Vans and The North Face parent company VF Corp. reported record second quarter revenues, with a 47% increase to $1.59 billion from $1.49 billion in the second quarter of 2009, according to a report from the company’s investor relations page . The first half of VF Corp.’s year saw a revenue increase of 4% to $3.34 billion from $3.21 billion in the 2009 period. The company also raised its guidance and now expects revenues to increase 4 to 5% in 2010 compared with a prior guidance of an increase of 3 to 4%.

　　The North Face and Vans both saw double-digit revenue increases. VF’s Outdoor & Action Sports businesses achieved record revenues, operating income and operating margins in the second quarter. Global revenues rose 12% with strong increases in both its Americas and international businesses. Revenue growth in Asia was particularly strong, rising 28% in the quarter. Global revenues of The North Face and Vans brands grew 12% and 24%, respectively. Total direct-to-consumer revenues for its Outdoor & Action Sports businesses rose 13% in the quarter.

　　Second quarter gross margins reached record levels, rising 320 basis points to an all-time high of 47.1%. As in the first quarter, this substantial improvement was driven by three primary factors: 1) lower product costs; 2) continued expansion and improved gross margins in its retail stores; and 3) generally clean inventories across its businesses. Operating margins rose to 10.6% from 8.1%, while marketing spending increased 19% as VF continued to implement a focused program of investment spending behind its strongest and most profitable brands.

　　The entire press release follows:

　　“This was another outstanding quarter: revenues grew across all coalitions, gross margins reached record levels and earnings per share hit an all-time high,” said Eric C. Wiseman, chairman and chief executive officer. “While current indicators point to a pause in the economic recovery, strong, highly profitable brands with compelling products that speak to consumers’ needs can be successful regardless of the external environment. Our outstanding and diversified brand portfolio continues to perform exceptionally well and we look forward to a strong second half.”

　　Second Quarter Business Review

　　Outdoor & Action Sports: Its Outdoor & Action Sports businesses achieved record revenues, operating income and operating margins in the second quarter. Global revenues rose 12% with strong increases in both its Americas and international businesses. Revenue growth in Asia was particularly strong, rising 28% in the quarter. Global revenues of The North Face and Vans brands grew 12% and 24%, respectively. Total direct-to-consumer revenues for its Outdoor & Action Sports businesses rose 13% in the quarter, with double-digit growth in The North Face, Vans and lucy brands.

　　Operating income rose by 35%, with operating margins increasing by more than two full percentage points to nearly 14% in the quarter, despite significant increases in marketing and other brand-building investments.

　　Jeanswear: Its global Jeanswear business resumed growth in the quarter, with revenues rising 2%. Domestic revenues rose 5% with growth in all three major businesses – Mass Market, Lee and Western Specialty. We were especially pleased with the 6% increase in its Mass Market business, driven by continued strength in our core Wrangler and Riders businesses. Revenues of its Lee brand in the U.S. rose 2% in the quarter and revenues in VF’s Western Specialty business increased 5%. International jeans revenues declined 5% due primarily to the exit of its mass business in Europe. Solid growth continued in other international markets including Mexico, South America and Canada.

　　Operating income increased 40%, with a significant increase in operating margins to 17% in the quarter.

　　Sportswear: The Sportswear business also resumed growth in the quarter, with revenues rising 5%. Revenues of its Nautica brand increased 4% with a double-digit increase in the brand’s wholesale business with department stores. Kipling brand revenues in the U.S. increased 17% in the quarter, reflecting the successful launch of a new, exclusive program with Macy’s. The improvements in profitability achieved in the past several quarters continued in the second quarter, with operating income and operating margins improving substantially over those of the prior year’s quarter.

　　Contemporary Brands: Revenues of the Contemporary Brands coalition, which consists of the 7 For All Mankind, John Varvatos, Splendid and Ella Moss brands, rose 18%, driven by double-digit growth across all brands.

　　Operating income rose 12%, with a slight decline in operating margins reflecting higher brand spending as well as investments in new 7 For All Mankind® retail stores.

　　Imagewear: As anticipated, VF’s Imagewear business rebounded in the quarter, with revenues rising 8% driven by growth in both its Image and Licensed Sports Apparel businesses. Operating income rose 36% in the quarter with operating margins improving by 250 basis points to 12%.

