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KUCHING: The two-month long celebration of the Kuching Festival 2011 will kick off this weekend with the Datuk Bandar Football Youth Cup and end on Malaysia Day (Sept 16) with the Grand Finale. The host of the Kuching Festival 2011 is Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) and supported by Kuching City South Council (MBKS). DBKU mayor Mohd Abang Atei Abang Medaan yesterday told a press conference that as the festival falls in the Ramadan month, they have adjusted some activities to be held before or after August, the month where the celebration is usually held. Kuching gained city status on Aug 1, 1988. The grand celebration for the 23rd Kuching City’s Day would be held at the DBKU Arena on Aug 1. “One of the major prelude activities organised by DBKU is the International Orchid Show from July 26 to 31 at Taman Orkid. The participating countries are Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Japan, Brunei, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea,”Abang Atei said. tiffany earrings

The Orchid Garden will be open to members of the public from 9am to 5pm on July 29 to 31, he added. He pointed out that at least five competitions would be held in conjunction with the show, namely orchid landscape competition, individual orchid competition, flora arrangement, orchid colouring competition and fancy dress competition. Other preludes to the festival are Pesta Bergendang, patriotic song competition, fruits festival, mini Regatta, he said, adding that house decoration competition as well as Siol mountain bike competition would be held after August. “In conjunction with the Ramadan month, DBKU will have the Bazaar Ramadan in three areas in Satok, Sukma Ria and Semarak,” he said. In Kuching City South, MBKS has lined up various activities from the much-awaited Festival Fair to Music and Arts as well as Sports Festivals, said organising chairman councillor Mohamad Taufik Abdul Ghani. “The theme that we are trying to project this year is our youths and their role in the development of the city. tiffany cufflinks

Therefore, we have arranged a lot of activities that are centred around youths such as street dance competition, skateboard competition and cyber games,” he said. He pointed out that Datuk Bandar Football Youth Cup, the prelude to MBKS’ programmes, is a good example in involving youths in healthy activity. He pointed out that the Food Fair this year would have a ‘halal’ corner especially for Muslims to break fast during the Ramadan month. “This is something new. MBKS is always trying to bring new things and new experiences to the people,” he said. Other activities the public could expect include garden show, folk dance display, ‘Yuanji’ dance, oriental music, and martial art display as well as pony rides.

tiffany charms Also present were MBKS mayor James Chan and DBKU director Onn Abdullah. KUCHING: Food stalls operating in coffee shops, markets and hawker centres within the jurisdiction of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) are now being graded like coffee shops. The council’s initiative, which is the first of its kind in the state, is meant to encourage the stall operators to be conscious of food hygiene and cleanliness. Its head of licensing and public health, Zuriada Idris, told The Borneo Post yesterday that they embarked on the grading in April this year. “Previously, we only graded coffee shops but this time we also zoom in on the food stalls. I must say the response has been good,” she said. On the grading system, she explained that personal hygiene made up 29 per cent, habits (15 per cent), cooking equipment and facilities (12 per cent), stall/table (12 per cent), housekeeping (10 per cent), refuse bin (eight per cent), washing (six per cent), storage of food (six per cent) and pest control (two per cent). Those stalls which scored between 85 and 100 per cent will get a Grade A (Blue sticker), 70 to 84 per cent will get a Grade B (Orange), 60 to 69 get a Grade C (Red) while those with 59 per cent and below get a Grade D (Black). tiffany pendants

Zuraida was quick to point out that the grading process was not meant to find fault with the food stall owners. In fact, its primary aim is to help them improve their business. “Since Kuching is a healthy city we want the public and the tourists to be comfortable at all eating outlets, where the food served is clean and hygienic.” As part of an effort to keep the city clean and healthy, she said MBKS started grading toilets in eateries last year. The best toilet gets five stars while the lowest grade is three stars. There are 720 coffee shops, five markets, and 10 hawker centres under the MBKS jurisdiction at present. Meanwhile, Number 6 Kopitiam cafe owner Felix Yeo, when interviewed yesterday, told The Borneo Post that he was very happy that his shop, which is located along Jalan Song, had an A-grade and its toilets five stars. tiffany accessories

