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[WM]CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers reached one magic number and lowered another.
LeBron James scored 27 points and Cleveland entered an elite fraternity of NBA franchises with its 60th win, scoring 14 straight points in the fourth to pull away and beat the Atlanta Hawks 93-88 on Friday night.
With their 60th win, the Cavaliers moved within one victory — or a loss by the Los Angeles Lakers — of clinching the league's best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Cleveland (60-16) became the ninth team to post back-to-back 60-win seasons. But while that's impressive and may look nice in the record book, the Cavaliers are chasing a title they seem more prepared than ever to go after.
Mo Williams scored 24 and J.J. Hickson added 16 rebounds for the Cavs, who trailed 76-74 before James scored nine points and Williams drained a 3-pointer during Cleveland's decisive spurt.
Josh Smith scored 20 and Jamal Crawford 17 for the Hawks, who went more than six minutes without a field goal in the fourth.
Cleveland won its 10th straight at home and improved to 34-4 this season at Quicken Loans Arena, which was at a playoff pitch throughout the game.
The Cavs dominated inside, but weren't able to put away the up-and-coming Hawks until their late flurry. Williams started it with a short jumper and James made a layup. After a steal, James knocked down one of his "heat-check" 3-pointers to make it 81-78.
After another misfire by the Hawks, Williams made his 3 and James dropped a jumper to give Cleveland an 86-76 lead.
James then got free for a spectacular, exclamation-point dunk and was bathed with chants of "M-V-P," an award he seems to have locked up with his finest season yet.
The Hawks, who were coming off a win at home over the Lakers, had been looking forward to this matchup.
Not only did they want to show the Cavs and a national TV audience that the win over L.A. was no fluke, but they wanted payback from a Dec. 30 loss in Cleveland that they felt was the result of a 24-second shot-clock malfunction. The Hawks filed a protest with the league that was turned down.
But while Atlanta appears to have a promising future, the Hawks can't beat the present Cavs and have dropped nine straight games — including a sweep in last year's playoffs — to Cleveland.
James was forced to do it mostly alone in the third quarter, when the Cavs shot just 32 percent and their offense went stagnant. He was 4-of-7 from the floor while his teammates went a combined 2-of-13, allowing the Hawks to hang around and enter the fourth trailing just 69-66.
Atlanta's defense deserved some of the credit, but the Cavs didn't do a good job of moving the ball and paid for it.
Cavs F Antawn Jamison sustained a shoulder stinger in the fourth and didn't return. … Hawks coach Mike Woodson still can't believe the Hawks' protest from the Dec. 30 loss was denied. Atlanta did not get its full allotted time after a late turnover. "Every time I go back and look at that, it's amazing they didn't see it the other way," Woodson said. "There's nothing you can do about it. We've moved on." … Add Jamison to the list of those opposed to seeing the NCAA tournament field expanded to 96. "I'm old school," said Jamison, who made it to the Final Four with North Carolina. "It's been working for a long time. Why change it?" … Cavs F Jawad Williams and Cleveland assistant Chris Jent had an animated conversation during a timeout in the second quarter. It wasn't clear what Williams was upset about.
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[WM]Rescuers in northern Myanmar called off their search for workers feared buried in a jade mine landslide, police said Sunday, with no missing people or bodies recovered.
A wall of rocks, mud and debris careered down a hillside on Friday afternoon at Hpakant in Kachin state, the war-torn area that is the epicentre of Myanmar's secretive multi-billion-dollar jade industry.
Locals reported as many as 50 people might have been buried. But officials played down those numbers, saying only three men had been reported missing.
More than 100 people were killed in the same area in a landslide last month, highlighting the huge risks people take to fuel global -- and particularly Chinese -- demand for jade.
A police officer in Hpakant said rescue efforts were called off because the risk of further landslides was too great.
"The rescue process was stopped this afternoon because there were possible dangers and cracks appearing on the debris dump site," the officer, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
"We haven't found anybody and we don't know how many casualties there were," he added.
Another police officer had earlier told AFP three people were thought to be missing. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar Sunday reported the same figures.
The paper quoted Tin Swe Myint, head of the Hpakant Township Administration Office, as saying that the landslide took place after most workers had finished work and unlike last month's tragedy it had not engulfed a row of shanty houses.
However a second police officer warned it was difficult to say for sure how many have been caught up in the landslide.
"We have no idea how many might be buried there," local officer Thet ZawOo told AFP by phone.
Myanmar's shadowy and poorly regulated jade trade is enormously dangerous, with landslides a frighteningly common hazard.
Those killed are mainly itinerant workers who scratch a living picking through the piles of waste left by large-scale industrial mining firms in hopes of stumbling across an overlooked hunk of jade that will deliver them from poverty.
A civilian rescuer who asked not to be named said the landslide site was far from Hpakant town and had no phone coverage.
"There are many cracks (in the ground), it's very dangerous for rescue teams to drive diggers there," he said, adding that locals still believed dozens could be buried.
Myanmar is the source of virtually all of the world's finest jadeite, a near-translucent green stone that is enormously prized in neighbouring China, where it is known as the "stone of heaven".
But while mining firms -- many linked to the junta-era military elite -- are thought to be raking in huge sums, local people complain they are shut off from the bounty.
In an October report advocacy group Global Witness estimated that the value of Myanmar jade produced in 2014 alone was $31 billion and said the trade might be the "biggest natural resource heist in modern history".
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[WM]Busan (South Korea) (AFP) - A Korean drama about desperate teens and a movie that exposes the hardships of daily life in the Iranian capital Tehran shared the top prize at Asia's premier film festival on Saturday.
The two grim tales left award jurors at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival concerned that modern cinema was heading "towards visions of darkness and desperation".
Korean director Kim Ui-seok's teen-themed drama "After My Death" and "Blockage" from Iran's Mohsen Gharaei were announced as the two winners of this year's New Currents award for first or second-time filmmakers.
Both films were praised for their "vivid detail and excellent craftsmanship" but jurors -– led by the Oscar-winning US director Oliver Stone -– said they were concerned by how the dramas mirrored the current state of the world "as presented by media".
"But the jury believes tomorrow's filmmakers can find more hope and light in this life, and bring it to their films to encourage their audiences to see all kinds of life," said veteran Philippine director Lav Diaz, who announced the awards.
Along with Stone, Diaz was joined on this year's New Currents panel by Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi, Korean director Jang Sun-woo and French cinematographer Agnes Godard.
Contemporary local politics were also to the fore in the festival's other major prizes, with director Park Baeil's documentary "Soseongri" claiming the BIFF Mecenat Award.
Jurors praised its "carefully balanced" focus on a group of elderly women protesting the controversial instalment of the US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system near their town to guard against growing missile threats from Pyongyang.
The Busan festival has been mired in politics in recent years, having seen its funding cut following the screening in 2014 of "Diving Bell: The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol".
The documentary was critical of the South Korean government's handling of the Sewol ferry disaster that claimed around 300 lives.
BIFF director Kang Soo-yeon and the festival's 81-year-old founder Kim Dong-ho, brought back onboard in 2015, will step down from their posts after this year's event.
Their departure follows a letter of criticism from staff who claimed they had not properly -– or openly -– dealt with BIFF's woes.
Kang said on Saturday she was proud that BIFF had been able to continue through the troubles and hoped it would now be left to focus on cinema. "For any festival, that's the most important thing," she said.
Local media in Korea have pointed to the presence of President Moon Jae-in this year -– he attended a screening of the E Oni's socially charged drama "Missing" -– as a sign that government support has swung back in the festival's favour.
Highlights among the 300-odd films from 76 countries that screened this year included the world premiere of director Jeon Jae-Eun's heartfelt drama "Butterfly Sleep".
The film stars Miho Nakayama and is sure to be a commercial hit given her following internationally. Another big draw was the premiere of rising Chinese talent Li Xiaofeng's gripping murder mystery "Ash".
The curtain officially comes down on the festival at the Busan Cinema Centre on Saturday night with the world premiere of veteran Taiwanese director Sylva Chang's generation-crossing drama "Love Education", and the official handing over of the awards.
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[WM]In 2011, Anthony O'Donohue told police he was afraid he would attack someone. Five years later, he was untreated, unsupported and set a Brisbane bus driver on fire.
An independent report into Queensland's mental health services, released on Friday, found the killing may have been avoidable.
Manmeet Alisher died while working as a bus driver.
Manmeet Sharma, 29, was burnt to death at Moorooka as he was behind the wheel of his Brisbane City Council bus in October 2016.
Mr O'Donohue threw a lit backpack containing a bottle of fuel at Mr Sharma while he was collecting passengers.
On August 10, Queensland's Mental Health Court declared he was of unsound mind at the time, and therefore not criminally responsible for his actions.
On Friday, Queensland Health published the final reports that looked at the quality of care Mr O'Donohue received between 2010 and 2016 to judge whether it influenced the attack.
Smoke billowing from the bus at Moorooka.
A report by forensic psychiatrist Professor Paul Mullen led the investigation.
"This is a tragedy that could not have been predicted," the report said.
"Inevitably, had different decisions been made at certain times then the killing might not have occurred."
Mr Mullen reported Mr O'Donohue suffers from a delusion disorder that led him to believe he was being persecuted by the trade unions and public servants.
"Mr O’Donohue was first admitted in 2010 following a suicide attempt," he said.
Moorooka man Anthony O'Donohue remains in a mental health facility.
"He was re-admitted a year later when he told police he was afraid he would attack those he believed were persecuting him.
"In August 2016 he was discharged with a plan for him to receive the care of a General Practitioner."
Mr Mullens said when Mr O'Donuhue was discharged he refused communication between the clinic and his GP and later tried to return to treatment at the community clinic but his attempt to gain help "failed".
"These two failures conspired to leave Mr O’Donohue in the community untreated and unsupported," he said.
Mr O'Donohue killed Mr Sharma on October 28, 2016.
Emergency services react to the attack.
Queensland Health deputy director-general John Wakefield said events like this were "incredibly rare", but did happen.
"We are a people business and nothing that people do is ever perfect," he said.
"When things go wrong ... we leave no stone unturned in understanding what happened here, what can we learn and most importantly what do we to address that."
The bomb squad was called in to search the bus.
Mr Wakefield said it was clear, from the report, that it was impossible to blame an individual for what happened.
"We will always have bad outcomes because we're a human business," he said.
"Our job is to make sure we learn from them and I'm sure from a community trust perspective, they don't expect us to be perfect, they know we're not perfect, humans are not perfect.
"What they do expect is that we will admit if we make mistakes, that we will review and understand and learn from those and we will take every action that we can to continually improve the system."
The reports found Queensland Health staff were compliant with legislative and policy obligations but identified several deficiencies in practices and protocols, particularly around the care provided at Metro South Hospital and Health Service and the Mental Health Service.
It was found while patients with complex mental illness were frequently assessed, there were gaps in the process.
Further, it was identified there was room for improvement in the sharing of information within the services.
A lack of integration between the forensic mental health service and community follow up was also described as problematic.
In response to the investigation, Queensland Health has new tools and staff training for violence risk assessment and the new Mental Health Act requires every health service to have an oversight committee to review risk decisions.
Further, all forensic reports are uploaded to an electronic system that can be accessed by all Queensland clinics, including GPs.
A state-wide approach to forensic mental health services will also be implemented to reduce fragmentation within the health services.
Finally, investment will be made towards capacity in the community sector to care for complex patients.
Mr O'Donohue will be held in a mental health facility for at least a decade.
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[WM]10News Anchor Courtney Robinson took concerns straight to Superintendent Jeff Eakins as he met with a VPK class.
Students in Hillsborough County headed back into the classrooms Friday morning even though there have been serious health concerns in the schools.
The issues ranged from air conditioning problems, reports of lead in drinking water, gaps in radon testing and mold in at least one Hillsborough County high school.
10News anchor Courtney Robinson took those concerns straight to Superintendent Jeff Eakins as he met with a VPK class.
Mold was found in the auditorium at Plant High School. School district officials said a faulty AC unit was to blame, and they were working to get it fixed. They said the mold was removed, the room was cleaned, and the air quality was tested. The auditorium will reopen when the air quality tests get back to them.
After hearing about reports of lead in the water at schools across the country, the Hillsborough County schools started testing the water in its own facilities for the dangerous element -- and found it.
Superintendent Eakins said that the levels weren’t high enough to report it to families.
“None of our buildings across Hillsborough County ever exceeded the levels by which you have to communicate out to any families that there is some sort of health issue, so we’re going to continue to test," he said. "We’ve tested about 20 percent of our buildings, we had about 80 percent more to go. We’re going to ensure the safety of our students that’s Hillsborough County public schools. That’s what we do to ensure safety for our kids, and I want to make sure the public is very clear about that."
Air conditioning also remains a big problem for Hillsborough schools. Officials said about 40 AC units need major repairs or to be replaced by 2021. The estimated cost for that is around $340 million.
Eakins said he thinks the schools were absolutely safe for children to be in, and issues would be found in schools across the country.
“It’s really about ensuring the safety of our kids," Eakins said. "We don’t just sit around and wait for these things to happen. That’s why we have results out there, because we do the testing we do, all those kinds of things. We’ve done it for years and we feel like that we owe that to our parents,” said Eakins.
Eakins said proper funding for the schools could help solve many of the problems the Hillsborough County School District is facing.
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[WM]Four oil spill sites in Nigeria identified by the UN, which Shell has claimed to have had cleaned up by contractors since 2011, are still polluted, says a report by Amnesty.
One of these sites, the Bomu manifold close to the village of Kegbara Dere in Ogoniland, is Nigeria’s oil central: five major northbound Shell pipelines join four southbound ones which together carry 150,000 barrels of oil a day to the huge oil export terminal at Bonny 50 miles away. The junction is considered so important to the economy of Nigeria and Shell that it is surrounded by a high fence and guarded day and night by the military.
But the ageing 50-year-old pipes and rusty pumps have burst and spilt large quantities of oil at least seven times since 1990, and in 2009 a fire broke out lasting 36 hours, leading to another major spill. When UN environment programme (Unep) inspectors visited the site in 2010, they found high levels of contamination all around Bomu, pollution 5m deep in places and oil spreading into nearby cassava fields, and water supplies.
Back in 2010, Unep inspectors said, “Nothing appears to have been done about the pollution,” and urged an immediate decontamination of the Bomu manifold along with 60 other heavily polluted sites in Ogoniland, all of which, they said, had been left untouched or only cursorily cleaned up by Shell and other oil companies since the 1970s.
Earlier this year Amnesty International revisited the Bomu manifold three times and found the site still massively contaminated, despite claims from Shell and the Nigerian government’s watchdog pollution body that it had been cleaned up satisfactorily in 2012.
“Water containing oil … flows along the path of the Shell pipelines. At places there are pools of oil. Some soil is black and hard. The three fish ponds, owned by a local family, are covered in a thick oily sheen, and show no signs of life. The spills … have contaminated fields and a neighbouring forest and have spread down into the Barabeedom swamp,” says Amnesty, working with the Port Harcourt-based Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD).
The joint report is published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the execution of nine Ogoni leaders, including the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. Amnesty alleges that in some cases, contractors employed by Shell admit simply to burying the pollution.
“This is just a cover up. If you just dig down a few metres you find oil. We just excavated, then shifted the soil away, then covered it all up again,” one contractor employed by Shell told Amnesty.
The report concerns sites at Bomu Manifold, Boobanabe, Barabeedom swamp and Okuluebu. It says: “Claims by Shell that it has cleaned up heavily polluted areas of the Niger delta are blatantly false. The only plausible explanations for why the four sites could still be polluted, four years after Unep found high levels of contamination at each of them, are that no remediation was carried out, or remediation was carried out but was ineffective, or that other spills have occurred since then.
“In two of the four cases explanation one is ruled out by Shell itself. The company has publicly stated that the sites were cleaned up. In those two locations, explanation three [that there was subsequent re-contamination from spills after 2011] is also not possible.
“All four sites remain visibly contaminated, even though Shell says it has cleaned them. The investigation demonstrates this is due to inadequate clean-up, and not new oil spills,” says the report.
Amnesty says its investigators sought meetings with and wrote to both Shell and the government’s oil spill regulator, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (Nosdra), seeking an explanation.
“Shell said they were not available for meetings. A subsequent letter from the company suggested researchers look at information on Shell’s website. But this provided little information on clean-up.
“Nosdra is under-resourced and continues to certify areas as clean that are visibly polluted with crude oil,” says Amnesty. “The government of Nigeria is failing to fulfil its duty to protect the human rights of people living in the Niger delta. It must substantially strengthen the capacity of Nosdra to regulate Shell and the activities of Shell’s contractors,” it says.
“By inadequately cleaning up the pollution from its pipelines and wells, Shell is leaving thousands of women, men and children exposed to contaminated land, water and air, in some cases for years or even decades,” says Amnesty researcher Mark Dummett.
“Shell says theft is to blame for most oil spills on the Delta, but even if that were true it would not excuse the company’s historic failure to clean up oil pollution. Shell’s blame game can no longer deflect attention from its broken promises and neglected infrastructure,” says Dummett.
Shell operates around 50 oil fields and 5,000km of pipelines in the Niger delta. According to the oil giant’s own figures, there have been 1,693 oil spills leading to more than 350,000 barrels of crude oil being lost since 2007.
Shell has said it intends to clean up all the spills identified in the 2011 Unep report, but argues this could take some years.
In a statement to the Guardian, Shell said: “Without access to the full report it is difficult to verify and respond to the detailed claims.
“Implementation of the Unep report is part of a wider programme of remediation, pipeline protection, community engagement and social investment activities being undertaken by the SPDC JV with its government, community and civil society partners in Ogoniland.
Unep estimated in 2011 that it could take up to 30 years and $6bn to clean up the region. The organisation made detailed recommendations to Shell and the Nigerian government.
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[WM]Size and mobility helped Dumoulin become a college champion and Stanley Cup champion.
A second-round draft pick (No. 51) of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2009 NHL Draft, Dumoulin went on to a decorated collegiate career at Boston College, which included an NCAA championship in 2010 and 2012. During his time with the Eagles, Dumoulin was twice named an All-American (2011, 2012), twice named All-Hockey East (2011, 2012) and made the 2009 Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
In 2012, Dumoulin was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey. He was named to the 2010 and 2012 NCAA all-tournament teams.
After signing his entry-level contract with Carolina on April 10, 2012, Dumoulin was traded to Pittsburgh on June 22, 2012, with the No. 8 pick in that year's draft and forward Brandon Sutter for center Jordan Staal.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman spent the next three seasons honing his game in the American Hockey League with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, appearing in 14 regular-season games with the Penguins between 2012 and 2015 and five playoff games with Pittsburgh in 2015.
It wasn't until the 2015-16 season that Dumoulin earned a full-time role in the NHL, and he played a prominent role in the Penguins' championship run. In the playoffs, Dumoulin averaged more than 21 minutes per game, more than 2:30 over his regular-season average. Dumoulin scored his first NHL playoff goal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the same team he scored his first NHL goal against on Dec. 15, 2014.
Dumoulin also scored the opening goal in the clinching Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks. With the victory, Dumoulin became the first native of Maine -- he hails from Biddeford -- to win the Stanley Cup.
Dumoulin, who played in 24 games in the 2016 playoffs, played 25 postseason games in 2017 when the Penguins won a second straight Stanley Cup.
Traded to Pittsburgh by Carolina with Brandon Sutter and Carolina's 1st round pick (Derrick Pouliot) in 2012 NHL Draft for Jordan Staal, June 22, 2012.
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[WM]Everyone went nuts for Adobe’s “content-aware fill” in Photoshop when it came out. The boring-sounding feature is in fact an incredibly useful tool, essentially an AI-powered clone stamp that intelligently brought in other pieces of the image to replace your selection. But it still failed in hilarious ways that only an AI is capable of. That should happen a lot less with the hot new tools Adobe is shipping soon.
Teased in a sneak peek video today, the new content-aware fill has a ton of new settings that shooters will love playing with. Photographers love tweaking things — that’s just a fact — and the more things they have to tweak, the better.
…now has a whole right-hand menu full of lovely options to choose from.
The most important difference is certainly the ability to choose which parts of the image the filling agent samples when it’s looking for stuff to put inside your lassoed area. If, as in the fail above, it decides to fill the field in with horse parts, you just exclude the horse from the agent’s consideration with a few brush strokes. No need to be exact — the algorithm is smart enough to work without the handful of pixels that are casualties of overeager mousing.
The improved algorithm also lets you tell the algo that it should be liberal with rotation and scaling of the elements it uses, or that it should mirror-image the content it finds to make it fit better.
Lastly, you can output the fill to a new layer — non-destructive editing is critical to any digital artist’s workflow. I can’t imagine why this wasn’t the case before.
Okay, so maybe some purists will scoff at those who use such heavy-handed means to fix a shot. But sometimes you have to go with the shot you’ve got, and sometimes there’s one too many cows in it. So I at least appreciate the option to do some major alterations without the hassle of manual clone-stamping and other techniques.
The new updates are “coming soon,” so keep an eye out for updates to your client.
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[WM]Email platform Litmus has formed a partnership with Asana, supplier of a work management app, to help marketers integrate their email workflow into the overall creative process.
The arrangement enables teams to “streamline their workflow, improve collaboration, and send quality emails at scale,” states Erik Nierenberg, CEO of Litmus.
"Getting a great email out the door is a complex process that requires managing a broad range of tasks, deliverables, and stakeholders,” he adds.
The partnership with Litmus supports Asana for Marketing and Creative Teams, Asana's new creative management tool. Asana is also partnering with Adobe and Slack or new program.
According to Litmus, the partnership will allow marketers to integrate email creation into larger marketing projects; streamline email project status updates and communication with stakeholders; and gain visibility into the status of email projects.
Litmus recently announced a partnership with Slack, in which Slack adds communications capabilities to Litmus’s email creation, testing and analytics services.
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[WM]Make your holiday season merrier with these local (and not-so-local) parades and events. Want to check out some local lights? We rounded up the best light displays here.
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[WM]The shares, floated at 575p, nearly doubled on the first day and are now £28.68p (up 2 1/ 2p). First-quarter profits soared 91pc to £3.2m pre-tax, on sales 51pc ahead. Former parent, computer group Acorn, wants to join the party. Its market value is £220m, but its 24.4pc stake in ARM is worth £330m.
Acorn is looking at tax-efficient ways to unlock the value. The likeliest option is a demerger of the ARM stake.
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[WM]The FINANCIAL -- In what may be the biggest boost to zip code envy since “Beverly Hills 90210,” RealtyTrac has released a data survey ranking the Top 20 U.S. zip codes of more than 2,500 residents with the highest average prices for single-family residences.
Clearly the primetime soap that ran throughout the 1990s and topped the Nielsens in 1993 was set in the right state. The RealtyTrac data shows that California has 17 of the 20 zip codes with the highest average home prices.
The infamous 90210, however, is not one of them. Now it’s 90212.
Topping the list, with homes topping $2.9 million, is New York City’s 10282, followed by Los Altos, California, with properties averaging $2.6 million and then zip codes in Palo Alto and Santa Monica, California where homes average in the $2.5 million range.
The only neighborhood in the survey outside California and New York City is the fifth-ranked 62016 zip code of Carrollton, Illinois. There, a population of 3,717 live in homes averaging $2.469 million.
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[WM]Pop star Selena Gomez once again has placed her luxurious mansion on the market. The residence located in the exclusive community of Montserrat, west of Fort Worth, Texas, is now for sale a third time.
The property is listed at just under $3 million. The 10,000-square-foot house was on sale for the first time in 2016 and the second time at the beginning of 2017.
The house features a variety of amenities, including a movie theater, golf course, and a tennis court.
The 25-year-old singer bought the house in 2015 to use when she was visiting her family in Texas. Gomez, who was born in Grand Prairie, considers northern Texas her home.
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[WM]Taipei, July 18 (CNA) U.S.-based search engine giant Google on Wednesday launched a new Google Maps service for motorbike riders in Taiwan that will help them plan their routes and calculate their travel time.
The two-wheel navigation mode was launched by Google for the first time in December 2017, and Taiwan became the fourth country worldwide to have the service, after India, Indonesia and Malaysia, Google said.
The new services are a good fit for a country with a big motorbike population like Taiwan, which has more than 14 million motorbike riders, Google said.
The new services will help riders identify the best routes to arrive at their destinations as quickly as possible, even during rush hour, the company said.
The new navigation mode can recommend legal shortcuts for motorbikes, show vehicle speeds for riders to precisely calculate travel times, and help them schedule a better route to get them to their destinations, according to Google.
The new navigation service will also speak to motorbike riders through voice assistance to alert them to turns they should take and remind them of road conditions.
Motorbike riders will need mobile devices powered by Android Kitkat 4.4 or more advanced operating systems to be able to use the new map service, Google said.
