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The Tempest
Here's a pitch for a sitcom: there's this middle-aged bachelor – let's have him played by Roger Allam from 'The Thick of It', say – and he's also a magician, right? And he lives on a desert island with his precocious teenage daughter Miranda – maybe somebody from one of those Andrew Lloyd Webber talent shows to play her – an oddball fairy called Ariel – Colin Morgan from 'Merlin' is free now, right? – and a rape-happy goblin called Caliban. Hilarious, yeah? And then, uh-oh! Guess who drops in? Only his evil brother Antonio.
Yup, small-screen star and Globe stalwart Allam plays Shakespeare's enchanter Prospero as the original put-upon sitcom dad in director Jeremy Herrin's jolly new version of 'The Tempest'. And it works brilliantly… Some of the time.
With his arsenal of rolled eyes, awkward silences, exasperated sighs, and helpless looks, Allam finds a novel, funny and very human take on the oft stick-in-the-mud-ish Prospero. And while he's on stage, everything goes to plan – his slightly stilted repartee with Morgan's somewhat confused Ariel is a hoot in particular, while 'I'd Do Anything' runner up Jessie Buckley charms as half-feral Miranda.
In an explicitly comic production, the comedy subplot – in which James Garnon's humble Caliban and shipwrecked servants Stephano and Trinculo stumble around the island getting shitfaced on moonshine – is as gloriously OTT a bit of nonsense as you'd hope.
But there is no sense of danger whatsoever in this cuddly 'The Tempest' and Herrin seems totally at a loss over what to do with the shipwrecked 'villains', headed by Prospero's dastardly usurping brother Antonio (Jason Baughan). They stand around, saying their lines with all the élan of a bunch of middle managers on an away day, looking barely directed next to the loving comic detail of the other scenes. I suspect as the run goes on these bits will be fixed, but for now this bold comic reinvention of Shakespeare's final play is only a qualified success.
Andrzej Lukowski
|Venue name:
|Shakespeare's Globe
New Globe Walk
|Opening hours:
|Globe Exhibition and Tour daily 9am–5pm. Closed Dec 24 and 25. (Check in advance for dates when the tour is not available.)
|Tube: Blackfriars/Mansion House/London Bridge
|£5-£39. Runs 3hrs
|Event phone:
|020 7401 9919


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The stars were perfectly aligned for this modern masterpiece wedding in Key West. Not only did the lucky couple win this dream destination wedding but the combination of talented vendors, chic yet classic decor and flawless Florida vistas is a match made in wedding heaven. Each and every detail is glam and gorgeous to the max and the photography, oh the photography, is beyond stunning! Joey Kennedy Photography has found a die-hard fan in me and I have a feeling a few of you will fall head over heels as well! See it all in the full gallery!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
What could make this dream wedding even better? Why a breathtaking fim by Digital Island Media, of course!
From the bride... Billy and I started dating in high school and I always knew he was the one. We dated for 9 years before he finally asked the question; it may seem like a long time to wait but it was the right time in both of our lives to move on to marriage. People always tell me that in the past 10 years the only thing that hasn't changed in their lives is the two of us together. Many of our friends grew up along side the two of us as a couple, so when we told everyone we had gotten engaged it was exciting for everyone. So one of my top priorities was to have one the most memorable weddings anyone had ever been to. As most Greek weddings go, you invite 600 people, go to the local hall and pray for good weather in Ohio. This was not what I had envisioned for our wedding day. I had a large engagement party for 200 people and realized the party wasn't for Billy and me; it was for the guests to enjoy.
I wanted our day to be intimate and relaxed, unlike any large event I had been to. So I googled wedding contests and decided to fill out an application to win a wedding in Key West, Florida. I told myself if we win we go and if we didn't I wasn't sure how I was going to convince my big Greek family to come to a destination wedding. Sure enough, out of 1400 couples we won the wedding. I was shocked but I knew it was right; it was what we needed to break the cycle of the typical Greek wedding. So after winning a portion of the wedding, adding tons of our own personal touches, and preparing for 10 months, we finally made it down to Key West. We brought along 100 of our closest friends and family members, our priest, and the best wedding photographer around. The guests were in Key West for a week; during this time we enjoyed the beach, the bars, and each other's company. It was a vacation like no other and the most memorable one we had ever been on.
We started the wedding festivities with a boat ride rehearsal, followed by our wedding day, and ending it with a farewell breakfast. The wedding day was more than we had ever hoped for. Everything was so relaxing and perfect in our eyes. Although everyone worries about the flowers, desserts, and other minor details that make their wedding memorable, I was concerned about the feel of the wedding because I knew this is what sets a wedding apart. Our wedding had so much life and happiness exuded from the guests, Billy and myself that I don't think anyone could ever replicate that day. It was as if everything lined up perfectly for us as a couple. It was scary to take a chance and go away, especially when no one you know has ever done it, but it paid off and that was the best decision I had ever made in my life, aside from marrying Billy. I would recommend a destination wedding to any bride and groom, because going against the grain is what made our wedding special, and all my guests are begging to go back on a ten year anniversary trip to relive the experience.
Wedding Photography: Joey Kennedy Photography / Wedding Planning: We've Got the Keys / Ceremony Venue: St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Parish / Reception Venue: Southernmost House / Catering: Great Events Catering / Guest Hotel: Southernmost on the Beach Resort / Wedding Cake: Key West Cakes / Band: Prime Movers / Hair + Make-up: Beauty Boutique / Tent, Lights + Dance Floor: Key West Party Rentals / Linens: Linens in Paradise / Flowers: Mama Flowers / Save the Date: PRIM & PIXIE / Invitations + Programs + Table Names + Place Cards: Momental Designs / Guest Trolley to Church: Historic Tours Transportation / Nails: Cloud 9 / Cinematography: Digital Island Media / Groom's Wedding Ring + Bride's Earrings: Diamonds International / Vintage Car: Keys Limo

