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America defeat Pumas, Monterrey see off Tigres, Cruz Azul beat Morelia and Santos Laguna are victorious over Atlas in the Laguilla quarter finals.
In the first of the quarter finals, America welcomed Pumas UNAM to Estadio Azteca holding a slender 1-0 advantage.
They made that and their home advantage count though, as Chucho Benitez's second half double cancelled out Robin Ramirez's first half opener which had brought the visitors level in the tie.
But Benitez, who has been linked with Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, showed why as he held off two defenders before coolly slotting home his second and his side's third to clinch America's place in the semi finals.
Tigres hosted Monterrey faced with a one goal deficit to overturn, and they did just that in the 13th minute through Danilinho. The Brazilian winger chested down Carlos Salcido's long ball, before firing an unstoppable volley into the top left hand corner.
Israel Jimenez though was the unfortunate man on the night, as he tried to volley the ball away, it inexplicably span off his foot and over the advancing Enrique Palos into his own net to put Monterrey back in front.
Danilinho saw red late on, but the game was up and Monterrey, buoyed by their CONCAF win, advance to the semi finals of Laguilla.
Morelia were hoping their late second goal would give them a way back into their game with Cruz Azul, and after Rodrigo Salinas reduced the deficit to one it looked like they might have a chance on home soil. Both sides had squandered chances before Salinas let fly with a thumping strike, which was too hot for Jose Jesus De Corona to keep out.
Morelia had a few half chances in the second half but Azul held firm to occupy the third semi final position.
An early goal from Omar Bravo was as good as it got for Atlas as they were defeated by Santos Laguna at Estadio Jalisco. Bravo tapped home after just five minutes to give them a 1-0 lead but the lead didn't last long as Andres Renteria poked home from less than six yards.
Miguel Pinto then saw red as the home side's hope diminished, and Darwin Quintero notched a second half double to make the score 3-1 and put his side into the last semi final slot.
Therefore the semi final line up looks like this:
Monterrey vs. America MEX
Santos Laguna vs. Cruz Azul
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Born: January 7, 1930, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Judith was the younger of two children born to religious, middle-class Jewish parents. Judith's mother, Clara, was Sephardic, a descendant of Jews who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. Her father, Lodewijk, was a traveling representative for a firm based in Amsterdam. The family lived in an apartment in a new section of Amsterdam on the southern outskirts.
1933-39: Judith attended grade school with her cousin Hetty who was the same age. Judith loved to study. Her mother taught piano to students who came to the house for lessons. Judith loved to play the piano, too. Her family celebrated the Jewish holidays, and like most Dutch families, they exchanged gifts every December 6 on Saint Nicholas Day.
1940-43: After the Germans occupied Amsterdam, they enforced new laws that forbade Jews to enter libraries and museums, or even to use street cars. Then they ordered Jews to wear an identifying yellow badge, and would not allow Jewish children to attend public schools. One by one Judith's relatives disappeared, picked up by the Germans. Then Judith, her mother and brother were arrested in a roundup by the Germans who came while Judith's father was away at work on a night shift.
Judith was deported to the Westerbork transit camp. From there she was sent to an extermination camp in Poland. She was 13 years old when she died.
Copyright © United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

subset: commoncrawl


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As we all know, there's at least as much real crime out there as there is fictional crime. And writers can't help but be influenced by those crime stories. After all, crime writers follow the news like a lot of other people, and sometimes those true crime stories can be fascinating enough that they catch the writer's interest. Something about them gets the writer thinking.
For example, the 1888-1891 Whitechapel murders – the so-called 'Jack the Ripper' murders – have caught the imagination of lots of writers. These eleven murders of women have never been officially solved although there has been a lot of speculation about who 'Jack the Ripper' was. Possibly because the murders weren't neatly solved, and because there was so much interest in them at the time, those killings have inspired many novels; I'll just mention a few. In R. Barri Flowers' historical thriller Dark Streets of Whitechapel, Dr. Jack Lewiston has been captured New York and arrested for the 'Jack the Ripper' crimes. But before he can be brought to trial, Lewiston escapes to London. Former New York City detective Henry Marboro comes out of retirement and travels to London to try to track Lewiston down before he can claim more victims.
Marie Belloc Lowndes' The Lodger is also based on the Whitechapel murders. In this story, we meet Robert and Ellen Bunting, highly respectable middle-class Londoners who let rooms. They're particular about the people they admit, but they are also facing financial difficulties. So when a man calling himself Mr. Sleuth agrees to pay in advance for one of the rooms, Mrs. Bunting is more than willing to have him lodge there. Besides, he speaks and acts like 'a gentleman.' All goes well enough at the beginning but soon, the Buntings begin to get an eerie feeling about Mr. Sleuth. After a time Ellen Bunting begins to suspect that he might be a mysterious and vicious killer known as The Avenger, who's been making headlines in all of the newspapers. The more time goes by, the creepier Mr. Sleuth seems and the more danger the Buntings feel. But at the same time, Mr. Sleuth hasn't threatened them and they desperately need the money he pays them. Part of the suspense in this novel comes from the dilemma of whether the Buntings will report what they suspect to the police (and give up that rent), or whether they'll keep quiet.
And then there's Glynis Smy's Ripper, My Love, which tells the story of Kitty Harper, a seamstress who lives and works in Whitechapel at the time of the 'Jack the Ripper' murders. This novel's been called romantic suspense and it is in the sense that the novel follows Kitty's life and the way she deals with three young men who are vying for her. But at the same time there's a strong thread of crime and danger as the Whitechapel murders are seen from Kitty's perspective – and the murderer may be closer to her than anyone knows. There are dozens and dozens of other novels that refer to, are inspired by or are retellings of the Whitechapel murders.
Another murder that has generated a lot of interest (and inspired other crime writers) is what's often called the Crippen case. American homeopathic physician Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged in 1910 for the murder of his wife Cora. There was significant evidence against him too. A torso which could have been hers was found buried in his basement. He'd purchased hyoscine, a quantity of which was found with the remains. He had a new love, too, Ethel 'Le Neve' Neave and in fact, they were captured as they landed in America after leaving England together. There was other evidence too that Crippen had killed his wife. Although the verdict against Crippen has been disputed in the last few years, most people at the time thought him guilty. The story made a sensation and has influenced more than one crime writer. For instance, Agatha Christie's Mrs. McGinty's Dead is the story of the murder of a charwoman whom everyone thinks was killed by her lodger James Bentley. Superintendent Spence doesn't think so though and asks Hercule Poirot to look into the case. Poirot agrees and travels to the village of Broadhinny to do so. He finds that Mrs. McGinty had learned more than it was safe for her to know about one of the 'nice' people who live in the village; that's why she was killed. One of the clues in this case is a story about four old murders, one of which is the murder of a woman by her husband. Like Crippen, this 'Craig case' features a body found in a basement and a man who was hanged for the crime while his lover left the country.
Martin Edwards' Dancing For the Hangman is a fictionalised account of the Crippen case told from Crippen's own point of view. The story begins just after Crippen is convicted for murder, and follows his thoughts as he awaits execution. Interspersed with reports and newspaper stories of the time, the novel tells of Crippen's life in America, his move to London and his marriage to Cora. It then details how Crippen met Ethel Le Neve and tells the story of their plans to go to America together. In this novel, Edwards gives an alternative account of what exactly happened to Cora and why.
One of the most famous novels based on true crime is Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. That novel is a re-telling of the 1959 murders of Kansas farmer Herb Clutter, his wife Bonnie Mae and his children Nancy Mae and Kenyon. Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were arrested, tried and convicted of the crimes. The motive for the murders was money; Hickock and Smith had been in prison before the Clutter murders and heard from a fellow inmate that Herb Clutter had a lot of money at his farm. That wasn't true but it didn't stop Hickock and Smith from committing four murders and then going 'on the run' until the end of that year when they were caught. Capote's novel tells the story of the victims' lives, the relationship between Hickock and Smith and the devastating effects of the Clutter murders on the community. You could call this 'untrue crime,' as it is fiction but tells the story of a real crime.
So does James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia. That novel's focus is the still-unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, who was killed in Los Angeles in 1947. LAPD detectives Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are on a stakeout when they discover Short's body. The case starts to overwhelm the LAPD and becomes a media sensation. Bleichert becomes more and more obsessed with the case, especially when he meets the enigmatic Madeleine Sprague, who closely resembles the victim, and begins to have an affair with her. Blanchard too is obsessed with Elizabeth Short, in large part because his sister was also murdered. This case takes a heavy toll on both officers as they get more and more deeply involved in finding out who Elizabeth Short really was, what her life was like and why she died. Ellroy presents a fictional solution to the case but the real focus in this novel is on the way the murder case affects the cops who investigate it.
There are many other novels that are based on real crimes. For example, there's Megan Abbott's Bury Me Deep, which is based on the 1933 'trunk murders' in which Winnie Ruth Judd was found guilty of murdering two of her friends. Abbott looks at the relationships and history that might have been behind those murders. Some crimes just take hold of the imagination and it can be fascinating to explore different aspects of them. And unlike journalists, novelists can create their own versions of how a crime might have happened and that can make for an absorbing story. In fact, that's how Lynda Wilcox's fictional crime writer Kathleen 'KD' Davenport gets her inspiration. As we learn in Strictly Murder, KD's assistant Verity Long researches old cases and KD uses those as the basis for her novels. It's not hard to see how they might inspire her.
But what do you think? Do you enjoy reading true-crime books or 'untrue crime' stories? If you're a writer, do you use real crime for inspiration?
*NOTE: The title of this post is the title of an Elton John/Bernie Taupin song.


