text:
McCREARY COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Since Arlie Hill was critically burned late Friday night, he's been recovering, hours from home in an unfamiliar place, but the sense of community has come right along with him.
HIll, a Whitley City Firefighter, known to his family and friends as "Pooh", has burns over 90% of his body. He and his brother-in-law and fellow firefighter, Adam Stephens, rushed into a burning house Friday night while off-duty. Stephens was treated for burns to his arms and face, but Hill had to flown to the University of Cincinnati burn unit.
"Tells you what kind of man he is. He's a hard worker and he gives to his community," says Brian Hill, Arlie's brother.
Brian Hill and his family are keeping vigil over him, four hours away from their McCreary County home, but they've discovered they have family everywhere.
"It's all this brotherhood of firefighters. I lifted my head up off the table and there's four dozen Dunkin' Donuts and two gallons of coffee. Last night, this page went up on Facebook, Prayers for Pooh. Just overwhelming. Thousands of people are on there. I've seen people from California, Hawaii, Canada," Brian Hill tells WKYT.
Brian Hill says the news from doctors hasn't been good, but his little brother, Pooh has surprised them.
"They come in and tell us, well, his oxygen levels are better when they weren't supposed to be able to get better to start with."
Now, the family is hoping continued prayers will bring their firefighter home safe.
"The main thing right now is for everybody to keep praying. The prayers chains have to be helping. Something worked. The doctors said it couldn't get better and it did," says Brian Hill.
The Hill family is looking into creating a benefit fund. As soon as we get that information, we'll pass it along.


text:
Reds lineup:
Stubbs CF
Cozart SS
Phillips 2B
Bruce RF
Ludwick LF
Rolen 3B
Frazier 1B
Mesoraco C
Bailey P
Reds lineup:
Stubbs CF
Cozart SS
Phillips 2B
Bruce RF
Ludwick LF
Rolen 3B
Frazier 1B
Mesoraco C
Bailey P
Brewers lineup:
Norichika Aoki RF
Carlos Gomez CF
Ryan Braun LF
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Corey Hart 1B
Rickie Weeks 2B
Martin Maldonado C
Cody Ransom SS
Marco Estrada P
Aoki is the only lefty.
While I like Ryan Braun as a player, and I wish him lots of success in his future endeavors, let's hope the Brewers are bringing him back from injury a bit soon and he's not at his best this weekend. Like to see the Reds take two of these three games, at least.
Aoki strikes out looking
Gomez hit a groundball to Rolen, Rolen reached to his right, but it went under his glove. That was a tough play, they ruled it a basehit.
Gomez stole that on eon Bailey - big jump
They'll run all day on Homer
Most Vottomatic Player
Braun singles 1st and 3rd - they decided not to run on Bruce
Gomez SB, Mesoraco had no chance on that one.
Braun single to RF, runner is held at third.
Ramirez strikes out swinging.
Big K of Ramirez
Nice pitch by Bailey to fan Ramirez. Really good pitch dropped sharply. Big out.
Nice job by Bailey!
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
As the first light of dawn broke, the Joust of Love commenced at the Tourney Grounds. A mystery knight in sable, calling himself the Black Lion and bearing the golden cloth favor of Lady Kellyn Lannister, rode out to make the first challenge of the day, Ser Almer Connington of Griffin's Roost. The first day's champion, who wore the ivory and pearl sandsilk favor of Lady Keira Sand, accepted the mystery knight's challenge. Their confrontation was sudden and violent, and as the Griffin Knight's lance shattered, the Black Lion was ripped from the saddle. The crowd saw the Black Lion rise, however, and the two knights exchange courteous words after, with Ser Almer saluting both Keira and Kellyn.
Prince Cadan Martell of Dorne, bearing a mysterious blue and white favor, then challenged the young lancer Seth Blackwood, who wore the favor of Lady Marian Stark. After saluting each other courteously, the two riders clashed. Though bruised from earlier matches, Prince Cadan seemed to get the better of the first pass, though the Blackwood held his seat with skill, and both broke lances. On their second pass, Seth delivered a strong blow to the Prince, breaking a second lance and unhorsing the Martell. Both men were cheered for their good showing.
Following this victory, Seth Blackwood courteously challenged Ser Almer Connington to a tilt, and the Griffin accepted the lancer's challenge with equal courtesy. The two riders faced off, and whilst both broke lances, Seth was knocked from the saddle by the knight. Already battered from previous jousts, Seth fell hard, though he was aided in rising by Ser Almer, who clearly admired the man's courage. They exchanged more courteous words, to the crowd's pleasure, and once again the Connington saluted both his lady and the lady of his opponent.
Cadan next challenged the Black Lion, though both knights appeared to be the worse for wear after their previous tilts. Though both shattered their lances, the mystery knight was hammered from the saddle by the Prince, and this time he lay unmoving. After a time, several Lannister retainers were forced to remove the Black Lion on a gurney, much to the alarm of the Lady Kellyn and other ladies in the stands.
Prince Cadan Martell then challenged Ser Almer Connington. The Prince cracked a lance, but the Griffin shattered his, and the Martell was struck from the saddle as if by a hammerblow, tumbling to the hard earth. The crowd cheered the bout, and the Stormlanders in particular, who seemed to savor the win as revenge for the Prince's prior defeat of their Stormbreaker. Ser Almer, concerned, dismounted to help the senseless Prince up; he was politely rebuffed, however, and Dornish attendants helped Cadan back to his pavilion.
With all immediate challengers vanquished, Ser Almer prepared to retire from the field, until a latecomer, Ser Bonifer Buckwell of the Antlers, who bore the favor of Lady Elyn Ryswell, issued a challenge to his cousin. Ser Almer, who by virtue of his victory on the first day was precluded from winning the Joust of Love, nevertheless accepted. On the first pass Ser Bonifer broke a lance, whilst Ser Almer shattered his, and Ser Bonifer held his seat, the first knight of the tourney to survive a pass with the Griffin! The crowd erupted, and Ser Almer, in deference to the Buckwell's feat, gallantly forfeited, leaving Ser Bonifer in possession of the field!
Other contests ensued, including that between Ser Osbert Bettley, the Breaker of Yronwood, against the mysterious Weeping Knight. Known for his fierceness in battle, Ser Osbert was unhorsed by the mysterious, unknown knight. And then, it was noticed that without much fanfare, the Jousting Lord had been industriously challenging knights, particularly when he put Ser Bonifer Buckwell to the challenge, and promptly unhorsed him; it seemed Lord Whalon Rosby had determined to perform a feat of arms, namely outdoing Ser Jace Rollingford's mark of twenty-five jousts. It was noted by many that Rollingford was thirty years Rosby's junior, yet that did not seem to tell with him. From Buckwell, he challenged the Weeping Knight, who unhorsed him after three well-fought passes, In the meantime, Seth Blackwood challenge Ser Bonifer Buckwell, and was unhorsed by a hammerblow that rendered him incapable of challenging further. After all the wounds he had taken in previous jousts, the onlookers were amazed he managed so many challenges, giving his best on behalf of Lady Marian.
And then some harsh words, and it became less of a matter of love, as the Black Lion—having returned much refreshed from his earlier defeats—spoke crudely to him when Rosby challenged him. Alas, the mystery knight defeated Lord Whalon in the first course, but the old lord gamely got up again to take a rest and then find some new foes as he climbed towards the mark he was aiming for. And then there was the matter of Ser Dagur Saltcliffe, who in being insulted with crude remarks regarding his lady set out to defeat all the foes he could. Great knights were challenged—Ser Osbert, defeated; the Black Lion, after a pair of courses, also defeated; Lord Whalon, defeated in a course, and still the ironman sought to assuage his rage. Next he set his eyes on the Weeping Knight ... and was unhorsed in the first pass, dampening his rage.
Others still jousted, from Ser Bonifer trading two courses with Triston Templeton until the young Vale knight defeated him. At this point, arriving quite late in the day, Ser Aidan Dayne, the Knight of the Twilight, appeared with the Lady Aisling Ryswell leading his horse behind her. About his arm was a favor, clearly belonging to the lady, and curiosity was aroused from some—not least her step-sister Sylvina, and her bastard uncle Henly Snow. Ser Aidan promptly declared himself, offering to joust any man who wished to challenge him for love of his lady, but none took him up on that. He also declared a feat of arms that he wished to pursue, to joust no more than three courses with each knight who had defeated him in the previous days. The first to satisfy the Dornishman was Ser Almer Connington, and the two knights showed great prowess as they rode three courses to no result. Even as this joust began, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, who had not armed as if to take part, proceeded to do so—likely to chivalrously assist Ser Aidan in completing his feat of arms.
But all this would be overshadowed by Ser Bonifer Buckwell's challenge of the Weeping Knight, who was unhorsed in the first course. Buckwell dismounted and drew his sword, but left it up to his lady, Elyn Ryswell, to determine what he should do—force him to unmask, let him keep his identity, or give the mystery knight the chance to fight on on foot. Elyn, proud of her would-be suitor and eager to see him gain renown, had the two knights cross swords. For long they seemed well matched, and all the while other knights still jousted, beginning with Prince Cadan's challenge of the Dragonknight, who promptly unhorsed him.
Another late arrival, appearing with great pomp and pageantry, was Prince Aegon, bearing the favor of his mistress, Cassella Vaith. Soon there was a challenge with Ser Victor Reyne, which proved a hard fought match until the Targaryen prince managed to unhorse him after several courses. And then Whalon Rosby followed Victor, challenging the Targaryen prince, giving him the honor of being his twenty-sixth challenge. The crowd cheered the Jousting Lord as he gave the younger man a hard fought match lasting four courses with six lances broken between. Lord Whalon lost a tooth in his fall, and needed help from three men to get off from the field, but he grinned to the crowd and won their approval.
And then the crowd had more reason to roar, as Ser Bonifer lost his helm to the Weeping Knight's blows, and seemed to be in danger not only of losing, but of real harm. The swordsmen continued, fighting for glory, as others jousted, with the Martell prince reentering the lists to challenge and defeat Ser Triston, and then challenging Prince Aegon. Many cheered for Aegon, only to see him overthrown by the jubilant Prince Cadan. Nearly at this same moment, Ser Bonifer rally and defeated the Weeping Knight with a marvellous blow that felled him and dented his mask. When the knight at last removed it, he revealed who he was for all to see: Ser Ardon Tyrell, a knight of renown. The crowd was pleased, and Buckwell covered himself in glory for finally unmasking the Mystery Knight.
The last joust of the day, before the voting, was between Ser Aidan and Prince Aemon. With Templeton busied with other contests, and Gueren Waters and Lord Manfred Dondarrion not taking part, Ser Aidan's feat of arms was doomed to failure, but the joust against the Dragonknight would not soon be forgotten. Three times the knights challenged one another, and six times did they break their lances, shattering them with tremendous force, a rare show of skill and nerve. The crowd approved, even if a Dornishman was involved, while the ladies of the court began to determine which knight was the winner of the day. When it proved to be the absent Seth Blackwood, who had recovered from his many wounds and required convalescence, there was general approval of the choice—his endurance of pain and suffering, and boundless courage, was right and proper for the victor of the day.