subset: commoncrawl


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Anniversary Gift
Anniversary Gift By rodstudley ©
It was their anniversary; about a month since her 'Valentine Gift'; since she bound him to their bed in the early morning and had his way with him, and still he had not responded in kind. She was beginning to wonder if he would ever do so, and to be honest so was he.
Inspiration seemed to abandon him as if trying to escape. But she had once again become his muse, commenting during a recent lovemaking session, "Why ask me? You're the man; you should just TAKE me."
"Be careful what you ask for," he had quipped, a plan beginning to form in his mind. "You just might get it!"
As it happened, their anniversary fell on a Tuesday night when neither one was available, and so the celebration date had to be postponed to the following Friday night. Plenty of time to put his plan in operation. After a wonderful dinner at their favorite German-Austrian restaurant, they returned home to put the children to bed before watching a romantic movie on DVD.
However, when he returned to their room he began putting his plan into operation, a plan which most definitely did not include watching what they could be doing instead.
"What do you want to watch?" she asked. "You. Writhing in passion, coming multiple times, screaming my name." he said fixing her with his best smoldering stare. Smiling, she decided to play along, "Really. So you think you can give me that?"
"It's what you asked for" he growled. "And now you are going to get it!"
With that his lips descended to hers, devouring her with his hungry kisses. She felt herself responding to his fierce passion, scarcely noticing when he had drawn her to her feet and began divesting her of her clothing.
Distracted by his lips and tongue plundering her mouth, she did not notice her semi-clothed state until his hand closed around her ample breast, his rough palm swirling over the sensitive nipple, making it stand up to be noticed.
As she felt the backs of her knees touch the edge of the bed he dropped to a crouch before her, taking her last remaining item of clothing, her panties from her.
She now stood naked before him, a fact that he used to his advantage, nibbling and caressing her flesh as he slowly rose before her, paying particular attention to her now stiff nipples before dipping down to part her rapidly moistening labia and swipe his tongue across her nether lips.
She moaned and pulled him to his feet, her hands dropping to caress his still covered hardness, but he said, "NO." and grabbed both her wrists in his hands, putting them behind her back and holding them there. This position brought them tightly together, and he kiss-whispered into the pulse point on her neck just below her left ear, "I'm the MAN in charge here. Last month you controlled me, now it?s time to return the favor." +
She closed her eyes and moaned, and he continued, ". . . but unlike last time, I'm not going to have to TAKE YOU unawares, am I?" She shuddered at his words. "You're going to lay down and SUBMIT to me, aren't you?" She shuddered again
"You. Are. Mine! To do with as I please!" he growled into her neck, then pushed her gently onto the bed, raising her arms above her head to the waiting ribbons. After tying a ribbon to each wrist, he moved to the foot of the bed to tie one to each ankle, these with more slack in them; enough to move a bit, but not enough to escape or close her legs.
She was restrained - completely open to his gaze - and her beauty was a feast for his eyes.
Her eyes were fixed to him as she half-heartedly 'struggled' with her bindings. "Oh!" she said in a melodramatic voice. "I am completely helpless! Woe is me!"
He began to remove his clothing as he responded "Don't worry; I'll 'help' you." As he removed his last item of clothing, his fully erect cock sprang into her view and she unconsciously licked her lips.
Noticing her response, he walked to the head of the bed and crawled on to it, bringing his length within reach of her mouth. She lunged forward, engulfing him between her lips and began to suckle him, as he hissed in appreciation of her skills.
When she dropped her head back to lick along the shaft, he quickly moved to straddle her head, keeping his cock within reach of her oral ministrations, while allowing his tongue access to her tasty treasure. She moaned "Oh God" around her mouthful when he delved into her, flicking his tongue across her labia, before settling to licking her clit, eliciting moans from her as she continued to work his rod with her sucking mouth.
But eventually she couldn't hold her head up anymore, and she dropped it back to the pillow. "I'm sorry..." she began, but he cut her off, "No problem. It's time for me to get serious eating you anyway." With that he carefully rolled off her and the bed, and bent to retrieve a few necessary items from under it.
Two firm pillows he placed under her butt, lifting it a few inches off the bed before draping them with a towel. "Think I'm going to get that wet do you?" she smirked. "I know you will." He smirked back.
He then retrieved the other items; a bottle of lube and their new 'toy'. Returning to between her legs he once again descended to his task; totally devouring her tasty wet pussy. He licked her clit, sucked her plump slippery lips into his mouth, and delved his fingers into her, to perform the 'come hither' motion against her now engorged G-spot.
She moaned, writhed, and strained against her bonds, calling her god and his name.
As her excitement rose, he reached for the new toy, wetting its tip in the velvet folds of her tunnel, getting it thoroughly wet before sliding it down to her tight puckered ass. He turned the vibrations on to half speed and began to work the tapered tip of the 'butt plug' into her, all the while continuing his oral assault on her clit.
"Oh my god, honey," she began, panting. "I don't think..."
"Don't worry" he said "I'll make it good."
With that he pulled the plug back a bit and quickly added a squirt of lube from the bottle to the juncture of her ass and the toy. Sufficiently lubed, he began working it farther up her back tunnel, slowly stretching the nerve-rich ring of her sphincter, the slight rubbing against this sensitive taboo spot adding to her arousal, making her moan and writhe even more energetically.
They had been experimenting with anal sex for a few months, adding it into their repertoire occasionally, slowly increasing the size she could take. This plug was their widest yet just over the width of the head of his cock.
As he finally worked the full plug into her ass, as the widest point passed her sphincter, she exploded into orgasm, thrashing and squealing, his tongue a blur across her distended clit.
The pleasure seemed to go on forever and the plug in her butt, prevented from expulsion by the slight constriction just past the widest point, caused her anus to tingle with naughty delight, adding to her bliss.
As she came back down from her high, he surreptitiously unrolled a condom onto his painfully hard cock, and placing at the entrance to her now sensitized vagina, began to slowly slide it into her. The reason for the pillows under her now became apparent as the angle this induced cause the head of his cock to rub against her G-spot with every thrust.
Incredibly, she found herself beginning that climb to ecstasy again before she had even finished coming down from the first one. Seeing her reaction, he began to thrust into her with increasing speed and force, amplifying his efforts by turning up the speed of the vibrating plug still deliciously stretching her ass, until she was once again on the cusp.
Leaning down he took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking hard and pushing her over the edge again into orgasm, narrowly avoiding that fate himself as her incredibly sexy display of pleasure, and ripples in her clasping channel almost pulled him over with her. That would not do for his plan to succeed this night.
As she again came down to earth, her face neck and chest flushed with excitement, he pulled out of her, reached down and gently pulled out the now silent plug from her rear.
Adding another long squirt of lube to her quickly contracting ass, he placed the condom clad head of his cock at her rear entrance, and began to push his rod into her butt. At this new invasion, her eyes flew open, a worried look on her face.
"Don't worry," he told her in soothing tones. "I'll be gentle, you'll be fine. I'm in charge here, remember. Trust me." Biting her lip at the strange sensation of his smooth hard cock in her ass for the first time, she quickly nodded her head, and he proceeded to slowly feed the rest of his length into.
His near-orgasm of a minute earlier, combined with the excitement of this new act and the incredible tightness and heat surrounding his cock almost set him off on his first stroke into her. His need to take it slow to allow her to get used to this, worked in his favor, letting him calm down at each stage, until he was seated firmly in her seat, and they let out a simultaneous, "Psssh!" of held breath at the feeling.
Pulling slowly back until only the mushroom head of his cock remained embedded in her, he added another squirt of lube along his length and began to push back in, sliding more easily now with the increased slickness. The slight rubbing of his shaft through her now aroused sphincter, began once more to send jolts of pleasure to her molten core.
He once more reached down to her still sensitive clit, rubbing it in fast counterpoint to his slow strokes in and out of her butt. The tight passage pushing him all too fast toward his climax, as the friction along her ass-ring blended with that of his fingers on her clit.
It was to be a close thing, but after less than 20 slow strokes, he found himself uncontrollably gasping out his orgasm, jetting powerfully into her ass, each pulse felt in her stretched rear, until she reached her third conclusion of the night just after his subsided.
Pulling himself out of her and removing the condom (to drop it into the trash can beside the bed), he reached down to pull loose her ankle and wrist restraints, then pulled her against him, their panting, heaving chests tightly together as they both wrapped their arms tightly around each other, kissing passionately between breaths.
"Happy... Anniversary..." he gasped.
"That... was some... anniversary present!" she responded.
Looking into her eyes with a naughty smile he said, "Oh, it's not over yet."
"What?" she gasped, struggling to rise. "I don't think I could take anymore..."
"Not THAT", he smirked. "The rest of your anniversary present is a hot bath upstairs."
Collapsing back into his arms she smiled, "Good! You really wore me out Mr. Man-In-Charge."
"Didn't I tell you?" he laughed. "Be careful what you ask for. You might GET IT".


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Keira Knightley's Sleek Bun & Red Hot Lips: Get The Exact Look
The stunning star looked polished and pretty in a neat upsweep and bold red lips for the 'Anna Karenina' New York Special Screening at Florence Gould Hall on November 7 in New York City. If you love the look, we found out how to get it straight from Keira's makeup artist!
Keira Knightley, 27, is the epitome of classic elegance wherever she goes! For her latest event, the beauty kept her look ladylike with a tight, side-parted loop and a bright red lipstick.
CHANEL celebrity makeup artist Katie Lee created Keira's look. Here, step-by-step tips to recreate it:
• Keira's skin was prepped with CHANEL Hydra Beauty Serum and them was coated in CHANEL UV Essentiel SPF 50 as the makeup base.
• Katie applied a small amount of CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 to even out Keira's skin tone.
• On her cheeks, Katie used used CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte Lip Colour in La Caline as a cream blush.
• Keira's upper lids were lined and swooped out at the outer corners with Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeliner in Navy. Katie then used CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Lagons by blending the line out even further to the corner of her eyes. She then used a nude/ apricot shade on her lids to add depth to the socket.
• Katie groomed Keira's brows with Anastasia colored brow gel and perfected them with CHANEL Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Naturel and blended with small angled brush.
• The lashes were curled with CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler and coated with two coats of Le Volume de CHANEL Mascara in Noir.
• Keira's lips were stained with CHANEL Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Palpitante and coated with CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine Lipshine in Rebelle to add a slight sheen to the lips.
HollywoodLifers, do YOU love Keira's makeup look? Sound off below!
— Jennifer Tzeses
- Cameron Diaz's Tousled Bun: Get The Look In 7 Easy Steps
- Rihanna's Victoria's Secret Vampy Lips & Wavy Hair: Get The Look
- Demi Lovato V. Reese Witherspoon & More: Battle Of The Blunt Bang


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Alanis Morissette Tickets
Canadian born singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette made a tremendous impact on the music world with her first studio album Jagged Little Pill. Though the days of the angst ridden Morissette seem far behind us, her new album So-Called Chaos is still turning the heads of music fans. Alanis will be on tour in support of her new album and she is sure to play some of your old favorites. An evening with Alanis Morissette is the only way to spend the evening this concert season.
Primesport endpoint is not set in distro-settings


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Hello Everyone,
I'm looking for some feedback in what you like, don't like and would change within the Entropy Store UI, just looking for general feedback for the entropy UIs also, what is missing, what is there to much of etc.
Say something good and will look into integrating your idea.
So, fire away, and thanks as always for your feedback!
PS. Bonus points for diagrams, even if they look like they were created in MS Paint