　　Gross Margins Reach Record Level in Quarter

　　Second quarter gross margins reached record levels, rising 320 basis points to an all-time high of 47.1%. As in the first quarter, this substantial improvement was driven by three primary factors: 1) lower product costs; 2) continued expansion and improved gross margins in its retail stores; and 3) generally clean inventories across its businesses. Operating margins rose to 10.6% from 8.1%, while marketing spending increased 19% as we continued to implement a focused program of investment spending behind its strongest and most profitable brands.

　　Expansion in International and Direct-to-Consumer Businesses

　　VF said its international and direct-to-consumer businesses remain important long-term drivers of both organic growth and margin expansion. During the quarter, international revenues increased 6% on a constant currency basis driven by strong growth in its Outdoor & Action Sports and Contemporary Brands businesses. VF said its momentum in Asia continued in the quarter, with revenues rising 26% reflecting double-digit growth in The North Face, Vans and 7 For All Mankind brands.

　　Direct-to-consumer revenues increased 7%, driven by new store openings in the quarter. The direct-to-consumer businesses of The North Face, Vans, 7 For All Mankind and lucy brands each achieved double-digit revenue gains in the period. We opened a total of 25 stores across VF’s brands in the quarter and 41 stores year-to-date, bringing the number of owned retail stores to 768 at the end of the quarter. We remain on track to open a total of 80 to 90 stores this year.

　　Strong Balance Sheet

　　Cash and equivalents were $540 million at the end of the quarter and inventories declined 10% from prior year levels. VF said it continues to expect a very strong year of cash flow generation, which is now expected to approximate $850 million. Year-to-date we have spent $318 million to repurchase 4 million shares, which is one million shares higher than indicated in its previous guidance.

　　2010 Outlook: Expecting Record EPS

　　Based on strengthening trends across its businesses – and in particular in those areas where VF has increased its marketing spending – the company now expects revenues to increase 4 to 5% in 2010 compared with our prior guidance of an increase of 3 to 4%. The new guidance includes a negative 1% impact on revenues from foreign currency translation due to the decline in the value of the euro since VFs prior guidance in April. On a constant currency basis revenues are expected to rise 5 to 6%.

　　VF also said it is raising its earnings per share guidance to $6.10 per share, versus our previous guidance of $5.90 per share. The new guidance, which includes a negative impact from foreign currency translation of $.04, represents an increase of 18% over 2009 earnings per share of $5.16 (before impairment charge). On a GAAP basis, earnings per share are now expected to increase 48% from the $4.13 reported in 2009.

　　The revised guidance reflects its expectation for an increase of approximately 5% in second half revenues versus 2009, compared with a 4% increase in first half revenues. Gross margins in the second half of 2010 should be above prior year levels. An increase in SG&A in the period will reflect the timing of higher investment spending in its brands. Of the total $85 million in planned spending this year, $65 million will occur in the second half of the year. Also included in our guidance for second half earnings is a negative impact of $.10 per share from foreign currency translation, with most occurring in the third quarter.

　　For the full year, VF expects gross margins will reach record levels, slightly exceeding 46%. Operating margins should improve substantially as well, despite the incremental $85 million in brand investments.

　　Concluded Wiseman, “I can think of no better way to demonstrate our confidence in the strength of our brands than by continuing to invest behind their global growth potential. We look forward to reaping the benefits of these investments this year in the form of strong revenue growth, record gross margins and all-time high earnings.”

　　EUPHORIC: Arjen Robben is delighted after scoring Netherlands’ third goal against Uruguay in the first semi-final on Tuesday. Netherlands won the encounter 3-2. Photo: AP

　　Second-half goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben gave Holland the edge in a bad tempered semi-final against Uruguay.

　　Holland will contest the World Cup final with Germany or Spain on Sunday. The victors have pursued the prize with more illustrious line-ups in days gone by, but this one showed resilience in responding to an equaliser with goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in the second-half. The 3-1 lead was trimmed by Maxi Pereira’s curling effort in the 90th minute, but the Dutch were not to be denied.