“It is important that eateries are clean and I must say the council has done a good job of always improving the food industry so that eateries will always be pleasant and comfortable. “I always make it a point to ensure that my food stall owners wear uniforms, preferably in white, so that everybody looks neat and clean.” One of his food stall owners, Bong Teck Hin, who runs a seafood business, was very pleased that his stall got a Grade B. “I will put in the necessary effort to bring it up to Grade A. The council has been very helpful and I will definitely want to improve my operation,” Bong said. He added that he had been in the food business for the last 16 years but he is always open to constructive ideas. “All of us here learn every day on how to improve our business and how to make sure our customers are happy and comfortable.” cheap tiffany and co

Due to the ongoing flood concerns along the Missouri River, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey reminded farmers grain affected by flood waters, whether in the field or in a bin, is considered adulterated and cannot be used for feed or food. The grain affected by flood should be destroyed and not blended with uncontaminated grain. This warning does not apply to immature crops that have been flooded before producing grain. “There is the potential for a wide variety of contaminants to enter grain through flood waters, so any corn or soybeans that have been submerged are considered adulterated and must be destroyed,” Northey said in a news release. Pandora Charms Sale

“It appears that most of the stored grain has been moved out of areas threatened by flooding, but we wanted to alert farmers and elevators so they can still move grain if necessary.” In the rare situations where the flood waters are not contaminated, the grain may be reconditioned. Before being sold, the grain must be reconditioned with the written consent of the FDA. The Missouri River flood waters are considered contaminated and not likely to create situations where grain can be salvaged. Flood-damaged grain is considered adulterated under Chapter 198.7 of the Iowa Code. The code prohibits the manufacturing or distribution of any food or feed from ingredients that are adulterated. A short fact sheet further outlining the handling of flood-damaged grain can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture website: Food and drink companies are being urged to take part in a conference promoting social media as a tool to grow global business.

Pandora Beads CharmsThe Innovate to Grow event at the Loughry campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will focus on how Northern Ireland businesses can make the most of social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Director of CAFRE John Fay said the conference was a great opportunity for food businesses to learn how to remain competitive in the current economic climate. Hannan Meats in Moira, Co Down, will take part along with David Meade, host of BBC programme The David Meade Project. Camilla Barnard, founder of natural breakfast cereal producer Rude Health, will also attend the event organised by Invest Northern Ireland and the departments of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Agriculture and Rural Development. Pandora Charms Online

Invest NI food director Maynard Mawhinney said London-based Rude Health has used social networking very effectively in its marketing strategy. He added: "Our companies now have to embrace innovative digital technology because it is increasingly driving global business and has become an important channel to reach savvy consumers. "Social media, therefore, must be considered seriously within food innovation and marketing activities to grow business, particularly outside Northern Ireland. "Facebook alone, for instance, has over 500 million active users, Global warming will threaten Britain's security by triggering wars, food shortages and mass migration, Energy Minister Chris Huhne warned today. Although the UK may escape the worst physical impacts of rising temperatures and sea levels, the UK will still be exposed to 'alarming and shocking' consequences of climate change elsewhere, he said. Pandora Charms for bracelets

The warning comes as Ministers are preparing a White Paper that will usher in a new wave of nuclear power stations and a massive expansion of wind farms to cut Britain's greenhouse gas emissions. In a speech to the Royal United Services think tank, Mr Huhne warned that climate change was a 'systemic threat' 'With luck, the UK may well escape the worst physical impacts,' he said. 'But in a connected world, we will be exposed to the global consequences. And they are both alarming and shocking.' The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts that world temperatures could rise between 1.1C and 6C this century, increasing sea levels by seven to 23 inches and making heat waves, droughts and floods more common. Pandora Earrings

