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Families who came to the Stillman Nature Center in South Barrington Sunday not only enjoyed nature on a rare 60-degree December day, but also prepared for the holidays by decorating Yule logs and finding a use for an otherwise invasive species.
On Sunday, the center hosted a Yule Log Open House, proving the raw materials for visitors to decorate their own Yule logs: pine cones, greenery, berries and ribbons.
Guests were given eight-inch pieces of log. They fastened the evergreen material with a hot glue gun, adorning with a bow, and tucking in pine cones and berries.
Susan Allman, president of the nature center board, explained that Yule logs are a European tradition, and people throw the Yule log into the fire on Christmas Eve. According to the center's literature, the tradition even predates Christianity, going back to prehistoric times.
Yule logs have been a long-standing tradition for Allman, who brought the practice to Stillman. She was assisted Sunday by a retired teacher and member of the Stillman board, Susan Kowall, who added horticulture experience.
The most common trees used are the ash, oak, beech and pine. But on Sunday, they used buckthorn, an invasive shrub the center has been cutting down for land management purposes.
"We have so many large buckthorns at Stillman that we cut down the buckthorn and turn them into Yule logs," Allman said. "So the good thing is it's getting a second life."
Laura Thome, of Algonquin, brought her 4-year-old granddaughter, Kayleigh DeGeorge, who had fun picking out the ribbons for her Yule log even though they didn't have ribbons in her favorite color, purple.
Besides making a Yule log together, Thome said the event provided her with a chance to show Kayleigh some owls and experience the beauty of the nature center.
"It's just so accessible to everybody," she said. "I can come and walk through anytime I want when it's open and see the animals here. I wanted to show her, because (we) go hiking all over the place."


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The ceremony was full of emotion, as the six survivors hugged and shook the hands of those who gave them a second shot at life.
"It's been very emotional and satisfying to meet the people again and know that they do this every day, save people's lives," survivor Sudhir Mongia said. "To me they have been specially chosen. They are the chosen people who can do such excellent work every day."
Mongia was on his way home with his family on May 17, 2012, after celebrating his daughter's graduation from New York University when he suddenly collapsed while walking down the stairs to the train platform.
A number of bystanders saw Mongia fall, and one of them, Jon Dohlin, immediately began CPR. He worked to keep Mongia alive until first responders arrived.
Dohlin was also at the Second Chance Brunch, where he was reunited with the man whose life he saved.
"It is an amazing emotion, I have to tell you, because when I walked away from the scene, I still didn't know exactly what the outcome was going to be," Dohlin said. "The EMTs were still working on him, and I walked away feeling quite unsettled about the whole thing.
"It wasn't until a year later when the Fire Department called me that I discovered that he had made it and was in good shape and good health," he added.
New York City has over 3,000 trained men and women who work in EMS, who in the last year responded to over 1.4 million emergencies.
Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano applauded the dedication of all EMS workers.
"I have witnessed firsthand the work of our EMS officers, our paramedics and our EMTs, and believe me, it's nothing short of extraordinary," Cassano said.
For him and for all of FDNY, he said, this in particular is a rewarding day.
"Seeing the patient you saved happy, healthy, enjoying the rest of their lives, really demonstrates how rewarding this career can be," Cassano said. "And that's why this morning's ceremony is so important. It's truly one of the best days on the FDNY calendar, and it's always been one of my proudest moments to serve as the Commissioner."
Chief of EMS Abdo Nahmod agreed with the Commissioner.
"A second chance at life is what we live for," he said.
He also praised the hard work and commitment of EMS workers.
"The dedication that is displayed on every call we go to comes from why we do this job," Nahmod said. "It's the backbone of EMS. It's the dedication to saving a life."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Crumbling asphalt could not crush the semipro Fox Valley Eagles of the Ironman Football League.
It merely sent them packing to another locale down the road.
The Elgln-based operation officially has moved its home games from Geneva's Burgess Field to West Aurora as Geneva concludes a capital projects plan that includes the repavement of the school's main and Burgess Field parking lots.
Eagles owner and president Patrick Sharpe said District 304 director of facility operations Scott Ney informed Sharpe of the news in recent weeks.
"Apparently, when we agreed to go there [to Geneva] and got everything all settled, that wasn't part of the deal," Sharpe said. "And then all of a sudden, I get a phone call that, 'Hey, you can't go there because we're redoing our parking lot.' "
Ney could not immediately be reached for comment. Geneva athletic director Jim Kafer said he was not part of any parking facility negotiations between the Eagles and District 304.
Ultimately, Sharpe conceded the move caused only "a little grief" after he had arranged for the printing of tickets, schedules and maps to Burgess Field. He worked the phones and quickly made contact with officials at West Aurora, which also is hosting the Chicago Raiders of the semipro Royal Football League for part of their home schedule.
Playing their regular-season home opener Saturday at West Aurora – the Eagles entertained the Leyden Lions in Geneva for a preseason game in June – the hosts trounced the Rock River Raptors, 60-8.
"We recovered and had a great game Saturday night," Sharpe said. "It was a great win, but they're all not going to be that easy."
Sharpe hopes the schedule is another story. Fox Valley is set to host games at 7 p.m. on four of the next five Saturday nights, only leaving the comfortable West Aurora artificial turf Aug. 10 to visit the Oshkosh (Wis.) Bombers.
Here's to Ralph: The South-Elgin based Cal's All-Star Angel Foundation in conjunction with St. Charles Comets travel softball will present the inaugural Ralph Remus Award at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the East Side Sports Complex in St. Charles.
The award, named for Comets founder and current St. Francis coach Ralph Remus of St. Charles, will be presented to an outstanding Comets player who has played in the organization for five years, and includes partial college scholarship money.
The Comets became a division of Cal's Angels in February.
Splitsville: Team USA collegiate national team right fielder Bradley Zimmer swatted his share of flies while playing defense during a two-game exhibition stint at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark last week.
The stateside humidity was a significant measure greater than the kind Team USA endured during its trip to Japan earlier this month.
"It definitely is interesting playing there," Zimmer said. "Playing in a different country against a group of guys that are just as talented as us."
Japan actually proved better than the Americans, winning the 39th annual USA-Japan International Collegiate Friendly Series 3 games to 2. Team USA bowed to the Team Japan pitching staff, in awe of its arsenal of split-finger pitches.
"They had unreal splitters," Zimmer said. "It was every single guy, whether they were starters or a relief pitcher. They all had splitters, and they were throwing them in every count."
• Kevin Druley is a sportswriter for the Kane County Chronicle. He can be reached at 630-845-5347 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @kevindruley.