Google Maps previously provided navigation services for car drivers and pedestrians in Taiwan, and it also launched up-to-the minute information on public transportation services in the country in January 2017.
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[WM]The Waste Land as an iPad app demonstrates how we might re-imagine the book, but it also illustrates how editorial choices can limit value.
The Guardian recently documented a June trek of 25 people through the city of London, on (TS Eliot's The Waste Land 2012 – a multimedia walk, (Henry Eliot, 30 July 2012). That a poem written in the early 20th Century remains resonant with people who live nearly a century later offers a testament to its often misunderstood and always daunting language, allusion and structure.
But being citizens of the 21st Century, we need not rely solely on the manuscript and printed commentary to bring the poem to us. With new devices like Apple’s iPad, the very idea of the book as a book has been reconsidered. The Waste Land, a cooperative work between Touch Press, Faber and Faber, BBC Arena and other collaborators, releases the text of the poem through the lens of the iPad. From its earliest incarnations, The Waste Land was as much a initiator of non-fiction as it was a poem. As Eliot sought to pad out his poem for book publication, he included a series of notes, which have become famous in their own right. The scholarship and commentary on the poem continues with the Touch Press treatment, which migrates much of its new insights from print to video.
The Waste Land app first reveals a navigation screen that offers seven content choices and a Tips screen. First is the full text of poem as published in the book from in 1922 (The poem had previously appeared in Eliot’s own journal, The Criterion, and in The Dial, without notes). The app also offers the facsimile manuscript of the poem, previously published as book.
Unfortunately, the editors of the app, trying it appears to stay aligned with the published text, omit the first manuscript page with Eliot’s excision, leading to an incomplete context for the work and its history. They also fail to share any of the scholarship from the book, just images with short captions. The introduction and the editorial notes from the published version of the manuscript do not appear in the app. This is a first incompleteness. I will come to others later.
The Waste Land, like any good poem, is meant to be heard, not read. This is where multimedia offerings succeed beyond the standalone text, the random MP3 file or an LP gathering dust in a garage. Touch Stone includes five different readings of The Waste Land, two by Eliot himself. Others include Alec Guiness (Star Wars' original Obi Wan Kenobi,) Ted Hughes (British Poet Lauret and husband to poet Sylvia Plath,) Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of the The Lord of the Rings) and Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter’s Aunt in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series).
Shaw also offers a performance interpretation of the poem, complete with music and sound effects. Shaw’s performance is available as a short, standalone film, and as an audio reading that, like the other readings, follows the text as the performers read it.
The performances are all good, and hearing Eliot with his mid-Western-affected-proper-English continues to haunt and delight. Although the other readings offer more thoughtful emoting on behalf of the audience, Eliot's rendition provides the poet's internal rhythm and pauses, inflections and glottal stops.
Eliot's own notes, as mentioned, fueled enormous amounts of scholarship. Much of that scholarship was curated and condensed into line-by-line annotations derived taken from B.C. Southam’s excellent A Student’s Guide to the Selected Poems of T.S. Eliot. Southam’s book serves as the source for the app’s annotations. Click a line and the annotations display. These notes are fine for the casual reader, but because parts of Southam’s book, like sources (on page 31-42 of the sixth edition) aren't included, the notes ultimately prove incomplete. To do the annotations justice, Touch Press needs to include Southam’s introduction and appendix.
As my three bookshelves dedicated to Eliot attest, I will acquire interesting material related to Eliot, and this app counts as interesting material, especially given the lack of DVD or download access to the original BBC documentary from which its interviews were drawn (though most of the BBC Arena documentary can be found on YouTube). The commentaries are joyfully affirmative and personally insightful.
Former punk rocker Frank Turner draws connections to Bob Dylan and contemporary pop culture. Paul Keegan provides erudite comments on Eliot and his relationship to the poem. Jim McCue a history of publication. Craig Raine dishes haughty interpretations and observations. Fiona Shaw marvels and connects with personal anecdotes. Jeanette Winterson offers right-professorial insight. And Seamus Heaney discusses what The Waste Land means to him as a poet. Unfortunately, the entire collection of commentary fits much more with documentary film-making than with serious literary scholarship.
I return to incompleteness here. Many important voices on Eliot don’t appear in the app beyond scattered references to particular lines in the annotations. Most notably, these missing scholars include Hugh Kenner, Frank Kermode, F.O. Matthiessen, Lyndall Gordon, Helen Gardner, George Williamson and Russell Kirk. They may not be available as video (or audio), but their text remains important. The majority of these critics and scholars might have presented Touch Stone with licensing issues, but given the partnership with Faber, Helen Gardner’s excellent tome, The Art of T.S. Eliot, would have been a good addition to the app’s content.
Much of the early scholarship about Eliot and The Waste Land has not yet arrived in e-reader format, though much of it is available on scholarly websites. Selections of essays or chapters would go a long way to making the app a more useful resource. Even better, given the publication and financial resources associated with Touch Press, would be a site that linked to the app, providing additional reference material on-demand.
The app offers some additional data in the form of a very small set of poorly integrated snapshots meant to illustrate the poem, its author, his collaborators and the publishing process. Given the visual and location-based references in the poem, more images could surely be found that could lend value to the reading. The app would benefit from the publishers going beyond the slideshow by fully integrating the images with the line readings and annotations.
I always felt that The Waste Land prepared me for success in the Internet age. The poem that Eliot wrote and Ezra Pound helped craft fills the consciousness with fragmented jumbles of allusion and synthesis, of memory and creation, of studied eloquence and discerning observation. Blogs and other web-based content sources with their wildly far-flung links echo The Waste Land in reality, if not intent.
On the surface, the poem seemingly weaves together incongruities, but on deeper study it reveals a multi-layered structure. That hodgepodge of sources force the reader to engage beyond the surface, much as the Internet forces one from the page being scanned, to underlying sources or additional commentary. Before Vanevar Bush suggested a hypertext-like idea, Eliot apparently thought in hypertext-like form, recording his internal musings, broad reading, personal experience and intellectual associations into an exculpated whole.
For readers coming to The Waste Land for the first time, an app on an iPad with video commentary and clickable links that illuminate its language and allusions provides an appropriate entry point. For people who have studied the poem over the years, the app offers convenient access and a few new, easily consumed perspectives. I can also argue for The Waste Land app as a compelling and relatively inexpensive tool for teaching the poem, but one far from complete in its library of criticism and interpretation, and shameful in its lack of references.
The app is perhaps best for those who want to re-read The Waste Land and reconnect with a writer and an age now far removed from contemporary experience. As a work of art, The Waste Land continues to reveal truths 90 years after its first publication, in a new era of raging uncertainty and despair tempered by emergent potential.
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[WM]Major U.S. stock averages rise Wednesday after encouraging U.S. data.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Major U.S. stock averages were trading higher late Wednesday morning as investors cheered a larger-than-expected rise in pending home sales, an increase in durable goods numbers, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's reiteration of easy monetary policy at his second-day of testimony before Congress.
Investors were also focusing on Apple(:AAPL), whose annual shareholders' meeting is set to begin Wednesday at 12 p.m. EST. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, is likely to be asked what the iPhone maker plans to do with its massive cash hoard of more than $137 billion.
"We have some rumors about Apple and what they might do today at a meeting ... I'm going to focus on what we see in tech ... and if we really get a solid bounce and Apple stays above ... maybe there's some credence to the rumor," Matthew Cheslock, equity trader at Virtu Financial, told TheStreet late Tuesday, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq rebounded strongly along with Apple.
Apple shares were down 0.7% Wednesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was rising 73.64 points, or 0.53%, at 13,973.The S&P 500 was rising 8.17 points, or 0.55%, at 1,505. The Nasdaq was up 18.55 points, or 0.59%, at 3,148.
Major U.S. stock averages rebounded Tuesday from the prior session's swoon after a raft of upbeat economic data and earnings reports, and after Bernanke indicated continued support for monetary easing in his semi-annual testimony before Congress.
Speaking before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, Bernanke said, though, that the Fed alone couldn't bear the entire burden of spurring the economic recovery, and urged lawmakers to find alternatives to the sequestration ahead of a March 1 deadline.
On Wednesday, Bernanke was giving his semi-annual testimony before the House Financial Services Committee in Washington. He reiterated his continued support for easy monetary policy and once again voiced his concerns about the looming spending cuts in Washington.
The Census Bureau reported that durable goods orders fell 5.2% in January after rising 3.7% in December. Excluding transportation, orders rose 1.9% after a 1% increase the prior month. Economists were expecting durable goods orders to fall 3.5% in January and the number to rise 0.2% excluding the transportation component.
The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index rose 4.5% in January after falling 1.9% the previous month. Economists were forecasting a rise of 1%.
"Between this report and the upside surprises in the housing market data released yesterday (prices for December and new home sales for January), housing market activity appears to have ended 2012 on a positive note and is off to a strong start in 2013," said Cooper Howes, U.S, economist for Barclays.
Gold for April delivery was sliding $10 to $1,605.50 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, while April crude oil futures were down 5 cents to $92.58 a barrel.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury was rising 9/32, diluting the yield to 1.857%. The dollar was falling 0.27%, according to the U.S. dollar index.
In corporate news, Groupon(:GRPN), the daily deals site, is forecast to report fourth-quarter profit of 3 cents a share on sales of $638.4 million after the markets close. Shares were rising more than 2%.
Priceline.com(:PCLN), the travel Web site operator, said Tuesday that fourth-quarter net income rose 28%, as bookings on its Web sites jumped 33% to about $6.6 billion in the quarter. Shares were popping 2.75%.
Coach(:COH) shares were jumping more than 4.5% amid rumors that the luxury goods company is thinking about selling itself, and following its announcement of new appointments to its creative team, including Zach Augustine. Augustine joins Coach from Nike, where he held the role of global creative director.
First Solar(:FSLR), the solar panel manufacturer, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter but issued first-quarter net income and sales guidance below analysts' forecasts. Shares were plunging 16.5%.
Accretive Health (:AH), a provider of services to the health care industry, announced that it will postpone the release of its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2012, as well as its previously announced investor conference call scheduled for Wednesday, because it is evaluating the timing of revenue recognition for its revenue cycle management agreements. Shares were plummeting nearly 26%.
Edison International(:EIX) booked better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Shares were rising more than 2%.
Target(:TGT) shares were falling more than 1% after the company reported that its fourth-quarter gross margin rate declined to 27.8% in 2012 from 28.4% in 2011.
DreamWorks Animation(:DWA) shares were falling more than 3% after the company reported a quarterly loss of $82.7 million, or 98 cents a share, including the impact of a write-down of film costs for "Rise of the Guardians" and charges related to the decision to return "Me & My Shadow" back to development.
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[WM]The town will now consider changing its animal ordinance.
A Berlin woman is trying to keep her pet goat despite a town ordinance.
A dwarf goat named Benny has been living in a backyard pen at 452 New Britain Road in Berlin for five years, but in December, his owner was notified that her quarter acre of land is too small for a goat.
Zoning regulations require three acres, but Sheri Sala is fighting to keep Benny and got some unexpected help on Tuesday when a town board agreed to look into the zoning issues at the heart of the ordeal.
"No one has three acres in this town unless you have a farm. That goes back to 1965," said Sala.
Sala stepped in to take care of Benny when he was young.
"His mom wouldn't feed him so I took him in to bottle feed him for six weeks and he's been with me ever since," Sala said.
And, she has been fighting the zoning that would prohibit her from keeping the goat and she has received lots of support.
Hundreds of people have "liked" a Facebook page about Benny's plight. Meanwhile, three dozen Benny supporters have been writing to town officials, saying Benny should stay.
"We have received a lot of letters. A lot of people have had concerns about this," Helen Riggins, Berlin's director of development, said.
On Tuesday night, Sala planned to ask the Berlin Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to keep Benny. However, before she could speak Bruce Moore, the planning and zoning commission chairman, asked the board of appeals to table the issue while the Planning & Zoning Commission decides whether the ordinance needs to be changed.The Zoning Board then voted unanimously to table the issue.
"I'm not sure what they're going to say, but it's kind of a good thing that they are going to study it," Tony Fracanlangia, the Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman, said. That means Benny can stay, for now, but Sala isn't declaring victory.
"No it's not. It's just postponing. It's still waiting," Sala said.
It's unclear when the Planning and Zoning Commission will take up the issue and how long the process could take.
If Sala can't keep Benny in Berlin, she'll move to a town where she can keep him.
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[WM]United Bank at the Fair Lakes Shopping Center caught fire just after 4 p.m. May 2 after someone discarded a cigarette into mulch, which ignited a pine tree and spread to the roof of the bank, investigators said.
Now Dmitry Christensen is charged with burglary and larceny.
Police were investigating Christensen on a drug charge when he gave an officer permission to search his phone, according to a search warrant. That revealed photos of safes and computer parts.
Christensen admitted going into the burned-out bank and taking money, computer equipment, safes, surveillance equipment and keys to the bank's locks and putting the items in a storage unit, according to court documents.
A search of the storage unit found some of the stolen items.
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[WM]Adele has broken down in tears on stage as she dedicated the latest leg of her worldwide tour to victims of the Orlando shooting.
A seven-year-old Adele fan had his dream of meeting her come true when he was invited backstage before her gig last night.
Adele has topped a chart of the most popular acts in the world according to an international music trade body; the IFPI.
The London born singer has been named as the most popular recording artist in the world for 2015 for sales, downloads and streams. That's despite her album 25 only being released in November but still managing to sell more than 15 million copies.
The lead single from the album, Hello, was number one in more than thirty countries globally, including the UK, US, Germany and Australia.
Pop star Adele is one of the hot favourites to headline next year's Glastonbury as tickets for the 2016 festival sold out in minutes.
Madame Tussauds have revealed the multi-award winning singer Adele as the latest celebrity to join their waxy Hall of Fame.
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[WM]Pat Maloney was a gifted experimental musician in the 1970s, until he suddenly stopped playing entirely.
This story starts with an ending.
Pat Maloney passed away in the late summer of 2016. He'd been facing terminal cancer, and died at home in the village of Arden, Ontario, with his wife, Joanne Pickett, by his side. Their final years together were some of their strongest.
"We became the best of friends," she said. "We just spent such great time together. We took road trips, we talked a lot… We did all of the things that we hadn't taken the time to do before."
Maloney had been a father, a friend. He was a carpenter and a conversationalist, with a sharp wit and a sense of humour. He loved reading books and watching a good hockey game.
He also used to play the flute — but that was a very long time ago.
For years, it sat in a kitchen cupboard, not so much an instrument as a relic. To his kids, the flute was evidence of a former life back in the 1970s, when Maloney worked in Toronto as a recording engineer and played in numerous bands.
"I'd pull it out of the cupboard and force him to play a couple of notes," said Luke Maloney, Pat and Joanne's son, "But it wouldn't last more than a couple of seconds and he'd put it away. Playing music was something he was sheepish about in the time I was around."
The flute gathered dust. They never heard him use it, or make music at all. After Maloney's death, there were traces of him all over the house — woodworking materials, paperwork, half-finished projects — but it took a year for his wife to decide she was ready to climb the stairs to the attic, which Maloney had managed to fill from floor to ceiling, over the years, with boxes and tools and who knew what else.
That's when she found them.
Tapes. Dozens and dozens of tapes. And the old reel-to-reel machines Maloney had recorded them on.
Everything was in pristine condition, untouched for decades. Pickett didn't know what to do with the discovery, but she had a feeling that a neighbour of hers would.
Jonas Bonnetta fronts the band Evening Hymns and runs a recording studio, called Port William Sound, on his property.
Pickett called Bonnetta, and he was like a kid in a candy store. "When I saw the machines and the shape they were in, I was like, '…Let's use these machines to digitize all the tapes!'" he said.
"I was interested in being able to give [Pickett] recordings of this person she spent a huge portion of her life with. Because I think anybody would want that."
But Bonnetta was not prepared for what he uncovered.
Why did Maloney give it all up, and put it away?
"Because he was invested in the intellectual side of music, I find it so bizarre that he would just stop making recordings," said Bonnetta, "And that (his kids) don't know that Pat."
He gestured to the piles of tapes. "I mean, what a gift, you know?"
So Bonnetta decided to share what he found with Maloney's family. They all gathered in the family home in Arden, Ontario. Before he pressed play, Pickett was nervous. "It's a little overwhelming, to tell you the truth," she said.
After hearing some of his father's music for the first time, something clicked for Luke Maloney. "That makes sense. He was always a rebel and that seems to be reflected in his music as well. I guess he liked to be a challenge in all aspects."
"It does kind of bring him back to life," Pickett said. "I feel like I'm going to turn around and see him... it's a gift for us but it would've been a greater gift had we discovered it sooner and maybe it could've been part of his life for the last years."
To hear the documentary on Pat Maloney's lost tapes, click on Listen Now at the top of this article. Or download and subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a show.
Jessa Runciman is a reporter with CBC Ottawa, a radio producer and music writer who lives in the woods of Quebec, north of Ottawa.
This documentary was co-produced by Veronica Simmonds, and edited with Acey Rowe.
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[WM]A Terre Haute man will have his initial hearing on Wednesday for an arrest dating back to July.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A Terre Haute man will have his initial hearing on Wednesday for an arrest dating back to July.
Dominic Pope is being charged with criminal confinement, kidnapping, and strangulation.
The charges are from an arrest on July 23rd.
According to court documents, Pope held a woman against her will, battered her, and threatened her with a machete.
Pope is scheduled to appear before Judge Michael Lewis on Wednesday for his initial hearing.
He is currently in the Vigo County Jail on $50,000 bond.
Do you want a Casino in Terre Haute?
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[WM]Manifesto is silent on the dangers copyright abuses pose to Internet freedom.
The Campaign for Liberty, a libertarian advocacy group founded by congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), is gearing up for an "Internet freedom" project that focuses on opposing government regulation of the Internet.
A draft of the project's manifesto was first leaked by Buzzfeed. It warns that "collectivist special interests" are pushing for harmful Internet legislation.
According to "Internet collectivists," the document says, "'Net neutrality' means government acting as arbiter and enforcer of what it deems to be neutral." The document criticizes antitrust regulation of successful Internet companies and government micromanagement of everything from the electromagnetic spectrum to tech companies' privacy practices.
It's not surprising that a libertarian activist organization would denounce government regulation of the high-tech economy. But we were surprised to see the document denounce the "Internet collectivist" view that "what is considered to be in the public domain should be greatly expanded."
We don't see anything "collectivist" about expanding the public domain. Due to repeated extensions by Congress, copyrighted works from the 1920s are still under copyright protection, a situation that has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Indeed, a constitutional challenge to Congress's 1998 extension of copyright terms enjoyed the support of the libertarian Cato Institute and Nobel prize-winning economists such as Milton Friedman, Ronald Coase, and James Buchanan.
In a Thursday interview, Campaign for Liberty spokesman Matt Hawes assured Ars that the organization did not intend to endorse today's long copyright terms. "We think the public domain is a terrific part of the Internet," he told us. Rather, he said, the group was worried that "Internet collectivists" would use the phrase "public domain" as "code for getting the government more involved" in copyright issues.
Still, it would be nice for the organization to take a clearer stance against Hollywood-backed copyright legislation that threatens Internet freedom. Ron Paul was an early SOPA opponent, but SOPA is hardly the only example of bad copyright legislation. For example, Congress last added 20 years to copyright terms in 1998. That means we're due for another debate on extending copyright terms between now and 2018. Opponents of that inevitable proposal could use the Campaign for Liberty's support.
More importantly, Congress has already enacted copyright legislation that threatens Internet freedom. Perhaps the most alarming example is the 2008 PRO-IP Act, which gives the federal government the power to seize domain names, servers, and other assets of Internet companies without proving their owners have committed any crime. Libertarians have long railed against the abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws in the war on drugs. There's even more reason to be alarmed about the government using those powers to enforce copyright laws.
It's important to remember that the debate over Internet freedom is not strictly a left-vs-right debate. While the left and right are never going to agree on every Internet policy issue, they've frequently found common ground when Internet freedom comes under attack.
In particular, we don't agree with the manifesto's claim that "openness" is an "Internet collectivist" code word for "government control of privately owned infrastructure." Openness is an engineering concept that is embraced by people with a wide variety of political perspectives. There are reasonable arguments against openness being mandated by the government, but there's no reason libertarians should be hostile toward openness as such.
Protecting Internet freedom in the future will require the same kind of ideologically diverse coalition that stopped the Stop Online Piracy Act. Branding left-of-center Internet policy advocates as "Internet collectivists" seems unnecessarily divisive.
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[WM]If we hope to preserve Social Security and Medicare for seniors, younger workers and our children, we must begin the conversation about common-sense ways to reform both programs.
These are big things — and there is little question that turning trillion-dollar deficits into surpluses, while starting to pay down our national debt, is an enormous mountain to climb. Yet the long climb to fiscal responsibility must begin with a few smaller, but necessary, steps.
These are big things — but proposing cuts to these program would be an electoral disaster. If Republicans proposed real federal spending reductions we’d get our hats handed to us in November. So we’re not going to do it. We’re just not. And we’re not going to do anything serious about cutting spending after the election either. Instead we’re going to distract the rubes with some chatter about a problem that even I admit is trifling. They’ll eat it up. I might be pandering here, but that’s sure better than the alternative.
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[WM]Dog licenses are available in the town clerk's office. The fee is $5 if neutered/spayed, and $12 if not. A record of the dog's current rabies vaccination must on file before the license can be purchased.
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[WM]Get the Web as screensaver. NESSIE displays as screen saver the links of an Internet Explorer favorites directory or a specified URL address. You can also use NESSIE to make efficient push of informations. Version 1 includes unspecified updates.
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[WM]Completing BT’s Complete WiFi solution is the digital set-top box. Manufactured by Humax, this compact YouView compatible unit is available in either two versions, either with or without a hard drive. I opted for the version with a 500GB hard drive – the Humax DTR-T2100 – which would normally set you back around £125 if you were buying it ‘off the shelf’, rather than as part of a subscription deal.
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[WM]Image caption Mr Ban has pledged to work as a "bridge-builder"
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term, in a vote at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mr Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, was the only candidate after the UN Security Council unanimously recommended his re-election.
Critics say he is too deferential to major powers, but he has won praise for his policies on climate change and the protests sweeping the Middle East.
He took over at the UN in 2007.
His second term will formally begin on 1 January 2012 and run until the end of 2016.
Mr Ban smiled and bowed to ambassadors and diplomats gathered at UN headquarters, who backed the reappointment through applause without a vote.
"In a complex, difficult international environment, you have strengthened the role and the visibility of the United Nations by adopting reform measures, launching exciting, innovative initiatives, and calling faithfully and constantly for respect for human rights, the rule of law and the other values rooted in our charter," UN General Assembly President Joseph Deiss told him.
When he announced his candidacy two weeks ago, Mr Ban pledged to keep leading the world body as a "bridge-builder" in a time of unprecedented global change.
He has referred to himself as a "harmoniser, balancer, mediator"
Correspondents say when Mr Ban was first elected, powerful nations in the Security Council seemed to want a low-profile leader after the schisms of the 2003 Iraq war.
However, his low-key approach has sometimes been criticised. He came under heavy attack from human rights activists for failing to take a public stand on the jailing of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.
More recently, he has spoken out in support of pro-democracy activists in the Middle East and North Africa.
He has also taken a strong stand on climate change.
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[WM]What is Mississippi State getting in new baseball coach Chris Lemonis?
What is Mississippi State getting in Chris Lemonis? Let's talk about it.
With the news that Mississippi State has hired Indiana's Chris Lemonis to be its new baseball coach, Clarion Ledger sports editor Hugh Kellenberger and Indianapolis Star IU insider Zach Osterman had an email conversation about the hire and what it means for both schools.
Hugh Kellenberger: "OK Zach, Indiana baseball coach Chris Lemonis is now the head coach at Mississippi State. I guess we should start with the basic, obvious question that most MSU fans are asking themselves today: Is this a good hire?"
Zach Osterman: "I think it is. Having grown up in SEC country (Y'all need to get more Publix in that state), I'm well aware of expectations at a place like Mississippi State. And while I know Lemonis doesn't necessarily have every resume trimming you'd want, he's a proven recruiter, a college baseball lifer and a guy who in four years at Indiana did things nobody else has done in the history of IU's oldest varsity program. His teams are balanced and deep, and in all four seasons, I covered him, the best way I could describe his style is that he brings a high floor virtually every year. Will his ceiling raise with time and the advantages of a Mississippi State? Obviously, I can't tell you that for sure. But I think there's every chance."
