has shown realweakness in this area while Twitch has shown surprisingversatility. Unfortunately, I thought they were both a little stiffand stumbling than the style demanded. There were some prettymoments to be sure, but they were trying too hard to get it justright and it came across a bit forced. --(Hip-Hop w/ Dave Scott - "Forever," Chris Brown) If the last number was a recipe for disaster, then this piece wastailor made for amazing. They had a competition going to see whowould hit it harder. In the end, I'll give the edge to Twitch, butnot by much. They both pretty much nailed this one. They danced itmore like it was a competition than as a couple working together,but I think that worked here. It was one of the strongest hip-hoproutines the show has ever seen. Putting two hip-hop dancers on agreat hip-hop routine gave us exactly what we could have dreamedof. Katee et Will --(Broadway w/ Tyce DiOrio - "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat."(Guys and Dolls) Sam Harris) Arguably the best female dancer in the competition and theundisputed best technical dancer on the show should make for anoutstanding performance. Tyce went for an Emmy nomination draggingout a unique prop for this number in the form of a small boat. Itwas a high energy and quirky number put on two amazingly gifteddancers. As expected, it was danced brilliantly and with a lot ofpersonality. It didn't blow me away as much as the boardroom orpark bench numbers, but it was still pretty damned good. --(Pas De Deux w/ Dwight Roden et Desmond Richardson -"Imagine," David Archuleta) Gee, I wonder how they got the rights to that version of the song ... I don't think we've had balletchoreographed on the show before, so it was pretty exciting to seeit represented here with this particular style. I remember learningthis when I was dancing, and it's not easy stuff. I guess Kateespent the week stretching because she was every bit as limber asthe performance demanded. And save one missed inside turn, bothdancers were technically astonishing. Chelsie et Gev --(Contemporary w/ Sonya Tayeh - "These Arms of Mine," OtisRedding) Right away I liked how abrupt Gev's motions were. He wasn't asstrong on his leaps as he needed to be, but Sonya catered thenumber to his breaking a bit and it worked out really well. Theydid change the drop on top of her to him falling to her side. Maybehis trousers couldn't handle his enthusiasm on that trick. Bothimpressed me a lot on this one. Chelsie is one of the other topfemale dancers and always blows me away with how well she gets intocharacter. --(Jive w/ Jean-Marc Genereaux - "The House Is Rockin'," BrianSetzer) I have to admit, they pulled this off way better than I thoughtthey would. There was at least one missed hand connection, but thefootwork was where it needed to be. I think Gev jived a lot lighterthan Chelsie, who seemed as if she had weights on her heels througha lot of that. Overall, though it was a fun closer on the show. THE PERFORMANCES (SOLOS) Chelsie ("Pon de Replay," Rihanna) Well, I thought the dress she wore was absolutely horrible,flattering neither her figure or her dancing and I found the soloitself to be a lot of hip swaying and a lot more boredom. Gev ("Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)," Lupe Fiasco f. Unkle) Gev missed his foot-grab trick and didn't recover from it until helet go of that foot. Other than that, I thought his energy was goodand the rest of the number hit very well. Courtney ("I Want You to Need Me," Celine Dion) Spins, legs, kicks, jumps and falling to the ground. With so manycontemporary dancers on the show, it's hard to stand out in apositive way with these solos and I don't think Courtney reallydid, though she did everything she did very well. Mark ("Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen) Mark's shirt would have gone well in Katee and Will's number. I'dalmost forgotten how quirky and unusual Mark's dancing is, but itis something mesmerizing to watch. He's technically very strong,but moves with herky-jerks unlike any other contemporary dancer outthere. Comfort ("Need a Boss," Shareefa f. Ludacris) Comfort knows she's here by the grace of God and danced like it.She brought it more than we've ever seen from her and I saw some ofthat "best female hip-hop dancer we've ever seen" as Nigel calledher early on. Incredible energy and effort. Twitch ("I Question Mark," Wade Robson) That was just sick. What can you say to that. Just amazing.Everything ... EVERYTHING you could want in a hip-hop solo in howmany seconds, incorporating the "So You Think You Can Dance" endingvocal and posing as Superman in his t-shirt at the end? Stupidsick! Katee ("This Woman's Work," (MTV Unplugged) Maxwell) Again, Katee did a typical contemporary solo, but managed to makeher movements look so much bigger than she is. She was beautifuland graceful, though! Will ("Dance With My Father," Luther Vandross) Rather than just do the contemporary "tricks" we've come toexpect, Will told a story to his song choice. The tricks werethere, but so was that something extra: emotion and story! Kherington ("Breakin' Dishes," Rihanna) Another contemporary solo that didn't really dazzle in anyspectacular way. Joshua ("Jam," Michael Jackson) What a great song to choose for what Joshua does. He was just outof this world with his hits on that. He was every bit as good aswhat Twitch brings to his solos. BEST OF THE NIGHT I'm gonna give it a tie to Twitch et Comfort's hip-hop routineand Will et Katee's pas de deux. Both were just amazing examplesof technique in such differing genres, beautifully showcasing thediversity of what dance is capable of. It's a shame the two-stepwas such a disaster. WORST OF THE NIGHT The weakest on the night for me for the guys was Gev. He justdanced so like he was out of his element throughout the evening.Doing the same on the girls' side was Kherington, which wasactually a surprise for me as I've enjoyed her so much these pastfew weeks with Twitch. Do I need to mention the weakest dance of the night? LINES OF THE NIGHT After Nigel compared the final lift in Twitch and Comfort's routineto the lift from Dirty Dancing , Cat responded with: "Nobody puts Comfort in a corner." A greatnod to the movie and a funny off-the-cuff bit from Cat. "This is just the beginning. Wait until you see the rest of it."Joshua talking about how Will and Twitch "are always naked onstage" and he'll be soon following suit. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:46:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/lobsterman-ok-after-boat-catches-fire-off-maine-16768.html Rib Boat CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine An explosion blew a lobsterman off the stern of his boat, but hemanaged to swim to safety after his vessel caught fire and sank sixmiles off Cape Elizabeth. According to the Coast Guard, Kenneth Johnson was pulling traps byhimself Saturday morning when he made an emergency radio callreporting an electrical fire. Coast Guard search-and-rescue specialist Kenneth Stuart said afterJohnson got his survival suit on, an explosion blew him off a rearplatform of the 45-foot Kimberly Marie. A sport fishing boat retrieved Johnson from the water, and he wastaken to Portland and transported to Maine Medical Center with ribinjuries. The boat, whose home port is Cundy's Harbor, later sank. Smoke fromthe fire was so thick that the Coast Guard got calls about the firefrom Saco to Harpswell. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:44:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/usa-nz.-tallon-marine-to-unveil-new-rib-accessory-system-at-maats-16767.html Rib Boat Tallon Marine, the manufacturer of the award-winning, integratedaccessory system called the Tallon System, is premiering a new RIBsystem at MAATS, Las Vegas, Nev., July 16-18, 2008. Based on the flexibility and functionality of the innovative TallonSystem, the new system is the first and only one specificallydesigned to interchange accessories on inflatable boats. Thebackend of the receiver platform is fully sealed for easy factoryand aftermarket installation on the inflatable tube. This unique, end-to-end accessory system enables owners ofinflatable boats to quickly and easily install and swap outcommonly used marine accessories to accommodate their ever-changingneeds and personalize their boat in style. "Tallon Marine accessories can be moved to different areas ofthe boat as and when needed, providing greater flexibility onboard,as accessories remain within arm's length yet out of theway," explains Duncan Good, general manager of Tallon Marine."The new system opens endless possibilities for owners ofinflatable boats who can now benefit from the same versatilityoffered by our existing system on fishing boats, cruisers, yachtsand more." Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 July 2008 ) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:44:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/charity-bass-tournament-draws-crowd-16766.html Rib Boat The Joe Cole Memorial Have a Heart Bass Tournament last Saturday atIndian Point Resort drew a large crowd and helped raise money forthe American Heart Association in honor of Joe Cole. "The tournament was a success," tournament organizer Andy Nilessaid. "The fishing may not have been great, but we did raise over $1,000that goes to the American Heart Association." Half of the $50-per-boat entry fee, plus additional donations,helped make the day fun for those who participated and beneficialto heart research. Niles added that a low river stage and the fact the tournamenttakes place in the middle of the summer may have led to the smallerresults. The tournament had 32 boats entered with two fishermen per boat,which made for a good day on the water, Niles said. The pairing of Mark Johnson and Jamie Buxton won $490 collectedfrom an optional lunker fee of $10 with a total weight of 8.16pounds, including two fish that weighed in at 2.4 and 2.3 pounds. The largest bass caught during the tournament weighed in at 2.66pounds. Of the 32 boats entered, 17 caught qualifying fish, while the other15 boats were shut out. Niles said one boat was involved in an accident in which one of theoccupants had to be treated for a broken rib. Niles did not comment on the name of the person involved or thenature of the accident, and authorities were unavailable forcomment. Jon-Marc Larson can be reached at jlarson@themississippipress.comor 228-934-1437. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:43:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/isa-yachtsman-euromarine-rib-championship-launched-16765.html Rib Boat The ISA Yachtsman Euromarine Rib Championship was launched at theIMF On the water boat show. This Championship is open to all ISAaffiliated clubs and ISA training Centres. The Championship will berun throughout the country with each winning club/RTE winning teambeing put through to the Regional Final. Winners of the RegionalFinals will go through to the national Final. It is hoped theRegional finals will take place in early Autumn. Each team will consist of a team of 4, each team has to have onemember under 16 and can have no more that 1 qualified instructor. The competition itself will consist of two water based skillscompetition with two land based competitions. All competitions willbe related to the use of a rib and marine based general knowledge. Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 July 2008 ) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:42:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/uk.-hms-severn-in-capsize-incident-of-portland-16763.html Rib Boat A little before 3.00 p.m. this afternoon Portland Coastguard werealerted by a mayday call from the warship 'Severn' to an incidentthat was unfolding offshore, where a rigid inflatable boat (RIB)had overturned tipping five individuals into the sea. Officers on board the vessel were undertaking a FisheriesProtection inspection and were approaching the fishing vessel‘Lady Maureen' when, due to the sea swell, it interacted withthe fishing vessel tipping its occupants into the water. The individuals were quickly recovered from the sea by occupants ofa further rigid inflatable boat, which was on scene as well as thecrew of the 'Lady Maureen'. Portland Coastguard immediatelyscrambled the Portland Coastguard Rescue Helicopter. Some crew members were returned to the 'Severn' by RIB, whilst theremainder stayed on board the fishing vessel. They were medicallyassessed by trained personnel on board the warship and a winchmanfrom the helicopter, and it was decided to airlift one injured manback to Poole General Hospital. His condition is not thought to belife threatening. The weather has remained good this afternoon throughout the areawith north westerly winds of force 3 and good visibility. TheMarine Accident Information Branch has been informed. Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 July 2008 ) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:41:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/accused-denies-he-drove-boat-carrying-3741540m-of-cocaine-16762.html Rib Boat BARRY ROCHE in Cork AN ENGLISHMAN charged with possessing cocaine valued at euro440million yesterday denied that he was involved in organising a drugsshipment or that he drove the boat carrying the drugs that got intodifficulty off the west Cork coast. Martin Wanden (45) denied a suggestion by prosecution counsel TomCreed that his version of how he ended up in a Rib (rigidinflatable boat) carrying 1.5 tonnes of cocaine was "a self-servingstory to extricate" himself from the situation. "I've never, ever been on that Rib," said Mr Wanden in reply to MrCreed's suggestion that he was an integral part of the drugssmuggling operation and drove the Rib to rendezvous with the LuckyDay some 30 miles off the west Cork coast. Mr Wanden insisted under cross-examination yesterday that it waspossible for his friend, a man called Charles Goldie, and anotherman to transfer from the boat carrying the drugs to the rescue boatthat Mr Wanden had brought out, despite the fact that there was aforce five wind blowing with three-metre swells on the sea. Mr Wanden said that because the two boats had tubing just a foothigh, they were able to come close together. He said that one ofthe three other men, Gerard Hagan, held them together for a shortperiod while the two men transferred to the rescue boat. He said it was during an argument with Mr Goldie in the course ofthis brief engagement that he was pushed from the rescue boat intothe boat carrying the drugs. Mr Wanden, of no fixed abode, and his two co-accused, Joe Daly (41)from Carrisbrooke Avenue, Bexley, Kent; and Perry Wharrie (48) fromPyrles Lane, Loughton, Essex, each deny charges of possessingcocaine for sale or supply at Dunlough Bay on July 2nd, 2007. Following cross-examination of Mr Wanden, counsel for Mr Wharrie,Tim O'Leary SC, told the jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that"because of the state of the prosecution case", he would not becalling any evidence on behalf of his client. © 2008 The Irish Times This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:40:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/beijing-bound-if-in-04-you-don-t-succeed-make-the-boat-in-08-16761.html Rib Boat Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, once summed uphis opinions on the Games in a legendary quote. "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning buttaking part." It took eight years on the National Team and a missed qualificationfor the 2004 Athens Games, but 2002 College graduate Tom Paradisois set to take part in the Olympics as a member of the UnitedStates rowing team in the lightweight four event. "I think in '04 I didn't have the capacity in the physical sense, Ijust wasn't a strong enough rower," he said. "I think that the timeI put in between 2004 and now has just been of the highest quality.I have been able to make the gains I needed to make it into theboat for this Olympics." He began rowing his freshman year at the Chestnut Hill Academyoutside Philadelphia. Four years later, he joined the heavyweightrowing team at Penn, choosing the school for its location, coachingstaff and recent rowing success. During his junior year, he consulted with then-head coach StanBergmann about how best to pursue the sport further. He ended upattending an under-23 national camp for the lightweight eight boat,as he had always been one of the smaller heavyweight rowers. At the camp, Paradiso's future success began to take shape. "I ended up making that boat," he said. "It was a bit of a longshotbased on my erg [rowing fitness] score. I went back to thelightweight eight the following year and have been on the teamevery year since." However, the lightweight eight is not an Olympic event, so onlyfour members of the team could make the '04 Athens Games. Paradiso, who in 2003 injured his back and in early 2004 cracked arib, cites the injuries and his fitness level as the likely reasonsfor his exclusion. He managed to turn it into a positive, settinghis eyes on qualifying for the Beijing boat. "It was a great opportunity for me to see what I needed to fix," hesaid. "When I started, my erg score was not quite up to par. Mytechnical level was much higher, relatively, than my fitnesslevel." Improving on that fitness level has been a constant goal forParadiso ever since. It has consumed his training, his diet andeven his rest. He's sure to listen to his body and relax it whensore to ensure no injuries leading up to this year's Games. His training has elevated to incredible levels. He has been at theU.S. Training Center in Princeton, N.J. since 2005, but the buildupto this year's Lightweight Four Selection Camp was the mostintense. "We came back from [the World Championships in] Germany, had a weekand a half off and then pretty much jumped right into the hardesttraining I've ever done in my entire life," he said. "The mostmiles I've rowed, the most practice sessions in a week that I'veever done and just the most tired I've ever been." And that still paled in comparison to the workouts at the Camp. Ofthe eight rowers struggling to make the four-person boat, four willlikely retire after this summer. Thus, all the rowers were"throwing everything on the line pretty much every practice." The training got so intense that, when the coach finally informedParadiso that he had made the team, he was equally as stunned asrelieved. "It felt a little like Groundhog Day, where you wake up, eat, row,race, come home, rest. Relax, maybe go for a row, come home, eat,sleep, wake up, and repeat," he said of the Camp. "There wasdefinitely a sense of relief afterwards, but it was almost a littleshellshock. It was 16 days of pretty much the