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FOXBOROUGH - Next Sunday, amid all the Super Bowl pomp and ceremony, Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork will share a pregame ritual with owner Robert Kraft. Two kisses. One on each cheek. For the super-sized player and the owner, it will be an emotional moment very different from all that will follow on the field.
"I used to give Myra Kraft a kiss before every game,'' said Wilfork. "Now, he gets two kisses - one for him and one for Mrs. Kraft. I always do it, before every game.''
Wilfork added, "Myra Kraft meant more to this than probably any of us that are playing this game. She's the foundation. Hopefully, we can get it done for her.''
Talking about Myra Kraft, the 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound Wilfork makes pointedly direct eye contact. You don't dare doubt his sincerity.
As constant companion and adviser to her husband, as team matriarch, Myra Kraft was an integral part of the Patriots. She was "the foundation'' of an organization built by the Kraft family with family values in mind.
Robert Kraft sees the Patriots' sustained success as a testament and tribute to the spirit and spirituality his wife brought to the organization. Myra Kraft made no organizational decisions, but she helped ensure that the Patriots followed certain core values.
"How do you differentiate a team when everything is built toward parity?'' said Kraft. "How do you sustain success? You have to create a family environment where people trust you and people fit. It's about trying to create a family atmosphere that's genuine. I think my sweetheart's presence did that. She was a great example with deeds of loving kindness. Her presence.''
Kraft's voice trails off and his eyes moisten. It is all coming back to him - how Myra was 19 and Kraft was 20 when she proposed on their first date, how "there was a bonding that happened very fast,'' how they "grew up together,'' how Myra passed up law school to devote herself to family and raising four sons, how they "got tighter the last 25 years'' after all four sons left home, how they were "best pals'' who discussed everything.
Before the first preseason game, the Patriots dedicated this season to the memory of Myra, who died of cancer July 20, 2011. Players wear an oval patch with her initials, MHK, on their uniforms, above their hearts.
When he scored a touchdown last Sunday in a 23-20 win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship game, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis emphatically pointed to that patch.
"It wasn't planned,'' said Green-Ellis. "The spirit just took over me. It was just showing homage.''
When the game ended with Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missing a 32-yard field goal attempt, thoughts turned again to Myra.
"I believe she was smiling,'' said Kraft, who tapped a lapel pin with his wife's initials and pointed skyward upon accepting the AFC championship trophy. "A lot of people think that she helped the wind blow the ball to the left. A lot of people felt her presence.''
Now, the win-one-more-for-Myra sentiment is gaining greater traction among Patriots fans and garnering national attention. It is a sentiment commonly heard around Gillette Stadium. At the Patriots Pro Shop, sales of $5 pins with Myra's initials have been brisk. And win-one-more-for-Myra is a refreshing change from the us-against-them mentality of past Patriots Super Bowl appearances.
"I really do think she's there,'' said fan Linda Lorman of Johnston, R.I., while buying souvenirs at the Patriots Pro Shop last week. "Her spirit is with all the players. They have that little extra strength you have when you play for something bigger than yourself.''
A trusted adviser
Sitting behind his desk at the stadium, Kraft starts searching in the pockets of his pinstriped suit jacket. He pulls out a lucky coin with special meaning. It was a gift from one of the victims of Christian Peter, who was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots in the 1996 NFL draft. At the time of his selection, Peter had faced numerous charges of violence against women, and had been twice convicted, including once for third-degree sexual assault. Less than a week after the draft, the Patriots relinquished their rights to Peter. Waiving a drafted player before the start of training camp was an unprecedented move by an NFL team.
Contrary to reports at the time, Myra did not demand the Patriots cut ties with Peter. As the ultimate trusted adviser and confidante, her influence on team matters was much more subtle.
"She asked, 'Have you done your homework on this guy? Is what I'm reading true?' '' said Kraft. "And I said, 'No, I trusted.' We did our own independent research and found out what was told to me was not so.
"I had made clear to the people drafting that I never wanted to bring somebody to New England knowingly who would hurt the family name. I've told every one of our coaches, 'If we need thugs or hoodlums to win, I need to know that because I'm out of the business.' ''
Kraft doesn't operate with the input of a board of directors. He seeks advice from key people in the organization, including his son Jonathan, who serves as team president. He values continuity and long-term relationships. He takes great pride in having hired only two head coaches - Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick - and playing only two starting quarterbacks - Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady - during his time as owner.
"Myra never made any decisions, but she was someone whose judgment I trusted,'' said Kraft. "She was a wonderful adviser. We were partners.''
Memories of that partnership fill his office, leaving barely any surface uncovered. Prominently displayed above his desk are photographs of his four sons. A smaller, black-and-white image of a very young Myra is positioned closer to Kraft, propped more discreetly on a countertop behind his desk. The oil painting with Myra's initials floating above a team huddle with the players pointing skyward, presented to Kraft late in the regular season, rests beside his desk. An entire wall is filled with snapshots of famous friends and family trips.
Kraft singles out pictures of Brady and former Patriots players such as Ben Watson and Richard Seymour standing before the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The photos come from annual trips to Israel that Myra helped coordinate.
"The times that I saw them together, you saw two people who really loved each other and cared for one another,'' said special teams captain Matthew Slater. "That's not something that we see often in today's society. After all those years, they still had a genuine love for each other and just enjoyed each other, like kids almost.
"To lose someone like that, it's been a strain on him. And I'd say it's kind of trickled down and become a strain on us. We definitely played with her in mind throughout the season and even more now in the postseason.''
Passion for philanthropy
Initially, the prospect of owning the Patriots divided the couple. When her husband attended Sunday afternoon home games as a season ticket-holder, Myra went to the theater and watched, as Robert described them, "those artsy movies that I would never go to.'' Or, she completed the Sunday crossword puzzle and read. She liked her quiet Sunday afternoons. She had no interest in football and certainly no interest in owning the Patriots, especially at the prices being thrown around in 1994.
Kraft originally planned to purchase the Patriots for $115 million. The cost, however, climbed until it reached $172 million, a then-record for an NFL franchise. And this was no ordinary NFL franchise. At the time, the Patriots had a won-lost record of 19-61 over the previous five years. To top it off, the team ranked last in the league in revenue.
"When I overpaid for this team, it was the only time she questioned my financial acumen and what kind of businessman I was,'' said Kraft. "When I paid $172 million, she thought I was nuts. It was the one time in our marriage when she was really worried.
"Look, my wife had never gone to a game when I bought the team. But I told her, if we ran this well, we would have a greater impact on the community than if we gave away half a million dollars a week.''
Myra made sure that was true. She worked her philanthropic magic and applied her passion for volunteerism with the Patriots, just as she did with so many organizations throughout Boston and beyond. She worked tirelessly with organizations from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston to the United Way to Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
Throughout this season, in honor of Myra, the Patriots recognized the spirit of volunteerism and public service, championing nurses, teachers, veterans, firefighters, and police. Kraft hopes by saluting the spirit of volunteerism his wife's "presence remains with us.''
It didn't take long for Myra to join her husband as a passionate Patriots fan, taking a familiar seat beside Robert in the owner's suite. When asked if Myra helped give him some perspective after the Patriots lost to the Giants in the 2007 Super Bowl, Kraft smiled and said, "We balanced each other out on certain things, but she didn't like to lose. And her husband didn't like it, either.''
And many believe her competitive spirit will be as present at this year's Super Bowl as it has been throughout the Patriots season.Shira Springer can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A Panama City Beach police officer has been fired for abusing and inmate. The whole episode was caught on a surveillance camera inside of the holding cell at the beach jail. This is not the first problem the officer has had on the job.
Panama City Beach commanders fired officer Allen Whitt today after viewing the surveillance tape. The camera caught Whitt repeatedly pepper spraying the naked inmate.
It all started last night when the inmate was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Beach police investigators say the man clogged a toilet with a roll of toilet paper.
Whitt reportedly told the prisoner to come out of the cell. When the man refused, Whitt pepper sprayed him, a perfectly acceptable response.
"At the point he sprayed him in the cell, the prisoner compiled. In the booking cell it should have stopped," Major David Humphreys says. But it didn't stop.
Whitt handcuffed the prisoner to the booking cell and continued to spray him. This isn't the first time Whitt has stepped over the line while on duty.
In January Whitt shot a car four times during a DUI stop. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
"He was given a letter of reprimand for the violation. This case is vastly different," Humphreys says.
The incident in January wasn't the only warning sign of things to come. Major Humphreys says Whitt was periodically late to work, and he actually had submitted a letter of resignation, explaining that he felt like he was not cut out for the job.
Whitt's last day on the job was to be Tuesday, but instead, Beach Brass let him go this morning.
"In light of this situation, we felt we had to take immediate action. We do not and will not condone the mistreatment of anyone."
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the incident.