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L iving in Boulder is the good life -- especially for dogs.
There are mountains to hike, rivers to swim and all kinds of doggie butts to sniff. There are even plenty of dog-friendly businesses, such as McGuckin's Hardware, where a biscuit and a pat on the head are common courtesy. And Boulder's green tag program allows your well-behaved pooch to romp off leash in designated areas, but dogs aren't allowed on every trail in Boulder. Know where to go. Check out our primer on the best dog-friendly terrain in Boulder:
Dog Parks
Boulder's dog parks are a great way to socialize your pup and meet other people in the dog community -- though don't be surprised if you forget the owner but remember their dog. Getting off-leash is great exercise for your dog and a good way to get in a much needed play session. As always, please follow the regulations stated at each park. There are fenced in dog parks at East Boulder Community Center, Foothills Park and Valmont Dog Park (the Valmont Dog Park is currently under renovation and will reopen in November 2012).
One of the best "unofficial" dog parks is Dry Creek , located in southeast Boulder, not far from campus. While not technically a dedicated dog park, this fenced in area features a loop trail over a mile long with stunning views of the foothills. A creek runs through the property, and with the exception of a few days each year, has running water. A large, open meadow is great for fetch or flat-out doggie sprints.
For more information on Boulder's dog parks, go to bouldercolorado.gov and search "dog parks" .
Easy Hikes
If your dog loves swimming, then Coot Lake and Boulder Reservoir off 63rd Street in east Boulder offers miles of trails and two dog-friendly lakes. Coot Lake is right off the road, and a short walk toward the reservoir offers a modest shoreline for pups to take a dip. It's also a nice place to take your dog for a run.
Marshall Mesa/Doudy Draw in south Boulder are also dog-friendly hikes, though they can get a little crowded with hikers and mountain bikers. Crowds tend to disperse once you and your pooch are on the trails and you are left with stunning views -- maybe the best in Boulder -- and fun trails. In hotter weather, the Doudy Draw Trail near Eldorado Springs is a good choice. This trail crosses a creek and reaches a pine-forest plateau with welcome shade in warmer temps. You can also access this trail from the Flatirons Vista Trailhead .
To get away from the crowds, the Sage Trail/Boulder Valley Ranch network in north Boulder is a great place to romp. There are more than seven miles of trails that connect to several trailheads east of U.S. 36. A small pond is the only reliable source of water, but it gets the job done. Hiking up on the high plateau offers scenic vistas of rolling farmland studded with cows and horses that remind one of Boulder's agricultural roots.
The foothill trails at Chautauqua are also great for a quick hike or to access the more strenuous terrain of the local mountain trails.
Mountain Hikes
If your dog likes to go vertical, Mount Sanitas is a classic doggy destination. The neighboring Anemone Trail starts from a common trailhead with Sanitas off Mapleton Avenue (which turns into Sunshine Canyon Drive west of Fourth Street) and sees fewer hikers, though the views are just as sweet.
Green Mountain has dog-friendly designated trails -- just follow the signs to stay on the well-marked paths and ascend by Gregory Canyon, Saddle Rock or the E.M. Greenman trails. South Boulder Peak is another classic, with great views, but the trail to the summit was still closed due to the Flagstaff Fire at press time -- double check closures here before you head out at bouldercolorado.gov/openspace. Be aware of the short sections of trail that require on-leash travel. South Boulder shares a saddle with Bear Peak, though the summit of Bear requires scrambling and is not ideal for dogs (and was also closed because of the fire). A trip just below the summit is just as good!
There are plenty of fantastic dog-friendly areas within an hour of Boulder as well. The Moffat Tunnel/East Portal area just beyond Nederland gets you into the high peaks with your pup, and the Fourth of July and Hessie trailheads are found in the small town of Eldora and access the southern Indian Peaks. You'll find rivers, alpine lakes and fields of wildflowers waiting there.
Meadow Mountain Trailhead out of Allenspark is a quiet, wooded path that borders the southern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park. Ascend a wooded trail to an above-treeline saddle, where you can climb 11,632-foot Meadow Mountain or 12,162-foot St. Vrain Mountain.
-- James Dziezynski is a freelance writer living in Boulder with his border collie, Fremont, and his cat, Xanadu.


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The Zend Developer Zone has posted about a new Webinar Zend is offering for those interested in the Zend Studio for Eclipse software (aka "Neon").
"Neon" is the code name for the Eclipse based version of Zend Studio. Yossi Leon, the Product Manager of the Development Tools in Zend Technologies, will go over the different features of Zend Studio Neon Beta, the key benefits of the Eclipse based product and the differences between the Neon and the PDT project. Yossi will also demonstrate the different capabilities of Neon and its integration with Zend Products.
The Webinar is being held tomorrow, December 12th at 9am PST and will last about an hour including the Q&A session at the end. Yossi Leon product manager for the IDE will be presenting and if you'd like to attend, you can register now and get your spot locked in.


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"Another Minecraft rip-off" you might snort haughtily after seeing Picroma's Cube World, but wait! Yes, it is set in a blocky procedurally-generated world, but it's quite a different game--an endless exploration action-RPG with adventure over each mountain and across every sea.
It does follow the Minecraft business model though, and after a few hiccups you can now buy the public alpha for €15 ($20-ish).
Rather than digging for minerals, Cube World is about roaming the world, completing quests, exploring dungeons, killing monsters, smashing bosses, hang-gliding, climbing, sailing, taming pets, and, of course, finding and crafting items. It offer both single-player and multiplayer.
Four classes are playable--warrior, rogue, ranger, and mage--with skill trees and specialisations and all that action-RPG stuff. Combat's skill-based, with dodging, combos, and whatnot.
Check the official site for more on everything it offers. Right now it's only for PC, but Mac and console versions are planned too.
You can buy the Cube World public alpha now from the developer. Picroma tried to launch this on Tuesday but the servers fell over. Things seem to be running smoothly now, though.