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Men's Tennis Drops 6-1 Match in Starkville
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The 27th-ranked LSU men's tennis team dropped their match 6-1 against the No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday at A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville, Miss.
Originally scheduled for Friday, the match was moved to Saturday morning due to rain.
LSU (11-8, 2-5 SEC) faced its fifth consecutive ranked opponent in Mississippi State (15-4, 6-1 SEC ).
The lone win of the day for the Tigers came on court two when LSU's No. 73 Neal Skupski put away Mississippi State's James Chaudry 7-6(2), 4-6, 1-0(4).
This win marked the 11th win for Skupksi this season, improving his overall record to 11-6. He is now 5-2 against SEC opponents.
"Mississippi State played at high level and we didn't have an answer for them today," head coach Jeff Brown said. "We will look to recover quickly to compete at our best tomorrow against Ole Miss."
In doubles, the Tigers continued to search for the perfect combinations, but were unsuccessful, losing all three doubles matches.
The LSU tandem of Roger Anderson and James Turbervill kept it close on court three, but eventually fell after taking their match into a tiebreaker, 8-7 (3).
In singles, four out of the five Tiger defeats came to ranked opponents.
No. 55 Olivier Borsos was the first Tiger to finish, falling in straight sets to 15th-ranked Artem Ilyushin.
On court five, junior Stefan Szacinski met a similar defeat, dropping his match to No. 46 George Coupland, 6-2, 6-3.
The Bulldogs' 67th-ranked Malte Stropp clinched the match for his team with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 98 Chris Simpson.
Both teams agreed to play out the remaining two matches. The Tigers split the matches 1-1.
On court six, senior Tom Knights met defeat at the hands of Zach White, and Skupski concluded the match on a high note for the Tigers with his win over Chaudry, finalizing the score at 6-1.
The Tigers will now have a quick turn around as they travel to Oxford, Miss., to face the 14th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Be sure to follow the LSU men's tennis team on Twitter at @lsutennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsutennis for the latest information on the Tigers and match play.
No. 10 Mississippi State 6, No. 27 LSU 1
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre - Starkville, Miss.
1) #32 Louis Cant/Malte Stropp (MSU) def. Neal Skupski/Chris Simpson (LSU) 8-4
2) #43 George Coupland/Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Olivier Borsos/Tom Knights (LSU) 8-4
3) Zach White/Ethan Wilkinson (MSU) vs. Roger Anderson/James Turbervill (LSU) 8-7(3)
1) #15 Ilyushin (MSU) def. #55 Borsos (LSU) 6-2, 6-1
2) #73 Skupski (LSU) def. James Chaudry (MSU) 7-6(2), 4-6, 1-0(4)
3) #67 Stropp (MSU) def. #98 Simpson (LSU) 6-4, 6-1
4) #44 Cant (MSU) def. Turberville (LSU) 6-0, 7-5
5) #46 Coupland (MSU) def. Stefan Szacinski (LSU) 6-2, 6-3
6) White (MSU) def. Knights (LSU) 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish... Doubles (2,1,3)... Singles (1,5,3,4,6,2)


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BAAR, Switzerland, Jan. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Manas Petroleum Corp. ("Manas") (TSX-V: MNP; OTCBB: MNAP) is pleased to announce that on December 31, 2012 its wholly-owned subsidiary, DWM Petroleum AG ("DWM"), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement ("SPA") with an unrelated third party ("Seller"), whereby DWM will acquire, for cash, an 80% stake in a Swiss company, which at the time of the completion of this transaction will indirectly own 100% interests in certain mature producing assets in the Republic of Tajikistan which will be rehabilitated and redeveloped.
The transaction is subject to Tajik government and stock exchange approvals and is expected to close before the end of April 2013.
"We believe that signing this SPA and entering into this rehabilitation and redevelopment project is a major step in the transformation of Manas from a pure exploration company to an exploration and production company," said Dr. Werner Ladwein, President of Manas.
An update of the project will follow end January 2013.
About Manas Petroleum Corp.
Manas Petroleum is an international oil and gas company with primary focus on exploration and development in South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Mongolia. In Albania, Manas participates in a 1.7 million acre exploration project through its 15.8% equity interest in Petromanas Energy Inc., a Canadian public company. In the Kyrgyz Republic, Manas has a 25% working interest in two exploration blocks. In Tajikistan Manas owns 90% working interest in a Production Sharing Agreement covering the license areas Zapadnyi and Severo-Zapadnyi in the Soughd region through its wholly-owned subsidiary DWM Petroleum AG. In Mongolia, Manas owns 74% working interest in two Production Sharing Contracts covering Blocks XIII and XIV through its wholly-owned subsidiary DWM Petroleum AG.
Source: Manas Petroleum Corp.
To access over 3,000 of the latest oil projects from across the world visit Projects OGP for free trial today


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GHC's Six Mile Post Brings Home Multiple Awards from GCPA
Georgia Highlands College's student newspaper, the Six Mile Post, has returned from the annual statewide contest sponsored by the Georgia College Press Association in Athens with 15 awards, six for the publication and nine for individual staff members. The honors were announced Saturday, Feb. 2 for work completed during spring and fall semesters 2012.
The SMP won six out of the eight overall awards possible in the two-year college category. They included first-place wins in General Photography, Advertising and Layout and Design. They also took second place for Editorials and Sports and third place for Features. SMP took second place behind Georgia Perimeter College in the General Excellence category. In all, there were more than 2,000 entries in the competitive two- and four-year categories.
Individual staff members also took home honors in various categories, including Andrew West, J.P. Erickson, Ryan Jones, Kevin Horan, Becky Crooks, Kaitlyn Hyde and Scott Hale. Some of these won in more than one category. Sarah Lane, SMP assistant print editor, was elected as a two-year college representative on the GCPA executive board.
Representing the Six Mile Post in Athens were Andrew West, editor; J.P. Erickson, assistant print editor; Sarah Lane, assistant print editor; Becky Crooks, sports editor; Ryan Jones, chief photographer; Neen Snowball, staff writer; and Gayle Golden, staff writer. Kristie Kemper, SMP advisor, Cindy Wheeler, assistant adviser, and Leslie Johnston, Cartersville liaison accompanied the students to Athens. Kemper is a professor of English, while Wheeler is an associate professor and Johnston an instructor of English at GHC.
While in Athens, the students attended the two-day press institute, where they and their advisors attended sessions on the many aspects of print and electronic media and networked with professional journalists.


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Skip the trip, renew online before summer rush
Published 5:15 pm, Wednesday, April 17, 2013
AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is encouraging residents to beat the summer rush at driver license offices across the state by renewing their license or identification card early or online.
The summer months are typically the busiest time of year at driver license offices, and individuals can avoid the crowds during this time. Residents who are eligible can skip the trip to the office completely via online renewal of their license, identification card or change of address at Texas.gov.
"The summer months can mean more customers at driver license offices with students and families out of school or off work, but many Texans can avoid the rush or even skip the trip to the office altogether," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "DPS currently offers several customer-convenient options, including online renewal of licenses and identification cards and our new high-capacity driver license mega centers in major metropolitan areas."
Licenses must be renewed in person every 12 years, so an updated photo can be taken and eyesight can be tested. If residents need to come into the office to renew, they can do so within one year prior to the expiration date, which means they can pick a time that is convenient for their schedule.
To be eligible to renew online, the expiration date on the card must be within one year. When a resident renews their card, the expiration date on the new card will be six years after the current card's expiration date, even if customers renew early. The renewal fee is the same for online, in-person and telephone renewals.
In order to renew online, the card cannot have been expired for more than two years. Requirements for renewing online are available at Texas.gov.
If Texans do need to visit a driver license office, DPS is encouraging customers in the major metro areas to visit mega centers in their areas.
The six driver license mega centers are located in the Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas and feature technology that allows customers to reserve a place in line before arriving at the office. Customers can virtually enter the line via phone, mobile device or the Internet. The system also allows customers to adjust their place in line - for instance, if they are running late, they can push themselves back in line. Walk-in customers can use self-service check-in kiosks and have the option of returning later, closer to their appointment time.
For additional information about the new mega centers and the technology that allows you to get in line before coming into the office, visit: www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/getinlinebeforeyougo.htm
In addition, driving tests at some locations can be scheduled online without a trip to an office. To find out which offices offer online scheduling for driving tests or to book an appointment, visit: www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rolodex/search.asp
Visit the DPS website to make sure you have the proper paperwork (including documents needed for the new residency requirements) before making the trip to the office: www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/ApplyforLicense.htm.
To find out more about online renewal services, visit: www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/OnlineServices.htm.


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Here's the offical release from the Reds:
Receive Three Players From Arizona
CINCINNATI - The Cincinnati Reds today acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Dallas Buck and 2 players to be named later in exchange for OF Adam Dunn and cash.
Buck, 24, this season went 1-4 with a 3.94 ERA in 9 games and 8 starts with Class A South Bend. Last Monday he was promoted to High Class A Visalia and made one appearance, pitching 5.0 shutout innings Thursday vs San Jose. He will be assigned to Class A Sarasota.
Buck was selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2006 first-year player draft. He attended Oregon State University, where he was a member of the 2006 NCAA national championship team. He made his professional debut last season by going 4-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 16 starts with Visalia.
Dunn batted .233 with 32 home runs and 74 RBI in 114 games with the Reds.
The Reds have not announced who will replace Dunn on the 25-man roster.