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Nanna and Janet
Best of friends Nanna and Jeanet who shared same interest and likes.They decided to plan a trip to the Philippnes. They discovered Coco Beach through their travel agency in Denmark. Both of them, together with their new Danish friends at Coco Beach had a set of activities day by day. Jeanet and Nanna are 21 years old career women on their country. During their holiday at the resort they went to Free Boat Tour and had a wonderful sightseeing to another beach. Best friends watched and joined Frog Race during their dinner time and had fun on our own version of Cockfight where two cocks are placed on the table and the first cock who fell down will be the loser. They had a wonderful time going to Tamaraw falls and Tukuran Lagoon and they really love the experience riding on a Carabao cart together with the other Danish guests. They book a Macaroon Baking Lesson with baker Raul at ten in the morning, mixed all the ingredients and wait for it to be finally done, and the baker serve it to them fresh and hot. Jeanet and Nanna said that they really enjoyed their stay at Coco Beach, and they are hoping to be back again.
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© 1986 - 2018 Coco Beach Island Resort - Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro Philippines - By: gofrancis


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Transport links in remote areas of Nepal are poor, making it hard for people to get their produce to market. A WFP project to build a road opened up new horizons for one construction worker turned entrepreneur.
by Seetashma Thapa
KATHMANDU -- Four years ago Jit Bahadur Pun worked as a construction worker, building a 20km stretch of new road in the remote Salyan district of western Nepal. Now he runs a sweet shop and a roadside travel lodge and he credits a WFP project with paving the way for his success.
"Without the WFP road project here, I would have never done so well," he said. "It has completely reshaped my life, and helped rebuild the lives of others".
Jit worked on the road building project, part of a WFP Food-for-Assets programme, for three years. Each day he worked he received an allowance of rice for his family. He then went to the capital, Kathmandu, and trained to be a cook. After completing his training he returned to the village of Marke and opened a sweet shop using his skills.
Sweet Shop
"The sweet shop became very popular, as this was the first of its kind in the area," he said. "I can prepare 12 different varieties of sweets and 175 different foods. People come to buy from me during weddings and festivals."
The road, which runs from Marke to Rampur, is aimed at making it easier for villagers to get their produce to market. Once it was completed, Jit opened a travel lodge. "It has been two years now, and many passengers stop to spend the night," he said. "I make between 50,000 and 100,000 Nepalese Rupees ($US 600-1,200) a month now. This road has been very helpful for my business and for others as well."
Once a week, a market opens around Jit's lodge. Now considering himself a businessman, he says: "My dream is to now start a dairy here."
Food supplies
The Salyan hill district suffered during a long conflict between the government and Maoist rebels. Damage was done to water supplies, health centers, schools, and roads. Although the conflict has ended, poor roads, blockades and transport strikes can prevent key commodities from reaching needy populations. High food prices, coupled with harsh weather conditions, have pushed many people to the brink of starvation.
WFP-Nepal has implemented the Food-for-Asset (FFA) project in several districts with the aim of improving access to food supplies and providing job opportunities. Currently, 5,250 beneficiaries working on FFA activities receive four kilos of rice per day by. The project ensures that women and members from different ethnic groups also benefit.


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Arora is a simple cross-platform Web browser whose feature list includes things like "History" and "Bookmarks". It has a small code base. It was originally created as a demo for Qt to help test the QtWebKit component and find API issues and bugs before the release. A very old version can still be found in Qt's source code in the demo/browser directory. Arora works on Linux, OS X, Windows, FreeBSD, and embedded Linux using Qt Embedded, and works anywhere else Qt does.
A utility that convert an email to a Trac ticket.
An interface library to access tags for identifying languages.


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DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Franklin Morales and Minor League right-handed pitcher Chris Martin from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Jonathan Herrera.
Morales, 27, will return to the organization that originally signed him as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2002. Morales spent his first eight-plus professional seasons in the Rockies organization, including spending time in the Majors from 2007-2011, during which time he went 7-11 with a 4.83 ERA (147.1 ip, 79 er) in 102 games/15 starts. Morales has spent the last two-plus seasons in Boston (2011-13), during which time he went 6-7 with a 3.90 ERA (134.0 ip, 58 er) in 93 games/10 starts. In 2013, Morales went 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA (25.1 ip, 13 er) in 20 games/one start as a member of the World Champion Red Sox. Overall in his career, the left-hander is 13-18 with 11 saves and a 4.38 ERA (281.1 ip, 137 er) in 195 games/25 starts. Morales has held left-handed hitters to a .194 (65-for-335) opponents average in his career.
Martin, 27, split his 2013 season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, going 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA (72.0 ip, 18 er), 16 walks and 74 strikeouts in 42 appearances. Martin originally signed as a Minor League free agent by Boston prior to the 2011 season. In 88 career Minor League games and 222.1 innings, all in the Red Sox organization, Martin owns a 3.12 ERA with 194 strikeouts compared to just 47 walks. Martin pitched for Grand Prairie in the independent American Association in 2010 prior to signing with Boston.
Herrera, 29, spent the entire 2013 season in the Majors with the Rockies and in 81 games batted .292 (57-for-195) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 16 RBI and 16 runs. He started 45 games overall, playing second base (22 games, 16 starts), third base (5 games, 1 start), shortstop (42 games, 28 starts) and left field (2 games). In five seasons with Colorado, Herrera was a career .265 (261-for-984) hitter in 375 games.