Kellenberger: "That's I think the biggest question right now with Mississippi State: what is the ceiling? So Lemonis did a nice job taking the baton from Tracy Smith at Indiana and he had some success, including three regionals in four years. That's all very nice. But success at Mississippi State is not judged by trips to the regionals. It's super regionals and trips to Omaha. Lemonis has been to Omaha, albeit as an assistant at Louisville. So he knows what it takes to get there. But what do you think he has to do differently than he did at Indiana in order to unlock that higher ceiling? Or is it simply a matter of when you load the bus with better players, you're going to get better results?"
Osterman: "I tend to think it's probably more the latter. Most casual college baseball fans (for understandable reasons) don't realize all the obstacles Big Ten programs face — weather, scheduling, recruiting base, prestige, restrictive recruiting rules. The conference has at least invested more in recent years, and loosening a few things up, but look at it this way: Since 2013, Indiana has made five NCAA regionals in six seasons, and one College World Series. Of those five regionals, the three Lemonis landed represent the program's three at-large berths ever. No Big Ten team since Ohio State in the mid-1990s has been in the tournament as often, and IU's World Series appearance (pre-Lemonis, I know) was the conference's first in 29 years. The point is, as much as IU baseball has improved — and it undoubtedly has — sustaining that level of success at a Big Ten program is a generational accomplishment. If you told me 36 wins a year would become 47 wins a year with the talent and advantages of a top-tier SEC program, I'd believe you. There are clear areas for Lemonis to improve. But he's done more here than a lot of folks probably realize."
Kellenberger: "So let's talk about the recruiting because that's probably one of the biggest reasons why national baseball writers are liking this hire: Lemonis' reputation is that he's excellent at it, first at Louisville and then at Indiana. But there are two very different kinds of recruiting I think, especially in college baseball where you could have a very nice recruiting ranking that means very little when your whole class just used you as leverage with MLB teams and never show up on campus. So can you point to any players in Lemonis' past that are either A) Guys that he shouldn't have gotten in the first place but did, either because he kept them from blue bloods or the MLB Draft and B) Players that he "discovered," for lack of a better word, and have developed into key contributors for Indiana."
Osterman: "Yea, this is a tougher one for me to judge, because there are so many layers to college baseball recruiting. When I say his teams always had high floors, that came first from solid recruiting. His staffs were deep, whether they had a true ace or not. His lineups never fell off after the four or five guy. IU admittedly sometimes lacked some of the star power of the Tracy Smith era (was there ever a Schwarber or a Travis or a Phegley?) but his teams were always, always deep. He also had some bad luck with committing guys early who took huge leaps late, and looked like the kinds of talents that would get drafted but then thrive in college, before they wound up going higher or getting greater slot money than anyone expected.
"He's still hit on a combination of good local recruiting -- many of Indiana's best players are either in state or regional, Illinois and Ohio -- and smart junior college additions to fill gaps created by unexpected attrition. Lemonis' reputation, as you said, precedes him as a recruiter. He'll emphasize local ties as much as possible. He's 100 percent the guy that will go to every tournament, watch every game, work 14-hour days. And like Dan McDonnell at Louisville, he'll happily commit a kid young (although he's not exclusive to that policy)."
Kellenberger: "Alright, last question: Where do you think Indiana goes from here? Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen made it quite clear he was going big-game hunting when he began his search, and it ended up with TCU's Jim Schlossnagle and Louisville's Dan McDonnell both publicly saying they were staying where they were and not going to Mississippi State. Part of Cohen's problem in the pursuit of those guys, I think, was that those guys just don't leave where they are. College baseball is a sport where coaches are much more apt to go to a place, build it up and then stay for the long-term. And now that salaries have risen to the point where generational wealth is at play, there's even less reason to jump into the unknown. So, from that perspective, MSU hiring someone who has been to Omaha as an assistant and has won a lot of games at the best school in a not-great baseball conference makes sense. And if Cohen got this right, then maybe Lemonis is that guy who stays 15-20 years. But if you're Indiana, what's your move? I would guess Fred Glass would want his own McDonnell, but that's easier said than done. Do any of the assistants have a chance at the gig? Does Glass look to the mid-majors for someone else on the rise and hope for the best?"
Osterman: "That's an interesting question without a clear answer right now. Indiana is in this weird place where it's paying better than just about the rest of the Big Ten, and its facilities are really good, but it's still a clear step or two below say, Mississippi State in resources. Again, IU's having a generational level of success right now. If Glass, IU's AD, wants that to continue, he could easily justify taking that spending up another level and trying to get a home-run hire. Or he could do what Indiana's done the last two times the job came open: stick with someone young, up-and-coming and in the Midwest. Jeff Mercer at Wright State sort of straddles those two possibilities. Either way, I think Indiana will look external before considering the existing staff, and I think Glass will probably step up his financial commitment again. There's an argument to be made for IU basically just bridging the financial gap, paying high six figures (or more) for a head coach and making it harder for this to happen again. I think Glass would probably prefer this be his last baseball hire."
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[WM]ASA said its women’s 4x400m relay team had been invited to compete.
The federation first said three athletes were added to the world championship squad of 23‚ and then in the afternoon upped that to four when Zoe Engler was named alongside Justine Palframan‚ Gena Lofstrand and Ariane Nel.
They will team up with Semenya and 400m hurdler Wenda Nel for the relay.
Of the remaining 20 athletes‚ ASA had picked only five on discretion‚ although that increases to six with the addition Palframan‚ who will now get to compete in the 200m after all.
Appeals by the other excluded athletes failed.
What is it about South African sports administrators that they like to cut the number of athletes who represent the country abroad?
She will get two fulls days off before the 800m heats on August 10‚ with the semifinals the following day and the final on August 13.
Semenya is ranked No1 in the world in the 800m‚ and her 4min 01.99sec 1500m personal best from last year ranked her 14th in 2016. However‚ that time would have earned her gold at the Rio Olympics.
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[WM]Q. I have an annuity worth about $70,000. I am retired and I need the money. They say I would get $125 a month for 10 years. This isn't enough to help me. Can I break the annuity contract to get my money back?
Without seeing your actual annuity contract, we're going to have to be a little general here.
When choosing between annuitizing and surrendering your annuity contract, there are many options to consider.
We're glad to see you're not jumping to make a decision without asking questions.
Also know that owning an annuity contract does not mean that you are locked into it forever, said Michael Green, a certified financial planner with Wechter Feldman Wealth Management in Parsippany.
That said, a payout of $125 per month for 10 years seems extremely low for a contract of this size, he said.
He said there are several types of annuity payouts available to an annuitant, and it sounds like you were provided only one option.
Some of the payout options that could be available to you include: "life," "period certain," "life with period certain" and "joint life and survivor."
Green explained what they all mean.
A "life" payout will ensure that you will not outlive your payments.
"Period certain" guarantees that you will be paid for a certain number of years, usually 10, 15, or 20.
"Life with period certain" guarantees a payout for the number of years chosen for the period certain.
"If the annuitant dies during this period, the payments will continue for the remainder of the period certain," he said. "If the annuitant lives beyond the period certain, then payouts will continue for their lifetime."
"Joint life and survivor" will pay out the annuity over the lifetimes of two people, he said.
"Should you decide to annuitize, your selection of a payout option is final," Green said. "Therefore, you should confirm that these payout amounts are accurately quoted before making any decisions. The more risk the insurance company takes, the lower your payout will be."
If you have considered all payout options and determined that none of them are in line with your financial goals, you may also consider liquidating your annuity to receive a lump sum distribution, Green said.
"It is important to keep in mind, however, that there may be additional tax consequences associated with surrendering your contract," he said. "If the surrender period for your policy has already expired, you can liquidate or 'break' the annuity contract with no penalty."
But the taxation and flexibility of your withdrawal options depend on the classification of your annuity. Specifically, is the annuity qualified or non-qualified?
Green said a qualified annuity may be eligible for a tax deduction when purchased, but would be subject to income tax upon distribution. A non-qualified annuity is funded with after-tax dollars, and when withdrawals are taken, only the earnings are taxable.
In short, you have options -- but it can be easy to choose the wrong one.
And, Green said, it is extremely important to know what you are getting into before signing on the dotted line.
"When making an irreversible decision, such as the type of annuity payout to receive, be sure to explore any potential unintended consequences," he said. "For example, it is possible that you could unknowingly lose the death benefit of your policy if the wrong choice is made."
He said you should think about working with a qualified professional before making your final decision.
"The best option is the one that's right for you -- not the insurance company," Green said.
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[WM]Mr. Susumu Miyoshi has been serving as Independent Director in Kaga Electronics Co., Ltd. since June 2015. He is also working for Hitachi Maxell Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation. He used to work for OSAKA TOYOTA Co., Ltd. and OSAKA TOYOPET CORPORATION.
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[WM]A British-born sailor presumed lost at sea was not wearing a safety tether when he was knocked overboard during a yacht race, it has been revealed.
John Fisher, who lived in Adelaide, Australia, plunged into the Southern Ocean, around 1,400 miles west of Cape Horn, during the Volvo Ocean Race on Monday.
Officials of the round-the-world race say the team searched for several hours in high wind and big waves, although deteriorating conditions forced the crew to resume course toward South America.
Fellow crew from Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag said Mr Fisher had unclipped his tether to tidy up a sheet when the boat was caught in an accidental crash gybe - where the mainsail and its supporting boom swing across to the opposite side of the vessel.
According to a timeline of events released by the team, Mr Fisher was hit by the mainsheet system and knocked overboard. The crew believe he was already unconscious from the blow before hitting the water.
The 47-year-old, who was an experienced big boat sailor and was sailing in his first Volvo Ocean Race, was wearing a survival suit with a wetsuit hood and gloves and a lifejacket at the time.
Team manager Tim Newton described it as "the worst situation you can imagine happening to your team".
He added: "We are absolutely heart-broken for John's family and friends. I know for David (Witt, the boat's skipper), he has lost his best friend. It's devastating."
Following the incident, it took some time to get the boat under control and sail back to a position near where Mr Fisher had been thrown overboard.
A search and rescue operation was carried out for several hours, but there was no sign of the sailor, and the decision was made to abandon the search as weather conditions deteriorated.
The crew are now making their way back to shore.
"This situation isn't over yet for our team," said Mr Newton. "The conditions are extremely challenging, with strong winds and a forecast for a building sea state over the next couple of days.
"Our sole focus, with the assistance of Race Control in Alicante is to get the team into port safely.
"Once we have achieved that, we have time to de-brief more fully and ensure that any lessons that can be learned from what happened to John are incorporated by the rest of the fleet going forward.
"That would be a tremendous legacy for John, who spent so much of his time passing the learnings from his lifetime of experience at sea onto the younger sailors on our team."
Earlier in the race, Scallywag crewman Alex Gough was swept overboard during a sail change and was rescued within seven minutes.
Mr Gough was not wearing a safety harness or life jacket, and skipper David Witt said at the time that he was lucky to be alive.
In May 2006, Dutch sailor Hans Horrevoets was swept overboard in the Atlantic Ocean. The crew turned back and found Mr Horrevoets but could not revive him.
This edition of the race had already been tarnished by a collision involving Vestas 11th Hour Racing and a fishing boat that killed a fisherman in January.
The collision off Hong Kong sank the fishing boat and caused severe damage to the racing yacht, forcing it to miss the next two legs.
The entire race covers some 45,000 nautical miles.
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[WM]The gloves are off in the fight over the shape of Britain’s exit from the European Union.
A showdown in Salzburg in Austria punctured the unreal bubble of collusion that had endured since the Brexit referendum in 2016.
The messy break-up of the European summit on Thursday revealed both sides are entering the next phase as punch-drunk protagonists swinging wildly, with no clear idea of the end point.
To the dismay of those who cherish international systems and institutions, it is now clear that Brexit won’t settle the argument over Europe’s future. Instead it now threatens to set up the long-range break up of the continent.
The Brexit argument that the overarching politics of Europe is self-interested and unbending is now unanswerable.
Politicians steadily losing their grasp on their own politics on Thursday rallied for the cheap thrill of knocking down the vulnerable British leader.
Emmanuel Macron, who has alienated more French people than he has won over, lead the sneer-fest, kicking at “the liars” responsible for Brexit.
Riding shotgun was Angela Merkel, the veteran German leader who now barely clings to the chancellor’s office. Enfeebled, she spent last week failing to sack a German domestic intelligence supremo who consorted with the far-right and rubbished her version of a race-hate protest.
In the end the spymaster was promoted, not ousted.
Virtually every one of the heads of government gathered in Austria could be found wanting in this fashion.
Yet these men and women are the custodians of Europe. At the table, which was visually reminiscent of a villain's lair in a James Bond movie, the group decided to rough house Theresa May’s carefully modest proposal for a Brexit that was not horrendously disruptive.
The summit resembled nothing so much as a giant act of collective displacement to camouflage the real issue. This is a European culture war that is centred on immigration.
There is broadly a split between the most developed countries and those with less dynamic economies.
Appropriately for the Salzburg setting, the dividing line is currently centred on the Tyrolean countries (Germany, Austria and Italy) but shifting ever further north and west.
Unfortunately for Mrs May, the moment of clarity over the Brexit negotiations heightens her domestic difficulties. As her motorcade travelled to Downing Street on Friday, the British prime minister was frantically pulling together her response.
On Friday, newspaper front pages screamed “humiliation". It felt like she was an ambush victim. A day later, the headline writers were defiantly behind Mrs May.
For what choice did she have but to stand firm? While the split screen showed the pound falling on the foreign exchanges, she made two clear statements of resolve. She would not offer concessions on the Irish border as the price of Brexit and she demanded serious consideration of a trade partnership that would not congeal the western European economy.
Yet the grenade-throwers who scorn a negotiated Brexit, both in Europe and in Britain, are freshly emboldened.
There is much pointless talk, including by some of the European leaders indulging in idle speculation, about a second referendum to keep Britain in Europe on the current terms.
The cavalier and dogmatic approach that Europeans have shown towards the British has alienated swathes of moderate opinion. As a result of not being listened to by the other side, the Brexit world view has a growing credibility.
The history of Europe is one of coming together because the collective group gave shelter from geopolitical ravages. A vision of close and neighbourly partnership is a tricky proposition when an acrimonious divorce is on the table.
The British must now bear the consequences of having thrown down their defences and almost all strategic advantages in the Brexit process.
The one certainty – that Britain would leave the EU at the end of March – must now be in doubt. Shifts will be quick and transformational. Lurking in the wings is the Marxist Labour Party.
It is possible that Mrs May will be unseated by a Conservative revolt when her party meets for its annual conference next week. Alternatively, she can capitulate and accept a new strategy.
It is possible that the complete breakdown of the talks will happen next month. It might not be possible for the two sides to even agree a temporary deal to keep ports open when Britain leaves.
If there is a divorce, agreeing the trade deal – which is supposed to kick in during 2020 – might never happen. Europe might just have said "auf weidersehen" to Britain.
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[WM]This stunning hand-crafted home is situated in a secluded location perched above San Miguel. With soaring double-height living room with Rumsford fireplace, open chef's kitchen, and walls of windows, this home is perfect for entertaining on a grand scale. Outside is a tranquil common space including an antique chapel, swimming area, and lawn. The home has two large bedrooms with Moroccan baths and a spacious downstairs media/game room, which could also function as a bedroom, as there is an attached bath. Outside is a private barbeque area with wood-burning Morocan grill. The views from the rooftop terrace are phenomenal, showcasing the architectural beauty of San Miguel, the valley and the surrounding mountains.
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[WM]EXCLUSIVE: Fox Searchlight, which distributed the Natalie Portman-starrer Black Swan, is courting Portman to come back into the fold and play the title character in Jackie, the Noah Oppenheim-scripted drama about Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy.
This project has an interesting past. Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz, then a couple, planned to do it together. Aronofsky, who helmed Black Swan, dropped out when he and Weisz split and she has since fallen out as well. Portman likes the script but her participation will depend on who the director is. If Aronofsky came back, that would be easy, but nothing in Hollywood works out that way, does it? There had been a report that Steven Spielberg was intrigued back in 2010, so it’s not inconceivable that Fox Searchlight will find a director who pleases Portman. I think she is an inspired choice for the role.
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[WM]This is the first of two major announcements I am making this week.
Now that the dust has settled from last month’s Many Gods West conference for polytheists, I have divined and listened and decided that YES, Many Gods West 2016 WILL HAPPEN. Both Rhyd Wildermuth and PSVL have decided for various reasons to sit this next one out. I shall be carrying the torch onward. I have assembled a crack team of co-conspirators – more people, more hands, which hopefully means more time for me to participate next year!
MGW will happen in Olympia again. The opening and closing rituals will be facilitated by Rynn Fox of the Coru Cathubodua. Aaaaaaand that’s all we know at this time. You can follow MGW’s Facebook page for updates as they occur. There will be a new website forthcoming as well. Stay tuned! And if you have any desire to prepare a proposal, please do! We’ll be putting the call out for those sometime this fall.
The enthusiasm, support, and love for this conference – from the gods and from humans – exceeded any expectations I had. I am hoping that MGW 2016 will be even better.
To read about this year’s conference, click here for a list of presentations available online, as well as reviews.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s second announcement!
Maybe I won’t have to be out of country for this one! looking forward to it. Don’t know how much I could help you being on the other side of the state though.
I doubt I’ll be able to make it next year, either (I’ll hopefully be right in the middle of graduate work then), but this makes me feel better for more MGWs in the future that I WILL be able to attend!
If there’s anything I can do over the Internets to help, let me know! If it’s in my abilities, I will!
Yay! Can’t wait. 🙂 THANK YOU!
Congratulations! I’m glad to hear this will continue. If you’ll have a Wiccan among you, I may be able to make that one (you’re not that far south of me there in Olympia).
Wiccans can be polytheists too! Jason Mankey deftly proved this at last year’s MGW. You would be more than welcome.
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[WM]A Canton-based food pantry that feeds hundreds of families across western Wayne County is getting a boost as it heads toward the Thanksgiving holiday.
Open Door Ministry, which feeds about 430 struggling families every week, has been chosen for a food drive by Bayloff Stamped Products, a Belleville-based auto parts stamping plant, and Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Westland.
Adrienne Erwine, Bayloff administrative assistant, said it's important for those who have jobs and food to help those who don't.
"We recognize that we are very blessed," Erwine said. "We have jobs. We don't have to worry about providing for our families. We also have the capability to give back to our community."
Open Door helps families from communities such as Canton, Westland, Plymouth, Wayne, Livonia, Redford, Garden City, Belleville and others as far west as Ypsilanti and as far east as Inkster.
The latest food drive occurs 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Texas Roadhouse on Ford Road, east of Newburgh, in Westland. Erwine said items such as cereal, canned goods and "anything that has a long shelf life" may be dropped off at the restaurant. Donors who give five or more items will be entered into a drawing for two main floor, general admission tickets to country singer Kip Moore's concert Dec. 8 at The Fillmore in Detroit. Everyone who donates will get a $5 coupon for Texas Roadhouse.
Steve Darr, Open Door Ministry director, said the organization depends on the help of the community. He said businesses, scouting organizations, school groups and many others pitch in.
"It just blesses my heart to see all all these organizations come out to help us or donate money," he said. "We do depend very much on all the donations we get."
Open Door has distributed about 900,000 pounds of food so far this year, compared to 1.1 million pounds for all of last year. It gets much of its food from Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners Community Food Bank, but it also relies on help from local groups.
Open Door is in its 14th year. During that time, it has touched the lives of 6.500 families and more than 20,000 people within its service area.
"That's huge," Darr said. "That many people at one time or another have had a need for food assistance."
For more on Open Door, go to http://www.opendoorfoodministry.org/.
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[WM]A new Coast Guard cutter commissioned Friday honors a petty officer who was killed in a confrontation with suspected smugglers.
LOS ANGELES — A new Coast Guard cutter commissioned Friday honors a petty officer who was killed in a confrontation with suspected smugglers off the Ventura County coast.
Horne was killed in December 2012 as crew members from the Marina del Rey-based cutter Halibut were maneuvering an inflatable boat near Santa Cruz Island to intercept a panga, a type of boat favored by smugglers trying to bring contraband and people north from Mexico.
The cutters, part of efforts to modernize the Coast Guard fleet, have advanced systems and can reach speeds of 28 knots. Each ship has a crew of 24, a range of 2,500 miles and is capable of patrols lasting up to five days.
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[WM]This article was published 15/2/2011 (2991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
City paramedics want locations that have been treated for bedbug infestations publicly disclosed in the same way the city publicizes restaurant health violations and city police reveal the location of indoor marijuana grow operations.
On Tuesday, Chris Broughton, president of Manitoba Government and General Employees Union Local 911, which represents Winnipeg paramedics, the bedbug scourge is a growing health risk to emergency personnel and the general public.
"You don't want to create hysteria, but there has to be a balanced public response," Broughton said. "It's also a dicey subject, especially when you start getting into personal health information."
But the risk of people unknowingly spreading the bedbugs outweighs privacy concerns, he added.
"What we need is for people to disclose it to us," he said.
He said the city currently publicizes restaurants that have been forced to close temporarily because of insanitary conditions on a City of Winnipeg web page as a public service.
In the same vein, Winnipeg police use a website to disclose locations where indoor marijuana grow operations have been uncovered. Police say conditions in the house caused by the grow-ops, such as mould spores, could be injurious or dangerous to public health.
The same could be done with buildings that have been treated for bedbugs, Broughton said, so people are more aware of their surroundings.
Plus, it would also give emergency workers a better idea of precautions they need to take, he said.
"We think government needs to take a stronger approach on these issues," Broughton said. "The bedbugs are exploding in our city. No one wants to take their work home with them."
Health officials are currently putting together a province-wide response plan to deal with the bedbug invasion, Premier Greg Selinger said Monday. It will include a public awareness campaign and new ways to kill the pests.
Broughton added there has only been a handful of instances where paramedics have spotted bedbugs on their equipment after treating a patient. That equipment and clothing had to be decontaminated before being used again.
Alex Forrest, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, said several firefighters have also been bitten by bedbugs during the course of their work.
"It's become another hazard of the job that we're being exposed," Forrest said. "All you can do is educate people to minimize the risk, because it really doesn't matter where you go, a movie theatre or restaurant or hotel, you can be exposed. All it takes is one person to bring in a couple of bedbugs and increase the risk."
City police have also said they're also worried about unwittingly picking up bedbugs on calls. A handful of WPS lockers and cruiser cars have been fumigated after single bedbugs were spotted.
"It just boils down to what we're facing in any emergency service... you're going into a variety of different environments," Winnipeg Police Association president Mike Sutherland said in an earlier interview. "These insects are relatively pernicious, and hey, they do like to travel and they spread easily."
Should locations that have been treated for bedbug infestations be publicly disclosed?
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[WM]Pic Stitch offers and easy way to create attractive layouts for groups of photos.
13 Jun 2018, 10:37 p.m.
To get started in Pic Stich, you choose from among a vast array of layout options, grouped by how many photo slots they contain.
Alternatively, you can build your own customized photo collage layout.
By default, the app creates a square image, but you can choose from several other popular aspect ratios.
Your collage background can be one of any number of textures, including wood, animal skins, and patterns.
Rounded corners add elegance to your photo collage.
You can share to Facebook, Tumblr, and Flickr, or just to your camera roll, but there's no direct printing support from the app.
I created this lovely collage of some of PCMag's software team in Pic Stitch.
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[WM]The rampage, which started on a rural highway, did not fit the general pattern of previous mass shootings in the nation's endless series of such tragedies.
At least two heavily armed attackers opened fire on a holiday banquet at a social services center for the disabled Wednesday (Dec. 2), killing 14 people and seriously wounding more than a dozen others in a precision assault that looked "as if they were on a mission," authorities said.
"That's my boy right there," Flanagan wrote. "He got NEARLY double the amount that Eric Harris and [Dylann] Klebold got . . . just sayin."
Researchers think violence is no different. Although it's a somewhat recent area of focus - the Institute of Medicine held a workshop on the subject in 2012 - the evidence for contagion of criminal or dangerous behavior has lurked in academic research for decades.
Studies have shown that the aircraft hijackings of the 1970s were contagious. Product tampering - also contagious. So is highway speeding, rioting and even military coups. Contagion is especially pronounced in suicides.
In many of these events, the primary vector - what transmitted the behavior - was some form of mass media. Coverage of hijackings bred more hijackings. Coverage of suicides, particularly of famous people, had the same effect. In the month after Marilyn Monroe overdosed on barbiturates, suicides increased 12 percent nationally.
Mary Ellen O'Toole, a former senior FBI profiler who has worked on mass shootings, said, "It's only infective if they are entertaining a similar ideation."
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[WM]A new study by researchers at The Kinsey Institute and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that the timeless, multicultural tradition of grandmothering might have an unexpected benefit: helping some women temper their hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.
