Puma installs 1.9MW solar energy system at its facilities

Puma installs 1.9MW solar energy system at its facilities





Sportswear maker Puma North America has installed a 1.9 megawatt solar power system at its warehouse and distribution facilities in Carson and Torrance,we supply all kinds of Injection mold, one of the largest solar projects in Los Angeles County.



The system was installed by Premier Power Renewable Energy Inc., using more than 8,500 high-efficiency solar photovoltaic,Spring Piles in Houston at The Woodlands Town Center or PV, panels -- equal to about 380 residential solar systems - covering nearly 340,000 square feet of roof-top area.Handmade Cable Ties at museum quality,



The installation features a light-gauge steel racking system designed to optimize roof space while using fewer ballast blocks than a traditional system.



"Given the optimal design of the roof-mounted solar system, Puma will receive the advantageous electricity production, which will allow them to stabilize long-term electricity rates,What to consider before you buy hydraulic hose. ultimately benefiting its customers,From standard zentai suits to advanced wire tires, employees and the local communities," the companies said.



Premier Power designed and engineered the solar systems to produce 2.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to offset the annual carbon monoxide emission of 243 California homes or avoiding the annual carbon monoxide emission from using 4,662 barrels of oil or 225,501 gallons of gasoline, the companies said.



The companies didn't disclose cost of the solar power installations.

Tucson building owners are becoming more

Solar Topps will be installing Schuco solar panels on numerous upcoming Tucson commercial solar power installations that range from 30-kilowatts to 200 kilowatts for golf courses, print shops, hotels, hospitals, health spas, business parks, industrial offices, manufacturing companies and several multi-unit franchisees located in Tucson, Nogales, Yuma, Tempe and Phoenix,From standard zentai suits to advanced wire tires,What to consider before you buy hydraulic hose.we supply all kinds of Injection mold, Arizona. Solar Topps' monthly run rate is approaching 300-kilowatts per month and is on track to install 4-5 Megawatts by the end of 2011.



"Tucson building owners are becoming more and more aware that solar not only saves them money, but will give their building/business a serious competitive edge over their competitors for years to come because they will be generating electricity at 2011 prices while the competition will see their electric rates go up by six percent or more every year," said Neal Uppal, Solar Topps' President.Handmade Cable Ties at museum quality,



"Our best salesman is a spreadsheet, which shows increased cash flow, the amount of free solar electricity that can be generated, and the simple fact that Tucson commercial building owners will save hundreds of thousands of dollars by going solar,Spring Piles in Houston at The Woodlands Town Center" Uppal added. "No one loves our spreadsheet's mathematics more than accountants and CPAs. Why not have your accounting firm call us today at [phone] in Tucson or [phone] in Phoenix to find out how much money we can save your company?"



"To make it easy for Tucson solar commercial customers to get a hassle free quote, we built a website that allows Tucson commercial building owners to enter in their last 12 month's worth of electricity bills. The site automatically generates a solar lease vs. solar purchase quote and emails it to the company. No sales people are involved until you are ready to sign a contract," said Robert Hoskins, Solar Topps' Director of Marketing. "Our price is so low that it doesn't take long for customers to see a tremendous return-on-investment. Many times our customers have been shopping solar prices for a while when they hear about our rock bottom prices in tandem with top quality solar products and services. As soon as they see our quote they place an order immediately because they know that we are offering them the best deal in Arizona. The rapid rate at which we are signing contracts is a clear signal that our company is doing something right."

Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong

Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong





Are we living at the beginning of the Age of Fossil Fuels, not its final decades? The very thought goes against everything that politicians and the educated public have been taught to believe in the past generation. According to the conventional wisdom, the U.S. and other industrial nations must undertake a rapid and expensive transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy for three reasons: The imminent depletion of fossil fuels, national security and the danger of global warming.



What if the conventional wisdom about the energy future of America and the world has been completely wrong?



As everyone who follows news about energy knows by now, in the last decade the technique of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," long used in the oil industry, has evolved to permit energy companies to access reserves of previously-unrecoverable “shale gas” or unconventional natural gas.we supply all kinds of Injection mold, According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,What to consider before you buy hydraulic hose. these advances mean there is at least six times as much recoverable natural gas today as there was a decade ago.