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Everyone pretty much understands that the mosquito is the leading transmitter of disease to humans in the United States. Interesting enough, the tick is number two.
Like the chigger the tick is an arachnid- it has eight legs. There are over 100,000 identified species of arachnids world wide and more than 800 tick species. A chigger bites and feeds on tissue dissolved by its saliva. The tick feeds on blood. Toxins in the ticks saliva are the cause of numerous diseases.
Kinds of Ticks
Ticks are separated into two groups, hard ticks and soft ticks. Hard ticks like the American Dog Tick, the Wood Tick and the Deer Tick have a hard plate on their back and look like a flat seed. These ticks usually attach to the host and over an extended period (several hours or days). Transmission of diseases generally occurs toward the end of the feeding period.
Soft ticks do not have the hard shell to define them and look like a raisin. Soft ticks feed for a much shorter period of time, sometimes less than an hour. Diseases are transmitted much faster. The Common Fowl Tick and Relapsing Fever Tick are two common species of soft tick. Soft ticks prefer hosts such as bats and chickens.
How do Ticks Feed?
How do ticks find a host? Most of the time ticks lie in the tall grass and brush waiting for a host (dog, rabbit, or Scout) to pass by. Ticks sense movement in the grass or odors or carbon dioxide changes in their area. Once an appropriate host passes, the tick attaches itself. Ticks do not fly and they can not run or jump- they have to grab on. They then crawl along until they find an appropriate place to bite.
Once the tick finds an appropriate location, the tick uses its mouth parts to burrow into the skin. The mouthparts have barbs which helps the tick secure itself to the host. Once attached the tick secrets a cementing material that provides a stronger anchor for its head. The tick then secrets saliva which contains a neurotoxin. This deadens the nerves and prevents the host from sensing the tick bite. The saliva also contains a blood thinner which makes it easier to ingest blood.
Removing a Tick
Many of the folk lore methods for removing a tick can actually increase the chance of disease transmission. Touching the ticks tail with a hot match. Painting the tick with clear nail polish. Covering the tick in petroleum jelly or dabbing gasoline on the tick. All of these methods may cause more serious damage to the host because they stimulate the ticks mouth to chew and secrete more saliva.
The goal is to remove the ticks head and mouth parts. First find a pair of tweezers. Removing the tick with your fingers provides another opportunity to spread infection. Some methods recommend flipping the tick on its back to provide a better angle to the mouth and head. Others suggest simply grasping the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Without any twisting or turning motions, pull the tick straight out. The tick may be flushed down the toilet or washed down the sink. It might also be preserved in a glass jar to show to the doctor in case symptoms occur. When the tick is removed, there should be an indention where the mouth and head were. If these parts are still imbedded in the skin, a physician might need to remove them. Wash the area with soap and water.
What Are the Symptoms of a Tick Bite?
Because of the neurotoxin in the bite, the host usually doesnt feel the initial bite. If the tick falls off, the host might not realize that he has been bitten. That is why it is important to understand the symptoms of tick bites.
- General flu like symptoms
- Fever
- Rash- especially a red bulls eye rash (Lyme disease)
- Headache or Confusion
- Numbness or weakness in the limbs
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
If these symptoms continue or worsen, seek the aid of a physician. Let him know that you have been an area where you might have been exposed to ticks.
Avoid Tick Bites
By following these steps you can help avoid getting bitten by ticks:
- Avoid tall grassy areas as much as possible.
- At home, keep lawns neatly trimmed.
- Wear long pants and long sleeves. Keep the pants tucked into the boots.
- Wear lighter colored clothes. This makes it easier to spot ticks on your clothing.
- Use Insect repellant with DEET.
- Spray clothing with permethrin before going into tick infested areas. This treatment keeps ticks away and usually last through several washings of the clothes.
- When returning to home, shake out all clothing. Examine yourself and others for ticks and take a shower. Feel for ticks in your hair while shampooing.
We could avoid a lot of tick bites if we stayed out of the woods when they are not active (May through September). Since these are the primary camping months, we just need to learn how to prevent getting bitten by ticks and how to treat tick bites if we are bitten. For interesting facts on chiggers, see the link below.


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On the three main lines, Hudson, Harlem and New Haven, ridership was up 1.7 percent over 2010. But West of Hudson, where the Port Jervis Line was shut down for three months after Tropical Storm Irene devastated the tracks, ridership declined 11.4 percent from the previous year.
Still, overall ridership last year was the second highest in Metro-North history, exceeded only by 2008, before the economic downturn, when annual ridership was 83.6 million.
"This growth is gratifying because people have a choice in travel. They are voting with their feet by taking Metro-North because of the value we provide," said Railroad President Howard Permut. "This growth is the continuation of a long-term trend and is a result of our unwavering focus on reliability, cleanliness, customer service and safety."
In December, East of Hudson ridership increased 6.4 percent, the fastest growth rate observed in 2011 and the largest monthly ridership growth rate since September 2000, when ridership jumped up 6.7 percent.
Permut pointed to on-time performance as a major reason that people choose Metro-North. Of the 209,020 trains operated last year, 96.9 percent of them arrived on time.
Metro-North ridership is projected to grow at a rate of about two percent in 2012.
The Long Island Rail Road's overall ridership in 2011 dipped slightly lower than 2010 by 0.5 percent, going from 81.4 million riders in 2010 (adjusted for workday differences with 2011) to 81.0 million in 2011. In a developing positive trend, the LIRR saw four consecutive months of ridership increases at the end of 2011. Ridership during September through December increased by 2.2 percent over the same period last year, going from 27.2 million riders in 2010 to 27.8 in 2011, carrying about 600,000 more passengers.


text:
Clear questions and runnable code
get the best and fastest answer
Re: Interpolating variables in JSON stringby muba (Priest)
|on Jan 29, 2013 at 13:52 UTC ( #1015876=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
The line
makes no sense. The character : is only part of the Perl syntax in rather specific places, and this isn't one of them. I get a syntax error message for this line.
The Perl equivalent of a JSON map is called a hash. Traditionally we use => to separate keys from their values, not :.
But even that would make little sense. That line would make the data structure, return a reference to it, try to quotemeta that reference, and store that in $json. So $json would end up being something like "HASH\(0x33c218\)". You don't need quotemeta here — you only need quotemeta when you're about to use a string inside a regular expressions and you're afraid that your string might have regex meta characters while you actually want to match them literally. What you do need is a real JSON module, like the good monks before me already suggested.
In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom


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Portugal voices total support for FAO
Seeks increased cooperation with Portuguese-language countries
20 June 2013, Rome, Italy – FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva met yesterday with José Diogo Albuquerque, Portugal's Secretary of State for Agriculture, who underlined Portugal's total support of the Organization.
Albuquerque also stressed the importance his country attaches to relations with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), with the Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOPS) and with the CPLP Office in Lisbon. He indicated that Portugal is ready to collaborate more closely with all CPLP countries.
Click here to listen to H.E. José Diogo Albuquerque.