The researchers, two clinicians and a bioanthropologist, examined how close relationships can help women in midlife with this inevitable change - with the clinicians looking for therapeutic benefits that might help patients deal with this unpredictable, poorly understood transition, and the bioanthropologist predicting an evolutionary connection. Their study, which focused on the relationship between mid-life women and young children, found that women who underwent rapid menopause, caused by the surgical removal of ovaries, had fewer hot flashes and night sweats when young children lived in their homes.
The study was published in Menopause: the Journal of the North American Menopause Society. Study authors are Tierney Lorenz, postdoctoral fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University Bloomington, Bonnie A McGregor, researcher at University of Washington's Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Virginia J. Vitzthum, professor of anthropology and senior research scientist at The Kinsey Institute.
The study involved 117 participants in the study; 69 women were menopausal or postmenopausal at the time of their surgery, with 29 of them having at least one child at home, and 48 women were premenopausal, with 28 of them having at least one child at home. Researchers measured hot flashes and night sweats just before the surgery and then again at two months, six months and 12 months post-surgery.
"These are intriguing findings," Lorenz said. "For women who were menopausal when our study began, those with young children at home actually showed more symptoms of hot flashes. But the women who underwent rapid menopause because of the surgical removal of their ovaries showed a dramatic reduction of symptoms."
The process of menopause, when ovaries no longer produce eggs and menstruation stops, varies widely. Some women have almost no bothersome symptoms, while some women experience almost crippling symptoms. Lorenz said a small subset of women experience very severe effects longer than would be expected.
The numerous studies on menopause have generated little consensus, Lorenz said, leaving women with a wide range of questionable treatments, such as supplements, hormonal treatments and even hot yoga. This new study is one of the first involving social interaction and menopause symptoms to control for the age of the women and also for the type of relationship - only relationships with young children were considered.
The study got its start with Vitzthum's interest in the evolutionary role of social structures - grandmothering in this case. The institution of grandmothering can be seen across cultures, but is it really necessary for the survival of the species? Is there an immediate benefit to the women? Is it a coincidence that women often undergo the physiological change of menopause at an age when they might have young grandchildren on hand?
Lorenz cautioned that the findings of their study cannot be generalized to all women, particularly since menopause affects women so differently. But they point to a need to examine the hormone oxytocin more carefully because of its possible role in the results. Oxytocin is associated with nurturing care and a wide range of effects across the body, including interactions involved in regulating body temperature. It also can affect mood and sleeping patterns, which can be disturbed during menopause. She also thinks it is significant that the benefits only involved young children.
"The fact the effects observed were limited to only women with children younger than 13 years suggests that parity was not sufficient to produce changes in flashes and points instead to the increased nurturance needs of young children," the authors wrote in the journal article. "Presence of young children at home may moderate development of hot flashes during the menopausal transition."
The research was supported by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Indiana University. "Having young children in the house may lessen menopausal symptoms." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 29 Oct. 2014. Web.
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[WM]Lane was charged with one count each of manufacture, delivery or possession, conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility, all felonies. She was also incarcerated, in lieu of $10,000 monetary bail.
Preliminary hearings for both are scheduled for May 7.
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[WM](Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) gets frustrated as he talks with teammates during third quarter of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) yells at photographers for taking his picture as he walks off of the field after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes walk off of the field after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Troy Williams (3) walks on the sidelines during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes sing 'Utah Man' after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) and his teammates gather before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) and his teammates gather before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) and his teammates huddle before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) warms up before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) warms up before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Troy Williams (3) warms up before the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Chase Lucas (24) intercepts the ball intended for Utah Utes wide receiver Darren Carrington II (9) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Chase Lucas (24) intercepts the ball intended for Utah Utes wide receiver Darren Carrington II (9) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) throws the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Chad Adams (21) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver N'Keal Harry (1) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back Marquise Blair (13) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils place kicker Brandon Ruiz (1) kicks a field goal during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) falls to the ground during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes tight end Harrison Handley (88) runs the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) remains on the ground after being tackled during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman JoJo Wicker (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) runs the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) runs the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) looks to pass the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) runs past Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Christian Sam (2) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) A fan dances with Swoop during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils running back Demario Richard (4) runs past Utah Utes defensive end Bradlee Anae (6) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) hands off to Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) An Arizona State fan cheers after a touchdown during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) hands off to Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) gets frustrated as he talks with teammates during third quarter of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) gets frustrated as he talks with teammates during third quarter of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham walks off of the field after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham walks off of the field after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) watches during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) throws the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils tight end Jay Jay Wilson (9) scores a touchdown after intercepting the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Troy Williams (3) watches during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes defensive back Corrion Ballard (15) targets Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Kyle Williams (10) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Ryan Newsome (17) celebrates after converting a first down during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Christian Sam (2) and Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman JoJo Wicker (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes wide receiver Tyquez Hampton (5) scores a touchdown past Utah Utes linebacker Cody Barton (30) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Tashon Smallwood (90) and other Arizona State Sun Devils during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Arizona State Sun Devils tight end Jay Jay Wilson (9) celebrates with Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back J'Marcus Rhodes (17) after scoring a touchdown after intercepting the ball during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) walks off of the field after throwing an interception during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes defensive back Corrion Ballard (15) targets Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Kyle Williams (10) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Troy Williams (3) talks with Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10. (Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Troy Williams (3) talks with Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) during the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, October 21, 2017. Arizona State Sun Devils defeated Utah Utes 30-10.
A roar went up from every corner of Rice-Eccles Stadium when Tyler Huntley took the field with the Utes offense for the first time in almost a month. The noise wasn’t just palpable, it was audible.
Then reality sunk in as Huntley’s return failed to produce a revival for the Utes’ offense. Huntley struggled so mightily that it begs the question: Did Huntley’s return do more to hurt than to help?
Huntley, the sophomore quarterback, wowed with his playmaking ability with both his legs and his arm in the first three games of the season. The first-year starter suffered a shoulder injury against Arizona in the Pac-12 opener, and he’d been sidelined since.
In light of back-to-back losses, albeit by a total of four points, there seemed to be a sentiment among Utes fans that Huntley’s return would provide a necessary jolt. Some might even have argued that his presence might have changed the outcome of the previous losses.
Huntley, facing a defense which had two interceptions in six games, completed 19 of 35 passes for 155 yards with four interceptions. His fourth interception, which came with the Utes down 23-3 in the fourth quarter, got returned 20 yards for a touchdown.
Passing: 23 of 32, 227 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int.
Passing: 30 of 43, 341 yards, 4 TDS, 1 Int.
Passing: 19 of 35, 155 yards, 4 Ints.
The Utes’ 10 points were their fewest since scoring nine in a loss to UCLA in 2015. They managed 265 yards of total offense, and their longest play of the day was 17 yards.
Huntley showed no obvious signs of his injury hampering him. His throwing arm did hang limply at his side for a moment immediately after getting hit on his arm in mid-throwing motion late in the first half. The next play he tossed an off-target throw up the sideline for his second interception of the first half.
Huntley didn’t want to use his shoulder or his lack of practice time in recent weeks as excuses, and he repeatedly came back to the offensive mistakes as the reason for the poor showing.
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[WM]She already set the record once. Now she's going to do it again.
Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman set the record for the oldest woman to play in a WNBA game when she was 39 years old in 1997.
Tonight, she will smash that mark against the host Comets when she takes the floor at Reliant Center at 50 years old.
She told the Associated Press that she expects to play only in Houston.
The Detroit Shock signed Lieberman to a seven-day contract.
The deal comes a day after the Shock announced that Cheryl Ford tore her ACL in Tuesday night’s game. Ten players and Detroit assistant Rick Mahorn were suspended on Thursday for their roles in a fight that aggravated Ford's injury..
Nancy Lieberman (shown coaching the Detroit Shock in 2000 after Martina Navratilova handled the ceremonial jump ball) said her comeback will last just one game.
The Comets (12-12) will face Detroit (16-9) at 8:30 p.m. at Reliant. The game will be on ESPN2.
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[WM]Stinger.next is the second large effort Hortonworks has spearheaded in order to improve the performance of Hive. The company recently completed its goals for the initial Stinger project, on which it began work in 2012 and which the company claims improved the performance of Hive by 100 times while also improving its functionality.
The company explains the details of how it, along with the Hadoop community, plans to pull this off in a blog post on Wednesday. It also gives a rough timeline of when the three-phase plan will be complete: ACID transactions by the end of this year; sub-second queries and Spark integration in the first half of next year; and full SQL queries along with geographically distributed queries by the end of 2015. There are a few other deliverables tied to each of those timeframes, as well.
A successful Stinger.next initiative could be a major annoyance, to say the least, for the slew of companies that have already committed untold man-hours and financial resources building out their own SQL-on-Hadoop engines based on the premise that Hive — even running on Spark — would never be fast enough. Commercially available products include Cloudera Impala, IBM Big SQL, Pivotal Greenplum and startup Splice Machine’s eponymous database technology. Open source projects and others still under development include the Facebook-built Presto, the Salesforce.com-built Apache Phoenix and the MapR-led Apache Drill.
The Apache Spark community is also working on its own interactive SQL engines called Spark SQL and BlinkDB.
That might continue to be true, and it might be true that every technology mentioned will continue to be better than a new-and-improved Hive in one way or another. But it’s also true that a more-capable Hive is going to look very appealing to a lot of users that have been using Hive for years and don’t want to incorporate an entirely new technology (although Stinger.next does involve some major architectural changes), or that prefer their Hadoop components to be as open as possible.
I’m not sure running SQL jobs on Hadoop is the ultimate use case for what many claim will be a revolutionary data platform, but given the size of the database market, it’s potentially a lucrative one and it’s helping highlight some big differences between each vendor’s approach to selling Hadoop.
I would recommend updating your piece to reflect that Impala is (and has been) an open source project, freely available on github . The fact that MapR and Amazon have both adopted it and provide support for it should also be noted, to that effect. The only thing Cloudera ‘charges’ for Impala is for support.
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[WM]The backlash against the comedian Louis C.K. was swift after the Times reported on Thursday that several women described encounters with him that crossed the line into sexual misconduct. On Thursday evening, HBO said Louis C.K. would no longer be part of a comedy benefit that it plans to broadcast on Nov. 18.
FX, the cable channel that broadcasts “Louie,” the comedian’s Emmy-winning series, as well as other series involving him, said Thursday that it was “very troubled” by the report and was reviewing the matter. But the network added that it had “received no allegations of misconduct by Louis C.K.” on any of the five shows he and FX had collaborated on in the past eight years. Those shows include “Better Things,” which he and Pamela Adlon created, and “Baskets,” which he created with Zach Galifianakis and Jonathan Krisel.
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[WM]Lifeguards and police were using personal watercraft and aerial surveillance Sunday to continue their search for a large shark that attacked a 13-year-old boy near Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas on Saturday morning, leaving him with traumatic upper-body injuries.
There have been no reports of a shark in the area since the attack occurred, but Encinitas lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles said people are not yet being allowed to go back into the water.
“We imagine it could be a great white shark, but we don’t know for sure,” Giles said during a Sunday morning news conference.
The injured boy was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Rady Children’s Hospital on Saturday. Giles had no further information on the teenager, who was diving for lobsters on the opening the day of the season with his mother nearby on the beach when he was attacked.
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[WM]The publish date for Glenn Beck’s new novel, “The Overton Window,” is fast approaching (June 15th) but right now on Amazon the cover image is still that great red-and-white placeholder (someone should publish a book with that cover, and call it T.B.A. or some such thing). The cover is in limbo, it seems, because Beck is letting his fans vote for their choice from the four below options.
In keeping with Beck’s persona, these covers don’t communicate much subtlety (and have been skewered by the expected skewerers). But when you’re done pshaw-ing, we recommend submitting your own cover ideas to Huffington Post’s book section, where they’re running an inspired parallel contest. We can’t wait for the results; if Beck’s publisher were interested in some real crowdsourcing, they’d give us masses a chance to vote for one of those.
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[WM]Analysis: OpenMFG helps fill the void of open-source ERP applications for small and midsized businesses.
For the largest enterprises, access to the source code of their enterprise resource planning applications is a given. The critical nature of ERP, the desire for customization and—particularly in todays regulated environment—the need for transparency of financial systems require it.
ERP applications for small and midsize businesses dont typically offer access to source code, but thats a problem open-source applications can solve.
Dozens of open-source ERP applications are available, including derived works from common open-source projects. Better-known open-source ERP applications include Compieres Compiere, the Open For Business Projects OFBiz and ERP5 Foundations ERP5.
/zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read a review of ERP application OpenMFG 1.3.
Compiere licenses its application under Netscapes Mozilla open-source license, MPL (Mozilla Public License); the Open For Business Project licenses OFBiz under the MIT Public License; and ERP5 Foundation licenses its application under the GNU GPL (General Public License).
The "open" in OpenMFGs OpenMFG refers more to open access to source code and to the fact that the product is built on open-source applications than it does to OpenMFGs being an open-source application itself.
The OpenMFG license protects the companys intellectual property while giving customers the option of viewing and modifying source code and making source code contributions.
OpenMFG officials said a reseller, for example, has contributed an improvement to the applications bill-of-materials planning feature that the reseller developed for a customer.
By soliciting contributions while retaining control of the source code, OpenMFG can provide two important benefits for customers.
First, the company adds functionality without the added third-party costs associated with more traditional commercial ERP add-on products. Second, it can ensure quality of code while providing a single source of support.
Given that modules are the bread and butter of ERP applications—with basic accounting spreading out to encompass supply chain, manufacturing, human resources and project management—contributions to open-source ERP applications make them more competitive with commercial offerings that generally have a broader set of modules already available.
Open-source applications have had success in building out functionality through module contributions and derivative work. For example, both Compiere and OFBiz have spawned derivative and complementary projects for adding other ERP functionality, such as fixed asset, HR, manufacturing and point-of-sale management.
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[WM]Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, musician Bob Dylan and astronaut John Glenn were among a select group of 13 Americans named by President Obama Thursday as the latest recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The medals, which the president will present to recipients at a White House ceremony, recognize individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions” to the security or national interests of the Unites States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant endeavors, according to the White House’s Thursday announcement.
Other than Ms. Albright, Mr. Dylan and Mr. Glenn, Mr. Obama also named Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, former Israeli President Shimon Peres, Novelist Toni Morrison, former University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball coach Pat Summit, worker’s rights leader Dolores Huerta and civil rights leader John Doar.
The president also chose William Foege, the physician who led the campaign to eradicate smallpox, Gordon Hirabayashi, who openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, Jan Karski, who served as an office in the Polish Underground during World War II and was one of the first eye-witnesses of the Holocaust, as well as Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the Girl Scouts in 1912.
The White House said it was recognizing Ms. Albright, who served as secretary of state under President Clinton from 1997 to 2001 and was first woman to hold the position, for her work enlarging the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and helping lead the alliance’s campaign against terror and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. Mr. Dylan, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, was is known for his “rich and poetic lyrics” and his work had “considerable influence on the civil rights movements of the 1960s and has had significant impact on American culture over the past five decades,” the White House said.
Mr. Glenn’s selection was just a matter of time. The former senator and astronaut was the third American in space and the first American to orbit the earth and was the oldest person to visit space at the age of 77.
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[WM]TROY ‑ Police investigating the October shooting of a city man seized firearms and ammunition during a raid at a home near the murder scene, authorities said.
Police late Monday raided the first floor apartment at 448 1st St. and seized a loaded pistol grip shotgun and a Romanian SKS assault rifle, along with over 300 rounds of ammo, police spokesman Sgt. Terry Buchanan said.
Buchanan said the raid was connected to information police got during their investigation of the Oct. 13 fatal shooting of 29-year-old Jimmy Chapman.
Chapman was found shot once in the head and lying on a sidewalk at Harrison and Second streets at around 8 p.m.. He died the next day at Albany Medical Center Hospital. No arrests have been made. Police do not believe the weapons seized in the raid are connected to the murder.
''We are hoping that information we get from this arrest will lead to more information about the murder,'' Buchanan said.
Police arrested the resident of the apartment, Tyrone T. Howard, 30. They are not calling him a suspect in the homicide.
Howard was charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was arraigned Tuesday morning in city court and sent to the Rensselaer County Jail pending a hearing.
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[WM]The opening day of the UIL baseball championships ended with Georgetown Gateway Prep falling to Wall 5-1 in a Class 3A semifinal. Wall sophomore right-hander Ryan Gully struck out 15 in a match-up that featured two teams making their debuts at the state tournament.
Class A final (Dell Diamond), 9 a.m.
Class 6A final (Dell Diamond), 4 p.m.
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[WM]University Health Network and Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network are creating a value-based health alliance that will ultimately provide statewide coverage.
A new partnership between doctors and facilities affiliated with University of Tennessee Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center aims to improve the quality of health care and reduce costs across the state.
University Health Network and Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network announced Wednesday that they are joining to create a value-based health alliance that will ultimately provide statewide coverage.
It will include both teaching hospitals, as well as 87 practices and more than 1,000 providers in University Health Network, plus the 13 health systems, 67 hospitals, more than 350 practices and more than 5,000 providers in the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network. Health systems in the network span the state, from West Tennessee Healthcare to Mountain States Health Alliance in the Tri-Cities.
That also means UT Medical Center and University Health providers will be in-network for people covered by insurance plans accepted by Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network.
But its primary benefit, officials from both said, is that it sets up even more providers to collaborate with a goal of helping patients — especially those with chronic health issues — achieve better long-term health at a lesser cost.
The network will be a “value-based” model of delivering health care, meaning that what hospitals, doctors and other providers get paid is based on the health outcomes of their patients.
Broadening that network means more collaboration among providers — leading, hopefully, to less duplication of costly tests and other services, since providers will be working together; better success managing chronic illnesses before they require more costly treatment or intervention; and more efficiently directing patients to primary care or preventive care, rather than having them end up in expensive emergency departments or hospital rooms in a crisis.
Stevens said the network is already seeing a decrease in cost and expects to see less use of the ER and fewer re-admissions to hospitals among patients in the network. She expects an increase in patients’ investment in their own health care — already a trend — as well.
“I think they’re going to feel more like participants on the journey, rather than the classically paternalistic approach to health care,” she said.
While decreasing costs is a goal of the network, it’s not the primary goal, said University Health Systems President and CEO Joe Landsman, who said the network should result in cost savings and better care for all patients — those covered by commercial insurance, individual policies, TennCare/Medicaid and Medicare, as well as uninsured or self-paying patients.
“What we are trying to do is transform our delivery system, to create a better value option for those who choose to use our services,” Landsman said.
Combining clinically integrated systems has grown in popularity in recent years, but it’s commonly limited to a single metropolitan area or a single health care system, said Dr. C. Wright Pinson, deputy CEO and chief health system officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center and chairman of the board for Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network. What’s most unusual about this partnership is that it combines two different companies and seeks to cover the entire state, he said. That may mean using telehealth services to cover some rural areas, he said.
Landsman and Pinson said serious discussions between the two organizations began about a year and a half ago. For now, the collaboration won’t result in new base contracts; providers will keep their current contracts, with the value-based payment layered on top of that.
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[WM]Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage are to go head-to-head on BBC television in a debate on Britain's future in Europe.
The hour-long debate will be shown on BBC2 from 7pm on Wednesday, 2 April, and will be hosted by David Dimbleby.
Mr Clegg's Liberal Democrats are the most pro-EU of the main parties at Westminster, while Mr Farage's UKIP advocates withdrawing from the EU.
They have been involved in a growing spat over the issue, ahead of May's European elections.
Last month, Mr Farage accepted Mr Clegg's invitation to a televised "open debate" on whether the UK should stay in the EU.
The BBC said the televised debate would take place in front of an audience "selected by a reputable polling organisation to be demographically representative and with an equal number of people for and against British membership of the EU". Questions will come from the audience members.
James Harding, Director of BBC News and Current Affairs, said: "We are delighted to have negotiated successfully to broadcast this important debate. Europe is always a highly charged issue in British politics and this is a fantastic opportunity to test the arguments."
Mr Clegg last month challenged the UKIP leader to a debate on his weekly phone-in programme on LBC radio, which will also host a clash between the two party leaders.
He said: "I will challenge Nigel Farage to a public, open debate about whether we should be in or out of the EU, because that is now the choice facing this country and he is the leader of the party of 'out'; I am the leader of the party of 'in'.
"I think it's time we now have a proper, public debate so that the public can listen to the two sides of the argument and judge from themselves."
In response, Mr Farage said he wanted the Conservative and Labour leaders to join in a four-man debate, which he suggested should take place during the European election campaign in April or May.
But he said he would take on the Lib Dem leader in a head-to-head debate even if the other party leaders declined.
Downing Street said David Cameron will not be taking part in the debate with Mr Farage and Mr Clegg.
A spokesman said the prime minister would be setting out his views on Europe during the European election campaign and did not want to start "another process", adding the Lib Dems were "a bit needy of publicity".
The Labour Party said the party's priority was to reach agreement on TV debates between the two prospective prime ministers ahead of the next election.
"Anything else will be a matter for negotiation after that is agreed," he added.
Leaders debates have long been a feature of election campaigns in the United States, but took place for the first time in Britain at the 2010 general election.
But there is some doubt over whether the exercise will be repeated in 2015, amid behind-the-scenes wrangling over the likely format and timing of the programmes and battles about who should be allowed to take part.
The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said the debate between Mr Clegg and Mr Farage could encourage the party leaders to sign up to general election debates or, alternatively, "provide some room to argue against them".
UKIP is consistently ahead of the Lib Dems in national opinion polls, with Mr Farage claiming his party is in with a chance of topping the polls at the European elections.
The Liberal Democrat party president Tim Farron, by contrast, is warning his party it faces the "fight of their lives" to retain its 12 MEPs.
Mr Clegg, who has known Mr Farage since his days as an MEP, between 1999 and 2004, has opted to launch an all out attack on his Eurosceptic rivals, focusing on their voting record in Brussels and Strasbourg.
In a speech on the EU's role to the Centre for European Reform, Mr Clegg accused Mr Farage and his colleagues of failing to "stand up for Britain" in the European Parliament.
"Nigel Farage and deputy leader Paul Nuttall rarely turn up to vote in the European Parliament, despite being happy to take their taxpayer-funded salaries," he said.
"UKIP MEPs refuse to roll up their sleeves and get down to work. Nigel Farage hasn't tabled a single amendment to EU legislation since July 2009."
Mr Farage hit back at his rival's claims, saying: "Nick Clegg has some cheek raising attendance and voting records. Although Nick Clegg lives in London, between 2010 and 2014 he has voted in Westminster only 22.6% of the time.
"By contrast I live eight hours away from Strasbourg, lead a national party and have voted 55% of the time in the European Parliament."
He also said that the group of MEPs that he leads, the "Europe of Freedom and Democracy", had "put down hundreds of amendments since 2009, so factually Nick Clegg is quite wrong in what he's saying here".
He said he would use the TV debate with Mr Clegg as a "platform for the majority of British people who want our relationship with Europe to be one of trade and co-operation but not one of political union".
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[WM]Randy Johnson could be in pinstripes by this time next week.
Despite a stumbling block yesterday and a few hurdles that still need to be cleared, an industry source said last night the complicated multi-team trade that would put The Big Unit in The Bronx has been agreed to in principle. Soon enough, Johnson, the best left-handed pitcher in baseball, should be headlining the Yankees’ rotation.
The deal is a bit tricky but essentially works like this: Los Angeles will send right-hander Brad Penny, outfielder Shawn Green, reliever Yhency Brazoban and a minor league pitcher to Arizona. Arizona will then send Johnson and another minor league pitcher to the Dodgers. The Yankees will then send righty Javier Vazquez and two minor league prospects (catcher Dioner Navarro and third baseman Eric Duncan) to the Dodgers.
Finally, the Dodgers will ship Johnson and probably left-hander Kaz Ishii to the Yankees to complete the deal. Got all that?
So, if you’re keeping score of who goes where, the Yankees add Johnson and likely Ishii; the Diamondbacks get Penny, Green, Brazoban and a minor league pitcher; and the Dodgers acquire Vazquez, Navarro, Duncan and another minor league pitcher. Additionally, if the Yankees get Ishii, they will pay $2 million of the $5 million remaining on his contract.
There are still a few issues that need resolution. One, there is a lot of deferred money with several players that needs to be ironed out. Two, several of the key players – Johnson and Penny, in particular – have to undergo and pass physicals. And three, multiple no-trade clauses – with Johnson and Green – have to be figured out.
Finally, the deal has to go to commissioner Bud Selig to be approved. Once Selig approves it, likely on Monday, then a 72-hour window will open for the Yankees to talk to Johnson and the Diamondbacks to talk to Green about extensions. Both players have no-trade clauses and have only one year remaining on their contracts.
It will take at least a week to get everything all cleared up. Still, even Penny himself told ESPN Radio yesterday the deal is nearing completion, and he’s on track to have a physical with the Diamondbacks next week.