most intensepractices ever and then it was over." Now, the training continues, in a more unique manner. The WorldChampionships will be held next week in Austria for non-Olympicevents, including the lightweight men's eight. The eight rowers who were at the camp are training for that whilethe four who made the Olympic team practice for both events. Thus,the team is dividing their practice between the two events,something Pradiso believes is unprecedented. The team will fly to Austria, compete in the Worlds, and then headto Beijing. That way, they cut down the one-shot travel time andshould be less jet-lagged. And now that he has made the boat, he can focus on succeeding in anevent in which the U.S. has not had much success. He is setting hisgoals somewhat modestly, though. "The semifinals are where we've stumbled," he said. "I think thisyear's goal is getting through the semifinals into the final. Onceyou get to the final, anything could happen. We have the capacityto row as a medal-level crew; whether or not we can execute, we'llfind out." Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:39:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/truck-transporting-steel-structure-expected-to-cause-delays-15045.html steel structure A 28-foot-wide, 100-foot-long U.S. Navyantenna is expected to clog traffic in the northbound lane ofInterstate 81 and back up traffic for two miles. The oversized load is scheduled to depart near Abingdon on Tuesdaynight to begin a two-day journey across Virginia. The massive load is destined for Baltimore, where it will beshipped to an island about 1,000 miles south of India. Sandy Myers of the Virginia Department of Transportation said theload will block two lanes of traffic and will be escorted by statepolice and a VDOT safety patrol. The load will travel in a portion of the acceleration lane, butMyers still expects traffic backups of two miles. State police say U.S. Highway 11 can be used to avoid thebottleneck. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:14:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/china-responsible-for-two-thirds-of-world-cement-15044.html cement clinker If carbon emissions rankings are any guide to Olympic medalsuccess, then Greenbang would like to tap her nose knowingly andsuggest you could do worse than put a few bob on China. (and ifyou'll follow such shoddy betting logic, you deserve to loseyour money. Go bet on Elvis to return on a UFO or something.) According to new research from the Netherlands EnvironmentalAssessment Agency, China's emissions are now 14 percenthigher than the US', and China has contributed two-thirds ofthe three percent rise in carbon emissions which happened lastyear. China now has almost a quarter of the world's carbonemissions under its belt, with the top rest of the top fivepolluters in order being the USA, the EU-15, India and the RussianFederation. Of course, if you break down the figures on a per person basis, thetop five looks a little different: USA (19.4 tonnes per capita),Russia (11.8), EU-15 (8.6), China (5.1 ) and India (1.8). So where's all this carbon coming from? Here's what theNetherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has to say: Of all industrial processes, the cement clinker production processis the largest source of CO2, apart from fossil fuel use. Itcontributes around 5% to the total of global CO2 emissions fromfuel use and industrial activities. With a production increase of10% in 2007, China now has a share in global cement production ofabout 50%. Cement manufacturing is responsible for almost 20% of the total ofChina Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:13:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/truck-loses-load-of-steel-pipes-on-long-onramp-15043.html Steel Pipes A semi-tractor trailer tipped over and lost its load nearsouthbound Interstate 5 Monday morning in Everett. The on-ramp at 172nd Street Northwest near Smokey Point was blockedfor several hours. The Washington State Patrol said the truck's heavy load of steelpipes was not properly secured and shifted while the truck wastraveling on the on-ramp. Nearly a dozen of the pipes rolled fromthe flatbed truck at about 9:30 a.m. Crews worked to clear the steel pipes that scattered on the edge ofthe road and shoulder, video from Chopper 7 showed. Each pipe weighed more than 5,000 pounds. KIRO 7's news partner the Herald said the driver, a 53-year-old manfrom Snohomish, was taken to a local hospital when he complained ofback pain, but he was not seriously injured. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:11:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/second-quarter-2008-loss-per-share-onrecord-increases-in-raw-material-costs-15042.html Decorative Materials OMNOVA Solutions Reports - Loss per share of $0.07 as compared to a loss per share of $0.23for the second quarter of 2007 - Net sales increased $31.7 million, or 16.9%, which included $24.0million of sales from Asian businesses, as compared to the secondquarter of 2007 - Operating profit of $3.0 million, down from $10.0 million due tounprecedented oil-based raw material inflation of $14.4 million - Significant new pricing actions to recover raw material costswere implemented late in the second quarter and early in the thirdquarter FAIRLAWN, Ohio, June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OMNOVA SolutionsInc. NYSE: OMN today reported a net loss of $3.1 million, or $0.07per diluted share, for the second quarter ended May 31, 2008,compared to a net loss of $9.8 million, or $0.23 per diluted share,for the second quarter of 2007. Included in the second quarter of2007 were debt redemption and restructuring costs of $12.5 million. Net sales increased $31.7 million, to $219.7 million, for thesecond quarter of 2008 compared to $188.0 million during the sameperiod a year ago. Contributing to the second quarter increase weresales of $24.0 million from the Decorative Products Asianbusinesses acquired in the first quarter of 2008, favorable pricingof $11.4 million and positive foreign exchange translation of $0.1million partially offset by net volume declines of $3.8 million.The volume declines primarily occurred in two product lines sold tothe residential housing industry: Performance