Mr Huhne said global warming will undermine food, water and energy security, and affect health and political stability. The Congress is proposing budget cuts to international food aid as it prepares the FY 2012 budget. There is a strong push for cuts to reduce federal spending. But is cutting Food for Peace and other hunger fighting programs the right place to go? Robert Zachritz, director of advocacy for World Vision, voices his opinion. If Congress approves these budget cuts, what will that mean to the nearly 1 billion people worldwide who suffer from hunger? There are few places in the U.S. Government’s budget where a small amount of money can really make a big difference including saving a person’s life. American international food assistance is one of these areas. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives passed a large and disproportionate cut of 33% to these critical life-saving programs. Even worse, about 25% of the House of Representatives voted to eliminate this life-saving program. The average funding for international food aid from 2006-2010 has been $1.9 billion. Pandora Earrings Silver

In FY 2011, the final number was reduced to $1.5 billion. The House of Representatives in June passed a level which was $650 million less than the President’s request at $1.04 billion. The average cost of food aid has been about $6 per American per year. Given over the last three years the average cost of food aid per beneficiary has been $40, the $650 million cut by the House of Representatives will mean that 1,625,000 will NOT receive this live-saving assistance. It is truly a tragedy that as the global need is increasing with the rise of food prices, the House of Representatives is choosing to retreat causing the United States to no longer be a leader in the fight against global hunger. This is a penny wise but a pound foolish strategy. Hopefully, the American people will voice their concerns that this does not represent their values and Congress will change course. Pandora Necklace

tiffany cufflinks ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A case that involved years of forensic investigation, weeks of often highly technical testimony and untold hours of media analysis turned out to be a quick decision for the jurors weighing whether Casey Anthony killed her toddler daughter. Early in their second day of deliberations, the 12 men and women concluded the 25-year-old lied to investigators but wasn't guilty in her child's death. Now Anthony waits to learn if she could spend her first night out of jail in almost three years since she was first accused in the case. She was only convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators Tuesday, and it's possible that Judge Belvin Perry could sentence her to time already served for those crimes. The four counts of lying to sheriff's deputies each carry a maximum sentence of one year. Anthony has been in jail since her October 2008 arrest on first-degree murder charges. tiffany sets online

tiffany charms She avoided a possible death sentence thanks to her acquittal on the murder count. The case began in July 2008 when Caylee Anthony was reported missing. "I'm very happy for Casey, ecstatic for her and I want her to be able to grieve and grow and somehow get her life back together," defense attorney Jose Baez said Tuesday. "I think this case is a perfect example of why the death penalty does not work ... Murder is not right, no matter who does it." The trial became a national sensation on cable TV, with its CSI-style testimony about duct-tape marks on the child's face and the smell of death inside a car trunk. After a month and a half of testimony, the jury took less than 11 hours to find Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse. Tears welled in Anthony's eyes, her face reddened, her lips trembled, and she began breathing heavily as she listened to the verdict.

tiffany cufflinks sale Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, left court quickly after the verdict without hugging or saying anything to their daughter. Their attorney, Mark Lippman, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday that they hadn't spoken with their daughter since the verdict. Lippman wouldn't answer whether the Anthonys believe their daughter killed Caylee. Jurors declined to talk to reporters after their decision, but an alternate juror told NBC's "Today" show Wednesday he thought they came to the right verdict. Russell Huekler told the network he didn't think the prosecution presented enough evidence to sustain a murder charge. "When they explained to us what reasonable doubt was, I definitely had reasonable doubt then," Huekler said. Huekler also said he didn't think prosecutors provided a motive for why Anthony would kill her daughter. "Just because Casey was a party girl did not show why she would possibly kill Caylee," he said. Also on NBC, prosecutor Jeff Ashton said the verdict left him and other prosecutors in shock. tiffany charms for bracelet