At one point yesterday, the Yankees believed there could be a fourth team involved in the trade, possibly either Baltimore, St. Louis or the White Sox. But now it’s believed there is no fourth team needed, unless the Dodgers want to move Vazquez in another deal.
Barring something unforeseen, the trade should eventually be completed. Once it is, it will allow the Yankees to go from having a shaky rotation to sporting arguably the best five-man unit in the game – Johnson, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright and Kevin Brown (if he is not traded). They would also likely have Ishii as insurance, a lefty who went 13-8 with a 4.71 ERA this past year.
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[WM]NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices extended their pullback Tuesday, propelling the government debt market to its fourth day of losses in five sessions, after data showed service-sector companies expanded at a faster rate in October.
The Institute for Supply Management said its nonmanufacturing survey of purchasing manufacturers rose to a 55.4% reading last month from 54.4% in September, beating economist expectations of a 54% reading. A result over 50% indicates expansion.
The 10-year note US:10_YEAR yield rose 5.5 basis points on the day to 2.660%, up roughly 15 basis points from last week to its highest level since mid-October. The 30-year bond US:30_YEAR yield rose 5.5 basis points to 3.753%, while the 5-year note US:5_YEAR yield rose 2 basis points to 1.380%.
“When we saw the ISM manufacturing [on Friday] and nonmanufacturing both being stronger than expectations and better than the previous, it really called into question the thesis that the government shutdown shook confidence,” said Tom Graff, fixed-income portfolio manager at Brown Advisory.
Treasurys have given up some gains that followed a Federal Reserve decision not to scale back its bond-buying program in September as the market continues to seek clarity on a time frame for when the central bank will begin to edge out of its $85 billion in monthly purchases. Though many had homed in on expectations of a pullback in the spring of 2014, some market participants have moved forward their expectations for timing and speed after the Federal Reserve’s policy statement last week sounded a less dovish tone than expected.
“I think the expectation was for something overly dovish, and I think it came out in the middle-of-the-road,” said Boris Rjavinski, rates and rate derivatives strategist at UBS.
As investors look for clarity about how the Fed may edge out of its monthly bond buys, it will look to an October nonfarm payrolls report on Friday, which the central bank uses as an assessment of the labor market. The data, however, may be skewed by the federal government shutdown last month.
Home prices rose in September rose at the fastest annual pace since early 2006. According to data released by CoreLogic Tuesday, home prices rose 0.2% in September as the annual pace hit 12%.
Fed speakers in recent days have taken to the podium to give their outlooks on monetary policy. Despite a range of opinions, some central bankers seem to have become less dovish in their appearances, perhaps in an attempt to help guide the markets, according to Rjavinski.
“I think if you try to parse the Fed-speak lately, what you may seen is that they’ve gotten more careful about how they communicate their intentions to the market,” he said.
Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Fed Bank, said Tuesday that economic growth in the second half of the year is shaping up to be “substantially slower than I want to see.” Rosengren, who is a voting member of the policy committee this year, said late Monday that delaying the so-called taper of the Fed’s bond-purchase program would not substantially alter the Fed’s balance sheet.
Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker spoke in the afternoon but didn’t touch on monetary policy. Eastern and San Francisco Fed President John Williams speaks at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Neither are voting members.
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[WM]Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters and 48 apartments are located inside The Barber Building in Brattleboro, which has been sold to a New York real estate firm for $2.4 million.
BRATTLEBORO—New York-based real estate firm Time Equities Inc. (TEI) in April purchased the two buildings that house Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, Sam’s Too, and 48 apartments.
Brad Borofsky said his family’s business, Sam’s, will remain open and operating. The business has signed a long-term lease with TEI, he said.
“We have no plans of leaving any time soon,” Borofsky said in the midst of writing inventory orders for next spring and summer.
“We’ll be here longer if the sales environment can stay healthy enough to sustain us,” he added.
The Barber Building — 62-74 Main Street — and 9 Flat Street mark TEI’s first acquisition in Vermont.
According to the real estate firm’s news release, the majority of the company’s holdings are in the Northeast. The company has properties in 27 states, five Canadian provinces, Germany, the Netherlands, and Anguilla, in the British Virgin Islands.
Selling the two buildings provided a good business opportunity, Borofsky said. Borofsky’s grandfather Sam started the business in 1932.
“We didn’t have to sell the building,” Borofsky said.
According to Borofsky, Sam’s three stores — in Brattleboro, Keene, New Hampshire, and Hadley, Massachusetts — are strong and healthy.
He added, however, that now is a good time to sell. He said Brattleboro “looks good” between the Brattleboro Food Co-op’s new building, wonderful restaurants, the renovated Brooks House, and post-Tropical Storm Irene repairs.
Borofsky highlighted the changes he has witnessed in Brattleboro during his family’s tenure at the corner of Main and Flat streets.
He listed a host of stores that used to call Brattleboro home, such as Mann’s, Woolworth’s, and King’s.
There was a time when Keene residents shopped in Brattleboro, he said.
Most outdoor-focused bricks-and-mortar stores are struggling as more people shop on the internet, he said. For Brattleboro, one of the biggest competitors is Keene, NH.
In Borofsky’s view, Keene is the region’s hub town. It has a variety of stores and amenities and no sales tax, he said. Vermont doesn’t charge sales tax on clothing and footwear, but most people don’t know that, he added.
Borofsky thanked the local residents who shopped at Sam’s. The store also has a steady tourist base — although Mother Nature dictates those tourist sales quite a bit, he said.
According to public documents, after approximately one year on the market, the two buildings were purchased by TEI for $2.4 million. Ranger Curran of RE/MAX Town & Country brokered the deal on behalf of Borofsky.
Borofsky said most of the sale price will go toward paying off debt and toward capital gains taxes.
Together, the two buildings total approximately 64,617 square feet.
According to the news release, the company owns and maintains approximately 22.61 million square feet of residential, industrial, office and retail property. This portfolio includes more than 3,078 multi-family apartment units.
The company has an additional approximately 1.62 million square feet of properties in various stages of development.
Max Pastor, Associate Director of Acquisitions at TEI, noted in the news release that the Sam’s buildings offer an opportunity to “become more active in the state of Vermont and surrounding areas.” The buildings also provide “a strong cash flow” and other opportunities.
“Boasting a diverse population, independent stores and restaurants, educational and healthcare services, cultural institutions and an ideal location near the Connecticut River, we are optimistic about the investment potential of Brattleboro and look forward to evaluating future transactions in Vermont,” Pastor said.
In an email, Pastor said the company has searched for properties in Vermont for some time.
While the buildings’ sale marks a transition of the Borofsky family, it also could mark a change for the rental market.
The Barber Building on Main Street houses 48 apartment units, which range from efficiencies (one room) to four-room apartments.
According to the Barber Realty website, which lists apartments’ details, rents range from $650 for a one-room apartment to $950 for a four-room apartment. Rents include utilities. All are within walking distance to most services.
A spin through websites that list rentals like craigslist.com or apartments.com turned up a range of rents. Only a handful of the offerings included all utilities.
Rents on efficiencies ranged from $595 to $850. Rents on one-bedroom apartments ranged from $650 to $1,000, with the majority of the rents in the $700 range. Two-bedroom apartments were listed at $775 to $1,800, with most in the $1,000 range. Finally, the few three-bedrooms ranged from $980 to $1,495.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lists the fair market rent for Windham County as $750, including utilities, for a one-bedroom apartment.
Christine Hart, executive director of the Brattleboro Housing Partnerships, said people with Section 8 vouchers are looking in the $750 price range. And that rate is low for the Brattleboro market, she added.
She has noticed that people searching for apartments through the Partnership’s voucher programs are taking longer to find them, generally between 30 and 90 days. Hart said she receives lists of where apartment hunters have contacted and that, at least judging by the length of the lists, people are really looking.
“Apartments are tight at that market level,” she said.
Originally published in The Commons issue #364 (Wednesday, July 6, 2016). This story appeared on page A1.
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[WM]Thailand’s prime minister said April 30 his country had agreed in principle to form a rice price-fixing cartel with Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar as costs of the staple grain rocket.
The grouping of Mekong nations would be similar to the oil cartel OPEC, and would be called the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries (OREC).
“I have talked with Myanmar and invited them to join the rice exporting countries cartel, which will include Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, to fix the price,” Premier Samak Sundaravej told reporters.
He said Myanmar’s Prime Minister General Thein Sein, in Thailand for an official visit, had agreed to join, even though the military-ruled nation was not currently a large rice exporter.
“Thailand will help them in terms of technical support to improve their production for export,” Samak said.
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[WM]Malcolm Butler, who the Titans signed in the offseason, has embraced his move to Nashville, and, in a larger sense, a change of scenery.
Malcolm Butler is getting used to hot chicken, but the process has been gradual.
Butler has embraced his move to Nashville, and, in a larger sense, a change of scenery. It helps with turning the page, though Butler will tell you he did that months ago.
Butler, a former New England Patriot and offseason acquisition by the Titans, still can’t escape the questions, though.
Why were you benched for last season’s Super Bowl? Why did Patriots coach Bill Belichick not play you for the biggest game of the year after having you start 15 games in the regular season and two in the playoffs?
On the first day of training camp, Butler, who the Titans signed to a five-year, $61.25 million contract with $30 million guaranteed in March, used perfect timing to pick off Marcus Mariota on a pass intended for Corey Davis in 1-on-1 drills. He proceeded to punt the ball in celebration.
"I didn’t mean no disrespect or anything like that," Butler said. "That’s just who I am. I’m just a guy who plays with a lot of intensity."
"Malcolm’s got a lot to prove," Titans secondary coach Kerry Coombs said. "Malcolm’s a competitive guy. He competes at everything he does. He wants to win at everything he does, he wants to win at every rep and he wants to let you know when he beats you. And I love that about Malcolm."
Butler forced at least one turnover in each of the first four practices of training camp. On Saturday, he provided one of the few highlights from the Titans practice at Nissan Stadium, flashing good closing speed to get his hand on a pass intended for Taywan Taylor and break it up.
"I’ve seen everything that I thought he was going to be and that’s being a fiery competitor, scraping and working hard every single day," safety Kevin Byard said. "I feel like he’s been the most impressive defensive player so far in camp. He’s been out here fighting and clawing, earning that contract."
Like all those Super Bowl questions, Butler uses a repeated answer to inquiries about his intensity in practice.
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[WM]Amy Winehouse's family is putting her house up for sale to the tune of £2.7 million (about $4.2 million)! The three-bedroom property in northwest London has become a shrine for mourning fans.
Keep in mind this is the same house where she lived and died, but a spokesperson for the family indicated they put it on the market because it would be inappropriate for any of them to actually live there.
In a statement, the Winehouse family spokesperson indicated, "It was not practical to keep it empty while paying the costs of its upkeep." The 2,500-square-foot home includes three living rooms and private gardens overlooking Camden Square.
A spokesperson for a housing site told the Associated Press, "There's a lot of fans getting in touch about it, so we're trying to weed out the genuine interest from people who are just being nosy."
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[WM]Littlehampton Pier has been closed temporarily over safety concerns.
A tweet from Arun District Council said the hot weather had caused the timber boardwalk to warp.
The council said it is working towards a solution.
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[WM]The food and beverage contract for the Orange County Convention Center could be worth more than $50 million in annual sales.
The food and beverage contract for the Orange County Convention Center could be worth more than $50 million in annual sales. That could mean $550 million in sales over the potential 11-year life of the job. “That's a lot of food,” said Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke, who will help decide who gets the contract. The fight for the job is between two vendors who will provide food to conventioneers at the annual golf show, lawn and garden exhibitions and Star Wars conventions. Centerplate, based in Connecticut, is one competitor. It holds the convention center contract in Las Vegas, Orange County’s arch-rival when it comes to attracting conventions. The other competitor is a recently-formed venture between Levy restaurants and several partners, including Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear Grills. It's a food fight with big stakes! And sometimes more money means more problems.
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[WM]A Sino-American summit that would discuss American arms sales to Taiwan and other issues including global strategy seems a possibility following Vice-Chairman Deng Xiaoping's expression of interest in meeting President Reagan.
Mr. Deng, China's de facto leader, raised the possibility during a meeting with visiting United States Sen. Howard Baker. As Senate majority leader, Mr. Baker works closely with President Reagan.
Senator Baker told a press conference here June 2 that he had been ''especially pleased to hear Vice-Chairman Deng say he would like to meet with President Reagan, and indeed he asked me to convey this message to President Reagan. . . .'' He said the details were not for him to arrange but for the President and Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr.
The atmosphere of Sino-American relations has improved following Vice-President George Bush's visit to China early last month. But the difficult problem of American arms sales to Taiwan still ''ticks'' away, in Chinese words, like a ''time bomb.'' Hitherto it had been assumed that President Reagan would not visit China until the arms sales issue has been disposed of.
Now it appears that Mr. Deng, whose formal position is vice-chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (Mr. Deng's protege Hu Yaobang is chairman) would welcome a chance to talk directly to President Reagan about the Taiwan question and other issues.
Senator Baker said he also raised the case of the detention of Lisa Wichser, an American graduate student employed by the Chinese government as a teacher of English in Peking, with Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Wenjin June 1. Miss Wichser, who is working for a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Denver, has been accused of having violated Chinese laws and of ''activities incompatible with her status,'' according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman here.
Mr. Baker said he did not know all the details of the case but that he had been assured by the Chinese that they would strictly follow the terms of the Sino-American consular convention. He hoped Miss Wichser would be allowed to leave China as soon as possible.
China wants an American commitment to reduce and ultimately stop Taiwan arms sales altogether. It argues that continued sales violate China's sovereignty.
President Reagan, who campaigned for office saying he would upgrade relations with Taiwan and give the islanders more and better weapons, has gradually changed his position. He now takes greater account of the importance of the strategic relationship between China and the United States in facing the Soviet Union. Since taking office he has restricted arms sales to Taiwan to $60 million worth of spare parts.
But he remains constrained by the Taiwan Relations Act passed by Congress in April l979 following normalization of relations between Washington and Peking. This act provides for the US to supply Taiwan with sufficient weapons for self-defense.
Does the act give the President the latitude to sell or not sell arms to Taiwan, or to cease arms sales altogether? Senator Baker seemed to think that the act as written leaves implementation in the hands of the president with the consent of Congress. Thus there is no need to amend the act, as amendment would also be politically extremely difficult.
However, in his conversation with Mr. Baker June 1 Mr. Deng apparently raised for the first time the possibility of amending the act. Mr. Baker told him he would convey Mr. Deng's remarks not only to the President and to Mr. Haig but also to his senatorial colleagues. However Mr. Baker said he himself did not favor an amendment of the act.
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[WM]Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in a win over the Brewers on Wednesday.
Goldschmidt sat at an unsightly .180 following an 0-for-5 day against the Dodgers on April 13. However, the slugger has subsequently hit safely in 11 straight games, a stretch during which he's laced three doubles, slugged three home runs and compiled nine RBI. He's raised his average 101 points as a result, but he'll need to continue whittling down a 26.4 percent strikeout rate that qualifies as his highest since his initial 48-game big-league cup of coffee in 2011 with the Diamondbacks.
Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, three RBI and a walk in Monday's 13-5 win over Milwaukee.
St. Louis' offense was rolling all not with Goldschmidt at the forefront once again. The slugging first baseman has nine long balls and 18 RBI with a .958 OPS across 102 plate appearances.
Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 went two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Mets.
Goldschmidt knocked a two-run single in the second frame and later scored on a Marcell Ozuna double. He owns an eight-game hitting streak after Sunday, going 12-for-35 with five RBI in the process. However, he's striking out in roughly 30 percent of his plate appearances this season after just 22.5 percent in nine seasons with Arizona.
The performance was a prototypical one for Goldschmidt, one that showed off his timely hitting, power and plate discipline. Unfortunately, it was the type that hasn't been overly common for him yet this season, as even the stellar showing versus Milwaukee only served to raise his average to .226. Matters may be looking up, however, as Goldschmidt is now 5-for-12 with a double and Monday's homer over the last three games.
Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored Tuesday against the Dodgers.
Goldschmidt took Ross Stripling deep in the fifth inning for his sixth home run of the season. After hitting four homers in the opening series of the season, Goldschmidt has continued to flash tremendous power. He has yet to have much batted ball luck when he isn't going yard, as he has just two hits that haven't resulted in home runs to this point in the season.
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[WM]Editor’s note: Ashley Johnson is now the media contact for the Tent City Collective. She started the article prior to accepting the role.
When I moved to Seattle this past summer to start my journey in the Communication Leadership program, I was excited to explore the Emerald City and discover all of its hidden gems. After some doing typical touristy things (thanks Buzzfeed!), I asked a few friends and coworkers for a some “local” suggestions. Instead of recommending fun, trendy, night spots, many chose to offer warnings — they told me to stay safe and avoid “the homeless,” especially those living in tent cities.
A woman who lost her home of several decades due to an increase in mortgage payments poses for photo. She lives Tent City 3 because she and her family did not meet the requirements for area shelters. Photo by Ashley Myrriah Johnson.
I’m from a small suburb in the mid-Atlantic states, and the concept of “tent cities” was unfamiliar and foreign. Even though I had spent years advocating for impoverished communities back East, I was not familiar this term used to describe a subset of the population experiencing homelessness. So, I did what any curious millennial would do; searched “tent cities Seattle” on Google and started researching the topic.
One search result detailed Ballard residents‘ adverse reaction to a temporary housing encampment to their neighborhood. It reinforced the notion that there is a disconnect between the stable housing community and those living in man-made transitional camps. So when Comm Lead Associate Director Anita V. Crofts challenged Cohort 15 to find a novel and useful solution to a communication challenge in our community, I jumped at the idea of using communication techniques to address the widespread stigma towards homeless people living in housing encampments.
But, how does one find a way of destigmatizing homelessness and tent cities that has not already been attempted?
While there are dozens of organizations in Seattle that advocate for homelessness through creative storytelling — not to mention many of media outlets covering the issue from a variety of angles — there are few organizations and people who have undertaken the challenge of advocating on behalf of entire communities suffering from the loss of stable housing.
Real Change News is based in Seattle and covers homelessness and social justice issues in the city.
Burkhalter has written about temporary homeless encampments in King County, and noted the importance of interviewing the members of the population experiencing homelessness. It’s one way to accurately represent the many identities and stories that comprise the community. In advocacy, it is important to have a wide set of terms that describe the issue at hand. Without accurate and culturally representative terminology, stories become homogeneous and repetitive.
Photo of a Tent City 3 dormitory for newly-arrived single men. Photo by Ashley Myrriah Johnson.
In my research to better understand the multifaceted landscape of homelessness in Seattle, I met a group known as The Tent City Collective (TCC). I was struck by their community-focused approach to homelessness. TCC is a team of University of Washington students, alumni, Tent City 3 residents (TC3), and community members who work together to involve the university in ongoing conversations about homelessness. The group ultimately hopes to bring TC3, which is currently located just north of UW at University Congregational United Church of Christ, to campus. Group members believe conversations concerning people experiencing homelessness must include homeless people themselves.
“If we are working with a stigmatized group and are not experiencing the same oppressions as their community members, there are many, many nuances about their lives that we will be ignorant to,” said lead organizer Hana Alicic.
By including the TC3 community members in their advocacy efforts, the TCC advocates for temporary housing encampments on multiple fronts. They hope UW community stakeholders will build relationships TC3 residents and learn how the stigmatization of people experiencing homelessness results in systematic discrimination against people unable to find stable housing.
An area with food and supplies in TC3. Photo by Ashley Myrriah Johnson.
Everyone living in Seattle, unsheltered and sheltered alike, is a Seattleite.
Both approaches to the destigmatization of homelessness centered around one common train of thought: creating empathy for one’s neighbor. Recognizing that people fear and stigmatize what they do not understand, Real Change News and Tent City Collective challenge the societal consequences of stigmatization of homelessness through representative storytelling to bridge a communication gap within Seattle.
Because at the end of the day, everyone living in Seattle, unsheltered and sheltered alike, is a Seattleite.
Ashley Myrriah is earning her Master's of Communication in Digital Media.
Ashley, great job taking the reader along with you on your journey to learn about this. I feel more informed – thank you!
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[WM]Despite being a rookie, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has already gained enough experience and insight to know there’s a difference between marking Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and Cleveland Browns wideout Josh Gordon.
Elite might seem a bit of stretch for a player who has played in only two games since being reinstated after an NFL-imposed suspension that began after Week 16 of the 2014 season. After all, Gordon is 92 receptions, 1,355 yards and eight touchdowns behind Brown, a five-time Pro Bowl selection this season.
Despite missing two straight practices because of an injured right ankle, Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace said Thursday he would practice Friday and play in Sunday’s game at the Cleveland Browns.
But Gordon, 6 feet 3, 225 pounds, is a unique blend of speed and power. After catching four passes for 85 yards in his 2017 debut against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 3, he had three receptions for 69 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown with 4:45 left in the first quarter, in a 27-21 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. It was Gordon’s first trip to the end zone since Dec. 15, 2013, a span of 1,456 days.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh called Gordon “a big-play threat, a big, rangy receiver that can go up and make plays on the ball.” But Harbaugh stopped short of declaring that the defense would bracket Gordon as some fans wished the unit would have done against Brown, who gained a season-high 213 yards on 11 receptions Sunday.
How long Gordon, 26, can avoid being suspended again by the league for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy remains to be seen. But free safety Eric Weddle said he and several teammates are rooting for Gordon.
Mornhinweg not worried about Flacco-Maclin connection: One day after wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and quarterback Joe Flacco denied the notion of a lack of chemistry between them, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said he is not worried about Maclin’s lack of production, which includes 12 catches on 29 targets for 108 yards and zero touchdowns in his past four starts.
Ronnie Stanley has never faced Cleveland Browns rookie defensive end Myles Garrett. But after studying Garrett ahead of Sunday’s AFC North showdown, the Ravens’ starting left tackle has been impressed by the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
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[WM]FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky health leaders have confirmed 16 people have tested positive for salmonella linked to pre-cut melons.
The Department for Public Health said the melons range from cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew. You should discard any pre-cut melons or fruit salads that contain pre-cut melon.
The source of the affected products is Caito Food from Indianapolis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The symptoms will develop 12-72 hours after exposure and will last 4-7 days.
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[WM]KCleaner is a powerful tool that will help to uncover redundant and junk files that you can safely delete.
The program has a good understanding of the kinds of clutter that will be left all over your hard drive by assorted applications. So aside from the usual Windows and browser temporary files, KCleaner can clear caches relating to Java, ATI Drivers, Skype, Google Earth, QuickTime, Adobe Reader and many more.
And while this won't necessarily free up a huge amount of space, it does mean that KCleaner's results compare will with the competition. We tried CCleaner on a trial PC, and it found 2.4GB of redundant files, for instance; KCleaner uncovered 2.73GB.
The program is also very configurable. You're able to choose precisely which types of files it should delete, and there are options to scramble file names before deletion, and securely wipe them so they can't be recovered later.
And once KCleaner is set up as you'd like, it can be left to run in the background, automatically cleaning up redundant files on a regular basis.
Please note, KCleaner will by default try to install toolbars and other "extras". If you don't want this, pay very close attention during the setup process, and decline the various installations as they appear.
What's new in 3.6.3.102 (see changelog for more)?
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[WM]What the Hell Is Happening in Iran?
Iranian students protest at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems. Students were outnumbered by counterdemonstrators, however, as videos on social media showed.
Anti-government protests continued across multiple cities in Iran for a fourth day on Sunday, the most widespread unrest in the country since the pro-democracy Green Movement in 2009 — though nowhere near the same scale thus far. Two protesters were killed overnight Saturday, the first deaths attributed to the unrest. On Sunday, authorities reportedly blocked Instagram and the popular messaging app Telegram, which Iranians have been using to spread news about the protests. The country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard has threatened a violent crackdown if the demonstrations continue.
President Hassan Rouhani, in remarks which were aired on state television on Sunday night, supported Iranians’ right to protest and criticize the government, and indicated that some of the protesters had legitimate demands but that protests should not include violence or anti-regime slogans.
The unrest began with a protest in Iran’s second-largest city, Mashhad, on Thursday, apparently led by hard-liners who wanted to voice their opposition to the reformist policies of President Rouhani. Protests don’t always go as planned in Iran, however, since people sometimes take advantage of the rare opportunity to express dissent publicly, regardless of the original organizers’ intentions. That seems to be what happened in Mashhad, as an anti-Rouhani protest morphed into a broader anti-regime one, decrying rising prices, corruption, and Iran’s foreign-policy expenditures in places like Syria and Lebanon.