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Recently, a Hitchhiker's Guide reader asked me how to filter a report on several values and pass those values into the report processor at runtime. In answering the question, I found it hard to find complete examples of the steps required to capture and supply parameters to a report when using the Visual Studio ReportViewer control. Since parameter management in the ReportViewer isn't handled automatically as it is in Reporting Services, this skillset is important to master if you expect to leverage the power of the ReportViewer control. This article should make this process a lot clearer—or at least I hope so.
The ReportViewer control is used to render RDL-based reports in a Windows Forms or ASP.NET application. When you use the ReportViewer control in local mode, you have to provide a populated data structure (such as a DataTable) whose columns map to the report elements defined in the RDL report definition. When you use the ReportViewer control in server mode, you can still pass parameter values to Reporting Services. This article explains how to collect, validate, and pass parameters to the query and reporting engines. I've provided a sample application that you can download and use to practice the techniques in this article. You can download the sample in the .zip file at http://www.sqlmag.com, InstantDoc ID 95671.
Working with Parameters
Parameters play a crucial role in making any report usable to consumers, who rarely know what they want until they don't get it. When perusing the information in a report, users often want to refine, refocus, or re-sort the data. Your code can process these refinements either by re-executing the base SELECT queries at the server or by simply changing report criteria such as the Filters property of the Table report item.
It's typically expensive—sometimes prohibitively—to re-execute the source rowset query because if your query returns more rows than needed, you increase the amount of time it takes to run the query, return the data, and render the report. However, if you plan to use the post-query filter strategy that I describe in this article, you'll need to balance the expense of server-side filtering (e.g., when passing parameters to the SELECT WHERE clause) with the utility and performance of selectively filtering rows on the client by using parameters that modify RDL expressions. To help you implement the post-query filter strategy, I show how to build an RDL expression that you can use in the Report Filters property. Before you get started, take a look at the sidebar "Query vs. Report Parameters," to be sure you understand the difference.
Capturing and Validating Parameters
When you use the ReportViewer control, it's your job to provide the values for the report parameters. In local mode (in which Reporting Services isn't rendering the report), your code also has to prompt for any parameters that the query or the report needs. In server mode (in which the ReportViewer control simply launches a Reporting Services report), Reporting Services generates the UI to prompt for, validate, and capture report parameters. In either mode, you must provide values for all parameters that don't have default values already set. You can pass parameters captured by your custom UI to a server report by using the same mechanism you use to pass parameters to a locally rendered report.
In the Reporting Services-generated FilteredAuthors report in Figure 1, the report calls for four parameters: Low Age, High Age, Author Name, and Acceptable Years. As you can see, the HTML-based report has filled in the default values set when the report's RDL was constructed. Because all of the parameters have default values in this case, the report processor runs the report using these initial values without waiting for user input. This automation can be expensive and time-consuming because your initial guess at the default parameter values might not match what the user wants. That's why I don't recommend setting default values for all parameters—unless you're virtually certain that's what the user wants.
In a ReportViewer application, you can (and probably should) persist the parameter values that the user last provided and reapply those values before the initial report is displayed. You can also save values in the application settings, an initialization file, in the registry, or in a cookie. As users interact with the server-generated HTML report interface, they can provide alternative values for each of the parameters as long as the values fall within the acceptable range as dictated by the settings supplied at design time in the Report Parameters dialog box. The Reporting Services report server administrator can override defaults or simply hide report parameters. In the case of the ReportViewer control, all parameter settings can be made by your application code.
The Visual Studio Report Parameters dialog box is essentially the same for the ReportViewer control and the Reporting Services BI tools Report Designer. For our sample report, the populated dialog box in Figure 2 defines five parameters but exposes only four. Note that the ThisYear parameter is special. Its default value is simply a Visual Basic (VB) expression that returns the current year. You can use this type of parameter as a value placeholder or anywhere you deem appropriate as you code report expressions. Most report properties can be set by using an expression. In a moment, you'll see that the ThisYear parameter value is incorporated in a report cell as well as in the numeric expression that converts the Year_Born data column value to age.
Although you can use the Report Parameters dialog box to preset any number of parameter properties, only some of these are exposed in the report as properties. You'll also discover that only some of the parameter properties can be set at runtime. I'll show you how to do that later.
Once the report parameters are defined, they're salted away in the RDL report-definition file. Ah, yes, the Visual Studio Report Builder default file extension is RDLC. However, you might find it handy to simply name your report with the Reporting Services RDL extension so that it can be shared between the Reporting Services Report Designer (which is exposed by the BI tools) and the Visual Studio ReportViewer control and Report Designer, which is a bit harder to use.
"Exploring Defined Parameters
Behind the scenes, the RDL(C) file contains elements and attributes in XML that define the report parameters along with every other aspect of the report and every settable attribute of the parameters collection. You can manipulate this collection (or at least read it) by using the GetParameters method against the LocalReport or ServerReport class that the ReportViewer control exposes. If you're feeling brave, you can open the RDL by using an XML editor and inspect or tune anything in the file that you think needs tuning. Is this process as dangerous as performing brain surgery in the bathroom mirror? Probably not, but I'd keep a backup of the file in case your daughter comes in looking for her curling iron and bumps your elbow. Just keep in mind that the RDL file is case-sensitive and gets rather anal. Since it's machine-generated, it might get changed back as soon as you dink with one of the Report Designer dialog boxes.
The RDL file elements that contain the parameters tell a lot about what the reporting mechanism stores for each parameter. Listing 1 shows a code snippet from the ReportParameters element.
Validating Impure Values
It's your code's job to validate the purity of the data being passed into the parameter Values array (which I'll discuss a bit later). Your application needs to validate every parameter the user supplies or limit the values to those you provide in pick lists. Remember, all data is evil until proven innocent. One routine that I included in the example application ensures that the value passed is a valid Integer. It's up to your application to ensure that the values are within an acceptable range. The code snippet in Listing 2 illustrates one approach to verifying that the supplied value is at least an integer. This routine could be called from the TextBox (or other UI control) Validating event.
When you apply the value to a strongly typed variable, the .NET Framework doesn't bother to do anything but make sure the data conforms to the type specified. The .NET Framework doesn't have any intrinsic tests to verify that the data conforms to any business rules you might have defined (e.g., the "age" parameters are used to input an acceptable age range). This limitation can cause problems when you set the ADO-.NET Command object's Parameter.Value property. The .NET Framework doesn't care what value you supply—at least not until the command is executed. The report's underlying collection of parameter values works in a similar way: Nothing complains until the report processor starts to interpret the RDL according to the parameters provided. Trying to figure out which parameter is in error and why can be a real pain.
However, the Reporting Services engine can test for valid values and you can supply a list of acceptable (or unacceptable) values that are displayed to the user when the report UI is exposed in the browser. In The Hitchhiker's Guide to SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services, my coauthor Peter Blackburn and I show how to write code-behind routines to provide even more sophisticated expression logic. Multi-value parameters are now incorporated into the reporting engine (disabled in SQL Server 2005 SP1 and reenabled in SP2). Basically, a multivalue parameter is passed around as either a delimited string or a string array. In any case, Microsoft and I both recommend that you don't let users provide any string parameter value without limiting what's acceptable either in code or by providing values in the Report Parameters dialog box in Figure 3.
The parameter in Figure 3 is designed to eliminate specific years from the list of Year_Born values. Because my example Biblio database (SQL Server Compact Edition .SDF) has a number of "test" values, the Available values feature lets me filter out this test data as needed. Because the values supplied can be single or an array of values, managing and validating the parameters is a bit more difficult. Fortunately, there are a number of Framework classes (some new) that can help.
Configuring the example Application
When it's time to render the report, you need to remember to set any required parameters before you execute RefreshReport. By definition, you'll need to provide a value-populated parameter for each parameter that doesn't have a set default value. Before doing so, you might want to build a custom code generator that automatically generates the UI elements needed to capture and validate the parameter values. Let's look at the underlying mechanisms that you can use to perform this task.
First, you need to set up the example project that contains the target report (RDLC or RDL) file and a Form (or page) that hosts the ReportViewer control. The code supplied with this article has a suitable example. Another feature of this example is its use of the newly released SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition database. In this case, the project contains the .SDF database file and also the DLLs used to access it. This means you won't have to install anything to try the sample—it even installs the ReportViewer control, which is not included in the .NET Framework.
I'm not going to walk through the process of creating the Data Source, which simply addresses the target database table. Not all of the columns in the target table are used in the report; the query that the report uses to build the TableAdapter contains a WHERE clause expression to eliminate any rows without a Year_Born value. It almost always makes sense to limit the number of rows to return from the query engine. Doing so lets the query optimizer leverage indexes and reduce load on the server and the network.
The next step is to add a Report item to the project that's exposed as an RDLC file. Name it something sensible so that you can locate and use it later. Note that the report heading includes a concatenated string set by the "ThisYear" report parameter. Figure 4 shows the configured report.
Your application can be based on either Windows Forms or ASP.NET architectures—both can leverage the power of the ReportViewer control. My example implements a Windows Form application that contains a single ToolStrip control (which you can see in Figure 5) that's configured to expose a Label and a TextBox or other UI control to capture the parameter values the user provides. The application also contains a button that re-renders the report once the parameters are reset.
The Report-Viewer control is added to this form and pointed at the RDLC report we just built, which links to columns in the Data Source. Setting the report filename in the ReportViewer control's Tasks dialog box inserts code to execute the TableAdapter Fill and execute the RefreshReport method. Again, we're focusing on report parameters, so let's move on to that part of the logic.
Setting the Table Report Item Filters
The whole purpose of this exercise is to show how to set several post-query filters that further refine what the user sees in the report. These filters are applied row by row in the target report item (in this case, a Table) and determine whether the row is exposed. You can use report parameters to alter any other report property that accepts an expression.
The logic in the filter blocks is a bit tricky. If the filter resolves to a simple "true" or "false" value, you'll have a lot less trouble getting the report processor to deal with them. It's possible to set up LIKE expressions and several other more sophisticated tests, but I found it's easier to call out to VB code when things get too complex. For details about how to build simple and complex expressions, see Hitchhiker's Guide to SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services.
Applying Values to ReportViewer Report Parameters
Before you execute the RefreshReport method that launches the report processor, you should make sure that the parameters being passed to the report are correct. Remember, we need to ensure that the supplied parameter values are the right type, within a valid and acceptable range, and in the right format to pass to the LocalReport (or ServerReport) parameters collection. The code that Listing 3 shows is responsible for this operation. The code begins by extracting a description of the report parameters as exposed by the ReportParameterInfoCollection. The GetParameters method handles this extraction by returning an array of ReportParameterInfo objects. The returned objects aren't the same as the ReportParameter objects used to configure the parameter collection passed to the report processor by means of the SetParameters method.
Then, for each of the known parameters, the code adds a member to an array list that will be passed to the SetParameters method later in the routine. Before adding the member, the code checks the value for validity. In this case, I execute the aforementioned routine that checks to see whether the value is numeric and a valid integer. I expect a production application would also add business-rule validity checks to the custom TestForInt routine. If the value isn't valid, the code simply substitutes a benign value. Yes, the code should probably fail and return an indication to the user through an Error provider control—but let's keep focused here. Note that the code takes these simple (single-value) parameters from the source TextBox controls on the ToolStrip and passes them to the New constructor for the ReportParameter class.
At this point, you need to keep in mind several important points.
- When defining report expressions (as in filter or property expressions), you can include references to report parameters. As I illustrated earlier, I used several report parameters in the report filter expressions.
- Some of these parameters have values supplied by the user and others are set in code or by a query.
- When passing the validated array of parameters to the SetParameters method, you need to provide only a named element in the array for the parameters whose value you wish to set (or reset). All other values remain unchanged. However, you must provide a value-set parameter for each report parameter that doesn't have a default value set.
- The format of the value supplied must conform to the data type specified in the Report Designer Report Parameters dialog box. If the value format doesn't match the data type, the report processor throws an exception.
- If you've specified "acceptable values" in the Report Parameters dialog box, the value supplied must be one of these values.
- If you don't supply a value when using the ReportParameter New constructor, the default value as specified in the Report Parameters dialog box is used. There doesn't seem to be a way to extract the default value from the ReportParameterInfoCollection in code—not without using an XML query against the RDLC file.
- If you've specified one or more multi-valued parameters, you need to use the ReportParameter New constructor that accepts an array. You still need to verify that each value in the array is valid. The code that Web Listing 1 (http://www.sqlmag.com, InstantDoc ID 95671) shows illustrates one way to validate all of the parameters passed in a multivalue array with the same routine used to validate individual parameters. Basically, the validation routine uses a CASE statement to test each parameter in the array for specific (acceptable) values.
Executing the Report
Once the parameters are set, it's time to render the report. Of course, this assumes that your code has passed any query parameters to the logic used to build the report dataset. Remember to validate the query parameters, too—they provide an opportunity to inject evil SQL into the query.
To render the report, execute the RefreshReport method against the specific ReportViewer class. You need to have a well-designed Try/Catch exception handler trap to handle the inevitable exceptions that will occur— especially if you let users provide unvalidated parameter values.
There's a lot more to designing and producing reports than I discuss in this brief article. However, I think that I covered most of the important details about how to define, capture, and manage query and report parameters. I strongly encourage you to read Chapter 14 of the Hitchhiker's Guide to Visual Studio and SQL Server (7th Edition) for a detailed discussion of the entire report paradigm exposed by Visual Studio's ReportViewer control and SQL Server Reporting Services.


