Dear EarthTalk: what are the environmental consequences of leather? Are there any good alternatives?
Leather is everywhere--from shoes and belts, to purses, wallets, jackets, furniture and car seats. Most probably assume that the leather that finds its way into our wardrobes and living spaces is a byproduct of the meat industry. But while cows are certainly the most popular animals to use for...

Vuitton values: the delicate balancing act of luxury for the masses.
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, by Dana Thomas, New York: Penguin Press, 373 pages, $27.95 IN SEPTEMBER 2005, following the worst natural disaster in American history, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began distributing $2,000 debit cards to Hurricane Katrina's neediest victims. The cards carried a...

At a glance.
Leader: President Tabare Vasquez Economy: GNI per capita: $5,310 (Argentina $5,150, United States $44,970). Monetary unit: Peso Uruguayo. Main exports: Meat, rice, leather, wool, dairy products. Tourism remains strong despite the fall in number of Argentine visitors. The newly constructed Botnia pulp mill is the...

The role of shoe design in ankle sprain rates among collegiate basketball players.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in the United States, accounting for as many as 23000 injuries per day. (1) Authors (2) of a study in 1983 reported that the United States spent approximately $2 billion that year on moderate and severe ankle sprains: the 2008...

The legacy of Garcia.
prov.e.nance (prove-nens) n. Place of origin, source. [LAT. Provenire, to originate.] ANYONE WHO HAS LIVED IN A HOUSE BUILT OVER one hundred years ago knows about the constant maintenance. One pays for the atmosphere in replacement parts and authentic materials, and, in my case, someone to install...

Red Bull Illume Visits Minneapolis' Art Mecca.
TRAVEL AND LEISURE CLOSE-UP-18 June 2008-Red Bull Illume Visits Minneapolis' Art Mecca(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com Red Bull Illume, an international action and adventure sports photography exhibition, will visit Minneapolis' art mecca this July, offering residents and visitors alike a spectacular "illumination" of indescribable proportions. ...

Nike puts its footprint on Oregon Bach Festival.
Byline: Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard Late last year, John Evans and George Evano, officials with the Oregon Bach Festival, pushed past swinging doors and stepped inside Nike Inc.'s "innovation kitchen" - the lab and playground of Nike's creative team, led by designer Tinker Hatfield. ...

Flojos flip flops.
Flojos California, the latest thing in trendy sandals and casual flip flops, has arrived in the country bringing with it an assortment of fashionable sandals. Flojos (pronounced flohos), a Spanish word which connotes "kick back," is an American brand in sandal manufacturing founded in 1979. ...

Sole proprietor.
Byline: Mark Baker The Register-Guard The last comes first. It's an old shoemaker saying. It's the block of plastic or wood, the last is, shaped like the inside of the shoe that's going to become one with your foot. And Rick Roman has...

Rosanna M. Kane, 98.
WEBSTER Rosanna M. (Lynch) Kane, 98, of Bethlehem, PA, formerly of Webster, died Thursday, January 31, in Saint Lukes Hospital, Bethlehem. Her husband, George E. Kane, died in 1997. She leaves a son, George T. Kane and his wife Elizabeth of Bethlehem; two grandchildren and three great...