The protests, publicized on the popular messaging app Telegram and subsequently reported on by foreign-based satellite news networks, then quickly spread to other cities across the country on Friday, including Tehran, other major cities, and a surprising number of smaller cities that don’t typically see such demonstrations. As the protests spread, many took on an even harsher anti-regime tone, with slogans calling for the downfall of the country’s supreme leader and Islamic government. The seemingly spontaneous, often provincial, protests varied in size, with some resulting in violent clashes with police. Scores have reportedly been arrested throughout the country.
The apparently leaderless protests continued on Saturday, despite the government’s warning against participating in “illegal gatherings.” Violence was reported at rallies in several cities as police and plainclothes security officers continued to try to suppress the unrest. Two protesters were killed by gunfire in the western city of Dorud, but local officials denied that security forces were responsible for the deaths, characteristically blaming Sunni Muslim extremists and foreign powers instead.
Also on Saturday, pro-government protesters took to the streets in Tehran and other cities to participate in a preplanned celebration of the anniversary of the crackdown on the Green Movement. So far, there has not been a similar crackdown in response to this new outbreak, but that could change fast. One of the leaders of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard told state media on Saturday that protesters would face “the nation’s iron fist” if the unrest continued, and internet access to Instagram and Telegram were blocked on Sunday in an attempt to cut off information about the protests.
Other reports indicate that the internet was also throttled in Tehran and cut off entirely in Mashhad.
As The Guardian and New York Times point out, small protests focused on economic issues are normal in Iran, but politically charged protests across the country where people feel safe chanting “death to the dictator” — a knock on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — are not. The protests will undoubtedly be an important test for the relatively moderate Rouhani, who has not been spared as a subject of chanting at the rallies; in his remarks on Sunday, Rouhani was clearly trying to walk a delicate line. There is also apparently suspicion among members of his administration and other reformers about what forces may be behind the unrest.
Some experts aren’t surprised at the sudden wave of protests, however, noting the economic discontent created by the ongoing rise of the cost of living and the unemployment rate in the country.
The Trump administration, which has sought to undo President Obama’s diplomatic progress with Iran and has even flirted with fantasies of promoting regime change, criticized Iran’s government on Friday and urged it to allow the protests to continue. Calling for restraint against peaceful protests is the standard response to unrest in Iran from any administration, though this White House has added some Trumpian flare.
President Trump then revisited the subject in more tweets on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, but such support is probably more useful to the regime than it ever is to protesters, particularly since Trump has already made it easier for the regime to use the U.S. as a scapegoat for its internal problems by threatening to cancel the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions. Indeed, nothing Trump has done since taking office has indicated he or his administration has any real concern for the citizens of Iran.
Regarding what will happen next in Iran, most experts aren’t sure, especially since this new movement, if that’s what it is, does not appear to have any leaders to guide it. As The Wall Street Journal’s Farnaz Fassihi points out, the lack of leadership, structure, and goals is exactly why previous uprisings have typically failed.
The Iranian government, as it has in the past, is working to block social-media platforms used by protesters, but there are still more ways than ever before for reports and videos about the protests — as well as any subsequent crackdown — to spread. In addition, if the regime cuts off or drastically slows down internet access as it did in 2009, that would likely have a much more dramatic effect on the country’s businesses and citizens now that the internet is more widely used and relied upon.
There has also been some tentative support for the protests from hard-liners, who seem to want the unrest to tarnish Rouhani, and that has caused some Iranians to worry the protests are being encouraged as a regime plot to draw out and capture opposition activists. Many anti-regime protesters faced long and brutal imprisonment after being arrested during the Green Movement, and a few hundred may have been killed.
As always, regime-change cheerleaders in the West should probably temper their expectations and refrain from projecting their views onto the protesters. But if the unrest continues, spreads, and increases in size — possibly prompting a violent crackdown by regime security forces — it could quickly lead to a new political crisis in the country at a time when it already faces a resurgent regional rival in Saudi Arabia and a U.S. administration that seems reflexively anti-Iran.
Is it a revolution? Not yet. Iran’s government is its own worst enemy and the Iranian people know it. Economic woes leading to infighting can bring down this corrupt and brutal system. Different factions within the government will, most probably, and just the same as always, choose to dismiss the genuine economic grievances of the Iranian people and blame the protests on foreign agents and an international imperialist-Zionist conspiracy.
The Iranian people have learned, after living almost 40 years under the Islamic Republic, to gradually and intelligently raise their voices in peaceful protests that will provoke the government to tear itself apart. Iran’s rulers may choose to blame foreigners and Zionists — but they hardly realize that the true danger to their power is right at home.
Along similar lines, NIAC research director Reza Marashi, who worked in the Office of Iranian Affairs for the State Department under the Obama administration, adds that the current political climate in Iran does not appear conducive to massive change, but that the gap between state and society will remain — making protest waves like the present one possible — so long as the political, economic, and social aspirations of the Iranian people remain unmet.
This post has been updated throughout to reflect new developments and commentary.
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[WM]RICHMOND HILL - A Bryan County inmate temporarily released to be treated for a spider bite has returned to the Southeast Probation Detention Center in Claxton to continue serving his 30-month sentence.
Jack Barfield IV, 20, was convicted March 14 on all charges stemming from a wreck on April 25, 2005, that killed Ginger Reagin and her son Garrett, 5.
Barfield was released from the detention center May 17 by court order to seek treatment from Dr. Anthony Sussman of the Savannah Vascular Institute. He was twice granted extensions for additional treatment, but he was to return to custody Wednesday.
"He surrendered to the Bryan County Sheriff's Department on June 20," Barfield's attorney, Lloyd Murray, said Friday. "His condition had improved to the point that remaining outside for treatment was no longer necessary."
Barfield and his girlfriend, Emily Mosely, were racing each other on U.S. 80, court records show, when Barfield's Chevy Tahoe swerved into the oncoming lane and slammed head-on into Reagin's vehicle.
Mosely, 19, pleaded no contest June 14 to six charges resulting from her involvement in the wreck - two misdemeanor charges of homicide by vehicle in the second degree, misdemeanor serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, speeding and speeding in a construction zone.
As a result of the plea, Mosely will serve three years on probation, will complete 100 hours of community service and will lose her driving privileges for three years.
The time Barfield spent outside the detention center to seek medical treatment did not count as timed served on his sentence.
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[WM]The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 was enacted to protect employees who need to take absences from work to care for themselves or their family members due to medical problems. This law was amended in 2008 to allow extended leave for the care of service members. Retaliation of any type is strictly prohibited. Employers who use FMLA absences to judge an employee's performance face legal sanction from the Department of Labor or in civil court.
Not all leave falls under the auspices of the FMLA, even if that leave is taken for medical reasons. If the business is governed by the provisions of the FMLA, the employee must have worked for the company for at least 12 months and have completed 1,250 hours of work within the previous 12 months to be considered eligible for leave. Leave may be granted to allow employees to care for themselves, their spouse, their children or their parents. Other family relationships are not covered by this legislation. Leave is considered unpaid and may be requested for up to 12 weeks per year. Military family members are eligible for 26 weeks of leave annually.
While an employee is away from work under the FMLA, his position with the company is secure. An employer may not eliminate his position in the company, but the exact job he held may not be available at the time of his return. For example, a customer service representative who works in a certain store may return to work to find that he now works in a different department or in a different store. It is at the employer's discretion to shift personnel as needed as long as the employee in question returns to work with the same job or a job comparable to the job he was doing when he went on leave.
During the leave, an employer may not cancel the benefits an employee is receiving. This includes any health, dental, life or supplemental insurance policies; retirement programs; or employee assistance programs. Employees are responsible for paying any premiums that may be due during their leave to ensure no lapses occur. Failure to make arrangements for payments may result in the termination of coverage through no fault of the employer.
The Family and Medical Leave Act is governed by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Any complaints, questions or concerns that cannot be resolved through the employer should be directed to the nearest state office. Employees may seek legal action if they feel the employer has violated FMLA by downgrading them on a performance evaluation because of an eligible absence.
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[WM]The statue of Robert the Bruce at The Battle of Bannockburn Centre. PIC: Michael Gillen/Falkirk Herald.
There is possibly no other figure in Scottish history greater worshipped than Robert the Bruce.
He led the Scots to victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314, with the win immortalised in the anthem Flower of Scotland, and secured recognition from Rome as the King of an independent Scotland.
But Bruce was also murderous and sly who cleared his path to power without mercy, some say.
Robert was born on July 11, 1274 and raised at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire.
He was distantly related to the Scottish royal family with his grandfather, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, one of the leading contenders to the throne left empty by the death of Margaret of Norway.
This bid for Bruce rule was rejected in favour of the rival rights of John Balliol in 1292 but the family’s royal aspirations remained.
The Bruce family held land across the south west of Scotland and England, with Robert the Bruce, as Earl of Carrick, working to protect his territories across two warring kingdoms.
As a result, he led resistance against Edward I, who ruled Scotland as a province of England, and later submitted to the King in order to protect his family’s interests.
He raids Lanarkshire with the English in 1297, before joining William Wallace’s uprising and then surrendering to the English King at Irvine, according to accounts.
After being pardoned for his treachery, Bruce is back with the King in Galloway in 1298 but by the next year he is attacking his castle at Lochmaben near Annandale.
Following the defeat of William Wallace at Falkirk in 1298, Bruce and John Comyn succeed the guardianship of Scotland.
The 1306 murder of Comyn - whose body was found following a meeting with Bruce at a church in Dumfries - has been described as the greatest political murders of all time.
The meeting started quietly by then Bruce slashed Comyn in the chest before leaving the church, with Bruce’s men reportedly going in to finish the job.
Depending on whose view you subscribe to, Comyn’s death was either pre-meditated murder or a reaction to Comyn’s ‘betrayal’ that he would not unite with Bruce against Edward I.
Whatever the intention, Bruce was outlawed by the King and excommunicated by the Pope giving the killing in a Holy place - and then crowned king at Scone Abbey on March 27 1306.
The price of power was high. His wife and three daughters were imprisoned and three of his brothers executed, with Bruce going into exile on an island off Antrim.
He returned to Scotland and embarked on a new phase in the war against the English which peaked in victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, where he defeated a much larger English army under Edward II.
In 1320, the Scottish earls, barons and the ‘community of the realm’ sent a letter to Pope John XXII declaring that Robert was their rightful monarch.
This ‘Declaration of Arbroath’ asserted the antiquity of the Scottish people and their monarchy and is considered by some to be the founding document of Scotland as a nation.
Some commentators have highlighted how Robert the Bruce was motivated merely by the acquisition of land and feudal power.
“It is true that no monarch after Bruce had to fight so hard to secure the throne and the kingdom but it is also true that he did so because that is what warlords do, “ wrote Andy Wightman, author and now MSP, in the Poor Had Lawyers.
“Bruce was a member of a fractious elite class descended from Norman immigrants and his fight was a fight for feudal power, land and money. To place it any higher in the moral order of thing is naive,” he added.
Robert the Bruce died on June 7 1329 and was buried at Dunfermline. His heart - which had been due to go to the Holy Land at his request - was returned to Scotland after its custodian, Sir James Douglas, was killed in Spain. It is buried in Melrose Abbey.
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[WM]Christian schools in Israel have ended a month-long strike after reaching a funding agreement with the education ministry.
Members of the “St Gallen club” did not lobby for Francis’s election, Cardinal Godfried Danneels’s biographers have insisted.
Pope Francis has named Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Carlo Caffarra as members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
John Allen, Virginia Cannon, David Gibson, Adam Gopnik, Jason Horowitz, Fr Dwight Longenecker, Peggy Noonan, Rocco Palmo, Matthew Schmitz and Chemi Shalev comment on the Pope’s visit to America.
Ross Douthat suggests that Pope Francis is inspiring a “springtime for liberal Christianity”.
Will Carless says that South America is becoming a safe haven for alleged clerical abusers (GlobalPost series).
And the Pope and the Vamps will release albums with the same name on the same day in November (Rolling Stone).
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[WM]Lyft has pulled from service all of its on-demand electric bicycles in New York, Washington DC and the San Francisco Bay area after some riders reported issues with the brakes.
"We recently received a small number of reports from riders who experienced stronger than expected braking force on the front wheel. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively removing the pedal-assist bikes from service for the time being," the company said in a blog post .
About 3,000 bikes will be pulled from service and will be replaced with regular bicycles. Altogether Lyft operates about 20,000 bikes in those three cities, with a mix of electric and regular models.
"After a small number of reports and out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively pausing our electric bikes from service in three markets. Safety always comes first," Lyft spokesperson Julie Wood said on Sunday.
The company said it has been "hard at work on a new pedal-assist bike," and the model will be rolled out soon.
Lyft last year became the largest bikeshare operator in the United States when it acquired Motivate, owners of New York's Citi Bike and DC's Capital Bikeshare. That expanded its for-hire bikes to cities including Chicago, Boston, and Portland.
Lyft, which went public in March, has set out to end car ownership, primarily in the United States, with a suite of alternative transportation options. In addition to ride-sharing and bikes, the company has expanded into carpooling and scooter rentals.
The company beat its chief rival, Uber, to an IPO. According to its IPO prospectus, Lyft's share of the US ride-hailing market spiked to 39% in December 2018 from 22% at the end of 2016.
Lyft's Wall Street debut is seen as a bellwether for the long list of billion-dollar tech startups expected to go public later this year, including Pinterest, Slack, Postmates. Uber filed paperwork last week for what is expected to be the biggest public offering of the year.
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[WM]Claude Jutra is the filmmaker who wrote and directed Mon Oncle Antoine (1971), considered by many critics to be the best Canadian movie ever made. Jutra got started in filmmaking as a teenager and his early career was marked by winning awards and prizes in Canada and Europe for documentaries, short films and features, including A Chairy Tale (1957), Le Niger — Jeune Republique (1961), A tous prendre/Take It All (1963) and Comment Savoir (1966). His acknowledged masterpiece, the coming of age story Mon Oncle Antoine, won eight Canadian Film Awards, including best picture and best director. His next several films were not financially successful, and in the 1980s he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In November of 1986 he disappeared. In March of 1987 his body was found in the St. Lawrence River, and his death was regarded as a suicide.
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[WM]President Obama seems so shell-shocked from all the political and media criticism about his “weakness” that he is “doing something” by intervening in both the Syrian and Iraqi civil conflicts, a risky “bias for action” that can do more harm than good, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.
A “bias for action” has long been a buzz phrase in the business world. Tom Peters and Robert Waterman in their best-selling book In Search of Excellence put the phrase at the top of their list of attributes of what they considered to be outstanding firms.
For an individual hoping to make it big in business, it’s not a bad phrase to keep in mind. Ambitious executives do not make names for themselves by saying they will take whatever organization they are responsible for and try not to screw it up. They make names by shaking things up. Moreover, the businesses with the most dramatic and admired garage-startup-to-behemoth histories necessarily had a bias for action.
Even in business, however, the behavior implied by the phrase has limitations. What is good for the rising career of an individual executive is not necessarily good for the firm. And for every Apple or Amazon we have heard about, there are many more companies we have not heard about in which the leader’s bias for action led to unprofitable business lines, financial overextension, or other failures that caused the firm to crash and burn.
Applied to foreign policy, the soundness of behavior implied by a bias for action is even more questionable. Perhaps it is most valid when trying to build an empire. Otto von Bismarck, for example, had a bias for action when using wars against other European states as a means for putting together the German Empire.
But for most states at most times, that is not the case. It is not the case for the United States today. The United States has a responsibility, to itself as well as to world order, less to build a bigger empire than to avoid screwing things up. And when the United States screws up, things can get very bad, not only because as the world’s only superpower it is more powerful than anyone else but also because with global involvement it has a lot of vulnerabilities that other states do not have. Crashing and burning is not an option.
Even without the influence of business gurus such as Peters and Waterman, a bias for action is nonetheless at least as apparent in U.S. foreign policy as in commerce. One reason is the political pressure on leaders to be seen to be “doing something” about overseas problems. The partisan incentive to criticize opponents for doing nothing intensifies this pressure. In the United States the tendency is further exacerbated by a broader inclination to believe the United States ought to be able to solve any problem overseas.
We need to remember that a bias for action is exactly that: a bias. That means it is antithetical to an objective, unbiased assessment of what would be best for the United States to do or not to do. And that is not good. A bias for action has some of the qualities of the “ready, fire, aim” method of approaching a problem.
We can see some of these tendencies in the development of recent policy toward the turmoil in Iraq. The Obama administration’s dispatch of a few hundred U.S. military personnel, although they will be serving legitimate purposes, is probably best understood as a response to the pressure to do something. It probably was the minimum military measure the administration could get away with without incurring intense accusations of doing nothing.
I was asked the other day to define U.S. objectives regarding the situation in Iraq. There are two ways to answer a question like that. One is the conventional way, which is the way any president or senior official would be expected to answer it. That way would mention things such as seeking regional stability and quashing terrorist threats against Americans.
The other way is to ask ourselves what are the most significant respects in which U.S. interests have been affected, for better or for worse, by developments in the Middle East over the past decade or so. Then our objective should be to repeat or build on what has affected our interests for the better, and to avoid repetition of the sorts of things that have affected them for the worse.
By far the most consequential development for U.S. interests in the region was the Iraq War, and its effects on U.S. interests were overwhelmingly negative, with the thousands of Americans killed, the tens of thousands injured, the trillions of dollars in economic costs, and the stimulation of sectarian warfare and terrorism that we face today. The number one objective for dealing with a situation like the one in Iraq is to avoid doing anything that could lead to a mistake similar to launching the Iraq War.
No president, of course, could get away with defining U.S. objectives that way. It would sound too passive, and it would not embody a bias for action. It would not pass muster with Peters and Waterman, and it certainly would not pass muster with political critics.
That’s too bad, because it is a very legitimate way to define a prime objective. It takes account of the most important ways in which U.S. interests have been affected, and it takes account of how in any unbiased analysis of how to pursue and protect those interests there is no reason either action or inaction should be favored.
Say all of the right things, but take the easy way out, has been the American way.
If a prophetic gift is the gift of truth telling, Dylan’s got it.
A common reaction to ignorance and the lack of intelligent investigation and lack of any real attempt to understand… all of which can be laid at the base of lack of sensitivity for others and the failure of humanity to demand action to correct these inequities and injustices.
I wonder – will we ever become civilized or just accept the veneer? The worrying part is that all this hypocrisy is out in the open the past 2 decades if not more and the American public just doesn’t seem to care.
The guy is gutless! He hasn’t done anything to bring peace to the world. He sits behind his big desk, (probably admiring his, oh so well deserved, nobel peace prize) in the bomb shelter they call “the white house”, and bravely orders the deaths of anybody he wants. I would say he deserves a motorcade through Dallas, but that’s a trip for a President with real balls! I’ll never see another real leader, like that one, in my life time.
It may all be too late, but President Obama needs different people around him. I mean to tell you, as most of you consortiumnews readers already know, how our country needs to shed our government of the Neocon’s, etc type people. Oh, did I mention the Main Stream Media? Are they not something to write home about? Sometimes I just come away believing we are just flat out screwed.
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[WM]Diamond, a 60-year resident of Coral Gables, simply believed in teaching.
“Other grandparents took their children to movies and carnivals. Billie took her grandchildren to the Everglades to see a comet at 3 a.m., to museums and libraries — ever the teacher,” her daughter said.
The New York-born Diamond, a board member of the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation, always called her own tune.
At her service, Diamond’s sister Joan Brenner spoke of an amusing World War II performance in which the former Beula Greenberg changed her named to Billie Vermont (a loose translation of Greenberg from the French word Vermont for green mountains.) Billie entertained service men with her signature song, A Bird in a Gilded Cage.
“She wore a big feathered hat and a long gown with a huge bustle in the back. She would walk across the stage as she sang and the bustle, of course, followed. But occasionally — intentionally — she walked one way and the bustle crawled the other way. The soldiers howled. Guess who was inside the bustle?
Many got to know Diamond. She, along with her husband, the late Jack Diamond, was among the 12 co-founders of Temple Beth Am in Kendall in 1955. “The house Billie and Jack built,” the rabbi said at her service. She loved playing piano so she served the Dranoff Foundation for more than 20 years. She was also a child advocate and volunteer with Guardian Ad Litem.
In 2000, Voices for Children honored Diamond as Guardian Ad Litem’s recipient of the Lorraine Munroe Outstanding Volunteer Award. “Known for her ‘never say no’ attitude and cheerful personality, Diamond has worked with the guardian program since 1986 and has overseen 32 children in 15 different cases,” the Miami Herald reported.
“When she was into something her passion was unbounding and limitless,” her daughter said.
In addition to her daughter and sister, Diamond is survived by her children Barry and Dan Diamond, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services were held. Donations in Diamond’s name can be made to the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation or Guardian Ad Litem.
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[WM]Placer County Deputy CEO for Lake Tahoe Jennifer Merchant explains county staff's proposal to a full room during a town hall with the North Lake Tahoe Resort Assocition on May 3 at Granlibakken Resort in Tahoe City.
Placer County staff and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association held a town hall on May 3 at Granlibakken Resort in Tahoe City to discuss a proposal that could change how revenue from the Transient Occupancy Tax is spent.
Under county staff’s proposal, which will require approval by the board of supervisors, the NLTRA would focus its efforts solely on marketing the region, and no jobs will be cut.
During the town hall on Wednesday, May 3, NLTRA board members Samir Tuma and Adam Wilson defended the resort association’s current role, and questioned the timing of the proposal.
Additional public meetings are scheduled for Monday, May 8, from 5-8 p.m. at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach, May 11 from 4-6 p.m. at the Placer County Administrative Center in Tahoe City, and May 12 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Squaw Valley Public Service District conference room in Squaw Valley.
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[WM]“We turned the former front office area into a cool and cozy taproom,” Hovley says.
Corrugated metal panels were added to the walls, set off by plenty of wood trim, giving the diminutive space an industrial-meets-rustic feel. A large photo of the Sawtooths dominates one wall. The wood tables and bar top were made by local artists.
Barbarian, as the name suggests, prefers to do things the primitive way when it comes to making beer. Wood barrel-aged beers are all the rage in the world of brewing right now, and this new microbrewery favors the deep flavors that wood barrels impart.
But aging beer in wood barrels obviously takes time, and Barbarian won’t be releasing those brews for a few months. No worries, though. The brewery offers plenty of non-aged brews (made by James Long) to get things going.
“We are starting right out of the gate with six beers,” Hovley says.
Barbarian’s opening lineup includes Little Wolf IPA, The Commoner (a California common, aka steam-style brew), Saison, Dark Saison (fermented in Merlot barrels), Big Bad Wolf (imperial IPA fermented in Chardonnay barrels) and PostFunk, a dry-hopped sour beer.
When the time comes, the brewery will offer its more mature, barrel-aged brews in 750-milliliter (24 ounce) bottles.
Barbarian Brewing’s taproom, at 5270 W. Chinden Blvd., is open 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday-Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
It’s hard not to miss Powderhaus Brewing Company’s beautiful new building at 9719 W. Chinden Blvd. near the corner of Maple Grove Road.
The handsome 8,000-square-foot building — with its big grain silo out front — really stands out along this quiet stretch of Chinden Boulevard.
The brewery and stylish taproom opened the first week of November.
Owners Mark and Lisa Schmidt made their son Tyler’s dreams come true when they decided to invest in a brewery. Tyler Schmidt and Tyson Cardon, both beer geeks and avid skiers, run the day-to-day operations at the brewery, which draws inspiration from the mountains that surround us.
Tyler Evans, a former brewer at Edge Brewing, was hired as the head brewer at Powderhaus.
Expect to see four flagship brews, including First Turns IPA, Hinterlander Robust Porter, Dead Fall Ale and Prusik Pilsner, and various seasonal beers that will make appearances throughout the year.
County Line Brewing (www.countylinebrewing.com) debuted earlier this year in the former Kilted Dragon Brewing spot, at 9115 W. Chinden Blvd, just down the way from Powderhaus Brewing.
Owners Zack and Laura Kiehl have transformed the small taproom into an attractive space for people looking to unwind on weekends with a few pints of handcrafted brews.
Flagship beers include Shade Tree IPA, Blushing Bride White IPA, Barnwood Brown Ale and Porch Swing Porter. Also expect to find seasonal brews such as RIP Russian Imperial Stout.
County Line Brewing is open 4 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Two Boise breweries garnered medals for their stouts at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver on Sept. 24-26.
Boise Brewing (www.boisebrewing.com), a community-funded microbrewery in Boise’s Central Addition district, brought home a silver medal for its Black Cliffs American Stout — made by head brewer Lance Chavez.
10 Barrel Brewing Co. (www.10barrel.com) secured a bronze medal for the second year in a row for its Power to the People (P2P), an American-style stout made by Boise head brewer Shawn Kelso.
It’s also worth noting that Barley Brown’s (www.barleybrownsbeer.com) in Baker City, Ore., scored a gold medal for its Ratchet Strap IPA.