　　The semi-final reeked of history as it pitted South Americans who had won the trophy twice against opponents beaten in two finals. Few anticipated that they would both be in the last four. There was no risk of anyone in either squad being star-struck by the wonder of it all. The problems that had to be dealt with were instead to the fore in the minds of both sides.

　　Each country had two men suspended, with Holland missing Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong while the opposition were without Luis Suárez and Jorge Fucile. The plight of Uruguay was greater still, however, because they also lacked the injured Diego Lugano and Nicolás Lodeiro. For a small nation whose means can be seen as limited the circumstances looked intolerable, although that misapprehension had been disposed of by the interval.

　　The football status of Uruguay is remarkable considering that it must draw on a population of a mere 3.3m, but there will always be spells when the limitations are not transcended. Holland imposed themselves from the kick-off with the conviction of men who knew they could neither be forgiven nor forgive themselves if these circumstances went unexploited.

　　That resolve would falter, but Bert van Marwijk’s side had opened with a purpose as they put the emphasis on the width that stretched their opponents painfully. There was discomfort in the Uruguayan ranks and Holland relished the control, even if their 18th minute goal was spectacular rather than planned.

　　From some 40 yards at an angle towards the left, Giovanni van Bronckhorst connected perfectly with a drive that flew high beyond the left-hand of the goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Uruguay, all the same, are not the sort of line-up to be discouraged easily and the efforts to respond were heartfelt.

　　There was briefly a misleading impression that nothing more than aggression would be employed and Martín Cáceres was cautioned for a raised boot that caught the midfielder Demy de Zeeuw on the head. He would be replaced at the interval, but four minutes from half-time the Dutch reeled for entirely different reasons.

　　Maarten Stekelenburg has received much praise for his sound work as an unheralded Holland goalkeeper, yet he was baffled when Uruguay pulled level after 41 minutes. Diego Forlán, 30 yards from the target, showed all the confidence that has been brimming over in his work for the Europa League winners Atlético Madrid. There was power and movement in the shot, but Stekelenburg was still embarrassed as the attempt flew into the centre of the net.

　　There had been an assumption on Holland’s part that Uruguay could safely be left in possession and they exposed themselves to risk. It had been reckless to act as if the opponents would pose no danger merely because Suárez, Forlán’s partner in attack, was suspended. The drive from the captain was speculative, but he also connected cleanly enough to exploit any lapse by the goalkeeper. In essence, the striker levelled with a speculative opportunism that startled a by then passive Holland.

　　Van Marwijk replaced De Zeeuw at the interval and while the midfielder may have been shaken by his injury, the introduction of Rafael van der Vaart was surely intended to restore impetus. By then, of course, Uruguay were in no mood to be bashful as they recognised that, regardless of the missing persons in their squad, they were not at a ruinous disadvantage.

　　Ascendancy is only regained with difficulty and Holland had no immediate command despite the alterations. The fixture had a more gruelling air, with each team convinced that they could get to the final yet also nervous that a lapse would be catastrophic. The attacking continued, but sharpness was elusive and a tackle was usually summoned up just when a move started to flow.

　　Set-pieces therefore appealed and Forlán naturally took one from more than 25 yards out but Stekelenburg read the flight better than he had in the first half and pushed it away. Holland then had a spell in which they recovered their poise in open play. The initial reward was an effort off-target from Robben after Robin van Persie’s shot had compelled Mulsera to parry.

　　Twenty minutes from the end, Dutch forcefulness was rewarded. A Sneijder effort deflected off Maxi Pereira and reached the net, although Uruguay will grumble that the shot may have brushed the shin of Van Persie, who may also have been in a marginally off-side position.

　　Holland drained some of the venom from any dispute by scoring once more in the 73rd minute. Dirk Kuyt crossed from the left and Robben pulled away from his marker to glance in a header. The Dutch were not to be deprived of one more attempt to win a World Cup final.

　　© Guardian News and Media 2010

　　Keywords: 2010 World Cup

　　　　Speaking to a national television audience for the first time from the Oval Office, Mr. Obama also promised a long-term plan to make sure that the gulf states suffering from the oil spill are made whole again. He said he was appointing Ray Mabus, the secretary of the Navy and the former governor of Mississippi, to develop a Gulf Coast restoration plan in cooperation with states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, conservationists and gulf residents.