text:
ABOUT 1700 chanting Girl Guides from around the world converged on Launceston's Royal Park yesterday.
In the state for the triennial national Girl Guides jamboree, the girls spent the day completing numerous activities in the city, before participating in a flash mob at the Brisbane Street Mall, then the park for a night's entertainment.
Girl Guides Australia chief commissioner Helen Geard said the girls had been staying at Quercus Rural Youth Park and would finish on Saturday.
``The event happens every three years and this is Tasmania's turn this year.
``It is getting together to give the girls opportunities to go beyond themselves,'' she said.
``There is all an element of learning about the world, who they are and where they fit into the different challenges.
``It is about having fun, being challenged and making new friends - which is what guiding is all about.''


text:
The Cleveland Indians signed outfielder Jeremy Hermida to a minor league contract on Monday.
The deal is contingent upon a medical review and Hermida's addition would give the Indians nine outfielders to open up spring training.
Last season, Hermida appeared in just 13 games for the San Diego Padres, hitting .250 with two RBI. The 29-year-old hasn't played a full regular season since 2009, when he hit .259 with 13 homers and 47 RBI as a member of the Florida Marlins.
Over 632 career games with the Marlins (2005-09), Red Sox (2010), Athletics (2010), Reds (2011), and Padres (2011-12), Hermida is a lifetime .257 hitter with 65 home runs and 250 runs batted in.


text:
To feed the mama chicken and three teenagers, Michele Van Hare invited dozens of children Wednesday afternoon to step up to the early 19th century grinder.
"We're going to change this rock-hard corn into chicken feed," said Van Hare, co-owner of Wolf Thunder Run, to 3-year-old Madeline Estergard, who stood on a stool to reach the wheel crank.
Madeline's grandmother, Patti Estergard, brought Madeline to the 10th annual Colorado Children's Day Celebration in downtown Loveland to see the booths and activities demonstrating what the city of Loveland has to offer.
"This is such a good thing the city is doing," said Patti Estergard of Loveland. "Kids who don't have exposure to a lot of this, this is wonderful."
At her booth, Van Hare displayed four chickens and two sheep, named Sophia and Waggles, and described the educational programs she offers.
"I just like to show that in the past, we lived without electricity," Van Hare said. "People were busy. Life took a lot of effort."
The city of Loveland, with the help of Thompson School District, provided three hours of hands-on activities at designated city facilities and dozens of booths.
One of the main activities, Touch a Truck, provided children with the opportunity to see up close city and school district trucks and buses that were parked on a blocked-off section of Fifth Street near Fire Station 1. The children could visit history learning booths at the Loveland Museum/Gallery, engage in arts and crafts at the Chilson Recreation Center and participate in additional activities at the Rialto Theater Center, the Loveland Public Library and the Foote Lagoon Plaza.
"You get to play games, win prizes and you get to learn things," said Jordann Brown-Thompson, 11. "You get to look inside firetrucks, garbage trucks and school buses."
The Touch a Truck activity featured more than a dozen vehicles, including a fire engine, police car, tractor, street sweeper and other street equipment.
"I think they like going in to see how big it is," said Ryan Biermann, traffic marking crew leader with the city of Loveland, who showed off a striping paint truck. "They like to sit in it and put their hands on the steering wheel and look out the window."
Eric Schneider, lead equipment operator for the city, showed a motor grader the city uses to rebuild alleys, maintain dirt roads and plow snow.
"I just like seeing all the little kids that like to see what we do and the smiles on their faces when they get to see a big piece of equipment," Schneider said.
Rylee Hook, 10, of Loveland, sat in a few of the city vehicles with her friend Maegen Carr, also 10.
"I think it's pretty cool to see what all is in the different trucks," Rylee said. "You usually don't get to see what's in them. You usually see the outside."
Eight-year-old Gracie Risse of Loveland has never seen the trucks up close, she said.
"They're really big," Gracie said. "They have lots of buttons and controls."
Shelley Widhalm can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 531, or email@example.com.


text:
CLEVELAND (AP) -- On a day of multiple moves, the last one the Texas Rangers made was to line up in the infield and shake hands.
They won, and it was a feeling they wouldn't dare trade away.
Brandon McCarthy got his first win in more than two months, beating 13-game winner Fausto Carmona to lead the trade-happy Texas Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.
"It was a big boost for McCarthy and a big boost for us," said manager Ron Washington, who lost his top player and closer in separate trades. "We played pretty good against a pretty good team."
McCarthy (5-7) had been winless since May 27, with three losses and four no-decisions since a 14-1 victory over Houston in an interleague game.
But the right-hander, who made just one start in June and went on the disabled list because of a blister on his middle finger, baffled the Indians and took a shutout into the seventh before Ryan Garko homered. He allowed four hits in 6 2-3 innings -- his longest outing since Sept. 22, 2005.
"It had been a couple months since I had one (win)," McCarthy said. "It was nice to have that feeling again."
Carmona (13-5) was unbeaten in five July starts and was bidding to become the majors' second pitcher with 14 wins. He allowed three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in seven innings.
Nelson Cruz homered for the last-place Rangers, who were baseball's most active wheelers and dealers before the 4 p.m. EST trading deadline.
They completed a seven-player swap with Atlanta, sending slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitcher Ron Mahay to the Braves for catcher/first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor leaguers.
Texas also traded Eric Gagne to the Boston Red Sox for starter Kason Gabbard and two minor leaguers.
The shakeup left Washington without a proven closer. He used Frank Francisco to get through the seventh before going with C.J. Wilson, who got the final four outs for his first save of the season.
The Indians, who didn't pull the trigger on any deals at the deadline, have scored two runs or less in six of eight games. Cleveland dropped to 2-6 on a 10-game homestand.
"We're trying to stay positive," Casey Blake said. "It has happened before. Runs are tough to come by and then all of a sudden we'll score 10. I wish we had some answers. We're still all right, but we're letting some opportunities slip away."
Cruz snapped Carmona's 22-innning scoreless streak and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the fifth with his sixth homer, a 446-foot shot that whistled through the trees beyond the center-field wall.
It was the first homer off Carmona in 38 1-3 innings in July, and first since he allowed two in a 13-7 loss to Oakland on June 27.
The Rangers tacked on two runs -- one earned -- in the sixth, when Carmona briefly lost his control and the Indians' defense didn't bail him out.
Ian Kinsler walked leading off, and hustled to third when Michael Young singled to right. Young advanced on the throw and the Rangers loaded the bases when Carmona plunked Sammy Sosa, who briefly glared at the right-hander before heading to first. Sosa was beaned by Cleveland's Cliff Lee 10 days ago.
Marlon Byrd followed with a hard grounder to third that Blake should have knocked down, but it scooted past him for a two-run error. Blake, though, atoned for his misplay by turning a double play on a similar ball hit by Cruz and Carmona escaped further damage by getting Brad Wilkerson to fly to left.
"It bounced up and I thought it was going to hit me in the face," Blake said. "It hit something and I didn't even get a glove on it. I felt bad."


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
This is the first time I've seen our Ticia! Now I can put a face with the posts!
I just got a reply from the event coordinator, and he tells me that for hair that is long enough (which I'm positive mine qualifies) we can donate the hair to Locks of Love. So, two great causes in one go! Yay!ETA: I make a mean waffle, not a crazy one. Also, ?
Page created in 0.154 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
GMs firing up the Hot Stove at annual meetings
Executives, agents start to mix it up at gathering that runs through Friday
By Paul Hagen / MLB.com | 11/07/12 9:22 AM ET
Daniels on Rangers' offseason00:02:19
Rangers GM Jon Daniels discusses making a qualifying offer to Josh Hamilton and looks ahead to the GM Meetings
The annual General Managers Meetings are traditionally a time to formally discuss a variety of issues, informally explore what opportunities there may be to make deals later in the offseason and even have a little fun. A few years ago, the executives organized a bowling tournament.
Put all 30 GMs and their assistants together in one spot, though, and you never know what will happen. Before the 2007 conclave broke up, for example, Phillies GM Pat Gillick acquired Brad Lidge from the Astros. The closer was an integral part of the team that went on to win the World Series the following October. Two years ago, the Braves got second baseman Dan Uggla from the Marlins.
"I've seen trades made by text message, but this is a good chance to meet face-to-face with clubs," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
This year's meetings began Wednesday and run through Friday at the Hyatt Grand Championship Resort in Indian Wells, Calif.
There have already been signals that the GMs are ready to move quickly on their offseason endeavors. The Blue Jays have traded infielder Mike Aviles, acquired as compensation for letting manager John Farrell go to the Red Sox, and third baseman Yan Gomes to the Indians for reliever Esmil Rogers. The Royals picked up right-hander Ervin Santana from the Angels for Minor League pitcher Brandon Sisk. The D-backs acquired Heath Bell from the Marlins and traded Chris Young to the A's. A significant trade that would have sent Cubs closer Carlos Marmol to the Angels for right-hander Dan Haren reportedly fell through at the last minute.
That flurry of activity could be a result of the new rules governing free-agent compensation. Teams had to give their free agents a $13.3 million qualifying offer by Friday in order to receive Draft-pick compensation if they sign elsewhere; players have until this Friday to accept. Previously, teams had until early December to offer arbitration.
"It's a little different than in the past," said Cubs GM Jed Hoyer. "We always predict how the market is going to play out, but it's hard to know because of the timing. But I do think the fact that the qualifying offer stuff will be over fairly quickly could lead to a little bit of a faster market."
"One [free agent holding out for a big contract] can change a market. There's no way to anticipate that. Any of a certain number of certain variables could throw that off. But it could speed things up, because you'd have more information on an earlier date than you've had in the past."
Braves GM Frank Wren also believes trades and signings may come together more rapidly than in the past.
"The timetable for some of the offseason dates has been moved up as part of the new Basic Agreement, which should lead, in some cases, [to] guys having a better feel for their position in the marketplace," Wren told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I would think that would lead to some possible quicker decisions, but it's hard to say. Every market takes on its own characteristics."
Of the 137 players who became free agents at the end of the season, nine received a $13.3 million qualifying offer. One of those nine, David Ortiz signed a two-year deal Monday to stay with the Red Sox.
Agents also attend the GM Meetings, which adds another layer of drama. This year's free-agent class includes starting pitchers Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse and Ryan Dempster, outfielders Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter and Angel Pagan, third baseman Kevin Youkilis, reliever Rafael Soriano and catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
Other storylines this week: The Blue Jays and Rockies have managerial vacancies, and Rick Hahn of the White Sox will be attending his first Meetings as a general manager. Hahn was promoted from assistant GM when Kenny Williams was elevated to executive vice president.
Hahn has hit the ground running after 12 years as Williams' assistant. He's already extended the contract of right-hander Jake Peavy and exercised the team's option on right-hander Gavin Floyd, giving the White Sox potentially six starting pitchers. That could turn out to be depth or assets to wheel and deal.
"It's nice to be able to insulate and not rush that," Hahn told the Chicago Sun-Times. "We always prefer to have more depth than less with pitching. [And] having very good depth allows us to explore other opportunities."
Yes, the agenda also includes actual meetings. While the subjects to be under discussion are not announced, standard topics each year include procedural issues governing rules and rosters, umpiring, a summary of instant replay for the season, international issues, medical practices and amateur baseball.