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The Huntington's Civil War archives—begun when Henry E. Huntington purchased two of the "Big Five" collections of Abraham Lincoln materials early in the 20th century — supply more than 200 works by famed war photographers Mathew Brady, Timothy O'Sullivan, George Barnard, Alexander Gardner, and Andrew J. Russell, among others, for "A Strange and Fearful Interest." Curated by Jennifer Watts, the exhibition explores how photographic images explained, reflected, and shaped the nation's coming to terms with the unprecedented death toll of the Civil War, focusing on key episodes to highlight larger cultural issues. Focal points include the battlefront, particularly the Battle of Antietam—the bloodiest and costliest single day of combat in American history; the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the nationwide mourning that ensued, and the subsequent execution of the conspirators; and the establishment of Gettysburg National Monument as a site of reconciliation and remembrance.
The exhibition takes its title from a statement made by Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1863 responding to the imagery of Antietam—"The field of photography is extending itself to embrace subjects of strange and sometimes of fearful interest." The war coincided with the rise of photographic and printing technologies that enabled the wide dissemination of imagery to a rapt audience.Recent estimates put the number of Civil War dead at as many as 750,000 Americans, more than all other major conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the present.


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20040 Surnames | 130667 Records | 2693 Reunions
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Photo #69375
Last Name: McGrath
First Name : James
Middle Name:
Subject's City: Glanworth, Fermoy
Subject's State:
Subject's County: Cork
Subject's Country: Ireland
Date: 1901-1920
Photographer's City:
Photographer's State:
Type** : SNAP
Comments: James McGrath (Nee: ) | Glanworth, Fermoy Ireland | 1901-1920 | Comments: James McGrath, (10 Jan 1872-9 Mar 1948), was a son of Daniel McGrath, a Cooper, and Jane Mawe, (also spelled Maye) (c1849-1913) of Glanworth, Fermoy, Co. Cork. On 28 Feb 1897 he married Mary Condon (5 Aug 1866-6 Nov 1948) at the RC Church, Ballindangan. The marriage was performed by Fr. Eugene O'Riordan and witnessed by William Kirby and Kate Condon. Mary Condon was a daughter of David Condon (c1831)and Johanna Sheehan (c1833) of Glanworth, Fermoy. When he married James McGrath's occupation was that of Coachman. Later he apparently became an Estate Steward. When he died his Death Cert stated that he was a labourer. He died following 5 days of cardiac failure. James and Mary are buried together in Glanworth Old Cemetery. James and Mary had 11 children together.
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Cresent Moon
Isabella Swan is your average teenager until her mother is killed in a car accident. She is then adopted my a mysterious family and she is shown a new world. Along side her new friends she is out to figure out exactly who the Swans, the Cullen's and the Hales really are.
This story is purely fiction and it is 100% of my imagination if there are any similarities to Twilight or other movie/book franchises that is a coincidence. (copyright 2007 - 2011 Katrina Meade)
1. Indifference
Rating 0/5 Word Count 5076 Review this Chapter
It's strange how I felt that I deserved better than this. What more could one want? I have an excellent boyfriend, two awesome best friends, and the life every girl would ever want. But no matter how much I tried to hide it; I always wanted more. I thought of it less whenever I was with Mike Newton, my boyfriend, who happened to be captain of the football team. With him I always felt a sense of release. I think, however, that it had to do with our alcohol consumption. Tonight was no different.
Tonight we were celebrating the Harding Knights' Homecoming win. Our football team beat the Duluth North football team. It was 18 to 10. This was our first win of the year. We were celebrating the win and the prospect of winning our Hatchet game against the Johnson Governors. This year's football team is supposed to be filled with some of our best players. I heard my name called and looked up from my empty beer bottle to see Mike staring at me. He was asking if I wanted another one, I shook my head.
"Come on babe, just one more," he begged.
I hiccupped. "I've already had one too many, besides I need to get home soon."
Mike shook another bottle of beer in my face. "Come on."
I grabbed the bottle. "Whatever, my mom won't care." I tried to open the bottle but was unsuccessful. "Does anyone have a bottle opener?"
Tyler, Mike's best friend, handed me a knife. "Will this do?"
I laughed. "Sure." I held the blade steady and popped the top. Everyone cheered. "Here's to the Knights victory!" I toasted, taking a deep gulp of the amber liquid.
"Hell yeah babe," Mike agreed. He then started kissing me and several people wolf-whistled. I normally would have been embarrassed but I was past caring, I was wasted. Mike stood up, pulling me with him, and without breaking our kiss, walked to his bedroom. Next thing I knew, I was waking up asleep in his bed. I climbed out and almost screamed. I looked around his room frantically. My clothes were lying at the edge of the bed, on the floor. I scooped them up and got dressed.
While I was pulling my jeans on, the door opened and Mike walked in. "Well good morning." He looked me up and down. "You look good."
"Pervert," I muttered. I looked down and noticed I forgot my shirt. I quickly shoved it on and stomped out the door.
"Come back baby," Mike called.
I didn't turn around. I was scared about what had happened last night. But what should I care? It was what I wanted, wasn't it? This was the life I wanted. To feel wanted and loved. To give myself wholly over to the one whom I belonged to. Then why did I feel wrong for doing it? Shaking my head, I climbed into my mom's truck and sped away. It took me a few minutes to get to the closest drive-thru. I just stopped at McDonalds and bought a coffee. I needed caffeine, not to stop a hangover, just to wake myself up. I for some strange reason didn't get hangovers. As I waited for the red light to change, I saw a young woman staring at me from across the street. She looked vaguely familiar. I recall seeing her at some point. Her long brown hair hung to her back. Her gaze made me feel uncomfortable, so as soon as the light changed, I drove away as fast as I could. I pulled up my driveway and parked the truck in its usual spot.
When I unlocked the door and ran downstairs, I heard Renee Dwyer yell, "Isabella Marie Dwyer, where the hell have you been?"
"God, Mom," I said, a quiet rebuke. "You should be at work, but instead you decide to scold me."
"I should…I should be at work, should I? Now, Isabella, tell me, how can I? Huh, how can I go to work when you are god knows where with my damn truck?" Renee snapped.
"Whatever." I flopped down onto my bed.
"You're grounded," she shouted. "We'll discuss this when I get home."
I waited for my mom to leave the room before I pulled out my cell. I quickly texted Angela.
Ang, I think I had sex with Mike. I'm not sure, but here's this fact that might possibly give it away. I woke up in his bed, naked.
I waited impatiently for Angela's response. After I started pacing around my room, my phone buzzed.
OMG, you have to tell me everything!!! But what'll you tell your mom?!
Yikes. I hadn't thought of telling her.
Well, I don't remember anything from last night…Oh wait never mind, it just came back to me. I enjoyed it soo much, and Mike was great. I don't remember all the details. But what I just told you is the most important. I can't tell my mom, she's already pissed.
I hoped that Mike didn't and wouldn't tell anyone about us.
Well, well, aren't you just all that. I can't believe you bagged the hottest guy in school. Yummy!
I laughed. It was a good idea telling Angela.
I'm tired, so I'm gonna go to bed. Don't tell anyone, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Angela didn't text back, so I knew it was safe to fall asleep.
My dreams were strangely dark. The woman from the street was one of the many stars. Mike and my mom were there. Then there was a bright silver flash and a man appeared. He had the most beautiful face I had ever seen. It was pale and slightly angular, but had a few child-like features. His eyes were jet black, and his hair was a reddish-brown color. He was tall and languidly leaning against a tree. His black leather jacket was undone and exposed a black ripped t-shirt. His jeans were ripped, faded and wrinkled at the knees. His eyes found mine lazily and a soft smile graced his face. He was gorgeous. Then he started to talk in a husky, silky smooth voice.
"Come here Isabella," he whispered.
"Who are you?"
"Come here Isabella," he repeated.
I groaned frustrated. "Who are you?" I asked again.
"Come here."
A loud scream and a high pitched keening tore me from sleep, jolting me back to consciousness. This wasn't the first time I've woken in a daze. The last time my grandfather passed away, my parents got divorced, and my father was killed. My mother says that it'll pass, it's just a phase. But what would she know, she's never around. I looked at the clock, dazed. At first the numbers were blurry. After blinking to readjust to the new setting, the red numbers burned my eyes. 1:30 am.
I groaned and rolled out of bed. I walked up the basement stairs to go to the kitchen. I opened the fridge to look for something to drink. I grabbed the jug of milk and poured a glass. I started to drink and thought about the dream. The boy from my dreams struck me the most. He was different. He was strange. His teeth were sharp, like a pair of vampire fangs. His skin was paler than mine. There was something appealing about him. He had a charm to him that drew me to him. It was almost a desire.
As I was drinking, the phone rang. I looked out the back window and saw my mom's car was gone. I ran to the living room and grabbed the phone mid-ring.
"Hello," I said groggily.
"Is this Isabella Dwyer?"
"Yes?" I spoke slowly.
"Your mother has been in an accident and..." The voice trailed off as the phone slipped from my hand. The clatter brought me back to reality and I knew this was life. In those few seconds the phone was out of my hand I thought over the last seven years. When my dad had died, I couldn't cope. But now, I couldn't go into that kind of mentality. I was the only one. I put the phone back to my ear. The woman was still speaking. I tried to make sense of what she was saying but every word said had no meaning. It seemed forever that she spoke on and on about the woman I called mother. Finally she said goodbye.
"Yeah, bye," I muttered.
After putting the phone on the hook, I dropped on the couch. My whole world was rapidly dissolving and there was nothing I could do about it. I had no control over the future and the past was far behind me, but at this very moment there was no present. There was no sense of time as I felt the pain of loss. Another parent, ripped from me by death's sick sense of humor. She was too young to go, there was too much she still had to do. Admittedly my mother was never around but she always came back in the end, and now not even that prospect was plausible. I tried, of course I tried. I had to. There was nothing left but to try. I couldn't just throw everything away. I had to live in the moment. I had to think about today and not worry about tomorrow.
I sat up slowly. Looking around I could tell it was early. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Mike's number. I really hoped he answered. After a few rings he picked up.
"Hello," yawned Mike.
"Mike, it's me."
"Isabella, what's wrong? Are you crying?" Mike's protective side kicked in instantly.
"It's my mom, Mike." Tears rolled down my face.
"What happened?" Mike demanded, more awake.
"Car…" I choked and started crying.
"Honey, did she get into an accident?"
"Yeah," I whispered.
"Oh, Bell, I'm so sorry." He sounded like he was hiding something.
"Michael?" I never called him this so I hoped he knew I wanted a serious answer.
"Yeah?" he said cautiously.
"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" I was scared there was something.
"Er, no."
I didn't believe it. "You want to break up, don't you?"
"It's n-n-not that, exactly."
"God, Michael, you're an ass." I hung up on him.
At quarter to seven I rolled off the couch and went downstairs to change. It took me a while but I soon managed a simple but grieving outfit; faded jeans, black shirt and sweatshirt, and white Vans. I moved slowly towards the bathroom. I hugged my chest as I looked in the mirror. It had been a while since I really just looked at myself. My bright sapphire eyes shined in the light, the tears shimmering at the bottom. My creamy ivory skin glowed faintly. My dark chocolate hair warred against the pallor of my skin. My nose sat perfectly in the middle of my face right above my perfectly full lips. I had honestly always wished I was ugly. I didn't like to be envied by the other girls, even to be the center of their jealousies was hard enough. Maybe someday I wouldn't need my beauty. I shook the thought and hugged my hoodie closer. I turned away and left the bathroom. I had years of experience bottling everything inside. I thought that since I had no one I needed to be responsible. Dropping out of school is not responsible. I had to do this for my mom. Renee would have wanted it. Plus, Angela would want to talk about what had happened.
I walked out the side door and climbed into my midnight blue Dodge Neon. I drove to my high school, Harding Senior High School, without music, and pulled into the student parking lot. I shuffled through the front door. Sidestepping many people I made it to my locker in the Science Engineering and Industrial Technology hallway. Waiting for me, like every day, were my two best friends: Katie Marshall and Angela Webber. They were the best things in this school. They were the reasons I still went to this crummy place. They were dressed identical to me, except they went one step better and wore black jeans. My friends were loyal and they were always there for me in times of need. Katie hugged me first. Her arms constricting me to her small body. Her wet face was pressed against mine.
"I am so terribly sorry, hon. I can't believe your mom is gone," sobbed Katie.
I merely nodded, unable to speak.
"I can't believe you showed up today," said Angela, patting Katie on the back. "You are so brave."
"It's what my mom would have wanted. Me to go on with my life." I hugged Angela, who was always more understanding and not as emotional as Katie. After my things were put in my locker, we walked around the school.
"So what are you going to do now?" asked Katie, her tears having finally subsided.
I turned my head towards her slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what are you going to do about the house and things like that?" clarified Katie.
"I have no idea Ang, and since I'm the only one left," I said in a low voice.
Angela sighed. "I just can't believe that everyone in your life, all your family, is gone." She shook her head sadly.
I wrapped my arm around my friend's shoulders. "You guys are my only family now."
"Wait," Katie said. "What about Mike Newton?"
"Er, well," I spoke softly. "We…you know…sort of broke up."
"When?" Angela gasped.
"This morning," I sighed.
"No," Katie whispered, shaking her head.
"Yeah," I whispered. "It was right after I told him my mom was killed. He sounded like he was hiding something. When he lied, I knew what he wanted."
"Oh, that's so much worse for you," Katie cried. She and Angela both gave me a hug.
The first bell buzzed sending me on my way to my first hour. I had no idea what class stress would do to me. Just as I was walking to English, I noticed a boy following me. At first I wasn't positive he really was, so I went to class. Today we were studying Othello. I despised the book. William Shakespeare is nothing but a misogynistic pig that gets his kicks out of killing woman. I had read the book enough times to know that he allowed Emilia to live through the whole story hiding her husband's secret only to be killed by said husband. Iago doesn't end in death as he should but they keep him alive, whereas Othello kills Desdemona then himself. It was a terrible story and I hated having to read it.