"I think I mouthed the word 'wow' about five times," he said. Many in the crowd of about 500 people outside the courthouse Tuesday reacted with anger after the verdict was read, chanting, "Justice for Caylee!" One man yelled, "Baby killer!" Given the relative speed with which the jury came back with a verdict, many court-watchers were expecting Anthony to be convicted in the killing, and they were stunned by the outcome. Sentencing was set for Thursday. Anthony could get up to a year behind bars on each count of lying to investigators. But since she has been in jail for nearly three years already, she could walk free. Prosecutors contended that Anthony — a single mother living with her parents — suffocated Caylee with duct tape because she wanted to be free to hit the nightclubs and spend time with her boyfriend. Defense attorneys argued that the little girl accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool and that Anthony panicked and hid the body because of the traumatic effects of being sexually abused by her father. The case played out on national television almost from the moment Caylee was reported missing three years ago. CNN's hard-nosed Nancy Grace dissected the case at every turn with the zeal of the prosecutor she once was, arguing that Anthony was responsible for her daughter's death. The TV host turned the term "tot mom" into shorthand for Anthony. Anthony's attorney Cheney Mason blasted the media after the verdict. cheap tiffany charms

"Well, I hope that this is a lesson to those of you having indulged in media assassination for three years, bias, prejudice and incompetent talking heads saying what would be and how to be," Mason said. "I'm disgusted by some of the lawyers that have done this, and I can tell you that my colleagues from coast to coast and border to border have condemned this whole process of lawyers getting on television and talking about cases that they don't know a damn thing about." The jurors — seven women and five men — would not talk to the media, and their identities were kept secret by the court. State's Attorney Lawson Lamar said: "We're disappointed in the verdict today because we know the facts and we've put in absolutely every piece of evidence that existed." The prosecutor lamented the lack of hard evidence, saying, "This is a dry-bones case. Very, very difficult to prove. The delay in recovering little Caylee's remains worked to our considerable disadvantage." Caylee's disappearance went unreported by her own mother for a month. tiffany accessories

The child's decomposed body was eventually found in the woods near her grandparents' home six months after she was last seen. A medical examiner was never able to establish how she died. The case became a macabre tourist attraction in Orlando. People camped outside for seats in the courtroom, and scuffles broke out among those desperate to watch the drama unfold. Because the case got so much media attention in Orlando, jurors were brought in from the Tampa Bay area and sequestered for the entire trial, during which they listened to more than 33 days of testimony and looked at 400 pieces of evidence. Anthony did not take the stand. "While we're happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case," Baez said after the verdict. "Caylee has passed on far, far too soon and what my driving force has been for the last three years has been always to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey because Casey did not murder Caylee. It's that simple. cheap tiffany accessories

And today our system of justice has not dishonored her memory by a false conviction." In closing arguments, prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick showed the jury two side-by-side images. One showed Anthony smiling and partying in a nightclub during the first month Caylee was missing. The other was the tattoo Anthony she got a day before law enforcement learned of the child's disappearance: the Italian words for "beautiful life." "At the end of this case, all you have to ask yourself is whose life was better without Caylee?" Burdick asked. "This is your answer." Prosecutors also focused heavily on an odor in the trunk of Anthony's car, which forensics experts said was consistent with the smell of human decay. But the defense argued that the air analysis could not be duplicated, that no one could prove a stain found in the trunk was caused by Caylee's remains, and that maggots in the compartment had come from a bag of trash. tiffany lock key ring

Prosecutors hammered away at the lies Anthony told when the child was missing: She told her parents that she couldn't produce Caylee because the girl was with a nanny named Zanny — a woman who doesn't exist; that she and her daughter were spending time with a rich boyfriend who doesn't exist; and that Zanny had been hospitalized after an out-of-town traffic crash and that they were spending time with her. Baez said during closing arguments that the prosecutors' case was so weak they tried to portray Anthony as "a lying, no-good slut" and that their forensic evidence was based on a "fantasy." He said Caylee's death was "an accident that snowballed out of control." He contended that the toddler drowned and when Anthony panicked, her father, a former police officer, decided to make the death look like a murder by putting duct tape on the girl's mouth and dumping the body in the woods a quarter-mile away. Anthony's father denied both the cover-up and abuse claims. discount tiffany rings