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Skip to comments.H.S. Principal Violated Policy by Making Boys Hold Hands
Posted on 12/01/2012 1:22:47 PM PST by Olog-hai
The principal of at a high school in Mesa, Arizona violated policy when he required two boys who were fighting to hold hands in front of other students, according to a report on azcentral.com.
Tim Richard, principal at Westwood High School, has not been reprimanded but has met with Mesa Public School officials, who advised him not to speak to the media about the incident, according to the article posted on Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Wait a minute! This sounds like "homophobia!" What's wrong with two boys holding hands? This is Barry Benghazi's new Amerika! Boys holding hands is not only adored and admired, it's expected!
The A-rabs do it all the time so it must be okay.
The "schools" are always pimping homosexuality to the kids and recruiting them to become homosexuals. This is just weird. It's hypocritical and very confusing to the youngs skulls full of mush. I'll bet these two pixies have no problem with holding hands in the huddle.
Publik skools should be outlawed as crimes against humanity
Hold hands is blatant forcing of homosexual identity. Shaking hands and vowing a rematch...
If the principal doesn't know the difference between holding hands and shaking hands, he needs to be sent to a Gender Awareness Study Camp and taught the difference.
OMG the principal is male? What horrible thing happened to this poor confused creature? Maybe "he" is transgendered or something.
Well if holding hands doesn't work the next step will be to have them kiss and make up...if that doesn't work???
In my day this would have gotten that Principal's ass kicked...on the spot.
Exactly so.
In my day, too!
By one of those two guys or both!
This was apparently a real tough "thug" school, and this principal was sent in to clean up the mess. He told the tough guys they could be suspended or else be humiliated by sitting in a public place and holding hands with one another for an hour. The thugs chose humiliation, and now they are trying to retaliate against the principal—with the help of the ever-so-sensitive-to-homophobia media AND YOU GUYS. The principal is the good guy, folks.
This actually can be an effective punishment. My sister-in-law did this when my two youngest step-nephews would be fighting with each other. As I understand it, they would stand there humiliated, holding each other's hand, often squeezing. But it apparently did cut down on the fighting by making the alternative worse as far as the boys were concerned.
Kiss and make up. Then report to the principle's office for weekly spankings.
...But it apparently did cut down on the fighting....
Best way to cut down on the fighting is for the parents to ignore it. Fighting with siblings is normal, and it teaches kids how to work things out, and, ultimately, it makes them closer. Unless mommy or daddy gets involved.
Parents who jump in and ask dumb questions like, "Who started it?" are interfering in their children's development.
On the rare occasions when my kids' spats would escalate, my favorite comment was, "You'd better settle it before I do!" I have no idea of what I would have done to "settle it" because we never reached that stage, as the feud would end with one of them saying something like, "Okay, you can play with the ball, but I get to play with the truck, then."
"Wait a minute! This sounds like homophobia!"
Agree. This is sounding more and more like a hate crime. Now if they made the boys kiss in public (and I mean kiss), they would have an entire army of supporters.
...they just didn't go far enough.
That is just gross. The fathers of those boys ought to knock the tar out of that principal. Back when I was in school they would have too.
some attitudes about some kinds of behavior are of our own creation - in our owm minds - and not intrinsicly about things that are - by nature - unmasculine or unfeminine
they are often only unmasculine or unfeminine because that's how we have grown up to think of them
the further back in time you go, when you can find drawings or early photos of teenage boys and of men, simple physical closeness and affection was easy to see - it was not sexual, it was SO NOT sexual it was thereby free of modern taboos that identify it as always sexual
in Lincoln's day, and earlier, men shared a bed, often a small bed, and thought nothing of it; it was not thought of as unmanly, because no one thought of it as unmanly;
two strains in western culture have gradually changed this; both those trying to lift everything "gay" up - lifting-up and promoting "gay" identity, and deep concerns by those who are NOT "gay" to NOT appear so; both of these trends have been excessive, turning every bit of male mutual physcicality into homoeroticism by both those wanting to promote homoeroticism and those concerned about it
in Korea (and some other Asian societies) close male friends, including adults, can walk hand-n-hand in public and no one assumes "oh they must be gay"
when I was in the military in Korea it was not out of the ordinary to see two or three young Korean soldiers lounging together, arms and legs all-a-jumble, on single twin bed; it was totally NOT sexual; not even "romantic"; just guiltless ease of a physically warm relationship; not about orgasims; about friendships and childlike innocense in them
it was also about innocense - you would have had to tell them they were doing something "effeminate", something "sexual", something "unmanly", something "wrong", and then they'd probably ask why it was wrong, and none of your explanations would do any good because they had never known your kind of thoughts on the subject; all the "bad" connotations for what they were doing were not part of their thoughts; they were not play-acting in an unmanly and feminine way; they were not becoming aroused; they were not being romantic; they were innocent of all the bad ideas you might have had for their behavior;
yes, in our culture right now it is a badge of shame, or a silly badge of "pride" when two young men hold hands
it should be neither
our culture has lost something when those are the only two options most people think of as true
men holding hands or not holding hands is not a question about to be "manly" or not; it's a question about perception, and perception is most often like beauty - in the eye of the beholder and not in some quantifiable intrinsic value
Try again.
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May 14, 2010 > Indoor skydiving vs outdoor skydiving
Photo submitted by Alicia RodriguezRecently, I had the opportunity to try indoor skydiving and compare the experience to parachuting out of an airplane at 3,000 feet, which I did many years ago when I was a younger and braver man. I can tell you that hands down indoor skydiving was considerably better for someone of my age and temperament.The iFly SF Bay facility on Alvarado-Niles Road in Union City has a vertical wind tunnel that enables "almost anyone" to experience the free fall of skydiving - without the need for an plane to get you up or a parachute to get you down safely. I've been intrigued with the idea of indoor skydiving since I heard about it.When the opportunity for my first indoor "flight" came and I jumped on it (pun intended). My friend and I arrived for our appointment and were directed upstairs to a class room where we spent about 15 minutes learning about the correct body positioning for successfully soaring inside the cylinder above the huge fan below.Our group of first-time flyers was about 15 (made up of a even mix of males and females, ranging in age from 7 to around 60). Our instructor was a thin, young man, who had each of us get on a padded table and assume the proper positioning for flying in the flight chamber. Because hearing inside the wind tunnel is difficult, he also taught us several hand signals that we would need to know in order to correct our position.Then we filed out of the training room and gathered next to lockers and benches near the equipment room. Our instructor passed out flight suits that were basically nylon jumpers with padded elbows and knees that we put over our street clothing. Then we each got helmets, goggles and ear plugs.When everyone was ready, we sat on a bench that surrounded one half of the wind tunnel.The flight instructor went inside the chamber, stood on the metal net and the first brave soul stood in the doorway as the fan operator in a booth attached to the tunnel cranked it up to 100 miles per hour. The first, first-time flyer leaned into the wind and then instantly she was horizontal and floating.For the next 60 seconds, the first-time flyer flew around inside the tube with flight instructor holding on to her suit and guiding her around. When she was stable enough, the instructor let her fly alone. Then the fan slowed down and the instructor guided her to the tube's exit doorway.I was a little nervous when it was my turn, but as soon as I dropped face down into the wind and felt my body being supported, I knew it was going to be a cool ride. There is no better feeling than weightlessness and sense of flying that comes with freefalling, which is probably why so many people dream of the experience or pursue skydiving as a hobby in their waking life.What makes indoor skydiving better than real skydiving, is that: one, it's significantly cheaper than real skydiving; two, it's safer and you don't need a parachute or a plane; and three, the freefalling feeling is longer than most real skydives.The only downside in comparison is that you don't get the panoramic views you do when you're outside falling and then floating through the air. I highly recommend giving indoor skydiving a try. Visit iFly SF's website at www.iflysfbay.com and check out www.Goldstar.com for discounted tickets.


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Restaurateurs are committed to ensuring the meals they offer for children are healthful, flavorful and innovative.
In an effort to meet the growing demand among consumers for more healthful menu options, a number of restaurants — in hometowns across America and at various vacation destinations — are offering more nutritious and great-tasting menu options for kids.
Restaurateurs are committed to ensuring the meals they offer for children are healthful, flavorful and innovative. The participants of the National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge initiative offer tangible proof of this. Sponsored by founding partners McCormick For Chefs and Healthy Dining, the challenge gives operators the opportunity to showcase the creative, healthful and flavorful dishes they plan to feature on their menus. During the competition, which uses an "industry tested, kid approved" approach, a panel of food and nutrition professionals select the finalists and a team of elementary school students choose the eventual winners.
The Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge provides chefs and foodservice professionals with a forum to develop nutritious recipes that promote fun dining experiences. National chains, foodservice companies, independent restaurants and noncommercial organizations, have displayed their culinary creativity and competed in the contest, inspiring young patrons to be excited about eating healthful foods.
The winning recipes have embodied nutritious and imaginative ideas, such as a sandwich that uses multigrain and pumpernickel bread shaped to look like a piano, a dish that turns a kid favorite — spaghetti and meatballs — into a pizza, and a quesadilla and soft taco that incorporate whole wheat, lean proteins and vegetables into meals that are tasty and exciting.
All of the challenge's recipes are required to meet nutrition criteria set forth by the National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell initiative, which is based on the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines. The program's goal is to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, while limiting unhealthful fats, sugar and sodium.
The Kids LiveWell initiative today includes 145 restaurant brands in more than 42,000 locations, and all of them are committed to providing more healthful meals for children. Nutritious meals can be found at all types of restaurants, from independent to chain to casual dining to quick-service, fast casual and fine dining. They're even available in museums and theme parks.
— Brandpoint