An hour later, the boy followed me again. This 'stalking' went on up until lunch. Just as I got out of fourth hour and headed to lunch, I saw him again. I pretended to ignore him and then when I knew he was following I turned on him.
"Why are you following me?" I demanded.
He shrugged his shoulders innocently. As I got a good look at him, I noticed he was tall and incredibly good-looking. His eyes were sharp black and his hair was long and blonde.
"Who are you?" I asked, still looking at him. Then I blurted out, "You look too old for high school."
He laughed. "You're right," he whispered, his voice was low and alluring. "I do look too old. My name is Riley Swan, and you must be Isabella Dwyer."
I nodded, entranced by Riley's voice.
He chuckled lightly at my incoherency. "Well I'll be seeing you."
I waved dully as he walked away. What the hell just happened? I shook my head to regain mentality. I turned and found Katie staring at me in awe. I walked up to her and shrugged at her unspoken question. I headed in through the cafeteria doors and Katie followed silenced in awe, for once. Just as we sat down, she spoke.
"That was Riley Swan," she gasped.
I nodded. "I know."
"But that was Riley Swan," she said again.
"Yeah, so?" I said, setting my lunch on the table.
"He's a real hottie and a real freak," she continued.
My head whipped in her direction. "What do you mean by freak?"
Katie shrugged. "Well he and his family were marked as freaks when they moved here. Have you ever been past their house?" She shuddered.
Angela walked up and stared at Katie. "Are you talking about the Swan's again?"
I nodded. "Riley talked to me today."
"Now why would he do that?" Angela cocked her head questioningly.
I shrugged indifferently and began eating my salad.
The rest of the week continued like this. I walked with my friends in the morning. Riley followed me in the afternoon. Lunch was, however, starting to be a pain. Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley were two of the snobbiest, richest girls at our school. They started talking about me and how I was a homeless wretch that didn't belong in their school. Soon people started avoiding me, and in a few short days the only people who really talked to me were Angela, Katie, and Riley. Life was going to be more complicated than I thought.
Two weeks went by and people still avoided me like I was a leper, an outcast. Lauren and Jessica showed their pleasure with everything that was going on. In no time they were the rulers of the school and I was lower than low on any kind of scale. Finally fed up, I confronted them before lunch.
I turned away from Angela, shushing her to lunch. There they were the skinny twins; though they weren't related, they looked an awful lot alike. "Hey Lauren, Jessica."
Lauren turned slowly and Jessica acted as if she couldn't hear me. "Oh it's you."
I smiled wickedly. "Yeah it's me." I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts. "So I hear you're the one spreading rumors about me."
Jessica spun around at the word rumor. "If you think we have anything to do with that, you're wrong." And with a straight face, I'm impressed.
I chuckled darkly. "No," I said nonchalantly and waved my hand passively. Jessica's face became less frozen. "I think you have everything to do with them."
They were speechless. I took that as my cue to leave. I turned around and as I walked away from Lauren I felt something hit my back. I spun around and found Lauren and Jessica glaring at me. I felt something brewing inside me. I had no idea what it was but next thing I knew I was screaming.
"What the hell is your problem Lauren?"
They laughed. Everyone in the hall gathered around and there was soon a circle in which we stood.
Jessica stared around to look at who was there. Then she turned back to me and spoke. "You think that you can say what you want to us?"
"Yeah, I mean you are no longer the it person of this school," scoffed Lauren.
I laughed humorlessly. "Oh yeah, I know. You are the sluts who slept with every guy at school."
Lauren and Jessica's jaws dropped. They righted themselves before anyone could see. Just then the deep voice of Principal McVoi sounded. "What's going on here? Who are those girls?"
The crowd started to shrink so I knew I had a few seconds before the principal came. "So, Lauren, what was that about being the it thing of the school?" When they didn't speak I continued, "That's what I thought for a couple of bitches."
"I say, young lady. That is not the kind of language I like to hear in my school."
I spun around and there was the principal. "Oh sorry Principal McVoi."
Lauren snickered. That sent me off, again. I spun back towards her. "You have a problem with apologizing, probably, otherwise you wouldn't spread rumors."
Lauren laughed, "That's the best you came up with."
Next thing I knew I was attacking Lauren. It took Principal McVoi, Riley, and Mike to pull me off her. As soon as I was far enough away, I saw a glistening cut along her jaw. To match she had a black eye, and blood streaming out of her nose; which was probably broken. Riley walked me towards the office as the principal and Mike walked Lauren to the nurse. I didn't like the way Mike was holding her. His hand was wrapped gently around her waist. Lauren was leaned against his chest, arms wrapped loosely around his neck. I found my reason for the break-up. He had cheated on me, with Lauren. It was totally unfair.
As soon as we were in a deserted hall, Riley turned on me.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sounded strained.
I nodded.
He let out a sigh of relief. "Let's get you out of here, before anyone comes looking for you."
We walked straight out the side doors that we never guarded. Instead of going to my car, Riley walked me to a black Jeep Wrangler. I frowned. Riley forced me into the seat, buckling me in. He got in locking the doors. In no time we were heading down the road at speeds that would definitely get us in trouble with the police. As soon as I was calm enough to find my voice I spoke.
"Riley," I said, my voice shaking. "Where are we going?"
He looked at me in concern. "I'm going to take you to my house."
I was confused. "Why? I thought you were taking me home?"
"It's not safe for you to be home alone. My father, Alec, will know what to do," he said in a detached voice. He obviously hadn't gained control over whatever was overwhelming his system.
It was now my turn to be concerned. "Are you okay?"
"No," he answered roughly.
"What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly.
He turned his face away. "Nothing."
I felt a heated frustration build up inside me. I gritted my teeth to restrain from saying anything harsh, or rash. "Where do you live?" I asked through my teeth to distract myself.
"I live in Cottage Grove," he muttered, eyes glued on the road.
After that I lost interest. The rest of the ride was quiet and in no time we were parked in front of a yellow house with a reddish brown roof. The second story windows shimmered in what sun there was. The front screen door was made of glass and the door itself was pure white. I stared at the house with open-mouthed awe. It was so simple and not scary, like everyone made it out to be. Riley chuckled and led me through the side door.
I followed and found myself standing in his kitchen with its green counter and white cupboards. I looked around amazed. Suddenly I yawned, my eyes drooped slightly. My mind had not truly let me sleep.
"Are you tired?" he asked me quietly.
I nodded.
"Come on," he whispered. He pulled me into the living room and grabbed blankets from the closet. "You can nap on the couch."
I lay down and pulled the blanket over myself.
Someone was shaking me. I looked up, it was my mother. "Baby, wake up. Come on wake up."
"I am awake," I cried.
"Isabella," she said her voice deep. "Wake up."
I sat up slowly to find Riley crouched next to me.
"You've been asleep for three days," he whispered. "Alec wants to see you."
I nodded and stood. He led me downstairs and to the left was a dark room with a desk. On the desk were a lamp and a computer. Behind the computer was a man in his thirties.
"Alec, may I introduce Isabella Dwyer?" Riley spoke with respect for the man in front of him.
Alec looked up and stared curiously at me. "And to what do we owe the pleasure?"
Riley looked uneasy. "Well you see Isabella got in a slight bit of trouble at school and well..." his soft voice trailed off.
Alec looked gingerly at me. His tender eyes accessing every emotion that flitted across my face. "I don't believe that you have anything left for this place."
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"Well I think we should take you away from here and you can become one of us," Alec said softly.
Riley looked shocked. I wonder why.
"You can become a Swan," Alec clarified.
Riley's face lightened up, and he let out a sigh of relief.
I looked down, chagrin. "I...are you sure?"
Alec smiled. "Of course. We've been watching you for a while, since your mother died. You're an interesting person and I think you'd do our family proud."
"Oh really," I said, blushing flattered.
Riley chuckled, and wrapped his arms lovingly around my shoulders. "Yeah, Bella, I think you're pretty great." He then pulled me into a full hug.
There was a light knock on the wall. We all turned and saw a woman standing in the door. She was tall, skinny and very graceful. Her long black hair flowed down her back. She was the woman from the corner. She smiled slightly when she saw Riley and Alec and her expression turned to confusion when she saw me.
"Who is this?" she asked in a soft voice that held love, comfort and home.
"This is Isabella, Elizabeth," Riley said just as soft.
Elizabeth nodded her head slightly. "Of course, welcome my child." She then turned her attention to Alec. "Al, we need to...go."
Alec stood up quickly. "Oh, yes, of course. If you'll excuse us."
As they walked out Alec threw Riley a meaningful look.
"What was that about?" I asked as Riley walked me to the living room.
Riley threw me a strange look, of desperation, of innocence. "Nothing."
I shrugged and looked around the bare room. "Don't you decorate?"
Riley chuckled. "Why waste time when we won't be here that long?"
"What do you mean?" I asked quietly.
Riley shrugged passively. "Things happen."
I sighed; knowing that was all I was going to get. "What's going to happen now?"
"I don't know, but I tell you we will figure it out."
We sat in their living room for a while. Around seven, Alec and Elizabeth came back home. They let me go home as long as one of them went with me. Riley offered since he knew whom we were watching out for. I knew it made no difference as to who went with me or how many, someone would come for me. Trivial matters like that had no effect on the fact that I was leaving.
For the next two days I stayed indoors, never leaving. My phones were disconnected, and our only connection out of the house was Riley's cell phone, which he said traced to LA where they moved from three years ago. Over the next few days I sat and talked to Riley about everything. I wanted to know all about him. He told me that he used to live here in Minnesota but moved to Washington then California and eventually back here. I learned about all the friends he made, including his best friend he had since he was young. Talking about friends made me miss Ang and Kay, but I knew that I would be in more trouble for leaving school grounds after causing a fight, not that I cared. I had only gone to school for my mom. That is when I realized I had never done anything for myself. I had always lived for everyone else, never for just me. That is why I agreed to go with the Swans. I wanted to start over, become a new person. Then finally a week later, we got the call.
I was washing dishes when Riley's phone rang. I ran to the living room.
"Hello," Riley said lightly. He nodded. "Yes, Alec...no one came, yet."
He nodded again and handed me the phone. "Hello."
"Isabella, we're going to move you tonight. But first Riley's going to hide you. Forget your clothes and stuff; we'll buy you new things."
"Okay," I agreed half-heartedly. The thought of leaving my things was unbearable.
"We'll see you in a few hours." The line disconnected.
Riley looked up as I passed him the phone. "Grab a coat, that's all you'll need."
I complied, pulling on my dark jean jacket I walked outside with Riley. With the intentions of not being seen, we walked through the backyard and out the back fence into the woods. We walked deeper and deeper. As it got darker by the abundance of trees Riley made me walk closer to him. I didn't understand the need for cover but I didn't question it. I trusted the Swans; they were my family now. I was about to leave behind everything my family worked for and start anew. Life would soon be beyond me and I would understand the meaning of being me.
Riley stopped. "They're here."
I stared around. "Who's here?"
"Alec and Elizabeth. They've got the car," Riley replied dully.
"Oh that's good." I shivered as a cool breeze blew through the woods. Riley pulled me to a hidden road a few yards away from us and there was a sleek black BMW 328i. Riley opened the back door and I slid into the leather seat. Elizabeth and Alec were talking quietly. Riley slid in next to me and shut the door. As soon as we were all in, the car sped silently down the road. In an hour we were well rid of St. Paul. We had gone far enough that there would be fewer people searching for me.
"Where are we going?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Elizabeth turned and looked at me. "We're going to Grand Marais. We lived there before and we decided to go back."
"You lived there before?" I persisted.
"A few years ago honey," Elizabeth clarified, and by her tone I could tell it was a moot point.
I tried to sleep but I was too anxious to close my eyes. The trip was quiet and we didn't stop. In no time I saw a sign, GRAND MARAIS: POPULATION 3, 929. We made the five-hour trip in two and half.
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text:
There are many Thanksgiving traditions out there.
But doctors say adding more fat and calories should not be one of them.
Medical reporter Jessa Goddard is covering east Tennessee health with information about what can happen when you eat too much of a good thing.
You've probably been looking forward to eating, or overeating, Thanksgiving dinner all week.
While overeating is never a good idea, most of us can get away with it a few times a year.
But for some people, it can actually be dangerous.
For most of us, the worst a second helping of mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie can do is put on some extra pounds.
But for people at risk for a heart attack, those are people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smokers, diabetics and anyone over 50, overeating or having a heavy meal can trigger complications.
Dr. Charles Dhyanchand with UT Family Practice says, "when you have a large meal that consists of a lot of fats, it affects the lining of the arteries, so that a clot can form on the lining and cause a blockage."
Not to mention, eating, in general, increases the blood level of norepinephrine which is a hormone that acutely raises blood pressure and pulse rate.
Dhyanchand says the risk is quite significant.
"If you have a risk for heart problems, you could potentially raise the chance of having a heart attack by four times, by having a large meal."
Researchers define the "hazard period" as two hours after the meal, but say a heart attack can occur at various other times, even up to 26 hours later.
They say according to their findings, overeating should now be considered a heart attack trigger.
But if you are at risk, you don't have to deprive yourself entirely... Just adjust how you partake in your thanksgiving dinner.
Dhyanchann continues, "if you're at high risk, it would be advisable to eat more in moderation... Smaller meals throughout the day would be safer than one large meal."
Doctor Dhyanchand also recommends you drink plenty of water throughout the day and suggests you take an aspirin to prevent any potential blood clotting.
But the message here holds true every day, not just thanksgiving day.
People at risk for heart attack need to consider not only their daily calorie intake, but the size of their individual meals, as well.
Overeating And Your Heart
There are many Thanksgiving traditions out there.