The verdict could divide people for many years to come, just as the O.J. Simpson case in the mid-1990s did, with some believing Anthony got away with murder. Ti McLeod, who lives near the Anthony family, said, "The justice system has failed Caylee." Jodie Ickes, who lives a mile away and goes to the same hairdresser Anthony uses, said she is against the death penalty and was glad that Casey wasn't facing execution. "I'm comfortable with the outcome," she concluded. Among the trial spectators was 51-year-old Robin Wilkie, who said she has spent $3,000 on hotels and food since arriving June 10 from Lake Minnetonka, Minn. She tallied more than 100 hours standing in line to wait for tickets and got into the courtroom 15 times to see Anthony. "True crime has become a unique genre of entertainment," Wilkie said. "Her stories are so extreme and fantastic, it's hard to believe they're true, but that's what engrosses people. This case has sex, lies and videotapes — just like on reality TV." cheap tiffany rings sale

Pandora EarringsAsian stocks were mixed Wednesday, with Tokyo hitting its highest close since the March 11 quake on optimism over the US outlook, but a cut in Portugal's debt rating to "junk" tempered sentiment. A tepid performance on Wall Street, which returned Tuesday from a long weekend, provided little direction. Tokyo surged 1.10 percent, or 110.02 points, to 10,082.48, its highest finish since March 11 and the first time it has closed above 10,000 since May 2. It also extended to seven days a winning streak on the Nikkei. Seoul closed 0.44 percent, or 9.44 points, higher at 2,171.19 and Sydney climbed 0.14 percent, or 6.9 points, to 4,605. However, Hong Kong fell 1.01 percent, or 230.40 points, to 22,517.55 and Shanghai lost 0.21 percent, or 5.88 points, to 2,810.48. In New York, the Dow fell 0.10 percent after surging 5.4 percent over the previous five sessions, its strongest week in two years.

Pandora Charms for bracelets Moody's cut its rating on Portugal by four notches to Ba2 Tuesday and warned it could go even lower due to a risk the country might need a second bailout after already receiving 78 billion euros ($112 billion) earlier this year. It added that the move was also based on rising concerns Lisbon would not meet deficit reduction and debt stabilisation targets agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the first bailout. Moody's said its main concern was that Lisbon would require a second bailout, just as Greece now does, and that private sector creditor banks would have to take some of the pain. Pandora Charms Online

Tuesday's cut came a day after another rating agency, Standard & Poor's, warned that proposals aimed at helping Greece with a new bailout could still amount to a selective default. Investors had been boosted at the end of last week after Greek lawmakers agreed to a set of austerity measures that allowed the country to receive a handout and avoid a devastating default that many feared could spark another global crisis. The euro edged down against major currencies in later trade, despite expectations the European Central Bank will raise interest rates when its policy board meets on Thursday. The single European unit was sitting at $1.4355, down from $1.4418 in New York late Tuesday and at 116.23 yen from 116.92 yen. The dollar fetched 80.96 yen, slightly down from 81.10 yen. Pandora Earrings Silver

Hopes for the US economy were lifted on Tuesday with the release of data showing signs of a recovery from the supply disruptions caused by Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami. The government said new orders for manufactured goods rose 0.8 percent in May from the previous month, after a 0.9 percent drop in April. "Excessive concerns about the US economic slowdown are subsiding, but the concerns are still there, so investors want to confirm US jobs data," Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires. Closely watched monthly US jobs data for June are due out Friday. Tokyo shares soared as investors bought undervalued stocks amid optimism about manufacturing activity following the earthquake while they were also looking ahead to the start of the earnings season, an analyst said. Shanghai was down on lingering fears the government will introduce another batch of monetary easing measures soon. Pandora Necklace

And Hong Kong was hit by a sell-off in Bank of China and China Construction Bank after Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek said it was offloading some of its stakes in the lenders. On oil markets New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for August delivery, rose 75 cents to $97.64 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for August gained 37 cents to $113.98 in the afternoon. Gold closed at $1,516.00-$1,517.00 an ounce in Hong Kong, up from $1,496.50-$1,497.50 at close on Tuesday. In other markets: -- Singapore fell 0.48 percent, or 14.98 points, to 3,114.71.