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sanchez presser thread already started.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- After two weeks of declining to discuss his future, quarterback Mark Sanchez said Sunday he wants to remain with the New York Jets.
"Of course, of course," he said after the 28-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. "I mean, this is where it all started, this is where we've had a bunch of fun playing a ton of games, almost 40 wins for Rex (Ryan) and I. We know we can be successful here, so hopefully things work out. If not, I just can't speculate. We'll see."
Sanchez signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension last March that would keep him with the Jets through 2016. The deal includes an $8.25 million guarantee for 2013, which means it's highly likely he will return.
The Jets will look into the possibility of trading Sanchez, sources have said, but the organizational stance could change if a new general manager is in charge. To trade him, they'd probably have to eat most of the guarantee, plus there would be an estimated salary cap charge of $13 million.
If Sanchez plays for the Jets in 2013, his cap charge would be $12.8 million.
"I mean, I'm contracted here, I want to be here," he said. "That's all I've known is a Jets uniform. I plan on playing here forever, so who knows?"
Sanchez, who regained his starting job because of Greg McElroy's head injury, was typically inconsistent in the season finale Sunday. He committed two turnovers -- a strip-sack fumble and an interception that was returned 20 yards for a touchdown. Sanchez stared down receiver Jeremy Kerley on the interception, making it easy for Bills linebacker Bryan Scott to pick off the pass.
Sanchez finished the season with 26 turnovers in 15 games (18 interceptions, eight fumbles lost). In the last two seasons, his turnover total was a bloated 52.
"Not my best," he said. "I know I'm better than this. That's what I'll focus on this offseason, getting better."
The Jets (6-10) lost wide receiver Santonio Holmes to a season-ending injury in Week 4. His security blanket, tight end Dustin Keller, missed eight games with injuries. He was surrounded by a patchwork receiving corps. His most accomplished receiver the last three weeks was Braylon Edwards, whom the Jets reacquired off the scrap heap.
Sanchez also dealt with the Tim Tebow distraction. He said "it's not an excuse," but he also didn't sound thrilled with the unusual quarterback dynamic.
"He comes with a big fan following," Sanchez said.
On Sunday, Sanchez was under duress at times and completed only 17-of-35 passes for 205 yards, including a terrific 40-yard pass to Kerley. He was drilled on the play, yet dropped the pass in perfectly on a long sideline route. Such plays happened too infrequently.
"We just didn't execute, and it starts with the quarterback," Sanchez said. "I've got to be better."
Not long ago, Sanchez was the future of the franchise, the first pick of the Ryan-Mike Tannenbaum administration. Now everything is uncertain.
"Coach Ryan is a fighter," Sanchez said. "He wants this thing bad, just like I do. We've had our taste of success here, a couple of deep playoff runs where we were really a quarter or a half away from a Super Bowl, almost twice."
News Flash: You will be here forever when Woody hires Santa as the GM, the Easter Bunny as OC and the Tooth Fairy as your QB coach.
anyone have the dates for Jets West?
will Braylon attend?
Talk about the crazy ***** x-girlfriend that doesn't get it.
Last edited by frostlich; 12-30-2012 at 09:25 PM.
If rex stays here, sanchez might be here forever.
In his second two seasons Mark Sanchez looked like crap.
Every good receiving target left and wasn't replaced. The running game collapsed and wasn't corrected. The offensive line got old and stupid. The coordinator went from bad to worse.
If none of those things happened, if we had consistently good WR's instead of a revolving door, if we had a running game that was respected by LB's, if we had a coordinator that could tie his shoes, if we had an OL that could keep him clean, Mark Sanchez might have developed into a great quarterback.
He's under contract. We're going to see if he's the problem or if he's the solution.
Last edited by Magnus; 12-30-2012 at 09:39 PM.
Last edited by Magnus; 12-30-2012 at 09:37 PM.


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First I was like dat butt, but then I realised it's her tail.
so cute x3
From Mike? Damn never realised he was so arts'n'craftsy.
I bet Daisy has a better Mike pillow in her room.
I want that pillow :3
It's actually from Lucy.
One guess as to the nature of the fabric used...
now i shall make a pillow like that.
you want to make a pillow out of mike?


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Looks like another in a long line of sunny, pre-summer gorgeous days we've been having lately, so … let's keep it light and exciting and bold and capitalized today, shall we? Going 'round the horn starting with …
DOG SHOW: That's right, it's time for the 83rd Trenton Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial, being held today at Mercer County Park. One of the biggest dog shows in the nation, this puppy parade has it all: Big dogs, little dogs, weird dogs … in total, well over 3,000 dogs. And with the dogs come their handlers/owners/walkers, which, if we're being honest, are almost as entertaining as the dogs themselves.
Couple of tips if you're planning on going: Take your Zyrtec-D if you're a seasonal allergy sufferer; leave your own dogs at home, as they're not welcome (for obvious reasons) and plan on asking "What kind of dog is that?" about 25 times.
SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE: According the upcoming 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, over 50 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental disorder in their lifetimes. Think about what that means: You're abnormal if you don't have a mental disorder.
The above fact clearly explains the United States Congress.
SPEAK AMERICAN!: I'm not one of those people that demand everyone speak English. I don't care what you speak. What I do care about, however, is losing two seconds of my life everytime I call an 800 number and have to hear "para continuar en espańol pulse dos." Don't think it's a big deal? Check this out: Let's say I make two of these calls a week. That's four seconds a week, 208 seconds a year, roughly 16,000 seconds a lifetime. That means I'm forced to listen to "para continuar en espańol pulse dos" for nearly FIVE HOURS of my life.
Again, you want to speak Spanish, speak Spanish, I don't care. But businesses that do this, which is now just about every business with an 800 number? How about a dedicated Spanish-speaking line? Would that be so terrible?
WHAT DO TYLENOL AND BOBBY McFERRIN HAVE IN COMMON? They both can make you not worry and be happy, at least according to researchers at the University of British Columbia.Tylenol, apparently, has the ability to ease anxiety when it comes to "thoughts of existential uncertainty and death."
Say what?
"Nobody has shown this before, and we are surprised that the effect emerged so robustly that a drug meant primarily to alleviate headaches also prevents people from being bothered all that much by thinking about death," said lead researcher Daniel Randles in the journal Psychological Science. "It was certainly surprising."
Wow. And good to know, as the next time I have a headache I also believe is a deadly brain tumor, the Tylenol will take care of both ills.
Suck on that, Advil!
IT WILL GET EVEN HOTTER AT THE END: Well this just makes me angry. America hasn't taken the lead on tackling the issue of climate change because enough of us think the Biblical end times will get us first, according to a University of Pittsburgh study.
I don't want to get into a religious argument here, but … attention people who believe the end is nigh: Can you pull back on the throttle a wee bit, just in case you're, you know, wrong? Wouldn't mind my future grandchildren being able to live in a New Jersey that isn't a desert.
Read Jeff Edelstein every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at email@example.com, facebook.com/jeffreyedelstein and twitter.com/jeffedelstein.


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U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker joined Rep. Barbara Lee and other officials Monday for a regional economic development forum at Oakland International Airport, focused on creating more jobs and growing businesses in the East Bay.
"The Department of Commerce has tremendous resources in place in this region and around the country that allow us to partner with your businesses and entrepreneurs so they can compete and succeed," Pritzker said in a news release issued by Lee, D-Oakland, after the event.
"Here in the Bay Area, we are working with companies large and small to sell their goods and services to the 95 percent of global consumers who live outside the U.S., helping to create the conditions for innovators and entrepreneurs to thrive, and supporting minority-and women-owned businesses through our Minority Business Development Agency," she said, adding her department "is committed to helping your companies grow and thrive so they can create jobs – that is our mission and a core objective for President Obama."
Lee said small businesses "are fundamental to the East Bay's economic growth, especially women and minority-owned businesses.
"These businesses create jobs, contribute to our community and create opportunities into the middle class," she said. "In order to ensure continued economic growth, we need to investment in sharing the available resources with these businesses and businesses owners to help them succeed."
Other attendees included regional Small Business Administration Administrator Donna Davis; Minority Business Development Agency Director Alejandra Castillo; Overseas Private Investment Corp. Director of Corporate Development Alison Germak; Port of Oakland Aviation Director Deborah Ale Flint; Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson; and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan.
Earlier Monday, Lee had hosted a roundtable discussion with Pritzker and East Bay business leaders to discuss economic development, supplier diversity and the importance of gender and ethnic diversity in corporate leadership.


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In 2003, former Boise State All-American defensive end and Montana State University football coach Joe O'Brien experienced a stunning downfall. He was arrested for his part in an illegal drug distribution scheme and sentenced to federal prison. How did this charismatic leader and NFL hopeful hide years of addiction? And after more than two years in prison, how did he turn his life around?
Joan Cartan-Hansen talks with O'Brien and Boise writer Bob Evancho, co-author of O'Brien's life story, Busted Bronco: From Addiction to Redemption. The book goes into painful detail about O'Brien's personal struggles, but it also recounts O'Brien's story of redemption and renewal.