text:
Poetry Slam Night: Get balanced. Into music and poetry? Learn about lyrical rhyming and poetry slams! Practice your rhymes and learn what makes a good performance poet. Listen to tracks of famous slams, write your own, then perform at the end of the program.
Scouts (Senior & Ambassador levels) are welcome to bring music to write to.
The event is Dec. 06, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham.
Juliette Scouts in grades 9-12 are eligible to register.
Cost is $8 per Scout. Leaders and adult chaperones are free.
Registration is closing soon. To register, visit the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts' Council Web Site, and click on programs.


text:
The District of Columbia hasn't seen a World Series title since Walter Johnson and the Senators defeated the New York Giants in 1924.
The Washington Nationals hope to change that, as the franchise returns to the postseason for the first time since 1981 on Sunday when they play Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Of course, the last time this organization was in the playoffs it was known as the Montreal Expos. The Nationals, though, enter this year's playoffs as the top seed in the National League after going 98-64 to win their first division title in 31 years.
Although the Nats finished 10 games better than the Cardinals, given the new format, they will play the first two games of this best-of-five set on the road, then return for the final three at Nationals Park, marking D.C.'s first taste of playoff baseball since 1933.
Nationals brass took some heat when they shut down ace Stephen Strasburg in early September after he had reached his innings limit following his return from Tommy John surgery. Strasburg had gone 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA and struck out 197 batters in 159 1/3 innings.
"Stephen���'s a huge part of this. We're not here without Stephen," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "He's the No. 1 on the team with the best record in baseball and the National League East champs. So he's a huge part of this thing that's going on here, and will be for a long time to come."
Even without Strasburg, though, the Nats are fine in the pitching department, as left- hander Gio Gonzalez won 21 games and struck out 201 batters and will start Game 1. Righty Jordan Zimmerman also had a fine season, going 12-8, after he was shut down last year because of an innings limit following elbow surgery.
Both had better ERAs (2.89 and 2.94) than Strasburg (3.16) this season.
Gonzalez last pitched on Sept. 27 against the Phillies. He was scheduled to pitch this past Tuesday against Philadelphia, but after winning the NL East title the previous day, manager Davey Johnson decided to rest Gonzalez so he could be ready for the postseason.
"This is a learning curve for me, so I need to know how to prepare myself for something like this, Gonzalez said. "Someway, somehow, I'll find it and try to figure it out."
While phenom Bryce Harper gets most of the attention offensively, first baseman Adam LaRoche matched a career high with 100 RBI and he and the rest of the infield - Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa - combined for 100 homers.
Harper, though, burst on the scene for the Nationals on April 28 and never looked back, as he earned an All-Star berth, hit .270 with 22 home runs, drove in 59 runs and scored 98. He also stole 18 bases.
And oh yea, he's still two weeks away from turning 20.
"It's not how old I am. It's how I treat him every day," Johnson said. "And he doesn't want any special treatment. He wants to be treated just like everybody else."
From Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season, the left-handed-hitting Harper led all NL players in runs (27), and ranked in the top eight in the league in slugging percentage (third, .643), batting average (tied for fifth, .330) and on-base percentage (eighth, .400).
"He's pretty much got, in his mind, a bulletproof shield around him at all times," LaRoche said. "We see stuff every two or three days from him that's just like, `Wow. I haven't seen that in a long time.'"
Righty Tyler Clippard did an admirable job as the team's closer this season, as Drew Storen, who saved 43 games last year, recovered from elbow surgery. But, Clippard pitched to a 5.60 ERA in the second half of the season, making the decision easier for Johnson to hand the ninth-inning reins back to Storen.
"I feel physically better than I ever have before," Storen said."I feel like my stuff is better than it was last year. When you go in and have those operations, you never really know how it���s going to turn out. Fortunately for me, I got taken care of really well."
Sean Burnett is the Nats' top lefty setup man (4.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk rate and Craig Stammen is a reliable innings-eater.
While the Nationals are the prohibitive favorite in the National League, the Cardinals are perfectly fine with their role as underdogs.
St. Louis, of course, overcame a 9 1/2-game deficit last season to nab the NL wild card on the season's final day and parlayed that into the team's 11th World Series title.
The Cardinals were again heavy underdogs in Friday's one-game wild card playoff with the Atlanta Braves, but advanced with a 6-3 win with a little help from a questionable call.
With the Cards holding the three-run lead, Freddie Freeman walked to start the bottom of the eighth for Atlanta and David Ross lined a one-out single to center field.
Andrelton Simmons then lofted a pop up that fell in between shortstop Pete Kozma and Matt Holliday. Left field umpire Sam Holbrook inexplicably called a late infield fly, resulting in fans littering the field with debris.
From that point on, the Braves played the game under protest, which was denied.
Following an extended delay, Jason Motte entered from the bullpen and struck out Michael Bourn after walking a pinch-hitting McCann to load the bases.
Chipper Jones temporarily prolonged his career and the Braves' season by reaching on a broken-bat infield single with two outs. He was safe when second baseman Daniel Descalso's throw pulled Craig's foot off the bag. Freeman followed with a ground-rule double, but Dan Uggla grounded out to end the game.
Kyle Lohse (1-0) scattered six hits over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the first postseason win of his career.
Allen Craig continued his postseason prowess and ignited a three-run fourth inning with an RBI double, while Holliday smashed a solo homer.
It was a year of adjustments for the Cardinals, who went into this season with a new manager in Mike Matheny following the retirement of Tony La Russa, and without three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols, who bolted to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as a free agent.
St. Louis did not skip a beat, winning just two games less than last season, and still finished 88-74. Although, it wasn't quite the furious finish they needed last year, the Cardinals still won 12 of their final 16 games, but did not secure the second wild card spot until the second to last day of the season.
Carlos Beltran was brought into replace Pujols and actually put up about the same numbers, as he hit .269 with 32 home runs and 97 RBI. But, catcher Yadier Molina really shined and should finish among the leaders in MVP voting.
Already an all-world defender, Molina excelled at the plate, batting .315 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI.
The biggest reason the Cards might be in the playoffs could be Kozma, who filled in for injured Rafael Furcal and started the final 16 games for the team. Ten of his 22 hits were for extra bases, and he delivered an RBI in seven of the team's last 11 games.
"You always wonder how a kid's going to perform when you put him on a big stage," Matheny said. "And we put him on as big a stage as there was in the game [in September], and he rose to the challenge. I don't know, to be honest with you, what we would have done [without him]. We would have kept musical chairing it for a while with a couple of other players until we found somebody to take control. But, fortunately, Pete Kozma stepped up, took charge of the position."
St. Louis won't be hurt too bad with having Lohse throw the wild card game, as it still has former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter and former 20-game winner Adam Wainwright to fall back on, as well as Lance Lynn, who was an 18- game winner this season.
Unlike last year's bullpen situation under La Russa, the roles are a little more defined. One role that is the same, though, is the closer Motte, who may not look as impressive as some of the other top-notch closers in the league, but is just as reliable picked up every save for the Cardinals this season.
Right-hander Mitchell Boggs is his main setup man. Righty Edward Mujica, who posted a 1.03 ERA since coming from Florida, and lefty Marc Rzepczynski also serve as the bridge.
St. Louis took two of three from the Nationals over the final weekend of the regular season, but Washington won the season series, 4-3. Three of Washington's wins came in front of its fans.
The Cardinals seemed to be on a magic carpet ride last September and that carried into the postseason. Regardless of the events of Friday's wild card, the feeling just isn't the same surrounding these Cardinals.
Their magic ends here.
PREDICTION: NATIONALS in FOUR


text:
May 1, 2017
3024 x3024 px
Comments are closed.
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Join 1,538 other subscribers
Email Address
Frits Ahlefeldt on Facebook
Link to Frits Ahlefeldt on Linkedin.com
Frits on Facebook
Follow my work on Facebook
© 2018 Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig Philosophy — Powered by WordPress
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑


text:
Barbara Bush was characteristically blunt when an interviewer asked whether she wanted to see her second son make a bid for the White House in 2016. He'd be "by far the best-qualified man," she said, "but no, I really don't." As the first woman since Abigail Adams to be the wife of one president and the mother of another, Bush might have been expected to be all for keeping the presidency a family affair. Instead she seems to have come to the sensible conclusion that political dynasties aren't healthy for a democracy.
"There are other people out there that are very qualified, and we've had enough Bushes," she observed.
Her son Jeb, the former Florida governor, will have to make his own decision, but his mother makes a good point. Americans justifiably take pride in a society in which anyone, regardless of wealth or ancestry, can be president. Political royalty goes against the American grain. No surname — be it Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, or Roosevelt — should be regarded as a qualification for high office.
The Bushes and Clintons have played an outsize role in politics for decades. That prominence isn't likely to fade if Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016. Like other candidates, presidential wannabes named Bush or Clinton should be judged on their own merits. But a campaign by either of them would legitimately raise the dynasty issue. Barbara Bush isn't the only American concerned about the prospect.