Chemicals' carpetbusiness and Decorative Products' laminate business. Volumedeclines were partially offset by volume increases in PerformanceChemicals' paper chemicals business. Excluding the DecorativeProducts Asian businesses, the Company's sales grew $7.7 million or4.1%. Gross profit decreased $3.3 million to $33.8 million, with a grossprofit margin of 15.4%, in the second quarter of 2008 compared to$37.1 million, with a gross profit margin of 19.7%, in the secondquarter of 2007. Margins declined due to higher costs for rawmaterials, freight and utilities, product mix issues in NorthAmerica, and lower than average gross margins in the Asianbusinesses. Cost of goods sold of $185.9 million for the secondquarter of 2008 increased $35.0 million as compared to the secondquarter of 2007, due to manufacturing costs of $25.7 million fromthe inclusion of the Decorative Products Asian businesses, and$14.4 million of higher raw material costs. Cost of goods sold waspartially reduced by lower volumes of $2.9 million and lowermanufacturing expense of $2.2 million, primarily in North America. "Our priority to improve profitability continued to be challengedby record setting raw material inflation during the quarter," saidKevin McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions' Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer. "Late in the second quarter, we implemented priceincreases at both Decorative Products and Performance Chemicalswith minimal loss of volume. However, as oil has continued to climbas high as $139 a barrel, we have experienced new record high costsfor OMNOVA's major raw materials during our third quarter startingin June. In response, we have announced additional price increasesof up to 30% across many of our Performance Chemicals products." "In addition to new pricing actions, we are also focused onproductivity improvements to restore profit margins to acceptablelevels. We continue to drive our LEAN SixSigma focus deeper intoour domestic plants while introducing the concept to our new Asianbusinesses. Our cost structure, excluding raw materials, is lowerthan anytime since our formation in 1999. Everyone in ourorganization is keenly focused on our most important priority,which is margin improvement," McMullen said. Selling, general and administrative expense in the second quarterof 2008, which included $1.7 million from the Decorative ProductsAsian businesses, increased $2.3 million, to $27.5 million, or12.5% of sales. This compares to $25.2 million, or 13.4% of netsales, in the second quarter of 2007. Interest expense decreased $1.4 million, to $3.5 million, for thesecond quarter of 2008 as compared to $4.9 million for the sameperiod a year ago, due to significantly lower average interestrates as a result of the Company refinancing actions in 2007 andlower base interest rates, which was partially offset by higheraverage debt levels. Total debt at the end of the second quarter of2008 was $197.9 million, up $24.9 million from the second quarterof 2007. The increase in debt included $32.4 million of borrowingsand assumed debt to fund the purchase price and transaction fees ofthe Decorative Products Asian joint venture acquisitions in January2008, partially offset by $7.5 million of debt reduction utilizingcash from operations. Net Debt was $193.8 million at the end of thesecond quarter of 2008. There was $27.8 million of unused andavailable liquidity under the Company's revolving asset- basedcredit facility. The weighted average cost of borrowing during thesecond quarter of 2008 was 6.6%, an improvement from 10.8% for thesecond quarter of 2007. The weighted average borrowing rate on May31, 2008 declined to 5.5%. EBITDA, as defined in the Company's borrowing agreements for thecalculation of the net leverage ratio, was $9.7 million for thesecond quarter of 2008 compared to $14.3 million for the secondquarter of 2007. EBITDA for the twelve months ended May 31, 2008was $43.9 million, compared to $44.5 million for the twelve monthsended May 31, 2007. OMNOVA's leverage ratio of Net Debt to EBITDAwas 4.4 at May 31, 2008, well under the covenant limit of 5.5. Anexplanation of how the Company defines EBITDA and Net Debt andreconciliations of EBITDA to income (loss) from continuingoperations and Net Debt to total debt are provided in the Non-GAAPand Other Financial Measures section of this earnings release. Performance Chemicals - Net sales during the second quarter of 2008increased 7.6% to $125.2 million compared to $116.4 million in thesecond quarter of 2007. The increase was driven by higher sellingprices of $10.4 million, partially offset by volume decreases of$1.6 million. Sales growth was achieved despite carpet industryvolumes being down approximately 13%. Segment operating profit was$1.9 million for the second quarter of 2008, down from $5.8 millionfor the second quarter of 2007. The year-over-year operating profitdecline was attributable to $12.6 million of higher raw materialcosts, lower volumes of $0.6 million, higher freight expenses andunabsorbed manufacturing overhead, which was partially offset bythe higher selling prices. Segment operating profit margin was 1.5%for the second quarter of 2008 as compared to 5.0% for the secondquarter of 2007. Even though operating profit was lower, efficiencyimproved as pounds produced per employee increased over 5% for thefirst half of 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007. During the second quarter of 2008, volumes in paper chemicalsincreased high single digits year-over-year, driven by volume winsfrom 2007 with customers utilizing the Company's innovativeGenCryl(R) Pt(TM) product, a high-strength latex binder forhigh-grade coated paper applications. All paper latex products wererepriced late in the quarter with no loss of major customers. Incarpet chemicals, the Company experienced a significant decrease involumes in excess of the overall market decline due to customermix, mill closures, and the loss of one customer, which waspreviously announced in the first quarter. New record-high prices for butadiene and styrene (up 25% and 12%,respectively, as compared to the second quarter of 2007) and mostsecondary raw materials continued in the second quarter of 2008.Butadiene, the Company's second largest