Natural gas, which emits less carbon dioxide than coal, can be used in both electricity generation and as a fuel for automobiles.



The implications for energy security are startling. Natural gas may be only the beginning. Fracking also permits the extraction of previously-unrecoverable "tight oil," thereby postponing the day when the world runs out of petroleum.Handmade Cable Ties at museum quality, There is enough coal to produce energy for centuries. And governments, universities and corporations in the U.S.Spring Piles in Houston at The Woodlands Town Center, Canada, Japan and other countries are studying ways to obtain energy from gas hydrates, which mix methane with ice in high-density formations under the seafloor. The potential energy in gas hydrates may equal that of all other fossils,From standard zentai suits to advanced wire tires, including other forms of natural gas, combined.

Battersea in pet bedding appeal after laundry room fire

Battersea in pet bedding appeal after laundry room fire





Animals and staff were safely evacuated after the fire in the home's clinic, which cares for sick dogs and cats.Detailed information on the causes of Hemorrhoids,



The fire started shortly after 0800 BST on Saturday and caused smoke damage to the laundry room, meaning it cannot be used for washing.



Battersea is appealing for donations of pet bedding and blankets.

'Comfortable and warm'



The clinic normally handles 20 loads of washing a day. The home's main laundry room is working at full capacity and unable to take on the extra loads.



Clinic manager Suzanne Abrahams said: "In the clinic, we care for dogs and cats with all sorts of medical conditions, such as bite wounds, skin problems, malnutrition and broken bones.



"We use lots of bedding to keep them all comfortable and warm, so any donations would be a great help.Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. As long as it is already clean we can put it to use straight away.you will need to get an offshore merchant account.Has anyone done any research on making Plastic mold parts from scratch?"



Donations do not have to be new, but must be clean, the charity said. Any bedding and blankets will be welcomed but duvets and towels cannot be used.



Anyone wanting to donate can visit the animal home in Battersea Park Road, south west London, or visit Battersea Dogs and Cats Home's website.buy landscape oil paintings online.

Ga. officers deliver relief to flood victims

Ga. officers deliver relief to flood victims





Two Roswell Police officers will travel Wednesday to St. Landry Parish, La., to deliver donations for flood victims and public safety personnel who are helping them. Donations can be dropped off at the department through Tuesday. Suggested items include gift cards,The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model, nonperishable foods, cleaning supplies, toiletries, bedding, bottled water and juice, small tools, paper towels, baby items, pet food, toilet paper,uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices paper cups and plates, batteries, flashlights, socks, first aid items, charcoal and lighter fluid. Info: Officer Jamie Major,A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. 404-409-8735. ANDRIA SIMMONS



Counties to hold transit summit June 8



Chamber of commerce and county officials from Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties will host a transit summit June 8 to make the business case for transit in the northern suburbs.Largest Collection of billabong boardshorts,



Pat McCrory, former mayor of Charlotte, and Steve Banta,Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less! CEO of Phoenix METRO Light Rail, will discuss successful rail projects in their cities. There will also be discussion on potential transit lines in the three metro counties and the impact on traffic and economic development.

"First of its kind" solar project being installed in Rushville

"First of its kind" solar project being installed in Rushville





Schuyler County Engineer Dave Schneider sees America's growing dependence on foreign oil in every aspect of his job.



"It's in the asphalt we lay, the steel we put in bridges, the energy to bring it to us, the snowplowing, the salt delivery," Schneider said. "Our dependence on foreign oil is so great that anything we can produce in America has to be a plus."



Schneider is spearheading a project designed to produce power for the county's highway department using a renewable resource -- the sun.



Installation work began last week on 42 rooftop panels to collect solar energy. Plans call for the system -- the only one of its kind in West-Central Illinois -- to be fully operational by June 6.



"If we have an average year, we should be able to produce 100 percent of the energy from solar for this highway department," Schneider said. "Not having an electric bill here will be wonderful."



Seventy-five percent of the project's $63,535 cost came through an Energy Efficiency Block Grant, a regionally competitive state grant. A grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation covered the rest of the cost.



Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials made block grants totaling $185,000 for 12 energy efficiency projects in Adams,Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. Brown, Pike and Schuyler counties.