text:
Axel Peemoellerof Australia apparently won several design awards for the three-dimensional directional system he created inside the Eureka Tower Carpark in Melbourne, Australia. The Eureka Tower is self-described as the tallest residential building in the world as well as one of the largest building projects to use 3D Virtual BuildingTM .
Admittedly a pretty impressive design, I still picture at least 30% of the building's parking garage patrons going, "Dude, that is some serious chronic…"
[Hit "Read More" below to see full gallery]


text:
Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) provides management consulting, technology, and business process outsourcing services worldwide. It is organized in five segments - Communications Media & Technology, Financial Services, Health & Public Service, Products, and Resources. This international dividend achiever has paid dividends since 2005, and has increased them every year since then.
The company's last dividend increase was in September 2013 when the Board of Directors approved a 15 % increase in the semi-annual dividend to 93 cents /share. The company's peer group includes IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Deloitte Consulting.
Over the past decade this dividend growth stock has delivered an annualized total return of 16.50% to its shareholders.
The company has managed to deliver a 15.50% average increase in annual EPS between 2003 and 2012. Analysts expect Accenture to earn $4.47 per share in 2014 and $4.95 per share in 2015. In comparison, the company earned $4.22/share in 2013. Over the next five years, analysts expect EPS to rise by 10.14%/annum. The company has also managed to reduce the number of outstanding shares over the past decade from 997 million in 2003 to 715 million in 2013.
The consulting business is highly competitive. As a result, consulting companies need to differentiate themselves. In their 10-K, Accenture mentions the following on their differentiation:
"A key differentiator is our global delivery model, which allows us to draw on the benefits of using people and other resources from around the world-including scalable, standardized processes, methods and tools; specialized management consulting, business process and technology skills; cost advantages; foreign language fluency; proximity to clients; and time zone advantages-to deliver high-quality solutions. Emphasizing quality, productivity, reduced risk, speed to market and predictability, our global delivery model enables us to provide clients with price-competitive services and solutions. Our Global Delivery Network continues to be a competitive differentiator for us. We have more than 50 delivery centers around the world. As of August 31, 2012, we had approximately 162,000 people in our network globally."
Overall I expect consulting to continue to be a growth business for years to come. Companies always need to fix or upgrade IT systems, solve strategic problems, cut costs, try to increase revenues or increase profitability. In addition, there might always be a need for companies to outsource certain tasks to providers like Accenture, in order to focus on their core competencies, thus creating a consistent revenue stream for the consultant. The core competitive advantage of the company is the stickiness of customer relationships. Once you get a client, and know its systems or processes, they tend to stay with you. That being said, maintaining client relationships is very important for companies like Accenture. Another advantage could be its strong brand name, which is synonymous with consulting in certain business circles.
Accenture has a very high return on equity, which ranged between 55% and 75%. This is mostly because the high value added professional services offered to customers do not come with a heavy capital investment requirements. I generally want to see at least a stable return on equity over time. I use this indicator to assess whether management is able to put extra capital to work at sufficient returns.
The annual dividend payment has increased by 28.70% per year over the past five years, which is slightly higher than the growth in EPS. This has been achieved mostly due to the expansion of the dividend payout ratio. Future dividend growth will likely be limited to earnings growth, which would likely be around 10% for the next five years.
A 29% growth in distributions translates into the dividend payment doubling almost every two and a half years on average. At a ten percent growth, distributions should double every seven years.
The dividend payout ratio has increased from 0% in 2004 to 38.70% in 2012. The company initiated a dividend payment in 2005, and had a low payout of 19%. Over the next eight years, Accenture has managed to increase distributions at a rate that was much higher than earnings growth, by expanding the dividend payout ratio. A lower payout is always a plus, since it leaves room for consistent dividend growth minimizing the impact of short-term fluctuations in earnings.
Currently Accenture is attractively valued at 17 times earnings, yields 2.60% and has a sustainable distribution. However I find that IBM offers a better value today at 13.30 times earnings, despite the lower yield of 2%. As a result, I recently added to my IBM position. If I can purchase Accenture at 15 times earnings however, which is slightly above the average low P/E ratio over the past decade, I would initiate a position in the company.
Disclosure: I am long IBM. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


text:
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The 2013 Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of
Fame induction ceremony will interest a lot of different fan groups
as five former student-athletes from five different sports will be
honored at the 39th annual Hall of Fame Dinner on
Friday, Oct. 25.
The five selected for induction, each of whom ranked among the very best in their sport, include Kylie Crouch (women's golf), Stephanie Dallmann (softball), Wes Gallagher (football), Lupita [Hernandez Zapata] York (women's tennis), and Damien Kinloch (basketball).
The 2013 Hall of Fame Class will be honored during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 25-26. The induction will take place at the Hall of Fame Dinner Friday evening, and the group will also recognized at the Homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 26, against Jacksonville State.
This year's inductees, in alphabetical order, are:
- Kylie Crouch – A four-year letterwinner on the women's golf team, Kylie set the program standard by earning a total of 12 all-tournament honors over the course of her career, more than any other player in team history. A two-time team MVP, she helped coach Bobby Nichols' team win back-to-back OVC Championships in 2000 and 2001, earned all-OVC honors twice and was named to the OVC all-tournament team. The Sparta, Tenn., native, returned in 2008 to serve as a volunteer assistant coach with the TTU golf teams for four years.
- Stephanie Dallmann – One of only two players in program history to earn first-team all-OVC honors all four seasons, Stephanie piled up a lengthy list of honors including OVC Player of the Year, two-time all-region, three-time OVC all-tournament, two-time team MVP and Tennessee Tech's 2003 Female Athlete of the Year. With the speedy Dallmann hitting in the leadoff spot, the Golden Eagles rolled to Ohio Valley Conference tournament championships in 2003 and 2005 and an astounding 65-17 record against OVC foes. Overall, Dallmann led Tech to a 161-94 record, and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
- Wes Gallagher – Wes is the only player in program history to earn All-America AND Academic All-America honors. He stamped his place among the Tennessee Tech football greats, leaving his Golden Eagle tenure (1996-99) as one of the most decorated offensive lineman in program history. A four-year letterman, he earned three straight all-Ohio Valley Conference honors. He was also a three-time Academic-All-District pick.
- Lupita Hernandez – Lupita ranks as the most successful player in Tennessee Tech women's tennis history. She was a four-time all-OVC selection, a two-time OVC Player of the Year selection, and shared the 2002 honor as Tennessee Tech's Outstanding Female Athlete. She led the Golden Eagles to the school's only OVC championship in women's tennis. With her leadership, the Golden Eagles posted an overall 25-3 OVC record from 1998-2002, including undefeated marks in two of those seasons, and a 58-29 overall record in dual matches over that four-year span.
- Damien Kinloch – Damien racked up numerous awards and accolades in his two shorts seasons as a Golden Eagle. He helped lead Tech to the 2001-02 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship as well as an appearance in the 2002 National Invitational Tournament Quarterfinals. In just two years, he piled up over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, and blocked 77 shots. In addition to being named OVC Newcomer of the Year, he also was a two-time recipient of first-team all-OVC honors, and was twice named all-region and OVC all-tournament.
In-depth information on each of the four inductees will be announced in October as the ceremony approaches.
Tickets to the Hall of Fame Dinner and the Homecoming football
game are available by calling (931) 372-3940, or through the
Athletics ticket office in Eblen Center. Reservations must be made
for the dinner, and tickets are $25 each.


text:
You Are Here: Home > search All Products for "comfort stat 1 heat & 1 cool"
Your search found 0 result(s)
Not finding what you're looking for?
We have access to thousands of products and can help you find what you're looking for.
Contact us to find the products you need.


text:
Gale Purdum, 82, of Newton died on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, at Park Centre in Newton. The Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory is handling the cremation. Memorials to the American Cancer Society may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the family.
Gale, the son of Ned and Dorothy (Swartz) Purdum, was born on May 4, 1930, in Unionville, Iowa. He grew up in Unionville and graduated from high school there. Gale was united in marriage with Janet Bower in 1973 in Missouri. They made their home in Newton, Iowa, in 1975. Gale worked as a pipefitter for Bridgestone/Firestone for 25 years, retiring in 1995.
Those left to honor Gale's memory are his wife, Janet Purdum of Newton; three sons, Rod (Claudia) Purdum of Unionville, Rick Purdum of Georgia and Tim Purdum of Unionville; his step-children, Kathy (Bob) Bucklin of New Sharon, Alicia (Mike) Swaim of Fremont and Robert (Sara) Orona of Oskaloosa; three grandchildren, Ryan Purdum, Courtney Acosta and Rachel Seddon; his five great-grandchildren; many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; his two brothers, Gerald (Anne) Purdum of Kentucky and Gayland Purdum of Des Moines; four sisters, Rita Ogden of Unionville, Gereda Bowlin of Drakesville, Gwyneth Purdum of Newton and Gloria Purdum of Phoenix, Ariz.; and his many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Gordan Purdum.