　　“Today, as we look to the gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude,” Mr. Obama said. “We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.”

　　Mr. Obama’s 18-minute address, delivered at his desk, took place in an atmosphere far different from the crowded campaign rallies and international university halls where he has produced some of his most soaring speeches. This time, Mr. Obama, wearing a dark blue suit and light blue tie, struck a solemn but hopeful tone, invoked military terminology to create a sense of urgency around his response to the crisis, and spoke of the American ingenuity he said was needed to help the country rein in its reliance on oil.

　　He said he had authorized the use of 17,000 National Guard members to help with the cleanup effort — only a small number have actually been dispatched by the governors of the states in the region, even though Mr. Obama has said BP will pick up the cost — and continued to strike an adversarial tone toward BP.

　　“We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes,” he said. “We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever is necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.”

　　Seizing on the widening calamity in the Gulf of Mexico to push for legislation he has advocated since his campaign, Mr. Obama said he was willing to look at approaches from Republicans as well as Democrats, including raising efficiency standards for buildings as well as cars and trucks.

　　He said progress had been blocked time and time again by “oil industry lobbyists,” and he suggested that achieving energy independence was an issue of national security, saying the time has come for the United States to “seize control of our own destiny.”

　　But, he warned: “The one approach I will not accept is inaction. The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is too big and too difficult to meet.”

　　Mr. Obama delivered the speech the evening before he was to meet at the White House with the top executives of BP to demand that they agree to establish an independently administered escrow account of billions of dollars to pay claims stemming from the disaster.

　　He said that in his meeting at the White House on Wednesday with the chairman of BP’s board, Carl-Henric Svanberg, he would “inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company’s recklessness.”

　　Lawyers at the White House and for BP have been negotiating for days about an escrow account. While Mr. Obama has not put a figure on the account, Senate Democrats have called for $20 billion.

　　BP released a statement after Mr. Obama’s address. “We share the president’s goal of shutting off the well as quickly as possible, cleaning up the oil and mitigating the impact on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast,” a BP spokesperson said in the statement from London. “We look forward to meeting with President Obama tomorrow for a constructive discussion about how best to achieve these mutual goals.”

　　Mr. Obama also moved to address one of the weaknesses exposed by the spill, lax oversight from the agency with most direct authority to regulate offshore drilling, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service. He said he had named Michael Bromwich, a former Justice Department prosecutor and inspector general, to restructure the agency to make it a tougher regulator.

　　Administration officials said the speech marked “an inflection point” in the nearly two-month-old crisis: the end of a phase in which BP tried and failed to stop the leak using the quickest available options, and the beginning of the “new reality” that plugging the leak could take months and the cleanup months or even years past that.

　　Mr. Obama has said all along that BP will pay for everything. People close to BP said that as asset-rich as the global oil giant is, its holdings are not so liquid that it can instantly set aside as many billions of dollars as the White House and leaders in Congress are seeking. Also being worked out are the terms by which BP would have to replenish the fund as it is drawn down.

　　BP officials are adamant that the company should not be liable for the lost wages of oil workers laid off because of the six-month moratorium that the Obama administration imposed on deepwater offshore drilling after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire. But Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other administration officials repeatedly have cited idled oil workers as among those who could press claims.

　　SEOUL, South Korea — Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan, who swept into power last year with bold promises to revamp the country, then faltered over broken campaign pledges to remove an American base from Okinawa, announced Wednesday that he would step down.

　　Enlarge This Image

　　Yoshikazu Tsuno/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

　　Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan bowed before his party’s lawmakers at the national Diet in Toyko on Wednesday.

       Mr. Hatoyama faced growing pressure to quit, eight months after taking office, amid criticism that he had squandered an electoral mandate to change Japan’s sclerotic postwar political order.

　　Since taking office in September, he had come to be seen as an indecisive leader. This image was reinforced by his wavering and eventual backtracking on the base issue, which set off huge demonstrations on Okinawa and drove his approval ratings below 25 percent.

　　Calls had been rising within his Democratic Party for him to step aside before elections on July 11 that are seen as a referendum on the party’s first year in power.