Most of the grants covered heating/ventilation/air conditioning, insulation and lighting upgrades.



The highway department grant "was the most costly of all the grants we gave out, but we felt it could be a good model for the region and might bring other energy projects," said Sandy Trusewych, director of the community development department for Two Rivers.



The panels measure three-feet by five-feet and will cover about 10 percent of the highway department's roof space. The panels are guaranteed for 20 years, but with the overall system, "hopefully we can make it do 25 years and maybe even more," Schneider said.



Moving to renewable power was the next step for the county which used earlier grants to boost energy efficiency in county buildings through insulation and upgrades on heating/ventilation/air conditioning units.



"We wanted to make sure we were saving energy, conserving first before we looked at renewables," Schneider said. "The solar project is the most low-maintenance, and the other thing is it has the least impact on neighbors in a small community."



Just as important, Schneider expects the $63,535 project will save money for the county.Largest Collection of billabong boardshorts,



"When budgets are very tight, you try to make things work," he said. "We try to find efficiencies the best we can."



Energy collected by the solar panels will go into the electrical power grid now serving the highway department.



"We'll get credit for overproduction in the summertime with the longer days and more sun, then use the credit we build up into the wintertime," Schneider said. Reporting how well the system works is a requirement of the grant.



"When we're up and running, we'll literally be able to take information collected from the solar panel and have it real-time on a website. That will be an educational tool with daily logs to see how much we're producing energy-wise day in and day out," Schneider said.



He hopes to see that information available on the county's website -- and to take hands-on proof that "we're really doing something" into the schools, service clubs and organizations like 4-H.



"We hear a lot about windpower, but there's something to be said about solar and the efficiencies that have been achieved in the past five years. As energy costs go up and up,uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices the cost competitiveness is getting better and better," Schneider said. "There has been a real boost in interest in solar since the Japanese earthquake and the issues with nuclear power."



Trusewych hopes the project will generate more solar power projects in the area, which has seen little activity since the 1970s.



"We were looking for residential solar projects, and the only ones we find were installed in the early 1970s when there were incentives then for that energy crisis. A number of homes in Quincy have solar panels on the roof, but nothing recently," she said. "We'd love to see a demand here locally so we could get suppliers here closer.The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model,"

Tips to keep your credit score high

Tips to keep your credit score high





More than ever beWhat are the top Hemroids treatments?fore, people are watching their credit scores and being cautious about how many times they swipe their plastic every month. But, taking care of your finances goes beyond paying your bills.



How you apply for credit and how often can make or break your score.We also offer customized zentai suits.



"You pay the biggest price for not paying on time and having the biggest credit balances," said investment adviser David Anderson.



Pay your bills and don't max out your credit cards. Two good rules of thumb, but add applying for credit too many times to that list.



Shopping for anything from cell phones to cars can hurt your credit score. According to the credit card companies timing is everything.



The problem is credit card companies see the world a little differently. If you apply for a loan on six cars in one month then clearly it's apparent your applying to buy one car. But, if you stretch out the loan applications to six months, credit companies might think you're applying for six cars which is when your credit takes a dive."



Six cars mights seem crazy, but it's possible if you don't apply for all your loans in about a 30-day period.



There are more ways you can hurt your credit score.



Small unpaid debts like parking tickets can be turned over to collection agencies. Too many lines of credit in your name can be damaging so be careful signing up for a department store card just to get that discount.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,



It's a slippery slope and one mistake can cost you.



"You can work for years to get a good credit score and not pay your bill once or twice and that can have a huge effect on your credit score,Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl." said Anderson.



So do your homework. Get your credit score, check your report for accuracy and don't be afraid to dispute inaccuracies. Pay your bills and limit your spending on new credit lines.



One last bit of help. Keep your old lines of credit open. 15% of your score comes from how long you've been managing your credit. Closing that credit line you've had since college could hurt you.We are professional Plastic mould,

Are Dubai residents suffering from brand addiction?

Are Dubai residents suffering from brand addiction?





Karen Thompson loves to shop. Her motto in life is 'Forget the diamonds, when you have plastic as your best friend'. Plastic, of course, refers to her trusty old credit card (or five) that facilitate her expeditions with faith and finesse.