raw material in pounds anddollar value, was put on allocation by all major North Americansuppliers during the second quarter of 2008. Although butadienesupply to the Company was reduced slightly, Performance Chemicalswas able to satisfy all of its customers' needs. However, industryforecasts call for butadiene prices to increase significantly inthe third quarter, with both supply and allocations tightening. Inresponse, Performance Chemicals is implementing third quarter priceincreases across most product lines of up to 30% in June. Decorative Products - Net sales were $94.5 million during thesecond quarter of 2008, an increase of $22.9 million or 32.0%compared to the second quarter of 2007. The increase in sales wasdue to $24.0 million of sales from the Asian businesses, priceincreases of $1.0 million, and favorable foreign exchangetranslation of $0.1 million, partially offset by lower domesticlaminates volumes of $2.2 million. Price increases implemented latein the second quarter and announced early in the third quarterrepresent a potential increase in sales of approximately $6 millionon an annualized basis. Operating profit declined $3.1 million, to$1.1 million, for the second quarter of 2008 compared to operatingprofit of $4.2 million for the second quarter of 2007. Key factorsimpacting the second quarter 2008 operating profit decline werehigher raw material costs of $1.8 million, negative profitvariances of $1.2 million from the Asian businesses, lower volumesof $0.6 million and higher manufacturing and overhead costs of $0.5million, partially offset by sales price increases of $1.0 million. During the quarter, domestic contract interiors, coated fabrics andMuraspec U.K. wallcoverings all achieved year-over-year salesgrowth despite several weak end-use markets, while laminate saleswere down year-over-year on lower residential kitchen and bathcabinet volume. The Company believes that Decorative Products hasgained market share across most end uses. In contract interiors,the Company completed the sampling and field placement of itsECORE(TM) brand recyclable wallcovering. In the Company's coatedfabrics product line, industrial films, rigids, and marine productsgenerated higher sales while transportation end uses were weaker.The price increases across most product lines addressed rising rawmaterial costs, especially market prices for polyvinyl chloride(PVC) resin, up 33% year-over-year and plasticizer, up 44%year-over-year. At the beginning of the quarter, OMNOVA went livewith its SAP business planning system at a second DecorativeProducts manufacturing plant in Monroe, North Carolina, with athird facility scheduled for third quarter 2008. All of theCompany's Performance Chemicals plants have previously converted tothe SAP platform. Also, union members at the industrial film plantin Jeannette, Pennsylvania ratified a new three-year laborcontract. Decorative Products Asia Operations - Effective December 31, 2007,the Company acquired the remaining 49.9% interest of its formerDecorative Products joint venture companies in China and Thailandfor $32.4 million in cash, assumption of debt and transaction fees.Previously, the Company used the equity method of accounting torecord its proportionate share of the net income or loss of theseAsian businesses as equity earnings in affiliates, and did notconsolidate sales or operating results of these businesses. Theoperating results of Decorative Products Asian businesses are nowconsolidated but continue to be recognized on a one month lag,meaning that the February through April time period is recorded forthe Company's 2008 second quarter. For comparative purposes, Decorative Products Asian sales for thesecond quarter of 2008 were $24.0 million compared to $20.4 millionfor the second quarter of 2007, an increase of 17.6%. The operatingloss for the Decorative Products Asian businesses was $0.9 million,as compared to an operating profit of $1.0 million in the secondquarter of last year. Unfavorable year-over- year comparisons weredriven by increased raw material costs, bad debt expense, thestrength of the Thai Baht and Chinese Yuan currencies, and weakerFebruary results due to manufacturing shutdowns in China fromsevere snowstorms. In Thailand, the Company implemented amanagement restructuring which is expected to provide future costreductions and manufacturing efficiencies. China had its bestoperating results of the fiscal year in May 2008, which will bereported in the Company's third quarter. The Decorative ProductsAsian consolidation resulted in certain significant increases inbalance sheet accounts as of May 31, 2008, including: netreceivables $18.9 million, net inventories $16.3 million, net fixedassets $30.9 million and current liabilities $25.8 million. Earnings Conference Call - OMNOVA Solutions has scheduled itsEarnings Conference Call for Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at 11:00 a.m.EDT. The live audio event will be hosted by OMNOVA Solutions'Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin McMullen. It isanticipated to be approximately one hour in length and may beaccessed by the public from the Company's website ( www.omnova.com ). Webcast attendees will be in a listen-only mode. Following thelive webcast, OMNOVA will archive the call on its website untilnoon EDT, June 24, 2008. A telephone replay will also be availablebeginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2008, and ending at 11:59p.m. EDT on June 24, 2008. To listen to the telephone replay,callers should dial: (USA) 800-475-6701 or (Int'l) 320-365-3844.The Access Code is 926316. Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Reconciliation of segment sales and operating profit toconsolidated net sales and income (loss) before income taxes Management reviews the information below in assessing theperformance of the business segments and in making decisionsregarding the allocation of resources to the business segments.Management believes that this information is useful for providingthe investor with an understanding of the Company's business andoperating performance. Reconciliation of loss from continuing operations to EBITDA andtotal debt to Net Debt This earnings release includes EBITDA and Net Debt which arenon-GAAP financial measures as defined by the Securities andExchange Commission. EBITDA is calculated in accordance with thedefinition of Net Leverage Ratio as set forth in the Company's$150,000,000 Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of May 22, 2007and excludes charges for interest, taxes, depreciation andamortization, amortization of deferred financing costs, netearnings of joint ventures less cash dividends, net earnings offoreign subsidiaries less cash dividends, loss on debttransactions, gains or losses on sale or disposal of capitalassets, loss from write-down of non-current assets, non-cash incomeor expense for the Company's pension plans, gains or losses fromchanges in the LIFO reserve, and non-cash charges for the 401(k)company match and up to $2.0 million annually for restructuring,severance and non-recurring charges. Net Debt is calculated astotal debt, outstanding letters of credit and the fair value of theinterest rate swap if in a loss position less cash, cashequivalents and restricted cash. EBITDA and Net Debt are notmeasures of financial performance under GAAP. EBITDA and Net Debtare not calculated in the same manner by all companies andaccordingly are not necessarily comparable to similarly titledmeasures of other companies and may not be an appropriate measurefor comparing performance relative to other companies. EBITDA andNet Debt should not be construed as indicators of the Company'soperating performance or liquidity and should not be considered inisolation from or as a substitute for net income (loss), cash flowsfrom operations or cash flow data which are all prepared inaccordance with GAAP. EBITDA and Net Debt are not intended torepresent and should not be considered more meaningful than, or asan alternative to, measures of operating performance as determinedin accordance with GAAP. Management believes that presenting thisinformation is useful to investors because these measures arecommonly used as analytical indicators to evaluate performance,measure leverage capacity and debt service ability and bymanagement to allocate resources. Set forth below are thereconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their mostdirectly comparable GAAP financial measures. The Company did nothave any results from Discontinued Operations in the secondquarters or first six months of 2008 and 2007; therefore, theCompany's net loss for those periods is the equivalent of income(loss) from continuing operations as defined in the $150,000,000Term Loan Credit Agreement. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:10:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/different-bathtub-reopens-but-beach-still-has-old-attraction-15041.html Bathtub has been closed since late September, first because ofsevere erosion and then a lack of lifeguards. Swells left treestumps and roots exposed and damaged lifeguard stations, boardwalksand the parking lot. At high tide, there is no beach. Park department staff have done much to patch up damage, moving anoverturned lifeguard station back to its spot and fixing brokenstairs, and altering the design of the boardwalk. Signs also havebeen added to warn swimmers of submerged objects. And lifeguard positions, down to 12 full-timers from 17, are alsobeing filled by part-timers without training as emergency medicaltechnicians. John Handlen, a Martin County lifeguard for 20 years, said peopleshould be careful of the partially submerged root systems andexposed trunks, but noted that Bathtub was still "basically thesame thing." "The reef's a little smaller, the water's clean, it's a pretty goodday for opening day," he said. The long-awaited reopening, which was delayed several times, wasgreeted with little fanfare but much enthusiasm Monday. Umbrellasdotted the beach, toddlers dumped buckets of sand on themselves andthe gently lapping water, and many a visitor sprawled, book inhand. Beach-goers pointed out the differences - gnarled tree stumps, apuddle-filled root system, narrowed beach and newly patchedboardwalk and lifeguard stations - but noted that much of whatmakes Bathtub beloved remained. "It's perfect for children," said Joseph Foley, 32, of Port St.Lucie, who brought visiting family, including his young niece andnephew, to the beach Monday afternoon. Foley said even the exposed root system and stumps, which werecollecting little creatures and mossy algae, were like a sciencelesson for the children. Dew, who came to the beach with her two daughters, Courtney Dew,14, and Kelee Ritter, 8, said she wanted to see what had become ofone of her family's favorite recreational spots. She waded while Kelee and her friend, Hannah Grulich, 8, splashedin a large puddle in the root system left exposed by the recentswells. Older sister, Courtney, said the beach used to have moresand, rock caves to play in and prettier patches of coral out nearthe rocks. "It's still pretty, it's just not as pretty as it used to be," shesaid. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:09:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/kitchens-plus-keeps-it-local-with-cabinet-manufacturing-15040.html Bathroom Cabinets All the cabinetry will be custom-designed through the Kitchens Plusunique customer-centered design process. Kitchens Plus' Design Teamwill oversee the manufacturing process to certify that the finishedproduct will meet the tight specifications of each custom project.The high quality finished cabinets will be delivered in less timethan out-of-state manufacturers, with more versatility and finishchoices, at very competitive prices. The Kitchen Plus brand willassure the highest quality cabinetry with long-term local support,including a limited life-time warranty. "Kitchen Plus has been purchasing custom cabinets from elevendifferent manufacturers in nine states for more than twenty fouryears. In addition to our current lines, we felt it was time for usto bring the manufacturing home to San Diego's East County,"states Matt Barns, President of Kitchens Plus. "Locally wehave better quality control, savings in transport, more responsivewarranty and repair service and it keeps the jobs and money in ourlocal economy." Barns Continued, "In today's real estate market, a remodel isthe perfect solution to improving the lifestyle and financialposition of homeowners and their families. You imagine, wecreate... then you enjoy your new lifestyle and reap the financialbenefits of your investment." Kitchens Plus is a full-service General Contractor specializing in kitchen andbathroom remodeling. They have been remodeling homes throughout SanDiego for more than 24 years. Their remodeling process is uniqueand all-inclusive; it is a customer-centered design-build approachthat leads to complete satisfaction with cost-effective pricing.Kitchens Plus has a clear understanding that a home remodel is morethan just a construction project; for their customers, it is animprovement in lifestyle and an investment in their future. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:08:00 GMT http://oliver-me2.spoonylife.com/setting-out-on-the-right-foot-14189.html brand running shoes When buying a new pair of running shoes, looks can be deceiving.History has shown time and time again that high fashions firstconsideration isnt always health and comfort. But the ever-enduring stiletto isnt the first shoe proven toactually harm the foot. The running shoe, originally constructed toenhance a persons fitness needs, also has potential for damage. The process of selecting a pair of running shoes involves more thandeciding on brand, color and price. Buying a pair of running shoesis a science that should involve individual customization andfitting. Failure to select the correct pair of running shoes canwreak havoc on the body and hinder athletic performance. Southern Sole, a specialty running store in Tuscaloosa, uses videogait analysis to film customers as they walk or run on a treadmillto assess their foot type and any possible problems. Gait analysis,originally associated with capturing a horses movement to assessits way of walking, is commonly used to study human movement andmeasure and analyze a persons walking or running style. Southern Sole owner Shawn Beitelspacher said people underestimatethe importance of the right pair of running shoes. When studyinghis customers gait analysis recordings, Beitelspacher paysattention to the persons foot type and their amount of pronation,which deals with the arch and the rolling motion of the foot fromheel to toe while walking, jogging and or running. I pay attention to the types or amount of pronation andsupination, and depending on what level you are, we match your footwith a shoe, he said. Understanding ones pronation type is crucial in getting the rightpair of shoes, according to RunnersWorld.com. The foots structureand shape are what determine a persons foot type, and the foottype causes different levels of pronation in the feet. The threetypical pronation categories include normal pronation,underpronation and overpronation. In addition to ones foot type and pronation level, Beitelspachersaid there are several other important factors to consider whenselecting a running shoe. Making sure the shoe isnt too small andthat it isnt too wide or narrow is crucial to preventing injury.Bad blisters and loss of toenails are tell-tale signs that the shoeis too small. Typically people freak out when they try on a shoe thats theright size. People really need to have an open mind when they gettheir shoes fit. A good rule of thumb is to go a whole shoe sizeup, Beitelspacher said. While bargain prices and popular style often bait customers inpurchasing one pair of running shoes over another, lower pricesdont correlate with better shoes and can lead to injury.Beitelspacher advises athletes to avoid purchasing running shoesunder $75, since thats often the price range at which shoecompanies insert proper cushioning. If you dont have a shoe with proper cushioning, your feet hit theground at four times your body weight. In my experience, if yourein a shoe and dont have proper arch support, everything in yourbody gets out of line. This can lead to arch, shin, knee and backpain, he said. University of Alabama graduate student David Kilgo knows first-handthe toll a bad pair of running shoes takes on the body. An avidrunner, Kilgo was averaging five to six miles daily until he beganexperiencing a sharp pain in his leg that no amount of stretchingcould fix. It was really frustrating not being able to run as far as I knew Icould, Kilgo said. A visit to an orthopedist led Kilgo to the discovery that hisrunning shoes were causing him to run off balance. Although Kilgohad gone to Athletes Foot in the past to get his shoes fitted, hesaid he hadnt with his latest pair, and he paid the price. Now,Kilgo does physical therapy three times a week for two hours,involving electrode stimulation and other strength trainingtechniques, with Champion Fitness Therapy, formerly known asTuscaloosa Therapy, at the University of Alabama Student RecreationCenter. Its very important to get your shoes fitted because if not, youface potential strains, Jennifer Appleby, the West AlabamaOrthopedic and Sports Medicine clinical coordinator said. Marathoner Catenya McHenry Ashford said the right shoes meaneverything when running, especially for a marathoner who needs tobuy new running shoes frequently. It could mean faster or slower times. It could mean comfort ordiscomfort. It could even mean long-term foot damage if the shoe istoo tight or too small or even too big or gaps in the areas whereyou need support, Ashford said. After purchasing a pair of trail running shoes that didnt have aspring in the ball area and caused her feet to fall flat, Ashfordgot video analyzed and was referred to a new shoe that she lovesand caters to her foot needs. I dont think you can cut corners when it comes to your feet, shesaid. Southern Sole and Athletes Foot both offer in-store gait analysisfor their customers. Athletes Foot Fit Print system is similar indesign to Southern Soles video gate analysis in that it featuresboth a static and moving recording. The static recording evaluatesthe pressure points on the foot, and the gait analysis assesses theindividuals walking style. Cortez Rice, manager of Athletes Foot in Northport, said fittingpeople with the right shoe is important to eliminating footproblems. You dont pick shoes off color, Rice said. Unfortunately, youhave a generation of people who are deficient. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:25:00 GMT