　　“Unfortunately, the politics of the ruling party did not find reflection in the hearts of the people,” Mr. Hatoyama told an emergency meeting of Democratic lawmakers, broadcast live on television. “It is regrettable that the people were gradually unwilling to listen to us.”

　　Mr. Hatoyama is the fourth Japanese prime minister to resign in four years, which is likely to renew soul-searching about Japan’s inability to produce an effective leader and to feed concerns that political paralysis is preventing Japan from reversing a nearly two-decade-long economic decline. Mr. Hatoyama, who was teary-eyed as he announced his departure, was also following the common Japanese practice of leaders’ resigning to take responsibility for failure.

　　His resignation will not force a change in government, because the Democrats still hold a commanding majority in Parliament’s Lower House, which chooses the prime minister. But it will be a damaging blow to a party that had taken power in a landslide election victory that ended more than a half-century of nearly unbroken one-party control.

　　Mr. Hatoyama took power with vows to challenge the bureaucracy’s grip on postwar governing and revive Japan’s economy. Instead, his inexperienced government appeared to become consumed by the issue of the Okinawa base and a series of investigations into the political financing of Mr. Hatoyama and his backer in the party, Ichiro Ozawa.

　　Mr. Hatoyama said Wednesday that Mr. Ozawa, the Democratic Party’s secretary general and its shadowy power broker, would also resign. Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, said the party would meet Friday to choose a new prime minister. Candidates include party veterans Naoto Kan, the finance minister, and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada.

　　The contention over the American base, which dragged on for months, was emblematic of Mr. Hatoyama’s inability to make up his mind, or follow through on ambitious campaign promises.

　　The Democrats failed to deliver on a number of pledges, from eliminating highway tolls to finding enough savings from cutting waste to finance new subsidies like cash allowances for families with children. Instead, the spending ended up raising concerns that Japan’s ballooning deficit could one day lead to a Greek-style financial collapse.

　　Mr. Hatoyama had been expected to be a diplomatic personality who would be able to build consensus among the members of his ideologically broad party. He had appeared to be naturally suited to the job, as a political blue blood who hailed from one of Japan’s most powerful families. His grandfather had been a founding member of the Liberal Democratic Party, whose long grip on power Mr. Hatoyama’s Democrats ended last summer.

　　During the election campaign, he had drawn attention by pledging to end Japan’s postwar dependence on the United States, and to build closer ties with China and the rest of Asia.

　　M. Amedeo Tumolillo contributed reporting from New York City.

       Designer Leanne became an activist at a young age and how she integrated her passion into a business is amazing. It doesn’t hurt that she use to be a model in Asia. This year brings much media attention from VegNews Magazine to Ophra.com.

　　Vaute Couture is a women’s apparel company specializing in  canada goose outerwear designed by Leanne. The materials are always alternatives to animal-derived fabrics and hold an earth-friendly sustainable status.

　　Pictured is an up-cycled indigo windbreaker with limited ordering for boutiques last April. It is wind proof, water resistant, and fully lined. Ideal for bike rides, picnics, hiking, and drizzle-rain days. Made of 100% recycled closed-loop zero-waste satin ripstop, and fully lined in silver mesh. Leanne likes to describe them as windbreaker indigo dress jackets.

　　Leanne’s favorite recycled material is a new technologically-advanced Polartec® and Thermal Pro® fabric. It is designed for insulation and to retain heat, plus a flattering drape. It has a nice honeycomb texture that gives a similar appearance to a wool knit coat. This fabric is made from 64% recycled fibers.

　　It’s a challenge to be green as a coat designer, ‒ without wool, but Leanne’s determination with the right new fabrics spells success.

　　When you start abusing your own alarm clock at 4:00 a.m. that’s your body telling you to quit turkey hunting. And I have. Quit. I am man enough to admit defeat, nay, humiliation, by a bird with a brain the size of a pea. You win, you turkey! Again.

　　Excuses? You want excuses? I’ve got a dozen or more. Topping the list is: the turkeys ended their rut, if that’s what you call the turkey passion period, before my late season started. Oh they gobbled but they didn’t mean it. They’d walk right on by, at a safe distance, without even a second glance at my Marilyn Monroe look-alike decoy. Even jakes evidently had headaches. And when I saw jakes and boss gobblers walking together in peaceful co-existence I knew in my heart I should have stayed in bed.

