A holiday bag of music, dining and compassion | Desert Outlook

Posted: May 25th, 2012 | Author: Will Dean | Filed under: LGBT Blog

With 100 percent of LGBT youth reporting abuse at some point during foster care, they are often removed from one home and placed in another.

It?s easy to imagine their hope that the next home, the new family will be the one that sticks.

As they prepare to leave, it?s not uncommon for many to toss what few possessions they have into a plastic garbage bag. Learning of that indignity, in addition to everything else these youth deal with everyday, was enough to move Billy Lamer of Palm Springs to action.

?Hearing the words ?garbage bag? associated with kids bothered me,? he says. ?For me, it?s all about those who can, have a responsibility to take care of those who cannot.?

So Lamer, who is a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and employed with David Andrew Salon, started A Case for Kids. He collects luggage ? donations of new and used bags ? to give to LGBT foster kids.

Anyone who has a bag that isn?t being used is asked to call Lamer at (760) 902-8996 or (760) 318-2663.

Weekend of compassion

Helping the younger LGBT generation will be the focus of weekend events to benefit CASA for Riverside County, the Court Appointed Special Advocate program that matches adult volunteers with youth.

CASA?s overarching goal is to ensure these youth have a safe, accepting and caring home until they reach adulthood. (Learn more at?http://www.pageturnpro.com/Desert-Sun-Times/39229-May-2012-Desert-Outlook/index.html#26)

Coachella Valley residents and visitors are invited to take a break from poolside entertaining, cocktail parties and other holiday weekend activities to help this cause.

Azul Tapas Lounge at 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs is hosting several events this weekend as a benefit for CASA. There?s a dinner show at 6 p.m. Saturday featuring drag performers Coco Peru and Raja ($60 per ticket), followed by a dance party at 9 p.m. featuring Billy Francesca and J.B. Ghuman ($20 admission).

The festivities continue Sunday with a Disco Brunch with DJ Darcie from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a car wash from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Azul parking lot. Suggested donation for the car wash is $20.

Info: azultapaslounge.com, casariversidecounty.org

---

wonderlic test texas tornado fantasy baseball st louis cardinals jared sullinger jaleel white levi johnston

Damien Oliver: Champion Australian Jockey

Perhaps more than any other sport where one competitor depends on the performance of a teammate, horseracing makes us ask the question: who deserves most of the credit, the jockey or the horse?

Sometimes this question is easily answered as in cases where either a horse has an exceptional record regardless of who steers it, or a jockey posts exceptional results on a lot of different horses.

A prime example of the latter instance, where a jockey wins repeatedly on a variety of horses, is well represented by the record of Damien Oliver.

Damien Oliver, born 22 June 1972 near Perth, has the racing record, prize money statistics and recognition acquired over the course of a career that has featured consistent high performance for more than 20 years.

Oliver is one of the few jockeys that can claim ownership of the grand slam of Australian horse racing by winning the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and adding the Golden slipper stakes in 2007. In fact, he would need only one more Golden Slipper Stakes victory in order to lay claim to two career grand slams.

His record to date includes over 90 group 1 wins, almost 1000 victories and close to $94 million in prize money. At a stage in life where many hoops have chosen to hang up the boots, Oliver's 2010/11 season has already produced 54 wins, and it's not entirely inconceivable that he could equal or surpass the 115 wins he posted in 2008/09.

He has ridden and produced all over Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland and Hong Kong. His skills on Australian turf feature almost 200 wins at Mooney Valley, 122 at Flemington and 129 at Caulfield. Since 2002, he has ridden five winners in one day on no fewer than six occasions and four winners in one day ten times. He has had two-win days on so many occasions that it hardly bears mention.

One measure of the jockey's reputation is represented by how he is regarded by the trainers for whom he rides. Oliver obviously fulfills this criteria by having won almost 200 races for Lee Freedman, over 60 for Mick Price, 30 for Peter Moody and 23 for Tony Mc Evoy.

Another that tips the balance in favor of the jockey as to which is the more important cog in the wheel is the number of victories obtained on any particular horse. Oliver's near 1000 wins have been distributed over a wide range of thoroughbreds. Only one, Alinghi, has accounted for ten.

Finally, awards and recognitions granted by peers and others knowledgeable in the field of horse racing bear a great deal of weight in the analysis. Oliver has been on the receiving end of no less than six Scobie Breasley medals. He was also inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2008, one of fewer than 30 jockeys granted that distinction in the entire history of Australian horse racing.