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Portions of the following information are based on facts provided by the arrested individuals. Those individuals have been booked with, not convicted of, the offenses shown. All accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Portions of the following information are based on facts provided by the arrested individuals. Those individuals have been booked with, not convicted of, the offenses shown. All accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Aug. 20, 2012
Charles A. Sassoni, 56, 195 177th St., Galliano, Grand Isle warrant (attempted simple burglary).
Aug. 26, 2012
Desiree Mike, 22, 17546 W. Main St., Galliano, simple battery.
Harold Smith Jr., 27, 111 Maggie Ln., Grand Isle, simple battery.
Sept. 08, 2012
Reynell Gautreaux, 25, 2431 Hwy. 1, Grand Isle, 2nd degree battery.
Gabriel Showalter, 25, 240 Naccari Ln., Grand Isle, 2nd degree battery.
Cory Thomas, 30, 202 Ludwig Ln., Grand Isle, 2nd degree battery.
Desiree Mike, 22, 17546 W. Main St., Galliano, 2nd degree battery.
Harold Smith Jr., 27, 111 Maggie Ln., Grand Isle, disturbing the peace by fighting.
Sept. 13, 2012
Mark Minor, 45, 120 Oak St., Grand Isle, theft.
Sept. 15, 2012
Derek James Ditcharo, 25, 151 Elm Ln., Grand Isle, domestic abuse battery.
Sept. 17, 2012
Jojue Dela Rose Mendez, 29, 194 W. 64th St., Cut Off, no drivers license, speeding.
Sept. 18, 2012
Josh Jambon, 50, 101 Grand Isle Parkway, Grand Isle, three counts simple battery.
Sept. 26, 2012
Paul Plaisance, 45, 164 Naccari Ln., Grand Isle, interfering with police investigation.
Sept. 27, 2012
Rebecca Hickox, 41, 119 Bradberry Oak, Grand Isle, Grand Isle Warrant - contempt.
Joseph Gilchrist, 42, 111 Elaine St., Morgan City, reckless operation of a vehicle, license plate expired.
Terrebonne Sheriff's Office
Santee Dale Leblanc, 24, 4431 Bayouside Drive, Chauvin, loitering on public sidewalk, disturbing the peace by intoxication.
Karis Montreal Scott, 45, 314 Mobile Estates Drive, Gray, nine counts perjury on trial other cases.
Damona Will Moore, 31, Route 4, Box 310, Amite, holding for other agency.
Nam Van Do, 50, 2133-D Sugarloaf St., Harvey, failure to appear.
Steven John Glanders, 41, 320 Cenac St., Houma, possession schedule II drug.
Rhonda Ann Margiotta, 47, 238-A Senator Circle, Houma, three counts failure to appear.
Jeremy Michael Naquin, 19, 817 Shane Drive, Houma, domestic abuse battery.
Justin Paul Duplantis, 25, 408 Jean St., Houma, disturbing the peace.
Phyllis Amelia Eschete, 48, 124 Connely St., Houma, issuing worthless checks more than $500.
Justin John Peeples, 23, 207 Bayou Gardens Drive, Houma, failure to appear.
Terrebonne Narcotics Task Force
James Dewitt Windwehen, 48, 320 Cenac St., Houma, principal to possession with intent to distribute schedule II drug.
Bonnie Lee Theriot, 41, 320 Cenac St., Houma, two counts distribution schedule II drug, unlawful possession drug paraphernalia, possession schedule II drug.
District and City Courts
The individuals whose names follow were incarcerated on the order of a court or processed following a judicial determination.
Devante Darel Dillard, 19, 1104 Miles St., Houma, failure to appear.
Janson Rahiam Lowery, 18, 255 St. Paul St., Lot 5, Houma, probation revocation.
Teresa Gerine Mousseaux, 20, 1538 Savanne Road, Houma, DWI, careless operation.
Jarrett Paul Scurto,, 25, 12 Dallas Drive, Houma, failure to comply with sentence.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office
Dylan Dedon, 18, 185 E. 116th St., Galliano, driving under suspension, simple criminal damage to property, contempt.
Todd Trahan, 23, 133 E. 112th St., Galliano, second degree battery.
Lewis Johns Jr., 23, 154 W. 161st St., Galliano, driving while under suspension for certain offenses.
Kaleb Gaudet, 20, 302 Elm Dr., Raceland, two counts violation of uniform controlled dangerous substances law, distribution of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinols, distribution of marijuana, possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute valium.
Ramon Hernandez, 37, 229 Orange St., Galliano, four counts contempt violation of protective orders.
Cortney Madere, 24, 200 Second, Des Allemands, possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia.
Thibodaux Police Department
Brookelle Strother, 19, 5639 W. Main St., Houma, simple battery, resisting an officer with force or violence.


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Southend substitute Bilel Mohsni returned from a month on the sidelines to score a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Bury.
Bury looked to have ended their six-match wait for a win when Damien Mozika slotted home Ryan Lowe's cross from the right in the 65th minute before he was promptly booked for over-celebrating by referee Pat Miller.
Southend striker Barry Corr spurned a great chance to equalise within a minute but shot over from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.
But French defender Mohsni, who was put on up front for Blues, saved the day for Southend when he nodded home Ryan Hall's cross from the right at the back post in the dying seconds of the five minutes of stoppage time.
Bury would have considered themselves unlucky not to have taken an earlier lead after top-scorer Lowe lobbed Blues goalkeeper Glenn Morris - but saw Chris Barker head his goalbound effort out before the striker latched onto a poor Peter Gilbert backpass and saw his shot rebound off the right post.
Corr's volley was comfortably saved by Cameron Belford before the goalkeeper pushed wide a 25-yard Anthony Grant effort.
Belford also denied Hall as Southend were left to wait for their first home win since October 30.
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.
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American Forces Press Service
July 17, 2007 – Afghan and coalition troops detained five militants today, and Afghan police found a large weapons cache yesterday, military officials reported. Credible intelligence led coalition forces to compounds in the Dih Bala district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, where they detained five men suspected of housing militants with ties to al Qaeda. Soldiers found magazines, weapons, grenades and chest racks during a search of the compounds.
"Coalition and Afghan forces are working to remove insurgents who conduct operations that threaten the peaceful people of Afghanistan and undermine the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," Army Maj. Christopher Belcher, a coalition spokesman, said.
In other news, Afghan national police recovered a large weapons cache yesterday at a former Taliban training site during a unilateral operation in the Musa Khel district of Khowst province.
Afghan national police planned and executed the mission without coalition-partnered units, using credible intelligence, officials said.
The police recovered 10 107 mm rockets, 22 122 mm mortar fuses, 25 82 mm mortar rounds, 150 anti-aircraft rounds and 5,000 rounds of medium machine-gun ammunition.
"This operation will serve to disrupt the insurgent capabilities to conduct offensive operations in the Khowst province," Belcher said. "This newly created ANP unit has demonstrated that they can successfully produce results that increase security and stability in the region.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Troops in Afghanistan Detain Five Militants; Police Find Weapons Cache
Posted by Raymond Foster at 8:08 PM
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Your shopping cart is empty!
The roadrunner is the world's fastest-running flying bird. You and your family will enjoy this story of a roadrunner's life - what they eat, where they live and the hazards they face in the desert - all written in rhyme.
Crickets are chewy, beetles go crunch
A hungry roadrunner likes lizards for lunch.


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Mark Buehrle took a parting shot at the Marlins on Wednesday, saying team officials lied to him.
"I'm upset with how things turned out in Miami," Buehrle said in the written statement. "Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions. But I'm putting it behind me and looking forward to moving on with my career."
Buehrle and four others players were traded by the Marlins to the Toronto Blue Jays. Buehrle, who bought a home in Broward County after signing a 4-year deal, spent only one season with the Marlins before being dealt.
Sources said Buehrle was told he did not have to worry about being traded.
Buehrle's agent, Jeff Berry, also issued the following statement:
"In an off-season of change and uncertainty, the overriding factor in Mark's signing with Miami was Ozzie Guillen and the level of comfort his presence provided Mark and his family. While the Marlins were the highest bidder, baseball had already made Mark a wealthy man, so money was far from the most important factor in his decision. Throughout the recruiting process, the Marlins made repeated assurances about their long-term commitment to Mark and his family and their long-term commitment to building a winning tradition of Marlins baseball in the new stadium. This was demonstrated by their already completed signings of Ozzie, Heath Bell and Jose Reyes.
"At the same time, given the Marlins history, we were all certainly aware of and voiced concern about the lack of no-trade protection. This is unquestionably a business, and signing with the Marlins was a calculated risk. Mark held up his end of the bargain; unfortunately, the same can't be said of the Marlins.
"That said, Mark is a consummate professional and is looking forward to joining his new teammates in Toronto."


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Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 1, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, page 355, after line 34, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:
/ 1.__. (SDE: Interscholastic Athletic Association Dues) A public school district supported by state funds shall not use any funds or permit any school within the district to use any funds to join, affiliate with, pay dues or fees to, or in any way financially support any interscholastic athletic association, body, or entity unless the constitution, rules, or policies of the association, body, or entity contain the following:
(1) a range of sanctions that may be applied to a student, coach, team, or program and that takes into account factors such as the seriousness, frequency, and other relevant factors when there is a violation of the constitution, bylaws, rules, or other governing provisions of the association, body, or entity;
(2)(a) guarantees that private or charter schools are afforded the same rights and privileges that are enjoyed by all other members of the association, body, or entity. Private or charter schools may not be expelled or denied membership in the association, body, or entity or restricted in their ability to participate in interscholastic athletics including, but not limited to, state playoffs or championships based solely on their status as a private school or charter school. The association, body, or entity shall set reasonable standards for private or charter school admission. A private or charter school denied membership must be provided, in writing within five business days, the reason or reasons for rejection of its application for membership;
(b) guarantees that a South Carolina home school athletic team that is a member of a home school athletic association may not be denied access to preseason and regular season interscholastic athletics including, but not limited to, jamborees and invitational tournaments, based solely on its status as a home school athletic team; other rules or policies of the association, body, or entity would apply;
(3)(a) an appeals process in which appeals of the association, body, or entity are made to a disinterested third-body appellate panel which consists of seven members who serve four year terms, with one person appointed by the delegation of each congressional district;
(b) a member of the panel serves until his successor is appointed and qualifies. A vacancy on the panel is filled in the manner of the original appointment;
(c) members of the appellate panel do not concurrently serve as officers of the association, body, or entity and may not have served as a member of the executive committee within the last three years. Principals and superintendents are able to appeal a ruling of the association, body, or entity to the panel. The appellate panel also must provide the final ruling in any appeal brought against a decision of the association, body, or entity;
(4) a procedure in place for emergency appeals to be held and decided upon in an expedited manner if the normal appellate process would prohibit the participation of a student, team, program, or school in an athletic event, to include practices;
(5) provisions, implemented within one year after the effective date of this section, that require the composition of the executive committee of the association, body, or entity be geographically representative of this State.
In the event an association, body, or entity fails to include one of the items listed in this proviso, public school districts and schools must end their affiliation with the association, body, or entity prior to the beginning of the upcoming school year and are prohibited from paying dues or fees to the association, body, or entity. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend sections, totals and title to conform.