　　My early morning outings were not without payoffs. On the first morning I set a new world record for vertical leap from a seated position. I imagine that buck who snuck up behind me and snorted is still yukking it up. I saw white tail does smelling me but not seeing me and reacting with disgusted front leg goose steps. I saw Canada geese decoy into my rubber hen turkey only to be chased off by real turkey hens.

　　Did you know pheasant roosters hum to themselves in between wing-beating crows? I didn’t either, until I had one walk by close enough to catch by hand. Did you know coyotes can evidently smell when a doe is about to give birth? I watched one patiently waiting for a new mom to go into labor. Did you know a spider the size of a pin head can build a web bigger than your hat in a half hour? I witnessed that in the huckleberry bush right above my head.

　　And would you believe the last gobbler I saw flipped me the bird before he wandered out of sight? Doubt it? Has an irate driver ever flipped you the man? Where do you think flipping the bird originated? A bird! Duh..

　　But there is justice in all this defeat. I was walking back to my truck with my head down after the final hunt. A picture of total dejection. And I nearly tripped over a 14 ounce Lake Superior agate, by far the largest of my mediocre rock hound career. A few steps further I discovered a dandy stand of morel mushrooms. I know how to cook the morels. Anybody got a recipe for stone soup?

　　Gilberto Simoni is honored before the start of stage 17. wearing a columbia titanium man’s coat,he looks fantastic.what’s more ,two sweet kisses on his face.

　　Greipel Connects

　　André Greipel stormed to victory in stage eighteen of the Giro d’Italia, taking his twelfth win of the season for HTC-Columbia in a spectacular bunch sprint in the city of Brescia. The German fastman’s powerful last acceleration gained him a comfortable two bike-length margin over second-placed Julian Dean of New Zealand by the finish, and Greipel was so far ahead, he could free- wheel across the line as he celebrated his victory.

　　Final sprinters stage taken in style by Andre Greipel, with a bike length to spare.

　　”This win took a long time coming, I was sick at the start of the race. It was very hard at times but I kept on going,” a delighted Greipel said afterwards. “Today has made all that effort worthwhile. The team trusted me throughout, and today’s stage win was the ideal finish for a great performance by the whole squad. I’m very proud of them. The Giro is certainly ending the way I wanted it to.”

　　”We had our eye on this stage for André for a long time, and although that meant more pressure for him and for the team, we made really sure everything was in place so he could try to win it,” added HTC-Columbia sports director Tristan Hoffman.

　　”There was a breakaway, but we made sure they never had too big a gap ahead, and his team-mates looked after him throughout the stage and kept him out of the wind. It was his win, but the whole team made a big contribution.”

　　Greipel’s victory is the second of his career in the Giro d’Italia and his fifth in a Grand Tour, as well as being the twenty-sixth of the season for HTC-Columbia men’s team in 2010.

　　Spanish Cool – Man in Pink David Duran Arroyo Photo © 2010 Fotoreporter Sirotti

　　Lampre/Farnese Vini

　　Danilo Hondo 5th in the last sprinters stage

　　Danilo Hondo battled to give Lampre-Farnese Vini the victory that it’s still missing… the sprinter managed 5th place with Damiano Gunego tenth.

　　”I knew it was my last chance and so I tried to stay at the front of the bunch in the last kilometer, searching for a good slipstream – Hondo explained – There was battle for the position before the sprint and so I couldn’t find an opening. I followed Pozzato, but he didn’t start the sprint and so I began mine too late.”

　　New Stage 16 Video:

　　On the team website: www.lampre-farnese.com the video recorded during the time trial at Plan de Corones followed on moto behind Marco Marzano. For fans a treat that brings you into the heart of the 16th stage!

　　Bbox Bouygues Telecom

　　William Bonnet 10th place.