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Stacy appears, Viki has a choice to make, and Bo reunites with a woman from his past...
From Heaven, Megan, Gabrielle and Luna watch and discuss the goings on in Llanview. There are residents who need them. They have their work cut out for them…
At the church, Natalie breaks from John's kiss and asks him to make sure Mitch is dead. John moves a gun away from Mitch then goes to him. Mitch grabs John, and his gun, and the men struggle. Natalie warns John to move then shoots Mitch dead. "He's not coming back this time," John confirms. Natalie was glad to kill Mitch, for Jared's sake. She calls Jessica and promises to be at the hospital as soon as she and John check on their parents.
At Llanfair, with Clint lying unconscious by Viki's side, Megan appears. She puts her hand out. Viki's spirit rises, takes Megan's hand and ends up close to Heaven. Megan assures Viki Clint's with someone else at the moment and that Natalie and Jessica are safe. Suddenly, Viki becomes very weak and thinks about what Allison said. Megan reminds Viki it's okay to let go and recalls letting go of Jake. If Viki lets go, she and Megan can make up for all of the time they've lost. Megan opens a set of doors and asks, "Are you ready?"
In a darkened room, Clint's spirit is stunned to see the real Stacy Morasco, who demands her heart back. She rants about Clint being a bad person to Shane and Bo. Stacy warns Clint needs to clean up the mess he's made of his life and points to a door, engulfed in flames. Clint refuses to believe Stacy when she claims Viki's dead and recalls what Allison said. He pushes Stacy away then rushes through a set of doors. He sees Viki about to walk through another door with Megan and calls out, "Viki, don't do it!" Viki tells Megan she's not ready then rushes into Clint's arms saying, "I can't let go." John and Natalie arrive at Llanfair and hover over Clint and Viki's bodies. Natalie cries when she can't find Viki's pulse. The EMTs arrive and announce that Viki's not breathing. Suddenly, Viki and Clint open their eyes and stare at each other.
In the cabin, Nora tries to help Troy save Bo. Gabrielle appears. Bo mumbles Gabrielle's name. Nora doesn't realize Bo's spirit has taken Gabrielle's hand and has left. Troy tells Nora that Bo's gone. He says goodbye and urges Nora to do the same to Bo. Nora screams for Troy, as he walks out the door. Somewhere faraway, Gabrielle tells Bo he was shot. She's there to guide Bo to his next life. He doesn't believe it's the end of his life. Gabrielle claims it's the beginning, for her and Bo. He loves Nora and doesn't want to leave her. Gabrielle begs Bo to walk through a set of doors with her. He almost does until he hears Nora crying, "Please don't leave me." Gabrielle tries reminding Bo what they once had, but he says, "Nora… she's the love of my life. I have to get back to her." Bo leaves Gabrielle and awakes in the cabin. Nora kisses Bo, who says, "You can't get rid of me that easy."
As the doctors work on Cole in the hospital, Luna appears. Cole's spirit rises from his body. He takes Luna's hand and leaves with her. Starr pleads with the doctor for an update, as Cole realizes Luna's dead and wonders if he is too. She only says they're somewhere between Heaven and Hell. Luna comforts him when Cole starts talking about how much he's hurt Starr and Hope. Maybe he's better off dead. A set of doors open abruptly. Luna urges Cole to listen carefully. He hears Starr… Back in the hospital, Starr pleads with Cole to fight, to come back to her and Hope. James appears just as Starr admits she never stopped loving Cole and never plans to.
In another area of the hospital, Jessica and James await news on Ford. Jessica wonders if James found Starr. James only wants to concentrate on Ford right now. They never see the hooded figure carrying Ford's spirit away. In a darkened room, Eddie reveals himself to his son. Ford thinks he's dreaming and wants to get back to Jessica. Eddie opens a door and exposes flames, claiming they're in Hell. Ford rants at his father and calls Eddie a rapist. Eddie reminds Ford he didn't rape Nora, unlike what Ford did to Jessica. Ford knows Jessica forgave him. They have a son now. After Ford pushes Eddie into the flames of hell, he runs through a set of doors, sees Luna and asks, "Will you help me?" As Luna, Megan and Gabrielle watch from afar, Ford and Cole's family and friends gather in the waiting area of the hospital. A doctor appears, as Luna admits, "I could only save one."
Back in the church, Mitch's spirit stands, prepared to serve his God for all eternity. Stacy and Eddie arrive and take Mitch away. Stacy reveals that Jessica was never his daughter. Mitch screams, "No!"
Llanview spoilers for the next One Life to Live:
Many prepare to say goodbye.
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text:
Major League managing is a tough gig. You get blamed for things you have little control over, your every move is scrutinized and second guessed by people who've never so much as managed Little League, you work insane hours and travel incessantly, most of your supposed employees get paid more than you -- and even if you were as good at your job as you possibly could be, it likely would only make a few games' difference in the standings. It's not coal mining or anything, let's not get carried away, but it's no picnic. And the job security is notoriously lousy.
Of the 30 major league managers, nine are in the last year of their contracts. But how much does being a "lame duck" actually matter? The vast majority of manager salaries are low enough, by baseball standards, that it's not a huge impediment to firing them anyway -- as the recent fates of Ozzie Guillen and Bobby Valentine remind us.
Still, the looming end of a contract makes it almost painless for teams to can a manager, if things aren't going well, in the name of a fresh start. And, while this part is impossible to quantify, it makes it easier for any player so inclined to tune out his skipper. It's enough of an issue that most teams take pains to avoid the situation; new Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has an unusual contract designed to prevent him from ever achieving lame duckhood.
What follows is a largely unscientific attempt to rate managers' job security from 0 lame ducks (it would take a felony conviction to get him fired midseason) to 5 lame ducks (gone if the wind blows from the west).
Contract info via Baseball Prospectus and Cot's Baseball Contracts.
* * *
Jim Leyland, Tigers
Leyland makes the list because he's in the last year of his contract, but the one-year extension appears to have been largely his choice. After taking the Tigers to the World Series in October, he's not going to get fired; the question is whether the 68-year-old will decide to retire at the end of the season.
Lame ducks: 0
Walt Weiss, Rockies
Can you be a "lame duck" if you were never anything else? This is Weiss's first go-around as a manager, and he signed a rather unusual deal, even for a first-timer, of just one year. What could be interpreted as a lack of confidence or trust in their choice raised some eyebrows around the game, but Rockies owner Dick Monfort has said "This is Walt's job as long as he wants it." (Of course, the last guy had an "indefinite" handshake agreement, and he isn't around anymore).
Weiss could be ditched at will and at basically no cost, but you have to figure he'd need to screw up pretty spectacularly to be gone in less than one year -- even Bobby Valentine made it through the season -- if only because of how unstable it would make the Rockies look. That's not something the franchise needs right now.
|Lame ducks: 1.5
Joe Girardi, Yankees
Counting John Gibbons' magic Contract of Many Extensions, Girardi is the only manager in the AL East without an extra year left on his deal. He's not especially vulnerable, however: he has a World Series win under his belt, a solid track record, good relationships with most of his players as well as with his GM and owners, and -- for the first time in a long time in Yankeeland -- lowered expectations for his team this season. The Yankees are certainly playoff contenders, but if they don't make it, the blame will fall on old players, injuries, bloated contracts and their sudden adherence to a budget, not on Girardi. Things could conceivably get ugly if all the things that could go wrong do go wrong, but it would take a lot of ugliness -- 1980s Yankees levels of ugliness -- for Girardi to get fired now.
|Lame ducks: 2
Charlie Manuel, Phillies
As is the case for many of the teams and managers on this list, the Phillies probably won't be that good this year (it's going to be a fierce battle for third in the NL East), and it won't be Manuel's fault. Unlike some of the other names here, however, Manuel has had enough recent success to keep him from being properly scapegoated -- five playoff runs and a championship in the last six years. The Phillies may not bring him back for another season if 2013 goes poorly, but with that kind of track record, they at least owe him a dignified exit. (At 69 years old, he may be nearing retirement age in any case.) General manager Ruben Amaro Jr., at whose feet much of the blame for recent woes could be laid, is under contract through 2015, proving once again that we live in an unjust and unfeeling universe.
|Lame ducks: 2
Terry Collins, Mets
It would take a lot of gall for the Mets to fire Collins after giving him so little to work with. The Wilpons have done plenty to anger fans, but that kind of low blow seems unlike them, and unlike general manager Sandy Alderson, who knows better than anyone the tough spot Collins has been put in, sans a real outfielder and with his ace shipped off to Canada. Canning him at the end of the year, before Alderson's rebuilding efforts can bear fruit, would be bad enough. So I expect Collins to last the season, despite the fact that Wally Backman is all but publicly drooling over his job.
As for Collins, he told the Star Ledger, "I don't need no guarantees," before offering the following rather confusing statements: "I can't worry about the future, I don't care about the future. I only care about today. When something happens today, we'll worry about it tomorrow."
…Okay then.
"I'm going in here with a great frame of mind," Collins concluded.
|Lame ducks: 2.5
Eric Wedge, Mariners
The Mariners probably aren't going to be that good this season, at least not in the now-stacked AL West, but on the plus side (… well, for Wedge), most observers do not expect them to be, given that the roster consists of Felix Hernandez, a so-far disappointing (but still young and promising) Jesus Montero, the defensive stylings of Brendan Ryan, and 37 right fielders*. Seattle fans are frustrated, and Wedge hasn't wowed anyone, so there's certainly a chance he gets the boot if things go poorly. But under him, the team improved from a dismal 61 wins in 2010 to 67 his first year and 75 last season. Mediocrity in 2012, which is achievable, would probably be enough to get Wedge through.
*slight exaggeration.
Unfair side note: I always think of this web site when I see Eric Wedge and now you will, too. Something to do with the way he sets his mouth when the games get intense.
|Lame ducks: 3
Don Mattingly, Dodgers
The Dodgers are paying a lot of money for this team -- now the most expensive in the majors -- and anything short of a playoff appearance could mean the end of Mattingly's managerial stint in L.A. In fact, given the team's decision not to pick up his 2014 option, you can upgrade "could" to "probably will, barring a plague of injuries heretofore unmatched in modern times." Mattingly himself was surprisingly open to the L.A. Times about his feelings on the matter:
"It was a 30-second conversation about the option, they said that wasn't the plan for me or my coaches, it was a moot point, and I'm fine with that… But you would have liked for them to pick up the extensions so the players could be shown confidence. You never want it to be like, after a couple of bad games, people are saying, 'Oh, are they gonna change managers now?'"
He also took responsibility, saying, "If I don't get my guys to play well, it's on me, it's my fault." I'm not at all sure that's true, but that's just part of the joy of managing; it's too expensive to fire the players. On the plus side for Mattingly, concerns about his team not respecting his authority due to his lame-duck status are likely undercut by him being Don Mattingly.
In any case, he's definitely set up to take the fall -- but there's no reason to expect a fall will need to be taken. You don't have to be Earl Weaver to successfully manage a roster that stacked. Mattingly has to hope for a hot start, though.
|Lame ducks: 3.5
Ron Gardenhire, Twins
Gardenhire, an avuncular baseball gnome of a man, has long been near the top of my list of Managers I'd Like To Have a Beer With. Unfortunately, the correlation between that list and the list of managers I'd want to actually manage my team is not high (see also: Ron Washington).
This is Gardenhire's first year as a lame duck, and he seems to know what he's facing. He has managed the Twins for more than a decade now, and in that time they've had a lot of very impressive success -- six playoff appearances, though admittedly five of those were first-round exits -- for which he absolutely deserves a share of the credit. But all good managerial runs must come to an end. After 94 wins in 2010, the Twins plummeted to 63 in 2011 and 66 last year. They'll be bad again this year, barring a turnaround even more shocking (and lucky) than the Orioles' 2013. No, it won't be Gardenhire's fault; no one could turn the current roster into a contender, and his bunting fetish isn't the reason they'll be under .500. But if this continues Minnesota will have to make a change, and if things get really bleak, they may not wait. That the Twins have so much respect and affection for Gardenhire after all these years is the only thing keeping him from topping the list.
|Lame ducks: 4
Ned Yost, Royals
Failure to turn all that farm system talent into viable major leaguers has led to frustrating times in Kansas City. The Sporting News preview magazine actually predicted Ned Yost could be Manager of the Year. That seems like a stretch, but it's true that the Royals could pleasantly surprise people if their many young talented players start to click, and Yost would benefit from that (he might even deserve to).
On the flip side, trading Wil Myers, one of the best prospects in the game, for pitcher James Shields indicates that the Royals think they're close to contending. I don't think they're right about that. And while it doesn't matter what I think, if ownership and GM Dayton Moore believe their team is a contender that's merely underachieving -- even with the shiny new starter they got for their manager at great cost -- this could be the last straw for Yost, whose in-game strategizing and player usage has not been particularly inspiring. Of all the managers on this list, he seems the one most set up for the chopping block. And this is a man who once managed to get axed on the way to a playoff spot.
|Lame ducks: 5