text:
The United Angels Foundation (UAF) is a non-profit, parent-to-parent support group. The primary mission of the foundation is to support parents and families of children with special needs through three main focuses: Interaction, Education, and Resources. Examples of these includes: newborn visits, parent lunches, online chat forums, youth and family activities, parent education seminars, and much more. As our name indicates, we view these special children as Angels. UAF believes that the most effective way to support these Angels is by supporting the parents and guardians who are raising them. We believe that creating a collaborative and inclusive environment will ultimately help to promote the healthy development of the individual child. Parent- to-parent support can be the key to helping a new parent understand and embrace the opportunities and challenges a child with special needs brings into their life.
To learn more information about the United Angels Foundation, visit their website at www.unitedangelsfoundation.org.
To watch this segment of Community Connection, click here.
Community Connection
Related posts


text:
New York Times: The Stimulus Advances
The signature achievement of the $819 billion stimulus and recovery bill, passed on Wednesday by the House, is that it directs most of its resources where they would do the most good to stimulate the economy. The bill is large because this deep recession is getting deeper, and the recovery, when it comes, is expected to be slow. President Obama and the lawmakers who wrote the bill are to be commended for not letting size distort the substance. Contrary to the claims of Republican opponents that the bill indiscriminately rains money down, the amounts and categories of spending have, for the most part, been calculated carefully and chosen well.
Nearly 30 percent is devoted to unemployment benefits, food stamps and fiscal aid to states so that they don't have to cut services, raise taxes and lay off employees and contractors. Evidence is overwhelming that such spending yields the biggest return for every dollar spent. The bill, however, takes into account that these areas cannot absorb unlimited money. In calculating the expanded food stamps, for instance, it provides a significant increase immediately that would otherwise have occurred over time in line with inflation. That way, ample funds are available when needed, but there is no sudden cut off down the road.
Aid to states also is well thought out. The single biggest chunk of spending – $87 billion for states to shore up Medicaid programs – would allow them to provide care to the neediest, whose ranks have been swelled by the deepening recession. Equally important, by taking on more of the states' Medicaid burden, the federal government frees up states to continue providing other services that would have had to have been cut.
One of those vulnerable areas, states' education budgets, is the main target of another $79 billion. The money would help to prevent lapses in early childhood education, which often cannot be made up later. It would also prevent cuts in the curriculum and in extracurricular activities in grade schools through college – while averting big layoffs in a sector that is among the largest employers in many states.
After jobless benefits, food stamps and aid to states, the most effective stimulus is to get money directly to low- and middle-income Americans, who are likely to spend it quickly, boosting demand. The package expands the Earned Income Tax Credit temporarily to raise the pay of the working poor. There also is money to allow low-income workers to qualify for a tax credit of up to $1,000 per child, a break currently denied them. These are good tax policy and good stimulus.
The measure devotes $145 billion to Mr. Obama's 'Making Work Pay' tax credit for the next two years. The credit, up to $500 per worker, would be more effective as stimulus if the cutoff for eligibility were lower. The richer the recipient, the more likely it is that the money would be saved, not spent.
Having maxed out on the most powerful forms of stimulus and facing an economic downturn that requires still more government intervention to prevent a more disastrous downward spiral, lawmakers sensibly expanded the package into other areas. It contains $62 billion on infrastructure spending for highways, mass transit and school buildings, and tens of billions more for other projects. It also includes $40 billion to subsidize the cost of health coverage for the unemployed.
Republicans' objections are mostly ideological. They worry, in particular, that subsidizing health insurance may be a step toward universal coverage. They may be right. But that is an argument for another day. The government must act urgently to protect the vulnerable from what is shaping up to be the worst recession in modern history and to boost the economy at a time when consumer and business spending is slack. Besides, a lamentably large amount of money goes to business tax cuts dear to Republicans. That is folly as stimulus but more than enough for political compromise.
A more thoughtful criticism is that the package is not more transformative in scope. There is more money for fixing roads, but not for high-speed railroads; for Head Start, but not for curriculum reform. That, too, is a discussion for another day.
Indeed, even with an $819 billion package, the challenge for the Obama administration is to lower expectations, not raise them. The hole the economy is in is so deep that even the stimulus package will only dig us halfway out. According to recent testimony by Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office, without the stimulus, the economy in 2010 could underperform its potential by an amount equal to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product. With the plan, the gap could be, at best, about half that. It will be a long and unpleasant climb from the ruins of the economy. But the House stimulus package is a good first step. The Senate, which takes up its version next week, should follow suit


text:
PORTSMOUTH — A tanker that drifted into the Sarah Long Bridge this week damaged one of the bridge's concrete piers and twisted pieces of the steel truss badly enough that they'll need to be replaced.
In an email Wednesday, New Hampshire Department of Transportation Spokesman Bill Boynton said the bridge connecting New Hampshire and Maine took a "big hit" when it was struck by a ship Monday. An underwater inspection revealed damage to one of the 73-year-old bridge's support piers, and an evaluation is under way to determine whether it needs to be repaired.
At least four pieces of the bridge's steel truss were also damaged. NHDOT has determined two of the four damaged "truss elements" will need to be replaced; others are still being evaluated.The state has not finalized a cost estimate for the repair work, which is expected to last roughly four weeks.
The state is still completing an engineering analysis and looking at various repair options, according to Boynton.
The Harbour Feature, a 473-foot-long oil and chemical tanker, became pinned sideways against the bridge after it broke loose from the state pier at about 1:30 p.m. Monday and swung into the Piscataqua River. No injuries were reported among crew members, but the vessel's hull was damaged when it made contact with the bridge.
Surveyors logged at least three dents on the port side, as well as a hole measuring about 18 inches in one of the water ballast tanks. Railings, a utility crane and a lifeboat and lifeboat cradle were also damaged.
The vessel is slated to remain at the state pier for the foreseeable future while a repair plan is developed. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to investigate the circumstances behind the accident.
The owner of the ship is an Italian company called the Zacchello Group. The ship was being managed by Nordic Tankers, of Denmark.
In a statement released Wednesday, Nordic Tankers said it has been working closely with the ship's technical manager to ensure a "full and swift response." The company emphasized that all relevant authorities were immediately notified of the incident Monday and that the vessel's commercial managers have been cooperating fully with the Coast Guard.
"The vessel is currently stable and undergoing assessment," the company's message reads. "A full investigation will take place to determine the cause of the incident."
NH DOT: Bridge took 'big hit' from drifting ship: Four trusses damaged
PORTSMOUTH — A tanker that drifted into the Sarah Long Bridge this week damaged one of the bridge's concrete piers and twisted pieces of the steel truss badly enough that they'll need to be replaced.


text:
Row 1: Jovan Sanson, Devantae Hibler, Fred Irish, Tony Smith, Tyler Slawski, Jeremy Zervas, Elias Moreno, Nick Jensen, Jeremy Pratt
Row 2: Danny Powell, Antonio Cleveland, Diondre Irish, Jermaine Brown, Bret Brumfield, Israel Diaz, Kevontae King, Robert Rodriguez, Sherard Goodlow
Row 3: MC Harris, Shane Wilson, JJ Hammond, James Johnson, Anthony Reigle, Jesus Benavidez, Noah Paprocki, Anthony Ashford, Darnae Higgs, Alec Heslet
Row 4: Alex Smith, Robert Alexander,Thomas Perkins, Robert Lawson, Anthony Wooley, Jamel Blanks, Nick Garcia, Anthony Huff, Breden Mosley
Row 5: Richard Wise, James Rucker, DeShawn Harris, Jacob Juhasz, Ronnie Sanders, Justin Provo
Not in photo: Scott Hawkins, Dakota Stevenson, Sterling Corley, Deon Williams, Darnell Lucas, Mahlon Peace, Josh Cosby, Devon Artiaga, John Wilson
Coach: Gardner Howard, sixth year
Last season: 2-8, 2-3 CL
Returning letter winners: 19
Returning starters: Offense 5, defense 5
Schemes: Spread/4-3
Top players: Seniors Tony Smith, 5-11, 190, QB-LB; Tyler Slawski, WR-DB; Jeremy Zervas, OL-DL; Fred Irish, OL-DL. Juniors Jovan Sanson, OL-DL; Nicholas Jensen, OL-DL; Scott Hawkins, QB-DB. Sophomores Daniel Powell, WR-DB; Noah Paprocki, OL-DL; Anthony Ashford, RB-LB.
Outlook: The Indians offense will look different without No. 1 rusher Cyrron Barringer and do-everything quarterback Johnny Douanglee, who were the team's senior leaders last fall.
Barringers and Douanglee finished as the top two scorers in the City League with 13 and 12 touchdowns, respectively.
But with nearly 20 letter winners, Howard still has plenty to work with and the Indians look to be competitive in league play.
Slawski, who caught 21 passes for 255 yards, is the top returning skill player.
Smith, who was All-CL second team at linebacker, will be asked to lead the offense as quarterback.
The Indians will need sound play on defense from the likes of Zervas, Irish, Sanson and Jensen to seriously contend.
Aug. 30-at Genoa
Sep. 6-Northview
Sep. 13-at Clay
Sep. 20-at Bellevue
Sep. 27-at Dover
Oct. 4-at Rogers
Oct. 11-Start
Oct. 18-Bowsher
Oct. 25-Scott
Oct. 31-Woodward


text:
Anderson/Franklin recap
The Bluffton Beavers women's tennis team was swept Saturday, in a doubleheader with two of the top teams in the HCAC, Franklin and Anderson. The three-way dual matches were hosted by Anderson, but dominated by Franklin, who soundly defeated both the Beavers and the host Ravens. Bluffton fell to the Grizzlies and the Ravens by scores of 9-0 and 8-1, respectively.
The best performance for the Beavers in their match against Franklin came from the first doubles team of Jenna Liechty and Kara Schrock, who dropped a 9-8 decision, losing 7-3 in the tiebreak. Liechty also saw her modest four-match singles winning streak come to an end against the Grizzlies' Kelly Vance, the HCAC MVP each of the last three seasons.
The Beavers did pick up one match victory against Anderson , as Lisa Cherry defeated her opponent at the #4 position. Her 6-1, 6-4 win capped a strong performance for the freshman against the Ravens. Cherry also teamed up with Stephanie Keefe in doubles play, as the duo dropped a narrow match to the Ravens' #2 doubles team, 8-6. The #1 doubles team of Liechty and Schrock also played tough against the Ravens, losing 8-3 in a match where 10 out of the 11 games went to deuce in the game score. Liechty had a similar match in singles, where the final score of 6-1, 6-1 was misleading in a match where 11 of the 14 games played went to deuce.
Bluffton concludes their regular season HCAC play with a 1-6 mark. They currently
sit at 2-8 overall, and will play host to
Community College
this Tuesday, before concluding dual match play against the
St. Francis
at home on Saturday.
#1 - Brittany Zurcher (AU) def. Jenna Liechty (BC); 6-1, 6-1
#2 - Laura Jay (AU) def. Stephanie Keefe (BC); 6-0, 6-1
#3 - Angie Heyne (AU) def. Kara Schrock (BC); 6-0, 6-1
#4 - Lisa Cherry (BC) def. Abby Ervin (AU); 6-1, 6-4
#5 - Amanda Norvell (AU) def. Jenni Blose (BC); 6-4, 6-2
#6 - Mady Beier (AU) def. Julie Harsha (BC); 6-0, 6-0
#1 - Zurcher/Jay (AU) def. Liechty/Schrock (BC); 8-3
#2 - Heyne/Bolhus (AU) def. Keefe/Cherry (BC); 8-6
#3 - Norvell/Beier (AU) def. Blose/Harsha (BC); 8-1
Final Score: Anderson 8, Bluffton 1
Bluffton College vs Franklin College, at AU
#1 - Kelly Vance (FC) def. Jenna Liechty (BC); 6-0, 6-0
#2 - Abby Undercoffer (FC) def. Stephanie Keefe (BC); 6-1, 6-0
#3 - Leslie McAlesse (FC) def. Kara Schrock (BC); 6-0, 6-0
#4 - Erin Weissert (FC) def. Lisa Cherry (BC); 6-0, 6-0
#5 - Molly Linn (FC) def. Jenni Blose (BC); 6-0, 6-1
#6 - Laura Duerstock (FC) def. Julie Harsha (BC); 6-0, 6-0
#1 - McAlesse/Duerstock (FC) def. Liechty/Schrock (BC); 9-8 (7-3)
#2 - Weissert/Phillips (FC) def. Keefe/Cherry (BC); 8-0
#3 - Linn/Johnson (FC) def. Blose/Harsha (BC); 8-1
Final Score: Franklin 9, Bluffton 0