　　Dominique Arnould analyzed todays finish…

　　”We did everything to properly protect William. The guys have done our best. There was a lack of riders who could really lead for William for the victory; he was alone. He put in a strong effort; but was blocked by a rider in the final. His 10th place, is a creditable result. “

　　The next two days will be completely different for the riders in turquoise… Dominique Arnold did not disagree: “We will attack in the next two big stages, perhaps the most difficult. The Giro is going to play out there. For us, we will try to get in the break in the morning, so cross your fingers. Yuriy Trofimov suffers from bronchitis, we therefore will rely primarily on Johann Tschopp and Thomas Voeckler. “

　　Cervélo TestTeam

　　Cervélo got all nine of its men safely to the line in what’s the last respite before two punishing days in the northern mountains of Italy and the final time trial in Verona that will decide the overall battle for the pink jersey in the 2010 Giro.

　　Cervélo team captain Carlos Sastre (ESP) remains poised for a run at the top-3 Giro podium, but Cervélo sports director Alex Sans Vega admitted it won’t be easy…

　　“Right now, Liquigas and Caisse d’Epargne are very strong and they will work together to control the race. We still have options and we have not thrown in the towel. The ambiance on the team is optimistic,” Sans Vega said. “Carlos knows the climbs like the Gavia and Mortirolo from previous Giros, and they suit him better than climbs like the Zoncolan. We hope he will have good legs.”

　　Spanish climber, David Arroyo, complicates the fight for the pink jersey. He has stubbornly held onto the leader’s jersey since he joined Sastre in the big breakout to L’Aquila in the Giro’s second week. Despite losing time over the weekend, Arroyo maintains a substantial lead. That means that Liquigas will have to try to wrestle away the jersey from Arroyo, and perhaps create an opening for Sastre.

　　“Liquigas has to make the race hard from the beginning of the stage if they want to gain time on Arroyo. They cannot wait until the final climbs because Arroyo is a strong climber,” Sans Vega said. “Liquigas will also be watching Carlos and I doubt they will give him too much freedom. Everyone knows Carlos is a dangerous rider, and if you give him one minute, that can quickly turn into two or three. We will certainly try if the opportunity is there.”

　　Carlos Sastre on the final three days…

　　”Perhaps this has been the flattest stage of this Giro, even though the first part we rode in the rain, before the sun finally came out, and always with a high rhythm just so we wouldn’t change the habits of this Giro. We’re getting close to the last part of the Giro, which I believe is the most important, the hardest and most decisive of this race. In principle, there are a line of riders who are in great form right now, but anything can happen in these two stages due to the extreme difficulty of the stages.”

　　Sans Vega said all of his Cervélo troops are back in top condition following some struggles in the Giro’s second week, and they’re ready and motivated to help Sastre make a push for the podium.

　　“Gustov had some problems with his ankle, he’s better. Cuesta was suffering some stomach problems, but he’s back at his best. And Tondo, too, is feeling better after a few days with fever,” he said. “The team is very motivated for this weekend. Like I’ve said from the beginning, this final weekend is going to be one of attrition, not of attacks. Carlos is always very good at hanging on, so I think the favorites will start falling back, so anything is possible.”

　　The 93rd Giro continues Friday with the 195km 19th stage from Brescia to Aprica. The stage features four rated climbs, including the fearsome Mortirolo summit with 33km to go. After a harrowing descent, the stage finishes atop the short but steep climb to Aprica.

　  With graduation fast approaching, Chilliwack police are warning parents to keep an eye on young teenagers who may attend parties.

　　Police say older teenagers are now hosting so-called “LG parties.” The LG, ominously, stands for little girls.these chicks just like Canada goose,they need a parka to protect them.

　　The older organizers of these parties use Facebook to attend young middle school girls between the ages of 12 and 13. At the party, the girls are plied with alcohol in the hope that they’ll engage in sexual acts.

　　Police are thus cautioning parents to keep an eye on where their teenagers are going.

　　”This is something that has recently come to our attention and we are trying hard to monitor,” said RCMP spokesperson Tracy Wolbeck. “The intent of these parties and the group mentality that goes along with them is what makes them very frightening for parents and police alike.”

　　Wolbeck said police cannot yet confirm whether any such parties have taken place in Chilliwack, but she said police in Surrey have confirmed that parties have taken place there.

　　Here in Chilliwack, she said, “we have had some intelligence from the high school that they are out there.” She added police have gone into schools and spoken to students who know what “LG” stands for.