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A couple weeks ago, we were wondering when David Ortiz would be able to return to the lineup. Now we're wondering when the opposition is going to get him out.
Though the Red Sox were unable to pull out a shootout against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, it wasn't Ortiz's fault. Big Papi put Boston on the board with a solo blast in the fourth inning, and he added a bases-clearing double in the seventh that, at the time, put his team ahead.
In nine games since returning from the disabled list, Big Papi is batting .500/.513/.917 with three home runs. He's driven in 15 runs in nine contests. 15. In nine games.
Obviously, Ortiz isn't going to continue going at this pace. However, his bat is red-hot and his heels don't appear to be an issue at the moment. There were some, including myself, that had serious doubts about whether Big Papi would be able to stay healthy and produce. He appears to have emphatically answered one of those questions. In due time we'll have an answer to the other.
Forever Young
Not much went right for the Phillies in their 14-2 blowout loss to the Indians Tuesday.
After appearing to figure things out with three straight great outings, Roy Halladay was blasted for eight runs over 3 2/3 frames, serving up a trio of two-run homers. The bullpen wasn't much better, as Chad Durbin and Raul Valdes each allowed a pair of homers, and Phillippe Aumont loaded the bases in the eighth before escaping.
There was one bright spot, though. After being surprisingly activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, Delmon Young lined an opposite-field solo homer in his first at-bat in a Phillies uniform. He then added a hit by pitch and a single, reaching base in three of four trips to the plate.
Young was in the designated hitter spot Tuesday, but he's apparently ready to play the outfield, as manager Charlie Manuel expects to start him in right field on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see how much the Phils use him in the field right off the bat. Young has always been a terrible fielder, hasn't played right field since 2007 and, most importantly, is coming off of microfracture surgery on his right ankle.
However, if he can stay healthy, you've got to think Young will be in there most nights. So who will sit out? The obvious answer is John Mayberry, who is batting just .242/.324/.470 this season. Of course, Domonic Brown (.233/.309/.372) and Ben Revere (.200/.234/.222) have hit even less than Mayberry. Manuel has indicated that Mayberry will still get his fair share of at-bats, particularly against left-handed pitching.
Teixeira Coming Along Slowly
The news is good with one of the Yankees' rehabbing stars. For another one? Not so much.
Curtis Granderson (forearm) continues to take batting practice in extended spring training with no issues, and manager Joe Girardi told MLB.com that the outfielder is "pretty close" to full action. A rehab assignment is just around the corner for Granderson, with a return in mid-May looking likely.
Mark Teixeira (wrist), on the other hand, just isn't progressing as quickly as hoped. The first baseman said right after Opening Day that he was shooting to return on May 1. Well, it's May 1, and Teixeira isn't even hitting off a tee yet. He's been taking dry swings for nearly two weeks, but doctors have yet to give him the go-ahead to take the next step. Even a return by the end of the month looks to be pushing it at this point.
"He hasn't even started taking batting practice or hitting off a tee yet," Girardi said. "To me, [a May return] would be pretty rushed, in my mind."
Fantasy owners must also prepare for the possibility that Teixeira could eventually need surgery to repair the partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist. It's the same injury that Jose Bautista dealt with last season, and Bautista eventually went under the knife.
National League Quick Hits: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that Stephen Strasburg's arm is "structurally perfect" and he's not expected to miss a turn in the rotation ... An MRI has revealed a Grade 2 strain of Giancarlo Stanton's right hamstring. He will be sidelined for at least 3-4 weeks ... Assuming he doesn't encounter any setbacks over the next couple days, Aramis Ramirez (knee) will be activated from the disabled list on Friday ... Edwin Jackson allowed eight runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Padres Tuesday, finishing April with a 6.27 ERA ... The Diamondbacks have signed Juan Rivera to a minor league contract ... Didi Gregorius has been cleared to return to baseball activities after passing all concussion tests. He could be back in the lineup on Saturday ... Matt Adams (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield on Friday and should return next Tuesday ... Kevin Slowey tossed eight innings of one-run ball against the Mets Tuesday and now holds a 2.15 ERA and 1.01 WHIP for the season ... Ted Lilly has received an injection in his rib cage area and will not throw for two days before the Dodgers decide whether he'll need a trip to the DL ... With their rotation depth suddenly lacking, the Dodgers signed Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal ... Mat Latos is nursing some tightness in his right hip but isn't expected to miss a start ... Brian McCann (shoulder) expects to be activated from the disabled list on May 6 after finishing out a rehab assignment over the weekend ... Jason Motte (elbow) has progressed with his throwing program, but it's unclear when he'll try throwing from a mound ... Batting just .163/.255/.204, David Freese was benched Tuesday and could sit out a few games ... The Pirates have designated Jonathan Sanchez for assignment ... J.J. Putz blew his fourth save of the season on Tuesday ... Hyun-Jin Ryu struck out 12 batters in Tuesday's win over the Rockies ...
American League Quick Hits: Joel Hanrahan was activated from the disabled list Tuesday, but the Red Sox will keep Andrew Bailey in the closer role for now ... Kevin Youkilis landed on the DL Tuesday with a lumbar spine sprain. Looking to shore up their third base depth, the Yankees reportedly have expressed interest in the recently designated for assignment Chris Nelson ... Mike Moustakas went 2-for-3 with a home run Tuesday. He's batting just .195 with five RBI for the season ... Edwin Encarnacion belted his eighth and ninth home runs in Tuesday's win over the Red Sox ... Ryan Raburn went 3-for-4 with two home runs Tuesday, notching his second straight two-dinger game ... Zach McAllister allowed two runs in seven innings in a win over the Phillies Tuesday and now boasts a 3.30 ERA and 1.20 WHIP on the season ... The Red Sox will make a decision on Thursday whether or not to place Shane Victorino (back) on the disabled list ... Peter Bourjos was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a strained left hamstring ... After allowing 32 hits and 16 runs in 23 2/3 innings this year for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, Randy Wells has announced his retirement from baseball ... Nick Swisher didn't play Tuesday and could sit out again Wednesday due to a sore left shoulder ... A.J. Pierzynski sat out Tuesday because of a sore right oblique and might not be ready to play for a few days ... Nelson Cruz launched his sixth longball of the season in Tuesday's win over the White Sox ...