While most would gauge that Thompson suffers from your average compulsive shopping disorder those who know her realise it's much more than that. For Thompson leads a life suffering from obsessive brand disorder.



"Nothing but the best will do," says close friend Stacey Josephs. "If it's a t-shirt, it has to be D&G; the shoes come from Bruno Magli's finest and even her kids aren't spared the Armani Junior fashion parade."



So, what is it about the tag that makes her tick? Dr Amit Sethi, specialist psychologist describes this as a basic onset of an addiction. "Addictive disorders are characterised by the failure to control behaviour, an increased tension prior to a behaviour and pleasure while experiencing the behaviour."



In Thompson's case, this addiction has escalated to the extent that it has placed her family in a deep financial debt.



Shopoholic anonymous



Compulsive brand buying has become the new buzz phrase in the industry, where big brand names are often made out to be the villains in the scenario.



Says Marcus Fernandez, a media buyer in Dubai: "Companies today realise that people in Dubai have a much higher disposable income, because let's face it, we are a relatively tax free society who are also quite media savvy. The full page advertisements and the giant bill boards down Sheikh Zayed Road prove that 'yes, people are watching and more importantly, they are spending'."



Today, a simple trip down to the Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates has become an advertising opportunity. If the giant popular travel agency hoarding is any indication, then people are not only taking noticing and getting influenced.



Dr Sethi adds that heavy advertising plays a major role as a psychological influencer in people opting for the particular brand they do. "Also, these days brands are being heavily endorsed by prominent celebrities whom people look up to as national heroes, role models, or just someone they like to emulate or follow."



Case in point is popular Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, and her endorsement of the soft drink giant Coca Cola industries. Not one to be left behind, David Beckham-Pepsi, Gwen Stefani-Chanel and even popular Indian icon Amitabh Bachchan and Tanishq jewellery are fine examples.



Keeping up with the Jones'



In a place like Dubai though, research has shown that buying habits are influenced by a lot more than mere public adverts.



Says Fashionista Majorie Williams, a personal wardrobe consultant in Dubai: "People in Dubai have their finger on the pulse when it comes to things like fashion. And when they see that a particular brand of jeans, shoes or fashion accessory has becomes the latest 'in' thing, then they want to be among the first to grab it and show it off."



Dr Sethi says that the landscape of the world we live in has changed considerably, becoming very competitive on all levels. Be it kids in high school or university, people working in lower-, middle- or senior-management and more importantly, even the type of home they live in - everything has to be on display.



Shalini Sharma, an advertising executive, explains: "Dubai is very materialistic, which is why a lot of the women here end up with an inferiority complex. At the end of the day, keeping up with the Jones' is not an easy job, you have to have the mansion in the Arabian Ranches, your 2.5 kids studying in JESS, seen shopping for groceries at Spinneys, while juggling your hair appointment on the iPhone 4, as you pick up the kids from ballet in the Maserati.



"And if handling all that isn't enough, your designer sunglasses, skinny jeans and ballet shoes have to be seen and admired by all and sundry."



Dr Sethi describes this phenomenon as a basic thirst in all strata of society to have an improved quality of life given the increased exposure to what everyone else is doing/buying/having.



"If one home purchases a BMW in a certain locality, it is bound that there is pressure on other homes to own a similar or better car. To get one up, households compete, therefore, there is a constant urge to keep up to the societal expectations and societal statuses," he says.



Although debatable, the underlying reasons are most often associated to a sense of power, self-confidence and a role identity in the society. "Dubai is a very materialistic and socially structured society. What you wear, drive or where you shop clearly associates you to a particular class of the society. Therefore in my opinion it comes across as a big deal in Dubai," Dr Sethi further explains.



"It is strange though that in the US, which is arguably the biggest influencer on any form of brand buying, trends show that people are moving away from the big brands and opting for more generic options," states Fernandez.



"Famous architect Karim Rashid recently gave a talk on brand shopping, and it was interesting to see that he name dropped celebrities like Alec Baldwin and Sarah Jessica Parker giving the Armanis' and Saks Fifth Avenue a skip to shop at the chain clothing store GAP. So, what we see today around us is mainly a Dubai thing."