text:
The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Seafood and Farmer's Market is anticipated to open during the first or second weekend of February at the Pine Island Center.
The market, which will be located in Phillip's Park, will include approximately 30 booths and run from 8 a.m. to noon, every Saturday until April or early May.
The chamber is still seeking vendors, farmers, fishermen, artisans and civic clubs to sell their wares at the weekly market. Approved market items include fresh produce, seafood, plants, flowers, arts and crafts, as well as individuals selling their goods.
Chamber President-elect Steve Timcak said the market would be an ideal place for individuals to earn money for their families.
In 2011, the Florida Legislature passed the Cottage Food Bill, Bill 7209, which allows individuals to manufacture, sell and store some types of "cottage food" products from their home kitchen. The cottage foods include breads, cakes, cookies, candies, jams and jellies and fruit pies.
According to the bill, the annual income that is made through selling these products cannot exceed $15,000. The sale of the product can only be made from the cottage food operator directly to the consumer and not through the Internet, mail order and consignment or through wholesale.
Timcak thinks the bill is a remarkable thing because the state Legislature is trying to help individuals earn an income.
The best part, he said, is that individuals can make the cottage foods in their home kitchen and sell in the public without any licensing having to take place.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the item that is being sold has to be labeled with "made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations."
Those interested in obtaining a booth at the market are encouraged to call the Chamber of Commerce at 239-283-0888 or email email@example.com.