Interested in taking a tour of Boise’s breweries without having to drive all over the place?
Well then, let Boise Brew Bus take care of the driving. This newish service shuttles folks around to the various breweries in a bright-green short bus.
The tours ($45 per person) include a free beer flight at one of the breweries, brief brewery tours and, most importantly, safe passage to and from the breweries.
Expect to stop by Haff Brewing, Crooked Fence Brewing, Edge Brewing and County Line Brewing, to name a few.
Boise Brew Bus tours depart from the Same Day Electric parking lot at 4299 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City.
To see the tour schedule and make reservations, visit www.boisebrewbus.com.
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[WM]MEXICO CITY (AP) — A man was arrested Monday in the shooting death of a journalist who worked for the newspaper El Heraldo de Chiapas, and authorities were searching for three other people suspected of having ordered the killing.
Luis Alberto Sanchez, a homicide prosecutor in the southern state of Chiapas, said in a video statement posted online that the detained man is believed to have acted as a lookout outside the home of reporter Mario Gomez.
Sanchez said the man allegedly belonged to a local drug gang and identified the gang’s leader, his right-hand man and the lieutenant’s wife as the purported intellectual authors of the murder.
State and federal police in the town of Yajalon, where Gomez was slain, were under investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors to see if any might be implicated, Sanchez added.
Surveillance camera video captured the moment Friday afternoon when two people rode by Gomez’s home on a motorcycle and the one in the rear fired at him. Neighbors went to his aid, but he did not survive. According to Chiapas prosecutors, he was struck by four bullets, and six shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Gomez, who had worked for El Heraldo de Chiapas for nearly a decade, was a general assignment reporter who covered a variety of topics including crime, security and political violence during the recent campaign for Mexico’s July 1 nationwide elections.
Two years ago, the media advocacy group Articulo 19 documented that Gomez had received death threats after publishing an investigation linking a congressman and an alternate lawmaker to purported corruption.
Mexico is one of the deadliest countries for journalists, with at least 10 slain so far this year and more than 30 killed during the six-year term of President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose term ends Dec. 1.
Jan-Albert Hootson, Mexico representative for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, urged authorities to determine whether Gomez’s killing came in retaliation for his work.
“Journalists in Mexico will continue to fall victim to deadly violence when the killings of reporters linger in impunity,” Hootson said in a statement.
Over the weekend, Chiapas prosecutors said Gomez’s journalistic work was the main line of investigation.
Chiapas was home to the 1994 uprising by Zapatista rebels, and political violence and conflicts over land are common in the state.
It is currently governed by the Green Party, but is set to come under control of the leftist Morena party of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, after the Greens lost the gubernatorial race two months ago.
This story has been corrected to reflect that Gomez worked for the newspaper for nearly a decade, not more than a decade.
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[WM]"It was a nice win," captain Greig Laidlaw told the BBC. "We scored 43 points and a lot of good tries against a tough Georgia side.
"I am pleased with our attack and the way we are scoring points and causing teams problems."
"It was hard work," said man of the match Ryan Wilson. "We knew how tough it would be. It's great to get the win in front of a great crowd.
"The first two games against Australia and Argentina have been so tight, things started to come together today and it's a tribute to the hard work the boys have put in.
"There is plenty more to work on but there is some brilliant stuff there and we want to take it into the Six Nations next year."
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[WM]C Gallery (466 S. 500 East, 359-8625) - "B is for Blackburn: Spacescapes & Serigraphs" through May 30.
Art Access Gallery* (339 W. Pierpont Ave., 328-0703) - "Tiritiri O Te Moana (Gifts of the Seat)," featuring work by Mataumu Alisa, Les Calles, Taniela Niu, Edwin Napia, Lupe A. Niumeitolu and VaiMoana Niumeitolu, through April 8. Opening reception Friday, March 20, 6-9 p.m. during monthly Gallery Stroll.
Art Barn/Park Gallery* (54 Finch Lane, 596-5000) - Mixed media work by students from Rowland Hall/St. Mark's Middle School through April 3.
Lamb's Restaurant (169 S. Main, 364-7166) - Photographs by Michael D. Bush, through March.
Dolores Chase Gallery* (260 S. 200 West, 328-2787) - Monotypes by Brian Kershisnik, through March 21.
Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery (Southern Utah University, Cedar City, 586-5432) - "Formulation: Articulation," featuring 66 silkscreens by Josef Albers, through March 27.
Alliance for the Varied Arts (43 S. Main, Logan, 753-7058) - "The Rural Landscape," featuring work by Jill Bliesner, Shelley Hoffman, Jeannie Millecam and Lorraine Randle, through March 28. Opening reception Friday, March 6, 6-8 p.m.
Eccles Community Art Center (2580 Jefferson Ave., Ogden, 392-6935) - Egyptian tapestries "Harvesting Dates," "Work Days in the Village" and "Rain" will be on exhibit through March 28.
Kimball Art Center (638 Park Ave., Park City, 649-8882) - Main gallery: Figurative art by Brian Kershisnik, Alex Bigney, Marcelino Stuhmer and Laura Lee S. Bradshaw, through April 12. Badami gallery: Paintings by Karen Horne, also through April 12. Opening reception for both exhibits Friday, March 6, 6-8 p.m.
Myra Powell Gallery (Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave., Ogden, 629-8444) - Watercolors by members of the Cache Valley Chapter of the Utah Watercolor Society, through March. Opening reception Friday, March 6, 6-8 p.m.
Petersen Art Center Gallery (1025 E. 2100 South, 467-5444) - Watercolors by Carollyn Daye through April 2. Opening reception Saturday, March 7, 6-8:30 p.m.
Alpine Art and Frame (430 E. South Temple, 355-1155) - Contemporary abstract works by Steve Larson and paintings by Julie Jacobsen.
Anderson-Foothill Library (1135 S. 2100 East, 524-8278) - "Character & Characters: Watercolors and Children's Illustrations by Kelly Hansen," through March 3.
Antelope Island State Park Visitors Center (Exit 335 off I-15, west on Antelope Drive) - "Images of Gunnison Island: Utah's Galapagos," featuring photographs by Bruce Anderson, through March.
Aperture Gallery (307 W. 200 South, No. 1003) - "Alternative Processes," featuring a group exhibit of alternative photographic process print, through April 14.
Art Barn/Finch Lane Gallery* (54 Finch Lane, 596-5000) - Paintings by Cassandra Barney and ceramics by Jeffrey A. Goodsell, through April 10.
Arts of Utah Gallery (2226 S. 700 East) - Exhibit featuring work by Gene Stark and other pieces by newly represented artists.
Artspace Artists Association (337 W. Pier-pont, California Rubber and Tire Building) - New works and works in progress.
Atrium Gallery (fifth floor, Salt Lake Public Library) - "Once Upon a Page: The Art of Children's Books," featuring art from the Meridian International Center's traveling exhibit, through March 14.
Bibliotect Architecture/Art Bookstore and Gallery (329 W. Pierpont Ave., 236-1010) - "Views of Italy," featuring paintings by Jean Arnold, through April 24.
Chroma Gallery (170 W. 2950 South, 487-4316) - Acrylics/serigraphs by Darryl Erd-mann. Exhibit ongoing.
Cordell Taylor Studio/Gallery (575 W. 200 South, 355-0333) - Recent work by New York artist Vikki Michalios through March 15.
Day-Riverside Branch Library (1575 W. 1000 North, 524-8287) - "Richard Hsieh: Chinese Fine Art," featuring Chinese brush painting, through March 6.
Don Brady Drive Through Gallery (1301 S. 2100 East, 582-4500) - Paintings by Richard Murray, through May.
Glendinning Gallery (617 E. South Temple, 533-5895) - "Group of Nine Exhibition," featuring work by Bevan Chipman, Marian Dunn, Carole Evans, Wilamarie Huelskamp, Jossy Lownes, Dottie Miles, Woody Renzetti, Steve Sheffield and Sue Valentine, through April 10.
Holladay Library (2150 E. 4800 South, 943-4636, Ext. 334) - "Visual Textures," featuring watercolors by Lisa Scopes Oliver, through April.
King's Cottage Gallery (2233 S. 700 East, 486-5019) - Ongoing exhibit of Utah landscapes and cityscapes by Susan Gallacher, Rick Graham, Rob Adam-son, Linda Curley, Trent Ellis, John Hughes and Brad Slaugh.
Light Spot (1043 E. 900 South) - "GI-GAN-TI/DRAGHGLI/EROI" (the Giants, the Dragons, the Heroes), featuring glass from Murano, Italy, by artisans Noti Massari, Renato Toso and Roberto Pamio.
Moonbird Studio (353 W. 200 South, Studio #301, 322-3816) - Kids art from "Bad Dog Rediscovers America," urban kids mentoring project. Exhibit is ongoing.
Museum of Church History and Art (45 N. West Temple, 240-2299) - "Tell Me a Story: Truths from the Old Testament," featuring 22 illustrations created for children's Bible stories, through April 26.
Nativo (353 W. 200 South, 531-8555) - Contemporary interpretations of antique Victorian jewelry by Cheryl Elliot.
Petersen Art Center Gallery (1025 E. 2100 South, 467-5444) - "2 For the Show," featuring paintings by father and daughter, Leonard and Rachel Romney, through March 7.
Phillips Gallery* (444 E. 200 South, 364-8284) - "At the Still Point," featuring work by Mary Ellen Hogle and Kent Wing, through March 13. Also, in the Dibble Gallery: New work by Will South, also through March 13.
Robin Grey Gallery (430 E. South Temple, 355-1155) - "Contrasting Colorers," featuring work by Martha Klein, Karl Pace and Ted Remington, through March 13.
Salt Lake Art Center* (20 S. West Temple) - "ME WE," featuring sculpture by Amie McNeel and Tre Arenz, through April 5. Also, "James Castle: A Voice of Silence" in the Street Level gallery, through Mar. 29.
Salt Lake City-County Building (451 S. State) - Photographs by Kent Miles, celebrating 150 years of ethnic pioneers in Utah.
Sweet Avenues Branch Library (455 F St., 524-8276) - "Frances ReMillard/Gwen Peine: Recent Works, through March 14.
Twiggs & Moore Art Gallery (Gardner Historic Village, 1095 W. 7800 South, 255-3004) - Works by Arnold Friberg, Eric Dowdle, Robert Duncan, Thomas Kincade and Alan Maley. Exhibit ongoing.
University Hospital (Medical Drive, 2nd floor) - Paintings by Leconte Stewart and art by Navajo children, through March 20.
Utah Museum of Fine Art* (University of Utah, South Campus Drive, 581-7332) - "Close Relations: Works of Art, Their Preparatory Studies and Alternative Versions," featuring work that explores art of similar composition but made from different media. The exhibit runs through April 5. Also, "Directors Choice," featuring works of art from the Museum's collection, and "Exploring Multi-Culturalism," featuring masks, beaded work, textiles, costumes and sculpture from different cultures. Both exhibits run through March 22. Also, "The Val A. Browning Memorial Collection of 500 Years of European Masterworks," featuring paintings by Brueghel, Gainsborough, Fragonard, Corot, Van Dyke, Vigee Le Brun and many others. The exhibit will run indefinitely.
Utah State Historical Society (300 Rio Grande, 533-3500) - "A Woman's View: The Photography of Elfie Huntington (1868-1949)" through June 30.
Williams Fine Art* (Main Lobby, Eagle Gate Plaza, 60 E. South Temple, 534-0331) - Works by early Utah artists including John Hafen, J.T. Harwood, LeConte Stewart, Howell Rosenbaum, Maynard Dixon and others, through March 31.
Bountiful/Davis Art Center (745 S. Main, Bountiful, 292-0367) - A juried exhibit by Utah artists, featuring all forms of media, through April 4.
The Coda Gallery (804 Main, Park City, 655-3803) - "Group Show," featuring David Dornan, Chris Young, Brad Aldridge, Paul and Silvia Davis, Ray Hare, Patty Kimball, Ron Richmond, Doug Himes, A.D. Shaw, Dennis Smith and many more. The gallery also shows jewelry, glasswork and fabrics.
Eccles Community Art Center (2580 Jefferson Ave., Ogden, 392-6935) - Third Floor gallery: "Textures in Art," featuring work taken from the Art Center's permanent collection, through May 31.
Fairview Museum of History & Art (85 S. 100 East, Fairview, 427-9216) - Works by Theodore Milton Wassmer, Avard Fairbanks, Lyndon Graham, Norman Rockwell, Ella Peacock, Lee Udall Bennion and others.
Kimball Art Center (638 Park Ave., Park City, 649-8882) - Main gallery: "La Vecia," featuring photography by Cort Tramotin. Badami gallery: Oils and graphics by Kim Whitesides. Both exhibits run through today.
Museum of Art (Brigham Young University, North Campus Drive, Provo, 378-2787) - "Questioning Context: A Spectator Sport," featuring 12 works of art, through June 7. Also, "That He Who Runs May Read," featuring 42 Book of Mormon-theme mural paintings by Minerva Teichert, through May 16. Also, "From Heart and Hand: Religious Folk Art," featuring Polish folk art, through July 21. Also,"The Hands of Rodin: A Tribute to B. Gerald Cantor." Also, "150 Years of American Painting," artwork from BYU's permanent collection, on display through August 1999.
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (650 N. 1100 East, Logan, 797-0163) - "Video Video Video: Productions by Alan Hashimoto" Also, American 19th century paintings, drawings and sculpture from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Both through March.
Park City Gallery (592 Main, Park City, 649-4514) - Oils by Gary Smith and Steve McGinty, and pastels by Yugoslavian artist Marinko Cetvei.
Springville Museum of Art (126 E. 400 South, Springville, 489-2727) - "The 26th Annual All-State High School Show," featuring artwork by high school students from around the state, through March 15.
St. George Art Museum (47 E. 200 North, St. George, 634-5942) - "Imagine: An Exhibition of Fantasy Art," featuring the work of James C. Christensen, James Gurney and the Brothers Hildebrandt, through March 21.
Weber State University (visual arts department, Ogden, 626-6445) - The annual exhibition of student art from all of Utah's universities and colleges, through March 13.
Finch Lane Gallery announces that applications are available for artists who would like their work considered for exhibition in the gallery in 1998. Completed applications accompanied by slides of artist's work are due at the City Arts Council by Monday, March 16. For more information, call the Council at 596-5000.
The Utah Watercolor Society announces a call for entry for its annual juried Open Spring Show, to be held at the Tivoli Gallery in Salt Lake City. Slides of work are due by Tuesday, March 3. The exhibit will be only display through May. For more information or prospectus, call 842-2069.
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[WM]championships and have made more appearances than any other senior hockey team at the Allan Cup in the past decade, but the championship itself has eluded them more times than they would’ve liked.
On Monday, they’ll begin their quest to fix that, seeking their fourth national title as they host the 2019 Viking Projects Allan Cup at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex in Lacombe.
On Sunday, they officially earned their way in as the Alberta provincial champions, despite being given a berth into the tournament as hosts, and they’re hoping that will help them finally capture that title.
“It’s been a long time coming. I think with this team, the Allan Cup has been a goal every year and guys are chomping at the bit,” said Generals Captain Brennan Evans. “I think we’re doing exactly what we need to do…We’ve been doing things the right way for the most part.
Generals General Manager Jeff McInnis says losing the past few years has stung, but he’s unsure of anything tangible or within their control they could change to make sure the team does capture that championship.
“When you’re talking about beating everyone and anyone, it comes down to the finest of wires. We were up 4-3 in the third period in last year’s final, and they scored two in the middle of the period and that was it,” he said. “I don’t have the answer beyond what it takes to build a team and we think we’ve built a very good team.
That said, he believes they’ve done everything they could to set themselves up for success.
“I’m 100 per cent confident that our group couldn’t have worked any harder or been more diligent,” he said. “There’s nothing more we could do.
The Generals previously hosted the tournament in 2013 in Red Deer, but they feel this tournament will be even better, given their experience, and the fact the tournament is being held in a place they can call home.
As such, the tournament will act as somewhat of a housewarming party for the team.
It was just four years ago that the then-Bentley Generals announced they would leave the community of Bentley in December 2015, due to attendance, and finished their 2015-16 season playing in Lacombe, where it became clear they’d found a new place to take root.
In the spring, the move, and a change of name from the Bentley Generals to the Lacombe Generals took place. Renovations commenced on the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex, and half way through the first season they officially stepped onto the ice for the first time in their new home.
It took a couple of seasons to fully settle in – the most recent of which saw the Generals paint the bleachers in their characteristic blue and gold – but they’re happy with the way the community has embraced them.
Not that there aren’t still changes they’d like to see in the area of support.
Senior hockey is always a struggle financially, given the leagues are “working mens leagues” and they’re not able to play as many games or promote themselves in the way major junior teams and other levels might.
Even this year, the Generals played at the start of March, and didn’t take the ice at home for fans until March 31, which he said is “devastating” in terms of keeping them relevant.
However, the 2019 Viking Projects Allan Cup promises to have packed stands every night, and they’re down to about 150 tickets left per game, so those looking to purchase at the door ahead of the games may want to get there early if they don’t want to purchase in advance.
“It’ll be down to slim pickings. There’s not a lot left,” said McInnis.
Fortunately, should any games be sold out, the Molson Canadian Hockey House, which will be located in the Freightliner of Red Deer Curling Complex next door to the arena, will have three large projection screens displaying the broadcast of the games and the TSN final.
For more details, visit www.allancup.ca.
The Innisfail Eagles are making history, appearing at the Allan Cup tournament for the first time in the franchise’s 71 years.
And they’re looking to make up for both their Allan Cup Hockey West finals and Hockey Alberta Provincial Senior AAA finals losses which came at the Lacombe Generals.
Innisfail finished third in ACHW standings in the regular season with a 9-8-0-1 record, and made it to the ACHW finals where they were swept by the Generals 3-0 in a best-of-five series.
Innisfail then had to duke it out with the Stony Plain Eagles in a best-of-seven provincial semifinal, where they bested their opponents four games to two, including a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 6 to secure an Allan Cup berth. In the provincial final, however, they came up short, losing by an aggregate score of 7-4 to Lacombe (See Page 13 for more).
The team may not be on home ice, but they’re sure to have a numerous fans in the stands at every game – especially considering their roster features a pair of Lacombe brothers in Blair and Taylor Mulder.
The Eagles will be forced to practice in Red Deer ahead of the tournament, as the ice is being taken out in their home arena. They will play in the opening game of the tournament on April 8 against the Rosetown Red Wings at 4 p.m.
A year ago, the Rosetown Red Wings were the hosts of the Allan Cup tournament and came up short with a 0-1-2-0 record that saw them fall in the quarterfinals.
This year, as the Saskatchewan representatives, they’ll look to not just improve upon that, but go all the way and win their first Allan Cup.
In the regular season, the Red Wings and Lacombe Generals fought for first place in ACHW standings all year, with their 11-7-0-0 record and +10 goal differential being edged by Lacombe’s 10-6-0-2 record and +12 goal differential for top spot.
In ACHW playoffs, the Red Wings were bounced in the first round by the Innisfail Eagles 3-0 in a best-of-five series.
Rosetown last made the finals in 2012 where they were defeated 4-1 by the South East Prairie Thunder, and they also participated in the 2013 tournament hosted by the Bentley Generals in Red Deer.
The South East Prairie Thunder, like the Lacombe Generals, are also no strangers to the Allan Cup, making their seventh straight appearance at the tournament, and so it’s only fitting the two teams will play each other first in the tournament on April 8.
The Prairie Thunder, who are based in Steinbach, Man., have made nine total appearances at the tournament. Their first was in 2009, where they made it all the way to the final, but were bested 4-3 in double overtime to the then-Bentley Generals.
They won their first Allan Cup in 2012 where they defeated the Rosetown Redwings 4-1. Their second Allan Cup came in 2015, where they shutout Bentley 2-0.
They were also finalists in 2016.
This year, they punched their ticket to the tournament by sweeping the Ste. Anne Aces in their best-of-three Hockey Manitoba Provincial Senior AAA finals series, including a 4-3 double overtime victory and a 4-0 shutout.
The Stoney Creek Generals, who hail from a community in Hamilton, Ont., are just six years old, but already are trying to do what no team has done in over 30 years – win the Allan Cup in back-to-back years.
Last year, the team won the Allan Cup for the first time, defeating the Lacombe Generals 7- 4 in the final.
This year, they’ll make their fourth consecutive appearance at the tournament after winning the Allan Cup Hockey league’s regular season with an 18-5-1 record, and sweeping the Whitby Dunlops 4-0 in a the best-of-seven Roberston Cup finals series.
Stoney Creek’s first game of the tournament will be on Tuesday, April 9 against the Innisfail Eagles at 4 p.m. They will play the Rosetown Redwings at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
The Haut-Madawaska Panthers will not only be representing their own community of St. Francois de Madawaksa in New Brunswick, but the entire Atlantic region at the Allan Cup as Newfoundland and Labrador chose not to send a representative this year.
The team plays in the Circuit de Hockey Senior Roger-Lizotte, and were the 2017-18 playoff champions. This year, they fell in semifinals to the St. Quentin Castors four games to three in a best-of-seven series, but had a 21-5-0-2 record in the regular season.
The Panthers have no prior Allan Cup tournament history.
For more information on the tournament and schedule, visit www.allancup.ca.
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[WM]On October 30, a major new report on the impact of Marcellus Shale gas development on water resources will be issued. Water Resource Reporting and Water Footprint from Marcellus Shale Development in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, was co-authored by Evan Hansen, president of the environmental analysis firm Downstream Strategies, and Dustin Mulvaney, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Energy Resources at San Jose State University. The report was developed in collaboration with Earthworks and funded by a Switzer Network Innovation Grant.
� Over 80% of the water used in fracking in West Virginia and over 70% used in Pennsylvania comes directly from rivers and streams.
� Over 90% of the water injected underground to fracture gas wells never returns to the surface, meaning it is permanently removed from the water cycle.
� In addition, critical data and information gaps exist that prevent researchers, policymakers, and the public from attaining a full picture of trends.
The authors analyze these and other trends and present recommendations for addressing water use and waste generation going forward.
- Meghan Betcher, M.S., Environmental Scientist, Downstream Strategie.
Click� here� to see the full report.
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[WM]It is rarely that one comes across people who are with a happy disposition at all times. Prithi Fernando is one person I know who is always in a great mood come what may. Two weeks ago she celebrated her belated birthday on the pontoon where all her guests were invited to rock the boat, and rocked the boat is what they did with lots of great food and a super choice of beverages. It kept the crowd going till the pontoon docked back to the jetty in the wee hours. Her celebrations are always such.
I have known Prithi for many decades and throughout these years, to me, she has come across as a positive person. Generous to a fault, always hosting great parties and at the same time doing great charitable deeds. The latter is done in the quiet and sans publicity.
Chatting with Prithi recently I learned that a media person who always thought she was doing a great honour by featuring Prithi had the gumption to say to her that it was she who had made Prithi well known in Colombo. Fortunately, Prithi knew her for what she was. A crafty fox trying to enhance her financial benefits from Prithi. Colombo is a small fish pond and in reality one does not need humongous publicity to be known. On top of it, Prithi also knew that this fox bad mouths her to other women and benefits financially from them in return.
Prithi is a clever and intelligent business woman and independent in her own right. Like all successful people, she will always have those who will dislike her and happy to relate a bad tale or two about her. She fortunately knows never to get ruffled and rises above, celebrating life and continuing with her good deedsPrithi knows that the main ingredients in life are to be generous and happy.
Those Exhibition Openings : Oh Colombo !
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[WM]The fifth one was the sweetest. And the most difficult to achieve.
The Sockers' postgame championship trot around the field at the Sports Arena and the trophy looked familiar, but this title was different.
This time, the Sockers were the underdogs. They were the ones fighting for their lives.
The Sockers won their third straight do-or-die game to win their fifth consecutive indoor championship Monday night at the San Diego Sports Arena.
A sellout crowd of 12,881 screaming fans saw the Sockers defeat the Minnesota Strikers, 5-3, to win the best-of-seven Major Indoor Soccer League championship series four games to three.
"This was probably the hardest," said Socker Coach Ron Newman, who had just hugged his wife, Olive, during the postgame ceremonies at midfield.
"We Are the Champions" started blasting on the loud speaker. Again.
"This is definitely and without a doubt the sweetest of all," said Socker forward Ade Coker, who has been on all five championship teams. "To come from 3-1 down (in games) has to say a lot for the character of the team."
Accused of being whiners and complainers, the Sockers showed they also have a lot of heart. And in the final three games of the series, they were magical.
Socker midfielder Brian Quinn--as inspirational as he has been fiesty throughout the championship series--had two goals and an assist.