　　The parties are not just creepy, they could also lead to criminal charges. With the age of consent set at 16 years of age, and the girls involved in these parties far younger than that, those older boys who engages in sex at one of the parties could face rape charges.

　　The police advise parents to be aware of their children’s Facebook content, to not allow them to use the computer in private and to ensure there is parental supervision at any party their children may be attending.

　　Parents should also speak to their children about the risks involved with drinking.

　　For years now, yarn and fabric mills have complained that free-trade agreements designed to bolster the U.S. textile industry have been undermined by foreign yarns posing as U.S.-made to gain duty-free access into the United States.

　　At the same time, industry leaders believe that many canada goose apparel  importers have been undervaluing the clothing brought in from China to skirt higher duties, which creates unfair competition for U.S-made garments. The loss in tariff revenue is believed to be more than $1 billion.

　　To remedy this situation, nearly two dozen members of Congress on May 25 introduced a bill to beef up customs enforcement at the borders and bring more scrutiny to imported textiles.

　　The Textile Enforcement and Security Act of 2010, the first textile-specific customs enforcement legislation, was presented by Rep. Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) and had bipartisan support from several congressmen from Southern states, where the textile industry is strongest.

　　“This legislation will provide our U.S. customs with the necessary tools, resources and direction to effectively enforce our trade laws and help to bring a level playing field to U.S. workers,” said Bill Jasper, president of Greensboro, N.C.–based yarn producer Unifi Inc.

　　Customs fraud is nothing new, but textile leaders believe it is mushrooming. On May 20, Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations, told the House Subcommittee on Trade that unscrupulous importers can cut 15 percent off the price of a garment by funneling illegal yarns into free-trade-agreement countries where all yarns are required to be from the region to earn duty-free status. Yarns from Asia do not qualify. “With textiles and apparel accounting for 46 percent of all customs revenue collected, nearly $12 billion a year, the stakes are enormous and the free-trade areas have become a magnet for fraudulent activity,” Johnson said.

　　“As a result, our members report seeing much more illegal activity than they did five or 10 years ago. There is a general feeling that fraudulent importers and producers have identified the loopholes in the system and how to utilize them for their benefit.”

　　Johnson noted that a 2008 report by the General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of the federal government, found that customs failed to collect $500 million in anti-dumping and countervailing duties. There have been recent reports, Johnson noted, of cases of extreme undervaluation of apparel and textiles coming from China. “We understand that there is a single case involving an importer of women’s apparel in New York where duty evasion could amount to $50 million or more.

　　For months we sat refreshing our browsers, waiting for details on Arcade Fire’s third studio album. Who would have then thought that in a span of less than 24 hours, we would have gotten basically every piece of information we need.

　　Fresh after sharing/having their songs leaked by a British DJ, Arcade Fire has officially titled, colored, and provided the release date for the followup to 2007’s Neon Bible. The Suburbs, as it will be known, will feature the pro-Suburbia artwork you see to your right and, depending on where you live, you’ll get to listen to it on either August 2nd or 3rd.

　　The release will be available in multiple configurations: as a 320 kbps MP3 digital download, a good ol’ CD, a double 12″ vinyl, and bundles which feature the CD or LP packaged with a limited edition screen print posted designed by Wes Winship from Burlesque of North America. Pre-orders are now ongoing.

　　Arcade Fire has yet to put together the album’s tracklist, but, according to a handwritten note by someone named “Arkady Fireovitch”, “we’re pretty much done with our new album. The homestretch!” So expect those details soon. Based on the aforementioned release details, however, I would say we can already rule out those rumors of double album.

　　While you’re waiting, be sure to check out streams of the previously heard first single “The Suburbs” and b-side “Month of May” below. This time the band has provided us with legal streams on a fancy lil’ player, so now there is no threat of arrest. Also, the single is now available as a  canada goose limited edition 12″ at your favorite local record store. Pay particular attention to the words “limited edition” and “local record store.” For those who can’t grab a copy, high-quality digital downloads are also available.

　　Meanwhile, Win and Will Butler will be on NPR this afternoon (12:00 pm EST) to talk and preview the new album. Listen to a stream here. We’ll of course post any important details shared.