text:
New orders for durable goods, one of the most volatile series to come out monthly from the government, lived up to its unenviable reputation this morning, as this metric fell by 4.3% in December. Expectations had been for an increase of 1.6%. In November, this series had shown a gain of 2.6%. Initially, the November rise had been estimated at 3.4%. So, we are all over the map here.
In all, the drop last month was the largest since mid-summer, and was brought about principally by weakness in orders for autos and aircraft. The high ticket nature of these offerings contributes mightily to the historical volatility in this index.
Durable goods, meanwhile, are large-ticket items that are expected to last three years, or more. In this category are automobiles, aircraft, television sets, dishwashers, stoves, and other household appliances.
The disappointing result could cause some economists to reduce their forecast for fourth-quarter GDP. Many now hold that this report, to be issued on Thursday morning at 8:30 (EST), will show growth of 3.3%; some outlier projections, in fact, call for a GDP gain of some 4%.
Breaking the durable goods report down, we find that orders nondefense capital goods fell 5.0% in December, to $82.5 billion. Moreover, defense orders for capital goods plummeted 21.5%. Much of the latter, no doubt, reflected weakness in aircraft orders. Other areas showing softness last month included orders for primary metals, fabricated metals, computers and electronic products, and transportation equipment. Among the few sectors to show any strength at all were electrical equipment, appliances, and machinery. But that was it; otherwise, this was a weak report across the board.
Although this was a disquieting series result, we are not yet ready to suggest that a changing aggregate economic trend is in place. Most of the data look reasonable as we start the new year, but there also are some pockets of weakness, a part of which may well be weather related, such as yesterday's less-than-compelling report on new home sales. Thus, we caution that upcoming issuances should be scrutinized to see if, as the pessimists now believe, that a shift in business expectations may be at hand.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.


text:
|2005-12-19, 07:35
|Link #2
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 37
However, if an Otome kill the MIP of a Hime, the Hime will just get really mad and hunt the Otome down to the ends of the Earth. So Hime wins.
As for a contractor-free Pillar...
Hard to tell, but I believe the Otomes are not as powerful as they could be due to artificial safeguards. Would Otome Shizuru have a chance against Hime-Shizuru? Probabily not. A Hime powers up depending on her state of mind, but an Otome is restricted by technology.
Yup, Hime wins... for now. We haven't seen the full-power of what an Otome can do yet, especially once they can stop worrying about politics... So we will see. It is not impossible for an Otome to summon a Child...
|2005-12-19, 07:51
|Link #3
The very united ACROSS
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: England
If we take that image Nao/Arika had when they discussed Otome in war, Otome-Shizuru looked pretty immense that time - that may not be real, but equally, it could be. I think state of mind will be a factor in an Otome's strength as well later.
In terms of technology, then I'm sure it plays a part: I'm thinking that nano-machines may be manipulated to increase strength, I'm not sure why I think this - but Midori's usage of them left a side-effect in her veins (much like Youko said there were side-effects back in ep.3 I think it was) - if there wasn't these drawbacks and time limits then maybe people would pump themselves more with them. Perhaps..
|2005-12-19, 23:12
|Link #5
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2005-12-19, 23:22
|Link #6
Purr, good kitty...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Québec, Canada
Age: 32
Well, we know for sure SOME HiMEs wouldn't stand a chance...
*glances at Yukino*
And some others would give any Otome a lot of trouble...
*glances at Alyssa*
And if it HAS to be the Otome vs her HiME equivalent, then they stand even less of a chance (HiME Yukino VS President Yukino (minus Haruka), eh... And Alyssa VS Otome!Alyssa... KFC anyone?).
And we can't forget Mikoto VS Mikoto...
"It's... heavy... can't... breathe... dying..."
"Mreow." ("<pwnt.>")
We can't really make comparizons yet, though, considering the only Otome with a HiME equivalent that can fight we've seen so far is Shizuru.
Otome Midori VS HiME Midori would be interesting, if only for the pre-fight speech.
"Evil doppleganger who fights against Justice, I, Sugiura Midori, HiME Red, will defeat you!"
"...is she... she's not me, right? And stop posing, you make me look---argh, just die for the humiliation! Gakutenou!"
Both Gakutenous: "Um... hi?"
would be wierd.
|2005-12-20, 00:00
|Link #7
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 37
Otomes have a two-way relationship with their Contractor, but Himes are only one-way. If a Hime lost the MIP via any means other than her having lost her Child or died herself, then she would merely have her second most important person moving up the list as a replacement.
A Hime can only lose her powers if she either
A: died via any means, which would still kill the MIP, even including suicide.
B: Have her child killed in battle, which kills her MIP, takes away her powers, but keeps her alive.
C: Lost her love for her MIP, no longer believe in herself, in despair and therefore can't use her powers. Himes use the powers of love, and nothing more or less.
So so far, Hime still wins. I don't see how a non-Pillar Meister could stand a chance if her contractor is vulnerable to attack...
|2005-12-20, 03:26
|Link #8
I am the lies in you.
Join Date: Dec 2005
I also agree, that with what we know at the moment, the HiME would totally own the Otome. Throw the Aswalds into the mix, I mean, Midori boasted some pretty immense powers, and I have a feeling that was just some mass produced GEM and not their real super-powered stuff.
|2005-12-20, 07:50
|Link #9
Then the Otome could always carry the contractor while flying? That would be a pain on maneuverability, and would handicap them to one arm (or less, seeing as most otome with the exception of Haruka and Shizuru are pretty petite...so their contractor would likely be their size or larger).
Either way, I can't see flying as being an ability that would make up for the other problems an otome has compared to a HiME...it would be a hiME's night out if there was a match between the two.
|2005-12-20, 18:16
|Link #10
But come on! A child is like a slightly better version of a slave, and Shizuru could wipe out that slave in the first episode easily. She cut open an aircraft! And sure theres the MIP/contract aspect.. but you kill a child and a hime is screwed, you kill the master and the otome is screwed so that kind of evens out. I would say Otomes are better
|2005-12-20, 20:04
|Link #11
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 37
But a Contractor has to be present in a battle (unless the Otome is a Pillar?), and they are completely defenseless.
|2005-12-29, 06:42
|Link #12
Alston De Ventigo
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Malaysia
In my opinion, if we put aside the contractor, when engage in a close combat the otomes will win cuz generally they were trained in combat oppose to hime. I agree to a point that the otomes might rely on the technology to fight but that is part of thier equipment. So still the himes are lack in training and technology to actually win a major fight againts the otomes.
|Thread Tools


text:
LAUREL CO., Ky. (WKYT) - It was about 3 o'clock Sunday morning…when some people on Locust Grove road found a victim of apparent violence….on their front porch.
"Hi, my mother-in-law called and said there is a half-naked lady sitting on her front porch, bleeding, saying that she's been shot. And they're coming back after her," the caller is heard telling the dispatcher during the 911 call.
Police say that woman was Gena Smith and neighbors say she crawled several hundred yards when an argument in her home became violent.
"And as she went down the hallway her boyfriend got a 22 rifle and starting firing at her," said Gilbert Acciardo with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.
Relatives say Gena Smith underwent surgery Sunday. Police say they're not sure what sparked the argument, family members say it may have had something to do with medication.
"And they (deputies) found her boyfriend in a back bedroom passed out, holding the rifle in his hand that apparently he shot her with," said Acciardo.
Lawson was charged with assault and also wanton endangerment because their 11 year old was nearby the gunfire.
Lawson remains in jail, Smith at London's St. Joe Hospital for two gunshot wounds to the leg.