Quinn was awarded the playoff Most Valuable Player award. He had 13 goals and 10 assists in 15 playoff games and five goals and two assists in the championship series.
"This is the first thing I've ever won individually," Quinn said. "I never had this much attention in my life. But it could have gone to five or six guys. We all realize how valuable everyone is. I love them all."
A nonstop runner and fighter and scrapper, Quinn also had seven blocked shots. Most came while he played on the penalty-killing unit.
Quinn is consistently good at everything he does.
"He looks like he's enjoying himself and he doesn't seem to feel the pressure," Newman said. "Quinnie just has great games and good games. And that's great for the coach."
In the championship series, Quinn also refused to let his teammates get too demoralized when the Sockers trailed three games to one.
"After we lost the fourth game in Minnesota," Quinn said, "we looked at ourselves and realized there wasn't enough intensity."
Quinn continually told his teammates, "It isn't over yet."
The Sockers regrouped for a 7-4 victory in the fifth game in San Diego and a very emotional 6-3 victory Friday night at the Met Center that tied the series.
Entering Monday's night Game 7, the Sockers were a confident, but injury-riddled team that had a 27-1 mark in home playoff games.
Captain Jean Willrich did not play much because of his strained right groin. Midfielder Hugo Perez and defender Brain Schmetzer also played with injuries.
Despite playing with a bruised left knee and ankle, Juli Veee took regular shifts and had two assists.
"It is a marvelous feeling," Veee said. "It is very emotional. I am sad that Jean (Willrich) couldn't play, but I am very happy for the young players."
The Strikers were healthy, but also still were recovering from the disappointment of not wrapping up the series at home.
"Before the game," said Socker defender Fernando Clavijo, "I saw that they were really down. When we scored those three goals, they really had no chance."
San Diego led 1-0 after one quarter and 2-1 at halftime. The Sockers took control with two goals in the third quarter and another early in the final period to make it 4-1.
Socker goalkeeper Jim Gorsek made 20 saves on 46 shots. That's right, the Sockers were outshot 46-22. Five San Diego penalties for 10 minutes was partly responsible.
"Gorsek was tremendous," said Striker midfielder Ray Hudson.
So was the Socker offense on five occasions.
The Sockers won "One for the Thumb"--their rallying cry for a fifth championship ring.
Sockers 1 Strikers 0: Quinn when he got the rebound of his own shot and lined a left-footed half volley from inside the penalty area at 7:08 of the first quarter. Coker got an assist.
The Sockers did what they said they had to do. They scored the first goal.
Sockers 1, Strikers 1: On Minnesota's third power-play attempt of the half, Jan Goossens lined a 30-foot right-footer from the right wing at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter.
Scokers 2, Strikers 1: Big, big goal. Just 17 seconds after Goossens scored, Collier lined a low line drive past Lettieri. Collier took a pass from Veee and knocked the ball inside the left post. Assist Veee.
It was only the second goal of the playoffs for Collier, who scored the game-winner in the Sockers' 7-6 overtime win against St. Louis in the opening game of the first round playoff series.
Sockers 3, Strikers 1: At 1:18 of the third quarter, Quinn and Branko Segota teamed up on a two-on-one break. Segota to Quinn to Segota, who placed a left-footer from the top of the circle past Lettieri. Assist Quinn. Momentum Sockers.
Sockers 4, Strikers 1: Gorsek threw a perfect outlet pass to Quinn at the second red line. Quinn took a few dribbles and slid a right-footer into the far corner of the net at 6:24 of the third quarter. Assist Gorsek.
The fans started to taste the championship.
Sockers 5, Strikers 1: Coker tapped a rebound in the net from in front of the goal. Assist Veee.
Postgame celebrations were being discussed in the stands.
Mike Jeffries and Thompson Usiyan scored for Minnesota within a two-minute span in the fourth quarter to make it 5-3 with 4:17 left in the game.
"Just another typical San Diego Socker season," said smiling Socker defender Kevin Crow.
Maybe even a little sweeter.
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[WM]UNITED NATIONS, September 26, 2010 -- The Obama administration's less critical stand on the military government in Myanmar has been on display of late.
In the run up to the September 27 meeting at the UN of the Group of Friends of the Secretary General on Myanmar, Inner City Press has been asking a range of Obama administration officials what the US position in the meeting, and on Myanmar, will be.
First, Inner City Press asked the Myanmar question to a senior US official who gave a briefing to preview the General Debate. The official, who has spoken about Sudan, Iran and a range of other topics, said they hadn't been briefed on Myanmar.
But two days later, still no answer had been provided. After another US briefing, about President Obama's two speeches at the UN, Inner City Press tried again to get the US position.
As transcribed below, the State Department spokesman's presentation to Inner City Press of the US position on Myanmar and the meeting initially seems strong, critical of the military government of Than Shwe and other generals, but ultimately uses the support of China and India for Myanmar as a reason not to push for much.
Some point out that the Obama administration, loudly, does not allow Chinese support for Sudan to stop it from publicly speechifying about Sudan, and being seen to “apply pressure” to the al Bashir government.
Why has the US, as some see it, given up on Burma? Watch this site.
Inner City Press: Do you remember my Myanmar question. Did I miss a briefing of yours?
Crowley: No. There is a friend of Myanmar meeting on Monday. We will be participating. And we'll go through a full range of issues. Obviously our concerns about the human rights climate are well known. We have been encouraging Myanmar to open up political space. Clearly they have failed to do that. We have been encouraging them to have a serious dialogue with the various ethnic groups which compose their population. They haven't done that. The electoral laws that they've passed for the election later this fall we believe will not lead to a credible result. Just taking generals out of uniform and making them civilians is not enough. Part of the challenge with Burma is also working more collaboratively with other countries some of whom do have strong relations with Burma. To settle on a common approach and then see if we can't together demonstrate to Burma there are definitely things that they have to do.
Inner City Press: You mean India as well as China?
Inner City Press: There's this call for an international inquiry into war crimes in Burma which was made by the UN rapporteur. France has just said there's going pursue it in this GA. It was never clear to people if the Obama administration joined that call There were some articles where a senior US official said they supported the call but it was never.. I don't know what that meant. Do you know what I'm referring to?
Crowley Yeah I do. I don't know if that's going to be brought up at this meeting or not. Let's wait and see.
If the Obama administration were really behind this call for an inquiry into war crimes in Burma, it seems unlikely that the State Department spokesman would say “let's wait and see” if the issue comes up at the September 27 meeting the US is participating in. Watch this site.
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[WM]Liverpool and Arsenal are considering a sensational summer swap deal involving Raheem Sterling and Theo Walcott.
The Daily Star claim the Reds want at least £20million and Walcott for 20-year-old hot-shot Sterling.
Walcott, 26, is believed to have been offered by Arsenal in a swap deal for Luis Suarez last summer.
And with Sterling appearing unsettled on Merseyside, the Gunners are set to use the winger as bait in another blockbuster move.
Kop boss Brendan Rodgers is thought to be eyeing a move for Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson.
The Sun claim Liverpool want the £7m-rated right-back to replace Glen Johnson.
With Mathieu Debuchy and Hector Bellerin ahead of Jenkinson in the Emirates pecking order he may look for a move away this summer.
The 23-year-old is on loan at West Ham this season and while the Hammers want to do a permanent deal Rodgers is ready to swoop.
Dani Alves has rejected Barcelona's final contract offer.
The Brazilian full-back is out of contract at the end of the season and is wanted by a host of top European clubs including Liverpool and Manchester United.
And Alves' agent Dinorah Santana has fuelled talk the 31-year-old will be leaving the Nou Camp by saying: "The negotiations are over.
"If they say this is the final offer, then they (negotiations) are over."
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[WM]Remember Microsoft's Bing Cashback program, which refunded a few percentage points (and sometimes more than a few) of online purchases made via the Bing portal? Microsoft shuttered the program last June, but its spirit lives on in the form of FatWallet Cash Back. It's ridiculously easy to use, and the only cost is a minute or two of your time.
Start by signing up for an account, which requires little more than your name and e-mail address. Wait for your confirmation e-mail to arrive, then click the link to activate your account. Now you're all set to start shopping.
Let's say you're in the market for some flowers for Mother's Day. Instead of going directly to, say, 1-800-Flowers.com, you'd head to FatWallet's Cash Back Stores page, search for that store, then click through to it using FatWallet's affiliate link. From there you just browse and buy as usual.
Flash forward several months. (Yes, it takes that long--this is not unlike waiting on a rebate check. And I suppose that's the "catch.") After FatWallet receives confirmation from the merchant that you've paid for your product (and haven't returned it), you'll see a Cash Back credit in your account.
The amount varies from one store to another--it might be three percent of your total purchase price, or eight percent, or even 15. When you're ready to turn that credit into actual money, you can request a check or a direct transfer to your PayPal account. I recommend reading the FAQ page so there are no surprises along the way.
Although a few percentage points might not seem like much, it can definitely add up--especially on big purchases. If you drop $800 on a new TV, and the merchant is offering 10 percent, that's $80 back in your pocket. And if you place a monthly order with, say, the Vitamin Shoppe, you'll get seven percent back every single time.
Thus, for anyone who regularly shops online, FatWallet can save you a decent chunk of change. I'd go so far as to say it's crazy not to use it, as there's absolutely no downside I can see (except the long wait for your cash back).
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[WM]In your lifetime, you've wished upon many stars.
You've spotted a twinkle in the night sky and hoped for love or fulfillment of a dream. You've wished for good grades, better money, the return of a loved one. And sometimes, you've wished for the impossible.
But was the wish fulfilled, or was the star just another ball of gas? For a woman in the 1850s, it was the latter: In "The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell" by William Klaber, Lucy futilely wished she was a man.
On the morning when she cut her hair, donned her brother's clothes, and slipped from her parents' house before daybreak, Lucy Slater left more than a wretched life behind.
She also left her daughter, Helen, which tore her heart. Still, the decision to flee wasn't difficult.
Three years prior, Lucy's husband abandoned his family, leaving them with nothing and forcing them to live with Lucy's parents. Since she'd married against parental approval, there was only hostility in their home - a situation made worse because they knew that Lucy was most comfortable in the woods, wearing her little brother's clothes. That was unseemly for a lady in upstate New York, 1855.
Men had it so much better. They could live without care, wearing breeches and shirts. They could hold jobs that paid a decent days' wage. She envied them. So Lucy Slater boarded a train headed east, and became Joseph Lobdell.
Fearing that he'd be unmasked, Joseph kept to himself until he could grab a barge to Honesdale, Pennsylvania. There, he played the violin for patrons in a downtown inn, and he started a dancing school for the young ladies of the growing city. Honesdale was also where Joseph fell in love with a 17-year-old named Lydia.
Sounds like a good adventure yarn, doesn't it? It is - and it's even more enjoyable, once you know that "The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell" is based on real life.
In his after-notes, author William Klaber says he learned about Lucy Lobdell Slater from a writer-friend who wanted the story told. Knowing that the dearth of facts could hinder a biography, Klaber decided to fill in the blanks with fiction.
This book is none the lesser for it.
In giving Lucy the voice of narrator, Klaber lends a sure vulnerability that surprisingly lingers, and wistfulness that adds a note of sadness. He also gives her a feisty single-mindedness and keen awareness that what she was doing wasn't just scandalous but was downright criminal. Readers who remember that important point will love this book as much as I did.
Perfect for historians, feminists, and anybody who enjoys historical fiction, this novel is a definite winner. If that's you, then look for it because "The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell" gets five stars.
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[WM]border control on to ports and airports, and airlines and their passengers.
governing the costs. But let's get that risk in perspective.
or below. It's time for a change.
New Zealand is to retain the semblance of a decent society.
well under Labour governments in the past.
important plank in our knowledge economy project.
today includes meetings in Oamaru, Timaru and Ashburton.
and Rankin faces a personal grievance suit from the manager she suspended.
Watch this space, says Labour employment spokesman Steve Maharey.
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[WM]Italy will adopt emergency budget cuts worth 20 billion euros next year and 25 billion euros in 2013, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told local government representatives on Friday.
A source present at the meeting, held to outline the contents of an emergency decree to be adopted by the cabinet later on Friday, said ministry budgets would be cut by 6 billion euros next year and 2.5 billion in 2013.
The source did not say which ministries would be affected.
Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti told the meeting the decree would also reduce layers of local administration, eliminating some provincial governments and town councils and privatising local services.
The government aims to bring the budget into balance by 2013 to reassure panicked financial markets about the solidity of Italy's public finances.
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[WM]A move to Fridays is rarely a good sign for a TV show, which was the case for Raising Hope last fall. So while it's certainly disappointing news that the series has been cancelled by Fox, it's not entirely surprising, all things considered. Still, we're going to miss the Chance family!
Deadline reported the news, stating that the current fourth season of Raising Hope will be its last, and the series will wrap-up with an hour-long farewell on Friday, April 4.
The premise of Greg Garcia's series centers on a twenty-something guy whose one-night-stand with a serial killer results in the birth of a daughter named Hope, whom Jimmy ends up raising. But the bigger picture is the series' emphasis on the Chances, a blue-collar family living a simple life and doing what they can to raise Hope right. In addition to Lucas Neff, who plays Jimmy, the cast includes Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward and Cloris Leachman. Of all the characters, i was always a fan of Plimpton and Dillahunt's Virginia and Burt, as their history and the evident love they have for one another often yielded some of the funniest bits on the series.
Meanwhile, we're left to wonder the fate of some of FOX's other comedies. Fox just gave early renewals to New Girl, The Following, The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but there's no word yet on the fate of Dads and Enlisted. If I had to choose between the two, I hope Enlisted makes the cut, and is preferably moved to a better timeslot, especially now that Raising Hope is going off the air, but we'll have to wait and see.
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[WM]The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board approved a tentative budget Tuesday that reduces the property tax rate while continuing to fund initiatives to protect the region’s springs and the Indian River Lagoon.
All property owners in Flagler County, including all its cities, pay the water management district’s tax. Flagler is one of 18 counties in the St. Johns district.
The tentative 0.3283 millage rate (or 32.8 cents per $1,000 in taxable value) is about a 1 percent decrease from the current year’s millage rate and would result in $80.6 million in property tax revenue for the district. The total $135.5 million proposed budget is slated to be funded with the property tax revenue, plus state, federal and other sources (including timber sales, cattle leases, interest earnings, permit fees and fund balances).
For Flagler County residents, the tax rate means that a property owner with a $150,000 house and a $50,000 homestead exemption will have a $33 bill from the district. The tax bill is included as a line-item among all other municipal, school and county taxes. The owner of a $200,000 house with a $50,000 homestead exemption would pay $49.25.
The proposed budget includes at least $13.3 million in cooperative funding for 22 reclaimed water and water conservation projects, springshed nutrient-reduction projects, and enhancements to wastewater treatment and water distribution systems with local governments and other entities.
Construction of the Fellsmere Water Management Area and the second phase of the Canal 1 Rediversion Project in Brevard and Indian River counties, which are among the final components of the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project.
Projects to reduce nutrient pollution in Lake Apopka in Orange and Lake counties and Lake George in Putnam and Volusia counties and downstream water bodies by removing “rough fish” species, primarily gizzard shad.
On-farm and regional water management cost-share projects that reduce nutrient discharges to the St. Johns River, improve water conservation, and result in more efficient farmmanagement in the Tri-County Agricultural Area of Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties.
Expanding data collection to support priority District initiatives.
The Board approved a ranking of applications that provides funding for 22 projects with local governments and other entities in fiscal year 2013-2014, which begins Oct. 1. The projects will be located in nine counties — Alachua, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Seminole and Volusia. The 22 projects represent a total of $59 million in construction costs among all of the partners.
The District received 42 cooperative funding project applications during the submittal period that ended May 1. The 22 projects slated for funding emerged as priority projects following an intensive and objective evaluation of each application.
Public hearings on the tentative budget will be held at 5:05 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 24. Final budget adoption will occur at the Sept. 24 meeting at the district’s Palatka headquarters at 4049 Reid Street.
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[WM]Sherry Black funeral today at 11 a.m.
The funeral for slain bookseller Sherry Black will take place Monday in Sandy at 11 a.m.
She and her husband, Earl Black, ran B&W Billiards and Books from a building next to their home at 3466 S. 700 East. Earl Black makes custom knives and pool tables; Sherry Black sold used and rare books. Black is the mother-in-law to Greg Miller, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group, which owns the Utah Jazz.
The 64-year-old was stabbed to death at her home on Nov. 30.
Her funeral will take place at the Sandy Utah Crescent Stake Center, 1700 E. 10945 South, at 11 a.m. She will be interred at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.
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[WM]Homes have been without power today after a car crashed into a telegraph pole.
Police were called to Chapel Lane in New Longton, near Penwortham, at 8.45am after getting reports of a Toyota GT86 crashing into a telegraph pole.
Lancashire Police's Force Incident Manager Dave Britton said: "It's a car that went into a telegraph pole.
"We're now waiting for the pole to either be removed or made safe by engineers."
Some 162 homes were reported to be without power at 9.11am with a hope of being fixed by 11.18am.
83 homes remained without power going into the afternoon, with Electricity North West restoring power to all properties by 3.30pm.
Chapel Lane was closed and no injuries were reported from the crash.
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[WM]Gene Blevins/ReutersA tornado in Kansas last week. A new poll suggests the public feels that global warming is real.
Sunday will be the 42nd annual Earth Day celebration. Here are 10 ideas for commemorating the day, observed each year on April 22, or exploring issues related to the environment in the classroom or home on any day of the year.
When was the first Earth Day (PDF), and what major themes did it address? Are these themes still relevant today? How has Earth Day changed since 1970? In the past five or 10 years? Since the year in which you were born? How had public attitudes and environmental concerns changed by the time Earth Day hit 20 and “shed its humble roots”? How has going global shifted its focus? And how has “green” turned into big business 40 years later?
After searching for Earth Day coverage over the years in the Times archives, students make posters intended to aesthetically and thematically represent Earth Day celebrations from various years.
Alternatively, they investigate who coordinated the first Earth Day and what personal experiences shaped his attitude about preserving the environment. They then reflect on what factors have influenced how they consider the environment and make posters representing what Earth Day means to them.
What do you know about Earth Day and the environment? Students test their knowledge with our student crosswords about Earth Day or global warming.
Or, students create quizzes intended to test others’ knowledge of major environmental events since 1940. Another way to do the quiz is to list the events on the board and have students try to put them in chronological order.
To follow up, ask students how they might get to know the natural features of the place where they live, like rivers, lakes, woodlands, fields, rock formations or even mountains. Can they identify the common plant and animal species that live in the community? Have them annotate a map of the neighborhood around your school with these features and note the species you would expect to find there.
If possible, take your class on a sense of place field trip, using tools like Environment Canada’s Urban BioKit or Nature BioKit as guides for students to complete as you walk around your school’s neighborhood or to a nearby park.
After their exploration, students read the Scientist at Work blog post “Biodiversity, and Green Slugs, in Action,” noting the number of species the author lists in her column. Using this column as inspiration, they then write a similar essay on their experience of the sense of place walk.
A growing number of scientists and conservationists suggest that the best way to preserve and protect the Earth is to focus less on restoring degraded lands to a former, “pristine” condition and more on preserving what we can while accepting that people are a part of Earth’s ecosystems. After reading the Op-Ed “Hope in the Age of Man,” students discuss its main ideas: what is the “Anthropocene,” and why do some environmentalists see it as a “disaster”? What do the authors have to say about it? Do students agree with the authors’ assertion that “We can accept the reality of humanity’s reshaping of the environment without giving up in despair”?
Alternatively, use our lesson “Will It Happen Again? Examining Mass Extinctions on Earth” to explore the perspective some scientists hold that humans are responsible for a major extinction on Earth.
What actions can you take to provide shelter for wildlife in your community? As a class or as a school community, consider following the National Wildlife Federation’s guidelines for building a Schoolyard Habitat. Students might encourage their families to use native plants in their own gardens at home.
Or, taking a page from City Room’s Hawk Cam project, they monitor a local family of birds or other species and blog about their observations and provide tips for how local people can help animal and plant life thrive.
Students assess risks in their regions like rising sea levels and flooding as well as extreme weather and how public opinion about the connections between climate change and these risks help shape politics.
Students can also use the Times Topics pages on global warming and climate change to brush up on the latest news and provide their classmates with regular updates.
You might also take a look at Andrew C. Revkin’s Dot Earth blog posts “What’s A Science Teacher to Do?” and “Climate in Classrooms” or the editorial “Pseudoscience and Tennessee’s Classrooms.” Why is climate change – and the teaching of it in school – hotly debated? Where do you stand? What is your school or district’s policy?
Use our lesson “How Green Is My School? Conducting an Energy Audit” to determine the school’s use of energy.
Next, students read up on green building projects like the energy- and carbon-neutral headquarters of Seattle’s Bullitt Foundation, which is headed up by Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day observation, and net-zero energy buildings. They identify some commercial buildings that meet this standard or have achieved other aspects of high performance buildings. They then brainstorm and propose ways to make their homes or schools achieve a net-zero energy balance.
Students explore the concept of geoengineering, or developing technological solutions to climate change caused by human activity. Are geoengineering approaches more feasible than those meant to limit the emission of greenhouse gases? Should we pursue some of these methods, like deflecting sunlight away from earth? What are some potential pitfalls to geoengineering? How might simpler solutions, like installing cool roofs, help mitigate atmospheric warming? How environmentally friendly are so-called “green” products? Hold a classroom debate.
How is the environment represented in entertainment and culture? What messages do these aspects of popular culture send? What celebrities are associated with environmentalism, and what impact does their activism have? Students choose a specific film, television show, magazine feature or other aspect of culture that features nature or the environment to assess and analyze for its messages and effectiveness at fostering awareness.
Because my family moves around alot it made me think of all the Earth Day celebrations that my schools have done, sometimes we did a green up day and others we had a picnic outside in a local deer park. My mom told me a little about Earth day when she was younger. It was really interesting to learn.
However a long ago it was… I vividly remember each student getting a packet of lima bean seeds. It was our MISSION to successfully grow the plant throughout the rest of the year. This was when I visually learned about how plants literally learn towards sunlight.
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[WM]The security vendor Avast has received a $100m investment from private equity firm Summit Partners, in exchange for a minority stake in the company.
Avast chief executive Vince Steckler described the $100m (£64m) deal on Monday as "a vote of confidence in our disruptive 'freemium' business model", which sees the vendor giving its product — including updates — for free to millions of non-corporate users.
The company's current model is based around providing its antivirus program, which contains similar features to competitors' paid-for offerings, to home users for free. As with rival antivirus firm AVG, this is done in the hope that those customers will then upgrade to a paid-for premium version.
Avast also provides a number of business-tailored products that attract an annual subscription fee in exchange for security features. The firm's freemium model has already netted the security specialist approximately 100 million registered subscribers, according to a statement from the company.
"[This approach] is already upsetting the traditional antivirus market," said Steckler. "Instead of paying for advertising or installation on new computers, Avast continues to experience dramatic growth as fans of Avast recommend our products to their friends. Freemium is the wave of the future... We have no plans to change our approach and conform to the classic retail positioning model."
As part of Monday's deal, Scott Collins, managing director of Summit Partners, will get a seat on Avast's board of directors. ZDNet UK asked Avast how big Summit Partners' minority stake was, but the company would not divulge this information.
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[WM]Former American Idol host Brian Dunkleman is now driving for Uber — and he's perfectly fine with that. After TMZ reported on Thursday (Jan. 3) that the former TV host is a driver for the ride-sharing company, Dunkleman had some choice words for those who look down on how his career has progressed.
"I chose to stop doing standup comedy and started driving an Uber so I could be there for my son as much as he needed after our life as we knew it was destroyed. Print that," Dunkleman tweeted, referencing his divorce from and custody battle with his wife, Kalea Dunkleman. The couple has a son together, 5-year-old Jackson.
TMZ learned Dunkleman's current occupation by obtaining financial documents he submitted as part of divorce proceedings. The paperwork notes that Dunkleman began driving for Uber in March of 2016 and works about 45 hours per week; it also notes his weekly pay, checking account balance and monthly expenses.
"And I make over a grand on a good week motherf--kers," Dunkelman adds in a second tweet. In both tweets, he tagged TMZ and its founder, Harvey Levin.
A native of New York State, Dunkleman co-hosted the first season of American Idol in 2002 with Ryan Seacrest, but elected to leave the gig after Season 1. He later admitted, People reports, that he believes he would have been fired had he not left of his own accord; still, Dunkleman added, he was "bitter" about his decision after seeing how successful the show became.
Dunkleman made an appearance on American Idol during the show's Fox series finale in 2016 (the TV singing competition has since been revived on ABC). At the time, he said that he was "very glad" to have been asked back.
What Are Country Music's American Idol Finalists Doing Now?
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