Other noteworthy achievements include winning the apprentice Jockey Championship in 1988/89 with 66 wins, and taking home six Melbourne Senior Jockey Championship trophies.

No story about Damien Oliver would be complete without some mention of the adversity his career has sustained. Both his father Ray and his older brother Jason were jockeys who lost their lives to the sport.

Father Ray Oliver was killed in a fall in 1975 at Kalgoorlie when Damien was just three years old.

Brother Jason was killed at Belmont Park in 2002, dying scant days ahead of Damien's scheduled 2002 run on Media Puzzle in the Melbourne Cup, a race he went on to win, providing a drama that touched the hearts of punters worldwide.

About the Author:
To read more about Australian Horse Racing, Jockeys Premiership, Horse Race Tips, Australian Bookmakers, Racecourses and more, go to Pro Group Racing and receive your free E-Book on How to Win at Horse Racing. ==> See all the Cox Plate winners here....

the fray national anthem dallas tornado ncaa basketball oikos kentucky wildcats oakland school shooting nike nfl jerseys

Who Won 'American Idol': Phillip Phillips or Jessica Sanchez?

The season 11 results show featured some fantastic performances and even a surprise proposal, but in the end it all came down to crowining a new American Idol. Is it the singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips or the pop songstress Jessica Sanchez who claimed the ultimate prize?

saving face academy award winners best picture 2012 oscar winners channel 3 news j lo j lo

Guinea police seize 800 pieces of ivory in bust

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

band of brothers presidents george washington russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t downton abbey

Puzzle mats: What You Ought to Know?

Puzzle mats are also known as Jigsaw mats and used as a primary martial art mat used during indoor training. Just as it is crucial to have the right uniform, the interlocking foam made puzzle mats should be the mat of choice for every martial art trainer and trainee.

Oftentimes training indoors or under a roof on a mat is considered as the best alternative. The Jigsaw mats or puzzle mats are widely used as a primary martial art mat for indoor training. The primary reason behind this is that the mats are known for their proven practicality and versatility for different training programs.

The puzzle mats are tested with grappling, full contact sparring, fitness kickboxing, self defense and many other main systems of the martial arts. Such mats prove useful and effective while training that generally include falls, rolls, punches, kicks and most other significant areas of martial arts.

Most mixed martial arts training centers use the puzzle mats or jigsaw mat. The spongy and soft martial arts mats are best known for its firmer padding. These mats can be used during the hard core mixed martial arts training. Starting from sparring to full contact grappling, everything can be done on these mats.

In fact students who have been to the martial arts camps can experience countless training sessions on the puzzle mats with almost every kind of the martial arts skill on these easy to assemble mats. Hence, there is no doubt in saying that the martial arts mats have proven useful time and again.

Unlike the normal mats that we use in our house or office, puzzle mats are somewhat harder and provide a much more realistic mixed martial arts training surface. It is significant when training realistic self defense.

If you are planning to allow shoes on your mat then you must bring shoes that are designed for training purposes only. It would be best to wear training shoes to avoid damages to the foam and be realistic as much as possible.

The fitness and martial arts mats that you get today can be used in different purposes. For instance, you can find wall to wall mats just by cutting them with razor or box cutter and then pushing the edge of the mats against the wall. Within a few hours, you can have a great training surface across the whole floor. It would be suggested that you cut them about half an inch or a bit longer than required and push them against the wall.

As the puzzle mats are made up of flexible foam, it must be fitted tight to adjust pressure all throughout the rest of mats so that you can easily avoid the bubbling effects. On the other hand, you can even get new mats to work your way down to make sure it gets a perfect fit.

Overall, puzzle mats are designed for those people who want something practical and still have security from concrete. You can use the mat in whichever way you like to. Use it to prepare the main surface for training. You can even find colored martial arts mats (wall to wall) that really make the training center stand out.

justin bieber meteor shower rashad evans jon jones chuck colson death meteor showers 2012 ufc 145

Phillip Phillips wins 'American Idol'

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

mark kelly mark kelly jeff goldblum annie annie zuccotti park leymah gbowee

Futures Trading News: Gold Investors Seek Silver Lining

Some investors are fighting the tide of lower gold prices.? Gold is down 17% from its record high in August. Yet a few bullish investors including hedge funds are wagering on a reversal. Some are piling into less-risky options bets that would deliver huge profits if gold spikes over the next couple of months. Others are holding tight to exchange-traded funds that are a close substitute to holding the physical metal.

apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer sandra fluke g8 summit netanyahu