Pandora Necklace SilverTiger Airways edged 0.48 percent higher to Sg$1.045 and Singapore Telecom eased 0.63 percent to Sg$3.16. -- Taipei rose 0.46 percent, or 40.00 points, to 8,824.44. Leading smartphone maker HTC gained 3.3 percent to Tw$1,095 and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.55 percent lower at Tw$72.8. -- Manila fell 0.92 percent, or 40.86 points, to 4,398.75. Jollibee Foods fell 1.06 percent to 88.90 pesos but San Miguel Corp. rose 2.36 percent to 125.90 pesos. -- Wellington fell 0.37 percent, or 12.76 points, to 3,460.83. Fletcher Building slid 1.8 percent to NZ$8.41 and Telecom fell 0.6 percent to NZ$2.49, while Air New Zealand was flat on NZ$1.13. -- Jakarta fell 0.39 percent, or 15.17 points, to 3,908.94. -- Kuala Lumpur gained 0.60 percent, or 9.49 points, to 1,591.34. pandora packages

Malaysian Resources Corp rose 3.6 percent to 2.30 ringgit and Petronas Dagangan added 5.1 percent to 17.16 ringgit. -- Bangkok fell 1.10 percent or 11.91 points to 1,072.68. Banpu lost 10.00 baht to 720.00, while PTT fell 8.00 baht to 339.00. -- Indian shares ended flat after a rally last week. The benchmark 30-share Sensex index closed down 17.59 points, or 0.09 percent, to 18,726.97. India's largest private bank ICICI Bank fell 1.98 percent, or 21.75 rupees, to 1,075.35 while the second biggest mobile phone firm Reliance Communications fell 2.46 percent, or 2.45 rupees, to 97.25. pandora sets

tiffany mens necklaceLOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The Christian church is living in the midst of a cultural "moral revolution" on the subject of homosexuality that will test its commitment to the Gospel, R. Albert Mohler Jr. wrote July 1 in a Wall Street Journal column. "The Christian church has faced no shortage of challenges in its 2,000-year history. But now it's facing a challenge that is shaking its foundations: homosexuality," Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., writes. "... In less than a single generation, homosexuality has gone from something almost universally understood to be sinful, to something now declared to be the moral equivalent of heterosexuality -- and deserving of both legal protection and public encouragement." The column, under the headline "Evangelicals and the Gay Moral Revolution," says that while the church must not change its stance on homosexuality's sinfulness, it must change its approach to homosexuals. tiffany uk

"It is now abundantly clear that evangelicals have failed in so many ways to meet this challenge," Mohler writes. "We have often spoken about homosexuality in ways that are crude and simplistic. We have failed to take account of how tenaciously sexuality comes to define us as human beings. We have failed to see the challenge of homosexuality as a Gospel issue. We are the ones, after all, who are supposed to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin, starting with our own.

tiffany cufflinks"We have demonstrated our own form of homophobia -- not in the way that activists have used that word, but in the sense that we have been afraid to face this issue where it is most difficult ... face to face. Mohler adds, "My hope is that evangelicals are ready now to take on this challenge in a new and more faithful way. We really have no choice, for we are talking about our own brothers and sisters, our own friends and neighbors, or maybe the young person in the next pew." Liberal churches and denominations, Mohler said, have "an easy way" out of the cultural predicament of opposing homosexuality: accommodating themselves and accepting the new moral reality. tiffany necklace silver