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Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Feed and Nutrition > U of M dairy cattle nutrition research results presented at the American Dairy Science Annual Meeting
U of M dairy cattle nutrition research results presented at the American Dairy Science Annual Meeting
We are proud to share our research results presented at the 2013 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). My dairy nutrition lab group presented nine abstracts this year focusing on three main areas; transition cow nutrition and health, forage digestibility, and nursery calf nutrition. We hope you enjoy the results of our work and please let us know if you would like to learn more or have suggestions.
Transition cow nutrition and health
Title: Low cost on-farm predictors of individual cows risk for ketosis.
Authors: Z. Sawall and N. B. Litherland
Objectives: To develop a tool to predict cows at risk for subclinical ketosis.
Summary: We developed a model we call "Pre-K" (predicting ketosis). This model uses body condition score and colostrum yield to predict cows at risk for subclinical ketosis. Using 200 cows in the University herd, Pre-K accurately identified 80% of cows that developed subclinical ketosis.
Take home message: Cows with high body condition score have greater potential for body fat mobilization after calving. Colostrum yield is a good early predictor of energy demands (cows with high colostrum yield seem to produce more milk in early lactation). Cows with a body condition score over 3.5 and colostrum yield greater than 16 pounds are at risk for subclinical ketosis. Identifying and treating at risk cows for subclinical ketosis after calving may increase milk yield and decrease ketosis risk.
Title: Using early lactation milk fat to true protein ratio to evaluate transition cow success.
Authors: Z. Sawall and N. B. Litherland
Objectives: To determine if milk fat:protein greater than 1.4 is a valid predictor of cows at risk for ketosis.
Summary: Cows with a fat:protein greater than 1.4 had an average blood ketone concentration indicative of cows with subclinical ketosis, fatty liver, and lost more body weight after calving.
Title: Effects of varying transition cow dietary starch concentration and supplementation with propionate producing direct fed bacteria on transition cow performance and metabolism.
Authors: Z. Sawall, T. Parrott, W. Weich, D. Lobao da Silva, and N.B. Litherland.
Objectives: To determine the effects of feeding direct fed microbial (DFM) and varying starch amount (20 vs. 29%) on feed intake, energy balance, and milk yield in transition cows.
Background: Early lactation cows have greater feed intake and milk production when fed a reduced starch diet during early lactation. Feeding a high starch diet, similar to that typically fed to high producing cows, may not be ideal for fresh cows. Propionate, a volatile fatty acid produced by rumen bacteria is used to make glucose in the liver and is then converted to milk sugar (lactose) in the mammary gland.
Summary: Starch concentration did not affect milk yield or feed intake, but tended to increase blood ketones. Propionate producing DFM increased feed efficiency during early lactation. The combination of a high starch diet and DFM resulted in the greatest milk production, but the increase in milk production did not occur until week 5 of lactation.
Take home message: Low starch diets resulted in similar milk production in the first month of lactation compared to high starch diets. Fresh cow diets should optimize fiber digestion (good quality forage and avoid high starch diets). A pen dedicated to fresh cows allows producers to feed a diets specific to meet fresh cow needs.
Title: Effects of varying early lactation dietary starch concentration on first calf heifer performance and health.
Authors: Z. Sawall, T. Parrott, W. Weich, D. Lobao da Silva, and N.B. Litherland.
Objectives: To determine the effects of feeding 21 vs. 29% dietary starch on feed intake, milk yield, and body fat mobilization in first calf heifers.
Background: Heifers represent a very important group and their early lactation nutrition and management has a significant impact on their first lactation performance.
Summary: Varying dietary starch concentration did not alter feed intake. The high starch diet tended to increase yield of 3.5% fat corrected milk. High starch diets increased the risk of metritis, ketosis, and fatty liver after calving.
Take home message: Low starch diets in early lactation reduce the risk of ketosis and fatty liver, but may also decrease milk production. High starch diets might impact first calf heifers more than cows.
Forage digestibility
Title: Effects of supplemental sugar on fiber digestibility of corn silage.
Authors: D. Lobao da Silva and N. B. Litherland.
Objectives: To evaluate the effects of varying source of supplemental sugar on fiber digestibility of corn silage.
Summary: Pure sugars lactose and sucrose increased fiber digestibility over control. Due to their purity, both lactose and sucrose delivered the greatest amount of sugar indicating that the effect of sugar on rumen fiber digestion is dependent upon the concentration of sugar in the diet and also perhaps the chemical profile of the sugar.
Take home message: The effects of supplemental dietary sugar on rumen fiber digestibility are dependent upon the concentration of the sugar in the diet and the potential fiber digestibility of forage in the diet.


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If you don't yet shop at thrift stores, why not? If you picture dingy floors, bad lighting, and torn clothing heaped together, you might be surprised. There are a few like that in every town, I'm sure, but for the most part, they are a veritable gold mine of unclaimed wealth.
With the sketchy economy, it's a no-brainer way to save money. But even when the economic situation is in full bloom, it is a practical, reasonable, and easy way to stretch your family's dollars. If your family lives on one income, and you're the home manager assigned the job of managing the spending, then consider shopping at thrift stores your income contribution – you'd be surprised at the money saved.
I always shop at Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul's before heading to the "regular" stores – and nine times out of ten, I don't even need to hit the regular stores. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your thrift store shopping experience.
1. Go in With a Plan…
Know ahead of time what you need. Sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming, and each location has its own organizing system, making it a bit challenging to find what you need. So if you go knowing you're looking for 12-24 month-old boy's khakis, and size 8 black dress shoes, it can be a lot less stressful.
2. …But Be Open-Minded
That said, keep your eyes open for any surprising deals. It's hit-or-miss with thrift stores, so sometimes you really hit the jackpot of gear your family truly needs. If you weren't necessarily shopping for swimsuits, but you see a darling one in your daughter's size this summer, then snag it up. You need to make sure what you find is actually something you need – otherwise, you're just buying clutter, and you're not saving money. Even so, think outside just your immediate family, and consider your extended family, your friends, or unexpected gift ideas. You could find birthday gifts for all your nieces and nephews, or you might find throw pillows in just the right shade your friend is looking for.
3. Look For Quality Brands…
The older I get, the less the inexpensive brands work for me – I wish they did, but Old Navy clothes rarely fit me well. Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, or Calvin Klein, however, usually fit me like a glove. Because over 90% of my wardrobe comes from thrift stores, I can afford these quality brands. You'd be surprised the amount of well-made, expensive clothing is hiding in thrift shops, just waiting to found. You have to dig for it, but it's there. My kids can wear Baby Gap and Gymboree, thanks to thrift stores.
4. …But Also Try New Brands
Keep in mind, however, that there might be some quality pieces in brands you've never heard of, or with the tags completely missing. Check for holes, stains, missing buttons, and loose seams, and pass on something if it looks pretty worn or stretched out. But sometimes the brands you don't know are actually really high-end European brands, well worth their money.
5. Try Things On
Always try things on. Just because it's a beautiful silk Ann Taylor skirt doesn't mean you should buy it. If it doesn't fit well, then it's a needless purchase and will only clutter your closet. And different brands size things differently, so you can't assume anything by the number on the tag.
6. Don't Go With Kids
Sure, you may have to bring them sometimes. But if you're armed with a detailed list, it can be hard to get much accomplished at a thrift store when you have little ones to watch. Shopping at thrift stores means having to sift through lots of aisles of crammed-full racks. If you have to bring your kids, plan on just shopping one of the store's sections, and then come back another day to shop the rest.
7. Know Your Local Store's Sale Days
Many local Salvation Army stores have half-off Wednesdays. Other stores have similar days, so call and ask for their regular sale schedule. A $4 pair of shoes is cheap, but when they're $2 – even better!
8. If You Really Need Something, Ask
If you're in the market for a very specific item, and you've been returning to the store for several weeks in search of it, it wouldn't hurt to ask an employee to keep their eye out for it. You can't expect them to bend over backwards, because thrift stores usually have piles of items that come in unexpectedly. But if you let them know you're looking for a light purple Ralph Lauren wool scarf, and then see one come by, then maybe they'll remember you.
9. Find Ways To Repurpose
Think creatively when you thrift shop. I was looking for a Christmas tree skirt a few weeks ago, but I happened upon a perfect vintage tablecloth with red and green flowers. It was thick, durable canvas with a beautiful red fringed border – and it will work better as a tree skirt than I had originally planned. Sheets make great curtain liners, and mismatched silverware and dishes work well in a play kitchen.
10. Stockpile; Think Long-Term
We don't need to buy clothes for our kids for a long time, because my mother-in-law has containers of boys and girls clothes of all sizes waiting to be grown into. She stops by thrift stores weekly, and is always on the lookout for her grandkids' clothes. We're probably set for at least two years, because she thinks longer-term when she thrift shops. If you have the storage to stockpile, then consider your family's long-term needs.
11. Go Often
If you don't find anything one week, try again in a few weeks. A stores' inventory changes constantly, so you might strike gold one week, and come up with nothing the next. Make thrift store shopping part of your regular home management routine.
12. Go With Cash
Finally, leave your debit card at home. When you're armed with cash, you'll be more selective with your purchases, and will therefore think more level-headedly about the value of items. When you stick to a budget, then thrift stores are a money-saver. When you go way over, then you're buying more than you need – emptying your wallet and filling your closets. Aim for the opposite.
Truncated from: SimpleMom.net


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Mountain Biker Takes on Road Biker in This Hilarious NSFW Rap Battle
In the world of cycling, I guess you could say that mountain bikers and road bikers are serious rivals. So, it was only a matter of time that the two worlds collide in a chest-beating rap battle to determine which reigns supreme.
The battle goes back and forth taking barbs at each other's riding style. Then, it gets real when the two rappers exchange rhymes about their opponent's mom.
In a world of parody rap battles, this has to be at the top of the list.
Created by Matt and Jason of the YouTube genius IFHT.