text:
The Ten Most Horrifying HR Policies
I was a corporate HR person forever. I still consider myself an HR person. That's why it pains me to hear and read about the idiotic things we do in the name of Human Resources. For me, pointless and bureaucratic (not to mention talent-repelling) HR practices demean a tremendous profession and calling.
What a wonderful job description an HR chief has! He or she gets to build a magnet for smart and switched-on people, to keep the energy moving throughout the place and to take away whatever barriers prevent people from connecting with their work and with one another. What 'people person' wouldn't want that job? It's a communications job. You get to untangle thorny people problems. It's creative. It's full of coaching and brainstorming and collaboration. You get to do strategy with the executive team, and chill with the guys on the loading dock (or women on the loading dock, for that matter).
I love HR. That's why I work to defend it from weenified amoebas who have tried to turn the HR chief position into a job about writing and enforcing brainless and insulting practices like these.
Here are my ten favorite (in the sense of 'hated with the most vengeance') HR policies. Employers who install practices like these not only don't like their employees very well, but also don't trust themselves to hire the kinds of people who don't need to be treated like children. If you run into an employer who does this kind of stuff, don't despair. You can launch a stealth job search and be out of there by New Year's, or sooner. Remember: if they don't get you, they don't deserve you.
Here's the list, in no particular order:
1) Forced Ranking. Seriously, you guys – for three hundred and sixty-four days a year, we're a team, but on the one day it counts, it's dog eat dog? Forced ranking is nothing more than a tool to keep employees on edge. If you're CEO of an organization that still does forced ranking exercises, send your HR chief a memo: Nuke that thing, pronto.
2) Proof of Death. I thought I was being punked the first time an HR person told me about this practice, in which employees are required to bring in proof of a loved one's death in order to receive two or three days' paid bereavement leave. This means that your trusted employee, someone you rely on to carry out your business and delight your customers, is someone you also believe to be capable of inventing a relative (or inventing his or her death) in order to rip you off for a few hundred bucks of free time. ("Yeah, I conned those guys at my work! I did have an Aunt Betty, but she died in '83. Got me three days' off with pay, though. ROCK ON!") PLEASE, you guys. Don't manage to the rock bottom of the barrel, and don't insult your employees at a difficult point in their personal lives.
3) Stealing Miles. If you travel on business for your company, you deserve the frequent flyer miles. You're giving up what should be your free time, and you're throwing your personal life out of whack. How cheap does an organization have to be to steal its team members' frequent flyer miles to use for other people's business travel? Shameful.
4) Bell-Curve Performance Reviews. In this practice, a leadership team assumes that its managers can't evaluate people fairly, and are bound to be 'easy graders,' so it forces them to slot their teammates into groups that can't exceed a certain size. Twenty percent of your subordinates can be Outstanding and twenty percent can be Very Good, but another twenty percent of the folks have to fall into categories called Good, Fair and Poor. What does it say about a leadership team when they don't trust their managers to hire (and retain) nothing but stars? It says they're fearful weenies, that's what.
5) Attendance Policies for Salaried People. The idea of being a salaried (exempt) employee is that you pretty much never stop working. Nine to five is a movie title, but it hasn't been the reality for working people for a decade or more. We take work home with us – mentally, if nothing else – as a matter of course. So it's only fair to keep paying your salaried people when they take a few hours off for a doctor's exam or for some other reason. When I worked at U.S. Robotics back when, our policy was called the Come to Work policy. If you were salaried, you got paid, period. With nearly 10,000 employees we had zero problems with that policy, because people rise to the occasion when they're treated like the valued collaborators they are.
6) Counting keystrokes. In some companies, the boss tracks your keystrokes and the websites you've visited, in case you spend too much time on Ebay or ESPN. How about we pay attention to what a person delivers, rather than where s/he's browsing? Henry Ford is dead. We don't have to keep treating knowledge workers like their goal in life is to deprive their employers of six minutes of work.
7) "Stitch-Level" Dress Codes. Some companies are so afraid to talk about sticky human topics like dress code that they try to put every imaginable article of clothing (and their combinations!) into the dress code policy lest anyone veer a little too close to the Racy line or the Too Business Casual border. We'd be better off talking about this stuff instead of trying to write an all-encompassing policy about it. It's always the companies that try to policy the conversations away that end up having someone walk into work looking like Lady Gaga. Serves them right.
8) Candidate abuse. The one good thing about employers who treat job-seekers like dirt is that at least they broadcast their intentions (along with their cultures). If they treat you like dogmeat when they should be showing the love — after all, an employer will never appreciate you more than when they're extending a job offer – run for the hills. The relationship isn't going to improve.
9) Crushing bureaucracy. I heard from a lady who says that in her shop, you almost literally need a hall pass to use the restroom. There are plenty of employers who don't treat their team members like galley slaves. You won't find one of them until you kiss the toad people and their toxic work environment good-bye. If there are so many rules that people can't do their jobs without getting approvals for everything, the company is not going to succeed, and the longer you stay there, the more mojo depletion you'll suffer. Peace out now.
10) Doctor's Notes. We hire adults. If we're hiring children and we're not a talent agency, we've got a problem. Adults don't bring in doctor's notes, unless they're going on disability leave and there's an insurance company involved. If you're forcing your employees to go to the doctor just to prove to you that they really have the flu (I was laid up one time for three weeks with the flu, and there wasn't a dang thing my doctor could have done to help me) you don't deserve to have employees.
Organizations who haven't figured our that human energy and passion drive their businesses don't deserve to employ hard-working and talented people. We can feel compassion for those guys, but we don't have to waste our gifts working among them. Life is long, but it's too short to spend a minute more than necessary with toad people. If you're an HR chief, root out any of these barriers to greatness that you find in your organization. Your employees (not to mention your customers and shareholders) will thank you for it.


text: For a sunday ticket? Cousin got his car impounded and needs the cash to get it out. It's a printed ticket. Do you think people would mind that? They would pick up from his address and have his info for insurance. They would also have the pdf forward to their email