Make the cut



While Josephs and Thompson's husband took the extreme route and cut up Karen's credit cards, Dr Sethi suggests looking behind the emotional reactions and searching out answers for the cause.



"Depression,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, boredom or emotional distress is what usually sets off an impulse to shop," he suggests. "Because shopping gives compulsive brand buyers a sort of euphoria or a 'high', they go down this route looking for some comfort."



Unfortunately, this vulnerable state makes them extremely dependant on advertising as a guide and therefore they will buy things to make them feel more powerful,Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl. attractive, or secure.



But Dr Sethi warns that this can end up as a vicious cycle. "There is usually a phase of feeling letdown, followed by guilt over the wasted money or debt. This leads to depression, which can set off another episode of compulsive buying."



Treatment of compulsive shopping may be more complicated than treating a physical addiction, like drug or alcohol abuse, because shopping is not something that can be avoided altogether.



"Compulsive shopping is similar to the condition of compulsive overeating where the pattern of compulsive behaviour must be addressed in order to get the shopping to a normal, healthy level. There are some things the compulsive shopper can do to help get their shopping down to a normal level," states Dr Sethi.The same Air purifier, cover removed.



This may include things like avoiding temptation, making funds difficult to access or distracting self with another activity when there is an impulse to shop. While these methods can greatly help towards recovery,We also offer customized zentai suits. professional help is still essential.



"It's very important that psychological problems are identified and treated. Without proper treatment, compulsive shoppers may stop shopping only to replace the object of their affection with other compulsive and or addictive behaviours,What are the top Hemroids treatments?" warns Dr Sethi.

Phillip Low's Tactile Sculpture Is a Kaleidoscope of Color

Phillip Low's Tactile Sculpture Is a Kaleidoscope of Color





If you've ever been so in love with a color that you want to capture its vibration and live inside it forever, than you would probably understand the work of Phillip Low. His prismatic, acrylic sculptures are large enough to get lost in, but small enough to hold, like some magic sci-fi fantasy crystal you've stolen away, its secrets revealed only to you.Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl. Ranging in size from about six to twelve inches, the polyhedral objects play with form, color and light, the combination of which seems to stir the existential, simultaneously evoking the childlike wonder of a bright, shiny thing, and the adult depth of knowing there will be murky areas in between. It's not hyperbole—some serious thinkers (Goethe!) have considered prisms very worthy objects to ponder.



But technically you can't call Low's sculptures prisms because the geometry is imprecise and the surface is muted. Instead of color radiating from the bending of light through facets, Low fuses together colored and clear acrylic to create his spectrums. "I have limitations with size, due to [the capability of] my tools," he explains,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, "but I want the work to be malleable.What are the top Hemroids treatments? If you have this big thing then you lose that immediacy, that intimacy of wanting to move it around. It becomes this monument and doesn't have that sort of sweetness," he laughs,

adding ironically, "like Jell-O."



Low trained as a fashion designer at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, but says that his degree collection was all about two-dimensional architecture and design. "That was my focus at school. And my jewelry at the show was chunks of plexiglass." These early inklings were prophetic, and Low has even further disassociated himself from fashion. "It's just not my world. I don't care about clothes anymore,The same Air purifier, cover removed. as you can see," he says, motioning to the day's uniform of a navy Champion sweatshirt and loose-fitting jeans.



Low spent the last 15 years buying and collecting acrylics, resins and light and space art pieces from the '50s, '60s and '70s, and he says his work today is particularly indebted to artist Vasa Mihich. "It was about 16 years ago that I found a piece of his work in a flea market that he had made in like '74, and it was an epiphany.We also offer customized zentai suits." But where Mihich's work explores color interaction through, crisp, high-gloss geometric form and theory (think Pink Floyd's iconic light and dark spectra logo), Low deals in gradation and subtlety. He's more interested in the color's emotion than its science. Low's first acrylic works were also glossy, but he didn't like that the finish scratched easily and felt unapproachable. To combat this, he started treating the surface so that it would have an almost a striated effect. This textured surface makes the objects more tactile; you're unafraid to leave a fingerprint. Which is precisely the point.