text: /* * Copyright (c) 2001-2002,2004 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved. * * @APPLE_LICENSE_HEADER_START@ * * This file contains Original Code and/or Modifications of Original Code * as defined in and that are subject to the Apple Public Source License * Version 2.0 (the 'License'). You may not use this file except in * compliance with the License. Please obtain a copy of the License at * http://www.opensource.apple.com/apsl/ and read it before using this * file. * * The Original Code and all software distributed under the License are * distributed on an 'AS IS' basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND APPLE HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, * INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, QUIET ENJOYMENT OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. * Please see the License for the specific language governing rights and * limitations under the License. * * @APPLE_LICENSE_HEADER_END@ */ /* * AuthorizationPlugin.h * AuthorizationPlugin -- APIs for implementing authorization plugins. */ #ifndef _SECURITY_AUTHORIZATIONPLUGIN_H_ #define _SECURITY_AUTHORIZATIONPLUGIN_H_ #include <Security/Authorization.h> #if defined(__cplusplus) extern "C" { #endif /*! @header AuthorizationPlugin Version 0.4 05/09/2004 The AuthorizationPlugin API allows the creation of plugins that can participate in authorization decisions. Using the AuthorizationDB API the system can be configured to use these plugins. Plugins are loaded into a separate process, the pluginhost, to isolate the process of authorization from the client. There are two types of pluginhosts. One runs as an anonymous user and can be used to communicate with the user, for example to ask for a password. Another one runs with root privileges to perform privileged operations that may be required. A typical use is to implement additional policies that cannot be expressed in the authorization configuration. Plugins implement a handshake function called AuthorizationPluginCreate with which their interface (AuthorizationPluginInterface) and the engine's interface (AuthorizationCallbacks) are exchanged. Plugins are asked to create Mechanisms, which are the basic element as authorizations are performed. Mechanisms are invoked when it is time for them to make a decision. A decision is made by setting a single result (AuthorizationResult). Mechanisms in the authorization can communicate auxiliary information by setting and/or getting hints and setting and/or getting context data. Hints are advisory and don't need to be looked at, nor are they preserved as part of the authorization result. Context data becomes part of the result of the authorization. Context data is tagged with a flag that describes whether the information is returned to the authorization client upon request (AuthorizationCopyInfo() in Authorization.h) or whether it's private to the mechanisms making a decision. */ /*! @typedef AuthorizationValue Auxiliary data is passed between the engine and the mechanism as AuthorizationValues */ typedef struct AuthorizationValue { UInt32 length; void *data; } AuthorizationValue; /*! @typedef AuthorizationValueVector A vector of AuthorizationValues. Used to communicate arguments passed from the configuration file authorization(5). */ typedef struct AuthorizationValueVector { UInt32 count; AuthorizationValue *values; } AuthorizationValueVector; /*! @typedef Data produced as context during the authorization evaluation is tagged. If data is set to be extractable (kAuthorizationContextFlagExtractable), it will be possible for the client of authorization to obtain the value of this attribute using AuthorizationCopyInfo(). If data is marked as volatile (kAuthorizationContextFlagVolatile), this value will not be remembered. */ typedef UInt32 AuthorizationContextFlags; enum { kAuthorizationContextFlagExtractable = (1 << 0), kAuthorizationContextFlagVolatile = (1 << 1) }; /*! @typedef AuthorizationMechanismId The mechanism id specified in the configuration is passed to the plugin to create the appropriate mechanism. */ typedef const AuthorizationString AuthorizationMechanismId; /*! @typedef AuthorizationPluginId Not used by plugin writers. Loaded plugins are identified by their name. */ typedef const AuthorizationString AuthorizationPluginId; /*! @typedef AuthorizationPluginRef Handle passed back by the plugin writer when creating a plugin. Any pluginhost will only instantiate one instance. The handle is used when creating mechanisms. */ typedef void *AuthorizationPluginRef; /*! @typedef AuthorizationMechanismRef Handle passed back by the plugin writer when creating an an instance of a mechanism in a plugin. One instance will be created for any authorization. */ typedef void *AuthorizationMechanismRef; /*! @typedef AuthorizationEngineRef Handle passed from the engine to an instance of a mechanism in a plugin (corresponds to a particular AuthorizationMechanismRef). */ typedef struct __OpaqueAuthorizationEngine *AuthorizationEngineRef; /*! @typedef AuthorizationSessionId A unique value for an AuthorizationSession being evaluated, provided by the authorization engine. A session is represented by a top level call to an Authorization API. */ typedef void *AuthorizationSessionId; /*! @typedef AuthorizationResult Type for SetResult(). See AuthorizationResultConstants for all allowed values. */ typedef UInt32 AuthorizationResult; /*! @enum AuthorizationResultConstants Possible values for SetResult() in AuthorizationCallbacks. @constant kAuthorizationResultAllow the operation succeeded and authorization should be granted as far as this mechanism is concerned. @constant kAuthorizationResultDeny the operation succeeded but authorization should be denied as far as this mechanism is concerned. @constant kAuthorizationResultUndefined the operation failed for some reason and should not be retried for this session. @constant kAuthorizationResultUserCanceled the user has requested that the evaluation be terminated. */ enum { kAuthorizationResultAllow, kAuthorizationResultDeny, kAuthorizationResultUndefined, kAuthorizationResultUserCanceled, }; /*! @enum Version of the interface (AuthorizationPluginInterface) implemented by the plugin. The value is matched to the definition in this file. */ enum { kAuthorizationPluginInterfaceVersion = 0 }; /*! @enum Version of the callback structure (AuthorizationCallbacks) passed to the plugin. The value is matched to the definition in this file. The engine may provide a newer interface. */ enum { kAuthorizationCallbacksVersion = 0 }; /*! @struct Callback API provided by the AuthorizationEngine. @field version Engine callback version. @field SetResult Set a result after a call to AuthorizationSessionInvoke. @field RequestInterrupt Request authorization engine to interrupt all mechamisms invoked after this mechamism has called SessionSetResult and then call AuthorizationSessionInvoke again. @field DidDeactivate Respond to the Deactivate request. @field GetContextValue Read value from context. AuthorizationValue does not own data. @field SetContextValue Write value to context. AuthorizationValue and data are copied. @field GetHintValue Read value from hints. AuthorizationValue does not own data. @field SetHintValue Write value to hints. AuthorizationValue and data are copied. @field GetArguments Read arguments passed. AuthorizationValueVector does not own data. @field GetSessionId Read SessionId. */ typedef struct AuthorizationCallbacks { /* Engine callback version. */ UInt32 version; /* Set a result after a call to AuthorizationSessionInvoke. */ OSStatus (*SetResult)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationResult inResult); /* Request authorization engine to interrupt all mechamisms invoked after this mechamism has called SessionSetResult and then call AuthorizationSessionInvoke again. */ OSStatus (*RequestInterrupt)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine); /* Respond to the Deactivate request. */ OSStatus (*DidDeactivate)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine); /* Read value from context. AuthorizationValue does not own data. */ OSStatus (*GetContextValue)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationString inKey, AuthorizationContextFlags *outContextFlags, const AuthorizationValue **outValue); /* Write value to context. AuthorizationValue and data are copied. */ OSStatus (*SetContextValue)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationString inKey, AuthorizationContextFlags inContextFlags, const AuthorizationValue *inValue); /* Read value from hints. AuthorizationValue does not own data. */ OSStatus (*GetHintValue)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationString inKey, const AuthorizationValue **outValue); /* Write value to hints. AuthorizationValue and data are copied. */ OSStatus (*SetHintValue)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationString inKey, const AuthorizationValue *inValue); /* Read arguments passed. AuthorizationValueVector does not own data. */ OSStatus (*GetArguments)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, const AuthorizationValueVector **outArguments); /* Read SessionId. */ OSStatus (*GetSessionId)(AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationSessionId *outSessionId); } AuthorizationCallbacks; /*! @struct Interface that must be implemented by each plugin. @field version Must be set to kAuthorizationPluginInterfaceVersion @field PluginDestroy Plugin should clean up and release any resources it is holding. @field MechanismCreate The plugin should create a mechanism named mechanismId. The mechanism needs to use the AuthorizationEngineRef for the callbacks and pass back a AuthorizationMechanismRef for itself. MechanismDestroy will be called when it is no longer needed. @field MechanismInvoke Invoke an instance of a mechanism. It should call SetResult during or after returning from this function. @field MechanismDeactivate Mechanism should respond with a DidDeactivate as soon as possible @field MechanismDestroy Mechanism should clean up and release any resources it is holding */ typedef struct AuthorizationPluginInterface { /* Must be set to kAuthorizationPluginInterfaceVersion. */ UInt32 version; /* Notify a plugin that it is about to be unloaded so it get a chance to clean up and release any resources it is holding. */ OSStatus (*PluginDestroy)(AuthorizationPluginRef inPlugin); /* The plugin should create a mechanism named mechanismId. The mechanism needs to use the AuthorizationEngineRef for the callbacks and pass back an AuthorizationMechanismRef for itself. MechanismDestroy will be called when it is no longer needed. */ OSStatus (*MechanismCreate)(AuthorizationPluginRef inPlugin, AuthorizationEngineRef inEngine, AuthorizationMechanismId mechanismId, AuthorizationMechanismRef *outMechanism); /* Invoke an instance of a mechanism. It should call SetResult during or after returning from this function. */ OSStatus (*MechanismInvoke)(AuthorizationMechanismRef inMechanism); /* Mechanism should respond with a DidDeactivate as soon as possible. */ OSStatus (*MechanismDeactivate)(AuthorizationMechanismRef inMechanism); /* Mechanism should clean up and release any resources it is holding. */ OSStatus (*MechanismDestroy)(AuthorizationMechanismRef inMechanism); } AuthorizationPluginInterface; /*! @function AuthorizationPluginCreate Initialize a plugin after it gets loaded. This is the main entry point to a plugin. This function will only be called once. After all Mechanism instances have been destroyed outPluginInterface->PluginDestroy will be called. @param callbacks (input) A pointer to an AuthorizationCallbacks which contains the callbacks implemented by the AuthorizationEngine. @param outPlugin (output) On successful completion should contain a valid AuthorizationPluginRef. This will be passed in to any subsequent calls the engine makes to outPluginInterface->MechanismCreate and outPluginInterface->PluginDestroy. @param outPluginInterface (output) On successful completion should contain a pointer to a AuthorizationPluginInterface that will stay valid until outPluginInterface->PluginDestroy is called. */ OSStatus AuthorizationPluginCreate(const AuthorizationCallbacks *callbacks, AuthorizationPluginRef *outPlugin, const AuthorizationPluginInterface **outPluginInterface); #if defined(__cplusplus) } #endif #endif /* _SECURITY_AUTHORIZATIONPLUGIN_H_ */