text:
MIT Technology Review
March 2002
"Artificial intelligence" used to mean robots that think like people; now it means software for rejecting junk e-mail. Low expectations could yield better applications, sooner.
It was the spring of 2000. The scene was a demonstration of an advanced artificial-intelligence project for the U.S. Department of Defense; the participants were a programmer, a screen displaying an elaborate windowed interface and an automated "intelligence"—a software application animating the display. The subject, as the programmer typed on his keyboard, was anthrax.
Instantly the machine responded: "Do you mean Anthrax (the heavy-metal band), anthrax (the bacterium) or anthrax (the disease)?"
"The bacterium," was the typed answer, followed by the instruction, "Comment on its toxicity to people."
"I assume you mean people (homo sapiens)," the system responded, reasoning, as it informed its programmer, that asking about People magazine "would not make sense."
Through dozens of similar commonsense-ish exchanges, the system gradually absorbed all that had been published in the standard bioweapons literature about a bacterium then known chiefly as the cause of a livestock ailment. When the programmer's input was ambiguous, the system requested clarification. Prompted to understand that the bacterium anthrax somehow fit into the higher ontology of biological threats, it issued queries aimed at filling out its knowledge within that broader framework, assembling long lists of biological agents, gauging their toxicity and strategies of use and counteruse. In the process, as its proud creators watched, the system came tantalizingly close to that crossover state in which it knew what it did not know and sought, without being prompted, to fill those gaps on its own.
The point of this exercise was not to teach or learn more about anthrax; the day when the dread bacterium would start showing up in the mail was still 18 months in the future. Instead, it was to demonstrate the capabilities of one of the most promising and ambitious A.I. projects ever conceived, a high-performance knowledge base known as Cyc (pronounced "psych"). Funded jointly by private corporations, individual investors and the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, Cyc represents the culmination of an 18-year effort to instill common sense into a computer program. Over that time its creator, the computer scientist Douglas B. Lenat, and his cadres of programmers have infused Cyc with 1.37 million assertions—including names, abstract concepts, descriptions and root words. They've also given Cyc a common-sense inference engine that allows it, for example, to distinguish among roughly 30 definitions of the word "in" (being in politics is different from being in a bus).
Cyc and its rival knowledge bases are among several projects that have recently restored a sense of intellectual accomplishment to A.I.—a field that once inspired dreams of sentient computers like 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL 9000 and laid claim to the secret of human intelligence, only to be forced to back off from its ambitions after years of experimental frustrations. Indeed, there is a palpable sense among A.I.'s faithful—themselves survivors of a long, cold research winter—that their science is on the verge of new breakthroughs. "I believe that in the next two years things will be dramatically changing," says Lenat.
It may be too early to declare that a science with such a long history of fads and fashions is experiencing a new springtime, but a greater number of useful applications are being developed now than at any time in A.I.'s more than 50-year history. These include not only technologies to sort and retrieve the vast quantity of information embodied in libraries and databases, so that the unruly jungle of human knowledge can be tamed, but improvements in system interfaces that allow humans and computers to communicate faster and more directly with each other—through, for instance, natural language, gesture, or facial expression. And not only are artificial-intelligence-driven devices venturing into places that might be unsafe for humans—one fleet of experimental robots with advanced A.I.-powered sensors assisted the search for victims in the World Trade Center wreckage last September—they're showing up in the most mundane of all environments, the office. Commercial software soon to reach the market boasts "smart" features that employ A.I.-based Bayesian probability models to prioritize e-mails, phone messages and appointments according to a user's known habits and (presumed) desires.
These and other projects are the talk of artificial-intelligence labs around the United States. What one does not hear much about anymore, however, is the traditional goal of understanding and replicating human intelligence.
"Absolutely none of my work is based on a desire to understand how human cognition works," says Lenat. "I don't understand, and I don't care to understand. It doesn't matter to me how people think; the important thing is what we know, not how do we know it."
One might call this trend the "new" A.I., or perhaps the "new new new" A.I., for in the last half-century the field has redefined itself too many times to count. The focus of artificial intelligence today is no longer on psychology but on goals shared by the rest of computer science: the development of systems to augment human abilities. "I always thought the field would be healthier if it could get rid of this thing about 'consciousness,'" says Philip E. Agre, an artificial-intelligence researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. "It's what gets its proponents to overpromise." It is the scaling back of its promises, oddly enough, that has finally enabled A.I. to start scoring significant successes.
by Michael Hiltzik


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Russian Roulette Parkour
(8:17) Russians and parkour shouldn't mix.
(8:17) Russians and parkour shouldn't mix.
You can comment as a guest, but registering gives you added benefits
Guest: johno (2338 days ago)
daft bugger
ReplyVote up (167)down (55)
Guest: annoyed (2338 days ago)
this is obscenely boring video!!! Took long time before anything happened and then it was nothing special - worthless shite!
ReplyVote up (106)down (53)
Guest: Concerned! (2327 days ago)
Latest comment: This scares the CRAP out of me. You guys are littereally going to get yourselves killed. I mean, wow, it was awesome though. You give Parkour the worst name possible.
ReplyVote up (140)down (101)
Fatal accidents waiting to happen. One can honestly be addicted to adrenalin!
ReplyVote up (143)down (96)
Pavement pizza waiting to happen.
ReplyVote up (101)down (95)
Guest: Nate (2338 days ago)
This isn't parkour, this is climbing buildings and being a nuisance. Glad I don't live near this rug-rat.
ReplyVote up (68)down (101)
Guest: placid flamingo (2338 days ago)
I can see the obituary....... probably fairly soon!!!. "Idiot fell off a building!"
ReplyVote up (45)down (108)