Demonizing the Poor for being Poor

Demonizing the Poor for being Poor





(NNPA) In the 1960s, we had the War on Poverty. In 2011, we're now seeing a War on People Who Live in Poverty.



One of the most callous examples of this occurred on ¨C you guessed it ¨C Fox News. Charles Payne, in a business segment, acknowledged that anti-poverty programs, food stamps, and unemployment insurance were "good programs", but then went on to attack recipients of those programs.



"I think the real narrative here, though, is that people aren't embarrassed by it," Payne said. "People aren't ashamed by it. In other words, there was a time when people were embarrassed to be on food stamps; there was a time when people were embarrassed to be on unemployment for six months,Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality, let alone demanding to be on for more than two years¡­ No longer is the man being told to look in the mirror and cast down a judgment on himself; it's someone else's fault. So, food stamps, unemployment, all this stuff is something that they probably earned in some indirect way."



The host of the business show, Stuart Varney,Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals called food stamps, Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credit "a form of welfare, income redistribution" benefiting people with an "entitlement mentality."



Varney and Payne, in effect, dismissed the findings by the National Bureau of Economic Research that showed that such programs keep 1 in 6 Americans out of poverty, mostly the elderly, the disabled, and the working poor. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,The same Air purifier, cover removed.We also offer customized zentai suits. without those programs, the poverty rate would double.



As states continue to struggle to balance their budgets, as required by their constitutions, some state lawmakers are directing their anger at the poor.



In Kentucky, a Republican state representative has introduced a bill that, if passed, would require random drug testing for all adults receiving welfare, food stamps or Medicaid.



Rep. Lonnie Napier, of Lancaster, Ky., introduced Kentucky House Bill 208 that would immediately terminate benefits to recipients who fail a drug test. He told the Huffington Post, "This program is gonna save us a lot of money, because there's gonna be a lot of people showing up on illegal drugs and they will lose their assistance."



There is no evidence that people benefiting from anti-poverty programs are any more prone to becoming drug addicts than those who do not receive such aid. Professor Harold Pollack, of the University of Chicago, pointed out that Michigan implemented a mandatory drug testing program 10 years ago at three of its welfare offices. Of the 258 welfare applicants tested, only 21 tested positive for illegal drugs. Of the 21 failing, 18 tested positive for marijuana.



Newt Gingrich, who is testing the GOP presidential waters, has tried to indirectly inject race into his campaign. Speaking to a group of Republicans in his home state of Georgia, he said: "President Obama is the most successful food stamp president in American history. I would like to be the most successful paycheck president in American history."



When asked about the comment on Meet the Press, Gingrich denied his comment contained racial overtones. He asserted, "¡­I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist."



Perhaps not overtly, but certainly covertly. That point was not lost on Adam Serwer of the Washington Post. "I don't think Gingrich lacks the sophistication to understand how it sounds when he calls for poll tests and refers to the first black president as ¡®the food stamp president,'" Serwer wrote. "¡­He gets to play the victim of a politically correct world where liberals try to stifle all criticism of Obama by characterizing any such criticism as racism.



His dog whistle is thus amplified by enraged liberals, while conservatives get to play up their own form of racial grievance politics."



Nearly 12 percent of Americans are beneficiaries of the Food Stamp program ¨C 28 percent of Blacks, 15 percent of Latinos, and eight percent of Whites.



Recipients, who are at or below the poverty line, are given a plastic card to purchase food, seeds, and food plants. The card cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. paper goods or pet food. Despite those restrictions, the users of food stamps are still used as a political football.



"If people buy fresh vegetables or other relatively expensive though nutritious foods, they are considered to be living high on the hog at the taxpayers' expense," the New York Times observed in 2009. "But if they buy cheap foods like hot dogs they are criticized for poor health habits."



Many people who were quick to criticize the Food Stamp program in the past are now embracing it after they have lost their job. More than 36 million people are food stamp recipients, with an additional 15 million eligible for enrollment.



"This is the most urgent time for our feeding program in our lifetime, with the exception of the Depression," Under Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Concannon told the New York Times. "It's time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people."



And, those hungry people ¨C many of them facing unemployment for the first time in their adult life ¨C should not be stigmatized by candidates for public office seeking to score cheap political points.