text:
From fellow curator Gregg Morris, Story and Narrative:
I don't get it.
I just hopped over to this page to see about buying the Kindle version. I bought an epub version from Google a few months back and the sheer uselessness of Apple's iBook reader (another story) has led me to getting a Kindle version.
I had some time so I thought I'd peruse the page before checking out. When I got down to the reviews section I had my I don't get it moment.
Two, count 'em, two reviews. WTF? This is without doubt the best reference on story anywhere. Nothing else is even close. Don't misunderstand, there are some truly wonderful books on story, narrative, storytelling, etc. but this one distills all of the scientific studies of note on story and why it's so important to our species in one easy to follow and understand book.
It's got one of the best definitions of story I've read. And I've read and heard several hundred.
With all of the talk and buzz surrounding story at the moment how can the one book that should be required reading on the subject have only two reviews?
Maybe I should go ahead and post one huh?
I was thinking just the other day of doing a review of Kendall Haven's book STORY PROOF Gregg and so glad you beat me to the punch! It IS the best reference on story anywhere!!! Thanks for doing this Gregg.


text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
RS Components Supports Rapid Prototyping With Availability of New mbed Application Board
New mbed application board packs in an abundance of connectivity and sensing options for virtually unlimited range of engineering projects
By: Marketwired .
Feb. 8, 2013 07:00 AM
OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 02/08/13 -- RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, has announced the availability of a new mbed application board.
Based around the mbed developer platform, the new mbed application board includes a host of connectors and external interfaces, eliminating the requirement for add-on boards and thus reducing valuable design time for engineers.
The new application board is credit-card sized (54mm x 86mm) and is specifically designed for use with the mbed NXP LPC1768 microcontroller module. Providing multi-functional capability, the new board enables the maximum number of potential experiments and projects, while retaining board footprint at a minimum.
The mbed application board offers an impressive array of features including a 128 x 32 graphics LCD; a 3-axis accelerometer; temperature sensor; servo-motor headers; PWM controlled LEDs; socket for ZigBee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity; Ethernet and USB connectors; and a speaker and I/O audio jacks.
"This new application board is an important addition to the mbed family that allows engineers to experience ARM® technology-based programming," said Mark Cundle, Head of Technical Marketing, RS Components. "Designed specifically for use with the mbed NXP LPC1768, the module saves engineers significant time in project development, and the huge range of connectivity options brings a huge range of 'Internet-of-Things' (IoT) applications into play."
Please click mbed application board for more information, and to make a purchase from RS stock.
About RS Components
RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc, the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products. With operations in 32 countries, we offer more than 550,000 products through the internet, catalogues and at trade counters to over one million customers, shipping around 44,000 parcels a day. Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include electronics, automation and control, test and measurement, electrical and mechanical components.
Electrocomponents is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year ended 31 March 2012 had revenues of GBP 1.27bn.
Further information is available via these links:
Twitter: @RSElectronics; @alliedelec; @designsparkRS
RS Components on Linkedin
Relevant Links:
Latest AJAXWorld RIA Stories
Subscribe to the World's Most Powerful Newsletters
Subscribe to Our Rss Feeds & Get Your SYS-CON News Live!
SYS-CON Featured Whitepapers
Most Read This Week


text:
Seeking and saving: Track and Trail search team offers training to Punxsy firefighters
Track & Trail Search and Rescue Inc. in Brookville is a volunteer search team with a main purpose of looking for lost or missing people.
The team recently performed a demonstration for members of the Punxsutawney Fire Department.
Pictured (front, from left) are Robin Timblin, treasurer with Sea Cur; Roger Parker, K-9 handler with T.J. the dog; (back) Gordon Taylor, Angela Taylor, Keith Thompson and Elaine Parker, secretary.


text:
The front of historic Hinkle Fieldhouse is now covered with a large banner bearing Butler's logo and new league — the Big East Conference.
For the second time in two years, the Bulldogs have switched leagues. On Monday, they officially left the Atlantic 10 and became a member of the newly formed Big East.
Some things haven't changed inside Hinkle. As 160 basketball campers wrapped up their daily workouts, coach Brad Stevens barked instructions to the camp counselors and then to the campers themselves to line up for roll call.
But all around them there were signs of change — from the Big East banner hanging in the rafters to newly painted words at both free-throw lines on the court.


text:
As our Barry Jackson just posted on his blog, the Hurricanes have their 18th football signee for the 2013 class.
This one -- four-star running back Cornelius Elder, who goes by "Corn,'' -- appears to be a good one. UM badly needed another running back, with Mike James gone and recruit Alex Collins choosing Arkansas. The status of veteran RB Eduardo Clements, wearing a neck brace, is unknown.
Elder, from Nashville, Tenn., expects to play football and basketball at Miami.
Rivals.com has Elder -- listed as 5-10 and 170 pounds -- ranked No. 157 overall in the final class of 2013 football rankings, and has him as a three-star point guard in hoops.
Elder, who is gettlng lots of "Welcome to the U!'' tweets, posted a tweet earlier today that said,


text:
CANCELLED: RIPA/Nike Softball & Baseball Camp
Monday, July 15, 2013
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Please note: this event has been cancelled.
On July 15-16, the Randall's Island Park Alliance and Nike will team up for an outstanding free two-day program in which participants will be led through softball and baseball-focused exercises and drills to help them hone their skills. Nike coaches will provide guidance to participants, from beginner to advanced, to build them into better, faster, stronger athletes. Participants will enjoy a premium Nike experience complete with product trials, giveaways, t-shirts and awards. Regardless of ability level, the camp will stimulate the athlete's love for the game, encourage sportsmanship and build self-confidence.
This camp is free and open to boys and girls ages 12-18. For more information and to reserve your spot, visit http://randallsisland.org/events/ripanike-softball-baseball-camp/
Select baseball and softball fields on Randall's Island.
Contact Number
Contact Email
Fitness, Best for Kids, Sports, Outdoor Fitness


text:
Submission + - Apple and IBM announce partnership to bring iOS + Cloud services to enterprises
jmcbain writes: According to an article on Recode, Apple and IBM have announced a major partnership to bring mobile services to enterprise customers. "The deal calls for IBM and Apple to develop more than 100 industry-specific applications that will run on the iPhone and iPad. Apple will add a new class of service to its AppleCare program and support aimed at enterprise customers. IBM will also begin to sell iPhones and iPads to its corporate customers and will devote more than 100,000 people, including consultants and software developers, to the effort. Enterprise applications will in many cases run on IBM's cloud infrastructure or on private clouds that it has built for its customers. Data for those applications will co-exist with personal data like photos and personal email that will run on Apple's iCloud and other cloud services."