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This is my first chaptered fanfic that I have ever made, and I'm also kind of new here.
I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters unfortunately. ^^'
I hope you enjoy reading it!
A Zircon Under Night and Day
Prologue: The Shocking Message
Nuvema Town has always been known for being a quiet peaceful town. There was hardly any commotion going on unless an eager child was old enough to receive their very own starter Pokemon from Professor Juniper. But today was unlike any other day. There was a huge crowd gathered around a stage that somehow appeared over night.
There were quite a few people on that stage and they all wore...unique clothing. The ones on the back wore medieval outfits. It almost seemed like they were wearing knightly, baby blue and white armor. On the center of their chest gear there was a symbol resembling a shield that was half white and black with the initials of a letter "P" and a backward "Z". That same symbol was displayed on the flags they were holding. The person standing before them wore even weirder clothes: a kingly, blue and light brown robe. Each half of the robe had a picture of an eye, and overall he seemed like the leader. Their sense of fashion did attract some of the Nuvema citizen's attention, but not as much as the speech the leader was giving.
"Good day to the people of Nuvema Town. This is a perfect day to talk about a very important issue. First I should tell you my name. My name is Ghetsis and I'm part of an organization called Team Plasma." The man paused to hear the whispering of the people. "I'm here to tell you citizens to liberate all of your Pokemon!" Everyone let out a gasp except for a certain trainer who was just passing by. The trainer looked up to the man named Ghetsis and listened intently to what he had to say next.
"This does sound like an absurd idea at first, but think about why I'm asking for this. You may all think that Pokemon and people were meant for each other. That they need and want one another. But is all this true?! Have you ever questioned your relationship with your Pokemon? We always give them orders and they carry them out. Don't you think we are forcing them to do those things? We should not claim Pokemon as our possessions. In fact, we have no right to exploit their power for our own personal interest. We have yet a lot to learn about these creatures. The best thing we can do for Pokemon now, so that we may finally reach equality between us, is by... LIBERATING OUR POKEMON! I beg of you to please at least reconsider your relationship with your Pokemons. That is all. Good day to the people of Nuvema Town." Ghetsis finished giving out his message and started to leave the stage along with the other Team Plasma members.
Not many people started questioning their friendship with their Pokemon. Many thought this a crazy idea and decided to go back to their daily lives. Others were laughing at Team Plasma's ridiculous idea. But there were a few that actually understood the meaning of what Ghetsis was saying. An old man grabbed his pokeball and threw it into the air while saying "Come out Cinccino". The pokeball opened, releasing a red light. Once the light faded, a grey rodent-like Pokemon appeared. It had a pure white tail and white fur surrounded its back and covered its neck.
"Cinccino, I know we have gone through a lot together, but I'm asking for you to please go on your own path from now on." The old man said. His Cinccino looked at its trainer with a confused face and let out a few cries. "What are you waiting for? Please leave now. If you don't, it will only make it harder for me." The man continued. His eyes started to water and this just caused his Cinccino to come closer and comfort him. The old man pushed the Cinccino aside, telling it to go away, but the Pokemon just wouldn't go.
"Can't you see your Cinccino doesn't want to leave you?" A voice was heard behind the old man. He turned around to see a girl of about 19 years of age. She had long brown hair and sky blue eyes. She wore a blue sleeveless shirt and a red skirt. A red and white hat rested on her head. "Why are you releasing it? You and your Cinccino share a special bond and there's no need to break that bond just because someone told you to." The girl said.
"The bond we had was probably the wrong one. Cinccino was probably angry at me all this time because it had to do all the things I told it to do. The least I can do for it is release it and let it be happy." The old man responded. He was turning to leave but the girl stopped him.
"Look at your Cinccino!" She yelled. "Do you see happiness in its eyes? All I see is a devastated Pokemon that was abandoned by its trainer!" The old man looked at the Pokemon. Its long ears were drooping and it had a grave expression on its face. "Look, I have been a Pokemon trainer since I was 11-years old and my Pokemon and I have this bond of love and trust. I would never sever that bond no matter what. I can tell that Cinccino loves and cares for you. Please don't leave it by itself. It's happy being by your side, so please don't release it." The girl begged. The old man turned around. He slowly started to walk towards the Cinccino and knelt on the ground. He extended his arms out and hugged the little Scarf Pokemon with all his might.
"I'm so sorry for what I was about to do." He told the Pokemon. "I'm really sorry!" The old man kept saying with tears rolling down his face. Cinccino hugged back and let out a small cry meaning 'I forgive you'.
The old man thanked the girl and was on his way home with Cinccino by his side. The young female trainer then looked around and saw a few other people start to release their Pokemon. She knew it was impossible for her to prevent all those Pokemon from getting liberated. Besides, she was already late in delivering a package to Professor Juniper.
Jeez! I should better inform Professor Oak about this first and then go to the lab. She turned on her xtransceiver she received from Professor Oak before leaving Pallet Town. She dialed his number and it started making a ringing sound. Come on Professor. That old man better not be asleep! Then finally the device showed a picture of an old man with a tired expression.
"Well if isn't you. Did you already deliver the package?" Prof. Oak asked the girl.
"No, not yet. I'm near Professor Juniper's lab though." She replied.
"What are you waiting for then. Go deliver it! I don't want my newly found information to go to waste. I swear young people these days don't know when to hurry and get a job done." The Professor exclaimed and then yawned.
"You're one to talk! You just finished waking up!" She protested. "Anyways, I was about to deliver the package when I saw a crowd gathered around a stage." The young trainer started to explain.
"I see. You got distracted by street performers. So typical of you to do." Prof. Oak interrupted.
"Will you let me finish! The people on stage weren't performing anything. Instead there was this one guy who was talking about liberating Pokemon and how that was the only way for Pokemons and humans to live in equality." She explained.
"Like anyone would believe that! Pokemon and humans work best when they are together not when they are separated. Everyone knows that." Prof. Oak stated.
"That's what I thought too, but there are people here who actually believed him. I managed to stop one of them from liberating his Pokemon, but there are a few more trainers here doing it. Look!" The trainer moved the xtransceiver around, showing Prof. Oak the remaining people who were releasing their Pokemon.
"This is devastating!" Prof. Oak exclaimed. "You better deliver that package right away and inform Prof. Juniper about this too. Do you know anything about the person who made that speech?"
"All I know is that his name is Ghetsis and he is part of this group called Team Plasma. Do you want me to keep an eye on them after talking to Prof. Juniper?" The trainer asked. "This group could be a threat to the Pokemon world later on."
"Team Plasma? Hmm...I'll do some research on them and yes. You should probably keep a close eye on them. I will be sending someone to help you out on this assignment. Now go!" Prof. Oak ordered. The young female was about to protest on the idea of having someone helping her out, but Prof. Oak stopped her. "I'm counting on you...Blue!"
With that been said, the trainer named Blue turned off the xtransceiver and ran towards Profesor Juniper's lab. She had no time to waste.
"What a drag. I was planning to go shopping after I finished doing this task. Now I have to keep an eye on some people who really have no taste in fashion. I'm wondering who Prof. Oak is going to send to assist me." Blue's mind started to trail off. Little did she know that this mission was going to change her live in a way she never expected it to change.


text:
A judge on Wednesday handed down a six-year prison sentence to a Phoenix man who admitted to severely abusing his 7-week-old son.
Taylor Basilio, 31, pleaded guilty to attempted child abuse and child abuse after his son suffered fractures to the skull and other areas of his body in December 2011.
Judge John Ditsworth also sentenced Basilio to lifetime probation.
Basilio and his wife, Candice, took the infant to the hospital for a flu shot when doctors noticed the child was underweight. They ordered X-rays when the skull fracture and fractures to a clavicle and rib were discovered.
Taylor Basilio admitted to a doctor he had shaken the baby on three different occasions and to pulling the baby's arms "out of frustration," according to a police report.
He called himself an angry man and said, "I have done stupid things lately."
Both parents are deaf and communicated with police through a sign-language interpreter.
Copyright 2013 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.


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[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-steelers-injuries&prov=ap&type=lgns"]http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns[/url]
Steelers Parker, Townsend, McFadden practice
14 hours, 53 minutes ago
PITTSBURGH (AP)Steelers running back Willie Parker practiced for the second successive day Friday despite left knee inflammation and could play Sunday at New England.
Parker is listed as questionable; Steelers players who practice on the Friday before games usually play.
Parker, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher, recently missed five games in a six-game span with knee and shoulder injuries. He played in the last two games, but was pulled when the knee flared up after he gained 37 yards on 14 carries against Cincinnati on Nov. 20.
Also taking part in a full practice were cornerbacks Bryant McFadden (broken forearm) and Deshea Townsend (hamstring). McFadden missed the last five games and Townsend the last two.
The Steelers were hopeful that the two veteran cornerbacks would return against the Patriots (7-4) and Matt Cassel, who has thrown for 400-plus yards in his last two games. Pittsburgh (8-3) leads Baltimore (7-4) by one game in the AFC North.
As expected, defensive end Brett Keisel (knee) and left tackle Marvel Smith (back) were ruled out. Keisel is expected to miss two more games, and Smith hasnt played in six games.