"This is a route that evangelical Christians committed to the full authority of the Bible cannot take," Mohler writes. "... In this most awkward cultural predicament, evangelicals must be excruciatingly clear that we do not speak about the sinfulness of homosexuality as if we have no sin. As a matter of fact, it is precisely because we have come to know ourselves as sinners and of our need for a savior that we have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Our greatest fear is not that homosexuality will be normalized and accepted, but that homosexuals will not come to know of their own need for Christ and the forgiveness of their sins. tiffany necklace white gold

"This is not a concern that is easily expressed in sound bites. But it is what we truly believe." Mohler concludes: "There is no escaping the fact that we are living in the midst of a moral revolution. And yet, it is not the world around us that is being tested, so much as the believing church. We are about to find out just how much we believe the Gospel we so eagerly preach."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP)--Despite a relentless pop-culture, a Big Media and education establishment-led propaganda campaign, and flawed polls screaming that marriage as we know it is doomed in the U.S., support for this foundation of our society is actually alive and well. For those who believe the support for marriage as a union between one man and one woman has gone asunder in America, we direct you to a scientific survey sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund and completed by Public Opinion Strategies in May.

tiffany mens necklaceWhen all the numbers were tallied up from what is believed to be the most extensive national research survey of its kind to date, it was confirmed that 62 percent of Americans believe that “marriage should be defined ONLY as a union between one man and one woman.” A majority (53 percent) of Americans strongly agreed with this sentiment, and a slim 35 percent disagreed. This comprehensive study of 1,500 Americans’ attitudes toward marriage included research from 14 focus groups from coast to coast. tiffany uk shop

If this isn’t enough to dispel the misguided claims and misrepresentative polls posturing that marriage in America is passé, please note that this survey is a strikingly accurate reflection of official polling results from the ballot box on this issue -- putting the troubled leftist pipe dream in peril. We’re talking about election statistics spanning from 1998 to 2008, when voters from 30 states were asked to support or reject a state marriage amendment. California, back in the ancient days of 2008, when an ultra-right-wing presidential candidate received 137 percent of the state’s vote, a marriage amendment passed, sure. Oh wait, that’s not what happened. tiffany necklace silver

Despite being outspent by $3.5 million and lacking the support of every media, entertainment, cultural, union, educational and political power structure, marriage proponents were able to pass Proposition 8 by four percent, with 52 percent of the vote. Note also that Smurf-blue Maine voted in 2009 to reverse a legislatively imposed redefinition of marriage and restored marriage in the state as it’s always been understood -- the union of husband and wife -- nothing more, nothing less. In the 30 states that have voted on a marriage protection amendment to determine whether the definition of marriage should stay as a union between a man and a woman within their borders, 63 percent of more than 63 million voters tipped the scales at “yes.” Only 37 percent said “no.” That’s nearly 40 million voters affirming marriage to some 23 million rejecting it -- a decisive victory for the American family. tiffany necklace white gold

But what about the remaining states without such an amendment protecting marriage? (The federal government, along with 44 states, has preserved the definition of marriage either through constitutional amendment or statute.) If would-be marriage re-definers are so confident, why do they oppose “taking it to the polls” and putting this very public policy decision in the hands of the public? Some judges have already beat voters out of their right to decide the issue. In Iowa, the voters reacted to the state supreme court’s imposition on same-sex “marriage” on the state by -- in unprecedented fashion -- throwing three of the justices off the court in 2010. Iowans likely would have ejected all seven had they been given the opportunity. tiffany cufflinks

Of the states that issue “marriage” licenses to same-sex cohabitants, none have had marriage redefinition approved by the people, with three states having it forced on them by the courts. So, in a day and age when it appears as if marriage is about to be swept under by a relentless wave of an anti-marriage culture, all we need to do is grab our [election] boards and say “surf’s up!” Remember, we’re riding above the wave -- not below it. --30-- Brian Raum is an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund. This column first appeared at tiffany charms