text:
In my previous post I mentioned the anti-Morsi demonstrations that were taking place in Egypt in protest at President Morsi's sweepting appropriation of powers for himself. The protests were violent enough to cause Morsi to flee his presidential palace overnight.
At least 100,000 Egyptians forced Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi out of the presidential palace on Tuesday to protest his assumption of nearly unrestricted powers and a draft constitution hurriedly adopted by his allies.
Police fired tear gas at protesters who attempted to get past the barbed wire-topped barricade cordoning off the palace in Cairo's Heliopolis neighborhood, but the protesters broke through nonetheless. With the barricade crossed, protesters moved closer to the palace's walls, and the police apparently chose not to try and push the crowds back. [See my above link about fatalities at the protests -Ed.]
The brief outburst of violence left 18 people injured, none seriously, according to the official MENA news agency.
Demonstrators clanged incessantly on lampposts, waved Egyptian flags and held aloft images of Morsi clad in a turban and Nazi uniform with the word "void" written in Arabic underneath.
Shortly after the clashes began, Morsi reportedly left the presidential palace. The president left the building through a back door when the crowds "grew bigger," according to a presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The Egyptian media themselves are protesting along with the opposition:
The opposition has yet to say whether it intends to focus its energy on rallying support for a boycott of the December 15 vote or defeating the draft with a "no" vote.
"We haven't made any decisions yet, but I'm leaning against a boycott and toward voting 'no,'" said Hossam al-Hamalawy of the Socialist Revolutionaries, a key group behind last year's uprising. "We want a [new] constituent assembly that represents the people and we keep up the pressure on Morsi."
The strikes were part of a planned campaign of civil disobedience that could bring in other industries.
On Tuesday, at least eight influential dailies, a mix of opposition party mouthpieces and independent publications, suspended publication for a day to protest against what many journalists see as the restrictions on freedom of expression in the draft constitution.
The country's privately owned TV networks planned their own protest Wednesday, when they will blacken their screens all day.
In a further blow to Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's HQ was torched and 3 more of his political aides have resigned in protest at his handling of the crisis:
Earlier Wednesday, a group affiliated with Morsi's opposition set fire to the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood's political party in the city of Ismailia.
Also on Wednesday, Three of Morsi's aides resigned in protest of his handling of the crisis. With two aides who had quit earlier, now five of his panel of 17 advisers have left their jobs since the problems began.
ElBaradei said Morsi's rule was "no different" from that of former President Hosni Mubarak, whose authoritarian regime was toppled in an uprising nearly two years ago.
"In fact, it is perhaps even worse," the Nobel Peace laureate said.
Moving from south to north, and with much graver implications for Israel, the situation is Syria is becoming ever more desperate and dangerous, not only to its own population but to its neighbours too: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
The most alarming news is that, according to one US official, Syria has loaded chemical weapons into bombs, ready for use against the anti-Assad rebels:
The Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from Syrian president Bashar Assad, NBC News reported Wednesday, citing US officials.
The officials told NBC News that "the army had loaded precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, onto aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers."
According to the report, the officials added that the sarin bombs hadn't yet been loaded onto planed, but if Assad gives the green light, "there's little the outside world can do to stop it."
On Tuesday the head of NATO, asked about possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, said that any such act would provoke an immediate international response.
"The possible use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable for the whole international community," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters.
An Op-Ed in the Daily Telegraph suggests that should Assad feel he is being pushed into a corner, his bunker mentality might lead him to use the chemical weapons.
Mr Assad would be a latter-day Samson pulling down the pillars of the temple. Assuming that he is a rational actor, concerned for personal survival, there should be no question of him choosing such a course.
But there remains a nagging fear that this desiccated man, shielded from reality by a criminal entourage, could have passed beyond the bounds of rationality. By now "bunker syndrome" might well have taken hold in Damascus, where Mr Assad's armed forces have been reduced to fighting for control of the international airport; for a few days last week, all telephone and internet connections with the rest of the world were abruptly severed.
Even if Mr Assad remains rational, no one can be sure that he still controls Syria's chemical arsenal, one of the largest in the world.
The chemical weapons threat is so severe that, according to one report, Israel asked Jordan for permission to bomb the chemical stockpiles – a request which was refused.
Israel asked Jordan on a number of occasions for "permission" to bomb Syrian chemical weapons sites, The Atlantic reported Monday, citing intelligence sources in both countries.
According to the report, Amman turned down requests a number of times in the past two months, saying "the time was not right."
Jordan is reportedly wary of allowing Israel to bomb the sites in Syria, fearing a military response on Jordanian territory.
"A number of sites are not far from the border," the report quoted a foreign source as saying.
"The Jordanians have to be very careful about provoking the regime and they assume the Syrians would suspect Jordanian complicity in an Israeli attack," the source said.
Officials in Jerusalem did not comment on the report, although one source said Israel has "been talking with relevant parties" about the Syrian chemical weapons issue. He would not specify whether Jordan was one of those countries.
The source said Israel has been saying for months that it was concerned about the possible transfer of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons – the third largest in the world – to "unsavory actors" such as Hezbollah, Hamas or al-Qaida.
He said Israel "reserves the right to preempt" if this is done.
"This is not just Israel's interest, but the joint interest of the international community as well," he said.
Israel's interest becomes more obvious as it emerges that it is facing "double trouble": Israel's border with Syria could soon become the most active, more than that with Gaza or Egypt, due to Syria's WMD and the influx of foreign jihadists. Israel would also take part in any international military effort against Syria's chemical weapons:
There is growing concern in Israel that the faltering regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will use its stockpiles of chemical weapons as a last resort. According to a report in The Times of London and Maariv, Israel would take part in a joint military effort against the weapons of mass destruction, together with armed forces from the U.S., Britain, Jordan and Turkey. The report in The Times said some 75,000 commandos would take part in a massive ground operation against the Syrian WMD arsenal.
A senior intelligence official, meanwhile, told Israel's Channel 2 TV news that Israel's border with Syria on the Golan Heights could "soon become the most active border we have, more than Gaza and Egypt." The official added that the only thing keeping Assad in power was the Syrian Air Force, but that even this power was being eroded as rebels down more and more warplanes and helicopters. […] The collapse of the Syrian Air Force will lead to a certain collapse of the regime in Damascus. Assad's days are numbered, and in the chaos that will replace him, extremists will heat up the Golan border," the official said.
The intelligence official told Channel 2 TV that global jihad groups have been preparing near the border with Israel, and are "stockpiling huge amounts of lethal weapons for a fight with Israel."
"The main problem is not the local rebel groups but fighters coming from outside Syria. Hundreds of fighters have begun streaming into Syria from Jordan and Iraq. They come from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, and many other countries. We're talking about very dangerous people with experience fighting the U.S. army in Iraq as well as fighting the regime in Libya. We estimate that there are between 3,000 to 4,000 rebel fighters belonging to radical Salafist groups who all belong under the al-Qaida umbrella," the official said.
"Some of these fighters are fighting against the Assad regime, but there are groups that have begun deploying near our border and are stockpiling weaponry. There are now several hundred jihadis deployed along the border with Israel in the area of Kuneitra, Bir Ajam, Barika, and some other areas. The assessment is that they possess quantities of weapons that are not being used against Assad's army and that it will be Israeli soldiers who will be faced with this weaponry. We are certain that they have MILAN, Metis-M, and Kornet anti-tank missiles, as well as shoulder-fired SA-18 anti-aircraft missiles, which are particularly problematic," the intelligence official said.
The unusually candid assessment from the intelligence official continued with him saying that the jihadis were stockpiling "huge amounts of light arms, bullets, sniper rifles, and ready-to-use explosives."
"We expect these rebels to stockpile a large amount of rockets, a situation which will return the northern Israeli communities into the line of fire. We assess that once the foreign rebels have finished fighting Assad's army they will all turn their attention to the border with Israel. There is no question about it. Once the Assad regime falls, we will start seeing incidents on our border. I assess that it will start with a trickle of incidents, like we see on the Egyptian border, and further down the line we'll start seeing the firing of anti-tank missiles at IDF vehicles, roadside bombs against patrols, and these are only the incidents I can reveal. I believe we will see much worse things," the official said.
The official added that there was increasing coordination between jihadi groups in the Golan Heights, Sinai and the Gaza Strip, and that Syrian rebels were likely to fire on Israeli forces along the Golan border to further draw them into confrontation with the Syrian army.
"It really doesn't matter who takes over on the day after Assad falls. All the signs show that the situation is not going in a positive direction as far as Israel is concerned," the official said.
This is utterly chilling news for all Israelis. Let us hope lessons from the Second Lebanon War and the last 2 wars in Gaza have prepared the IDF for a much harder fight, and that the Home Front Command is well-prepared to take care of our civilians.


text:
Porter Cable 1HP Dust Collector
To use this template, copy
{{subst:EquipmentPage}} into a new page, save, and then begin editing. The current version of this template will be copied into the new page. Future modifications to this template will change existing pages.
Add or link new equipment pages to Equipment
(Set to the right zone)
Equipment \ Warehouse \ Woodshop
Used to collect sawdust and other non-metallic dust from wood working tools. Should NOT be used as a shop vac, be used to collect metal shavings or grinding dust, or be used to pick up any material from work surfaces or the floor.
- Randy Farmer
Do Not Hack
Rules and expectations for use of this piece of equipment. Example:
For general use by members after they have completed an appropriate training course. Treat this equipment as if it were your own cleaning items off of the top of the machine and around its table after usage.
Things the equipment shouldn't be used for, limitations, etc (Don't grind aluminum or brass, etc)
- ??
- ??
Things a user should know prior to using the equipment (turn on power supply prior to plugging in USB, etc)
- ??
- ??
Basic Instructions
- Step 1
- Step 2
Specifications and Detailed Instructions
URL to product page if it exists
URL to product manuals
Link to videos showing good examples of use
- ??
- ??
Delete those that do not apply
Delete those that do not apply


text:
February 10, 2012
The fog has cleared and the temperature has dropped. The sun is still shining through the clear, cold air that is bothered by a brisk wind. It is cheek sparkling weather.
Glenn is still tucked away on the 6th floor of the Health Sciences Centre, beating back a slight infection which appears to be at bay. Shauna has gone home to Toronto and Lori and I are keeping watch. He is in good spirits. We want him home to complete the mending.
Little blooms of good fortune keep popping up both in business and in my other life as an inveterate volunteer board member. I care only if the good fortune extends to Glenn.
Last Sunday, Shauna, Mr. Tomato and I had a good time on my radio show, talking about wondrous things that we have learned while writing 10 Neat Things. Mr. Tomato had a few wonders of his own to tell. He says that in the springtime, on a still June night, he can hear plants growing. He says that if you are very quiet, you will hear the pops and crackles and tiny snaps that herald the emergence of new shoots from the ground and leaves breaking open their waxy covers. He has told me this before and I believe him. Next spring, I plan to test this myself on one of those magic nights near the solstice.
I wonder if hearing plants grow is like the sensation of lying on the earth and "feeling" its magnetic pull on my body, curing any ills inside. I like to fall asleep like this with only a thin blanket between me and the sod. I awake refreshed and renewed. This connection with the earth goes back a long way.
When my sister and I were very young, growing up on the prairie, we were told that the Indians used to lay their ears against the ground so they could hear the thrum of hoof beats from many miles away. We tested this theory for ourselves, but we never did hear the hoof beats. We did hear, though, the approach of distant trains when we laid our heads against warm, steel railroad tracks that crisscrossed the land then.
Carole and I found such mystery in the everyday things of the earth. This delight is with me still. Now Glenn and I watch the pigeons acting out their imperatives on the gabled roof of the old hospital building outside his hospital room window: the puffed up male and his courtship of the female; their brief coming together; their winged celebration when the deal is done as they swoop up into the sky together in an airborne dance of joy.
Glenn remembers when he decided to keep pigeons. "You were supposed to lock them up in the coop for two weeks so they would bond with their new home," he said. "I did that, then finally I let them out. I waited and waited for them to come back, but there was no sign so I locked up the coop door and went on my way. Later our neighbor said to me, 'Hey. Glenn. Your pigeons were back trying to get in, but they couldn't, so they left!'" Glenn laughs his wonderful spontaneous laugh, thinking of the temporarily disillusioned boy he once was and how he was taught a lesson in patience.
Life is beautiful.