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What's the story with advertising?
What's the story with advertising?
The average person is exposed to 5,000 advertisements per day — through television, the Internet, billboards, T-shirts and tons of other media, according to J. Walker-Smith, president of Futures Company, which tracks consumer trends.
So if you're an average person, you're seeing and hearing almost 2 million ads per year!
Can you think of anything else you do 2 million times a year, other than breathing and blinking?
Surely all these ads are telling a story that's bigger than their individual messages.
Gather around, because this column will tell a tale of advertising, complete with a moral to the story.
You can skip this column in five seconds.
This column is free with the purchase of this newspaper.
This is a promotional offer.
Hurry, before this offer expires.
This offer cannot be combined with other offers.
This is a one-time offer.
This offer is not valid Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays.
This offer is not valid on holidays.
This offer is not good in Hawaii or Alaska.
A receipt and proof of purchase are needed to redeem this offer.
This offer is void where prohibited by law.
Must be 21 or over to participate.
For a limited time, buy one, get one free (while supplies last).
Free shipping (handling charges apply).
Sales tax depends on your state.
Price match guarantee.
A 30-day, money-back guarantee.
A manufacturer's rebate is available with this offer (available as a gift card).
Like this offer on Facebook and you will be entered into a contest to receive a free sample.
Visit the website and you will receive a special gift.
Just enter the promotional code and....
Let's bring this to an end so we can get to the moral of the story:
Advertisers almost always offer you more than you get.
But still, you are almost always interested, because you think you can get more than you have.
Rob McKenzie is a professor of communication studies at East Stroudsburg University.


text:
3.5 stars (out of 4)
A decade ago, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played it terse and trashy. Vocalist Karen O yelped and doused herself and her fans in beer at concerts, and guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase bashed away. All of which made the band a loose fit in the emergent New York City garage-rock scene spearheaded by the Strokes. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs seemed to be in it for kicks, but they also delivered emotional knockout punches like "Maps" that suggested they had staying power.
Now, on its fourth album, "Mosquito" (Interscope), the trio has evolved into an arty pop band, and a terrific one. The songs blend styles, subvert formula, tinker with different approaches to percussion, sublimate the guitars, build up the atmosphere, and work the mood as much as the melody. It's not as instantly inviting as the band's previous album, the 2009 dance-infused "It's Blitz!" But hang with it, and there is an intelligence and seductiveness at work that makes "Mosquito" a worthy progression.
Production from Nick Launay, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek works across a rich spectrum: the big, anthemic gospel flourishes of "Sacrilege," the dub-reggae undertow of "Under the Earth," the lost-in-space psychedelia of "Slave," the electronic glitchiness of "These Paths." With a couple of noisy exceptions – the tribal rave-up "Mosquito" and the spiky "Area 52" – the album isn't aiming for cheap thrills. Instead, the payoff is the trio of reveries that closes the album: "Always," "Despair" and "Wedding Song" build on the disarming vulnerability of "Maps," and deepen it.


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The Pitt Community College softball program will make its third national championship appearance next month, after winning the Region X Conference/District I Tournament in Aiken, S.C.
The Bulldogs broke a 3-3 tie with Spartanburg Methodist College in the top of the seventh, when sophomore shortstop Cassie Harrell reached first on an infield single to the shortstop with the bases loaded and one out. Brooke Bell beat the throw home on the play to make it 4-3 Bulldogs.
Freshman pitcher Jaimee Radel worked a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the victory for PCC, which will make its third national championship appearance under head coach Junior Bailey next month in St. George, Utah. The first round of the national junior college tourney gets underway May 15.


text:
Atlanta starter Tim Hudson dominated the Twins for seven and a-third innings and Rafael Soriano recorded the last two outs in the eighth. But the Twins hit a bunch of bouncers to scrap together a wild rally in the ninth against Braves closer Bob Wickman, who fell to 1-and-2.
This was the first time in 28 games this season Minnesota won when trailing after eight innings.
Dennys Reyes pitched the ninth for the victory. He's 1-and-1.


text:
STERLING – The friendly rivalry between Dixon and Sterling always takes on a little extra meaning in big races close to home.
The Duchesses and Golden Warriors battled it out with 13 other teams Saturday morning at the Rock River Run in Hoover Park, and the two squads combined to place five runners in the top 20 individually.
Dixon took fourth as a team with 134 points, and Sterling was sixth with 152.
"It's always our goal to come out and compete hard and try and beat Sterling," Dixon senior Katie Pitman said. "They make us better runners when we race them. I hope they say the same thing about us."
Pitman was the lone local finisher in the top 10, as she placed ninth in 19:00.
Freshman Mekenzie Harden added an 18th-place finish for the Duchesses, covering the 3-mile course in 19:43.
"Individually, I wanted to get top 10, and I'm proud of myself for doing that," Pitman said. "My goal this year is to not have a bad race; last year, it was either good or bad, really hit or miss. I want to try and make sure I stay consistent this year.
"But I'm even prouder of my teammates for how well we ran as a team today. To place in the top five against such a competitive field, that's definitely got us going in the right direction."
The Warriors were led by a pair of freshmen. Megan Barnhart was 12th in 19:14, and Maggie McPherson wasn't far behind in 16th (19:24). Junior Mercedes Sanchez took 20th in 19:45.
The ninth-graders both ran in the junior high portion of the meet in the past.
"It definitely helps a lot, having been here before," Barnhart said. "There are just so many people here to cheer you on, and it doesn't matter if you're first or last or somewhere in the middle, there's always going to be a lot of encouragement. I wasn't nervous like I usually am before the race, and I had a lot of fun."
As one of the biggest races they've run to date, the Warriors were happy to get a feel of the more competitive nature as the postseason looms.
And like all the runners, McPherson knows there is still work to do in the next month.
"I like going out fast, but it didn't work for me today; I died a little bit in the middle," she said. "There's definitely a lot of good competition, and I'm pretty happy with the way I ran, but I could do better … and I'm sure everybody feels that way at this point in the season."
Geneva won the team title with 49 points, well ahead of runner-up Belvidere North (117 points). Kaneland matched Dixon's 134, but took third on the sixth-runner tiebreaker. Aurora Rosary rounded out the top five (146 points).
Sycamore's Maggie Lalowski won the race in 18:23, with Belvidere North's Jenna Lutzow taking second in 18:29.
Rock River Run
Top 3 teams
1. Geneva 49; 2. Belvidere North 117; 3. Kaneland 134 (sixth runner tiebreaker)
Local teams: 4. Dixon 134; 6. Sterling 152
Individual winner: Maggie Lalowski, Sycamore, 18:23
Top local finishers: 9. Katie Pitman, Dixon, 19:00; 12. Megan Barnhart, Sterling, 19:14


text:
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Overhill Farms to Issue Year-End and Fourth Quarter Results and Hold Conference Call on December 18, 2012
By: Marketwired .
Dec. 11, 2012 04:06 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/11/12 -- Overhill Farms, Inc. (NYSE MKT: OFI) today announced that the Company anticipates announcing year-end and fourth quarter 2012 results on Tuesday, December 18, 2012.
Conference Call
Overhill Farms will host a conference call on December 18, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PST). Shareholders and investment professionals can participate by dialing 877-407-9210. A webcast of accompanying slides will be at http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=170320.
About Overhill Farms
Overhill Farms, Inc. (www.OverhillFarms.com) is a value-added supplier of custom high quality prepared frozen foods for branded retail, private label foodservice and airline customers. Its product line includes entrées, plated meals, bulk-packed meal components, pastas, soups, sauces, poultry, meat and fish specialties, as well as organic and vegetarian offerings. The Company's capabilities give its customers a one-stop solution for new product development, precise replication of existing recipes, product manufacturing and packaging. Its customers include prominent nationally recognized names such as Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., Jenny Craig, Inc., Safeway Inc., Target Corporation, Pinnacle Foods Group LLC and American Airlines, Inc. We also sell frozen foods under the Boston Market brand, under exclusive license with Boston Market Corporation.
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text:
Literary Editor Elizabeth Taylor discuses the inaugural "Author Talk" with Amy Chua:
"How to compete with Stephen Colbert? Or Katie Couric? Or Meredith Vieira? They've all interviewed or reported on Amy Chua, and she has been everywhere.
Now it was my turn. How to say something new? That's the question I faced as I prepared to interview Tiger Mother Amy Chua in the first in our new series "Author Talks."
Over the last few weeks, it's been hard to avoid "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." When a book is No. 3 on the best-seller list, the chances are pretty good that everyone in the audience is going to be familiar with Amy's basic parenting rules: no sleepovers, no play dates. No grade less than an A, except for gym and drama. No school play. No complaining about not being in the school play.
With an author who has generated such buzz, it's hard to figure out how to be fresh.
Maybe it's a quirk of personality, but how could it be that parts of the book I found moving and important were entirely left out of the public debate? Where were Amy's sisters, one with cancer, the other with Down's Syndrome? Her father, the brilliant scholar of chaos theory who had rebelled against his own Chinese parenting? And how could it be that family's low-achieving fluffy white Samoyeds were unmentioned!"
For more of Liz Taylor's reactions to the event read her Trib Nation blog post.
You can also download a free podcast of the conversation between Liz and Amy and check out photos from the event.


text:
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Mom Help: Birth - 3 yrs.
kaylin has had a little nasal congestion for a few days ive tried the vaporizor and suction. anyone know of any baby medicines geared towards babies under 2? thanks
There's no such thing unfortunately. Just increased fluids, elevate the mattress (we stick our boppy pillow underneath DD's mattress to help drain her nose), and keep doing what you're doing. Our Chloe had nasal issues last month (she's 17 months) and DH called the pediatrician and they said it's not recommended to give anything for nasal congestion. Just keep up with the natural remedies. Sorry. It feels like forever, but before you know it, she'll be healthy again and hopefully won't get sick til she can take medicine :)
by auggirl11October 20, 2012 at 9:22 PM
thanks. hopefully its not a long weekend.
by crystalplus1October 21, 2012 at 5:22 PM
Salt water helps just drip son in her nose and suck it out. You may want help.....she will not be happy.....
by crystalplus1November 7, 2012 at 5:23 PM
Try the hylands cold tabs.